《Flash Marriage: Slow Down Mister》 Chapter 1 The Beginning of Nightmare Chapter 1 The Beginning of Nightmare It was pitch ck in the room. Hot¡­ It was too hot¡­ Like on fire¡­ ra Selman felt that something cool touched her skin when she was tossing and turning. She was craving for the coolness. But she suddenly heard a deep breath from a man. What? ra became a bit saner. She tried to open her eyes and saw a vague silhouette. She struggled to push him away. But that man kept a firm grip. She couldn''t move as if she was pinned down. ra could feel that he was nting kisses on her face, neck, chest and¡­ His hand went down, rubbed her waist and split her legs¡­ "Ahh!" ra felt torn apart and screamed. Then she was heavily humped without a break. ra was almost inundated by pain, hatred, despair and shame. She struggled and cried for help. But she had no other choice but to suffer. Having gone through the darkness, she walked out into the outside.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. It rained heavily, with lightning and thunder. Bruised and shabbily dressed, ra staggered in the pouring rain. She kept dialing a number over and over again. Where are you¡­ Please help me¡­ I am so scared, please help me¡­ No matter how many times she called, she could only hear a robotic voice. "Sorry, the number you dialed is power off. Please dialter." Finally, she could not hold on anymore and copsed in the rain. Chapter 2 Please Marry Me Chapter 2 Please Marry Me In the caf¨¦. "Bitch, who do you think you are? I''ve heard about your past. Damn it, that dating agency dared to match you with me." "If you were not pretty, no one would care for you. I''m just screwing around with you." He raised his voice. People around started to look at them strangely. ra''s face turned pale. She didn''t expect too much from him. But she didn''t expect that he was a pervert and knew about her past. She opened her mouth and wanted to retort. But she was unable to refute. She was engulfed by the nightmare two years ago. That night was full of darkness, pain and shame. She couldn''t escape from the abyss. No one would believe her, no matter how hard she tried to exin. When ra zoned out, the security guard had already asked the pervert to leave politely but toughly. The caf¨¦ was silent again. ra awkwardly expressed her thanks to Horace Kirnd who was sitting not far from her. It was Horace who asked the security guard to drive that man away and removed her embarrassment. "I just don''t like noises." Horace''s voice was deep, velvety but cold. "Mr. Kirnd, Miss Bat said she was stuck in traffic. She might be five minuteste." A young assistant hurriedly walked in and whispered to Horace. "Tell her that don''t bother toe." Horace''s eyes still fixed on ra by the window. "I don''t like intractable women." He said coldly. "But¡­what about Mr. Russell Kirnd¡­" The assistant looked awkward. Horace turned to ra, as if he didn''t hear the young man. "Miss, would you marry me?" ra came to her senses after hearing the deep and pleasant voice. She didn''t see clearly Horace''s face before. He was extremely handsome, with dark brows and bright eyes. He looked like an borately carved statue. No one could find any ws on his face. He was in in white shirt. Perfectly tailored, the white shirt ttered his tall and graceful figure. Though he was on a wheelchair, he looked elegant and imposing. ra was puzzled for a moment until he spoke again. "What?" she asked. "Aren''t you hurried to get married?" ra paused a bit. She was overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame again. "Coincidentally, me too." Before ra could answer, Horace continued, "We just take what we need. Why shouldn''t we?" The way he put it made it sound like a business deal, rather than a marriage. The outstanding man before her really wanted to marry her. But they just met each other. It was so ridiculous! "Sir, we don''t know each other. It''s too hasty." "You don''t know your blind date either." Horace answered coolly and directly. ra didn''t know what to say. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. "Oh, I got it. Is it because I''m disabled?" "Of course not." ra said. But when she looked into his smiling eyes, she realized that she was led by nose. "Miss, I think you need this marriage. If you miss this chance, when do you think you can get married?" With his hands crossed on thep, Horace looked up at ra. ra had to admit that her faith was shaken. She really needed this marriage. More specifically, she needed the residence registration. Then she could register for health care. Then she could afford the huge expenses of her mother''s treatment. She stared at the man in the wheelchair for a while. "Do you have the residence registration of Stratmont?" "Yes." Horace grinned. ra didn''t immediately reply. Though he was disabled, he was way better than the men that she met before. He outdid them both in appearance and bearing. ra, what you had been doing in the past three months was to find a local, marry him and get the residence registration. Why were you still hesitating in face of the opportunity? She bit her lips and finally made up her mind. "OK, I''ll marry you." She raised her head and looked at him. Horace looked away and said, "Do you have the ID card with you? Let''s go to the registry office." Chapter 3 Is She Married? Chapter 3 Is She Married? One hourter, when ra went out of the registry office with the certificate, she still felt it was unreal. She could never see that she got married with a man in their first meeting. ra looked at the certificate. Their names were on it. It was so ridiculous that she got to know her husband''s name from the certificate. Horace. It matched with him. When she was immersed in her thought, Horace stretched out his hand and handed her a card. "Miss Selman, I know girls all dream of wedding, rings and stuff. I''m sorry I don''t have time to deal with it. You can go pick one for yourself " "It''s OK. I don''t need them." She was too old for romance. More importantly, though Horace was her nominal husband, she didn''t want to owe him. "A ring is necessary." Horace said and pressed the card in her palm. "Alright." Since they were "newlyweds", she didn''t want to upset him on this trivial matter. ra took the card. "I have a meeting this afternoon. I can''t get you home." Horace said coldly. "OK." ra never expected that he would treat her like his wife, so she wasn''t disappointed. "By the way, I''ll send my address to youter. You can move there whenever it''s appropriate for you." Horace added. "I''m not hurried." ra said nervously. She was not prepared to live together with a strange man. Maybe it was because she seemed too averse, Horace looked at her but didn''t say anything. He pressed a button on the wheel chair. The chair turned. "I''m about to leave." "OK." ra felt relieved when she saw Horace off in a ck car. She immediately called the HR and made sure that thepany would help her and her mother register for local healthcare. ra was finally at ease. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Though the marriage was too hasty, she settled the problem that had long vexed her. Her mother''s medical fee was finally covered. --- ra worked at the GLAM magazine. Before she went to the office, she used Horace''s card to buy a pair of rings at the nearby mall. ra nned to read the material for the afternoon interview after she arrived at the office. But her colleague came and asked, "ra, where did you get this ring?" "You''ve got hawk''s eyes." ra wanted to cover up. But the HR had already known that she got the residence registration. After a while, probably everyone in thepany would know that she got married. "I got married." "Congrattions, ra," Her colleague looked at her rings again, "Did your husband give you this ring? The diamond isn''t very big. How much is it?" "About three hundred dors." She didn''t how much money Horace had. So she picked the cheapest and mostmon one. The colleague frowned. "ra,e on. The ring is the symbol of marriage. You shouldn''t marry a man who is not willing to buy you a high specification ring." "I think it''s better to live within our means." ra said. The colleague gave her apassionate look. She was probably thinking that her husband wasn''t well-off. "Let''s move on." ra didn''t want to linger on this topic, so she started to talk about the preparation for the interview in the afternoon. Today they were going to interview the boss of Solrace Corporation. This was why alldies in the office were dressed up today. Solrace was a legend in Stratmont. Solrace entered the market three year ago and soon became one of thergestpanies in Stratmont. Soon it caught up with Stratmont''s three biggest family businesses. While the boss of Solrace seemed to be more appealing than hispany. No one knew his name, appearance, nor anything for three years. He never received interviews. When GLAM first invited him, it was also declined. But no one knew why Solrace called them again yesterday and said that he was willing to be interviewed. Even the editor-in-chief was overwhelmed by the good news. It felts like a windfall. ra and other colleagues were led by the receptionists to the top floor of the Solrace Corporation. The secretary guided them to the CEO office. He smiled and said Mr. Kirnd had been waiting for them. Mr. Kirnd? ra grinned and thought of her husband. They shared the same surname. She wondered what he did for a living. ra suddenly froze when she saw the man by the French windows. Others also saw the man. They didn''t notice ra''s behavior but cried out in a low voice. "OMG, the CEO is¡­ is¡­ on a wheelchair? Wow, he is so good-looking, even more handsome than the actors!" They had neglected that he was on the wheelchair. They simply went crazy for his face. ra stared at the man by the window. For a moment, she felt like having been struck by thunder! Chapter 4 Her Husband Is the Boss? Chapter 4 Her Husband Is the Boss? The sunlight fell on the man''s angr face and ttered his perfect contour. His eyes were calm as always. It was Horace. Her newly-married husband, Horace, was the CEO of Solrace?! ra was baffled and froze there. Horace smiled and said, "You are from GLAM? Please take a seat." Being nudged by her colleagues, ra managed to get it together and sat on the sofa. Horace pushed the wheelchair up to them. ra''s colleague asked excitedly, "Can we start, Mr. Kirnd?" "Please." Horace was being still lukewarm. His eyes didn''t linger on her, as if they didn''t know each other at all. His attitude made ra wonder if he just looked like her husband? Two of her colleagues blushed and asked hesitantly, "Can we know your name?" "My name is Horace." His words swept away ra''s remaining doubt. Horace. He was Horace Kirnd. Her newly-married husband. ra''s colleague put on an ingratiating smile. "We got several questions for you." Then she looked at ra who was still lost in thought. She got impatient and pinched ra secretly. "Ouch." ra felt the pain and finally reacted. ording to the n, ra was responsible for the interview, and the other two colleagues took notes. ra tried to cool off and started the interview in a professional manner. "Mr. Kirnd, are you from Stratmont?" "Maybe. Maybe not. I was born in Stratmont, but I went to America in an early age." Unlike ra, Horace remained calm all the time. ra found it rather hrious. Her husband was sitting in front of her, but she didn''t know anything about him. ra tried not to be carried away by her thoughts and focused on the work. She threw the prepared questions one by one at Horace. It went pretty well. Though Horace acted coolly, he did cooperate. It quelled the rumors that he was aloof. ra also came into her own and temporarily forgot that Horace was her husband. But when she saw the next question, she became silent. The whole office remained muted. "ra, what are you doing?" ra was nudged. She smiled embarrassedly. "Sorry, Mr. Kirnd, it is a rather private question, but I think many female readers will be interested in it." ra tried to scatter the strange feelings and read the question on the script out loud, "Are you married?" ra almost bit her tongue after asking this question. Wasn''t it nonsense? She knew it more clearly than anyone that he was not single. But she had to ask it in front of others. ra looked nervously at Horace. She didn''t know if it was her illusion that Horace grinned a bit. But it disappeared so fast that she started to question herself. "What do you think¡­" Horace said in a gentle but mysterious tone, "Miss Journalist, on this question?" ra''s heart missed a beat. What did she think? What the hell? But she had to answer the question, "I guess¡­ You are already married, since you are so eminent." It''s Horace who obscured his identity and pretended not to know her since she entered the room. Why was she so guilty? When her head were in the cloud, the man in the wheelchair had already seen through her. Horace''s lips curled up. He knew she was going to interview him. More specifically, he agreed to be interviewed because of her. She thought they met for the first time today. But he had seen her on a blind date and seen her crying¡­ He was sure that they didn''t meet before, but he found her familiar. So he asked someone to probe into her background. It was so coincidental that they had dates at the same ce again. He could help but lend a helping hand. Her stubborn look and familiar tears struck a chord and prompted him to blurt out the proposal. He was just teasing her. But she was so nervous and shy. She was really different from what he read on the material. Horace thought a bit. "Yes, I got married recently." Intentionally, or unintentionally, Horace nced at ra. Her heart beat fast as a result. "Mr. Kirnd, you are already married? Those female readers are going to be heartbroken," said her colleague disappointedly. "What kind of person is she?" she added curiously. ra gave her a pull. It was not on their script. Plus, it was too personal, even a little impolite. Luckily, Horace was not angry. He smiled and dodged the question. "Well, let''s focus on the questions rted to work." ra didn''t want to be bogged down on the topic of his marriage. The next several questions were very formal. The interview came to an end smoothly. "I''m very happy to receive the interview." Horace shook hands with them politely and said goodbye. Horace looked at ra''s ring when he was shaking hands with her. "Very nice ring." He smiled. ra blushed and pulled her hand. She became less frayed as she walked out of Horace''s office. Horace''s secretary walked up to them, with several delicate boxes in hands. "Misses, there are little gifts from the boss. Please take it." Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. The two colleagues were excited after taking over the boxes. "OMG, there is even a gift. Mr. Kirnd is too sweet!" She couldn''t wait to open the box and saw a CHANEL''s scarf inside. "Wow, Mr. Kirnd is so generous! No wonder he is the CEO of Solrace," One of her colleagues eximed, "the pattern of my scarf is different from hers. ra, what does yours look like?" The moment ra opened the box, she was stunned by the thing inside. She hurriedly put the lid on. Chapter 5 Is He Impotent? Chapter 5 Is He Impotent? ra said, "The same as yours." Then she urged her colleagues to go. She received a message from Horace on the way back. It was an address, a vi in the wealthiestmunity of Stratmont. They were a couple now. They ought to live together. But¡­ She wasn''t prepared for living together, let alone other things¡­ ra and her colleagues took several photos of Horace. But they dared not publish them without his permission. The editor-in-chief asked tentatively if they were able to post the photos, given that Horace had long been low-profile. To their surprise, Horace promptly said yes. It thrilled the whole office. "Damn, It''s the photo of Solrace''s CEO! Our magazine is going to be snapped up!" "Come on, let me see. Is he as handsome as they say?" Then the photos were shown, all women were over the moon. "OMG, he looks even cuter than those actors." "Wait, the chair he sits on is weird. Is it¡­ wheel chair?" Someone noticed that Horace was on a wheelchair, the crowd became silent again. "Yes, he was on a wheelchair. So what? He is handsome and rich. He''s already a Prince Charming." The colleague who took part in the interview said. Women around her agreed. But several male colleagues said jealously, "Though he''s rich and handsome, don''t you know, ten to one man on a wheelchair can''t have sex?" "Right, I heard he is newly married? I bet his wife is going to live in widowhood." ra was drinking water. Having heard of this, she choked and started to cough violently. The colleague who took part in the interview said adoringly, "Mr. Kirnd is perfect. If he isn''t disabled, he''s almost like a protagonist in the romantic fiction." Clearly, no one paid attention to the demeaning remarks. They were all captivated by Horace''s charm. In the following days, everyone was upied with Horace''s interview. They were all pumped up by motivation. On weekend, ra was exhausted. She went to the hospital to visit her mother first, then packed her stuff and moved to Horace''s ce. She was afraid that he might found her dishonest. The vi was huge, and the decoration was ssic. There weren''t many servants, only an old couple, named Donald and Martha. Donald helped ra to move her stuff to the master bedroom on the second floor. Half of the closet was vacant. The other half was upied by men''s clothing. ra realized that she needed to share a room with Horace. But it should be the case. She filled her stuff in the closet. ra ate the noodles cooked by Martha and then went to take a shower. She suddenly found that she forgot to bring the towel with her. She hesitated for a while, and cautiously opened the door. Horace wasn''t back yet. ra, drenched, hurriedly run into the bedroom. When she was rummaging in the closet, she heard a ck behind. ra was startled. She looked back and saw Horaceing in on the wheelchair. Horace was also surprised. He didn''t expect to see his newly-wedded wife in this way. Obviously, ra was even more startled. Her brain went nk. When she caught on, she screamed and rushed to the bathroom. But she slipped and fell forward. "Watch out!" Horace frowned. He moved the wheelchair forward to catch ra. She finally fell on hisp. He froze a bit after touching her soft and moist skin. ra wasn''t an instant eye-catcher. But at the second sight, people couldn''t take their eyes off her delicate face. Especially now, she wore no make-up, with her wet hair gathered behind the ears. Water trickled down the wisp of hair, kissed her corbone, and went all the way down her fair body. Horace felt thirsty. His eyes dimmed. ra managed topose herself. When she raised her head, she looked into his enchanting eyes. She wasn''t a teenager. She knew what it meant. Gosh. "I''m¡­ I''m sorry." She hastened to stand up. But when she touched his crotch, she was dumbfounded. After Horace helped her up, ra popped to the bathroom and closed the door. But her heart kept fluttering. They are couple now. Though something happened, it was normal. But she couldn''t ept it yet. By the way, she just saw the bulge. It was quite obvious. Clearly those male colleagues were just being jealous. Though Horace was disabled, he was perfectly fine. ra mocked herself. What were you thinking, ra? Did it have anything to do with you? You married him just for the residence registration! Why are you so horny? She lost the strain of thought due to a sudden knock. ra was startled, "Wh, what?" "Open the door." Horace said in a pleasant tone. Her heart was beating fast. Open the door? Why did he ask her to open the door? What did he want?Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 6 My First Love Becomes My Boss? Chapter 6 My First Love Bes My Boss? ra thought of Horace''s look just now. Did he want to¡­? "You left something." Horace added, since ra didn''t reply. She hesitated for a while, finally came to the door and crack opened it. Soon, Horace stretched his hand in, with a soft and white towel. "Weren''t you looking for it?" Horace said with a grin. ra blushed with shame. "Thanks." ra instantly took it and shut the door. She was shameful for her thought. She dried off and dressed for bed. When she came out, Horace was ready sitting on bed in his navy- blue silk pajamas. He was busy typing on theptop. It suddenly struck her that what if he asked to have sex¡­ What should she do? To her relief. Horace remained very indifferent. He seemed to show no interest in her. Plus, the bed is big with two pillows and two quilts. ra was almost half a meter away from Horace after lying down. "Have you finished?" Horace asked, but his eyes still fixed on the screen. "Yes." said ra. She casted a curious look at Horace. "Do you want to sleep?" Horace looked back. "OK." Horace soon turned off the light. When it turned dark, ra became a little nervous. She didn''t know why Horace married her, so she wasn''t sure if he was going to have sex with her. When she heard his steady breath, she started to rx a bit and fell into sleep. Next morning. When ra got up, Horace wasn''t there. Martha greeted her when she walked downstairs. "Morning,dy. Breakfast is ready." "OK, thank you." Horace was already at the table. He was holding a cup while reading the newspaper. ra said hi and sat down to eat. After the breakfast, Horace folded the newspaper and said, "Let me drive you to work." "Don''t worry," she said, "I''ll hail a taxi or take the subway." "It''s far from the subway station. And you won''t see a taxi here." She noticed it yesterday when she moved here. People lived in thismunity all drove themselves. They didn''t need to take taxi nor subway. ra nced at her watch. Since it wasn''t early, she said, "Sorry to bother you. Can you give me a lift to the subway station on the way?" Horace looked at her, which made her nervous. But he finally nodded yes. There was already a ck Bentley parking outside when they got to the door. The young man standing by the car introduce himself as Isaac Duncan, Horace''s special assistant. Isaac opened the car door. When ra was wondering how Horace should get in the car, she saw a metallic teing out of the car. Horace easily got in on the wheel chair. When she got in, she found that the car had been modified. There was a special seat for Horace''s wheelchair. The car parked by the subway station. Horace frowned at the chaotic environment outside. "It was too inconvenient. It you don''t want take my car, I can prepare another one for you." ra was surprised for a bit. "No, no. It''s not necessary." Added she immediately. She knew it meant nothing to Horace, but she didn''t want to owe him. Horace looked sullen at ra''s decisive rejection. Soon he said, "I don''t usually stay in the vi. How do you go to work on your own? " ra had thought about this. She took out her phone and shook it. "There''s still Uber. It is very convenient. I''m going to bete. Bye." Then she got of the car. Isaac finally said, "Sir¡­ I think Ms. Selman is different from what is written in the investigation report." Horace stared at ra''s back and pondered. "Indeed." ¡­ Arriving at the GLAM, ra heard the news from the colleague. "GLAM was taken over! All senior management were reced!" GLAM was not a big publishingpany, but it has be an established magazine over the years. Howe it was suddenly taken over? Before she could react, the colleagues by the door started to mor. "He''sing! The new editor-in-chief ising!" ra raised her head and saw a tall man surrounded by a group of people walking in. After seeing his face, ra was dumbfounded. She felt as if her blood had frozen. His face was still familiar. But now he looked more angr and prudent than in the school. What she wasn''t familiar was the apathetic look on his face. His gentleness had disappeared. He was listening to the reports from the subordinates. He nodded and gave simplements from time to time. He never threw a look at her. He just walked away, surrounded by people. Darren Kirnd, why did hee back¡­ He left decidedly without saying goodbye. Why was he here now? It has been two years. She thought she had moved on. But his presence easily overwhelmed her. She wasn''t sure that if he could recognize her when he passed her by. Thinking of this, raughed at herself. If he didn''t recognize her, so what? If he did, so what? There was no going back. ra was anxious for the rest of the day. She was afraid that Darren would recognize her. But it turned out that she was being paranoid. Darren was busy all the time. It seemed that ra didn''t catch his attention at all. Maybe he had already forgotten about her. If she was that significant to him, he wouldn''t leave without saying good bye two years ago, and she wouldn''t hear nothing from him then. ra managed to make it till the closing time. She couldn''t bear to stay for one more minute in the office. She immediately grabbed her bag and decided to leave. Unfortunately, she was stopped and asked by the managing editor to brief Darren on thetest interview. ra froze and slowly turned around. "Miss Patterson, I have an emergency to do today. Can I¡­?" Eileen Patterson was not in good mood today. "You start to think highly of yourself after covering a hot interview, huh?" ra turned pale. She knew she couldn''t resist. "Don''t make fun of me, Miss Patterson. I''ll do it straight away." ra took several deep breaths after she went to the door of the editor-in-chief office with material. She finally plucked up the courage and knocked the door. "Come in." Having heard Darren''s familiar voice, ra opened the door and went in. Darren was sitting behind the table and flipping through the magazine that published Horace''s interview. "Sir." ra tried to make herself sound calm enough. "Miss Patterson, the managing editor, asked me to brief you on the interview featured Solrace''s CEO." Darren only grunted a "hmm" without looking up. ra had to go on with the report. He didn''t give any response till the end. The office was so quiet that she could hear a pin drop. ra Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. was on thest nerve. She tried to restrain her shaky voice. "Editor-in-chief, if there is nothing else, I''m leaving. Then she hastened to leave. Darren''s voice came from behind her. "It''s been two years. ra, do you have anything to say to me?" Chapter 7 What Happened Two Years Ago Chapter 7 What Happened Two Years Ago Darren walked up to the door, dragged her hands and pulled her to his arms. He noticed her ring. "Are you married?" He stared at her ring. ra nodded. She dared not to look at him. Suddenly, he sneered. But it was unclear whether he was mocking ra or himself. "ra, the man you married to can only buy you a melee diamond?" Darren raised his chin and affected a smile. "Hey, do you think I''m still loving you?" He pinched her chin and looked at her with scorn and disgust. "Do you think I''ll fall for a woman who sold herself for money?" ra turned pale due to shock. "You¡­ you know what happened two years ago?" With her lips trembling, ra managed to utter a few words. "Hm." Darren felt heartbroken since ra didn''t deny it. He pinched her chin more tightly. "Yes, I know. I knew it two years ago. I should thank you, ra. After knowing that the girl I had loved for three years was a whore, I made up my mind to go to America for study." Darren said coldly. The color faded away from ra''s face. It''s been two years¡­ For many times, she wondered why he suddenly went abroad when she needed him the most. Now she knew. It was also because what happened two years ago. Two years ago, Darren left before things went escted. Did he know it before it was blown wide open? ra was already pale, but she still struggled under his suppression. "Darren, it was a misunderstanding. Actually¡­" "Misunderstanding?" Darren was pissed off. He raised his voice and gripped her even harder. ra was so painful that she puckered her face. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. "There is no misunderstanding. You just regretted it when you see the poor boy has be the editor- in-chief. You are telling me it''s a misunderstanding?" Speaking of it, Darren''s eyes turned scarlet. "I told you, ra, I''m not an idiot now!" ra was shocked and heartbroken when she saw the resentful look on Darren''s familiar face. She wanted to exin, but what could she say? If he believed in her, how could he leave without asking her? After all, he believed she was a material girl who would sell herself for money. Moreover, even if he believed in her, so what? She was married now and no longer the girl she used to be. There was no going back. Thinking of this, ra held back her tears. "Darren, you are right. It did happen, as you know. But there''s one thing that you may misunderstand. It doesn''t matter whether you are the editor in chief or the CEO, I don''t want anything to do with you." ra said coolly. She felt that he tightened his hand on her chin as soon as she finished the words. But the next moment, she was shrugged away. ra staggered and stood on her feet by leaning against the wall. Looking up, she was hurt by Darren''s scornful and disgusted look. But it was better than still being entangled together. "Editor-in-chief, if there''s no other problem, I''m leaving." Her words trembled. She dared not to look at him again, and dashed out of the office. When she darted out, she found that it was pouring outside. She happened to leave the umbre in the office. Shecked the courage to go back. ra couldn''t hail a taxi. In face of the pouring rain, she clenched her teeth, put her bag overhead, and dashed to the subway station. She took the crowded subway with her clothes drenched. When she arrived the destination, it was still raining outside. Still no taxi. She had no choice but to wait at the subway station. She remembered that, two years ago, it was also a stormy night. She lost the most precious thing¡­ Then she lost Darren who she thought was going to be her one and only for the rest of her life. She was overwhelmed by the despair and chagrin that she experienced two years ago. She wrapped her arms around her shoulder and crouched down. Cold¡­ It was so cold¡­ She was shaking as if it was that night two years ago. Chapter 8 Who is Darren? Chapter 8 Who is Darren? Just when ra thought she was about to be left alone, she suddenly saw a wheelchair and two long legs. ra was sort of shocked and looked up with difficulty. Then she saw Horace standing in front of her and Isaac held an umbre by his side. The heavy rain formed a rain curtain which blurred Horace''s handsome face. There was still a feeling of chilliness in the air around him. Although he sat in a wheelchair, he appeared at this moment like a god, dispersing sadness from the bottom of her heart. Her eye sinkers quivered. Horace? "What are you doing here?" Horace looked down at ra squatting on the ground. He did not know why his tone conveyed a hint of anger. "Were you caught in the rain?" ra finally came to her sense. She tried to get up in a panic, but somehow, she suddenly had a ckout and lost consciousness. Horace was stunned, but he reacted quickly and safely caught her. Realizing her abnormally fevered body, he scowled slightly, staring at the sdred fingerprints on her chin. His nostrils narrowed in a perceptually invisible manner. "Go back," whispered he. The change of his look was fleeting. An indifferent look resurfaced on his face. He held ra, sliding the wheelchair toward the ck Bentley. His car was parked in a hidden corner next to the subway station. However, because of the weight of both of them, the wheelchair was unable to slide as it used to. "Mr. Kirnd, let me do it." Isaac couldn''t help speaking. "That''s okay." Unexpectedly, Horace refused and adjusted ra''s position. Then he stood up from the wheelchair and carried ra into the car! If other people saw this scene, they would definitely be shocked. Seeing ra constantly sweat in the bed, Horace frowned slightly and looked at the doctor who was preparing an intravenous drip next to him, "Is she really okay?" "Mr. Kirnd, don''t worry. Mrs. Selman has a fever, but not serious. Now she was probably having a nightmare." Hearing this, Horace''s knitted eyebrows loosened a little. After the doctor left the room, Horace looked at ra who still looked pale. He was just about to want to reach out to touch her forehead when ra suddenly trembled slightly. "ra?" Horace frowned again, "Are you okay?" It was obvious that she didn''t wake up and her lip was slightly pale and cracked as if she seemed to Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. mutter something. Horace''s eyebrows were tighter and he leaned down slightly. Then he heard she whisper. "Darren... help me... Where are you... Darren... Please believe me..." Darren? Horace straightened up and his face turned a bit gloomy. This was clearly a man''s name. Horace stared at ra on the bed. Although her face was still pale and weak, she still couldn''t hide the softness in her eyebrows, especially her trembling eyshes. She showed weakness and dependence which Horace had never seen before. Horace pondered. It seemed that since he met this woman from the beginning, she had always been cautious and detached. It seemed that she had never thought of relying on her husband. But in her sleep, she revealed deep attachment and dependence towards the man called "Darren". About her past, he had asked Isaac to investigate. But it''s just a simple summary. For example, he knew that she had an unforgettable first love. But two years ago, after that ident, she separated from her first love. But he didn''t ask about the name and background of her first love. Now it seemed that this Darren should be her first love. Thinking of this, Horace felt annoyed for no reason. At this time, ra suddenly opened her eyes slowly. Horace quickly snapped out of it and looked down at her, "Are you okay?" ra blinked and realized that she was lying in the vi room with a drip on her hand. "Did you send me back?" ra opened his mouth and felt that she was almost parched. "Yes," Horace gave a sinct reply, picked up a cup of hot water from the bedside table and handed it to her. "Thank you," ra took it and sipped. Seeing ra be detached and polite as usual, somehow, Horace was even more upset. "ra," said Horace all of a sudden. "Who is Darren?" Chapter 9 I dont Like the Traces of Others on You Chapter 9 I don''t Like the Traces of Others on You "Cough, cough, cough." Horace''s question had totally taken her aback. She was choked by water and coughed violently. "Be careful." Unlike the panicky ra, Horace just calmly caressed her back. ra looked up in a fluster and met his eyes. He was just staring at her swollen chin. That mark was so unpleasant to the eye. He immediately took out the ster from the medicine box on the bedside table, squeezed it on his hand and applied it to her red and swollen chin. Feeling his cold touch, she still looked at him with some vignce. She hesitated and finally said, "How do you know Darren?" "You said his name when you were dreaming." ra was stunned. Then she remembered that just now she was in aa where she dreamed about what happened two years ago. Her eyes darkened involuntarily. Before she had figured out how to answer, Horace spoke again at an appropriate speed. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. "ra, I don''t care what happened to you in the past. But I hope you understand that you are my wife now, and I don''t like my wife to call other people''s names in bed." When he said these words, there was no emotion in his tone. However, ra felt an unspeakable hegemony. Especially his ck eyes which seemed calm but actually deep and dark, she can''t make out what kind of emotion in his eyes. Horace then helped ra finish coating the medicine. ra drooped her head, "Thank you." "Not at all," murmured Horace who put away the ointment. "I don''t like the traces of others on you." ra''s body was stiff again. Although she didn''t say anything, it seemed that he already knew. Feeling the coolness on her chin, ra felt his anger and shrunk her head. "I see." Unknowingly, ra oozed sweat from the palms and only bowed her head. "Take a break early," Horace turned his wheelchair. "I''ll sleep in the guest room tonight." Then he left the room without waiting for ra''s reply. In the room, ra back into the soft bedding alone, showing no sign of sleepiness. ra could finally let the tears in her eyes flow down wantonly. She remembered that dream again. After suffering shame, she had been endlessly humiliated by her rtives. Misunderstood and ridiculed by friends and loved ones, and mibeled by the world and nailed to the pir of shame forever, she finally didn''t have to be strong. She finally could cry out when staying alone. The next day, after ra took a drip, she was much reinvigorated and she decided to go to work. But when she got up to pack up, she found her bag missing and a famous brand bag reced her original bag. "Martha," At this time, ra just saw her go upstairs to tidy and asked. "Where''s my bag?" "Mrs. Selman, your bag was damaged in the rain yesterday. Mr. Kirnd prepared this bag for you." She recognized that the bag Horace bought for her was CHANEL which was worth tens of thousands of dors. She couldn''t afford it with her own sry. But her bag had been thrown away and she had no other bag. Therefore, she had to ept this bag. Horace sat at the table reading the newspaper as usual. But ra was keenly aware that Horace seemed different today. Was it his manner, sitting position, or his hands? Her gaze rested on his well-defined hands and she suddenly froze. Chapter 10 Horaces Secret Chapter 10 Horace''s Secret Unexpectedly, he wore a simple diamond ring on his slender ring finger. It''s exactly the one she bought before. ra froze and even forgot to sit down at the table. Finally, Horace looked up at her. "What''s the matter?" Horace opened his mouth, ncing at her empty fingers and raising his eyebrows slightly. "Where''s your wedding ring?" ra felt a little embarrassed at once. When she bought the ring before, she didn''t know that her husband was actually a billionaire, so she bought the ring with the simplest style. This ring was too simple and crude for Horace. Therefore, on the first night when she moved here, she casually put the ring, which was originally intended to be given to Horace, into the drawer of the dresser. As a result, she didn''t wear her own one in front of Horace and didn''t wear it until she went back to the Unexpectedly, Horace found the ring she put away and put it on. ra had to reach out and take out the ring in her bag. When she put it on, she couldn''t help whispering, "I''m sorry. I just randomly picked amon style." Horace''s corners of his mouth curved up. "It doesn''t matter. It looks very nice." ra didn''t know how to answer, so she had to sit down and eat breakfast, without saying a word. She suddenly realized that this man was far more overbearing and unpredictable than she thought. She didn''t know what Horace was thinking about. Living together these days, she felt that Horace was a little strange. She originally thought that since Horace had difficulty in moving, there should be many people around him to take care of his daily life. But there were only Donald and Martha in the whole family, and there was no one to take care of him personally. For example, how did he move from the wheelchair to the bed alone? How did he bathe alone every day? When did he take a shower? She had never seen him take a bath at home, but every time she came from the bathroom, she found that he had finished washing himself. Did he take a shower outside? Did he have a mistress? ra''s imagination was running away. But to tell the truth, she didn''t mind even if Horace had a mistress. What''s stranger was another thing. That day she identally fell on Horace, and she identally touched his leg. ra had always thought that people with disabilities like Horace should have suffered from muscle Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. atrophy and have thin and weak legs. That''s because they have long been deprived of the use of their legs. However, Horace had powerful muscles, whichpletely unliked that of the disabled. Everyone has a secret. Due to the embarrassing situation between Horace and her, it''s hard for her to ask him about his legs. After breakfast, ra was about to take a taxi by phone when Horace said, "You''re not well yet. I''ll take you to thepany today." "No, thanks," ra panicked. "I can..." But Horace already turned his wheelchair towards the door without giving her any room to negotiate. ra was frustrated and had to get in the car with her head tilted. Horace''s attitude towards her had changed sincest night. Of course, no man wanted his wife to entangle with another man, especially the first love. She was very nervous all the way. If Horace was spotted by those people at the magazine, she would definitely be badgered by those women. Also, if Darren saw Horace, she didn''t know how she would be taunted by him. Fortunately, Horace went to work earlier than her. When they arrived at thepany, there was no one downstairs. She said goodbye to Horace and she quickly got off the car. Horace looked at her back, his eyes darkened heavy. Why did she react like this? Was she so afraid that others would know about their rtionship? Chapter 11 The Little Girl, That Very Year Chapter 11 The Little Girl, That Very Year He sent Isaac to investigate ra''s past. ording to Isaac''s reports, she should be a superficial money worshipper who could pursue a little money at any cost. It was precisely because of this reason that he chose her. A woman who could be sent away with a little money was much better and tamer than those so-called debutantes who coveted all his money. Of course, he also admitted that another reason for choosing her was that she didn''t vex him. And her stubborn look implied that there might be something unknown about her. But unexpectedly, after these two days, she seemed to have no desire for his money. She refused him to buy a car for her before. Was she actually more brilliant than he thought or did she know how to y hard-to-get? Being silent for a while, Horace finally took back his gaze. "Let''s go." On the top floor of Solrace Corporation, Horace was at his desk with his fingers tapping on the keyboard, and the figures and charts on the screen changed ordingly. The phone on the desk suddenly rang. Horace answered the phone, and Isaac''s voice was heard. "Mr. Kirnd, your friend is here." "Let him in." The office door opened quickly, and a handsome showman in a pink shirt shed in. "Horace, are you still working?" seeing Horace, the man exaggerated and shouted. "I thought that since you finally got married, at least, you should go on a honeymoon trip even if you didn''t hold a wedding." Horace still stared at theputer screen, and he briefly said, "No time." The visitor had already sat down at Horace''s table. He was not angry about Horace''s indifference. He just narrowed his amorous eyes andughed again. "Your wife was really unlucky to marry a man who knows nothing about romance." Horace finally settled his eyes on the man, but still poker-faced. "What are you trying to say?" The man smiled so much that his eyes became crescent moon. "I''m just bored. I want to see your wife." "Forget it," Horace refused without hesitation. "You should also know why I married her." "Of course, I know," The man curled his lips, and the smile at the corners of his mouth slowly disappeared. "But anyway, you finally got married. You can let go of what happened back then." Hearing this, Horace''s hand on the keyboard paused. "It''s not a matter of letting it go nor not," replied Horace. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "The deceased cannote back to life." The man looked at Horace and intended to open his mouth to say something, but he bit the words back. "What about the little girl?" The man could not help asking. "Are there any clues?" "There are already some clues," Horace said simply. "That''s great," The manughed again. "I''ve been thinking about how you would repay her. I was expecting you to pledge to marry her, but I didn''t expect you had sold yourself." Horace ignored the man''s brazen teasing. Bringing contempt upon himself, the man looked embarrassed. But when his eyes fell on Horace''s wheelchair, he couldn''t help asking, "Well... Horace, did you tell your wife about your leg?" Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Horace had already started browsing the statements just submitted by the finance department. Hearing this problem, his hand sliding the mouse paused. "No," A momentter, he whispered. The man frowned slightly, "Horace, I didn''t mean to me you. No matter what the purpose of your marriage is, since you two are married now, are you going to hide it all the time? Maybe..." Speaking of this, this man paused, but still he gritted his teeth and continued, "Maybe you should also try to see if you can ept this new wife. You can''t live in the shadow of the past all your life." He knew Horace''s personality too well. Although Horace said that his marriage was to give his grandfather an answer, however, if Horace didn''t really like the girl, he wouldn''t agree to marry and live with her. In silence, Horace didn''t answer. After browsing the financial statements at full speed, he whispered something. "My love died already." The man was stunned. He looked at Horace''s impassive face, and sympathy shed across his eyes. The car ident ten years ago was a nightmare for all of them. Everyone thought it was his legs that Horace lost in the car ident. But they were all wrong. In the car ident, Horace lost his heart, not his legs. Chapter 12 The Young Master of the Kirkland Family Chapter 12 The Young Master of the Kirnd Family ra entered the office building and she caught the elevator that was about to shut. But when she entered the elevator, she found that Darren was the only one in the elevator. "Sorry." ra instinctively wanted to go out, but she didn''t expect that Darren closed the elevator door directly. "What are you hiding from?" Darren sneered. "We are in the same department. Do you think that you can avoid seeing me?" ra bit her lips and stopped talking. Darren looked down at her. Her face was still pale because of illness, and she still coughed from time to time. Darren felt his heart lurch. Damn it. Even if he recognized the true face of this woman, his mood was still controlled by her. "Have you caught a cold?" Darren asked in a cold voice. "Yes." ra didn''t want to say more. She answered and as soon as she saw the elevator door open, she immediately walked out. After Darren returned to the office, he felt a severe chest tightness. Finally, he called his secretary and said, "Help me buy some cold medicine." Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The cold medicine was delivered quickly. Darren pinched it in his palm for a long time. Finally, he got up and went outside. While passing by the tea room of the office, he suddenly heard the discussions of several female colleagues inside. "Eh, is that true? Was it a ck Bentley that sent ra to work this morning?" "Of course, it''s true. Not only did I see it, but other people also saw it." "OMG! Isn''t her husband poor? Howe he has such a fancy car?" "Use your brain. How could it be her husband''s car? The diamond ring her husband gave her is so cheap. I guess it must be another man''s car..." "Also, did you see her bag today? It''s CHANEL. She used to carry cheap bags. Suddenly she has such a luxury bag. It must be bought by that man." Outside the tea room, Darren''s hand holding the medicine unconsciously clenched. He suddenly felt that what a fool he is that he even bought cold medicine for the vain woman. He threw the medicine that was squashed out of shape into a garbage can and turned back to his office. The other side, ra had just arrived at her office when the mobile phone in her pocket suddenly rang. When she saw the caller ID, her face turned gloomy. In the empty corridor, she answered the phone and ask coldly, "What are you calling for?" "What''s with that attitude?" "I don''t have an attitude," ra''s tone revealed a little impatience. "I just know that you won''t call me without a reason. Tell me, what''s the matter?" "Your sister is getting married soon," Sure enough, the man on the phone did not beat around the Bush and directly exined his intention. "If you are free, go home and have dinner together, and meet your future brother-inw." "Home?" ra''s voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Dad, I think you''ve made a mistake. That''s not my home." "ra, watch your manners." The man on the phone said angrily. "Your sister is not going to marry an ordinary man this time. It is the young master of the Kirnd family that she will marry. Your sister said that we shall gather together and celebrate. So you muste home tomorrow evening. Your sister said she had a surprise for you!" With that, he hung up the phone. ra held her mobile phone and frowned slightly. Ashlee is going to marry the young master of the Kirnd family? No wonder Ashlee insists letting her go back. Ashlee must want to show off her wonderful fianc¨¦. Although ra knew what her family thought, she knew her father''s characters and her sister''s personality too well. If she didn''t agree, her sister would blow the coals in front of her father. Then her father would be furious and make trouble for ra. It''s just a meal. Just go. Since Darren took office, ra, who used to like working overtime, now left the office on time almost every day. Today was no exception. When ra came home from work, she saw Donald and Martha dragging their suitcases into the living room. "Donald, Martha, are you..." Chapter 13 You Act Like My Wife Chapter 13 You Act Like My Wife "Mrs. Selman, our son is getting married tomorrow. We are going to attend his wedding," Donald said kindly. "Well, congrattions," said ra. "How long are you gonna stay there?" "We just want to hold a banquet in Stratmont and we''lle back tomorrow evening," Martha smiled softly. But when her eyes fell on Horace, she became worried. "But there was no servant at home. No one will prepare Mr. Kirnd''s breakfast tomorrow. I have to contact someone to see who can take charge." ra is a bit embarrassed. What a rich family. Even if it''s just a breakfast, did they have to invite someone toe here? "It doesn''t matter," Horace opened his mouth and interrupted ra''s wild thoughts. "ra, you can cook, can''t you?" "Ah?" ra didn''t catch on at all. She looked up to meet Horace''s dark eyes. "I... I can cook." ra just finished her answer. Thinking of Martha''s hearty breakfast this morning, she couldn''t help adding two words, "A little..." A smile yed over Horace''s face. "A little is enough," he murmured. "The meal is ready. Let''s eat first." ra came to the dining room and was stunned when she saw the dishes on the table. It turned out that the table was full of soup and vegetable dishes, as well as a lot of herbal food. Although they had lived together for a short time, ra also knew that Horace liked spicy food. Why is the food so light today? N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ra took her seat in doubt. Horace put a bowl of chicken soup in front of her and said, "Warm up." ra was stunned. Was it because she caught a cold that he specially prepared the dishes for her? ra suddenly couldn''t tell what it was like. She just felt that her cold and tired heart seemed to be immersed in warm water at once, warming up little by little. Knowing that someone actually cared for you felt so good. "What are you thinking?" Horace''s deep and sweet voice suddenly came to her ears. ra just came to her sense and hurriedly replied, "Nothing." Suddenly something urred to her, and she added, "By the way, I''m going to eat with my father tomorrow night. No need to prepare dinner for me." "Okay," Horace replied and paused for a moment. "I''ll visit your father and your mother when I have time." ra froze and blurted out, "No, thanks." Horace raised his eyebrows slightly. ra realized that her reaction seemed inappropriate. She was embarrassed and said, "My parents... don''t get along with each other... My mother is in poor health... So..." Horace looked at ra who was a little flustered in front of him, and his mouth was slightly raised. She didn''t know that he had already investigated her family background. "Really?" But he didn''t uncover the truth. He just looked pale. "But when I''m free, I want to take you back to meet my family." ra was stunned. This was the first time Horace mentioned his family to her. "Visit your parents?" ra ventured carefully. "My parents are dead." ra was awkward, "I''m sorry." "It doesn''t matter," Horace''s face was calm. "I''ll take you to visit my grandfather and my eldest brother when I have time. It happens that my eldest brother''s son is getting married recently." Getting married? ra smiled bitterly. Are these days lucky days? Is everyone busy getting married? "Well, okay." Since they are husband and wife, seeing each other''s family is also a matter of etiquette. ra did not refuse. At dinner, ra was still wondering what surprise Ashlee Middleton was going to give to her? The next morning, ra got up an hour earlier and finally managed to make breakfast. She was about to ask Horace to go downstairs, but when she got out of the kitchen, she saw Horace "Do you have a battery?" ra was stunned for a moment before she recognized that Horace was holding an electric razor. ra took it over and looked, "What you need is a button battery. Don''t you have one at home?" "No." ra nced at Horace who already had stubble on his chin. He really needed to shave. "Is there a convenience store or supermarket nearby?" "No." ra was surprised. "There was nothing?" Horace shook his head. ra wanted to roll her eyes at the rich man''s life. "What now?" ra was helpless. "Why don''t you let your assistant buy one?" "He is already on his way. However, there is a very important meeting today. I am afraid it''ll be toote," Horace frowned. "I asked Donald. He has a new razor, but it''s not electric. I don''t know how to use it." ra was stunned for a while before she realized what Horace was asking for. Did he want her to shave his beard? "Where is it?" ra suddenly felt that Horace was also somewhat cute. She pursed her lips. "I can use it. I''ll shave your beard for you." "In the locker." ra quickly found a razor, which was the most old-fashioned one. It must be used with shaving cream. She carefully applied shaving cream around Horace''s chin and carefully shaved his face. For a moment, the distance between ra and Horace was close, and Horace even could feel ra''s breath. Horace raised his eyes slightly, and he could see ra''s face close at hand. He could even see the tiny hairs on her white and tender skin, just like peaches. "What''s the matter?" It seemed that she noticed Horace''s gaze. ra''s originally tense nerves suddenly stretched to breaking point. "I hope I didn''t scratch you." "No," said Horace. His voice was as cold as ever. "I just feel like you are really my wife." ra was stunned, and her cheek was slightly hot. They were the real couple, but Horace used "feel like". It proved that he had no sense of reality about this marriage, just like herself. "All right," ra soon finished shaving Horace''s beard. After carefully wiping off the shaving cream, she looked at his face. She couldn''t help saying, "It''s very clean." "Thank you," Horace made a faint remark and slid his wheelchair to the dining table. Because of such close contact just now, both of them were a little embarrassed during the meal. ra even forgot to ask Horace if he was satisfied with her craft. After dinner, Isaac arrived. Horace was in a hurry today and couldn''t take ra to the subway station. ra called a car and took her directly to the magazine. After a day''s work, ra took a taxi to Merivia Bay. As soon as she got off the taxi, she saw a girl in a bright yellow dress running towards her happily. "Sister, you are here atst," The girl grabbed ra''s hand, smiled sweetly, and said intimately. "Come in quickly. I want to introduce my fianc¨¦ to you." ra looked at Ashlee Middleton who looked stunning. She raised her brow, "The young master of the Kirnd Family?" Chapter 14 My Brother-in-law Was My First Love? Chapter 14 My Brother-inw Was My First Love? Ashlee was stunned, and then smiled. "So, Dad told you. Oh, but when you see himter, don''t mention his family to his face. He hates people talking about his family background." Although Ashlee seemed to be indifferent to her fianc¨¦''s family background and said so, her ra just smiled and did not express any opinions. Ashlee was vain, which she knew from her childhood. This time, Ashlee hooked up the young master of the Kirnd Family. If Ashlee didn''t show off, that would be strange. Indeed, Ashlee should be really proud of this. After all, the Kirnd Family was a notable family. The young master of the Kirnd Family, if she remembered correctly, was the only son of the eldest young master of the Kirnd Family. It seemed that he had been studying abroad, so the outside world did not know his name. Ashlee couldn''t wait to pull her into the living room, looking excited, "Darren, let me introduce my sister to you. Although we have different mothers, she is still my blood-rted sister." Darren? ra''s body was a little stiff. She looked up and saw the familiar man smiling at her. "Eh, yes, I didn''t N?velDrama.Org owns all content. expect that Ashlee''s sister is an acquaintance." He was Darren Kirnd. ra was struck dumb with shock. Never had she ever expected that that Ashlee''s fianc¨¦ was Darren. Was he the young master of the Kirnd family? At this time, Ashlee, who was holding ra''s arm, pretended to be surprised. And then she suddenly smiled, "Yes, I almost forgot. Darren studied in University of Zhanard before, and he also majored in journalism. He was actually your alumni." "Yes, I know Darren," ra struggled to repress the bitterness and shock in her heart and pretended to be calm. "It''s just that I haven''t seen him for a long time." It turned out that this was what Ashlee said. What a surprise! It''s really ironic. Yes, everyone couldn''t go back, but ra never thought that the rtionship between Darren and her would be so embarrassed in the future. ra''s reaction to his new identity and appearance was too indifferent. This made Darren very dissatisfied. This was not what he wanted. Darren turned around and said softly to Ashlee, "Ashlee, I have something to say to our sister alone. Is it convenient?" Ashlee''s countenance changed, but she still maintained a gentle appearance, "OK, I''ll go and see what I can do in the kitchen." ra and Darren were left in the living room. "Why? ra, was there no reaction from you when you see that I be your brother-inw?" Darren looked down at ra, and his tone immediately changed from gentle just now to sarcastic. "What reaction do you expect? Call you brother-inw?" ra red at Darren. "Or, do you want me to call you Young Master?" Darren''s face fell. He hated others always to call him "the young master of the Kirnd Family", and even hated people to approach him just because of his family background. Therefore, when he was in college, he refused the opportunity his father had offered to study in Britain. Instead, he went to University of Zhanard in the next city and pretended to be a poor boy. It was at that time that he met ra. When he first met ra, he really cherished her, as she loved him only because he was "Darren", not because he was "the young master of the Kirnd Family". Butter, reality hit him in the face. ra abandoned him who was "as poor as a church mouse". Even for the sake of money, only ten thousand dors, she did that kind of thing¡­ Thinking of the photos he saw that year, Darren felt as if a knife were being twisted in his heart. He firmly grasped ra''s wrist and sneered, "ra, now you know that I am not only the editor in chief of your magazine, but also a family member of the Kirnd Family. Do you regret it? But I can give you a chance to make up for it..." ra slowly raised her eyes and looked at Darren''s angry and sarcastic face. Before she could reply, Darren continued to say with greater malice, "Since you do anything for money, how about being my mistress?" Chapter 15 Body Sold for Ten Thousand Dollars Chapter 15 Body Sold for Ten Thousand Dors ra was astonished. She simply couldn''t believe that Darren, who was once tender and loving to her, would have said those words. "Oh, are you excited about my suggestion?" Darren continued to jeer at her when he saw ra freeze. "Although you are married, have you been doing this dirty business, haven''t you? It might be better to follow me rather than a group of disgusting old men? Don''t worry, I belong to the Kirnd Family. I can give you everything you want." ra suddenly didn''t know the person in front of her. Now she just felt sick. She never thought that one day Darren, whom she once loved deeply, would make her sick. "By the way, sister, mom said she needed to get a bottle of red wine. Can you apany me to the wine cer?" Fortunately, at this time, Ashlee came out and interrupted ra''s impulse to raise her hand and give Darren a p. "OK, I''ll go with you." ra looked at the man who was as gentle as jade again and she didn''t want to stay in the same space with him for a moment. Instead of being disgusted here, it''s better to follow Ashlee to the wine cer. "Darren doesn''t like red wine actually," Ashlee suddenly said when choosing wine. "Ha, he has a lot of habits that don''t look like such a rich young master." ra didn''t know why Ashlee wanted to say this to her. She could only say "Hmm". "So, it''s normal that you didn''t recognize Darren as the young master of the family before," Ashlee continued. ra''s expression suddenly froze. Looking up at her, she saw Ashlee smiling like a flower, "But sister, even if you regret it now, Darren is already mine." ra was shocked. Ashlee, unexpectedly, knew what happened before she and Darren? "Do you want to ask me how I found out?" Ashlee smiled more charming. "It was Darren who told me in person." ra felt awkward. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Did Darren tell Ashlee their past as a joke? "Eh, my sister, you don''t seem very happy." Ashlee held the bottle and approached her. ra couldn''t stand her insinuations. She couldn''t bear it. She snapped, "Ashlee, what are you trying to say?" Ashlee just put away the fake smile on her face and her eyes darkened, "ra, you know what I want to say to you. I know that you and Darren are still working in the samepany, but I warn you not to dream about things that don''t belong to you." Looking at Ashlee''s threatening look, ra suddenly felt a little funny. "Don''t worry," ra raised her hand expressionless and shook her ring. "I''m married. I have no interest in your fianc¨¦." Ashlee was stunned when she saw the ring on ra''s hand, but soon sheughed. "Sister, why didn''t you tell us earlier that you were married?" She saw the ring clearly and smiled more happily. "It seems that my brother-inw is an honest worker. He must be very nice to you." For Ashlee, "honest worker" was a synonym for the poor. ra did not deny it, but said faintly, "So you don''t have to worry about it?" "I''ve always been at ease," Ashlee resumed her innocent appearance and blinked. "After all, that kind of thing happened two years ago... Even if you want to get back together with Darren, Darren won''t take you, right?" ra''s body shivered and stared at Ashlee. Ashlee smiled more happily. She suddenly got close to ra, and her voice suddenly lowered, "After all, who would endure a woman who had been screwed by a disgusting old man?" Ashlee''s words, like a stagger, pierced through ra''s heart. Her body trembled uncontrobly, "Enough, shut up..." But Ashlee was getting closer to her ear with a smile in her voice, "Sister, does your husband know that you''ve lost your virginity to a disgusting wretched man two years ago? And... just for ten thousand dors..." "Enough!" ra finally bellowed and pushed Ashlee with her hand. "Ah!" Ashlee was pushed to the ground, and the wine bottle was shattered. "Ashlee!" Chapter 16 Your Surname is Selman, Not Middleton. Chapter 16 Your Surname is Selman, Not Middleton. Before ra could react, she suddenly heard a cry. She raised her head and saw Valerie Bet running over in a panic, followed by Glenn Middleton and Darren with a gloomy face. Valerie quickly helped Ashlee up on the ground. At this time, Ashlee was no longer as sarcastic and arrogant as before. Her eyes were red. With the help of her mother, she stumbled and stood up, looking pitiful. At this time, Darren also came over to hold Ashlee. Looking at her embarrassed appearance and slightly red eyes, there was a trace of anger in his eyes. He turned to re at ra and said, "ra, what are you doing!" Different from Ashlee''s tenderness, ra looked embarrassed after being sshed with red wine, but she still had a stubborn look on her face. "She has been trying to provoke me. I pushed her by ident. I''m sorry." "ident?" Valerie''s voice suddenly raised, and she scowled at ra with hatred. "What do you mean by ident? I think you did it on purpose! You are jealous that our Ashlee can marry a good man, so you want her to have an ident before the wedding! How could there be such a cruel sister like you!" Valerie''s usation was like a string of bullets. Without a chance to refute, ra had already be the "cruel sister". She trembled with anger. "Aunt Valerie, you are overthinking. Why should I be jealous of Ashlee?" "You''ve been jealous of her since you were a child. Don''t think that I don''t know!" Valerie''s voice was even sharper. "You can''t admit your mistakes. That''s right. Daughters are like their mother, and you''re just like your shameless mother!" ra was finally angry. "Valerie!" She said in a cold tone, "I warn you. I don''t want to argue with you for the sake of you being an elder. But if you speak ill of my mother again, don''t me me for being rude!" ra''s eyes were blood-shot. Valerie was so scared that she couldn''t speak. She quickly looked at Glenn beside her for help. Glenn''s face was also very pale at this point. He glowered at ra and berated her, "ra Selman! How dare you say that! Apologize!" ra was shuddering from fury. When she was about to say something, Darren suddenly said coldly, "Mr. Middleton, you should''ve been more careful in disciplining your child. She was just an illegitimate daughter, yet she dared to yell at your legitimate wife. Does she even respect you?" ra jerked up her head as she stared at Darren in disbelief. Darren also looked at her, but his eyes were full of disdain. ra was the illegitimate daughter of this family. When Darren was in love with her, he already knew about this. At that time, he actually minded it a little. After all, this meant that ra''s mother was a home-wrecker. But Darren always thought that although ra had a disgraceful mother, she was definitely different. Butter, he learned that ra and her shameless mother were basically the same kind of people. Therefore, he increasingly hated ra''s identity as an illegitimate daughter. At this time, he said such sarcastic words, instead of helping Ashlee to vent her anger, it was better to say that he was angry for his own misjudgment and stupidity Before. But obviously, others would not know what he was thinking. Hearing Darren say this to ra for her, Ashlee was surprised at first, but soon she showed a touched and proud expression. "Darren..." As for Glenn, though he was an elder, with the status of the Kirnds, he dared not retort after being criticized by Darren. He apologized in a low voice, "Mr. Kirnd, I''m sorry to get you involved." ra, who was stunned, came to her senses and looked at Glenn angrily. "Dad! What do you mean? Others don''t know what happened. But don''t you know? My mum¡ª" Before ra could finish her words, Glenn red at her angrily and shouted, "ra! Shut up! You''d better remember that your surname is Selman, not Middleton! You don''t get the say in the Middleton family!" Your surname was Selman, not Middleton. Glenn''s words pierced through ra''s heart like a sharp dagger. In an instant, the words she wanted to say became powerless. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She suddenly felt that everything was meaningless. Chapter 17 Lets Go Home Chapter 17 Let''s Go Home ra didn''t want to refute or exin anything, because she knew that no matter how much she exined to those who never trusted her, it was wrong. "I''m sorry." She apologized expressionlessly, but there was no apology in her tone. In response to her insincere apology, Darren''s expression became even paler. Just as he was about to say something, Ashlee, who was beside him, suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve. She said in a pitiful voice, "Darren, forget it. My sister has already apologized. You don''t have to argue with my sister." It had to be said that Ashlee knew men very well. Although she hated ra very much, she knew that no matter what, ra was Darren''s first love. Moreover, men didn''t liked aggressive women. They only liked sensible and generous women. Therefore, her words made her seem gentler and more considerate, which in turn let ra be the ungrateful one. How could ra not understand? She only felt stuffy in her chest and couldn''t help coughing softly. "Ouch." As soon as hearing this cough, Valerie, who was originally angry, quickly pulled Ashlee away a little. "ra, you still have a cold? Since you''re still sick, why did youe to eat with us? Did you deliberately want to infect us?" These absurd words only made ra feel ridiculous, but when she looked up, she saw the three people in front of her looking at her with vignce. She suddenly felt that her heart became colder. They were a family. They loved each other and faced themon enemy. She was just an outsider, aplete outsider. Why did she have to make a fool of herself here? "Aunt Valerie, you are right." She said lightly, "I have caught a cold. I am not suitable to have dinner with you. I''ll leave now." After she finished speaking, she no longer looked at the three people in front of her and walked out of the wine cer. When she passed by Ashlee, she stopped and turned her head, and she caught Ashlee''s victory-like posture. She smiled faintly. "Sister." ra opened her mouth and called her sister Ashlee, which was rare. "I wish you and Mr. Kirnd a happy life forever." After that, she turned around and left without looking back. When she walked out of the vi, she found that it waspletely dark. The Middleton vi was the same as Horace''s vi. There was no taxi or bus station around. ra had to turn on her mobile phone. As soon as she was about to use the Uber, it suddenly rang. Seeing it was Horace, ra was stunned and quickly picked up the phone. "Hello." "Hey, it''s me." Horace''s fruity voice sounded on the phone. "Are you eating at your father''s house?" For some reason, when she heard Horace''s voice, ra felt like crying. "It seems that I can''t eat here." She said, trying to make her voice sound casual. "Because I caught a cold, I don''t want it to affect others." Horace paused for a moment on the phone, and then asked, "Where are you now?" "I''m at Merivia Bay. Well... you eat first. Let Martha leave me a bowl of porridge. I''ll go back soon." After ra finished speaking, there was dead silence on the phone. She couldn''t help frowning. She took a look at her mobile phone, only to find that it was automatically turned off. Damn it. Why did it turn off at this time? ra was a little annoyed and pressed her mobile phone several times, but there was still no response at this moment. How did she go back if her mobile phone was out of power? ra struggled to recall the nearest bus station to this vi and walked forward. Coincidentally, she was wearing high heels today. After she took a few steps, she was worn out. Merivia Bay''smunity was extremelyrge. She felt as if she had walked for a long time, but she still hadn''t reached the gate. The cold winds were a bit bone-chilling. ra''s clothes were light, and as such, she couldn''t help but wrap herself tightly around her coat. Gritting her teeth, she continued forward. After walking a few more steps, she suddenly saw a car light shing in front of her. ra was a bit excited, thinking about whether it was a taxi or not, but soon after, she was disappointed; it was a private vehicle. She thought it made sense. How could there be a taxi in thismunity? The people living here weren''t from the same world as her. However... Why did this car seem a bit familiar? Before ra had time to think about it, she suddenly saw the car slowly moving in front of her, and then stopped. The door opened, the iron rampid down, and a man''s wheelchair that he was sitting on slowly slid downwards. ra''s body went rigid. The light of the car lightnded on the man''s back. Even though his face couldn''t be seen clearly through the light, his vague figure still outlined the perfect profile of his face. This man was Horace. At this moment, ra was so surprised that she couldn''t say a word. Horace''s wheelchair stopped in front of ra. When he saw that she was staring at him nkly, he didn''t know why, but he found it quite adorable. The corners of his lips curled up slightly as he said, "Why? Are you unhappy seeing me?" Only then did ra snap out of her daze. She shook her head instinctively and said, "How can I be unhappy..." To be exact, she should be very happy. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. When she was feeling helpless and exhausted, it was Horace who appeared in front of her again, as if he could pull her out of the abyss of despair. "Really?" Hearing ra''s words, Horace''s smile. "Then let''s go." ra nodded. However, just as she was about to get into the car, the inside of her high heels had scraped the blisters. She couldn''t help but gasped and winced. "What''s wrong?" Horace keenly noticed that ra was acting strangely. He saw her frowning as she looked at her feet. Horace frowned slightly. His gaze alsonded on ra''s ankle, and he immediately saw her bleeding heels. "It''s fine. Many girls are like this. Just put a band-aid on tomorrow. Hey! What are you doing? Horace..." ra''s face suddenly turned red, because Horace actually bent down and reached out to grab her ankle. Horace was sitting in the wheelchair, which was lower than ra''s. Therefore, after he bent down, he naturally lifted ra''s broken left foot. His bony fingers slid across the wound on ra''s foot, and Horace''s good-looking eyebrows furrowed more tightly. "You''re bleeding?" Horace''s hand was rough. ra''s wound was very sensitive. At this time, it was touched, and a strange feeling spread from her ankle to her whole body like an electric current. "It''s just a small injury." For some reason, ra only felt her heart beat faster and she opened her mouth in a panic. However, Horace directly took off her shoes as if he didn''t hear what she said. "Eh?" ra was even more dumbfounded now. She was still a short distance away from the car. Horace did this. Was he going to let her jump over or walk without shoes? But it was obvious that the two answers were wrong. After taking off ra''s shoes, Horace held ra''s hand. He exerted force, and the unprepared ra fell into Horace''s arms. Horace was sitting in a wheelchair, and ra was sitting on his legs. The two of them were suddenly facing each other nose to nose. "Horace, what are you..." Such intimate contact made ra even more flustered. However, Horace did not say anything. He just turned the wheelchair casually to the car and whispered, "Let''s go home." Chapter 18 Investigate Her First Love Chapter 18 Investigate Her First Love Go home? ra, who had wanted to struggle to get up, was suddenly stunned when he heard Horace''s words. Home? Did she still have a home now? Although she moved into Horace''s vi, from beginning to end, she just regarded that ce as a new house she rented, not a home. Looking at Horace''s handsome face in front of her, ra suddenly felt that some part of her cold heart seemed to slowly soften. Although her marriage with Horace was a little absurd at first, ra suddenly felt that it might not be a bad thing to have a husband. Thinking of this, her tensed body rxed a little, and her hand also wrapped around Horace''s neck. Feeling the change in the body of the woman in his arms, although Horace''s face was still cold, He had a smile deep in his eyes. The two entered the car, and the driver soon started the car and left Merivia Bay. As the car left, a figure under the streetmp in the distance slowly walked out. Looking at the distant ck Bentley, Darren''s eyes were full of shock. After ra left the Middletons, although Darren did not chase her out directly, after all, it was already dark, and the vi was quite far away from the street. He was worried about ra, so he found a random excuse to leave. He soon found ra but did not have the courage to ask to send her home, so he had to follow her until he saw the man in the wheelchair appeared. Although there was still a distance between them, Darren recognized the man''s car and the symbolic wheelchair. He could not help but clench his hands. He thought, "Why... ra, why do you still have a rtionship with another man when you are married? And why, why is the person you are looking for is him..." "Darren." When Darren was angry, he suddenly heard a careful call. He was stunned and turned his head, only to see Ashlee standing behind her, ncing at him like a timid little bunny. "Ashlee, why are you here?" Darren immediately walked over and took her cold hands. There was a bit upset and pity in his eyes. "You aren''t wearing enough clothes. Go back." Ashlee looked at Darren and did not ask why he was standing there. She just whispered, "I... I wanted to see you off, but when I saw your car in the garage, I was worried, so I came out to look for you..." Looking at Ashlee''s gentle and beautiful face, Darren was a little absent-minded. They indeed looked like each other, especially in their eyebrows. Although they were not born of a mother, they were sisters after all. But...pared with Ashlee''s tenderness, maybe she was more stubborn? "Darren?" Ashlee looked at Darren in a daze and called him softly. Only then did Darrene to his senses. He quickly took off his coat and put it on Ashlee''s shoulder. "It''s so cold. I''ll send you back." After sending Ashlee back to the house, Darren quickly left. Ashlee watched him leave at the door, but her eyes became colder and colder. In fact, she had seen everything that had happened just now. From someone picking up ra to Darren''s expression of jealousy and copse, she had seen everything. Ashlee could not help but clench her small hands tightly, and resentment shed in her eyes. "Why! That woman should have been eliminated, but why does she still have such a big impact on Darren!" She bit her red lips hard. Ashlee''s face was vicious, and she hated her very much. She thought, "ra, if you are smart, you''d better stay away from Darren! Otherwise, your dirty little secrets I''ve got will definitely ruin your reputation!" ... When ra returned home, she sneezed several times. She thought that it was probably because she had blown the night wind just now, and her not-yet-cured illness had worsened. ra quickly took a hot shower. Whening out of the bathroom with wet hair, she saw Horace taking a shower in another bathroom and blowing his head. Seeing raing over, he turned off the hairdryer and said, "Come and blow dry your hair." "No need." ra waved her hand, "My hair will dry itself in a while." As she spoke, she wanted to wash her clothes, but Horace grabbed her wrist. "You have caught a cold. If you don''t blow dry your hair, your condition will worsen." Although Horace was sitting in a wheelchair, his wrist was very strong. With a push, ra was pulled down to the stool in front of the dressing table. Horace''s wheelchair stopped behind her. He picked up the hairdryer and began to blow ra''s hair. ra sat stiffly in the chair, feeling the warm wind above her head. There was also a big hand above her head. And her hair was blown over her cheeks from time to time. She felt itchy. She couldn''t hold it back and sneeze. "The cold is more serious?" Horace behind her frowned slightly. "You are a grownup. Why are you always like a child? You can''t take care of yourself." ra was stunned. She couldn''t remember how long it had been since someone had spoken to her in such a tone. Perhaps it was because she had suffered too much today, ra felt that she had be a bit more sensitive now. Looking at Horace''s handsome face in the mirror, she suddenly asked, "Horace, can I ask you a question?" "Yes." "If... I mean if you find out that I have done something very bad before." ra bit her lip and said, "Will you hate me because of this?" Horace''s hand, which wasbing ra''s hair, paused slightly and looked up at ra in the mirror. Her face was still pale, and her eyes were like those of a lost deer, hesitant and helpless. Horace of course knew what the "bad thing" referred to. He had investigated it a little, but he has never thought that one day she would take the initiative to mention it. Perhaps, this meant that she was more or less honest with him this time. This idea made Horace feel a little better for no reason. He said, "No matter what happened in the past, Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. you are my wife now. This won''t change. No matter what happened in the past, you are still my wife now." Although his tone was still indifferent, it seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, which pressed into ra''s heart. She felt heavy but also warm. Her eyshes trembled slightly, and she lowered her head. When she spoke again, her tone was already choked with sobs. "Thank you, Horace." Thank you for marrying me when I was most desperate. Thank you foring to my rescue. Thank you for giving me a home when I was all alone. After that, ra went to sleep. After a day of tiredness, she fell asleep as soon as she touched the pillow. But Horace just sat beside the bed and watched her sleeping quietly. For some reason, today in Merivia Bay, her helpless face was like a thorn in his heart, which made him very ufortable. What was going on? Was ra not just a tool he used to deal with his grandfather? Why did he care so much? The inexplicable feeling in his heart made Horace a little annoying. After a long time, he took out his mobile phone and dialed Isaac Duncan''s number. "Isaac, help me investigate ra''s past." He lowered his voice and could not hear his emotions. "Well, about her first love, this time, I want more detailed information." Chapter 19 Go on A Business Trip Together Chapter 19 Go on A Business Trip Together On the second day, ra got up half an hour earlier. She wrote a resignation letter with herptop. People might say that she was weak or She wanted to escape, but she could not work under Darren anymore. Since she could not be transferred to the department, she could only resign. But unexpectedly, she received a call from the hospital before she could print out the resignation letter. "Is it Miss Selman? This morning, we found that your mother''s brain wave is fluctuating. There''s possibility that she might wake up." "What?" ra was overjoyed. "Really, doctor? Can my mother wake up?" "I can only say that it''s possible. But, Miss Selman, I need to remind you that this is not guaranteed." "As long as there is hope, It''s better than before. Doctor, please help my mother." "Well, we will try our best, but..." The doctor''s tone was a little hesitant. "Because there are signs of improvement, different treatments will be taken, in terms of cost..." ra was stunned for a moment, but soon he understood and said without hesitation, "I see. Don''t worry, doctor. My mother has health insurance and most of it can be covered. As for the extra cost, no matter how much it is, I''ll have it covered. Please make sure my mother gets better." After hanging up the phone, ra looked at the resignation letter on theputer in front of her. After a moment of silence, finally, she deleted it. At this time, of course, she could not resign. Not to mention that it was for health insurance, just during the one-month hiatus between job searches, her mom''s medical bills couldn''t be covered. ra packed up her things with a headache and went to work. She had to face what she should face. Horace had something to deal with today, and he left very early. After breakfast, ra took a taxi to her office. Recently, their magazine received a very big cooperation project, which was rted to a magazine in Queensvale. It was said that Darren had to go to Queensvale to negotiate this cooperation in person. For this, ra just breathed a sigh of relief. She hoped that Darren could go on a business trip, so she would not see him in this office. However, not long after she arrived at the office, the managing editor of ra hurried over. "ra, do you have any interview in hand?" ra paused for a moment and said, "No." "Great, then you should get ready. You''ll leave for Queensvale with the editor-in-chief in the afternoon." "What?" ra suddenly stood up and said, "Managing editor, I''m a reporter, not the editor-in-chief''s private assistant. I''m afraid it''s not appropriate, right?" The managing editor nced at ra. In fact, she couldn''t figure out why the editor-in-chief asked ra to apany him on a business trip, but as a subordinate, she couldn''t say anything about it. "There''s nothing inappropriate." The managing editor was impatient. "You have no work to do. What''s wrong with going on a business trip with him?" "But¡ª" ra was anxious. She wanted to say something but was interrupted directly by the managing editor. "If you have any problems, don''t tell me. You can tell the editor-in-chief directly because it was our editor-in-chief who asked that you shall go with him" The managing editor was a straightforward person. She just blurted out what she wanted say, but she didn''t expect that her words attracted many people''s attention. ra nched at her words. Darren asked for her to apany him? She had thought that since Darren was already getting married, he would let her go, but what was he trying to do now? She bit her lip and turned to walk towards Darren''s office. As soon as she left, the women in the office couldn''t hold it back anymore. "What''s going on? The editor-in-chief wants ra to apany him on a business trip? So strange¡­" "I know, but isn''t ra already married?" "Hey,st time I heard someone say that there was a particrly rich person who sent ra to work. Do you think¡ª" "Aren''t you busy?" Seeing that the discussion of the group of women became more and more ridiculous, the managing editor gave a stern shout, and the group of women immediately dared not speak. On the other side, ra walked to the door of Darren''s office. She was about to knock on the door, but the door opened itself. When Darren saw ra standing outside the door, he was stunned at first, and then his face immediately turned cold. "ra, what are you still standing here for? We are about to set off." ra''s face turned pale, but he still looked up at Darren and said, "Mr. Kirnd, I don''t want to go to Queensvale." Seeing the obvious rejection on ra''s face, Darren felt a burst of anger in his heart for no reason. "This is something that has already been decided. It''s not up to you to say yes or no. If you don''t want to go, you can resign." ra clenched her fists spontaneously. If she could, she certainly wanted to resign and no longer had to endure Darren. However, her mother in the hospital still needed her insurance. Seeing that ra did not speak, Darren could not help but sneer. "Since you don''t want to resign, prepare your luggage immediately. The ne leaves at 3:00. If you''rete, you''re fired." With that, he turned around and left. ra knew that she had no choice at all, so she could only make a phone call to Martha. An hourter, Martha took her luggage to the office downstairs. "Martha, thank you very much. I don''t have time to go back and pack up." ra thanked her. "Miss Selman, you''re wee." Martha liked Horace newly married wife very much. She was gentle and sensible, and very friendly. "But did you tell Mr. Kirnd about your business trip?" ra was stunned. Indeed, ever since she heard about the news of her business trip, she had been so angry with Darren that she forgot to tell Horace. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. "I''ll talk to him." ra nodded. "I''ll be back soon in a few days." She dragged her luggage back to her office. ra called Horace, but he didn''t answer. He was probably in a meeting. It wasn''t a big deal, so ra sent a message to Horace and went to the airport with Darren. CEO''s office, Solrace,. "The other party''s attitude about the project in Queensvale is not sincere. Just cancel it." Horace pushed the wheelchair into the office and ordered Isaac beside him. "Okay, Mr. Kirnd." Isaac nodded and suddenly thought of something. "By the way, Miss Selman called during the meeting?" "ra?" Horace was stunned. It was rare for her to take the initiative to call him. When Horace took the phone, he saw ra''s message¡ª "Company asked me and the editor-in-chief to go on a business trip to Queensvale. I won''t be at home for a few days." This sentence couldn''t be simpler, as if it was just a task. Horace was a little unhappy for no reason. At this moment, Isaac suddenly thought of something. He handed the materials in his hand to Horace and said, "By the way, Mr. Kirnd. When ites to Miss Selman, the result of the investigation you asked me to do is here." Horace took the folder and opened it. But when he saw the first page, his body stiffened and his eyes focused on it. Horace''s reaction aroused Isaac''s curiosity. He couldn''t help but lean over to take a look. But when he saw it, he was so frightened that he covered his mouth. Horace mmed the materials, and his face was as cold as ice. "Prepare the car, go to the airport." "What?" Isaac didn''t realize what was going on. "Airport?" "Go to the Queensvale." Horace had already turned the wheelchair. Isaac was confused. He thought, "Queensvale? Didn''t Mr. Kirnd just say that the business in Queensvale was canceled? Why did he suddenly want to go there again?" Chapter 20 Teased Chapter 20 Teased The ne that to Queensvale, themercial cabin. ra sat beside Darren, feeling ufortable all over. The lunch prepared on the ne was seafood pae which she hated very much. She almost didn''t eat anything. "What''s wrong?" Noticing that ra didn''t eat at all, Darren smiled sarcastically. "Do you still hate seafood?" At this moment, ra was already tired of being fooled by Darren. It made her like a fool. He simply said coldly, "Mr. Kirnd, you remember it very clearly." "Of course." Darren slowly took a sip of his coffee. "After all, you are my first love. You always left a deep impression in my heart." ra grabbed the fork in her hand and couldn''t help but clench it. "What''s more." Darren didn''t seem to notice ra''s reaction and continued, "I was fooled by you from beginning to end. I can''t forget this feeling." ra''s face turned slightly pale. "Mr. Kirnd, who did that? At least I didn''t hide my identity." Darren''s expression changed, and then he smiled sarcastically. "Yes, if I had told you my identity earlier, you wouldn''t have betrayed me, wouldn''t you? After all, a sixty-year-old old man, ra, how could you sleep with him either?" When Darren said this, he didn''t lower his voice at all. Originally, it was quiet in the cabin. The passengers and stewardesses beside him cast a strange look at him. ra finally couldn''t take it anymore. "Darren, what on earth do you want?" Looking at ra''s pale face, Darren''s heart could not help but twitch. But when he thought of the scene he sawst night, his anger rose again. "What do I want?" Darren sneered. "ra, you''ve done so many dirty things yourself. And you forbid anyone to talk about these?" "Darren, whatever I did is none of your business!" "Whether it''s my business or not. It''s up to me, not you!" Darren''s tone suddenly became sharp. "ra, Listen, I won''t forgive you!" ra''s lips trembled. She finally understood why Darren had brought her on a business trip. He was trying his best to humiliate her and torture her. After arriving in Queensvale, Darren asked ra to apany him to the party with the magazine, the Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. other party of this coordination. ra had always hated this kind of ce, but after all, Darren was her superior. She couldn''t refuse him, so she could only force herself to go. As the only woman on the table, ra inevitably became the focus of attention. They all wanted to toast ra, but Darren didn''t stop them, as if ra was supposed to apany them and drink. In less than an hour, ra didn''t know how many cups she had drunk. All the beer and liquor were mixed together in her stomach. "Wow, Mr. Kirnd, your secretary is really beautiful." The other party''s editor-in-chief was an old man in his forties. He was very fast, and when he saw ra, his eyes were fixed. "Is that so?" Darren did not reveal ra''s identity. He only revealed a faint smile on his face. "Mr. Muller, if you like her, I''ll give her to you." ra was not used to this kind of ce where people engaged in social activities. She had always lowered her head. When she heard Darren''s words, she could not help but tremble. She looked at Darren in shock and realized that he was looking at her with a mocking expression. When Mr. Muller heard this, heughed and became even more excited. "Mr. Kirnd, you always like making jokes!" "It''s not a joke. This is my sincerity to cooperate with you." Darren''s words were extremely likable. "ra, why are you still standing there like a fool? Hurry up and pour some wine for Mr. Muller." ra really couldn''t believe that the slick man in front of her was the young man she had once loved. She clearly remembered that Darren was a boy who would blush whenever he talked to strangers. How could he be like this today? Could it be that two years was enough to change a person, or that she had never truly known him from the beginning to the end? "ra." Seeing that ra did not move, Darren''s expression turned cold. "Didn''t you hear what I said? Hurry up and pour some wine for Mr. Muller!" ra looked at Mr. Muller, who was sitting on the other side of her. His lustful eyes were sizing her up and down. She felt disgusted, but she knew that she couldn''t refuse Darren and make him embarrassed. She could only stand up reluctantly. "Mr. Muller." She forced a smile. "Thank you for choosing to coborate with us." "Oh, what are you talking about, Miss Selman?" As soon as ra handed over the wine, Mr. Muller took the opportunity to grab her little hands. "Miss Selman, you are so polite. Actually, I want to thank you." Feeling the greasy hand holding hers, ra almost wanted to vomit. She wanted to pull her hand back, but he wouldn''t let go. Standing to one side, Darren couldn''t help but burst into anger when he saw Mr. Muller''s hands rubbing against ra''s fair hands. "Mr. Muller." He immediately picked up his ss and said, "I propose a toast to you." Only then did Mr. Muller reluctantly let go of ra and turn to Darren. Seeing this opportunity, ra quickly stood up and said that she wanted to go to thedies'' room. ra didn''t feel drunk at first, but when she stood up, she found that she was so dizzy that she almost couldn''t standstill. After washing her face in the bathroom, she didn''t feel sober. Instead, she felt even worse. Her stomach was churning and her fever seemed to be more serious. Damn it. ra cursed in her heart. She didn''t know what was going on with Darren. Although he had clearly hated her before, it was as if he had taken the wrong medicine today and was making things worse. What exactly had happened? ra rubbed her painful temples, barely supported himself against the wall, and walked out of the This time, it was too dangerous. Darren seemed to be crazy and impulsive enough to do anything. ra had a bad feeling when she thought of Muller''s lustful eyes. To be on the safe side, she should send a message to Darren and go back to the hotel by herself. She thought that she didn''t want to hear a greasy sound behind her as soon as she get out of the toilet. "Oh, Miss Selman, why did you go to the toilet for so long? I''ve been waiting outside for a long time." ra''s heart thumped. When she turned around, she saw Mr. Muller leaning against the door of the toilet in a drunken state. It was obvious that he was waiting for her. ra was a little flustered, but she pretended to be calm and said, "Mr. Muller, you want to go to the toilet as well?" "I''m not going to the bathroom." Mr. Muller came over and sniffed ra''s face. "I, your darling, I''m waiting for you." ra was about to throw up. Darling? Mr. Muller could almost be her father. It was really a shame that he was so shameless to say it. "Mr. Muller really likes to make jokes." She struggled to pull up the corners of her mouth. She leaned against the wall and wanted to go into the women''s restroom again. She didn''t want Mr. Muller to grab her wrist. "Oh, Miss Selman, why are you dodging? Don''t you like me?" Chapter 21 Horaces Woman Chapter 21 Horace''s Woman Of course, she didn''t like him. ra wanted to curse so bad, but when she thought of her work, she held back the impulsion. "Mr. Muller, you''re drunk." "Even if I''m drunk, it''s still very easy to deal with you." Heughed. It seemed that Mr. Muller didn''t want to hide his motive anymore. He pressed his fat body toward ra. "Do you want to try me?" ra couldn''t stand it anymore. She struggled violently. "Mr. Muller, please behave yourself!" ra''s resistance was so obvious that Mr. Muller was also a little unhappy. He said, "ra if you turned down my request now, I''ll make you submit in the hard way. Darren has already given you to me, and you are still pretending to be a pure-hearted girl." "What?" ra only felt a loud noise in her head. She stared at Mr. Muller in disbelief. "What do you mean?" "Don''t you understand what I mean?" Mr. Muller''s fat face was close to hers. "What I have done to you now is approved by your Mr. Kirnd. You are the gift that yourpany gave me. Stop pretending like you''re innocent, whore. Be a good girl!" ra only felt that her mind was nk. Shock, anger, and sadness made her forget to struggle for a while. She knew that Darren had misunderstood her and knew that he hated her because of what had happened two years ago. However, she had never expected that he would really give her to a Lovce like Mr. Muller. In his heart, was she really no different from a whore? In that instant of absent-mindedness, ra suddenly raised her eyes and saw a familiar figure at the end of the corridor. It was Darren. Darren hade out because he was worried about ra. At the table, Mr. Muller''s covetous look at ra was too obvious. Not long after ra went out to go to the bathroom, Mr. Muller followed her out. He was a little worried, so he came out. But he didn''t expect to see such a scene as soon as he came out. ra''s petite and slim body was pressed against the wall by Mr. Muller''s fat body. More importantly, ra didn''t seem to have any intention of struggling at all. It seemed that she acquiesced that Mr. Muller''s body was on top of her. At that moment, Darren felt a raging fire burning in his chest! He was angry that Mr. Muller really dared to hurt ra, but what made him angrier was that ra did not resist at all! Was she really so short of money? She could even stand Mr. Muller, such a disgusting old man? The scene in front of him stung Darren''s eyes. He wanted to pull Mr. Muller away, but ra''s reaction made him feel even colder. Since she didn''t love herself, why should he worry about her? Perhaps from the beginning to the end, it was she who wanted to seduce Mr. Muller. If he went up now, wouldn''t it ruin her n? Thinking of this, Darren felt that he could no longer stay here for another second and immediately turned to leave. On the other side, the moment ra saw Darren, thest glimmer of hope appeared in her heart. She still didn''t want to believe it. No matter how much Darren hated her, given his character, she didn''t believe that he would give his female subordinate away as a gift. Therefore, she was about to call him for help. But Darren turned around and left. ra only felt that thest glimmer of fluke and hope in his heart had all copsed. She thought, "It was Darren. Didn''t he see everything just now?" "He clearly saw that I was molested by Mr. Muller, but he just turned around and left?" "So what this man said is true? Is it really Darren who acquiesced and even suggested all of this?" She trembled all over. "Darren, Darren, how could you... do this to me?" When she was shell-shocked, ra suddenly smelled a disgusting stench. When she looked up, he saw that Mr. Muller was already pressing his mouth against hers. "What are you doing!" ra screamed and pped him directly. Mr. Muller immediately had a red palm print on his face. This ppletely irritated Mr. Muller. "ra Selman!" He grabbed ra''s hair and roared, "I have said that if you refused my request, then I will make you submit under my pressure. Don''t you want to stay in the magazine circle anymore?" ra''s whole face was twisted in pain. Mr. Muller was so angry that he raised his hand and wanted to p her. She was so scared that she quickly closed her eyes. However, the pain that she had imagined did not fall. On the contrary, she heard Mr. Muller''s panicked voice¡ª "Mr... Mr. Kirnd, why are you here?" Mr. Kirnd? ra was stunned. She quickly opened her eyes and saw the wheelchair in front of her and the cold- faced man in it. In an instant, her eyes widened. "Horace?" She opened her mouth in disbelief. For a moment, she almost thought that she was dreaming. Horace looked at ra. She was drunk and her face was flushed. Her eyes were so charming. The slim suit on her body outlined her exquisite figure, which was particrly attractive. But this charm made him even more annoyed! Was this what she usually wore in her work? This was what made other men salivate over her? Horace''s handsome face was tense. He ignored ra and only looked at Mr. Muller. Mr. Muller wanted to p ra in the face, but he didn''t expect Horace to suddenly appear and grabbed his wrist. Although Horace was sitting in a wheelchair, he was already tall enough to easily catch Mr. Muller. After all, Mr. Muller was in this social circle. How could he not recognize Horace whose magazine sold so well in thest period? At that moment, his whole fat face was trembling, but he still managed to squeeze out a ttering smile, "Mr. Kirnd, you... you... why are you here?" At this moment, Horace''s eyes were as cold as ice and carried with them an indescribable sense of oppression. Even though Mr. Muller admitted that he had seen a lot of ups and downs, he was still frightened to the point of breaking out in cold sweat. Horace shook off the man''s hand, took out a tissue to wipe his hand in disgust, and said in a deep All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. voice. "Get out." At this time, Mr. Muller was so scared that he had already sobered. He didn''t dare to say anything more and immediately went away. ... Darren walked out of the restaurant. The fire in his chest seemed to be still burning, but his phone suddenly rang. "Hey! Darren, are you trying to make me dead?" When the call was connected, Mr. Muller''s angry voice rang out. Darren was stunned. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier that ra is the woman of the president of the Solrace!" "What?" "I almost seeded just now, but Horace suddenly came! Why didn''t you tell me earlier that this woman has such a background? Otherwise, I wouldn''t have dared to touch her no matter how bold I am!" Darren was stunned. He thought, "Horace is here?" "He came to Queensvale?" "Hey! Darren, are you fucking listening to me ¡ª" Mr. Muller was still roaring on the phone, but Darren ignored him and hung up the phone. In order to be independent of his family, he had never announced in the magazine circle that he was a member of the Kirnd family. Therefore, even Mr. Muller dared to shout at him. He was stunned for a long time, but in the end, he couldn''t help but pick up his phone and dialed ra''s number. After a few long beeps, the phone was finally connected. A low male voice sounded on the phone¡ª "Hello." Chapter 22 Unexpected Call Chapter 22 Unexpected Call Upon hearing the voice from the other end of the phone, Darren felt that his heart was having a spasm. He immediately hung up the phone without a second thought. Staring at his mobile phone for a long time, he suddenly burst into crazyughter. Although it was only a "hello", he recognized the voice. That was Horace. That was really Horace! ra was really with Horace! Darrenughed as tears almost fell from his eyes. Looking at the name "Baby" on his phone screen, he suddenly felt that name was so hard to look at. ra, ra...How much did I owe you in myst life? So in this life, you enjoyed so much torturing me in the way you did! You were already married, and you still chose to get entangled with other men. And why, that man had to be Horace! At the other end of the line, Horace put down ra''s mobile phone without any changes in his facial expression. "Who was that?" ra was still leaning on the seat, half-paralyzed and half numb from the alcohol intake. As her head was still not very clear, Horace answered the call for her when her phone rang. "It''s just a spam call," Horace answered back, still without change in his voice. "I see." ra''s head hurt too much to think about his words. All she could do is covering up her forehead with her hand. "How about your head? Still hurting?" Horace was still somewhat angry with her, but at this time, seeing ra''s delicate face frowning, his tone became involuntarily soft. "Yes," ra responded. Then she felt a pair of big hands reaching over and covering her temples. "Feeling better this way?" Horace caresses ra''s temple with his slightly coarse fingers. ra''s cheek was like burning that even Horace''s fingers felt a little bit cold. ra''s body stiffened slightly. Her heartbeat got faster for no reason. She moved away from her body and said, "I''m much better now. Thank you." But as she just moved away, Horace suddenly increased the strength in his hand to imprison her around him. "Don''t move." Horace opened his mouth. His voice seemed colder than usual. ra was a little stunned. She turned her head sideways and suddenly realized that Horace''s expression was a bit different than what it usually was. It seemed that he was angry about something. ra woke up a little from intoxication and began cautiously speaking, "Horace, you upset about anything?" It was obvious that he was because she was his wife. What kind of man would not be angry if his wife was molested by another man? "What do you think?" Horace asked in a cold voice. The temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees all of a sudden. "Sorry," ra whispered.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "So that is the only thing you would like to say?" Horace raised his eyebrows slightly. ra was stunned. Looking at Horace in front of her, she suddenly thought of something. "Don''t think too much about what just happened." ra got anxious and said, "I thought this was just an ordinary dinner. Who could''ve expected that Mr. Muller would be like this?" She was suddenly a little worried about this situation. She was afraid that Horace would misunderstand her as an easy girl, just as Darren did. Somehow, she was extra anxious about his feelings. Maybe it''s because Horace now was her husband and the only one who had given her warmth. The Horace looked at ra with a strange light in his eyes. "I know." He paused for a moment before he spoke. The tension in his tone seemed to have eased a bit. As soon as ra was relieved a little, Horace spoke again, "If there is an asion like this in the future, please don''t go again." ra nodded. ra was still a bit drunk at this time. Horace pressed her hand on her temple just with the right force. She felt very soothing andfortable so that she was slowly leaning towards his shoulders. Feeling that soft body on his shoulders, Horace''s body stiffened slightly. He looked down and saw the glow on ra''s face, her long eyshes trembling, her peachy juicy pink lips opened slightly. Horace''s heart skipped a beat. Subtle emotions seemed to be bubbling up, almost overflowing from his chest, which he could not deny even if he wanted to. "ra." He suddenly opened his mouth, and his voice was a little lower than usual. "Well?" ra answered with a faint voice, and she looked up and found Horace''s face so close to hers. The distance between them was even less than five centimeters. "Oh, I''m sorry!" At this time, ra finally realized that she was leaning against Horace, so she hurried to sit up. Unexpectedly, Horace''s hand suddenly slid down her cheek and grabbed her chin. The next second, Horace lowered his head and covered ra''s thin lips with his own. The cold touch on her lips made ra feel that her head exploded with emotions and she woke up with just one kiss. Horace... kissed her? She could not believe it at all. When the bus arrived at the hotel, ra was already asleep. Horace held her up and walked to the room. After putting ra on the bed, Horace noticed that ra''s wrist was all red and swollen because Muller held her too tight in the conflict just now. Suddenly, his eyes turned as cold as ice. He took out his mobile phone and dialed a number. "Hey, Horace, what happened? Never expected that you''d call me. Can pigs fly now?" As soon as the phone was connected, there came a careless andzy voice. "I''m asking you for a favor." Horace''s tone was still very calm, but anyone familiar with him would sense that there was something dangerous hiding in him. "You ask me for a favor? That''s even weirder, man! But anyway, I''ll do anything for you. Just say it, bro." "I want you to help me fix someone." Horace''s voice lowered even more," He touched my woman, so I want him to suffer." ... When ra woke up, she had a splitting headache due to a hangover. As she struggled to sit up from the bed, she heard a low, sweet voice¡ª "You awake?" ra looked up and saw that Horace was sitting next to the table in the hotel room. There was a table of hearty breakfast in front. "Horace?" ra was stunned for a while, and the memory ofst night poured into her mind. It seemed that she was molested by that Muller guy at the dinner party. Horace appeared in time and saved herself from that situation. When she was in the car with him, it seemed that they... Now having remembered that kiss in the car, ra felt that her face was burning up. "What''s the matter?" Seeing ra sitting still in bed, Horace asked again, "Are you feeling ra''s mind was brought back to reality with his questions, and then she looked up at him. Horace''s room was a deluxe suite. The sun shined outside the hugending window and fell on Horace. He was wearing a white shirt, and it looked like he was bathing in ayer of golden light. He looked indescribably elegant and divine, but his handsome and extraordinary face still looked indifferent, the same as before. This made ra have an illusion that the kissst night was just her imagination. "Yes, I am fine now." She smiled awkwardly and hurried out of bed, but when she got up, she was suddenly stunned. What she was wearing was a white shirt, apparently belonging to a man. The shirt covered down to her thighs. "This shirt..." "Don''t you remember?" Horace raised his eyebrows slightly. "Last night you were drunk and throwing up. I asked the waitress to change the clothes for you. Oh, it''s mine by the way." Phew, so it was the waitress that help her get changed. ra finally heaved a sigh of relief, but she did not know that all the changes in her expression were captured by this man. Horace''s lips were slightly crooked, but when he watched ra get up from bed, his throat suddenly tightened. Chapter 23 Photos From the Past Chapter 23 Photos From the Past His shirt was too big for ra. Even if all the buttons were buttoned up, her slender corbone was N?velDrama.Org owns all content. exposed. As she got out of bed, her slender legs were still vaguely visible to him. Horace looked away involuntarily. He always considered himself as very well self-disciplined; yet at this time, he still felt desires start to flood over his senses. After gobbling down some ice water, he finally calmed down a little bit. ra didn''t notice Horace''s strange behaviors, so she just sat down to have breakfast. "I''ll be back this afternoon." Halfway through the meal, Horace suddenly said, "are youing with me?" ra thought of what happened at the dinner partyst night. Her eyes darkened and she nodded quickly, "I''ll go with you." Now she could not think too much of it. Even if she needed this job, she could not bear Darren anymore. "OK." ra suddenly remembered something and asked him, "By the way, why are you in Queensvale?" Upon hearing this, Horace''s hand holding the knife at this moment was imperceptibly sluggish, but he quickly recovered and gave a very simple reply, "I''m having a temporary meeting here." "Oh, ok." ra didn''t think too much about it and focused on her food. After the clothes taken for dry cleaning were sent back, ra and Horace took a taxi to the airport and returned to Stratmont. Isaac Duncan was already waiting in the hotel lobby. Having seen ra with Horace, he was surprised. He had been wondering why the young master came to Queensvale in such a hurry yesterday. Now it turned out that he was there to look for his wife. How unexpected, he thought. "Horace, here are some documents for you to sign." Although Isaac was shocked, he didn''t dare to show it. He handed the document to Horace while ncing over at ra. Speaking of thisdy, the news he learned yesterday was explosive. Who would have thought that her first love was... Isaac was still there thinking about it when he suddenly heard a cold cough. Isaac immediately shivered, turned his head, and saw Horace looking at him with cold eyes. Isaac knew the young master was unhappy so he lowered his head and stood aside. ra didn''t notice anything strange about those two men, so she just got in the limo with Horace. After sitting down, Horace finished reading the document and closed the file. Suddenly, he thought of something and said to ra, "Baby, would you like to see my family this weekend?" Baby? ra was stunned by Horace''s new address for her. She froze for several seconds before agreeing and said, "OK." ra was also curious about Horace''s family. It was about time for her to meet them. ra never could have thought that there could be anything wrong with meeting his family, but when Isaac heard their conversation, he suddenly felt as if he had been punched in the chest and could not help but look at them repeatedly in the rearview mirror. Jesus! Did the young master just say he would take his wife to see his family? So this meant... Isaac could not even dare to think about the consequences. So this was how ra returned to Stratmont. Meanwhile, Darren was dyed for quite a few days. He originally intended to coborate with Mr. Muller''s magazine, but when he got up the next morning, he noticed that hispany was sued because of fake news and false advertising and was about to go bankrupt. Darren was surprised as well as shocked. He was no fool. he was aware that such an upheaval could never be a coincidence. Muller was someone important in Queensvale. If there was a man that could do this to Muller overnight, it must be him. Darren was infuriated. Damn it! Why, why did this man do this for ra? Did he even know she was a married woman now? It took a while before he could solve the mess in Queensvale and return to Stratmont. When he got off the ne, he saw Ashlee waiting at the airport. "Darren!" As soon as Ashlee saw Darren, she ran towards him and called out, "You''re finally back! Have you seen my calls these days? What happened?" Ashlee and ra had something inmon in their facial features and this made him extra anxious. "Nothing happened. I was just too busy. You don''t have toe here." Darren perfunctorily said a few words, and then walked outside without even looking back at her. Ashlee was left behind. Looking at Darren''s back, the smile on her face slowly freezes She thought of the information shared by Darren''s assistant a few days ago when she called," Mr. Kirnd is going to Queensvale for business purposes. There is one reporter from our agency who would go with him. Her name? Let me check...oh, it''s ra Selman." Ashlee clenches her fist so tight that her sharp fingernails almost pierced the palm of her hand! ra! ra Selman again! That woman was not even chaste and she was still able topete with her! That was a joke! Ashlee bit her lips for a while and then she finally made up her mind. She took out her mobile phone and made a call. "Hello?" Ashlee''s voice was as cold as ice. "Do you still keep those photos at that time? Well, send them to me. I want every single one of them." ¡­ After she returned to Stratmont, ra was worried that her leaving Queensvale without telling him, would lead to Darren''s revenge, but unprecedentedly, he did not have any crazy actions targeted at her. Time soon came to the weekend. This morning, ra put on the burgundy red dress prepared by Horace, a melee-diamond ne, and a pair of high-heels with silk ribbons. Slowly, she sashayed downstairs. Horace was already waiting downstairs. Hearing her footsteps, he looked up casually. But when he saw ra on the stairs, he was still stunned. He always knew that ra was beautiful, but in the past, ra never dressed herself up too much, and sometimes she even deliberately hid her beauty. Therefore, to him, her beauty was always restrained and unintended. But at this time, when she put on the gown he chose for her and got all dressed up, she was like a shining diamond, dazzling to the eye. ra walked to Horace. Noticing that he was staring at her without saying anything, she felt a little bit embarrassed, so she reached out for her hair and asked, "A bit strange, right?" She had never worn a skirt of this style, and she had just secretly checked on the Inte for the price. It was a jaw-dropping price... "No." Horace recovered from the shock of her beauty and replied, "Not at all. You are just too beautiful." Horace was not stingy with praise, especially when the one being praised was his wife. ra paused for a moment. That was the first time he praised her. "it''s time to go." Horace didn''t say anything more. He quickly turned his wheelchair and they got on the limo together. This time, the dinner with his family was arranged in the most expensive private club in Stratmont. The limo stopped in the front yard of the club. ra took Horace by the hand and went upstairs in the elevator. In the elevator, ra suddenly became a little nervous and asked softly, "Horace, could you tell me something about your family? Are they easy to get along with?" "Sure." Horace said, but after pondering for a moment, he added, "however, you should be mentally prepared." ra was stunned for a moment. Before she could ask "what to be prepared for?", the elevator door opened, and Horace''s wheelchair took the lead to go out. ra immediately rushed out to catch up with him, and they quickly enter thergest box at the end of the corridor. As soon as she entered the door, ra saw that there was only one old man sitting in the box. She thought he must be Horace''s grandfather. ra smiled politely and walked over respectfully to greet him, but when she saw the old man''s face, her face went colorless and she paused from stepping forward. Chapter 24 Your Obligation as a Wife Chapter 24 Your Obligation as a Wife That old man in front of her, old as he was, his back was straight. His chiseled face, his deep-set eyes like those of a falcon. Every feature of him exude authority and dignity. This was a very impressive face, a face that ra had seen countless times in magazines and news reports. Russell Kirnd, the Great Master of the most prestigious family in Stratmont City. ra couldn''t believe her eyes. So he was Horace''s grandfather? That was to say, Horace was the mysterious second grandson of the Kirnd family? As the first family in Stratmont, the story of the Kirnd family was of course what everyone liked to talk about. Russell Kirnd had only one son, but both his son and daughter-inw died young, leaving only two grandchildren. The two grandsons of Russell Kirnd differed greatly in age. The older one was almost in his forties, and he had a son, Darren. Yes, the Darren Kirnd. The other grandson was less than 30, younger than his older brother. It seemed that he had an ident ten years ago. Since then, he had been sent abroad for medical treatment. He had always been hidden under the mysterious veil, so very few knew about him. Now it seemed that Horace was the second grandson of Master Kirnd. ra felt that she was already trembling all over. Although she always knew Horace''s surname, she never thought that Horace would be a "Kirnd". After all, everybody knew that Horace started his own business from scratch. It was unexpected that he had such a powerful family behind him. So Horace was Darren''s uncle? ra never thought that her life would be so dramatic. Her first love became her brother-inw, and she became her first love''s auntie? "ra?" Horace''s low and sweet voice suddenly echoed in her ears. Horace came over in his wheelchair and looked at her pale face, "Are you alright?" "I..." ra suddenly found herself unable to speak another word. "Horace, I suddenly feel dizzy and ufortable. I need to go back." A tinge of displeasure shed across Horace''s eyes, but he soon opened his mouth and said, "But we are already here. At least let''s have something to eat before my brother and nephew arrived." His nephew? This immediately made ra''s face even paler. "Sorry, I really can''t. I feel sick." She said and panicked. She started to step back involuntarily. "Mr. Kirnd, I''m really sorry. I am feeling very sick now. Now, will you please excuse me for today? Next time I''ll pay a formal visit to you and offer you my sincere apology." After she said that, she didn''t even dare to look back at Horace and Russell. She turned and left the box immediately, almost running. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. As ra left, Russell sneered and said, "So this is the woman you choose? She did not even know how to spell the word ''manner''!" Horace nced coolly at his grandfather. "If it''s not for you, I wouldn''t have even chosen any woman." "Horace!" Russell was so angry at his grandson but he could not do anything about it anyways. He had spoiled his little grandson when he was a boy, but unfortunately, since the ident ten years ago, his temperament had be elusive, and his grandfather had no idea how to deal with that. Horace didn''t stay longer with his grandfather. He turned his wheelchair and was ready to leave. "What are you going to do?" "I suddenly lost my appetite." Horace slid his wheelchair without looking back. "Grandpa, you can have dinner with my brother and his family." Back in the vi, Horace learned from Martha that ra had shut herself in her room and never left since. Horace''s face turned a bit livid, and he did not know why anger surged up in his heart. He came to the room and pushed the door in, then he saw ra lying in bed, still wearing the burgundy red dress as if she had lost her soul. Seeing her like this, Horace felt that the fire in his heart was fanned up even higher. He pushed the wheelchair to her bedside and said expressionless, "ra, get up." But it seemed that ra didn''t even hear what he said. Horace waspletely incensed. "ra." His voice grew dangerously low. "Tell me, why did you have toe back?" After a pause, his voice became even colder, "Is it because you are afraid of my nephew, Darren?" Horace''s words had ripped off the dullness on her face. Trembling, she suddenly sat up. Her face was pale and she stared at the man in front of her. Her voice trembled slightly, "You already knew, do you? You knew what happened to Darren and me?" ra suddenly felt like an idiot. She was betrayed by her first love, as well as her husband. "Yes." Horace could not deny that, "I know all about what happened between you and Darren, and that you lost your virginity to him two years ago. You should understand that I can''t marry a woman with unknown origins." ra''s body shook uncontrobly and stared at the man in front of her. "So?" Her voice trembled even more. "What do you mean by asking me to go to that dinner today? You just want to see me make a fool of myself, don''t you?" "Make a fool of yourself?" ra''s words hadpletely ignited Horace''s anger. He grabbed ra by the wrist and shouted, "He was just your first boyfriend! If you have really gotten over it, are you going to make a fool of yourself by seeing him with my family?" ra stared at this handsome man in front of her and uncontrobly bit her lips. "You don''t get it, do you?" After a long silence, she spoke again, "You don''t even know what Darren means to me." Darren was once her God, her everything, and the meaning of her life. That unforgettable attachment with him, even now every time she thought of it, turned into a deep- seated pain. He didn''t get it? Was that really what she said to him? She said he did not get what Darren meant to her? Horace thought he could not be more pissed off, but now her words had made his rage explosive! It had been ten years. He thought that his heart had already turned into a pool of stagnant water, but he never expected that he could be provoked again and again by this woman in front of him! He found out that Darren used to be her boyfriend and that she actually worked for him right now and they went on a business trip together. He was so mad that he flew to Queensvales right away. What he did not expect to see was that she was teased and flirted by that stupid Muller. At that moment, he was so angry that he wanted to strangle that old bastard right on the spot! He almost forgot how long he hadn''t felt this intense emotion. But this woman challenged him again. He could put up with the fact that they had been together, but he could never tolerate her confession of love for that man, right in front of him? What did she think he was! "Well, you are right that I don''t understand it." Horaceughed out with too much anger in his heart, and he stood up from the wheelchair, grabbed ra by the wrist, and threw her onto the bed, "but I do know that you are my wife!" When ra saw Horace get up from his wheelchair, she was shocked. "You..." she screamed. "Your legs?" She struggled to get up, but Horace moved faster. He directly forced her into the bed, under his chest. "ra," Horace whispered her name. His voice was as cold as ice. "It suddenly urred to me that we have been married for almost a month, but you never fulfilled your obligation as a wife?" What? Upon hearing this, ra could not spare time caring for his legs anymore. She shrieked in panic, "Horace! What are you doing?" With a tearing sound, and before she could finish her sentences, the burgundy red dress was torn into pieces in a blink. Chapter 25 Are You Afraid of Me? Chapter 25 Are You Afraid of Me? In an instant, Horace pressed himself down onto her. His sturdy body was so close to ra, and the musk of a mature man wrapped her up. "Horace, get off..." ra intended to cry out for help, but her words were all smothered by Horace''s lips. He was gentle but possessive, and for sure he wanted to punish her by doing this. ra had nowhere to escape and she felt herself sinking into a dark hole... No! please don''t... Such a feeling reminded her of what happened two years ago. Suddenly, she was shivering with fear and tears rolled down her face. Horace seemed to have noticed the woman''s trembling under him. He looked up and suddenly froze when he saw her tears. He stopped the invasion. He put his hands on both sides of ra, bowed his head, and said in a low voice, "ra, are you afraid of me?" ra put her hands around her smooth shoulders, shivering, and she could not say anything at this moment. In an instant, Horace felt as if ice water had poured all over his body, and his lust was dispelled all of a sudden. He let go of the woman under him. Seeing her pale face and the twinkling tears in her eyes, Horace suddenly felt a pang in his heart. God damn! What the hell did he just do?! "ra." He opened his mouth again, with his voice softened a little, and he stretched out his hand to help her up. But what he did not expect was that as his hands touched her, she immediately hid away as if there was an electric shock on the tips of his fingers. This instinctive action from her made Horace hurt as well as agitated. "Just¡­ have some rest, please." He didn''t know what to say at this time. After leaving these words, Horace turned away and left the room. After Horace left, ray in bed for a long time before she managed to get up. It had been two years. She thought she had already gotten out of the darkness from two years ago, yet what she could not expect is that once a man approached her, it still brought her back to that hell of a night. Horace didn''te back to her room the whole night. The next morning, ra dawdles downstairs. She was struggling with the fact that she had to confront Horace at breakfast. In the dining room, Martha told her that Horace went abroad in the middle of the night. ra was stunned. It seemed that Horace also felt ufortable seeing her so he hid away. ra couldn''t figure out Horace''s attitude towards herst night. Of course, she would not dare to think that Horace had any feelings for her. In her opinion, it was just an act to show the sovereignty of a man over a woman. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. What he was mad at was her confusing rtionship with Darren, and this made him possessive of his wife. But thinking about his legs, ra sighed and stopped all that mind wondering. She finished her breakfast quietly and went to thepany. As soon as she arrived at thepany, ra saw that the whole team of the magazine was chaotic. She asked one of the employees and learned that the mediapany in Queensvale, which was supposed to work with them, had shut down, resulting in the copse of their bteral coboration that had been nned for more than half a year. Qeensvale? Wasn''t that the magazine where Mr. Muller worked as a chief editor? ra quickly checked this on the Inte, and she was really surprised. The magazine in Queensvale was indeed a Titanic. It was said that there was someone powerful and influential that controlled thepany in the dark. However, just within a few days, arge number of news and false advertising. This was too dramatic to be real. ra started to wonder whether it was a trap set by some mysterious m that really hated Muller. Was this guy Horace? As soon as this idea came up, she shook her head to shake herself off it. She thought to herself, "This was preposterous fantasy! ra, although you are Horace''s wife, you two are not even friends. Yes, he saved you that night, but that was all. Do you really believe he would destroy a man''s life just for you?" Thinking about this, she thought this was just an act of God and evil-doers really got what they had done to others. Because of the Queensvale incident, theyout originally scheduled for the next issue of the magazine would have to bepletely changed. ra was responsible for the revision. After she finished her part of the job, Eileen Patterson asked her to send it to Darren. She did not want to. After all, after what happened in Queensvale, she didn''t want to see Darren again. Although before Darren had insulted her many times, this had gone too far. He must have disrespected and hated her so much that he sent her to be with a man like Muller. She still kept a little bit of the memory of the beautiful moments she had with him, but now that memory was destroyed. She didn''t want to see him at all. But she also knew that it was ridiculous to try to hide from him. From beginning to end, she did nothing wrong. Why would she be the one to run away? Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth, took the modified sample, and went to Darren''s office. "Mr. Kirnd," After entering his office ra didn''t even look at him. She just spoke out the words in a mechanical tone, "This is the revised version. I''ll put it here. Please have a check." She turned away and started to walk out of the room. "Stop right there." Unexpectedly, Darren suddenly opened his mouth behind her, and his voice was cold as ice. ra''s body froze a little bit and she didn''t even look back. She answered back, "what else do you want?" "Don''t you have anything to exin?" the volume of Darren''s voice turned up. It seemed that he stood up and walked toward ra. "Exin what?" "Many. For example, why did you leave Queensvale without my permission?" Darren''s voice was already behind her, and the voice was frightening, "Also, what is the rtionship between you and my uncle?" ra shuddered uncontrobly before she turned around and saw Darren''s face. "How did you know?" ra''s voice trembled. Did he know that she and Horace were a married couple? Did Horace tell him? ra was a little flustered. Although her rtionship with Horace was very simple, she still did not know how to answer that question. After all, Horace was his uncle, and she was his first love... "You are asking how I know your rtionship with my uncle?" Darren suddenly sneered and approached ra. "It doesn''t matter how I know. What matters is, ra, have you made it clear that you are a married woman? And do you know that my uncle is also a married man!" ra, who had been flustered, stared at Darren when she heard his words. What did he mean by these words? "Why so silent?" He bellow, as if ra''s silence had enraged him. He grabbed her shoulder, shook her violently, and his voice became even louder. "ra! Look what you''ve be! You''re cheating on your husband, and you''ve been a homewrecker! Why are you so pathetic now? What happened to the girl I knew?" Chapter 26 The Same Wedding Ring Chapter 26 The Same Wedding Ring ra finally understood what was in his mind. Darren had no idea of her marriage to Horace. On the contrary, he seemed to know that there was something between them, so he misunderstood that Horace was her sugar daddy? ra suddenly felt sick and her heart filled up with ice. Interesting. She thought. Darren Kirnd, what kind of woman do you think I am? Whenever a rich man showed up around me, you would just believe that there is something fishy about us? In fact, ra could understand why he would think that way. He was so convinced that she was a woman for sale that it was almost impossible for her to be another man''s wife. "ra!" Darren growled, "Answer my question!" ra finally got back to her mind. She raised her eyes and answered in a cool voice, "Whatever you think it is." After saying that, she broke away from Darren''s grasp with a strength she found from nowhere, and turned to leave. The moment she turned away from him, she finally made up her mind. Her first love, the only man she had ever loved in her life, hadpletely disappeared. He was gone as long as two years ago. For the next two days, ra had been forcing herself to work. She was too busy to think about the troubles brought to her by Horace and Darren. Horace never came home since that night. There were no text messages or phone calls from him. Every night when ra returned to the empty chamber, she felt a bit lonely brewing in her heart. As expected, adaptation was a terrible thing. In less than a month, she had already been used to this man in her life. This morning, as soon as ra entered the office, she saw several female colleagues sitting around theputer. "Wow, youdies are so early today." She walked over and casually said. At other times, at this hour of the day, every one of them would be spending their gossip time in the tea room of the office. "Of course!" Sarah held her face in her hands and she looked exactly like a fan girl. "It''s never too early when you can see a handsome man." "Handsome? Who?" "Er, excuse me? Horace Kirnd! The CEO of Solrace Corporation! Don''t you remember? We have interviewed him! He is participating in the ceremony of Prominent U Awards in Maniana, and it is being broadcast live!" ra was stunned. So that was the guy these girls gathered around to see! Her "missing" husband? ra grew a little interested as well, so she went over and asked, "What award?" "Prominent U Awards. God! Where are you from, youngdy? There is a more understandable name for it: The Most Eligible Bachelor Awards! But it''s a pity that he is married already." Sarah said with a pitiful look on her face. ra set her eyes on theputer screen. Sure enough, she saw the luxurious stage. Horace was slowly pushing his wheelchair onto the stage amid loud apuse. His suit outlined his tall and fit body. Although he was sitting in a wheelchair, he still had a powerful charisma that no one could ignore. "Congrattions, Mr. Kirnd" The blonde host passed the crystal trophy to him with excitement in her voice. "Thank you." Horace took it over. He spoke with an American ent, "I''m honored to get this award from you." When Horace took the trophy, the host''s eyes fell on his fingers, and she immediately noticed, "Oh my God, Mr. Kirnd, is that a wedding ring I see on your finger?" The camera immediately gave a close-up of Horace''s finger. The diamond ring bought by ra immediately appeared on the screen. ra''s heart paced and quietly she hid her finger with the same ring behind her. On the screen, the host was still talking, "Mr. Kirnd, so what they said about you was right! You are really married! I don''t know how many girls would be heartbroken by this news. Now let''s look at this ring. Mr. Kirnd, don''t you think this wedding ring might be a little bit too humble for a man like you?" The host''s words drew a burst ofughter from the audience. ra''s cheeks were slightly blushed. She had told him before that this ring did not match him, but he wore it out anyhow. Despite everyone''s surprise andughter, Horace still looked calm. He looked down at his finger and smiled faintly, "It was my wife who chose it for me. She likes to keep it low-profile." It was a simple sentence, but it showed their mutual understanding, mutual trust, and love, and the audience immediately was quiet. On the other side of the, ra, in front of theputer screen, felt that her heart had skipped a beat. Although she kept telling herself that what Horace said was probably just good acting, somewhere in her heart, she could not help but be touched. Even if Horace were acting, he did always wear a ring. Even if the ring was cheap. Even if the whole world believed that they couldn''t be together, he still took her in. Perhaps Darren''s denial of her was too cruel that it made Horace''s affirmation of her seem to be even moreforting. "Mr. Kirnd, how sweet. You really love her so much!" At the award ceremony, the host said in an admiring tone. Horace, with his status, was wearing such a ring just because his wife was "frugal". This way of showing love was more powerful than giving her a bedazzled ruby. Horace just smiled and gave back noments The award ceremony was soon over, and everyone in front of theputer screen was still amazed. "OMG! How lucky that Mrs. Kirnd is! So many rich men never want to admit that they''re married, but he went to such a big asion with a cheap ring from his wife and admitted that!" One of the office "Come on." A male colleague couldn''t help but say, "maybe he was too stingy to buy a good one and All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. took his wife out to defend himself." "Horace can buy a diamond mine if he wants to!" Sarah groaned, "Speaking of it, why do I have the feeling that the ring looks so familiar?" As soon as Sarah started, someone answered, "I have the same feeling! It seems that I have seen it somewhere in our office..." ra was afraid that this would lead to nowhere so she started to walk away from this. But before she could leave, Sarah pped her hands and shouted out "Oh, I remember! That ring looked exactly like the one ra wears!" Under the gaze of the crowd, ra was not able to leave. At this time, everyone came over, grabbed ra''s hand, and shouted out. "It''s the same! This is the one!" "Why? ra? You are wearing the exact same ring as Mr. Kirnd!" ra looked at this crowd of gossiping women in front of her and felt a headache. After thinking for a while, she had to admit, "Ok, you have made me no choice. Yes, I am Horace Kirnd''s wife. That''s why our rings are the same." Chapter 27 The Real Mrs. Kirkland Chapter 27 The Real Mrs. Kirnd Chapter 27 The Real Mrs. Kirnd It was dead silence at first. Then there was a burst ofughter. ¡°ra, I never knew you are this funny! Do you really think you are his wife?¡± Ctara looked at them and smiled, but she was Relieved because they did not take her words seriously, which was exactly what she wanted. Nt was better to joke about it than to deny it. Relieved as she was, she still needed to pretend to be unhappy about it, ¡°Why don''t you believe me? Am I not worthy of him?¡± ¡°You are a wonderful woman, ra¡± Sarah was alreadyughing into tears. ¡°But he is a Kirnd! He is basically from another. How could he be involved with people like us?¡¯ ra pursed her tips and smiled faintly. Indeed. Rationally speaking, Horace and she were really people from different worlds, but they had be the most intimate ones. Just like the ring that he was wearing. It was not his match, but he was wearing it anyway, right? Thinking of this, ra felt better and knocked Sarah on the head, "OK, little fan girl, it''s time to go to work.¡± ¡°But I''ve finished the revision. I am waiting for the printing version now. What else can I do?" There was no work to do today, so ra sat down and began to check her Twitter updates. But as soon as she clicked open Twitter, she saw a trending hashtag: #HoraceKirkdandRing. What happened to these people? Howe this had gone viral? But ra was curious. She checked and clicked in, then she saw a lot of fans¡¯ retweets andments. [Horace is such a man in a million! He is my only love now} (Who is this Mrs. Kirnd? Come out and let''s have a fair fight!) [Ijust want to say that the type of this ring is XXX, and I bought the same one with him! This ring will definitely sell out!) ra checked all those people''s craziness with mixed feelings, but when her eyes fell on someone''s tweet, she was suddenly stunned. [Kirnd loves his wife so much now. However, nobody knows about his dark past. I wonder what his ex-girlfriend would say to this when she sees his acting up there in heaven?] Ex- girlfriend? deceased? ra immediately clicked to see who sent it. But before she could see the name of the user, the message was deleted, ra felt puzzied. Before she could have a second thought, her mobile phone buzzed. twas a message from Horace. ra was stunned for a moment then she clicked in to read it. ¡°I''lle back home at six this evening and we''ll have dinner together¡± ra couldn''t exin why when she saw his message, she just could not stop smiling. She even forgot the embarrassment before Horace left. She was just looking forward toing home. Finally, she did not have to be alone. it was not easy for her to wait till off time. ra took her bag and called a taxi. Back in the vi, she pushed the door in. ra saw a familiar figure sitting in a wheelchair. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She suddenly had a fulfilled feeling in her heart. ¡°Hi, Horace, She took off her shoes, went into the living room, and greeted him. Horace turned his head. it was still that same handsome face. She had seen it on theputer screen in the morning. Now as she was looking at him in real life, she found it unrealistic. On his side, Horace felt relieved when he saw ra. He sent her a message earlier but she didn''t reply. He thought she still didn''t want to have dinner with him because of what happened that night. ¡°I see you''re back. Although his heart was joyful, Horace still kept that cold look on his face "Martha has made dinner. Would you like to join me?¡± Although she was a little bit excited when getting his message, as she saw him in seal person now, she Still thought of that unhappy moment before he left. She was a little embarrassed. ¡°Yes; she said and walked with Horace to the dining room. Martha and Donald were both very discerning. Knowing that they have not been seeing each other for many days, they left immediately after serving the dishes. ft was very silent in the dining room. No one spoke and the only sound was the clinking of the tableware. ¡°Horace, finally, ra couldn''t stand such silence and took the initiative to start the conversation, ¡°About that night.¡± ¡°Sorry? As ra was still hesitating about how to mention that incident, Horace stopped her sentences with one single word. ¡°Excuse me?" ra didn''t understand. Horace was apologizing? ¡°That night was my fault¡± Horace had finished his meal, go he gracefully picked up his napkin, wiped his mouth, and whispered, Hearing Horace''s apology. ra felt relieved but also a bit guilty, ¡°I shouldn''t have said those things to you either, It was me who left the family gathering first. I will apologize to your grandfather whenever he has time¡± ra actually thought a lot about that night these days. Her act of leaving the dinner was indeed very rude, especially in front of Horace''s grandfather. As for Darren, although Horace''s investigations on her were very ufortable for her to know, he was right about one thing: he could never marry a woman of unknown origin. As for his reactions that night... As she remembered his strong body and mesmerizing scent, her face turned and blushed all of a sudden. ra had always known that since they were legally married husband and wife, theoretically, sexual engagement was natural, But she just couldn''t do that. Horace, because of her resistance, eventually stopped. She had no reason to be angry. Hearing ra¡¯s apology, Horace smiled and decided to stop talking about this. He just asked, ¡°ra, don''t you have anything to ask me?" ra was stunned and then she remembered one thing. Indeed, a few days ago that night, in addition to that incident with Horace, a lot of things happened. ra looked at the man in front of her. She had too many questions to ask, but she just did not know how to start. Finally, she spoke out her biggest confusion, ¡°What happened to your legs?¡± That night, she saw Horace stand up in front of her. He was not disabled. ¡°As you can see. Horace seemed not surprised about her question, "I am not a cripple¡± ¡°Then why are you always in that wheelchair?¡± ¡°There are many reasons for this'''' Horace answered briefly, ¡°But remember, you can''t tell anyone about this.¡± ra was awestruck. Of course, she knew that Horace had made great efforts to disguise himself as a disabled man, and he had his reasons. She didn''t understand it but she respected him, so she nodded and promised to keep it a secret. Horace nced at ra. He was satisfied with her understanding. Then all of a sudden, his ck eyes darkened and he whispered to her, ¡°what else do you want to ask me besides this?" He paused and added, ¡°Or, do you have anything to confess about yourself?¡± ra shuddered. Chapter 28 What Happened Two Years Ago Chapter 28 What Happened Two Years Ago Chapter 28 What Happened Two Years Ago ra turned pale. ¡°So you know what happened two years ago?¡± If Horace had really done his investigation well, he would definitely find out about the incident two years ago. Horace looked at ra and said, ¡°Not all of it '''' What he knew about the incident two years ago was only the most widely rumored version. He thought there must be more of it. At first, he didn''t really care. Now, he hoped ra would tell him herself. ra''s face turned whiter and she began to talk. ¡°Since you are aware of what happened, why would you want to marry me?" ¡°At first, I didn''t care about it¡± Horace looked at ra without any concealment. ¡°I just need a wife. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. A woman who worships money is easy for me to control, '''' Horace said so directly that ra couldn''t help but give a bitter smile. So, fram the beginning, he thought that she was 4 woman who could sell her body for money? Somehow, this idea surged up in her mind and she suddenly felt severe chest pain. ¡°However, she suddenly heard Horace speak again, "I just want to hear it all from you¡± ra''s body trembled slightly, ¡°You want to hear it all from me? Horace nodded. ra''s voice trembled. ¡°What about the so-called truth you have discovered?¡± ra stared at Horace''s Obsidian eyes as if she wanted to see something from that abyss. Horace also looked back at ra. After a while, he slowly said, ¡®I don''t think you are the kind of woman who would sell herself for money. Such a simple sentence, however, was like a magic spell. ra was dazzled by its magical power. Horace looked at ra and found her exceptionally lovely. He smiled and asked, ¡°What happened to you?* ra realized that she was losing herself so she hurried to pull herself back and said, ¡°Nothing, fm just a little surprised? Horace looked at him with a low voice. ¡°So? ra, would you like to spill the beans?¡± Recalling the events of that day, ra''s face turned white again involuntarily. Looking at ra¡¯s pale face and trembling eyebrows, Horace suddenly felt a twitch in his heart and said in a low voice, ¡®if you don''t want to mention that, I won''t force you¡± ¡°No, I want to? ra took a deep breath, raised her head, and her eyes were steadier than they have ever been, ¡°Two years ago, I attended the cocktail Party of thepany where i worked as an intern. I had no idea why I got drunk so easily just after drinking a ss of champagne. Then I was taken to a room in the hotel, and then...¡± Speaking of this, ra finally couldn''t go on. Horace looked at her and his ck eyes slightly turned dark, ¡®What happened then?¡± Horace¡¯s voice was somewhat harsh, Seeing that ra still could not speak anything, he said sternly, ¡°ra, you should learn to face it¡± ra shuddered. She bit her lips, and finally, she opened her mouth, "The champagne was drugged. An old man in his sixties took my virginity¡± When she finished her words, ra''s strength seemed to have been drained from her body, and she slumped on the sofa. Looking at her pale face, Horace finally could not bear the pain in his heart. He stood up from the wheelchair, walked to her side, and sat down, pressing her head into her arms. ¡°It¡¯s all right now¡¯ His voice was very low as if it had a calming effect. ¡°It''s all past. If you want to cry, just cry¡± ra fell on his warm and broad shoulders, but she didn''t cry. She could not cry. Her soul was extracted from her body. She shook her head and answered, ¡®There''s nothing to cry about. It''s all over'''' ra''s emotionless face made Horace feel more distressed. He would rather her cry and shout. Looking at her pale face in his arms, he couldn''t help asking, ¡°How do you know that man was in his sixties?¡± ra''s eyshes quivered slightly. "That night, I was drugged, and I don''t remember everything about it. I couldn''t remember the man''s face either. When I woke up, he was gone, only 10,000 cash on the table. (rushed to the front desk, and they told me that the person who stayed In the room that night was an old man in his sixties. When I retumed to school that day, someone had already been telling everyone else that...that ( was having sex with men for money,.¡±¡± Thinking of the insults and humiliation she had for all those years, she did not dare to meet her college ssmates till today. She was $0 afraid that she would be pointed at her nose and scolded as ¡°shameless¡±. About all this, ra once thought she would never have the courage to mention it, but somehow, in Horace''s arms, she had the strength to tell it all. Horace listened to ra''s story and his eyes became darker and darker, and finally asked in a low voice, ¡°Which hotel was it?¡± ¡°Millennium Hotel¡± ra instinctively answered, but when she finished, she looked at Horace, ¡®Why?* ¡°Nothing. Horace looked at her and said, "Haven''t you ever thought about who had nned it all?" She was drugged, sent to the hotel room, andter publicly shamed for it. It was obvious that someone had deliberately framed hes. ¡°I don''t know. I also thought about it. But I couldnt find anyone behind it, at least not by myself¡¯ ra said, but suddenly she realized something. She looked at Horace and asked, ¡®Horace, do you really believe me?¡± Horace tumed his head sideways and found that ra was still leaning on his shoulder, which made him feel a little better. He whispered, ¡°You are my wife. I trust you¡± Those simple words were naturallying from his lips but they meant so much to her. He actually trusted her. She and Darren had been in love for so many years, but he never trusted her words, but Horace said he did. ¡°Horace; ra''s voice trembled slightly, ¡°do you think 1am a bad woman?" What happened two years ago had always been a thom in ra''s heart. For a time, she thought in despair that she would never be in love again. ¡°No- Horace frowned slightly. ¡°It''s not your fault. You are not the one to me. But the person behind It should pay the price. He didn''t speak this out, but he had already made uphis mind, After ra finished talking, she was so tired and copsed, so she went to bed early this night. Horace was with her so that ra fell asleep faster than before. Looking at ra on the bed, still frowning in her sleep, Horace couldn''t help but stretch out his hand and slowly rubbed her eyebrows open. Hearing ra''s steady breathing, Horace took out his mobile phone and called Isaac. ¡°Hello, isaac.¡± He lowered his voice for fear of waking her up. ¡°Help me investigate carefully what happened to ra two years ago.¡± Hanging up the phone, he started to think about what she had tald him. Millennium Hotel? He found the hotel name quite familiar, as if he had heard about it before. Chapter 29 Horaces Good Friend Chapter 29 Horace''s Good Friend Chapter 29 Horace''s Good Friend The next morning, ra and Horace had breakfast in the dining hall. Horace looked at her and suddenly asked, ¡°How did you sleepst night?¡± ¡°Not bad- ra looked up. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I thought you would be ufortable with me by your side. Horace took a sip of coffee and looked pale. ¡°If necessary, I can move to the quest room.¡± ra was stunned for a moment, and then she tealized that Horace was referring to that thing that happened between them. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Her face blushed. ¡®We are husband and wife, and living together in one room is what we are supposed to be¡± Horace looked at ra, "You are not mad at me?" He still remembered that night. He could not forget how fearful she was when he approached her. That kind of resistance made him very ufortable. ra looked at Horace with bashful eyes, ¡®Il never med you. It did note from nowhere¡± ¡°Really?¡± Horace suddenly raised his eyebrows. ¡°Where do you think it came from?* ¡°Well...¡± ra didn¡¯t expect Horace to continue this topic, which made her even more embarrassed. However, under Horace''s gaze, she went on, "because that night, I did not think about your feelings and brought Darren to our conversation. I can understand why you were mad at me. After all, I am your wife now, I should get over it as soon as possible.¡± Horace''s eyebrows even raised higher. Although ra''s words were not specific, he still understood what she said. ra thought that he would do that to her that night because of his possessiveness. Horace suddenly burst outughing. "What''s the matter? What''s so funny?¡¯ ra thought she had said something wrong and asked in embarrassment. Horace looked at ra and started to think about their rtionship. He had never been a man who was in denial of his feelings. His previous care for ra and his jealousy of Darren had all made him realize one thing Wt seemed that he really had special feelings about his wife, whom he had married casually. For so many years, he thought he would never be attracted to anyone again. But finaily, this woman just appeared. Fortunately, she was his wife. But unfortunately, she seemed to be unaware of her importance to him. Should he exin his mind directly to her to pull her into his arms, or should he win her over with patience? Horace smiled bitterly. It had been a long time since he fell in love with a woman. At this time, he actually felt that ra was more difficult to handle than all of his business deals He decided to take his time. Horace looked at ra with a faint are at theers of his mouth. ¡®It''s ok to think that way.¡± ra couldn''t figure out the meaning behind Horace''s words, so she just nodded with confusion. Horace looked at her and silently smiled again. He whispered to her, ¡®are you free tomorrow? A friend of mine lsing for dinner¡± ¡°Friend?* ra was stunned. ¡°Yes.¡± Horace nodded. ¡°You don''t want to see my family, and now you dont want to see my friends either?* ra smiled "don''t tease me, please. I will prepare the dinner tomorrow¡± The next day, ra and Martha worked all morning in the kitchen. At noon, this mysterious guest finally came. ¡°Horace, your ce looked much habitable than it was before. It must be because you have a wife now: Before he arrived, his voice had already been in the house. He sounded like a domineering sort of fellow. ra hurried to the living room and saw a man in a pink shirting in. This man was about the same age as Ciara. He was also very good-looking, butpared with Horace, he was undoubtedly more outspoken. "You must be ra.¡± As soon as the man saw ra, he hurried to meet her. He also stared at Horace in the wheelchair. ¡®Horace, you never told me you have such a beautiful wife!" Horace''s expression did not change and he ignored this man''s words. He just opened his mouth and introduced them to each other, ¡°stair, this is ra. ra, this is stair Jakovich- stair Jakovich? Out of her instinct as a joumalist, she found the name quite familiar. After thinking for a while, she suddenly realized, ¡°stair Jakovich! So are you the young master of the Jakovich family?¡° There were three big family businesses in Queensvale. Kirkdand was thergest. Next, there was the Jakovich family which was particrly influential in the entertainment industry, and the Hutchinson family, which had slowly begun to decline in recent years. stair was the only son and heir of the Jakovich family. ¡°How are you: ra was a little nervous, but still smiled appropriately, ¡°I''m ra? ¡°Ive heard so much about you." stair, with his amorous eyes staring at her, held ra''s hand and prepare to kiss her in her hand, which to him, might be his gentlemanly manners. But at this very moment, Horace suddenly raised his hand and saved ra''s hand from stair¡¯s lips. ¡°Not yours lo kiss." Horace¡¯s face was still expressionless but he had made himself clear enough. stair was stunned, and his eyes lit up involuntarily. Wow, was he being jealous? That was really interesting now. He thought to himself. stair smiled and suddenly became interested in this woman. He came close to ra and pretended to tell her a secret, ¡°hey ra, how did you get along with this guy? He does not know what a woman wants. I''m different though, much more interesting. Call me when you get bored of him¡± ra said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°You''re such a joker by nature, Mr. Jakovich¡±¡± Horace''s face was already darkened. He took ra by the hand and went into the dining room. Martha and Donald prepared the dinner and went back because of family affairs of their own. Gnly ra, Horace, and stair were left in the vi. stair crossed his legs and yelled like a hooligan, ¡®Hey, where is the wine? Horace, go get the wine. No one is here, man! Why are you still sitting in that wheelchair?¡± ra was stunned when she heard his words. Horace stood up from his wheelchair, filled a bow! of soup, handed it over to ra, and said, ¡°Just ignore him? Then he turned and walked towards the wine cer. ra realized that stair had a good rtionship with Horace. Horace even told him the truth about his legs. stair watched as Horace left. Then he put away his casual smite and turned his head to look at ra. ¡°I need to thank you, ra.¡± ra was a little ufortable with his sudden seriousness, ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Thank you for marrying him? stair leaned back in his chair and grinned. This time, he smiled sincerely, ¡°you are the second person to know the truth about Horace''s legs, which proves that he trusts you." ra thought of Horace¡¯s sudden rise from the chair that night and blushed slightly. She said with a smile, "Trust ts the foundation of mariage.¡± stair looked at the woman in front of him, his eyes twinkled, and then he said, ¡®ra, has he ever told you why he pretended to be disabled?" Chapter 30 Why Pretending? Chapter 30 Why Pretending? Chapter 30 Why Pretending? ra was stunned and shook her head. Horace said that it was better nat for her to knows, 80 she never asked, ¡°Ten years ago, Horace had a car ident.¡± stair said as if there was nothing to hide from her, ¡°everyone thought that Horace was crippled in that ident, but in fact, he was only injured. After arriving in the United States, he was cured¡± ra recalled that she had seen the report of the car ident on the news that year. Ai that time, Horace was less than 20 years old. He had just entered college and was kidnapped. The kidnappers asked for a ransom of $100 million. This incident was so wildly reported that it was all over the news at that time. It was said that after receiving the ransom, the kidnappers drove away with him as their hostages, but they did not expect a car ident on the road. The kidnappers were killed on the spot, and Horace was seriously injured. However, at that time, many details were closed to the public, so nobody knew that the second child of the Kirkdand family was injured in both legs. The only thing the public knew was that he went to the States tor medical treatment and became weak and ill from then on. ¡°tve probably heard of some of that¡± ra sald, "so after he was cured in the United Stetes, he continued to pretend to be disabled?¡± ¡°Yes, stair tilted his head, ¡°but guess why?¡± ra did know how to react. stair and Horace were really different. Girls probably liked his personality better. ¡°Why?¡± ra pretended to be thinking before she teplied, "Maybe because he did not want his family members to guatd against him?¡± In fact, ra had thought about the reason Horace pretended to be disabled. She had already had her own deduction. At any rate, she was also a news reporter, Although she had no experience living In powerful families, she could guess that Horace¡¯s endeavor to hide his recovery must have someth¨¦ng to do with his family. ¡®She had never met Horace''s eldest brother, o Darren''s father, Sean. However, it was widely known that Sean was a man with great ambition and tuthless means. Now as Russell Kirnd got okler and weaker, Sean was slowly taking over his family''s business. Horace, on the other hand,pletely put aside his rtionship with his family and started from scratch. That might also be to avoid conflicts with his elder brother. So, could it be because of his brother? ra was just guessing, but she had won the approval of stair, "Good guess, ra. You are a ¡®smart gal!¡± ra gave out an awkward smile, ¡®lve seen many TV shows" stawughed and said, *in fact, his family is too big and involved In too many business sectors. Theplexity is not much different from that of Netflix shows. Anyway, he is more than a man born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He has had a very difficult life over these years,¡± ra was stunned but scon nodded. For a whole decade, it must have been hard to have to sit in a wheelchair while beingpietety healthy, and guarding against his own famity. stair suddenly put away his smile and looked senous and said, ¡°So, ra, please promise me. Make him happy. Don''t break his heart¡± ra never expected those words from stair. ¡®She was stunned, Make him happy? But what happiness could she give him? Before ra could answer, she suddenly heard a steady footstep, apanied by a cold voice, ¡°what are you talking about?¡± ra tumed around and saw that Horace got back. Horace was standing. His perfect body shape was outlined in a light blue shin, and his tong legs were straight and slender. Ahint of sadnese shed across ra¡¯: eyes. How did it feel for an excelent man like him to have to sit In a wheelchair? ¡®Tm telling ra that I fell in love with her at first sight and was about to steal her from you¡¯ As soon as stair saw Horace, he immediately showed a flirtatious amile, with an unseemly face. ¡°Horace, you know me. Women just cannot resist my charm. You be careful man¨¦* ¡°Doritpare ra with the women around you.¡± Horace sald faintly, went to the table, and opened the wine with a bottle opener. ¡°You are not her type? Ok man, chifl stair snorted andughed out. At the dinner table, stair was so humorous and raughed through the meal. Aftes finishing thest dessert, stair wiped his mouth and got up reluctantly. ¡°Well, ra, I have another appointment today. I wont bothes you and Horace. tl see you next time¡± sa stood up and saw off the quests with Horace. He watched stair''s red sports car drive away before returning to the dining room. tn the restaurant, Horace was taking the finished te back to the kitchen. ¡°Let me do it¡¯ ra mmmediately walked aver to take the te from Horace, but he raised his hand and stopped her. ¡°ican still do these things; Horace whispered. ta had no choice but to be his assistant while he cleaned up. After all the dishes were in the dishwasher. Horace suddenly asked, ¡®What did stair tel! you just now?" ra was stunned for a moment, but he told him the truth, ¡°he tokd me the reason why you pretend to be disabled¡± ¡°Ok* Horace was not surprised. After years of friendship with stair, he must have known him so well and he would have guessed. ¡°Do you me me?" Horace suddenly opened his mouth and looked up at ra deeply. ra was taken aback and didn''t know how to respond. After a while, she whispered, ¡®For what?¡± ¡°I should have told you these things myself¡± Horace put the ra said, ¡°It doesnt make any difference. Without your consent, stair wouldn''t have told me? Horace nced at ra. Sure enough, although ra never talked much, she knew it clearly in her heart. She deserved to be the woman he liked. ¡°You are right¡± Horace led ra out af the kitchen. ¡®stair is better with words than me.¡± What this meant was that stair might do a better Job at exining his situation to ra. ¡°As for the detailed reasons, Horace hesitated and added, "I still can''t exin that to you right now. The more you know, the more dangerous it is for you. (hope you understand¡± ra nodded. ¡®I know you want to protect me¡± ra''s words were very light, just like a feather. But this feather swept across Horace¡¯s heart. He held ra''s hande tight. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ra felt that Horace was holding her hand tight, and her face was a little blushed. Just when she wanted to say something, she suddenly heard her mobile phone ringing In the living room. ¡°I need to answer that. Please wait for a second? She withdrew her hand from his and walked to the living room. Picking up the mobile phone on the tea table, ra frowried when she saw the caller ID. She answered the phone and said, ¡®Ashlee, why are you calling me?¡± Chapter 31 A Threat from Ashlee Chapter 31 A Threat from Ashlee Chapter 31 A Threat from Ashlee Ashlee was ra''s half-sister. Although they shared the same father, they grew up in radically different environments and met very rarely. Thus, they were not close to each other at all. Knowing that Ashlee was Darren''s fianc¨¦e, ra was tired of Ashlee¡¯s disingenuous kindness. She didn''t know why Ashtee made this call. ¡°ra¡± Ashlee''s sweet voice sounded from the phone. "You dont seem happy to hear from me. ¡°Yes: ra said in an impatient tone, ¡°By all means, tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°I have All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. great news for you. Ashlee said happily, ¡°Ive heard that Aunt Helena is getting better, right?* ra got nervous. She wondered why Ashlee knew so much about it. ¡°Then what''s wrong?¡¯ ra''s voice turned colder. ¡°ra, don''t be so cold. Anyway, I''m very worried about Aunt Helena¡± Ashlee''s tone remained disingenuous. ¡°When t heard that you had to pay more for the medical bills, I am very concerned about you as weil, so I want to do you a favor¡± Ashlee wanted to to help her? How ridiculous! ra sneered, ¡®Then what can you do?¡± ¡°Ihave a friend who is in charge of a magazine. She is starving for personnel, so she offers a high sry¡± Ashlee continued, ¡®ra, you are so outstanding. If you join her, youll definitely earn more than now? ra got want Ashlee meant. Ashlee wanted ra to leave GLAM. And then ra could be kept away from Darren. Thinking of this, ra sneered. ¡°Ashlee, you''re afraid that Darren still has feelings for me, right?¡± Hearing this, Ashlee tumed pale. She didn''t expect ra to say it in such a straightforward way. Ashlee bit her red lips, but her voice remained sweet. "ra, what are you talking about? You''re a maried woman who used to be a prostitute. You think too highly of yourself¡± ra froze. What Ashlee said was very unkind. It was typical of Ashlee to say this in a sweet tone. ra''s tone became cold. ¡°Ashlee, no matter what you want, I won''t change my job" She knew Ashlee very well, so ra didn''t think she would be well paid in the new magazine. Instead, Ashlee might well take advantage of this chance to torture ra. Rejected, Ashlee couldn''t bear it anymore. She said in an angry voice, ¡°ra! You deserve no such attention!¡± ¡°lt seems you are irked.¡¯ ra scoffed. ¡°Rx. I''m fot interested in Darren at all, so you don''t have to be $0 nervous. Ashlee was irritated! ra was lying! That slut! She was just ying hard-to-get!" "ra!" Ashlee said coldly, ¡°Leave GLAM, or I''ll show you no mercy!¡± ra sneered with disdain. ¡°Seriously? Ashlee, what can you do?* Ashlee thought, ¡°ra, you''re asking for it!¡± A smile yed on Ashlee''s lips. ¡®Ican make your lifes living hell¡± Ashlee''s voice was sweet but cold, which sent a chill down ra''s spine. But ra said impatiently, ¡®I don''t care. Anyway, I need the job in GLAM, and I don''t like your fianc¨¦ at all!¡± After ra finished speaking, she didn''t bother to talk to Ashlee anymore, so she hung up the phone. On the other end of the phone, Ashlee almost freaked out! ¡°ra! Ive given you a chance to leave GLAM! However, you dont take it, You will regret it!¡± Ashlee quickly picked up the phone and dialed a number. ¡°This is Ashlee Middleton: Ashlee''s voice was cold and resentful. ¡°Send all those photos out. Yes, send them to Darren Kirnd. Be careful. Don''t let others find out¡¯ After hanging up the phone, Ashlee remained furious. She clenched her fists and her red-painted nails almost pierced the palm of her hands! Ashlee still remembered the first time she saw Darren. Darren always thought that the first time they met each other was at a reception half a year ago. But in fact, Ashlee had met him three years ago. It was at University of Zhanard. Ashlee happened to be traveling in Hainding with her friends. Her father Glenn asked her to bring sohing to ra. Although Ashlee was unwilling to do that, as a good daughter, she didn''t refuse. Then, Ashlee met ra and Darren. Ashlee still remembered that it was a sunny day. Darren was riding a bicycle and ra was sitting behind him. tn a white shirt, Darren looked like a prince from the fairytale, Ashlee was flipped at first sight. They didn''t talk for a long time, so neither ra nor Darren could remember it, but it was deeply imprinted in her mind. After leaving Hainding, Ashlee asked someone to investigate Darren and was surprised by the result. ording to ra, Darren was a poor man who had to rely on his bursary. But in fact, he was one of the Kirnds! Ashlee rejoiced over this news! No wonder she fell in love with Darren! Ashlee was proud of her taste. Since then, Ashlee made up her mind that she would marry nobody but Darren! However, Darren had eyes only for ra back then. Ashlee remembered ra''s happy expression when she received the call from Darren at home. Ashlee had secretly visited the University of Zhanard to see Darren, only to see that Darren was very gentle to ra. Ashlee knew she was jealous of ra. She was actually jealous of ra, this illegitimate daughter! Ashlee disliked ra since she was a child. Besides, she also disdained ra and thought she was far superior to ra. Thus, Ashlee was very surprised by the fact that she was jealous of ra. This made Ashlee start to hate ra! That was why Ashlee plotted against ra two years ago. Ashlee wanted to ruin ra and showed it to Darren so that Darren would hate ra! Ashlee seeded. Darren broke up with ra, returned to the Kirnd family, and studied abroad. Ashlee sessfully met him abroad, dated him, and got engaged with him. Everything went as Ashlee nned. However, after they returned to Stratmont, everything changed. Darren became ra''s ultimate boss. Ashlee wondered whether it was a coincidence or that Darren arranged it on purpose. Ashlee got nervous about what happened between Darren and Ashlee these months. Therefore, Ashlee decided to show her ace in the hole. Ashlee thought, "ra, I will do whatever it takes to prevent you from approaching Darren¡± Chapter 32 Humiliating Photos Chapter 32 Humiliating Photos Chapter 32 Humiltating Photos On Monday, ra got up and was about to eat breakfast downstairs, only to receive a call from the hospital. ¡®What?¡¯ ra stopped on the stairs, ¡°Ten thousand? In three days? No, don''t need to worry. Of course I have it. Just use the medicine, and I''ll pay th bill soon.¡± ra hung up the phone with a sigh. Since ra''s mother got better, all the medicines she used were changed into the much better ones, which were not covered by most insurances. ra felt increasingly stressed. However, ra couldn''t leave her mother to her own devices, so she gritted her teeth and call the HR department. ¡°Sorry, Ihave to get my sry in advance again¡± ra was a little embarrassed when she said this. ¡°But my mother needs money. Weil, t see. I''ll be waiting for you. Thank you" Hanging up the phone, ra sighed and walked into the dining room. tn the dining room, Horace was eating porridge when he saw ra. He asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ra guessed that Horace might have seen her talking on the phone at the foot of the stairs. Her mind went nk at once. After a few seconds, she said, ¡®Well, it''s from thepany. There''s nothing important: ra didn''t want to hide it from Horace, but she had no idea how to tell him about it. ra¡¯s mother was seriously ill in bed and Needed money to pay for the medical bills. if ra told this to Horace, she felt as If she was asking him for money. Although they were a couple and ra began to depend on Horace, she still refused to do so. Maybe it was a habit ra developed when she was a child. ra''s mother always asked ra to stay strong, even if everyoneughed at her for not having a father or for being an illegitimate daughter. Seeing ra''s guilty smile, Horace pondered for a Moment but did not say anything. Horace knew what happened to ra as well. However, Horace didn''t intend to offer to help ra. He knew she was sensitive and stubborn, so he didn''t want the trust between to be affected. tn arder not to scare ra, Horace decided to take it slowly. Looking at ra''s worried look, Horace gave a wry smile. As a decisive businessman, Horace had never been so hesitant and cautious. ¡°Eat your food." Horace said expressiontessly, ¡°After you finish, I''ll drive you to the subway station¡± ra nodded, relieved that Horace did not offer to send her downstairs of thepany. Did this mean that Horace began to put himself in ra''s shoes? Taking the subway to the magazine, ra was told to see Darren before she could sit down. ra got a bad hunch. Since Darren came back from Queensvale, he stopped picking on ra. But why did he want to see her now? ra went to Darren''s office in doubt. ¡°Mr. Kirldand, what can Udo for you?" ¡°ra.¡± Darren looked at ra with a cold expression and said, ¡®ve heard that you want your sry in advance this month, right?* ra got upset. ¡°Yes, Ineed money¡± ¡°You need money?" Darren sneered. ¡°What will you do with the money?" ra got nervous and her volce tumed colder. ¡°i''s up to the financial department, so I dort think it has anything to do with you, Mr. Kirnd.¡± ¡°What have you got to hide?* ra didn''t answer, so Darren became more contemptuous. ra red at Darren, took a deep breath, and said calmly, ¡°I want to buy a new handbag. It''s a limited-edition handbag, so I will miss it if I don''t get my sry in advance, Now that Darren believed that ra was a gold diggers, ra decided to run with it. Anyway, she didn''t care anymore. Hearing ra''s indifferent tone, Darren couldn''t help clenching his fists and sneering, "What? It''s just a handbag. You can ask your men for it!* "My men?¡± Fortunatety, ra was strong enough to ignore yehat Darren said. ¡°ra, why did you remain silent?¡± Darren stood up and said in a higher voice, ¡°I''m asking you where your men are. Dorit tell me they all left after sleeping with you,¡± With a frown, ra couldn''t bear it anymore. ra wondered what went wrong with Darren. He was acting like a maniac! ¡°Mir. Kirnd, it doesn''t matter if I can''t get my sry in advance. ra didn''t want to talk with Darren anymore. ¡°if that''s all, I''m out of here¡± Ciara turned around and wanted to leave, but Darren stood up and throw a few photos toward ra''s face! ¡°ra, can you exin to me what these are!" ra was stunned for a moment. As she looked down at the photos, her face tumed pale, and she began to tremble all over. Those photos were blurry, so they were snapped in secret. But the person in the photo could be recognized. It was ra. In the photo, ra was lying on the bed, disheveled and flushed. Although the photos were blurry, what she was doing could be easily told. ra''s mind went nk. She quickly remembered these photos were taken two years ago. ¡°Where did you get these?* ra grabbed the photos and red at Darren, rage burning in her eyes. What happened two years ago was ra''s nightmare. After so long, she always felt that it was all over. But she didn''t expect that she had been photographed! And then what happened back then would be an indelible mark that ra could never get tid off ¡°What, ra? Are you afraid?¡± Seeing ra''s pale face, Darren couldn''t help sneering. ¡®Then why did you do this back then?¡± ra was overwhelmed by shame, despair, and anger, so what Darren said made her more annoyed. ¡°Darren, it has nothing to do with you at all. Just mind your own business¡± ra continued in an extremely cold voice, ¡°I just want you to tell me where you got these photos. Who tock them? Who gave them to you?" Seeing ra''s pale face, Darren felt a little sorry for her. Nheless, when his eyes fell on those photos, his anger rose again. ¡°You should know the answers better than anyone. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Why are you still asking me?¡± Darren looked at ra with his eyes full of disdain. ¡°You must have slept with too many men, so you even forget which man took these photos.¡± Chapter 33 My Woman Chapter 33 My Woman Chapter 33 My Woman ra couldn''t help trembling all over. Obviously, Darren did not recognize that these photos were taken two years ago. After all, ra always had long hair these years, 30 Darren couldn''t tell any difference. Therefore, with his misunderstanding towards ra, Darren took it for granted that these photos were taken by a certain man recently. ra bit her lip, knowing that Darren wouldnt tell her anything, so she didn''t want to say anything to him. She turned around and left. ¡°Ciara, stop!" Darren shouted angrily behind ra, but ra didn''t look back and rushed out of the office. After leaving the office, ra ignored the people who looked curious at the door and ran into the washroom. After closing the door of apartment. ra sal down on the toilet, gasping for breath. She was scared and irritated by those photos! Who took them and gave them to Darren? Was it the one who framed her back then? ra was ruined two years ago, but she was even photographed. What did the mastermind want to do? ra was in despair while Darren was in a terrible mood as well. He sat down on the sofa angrily and tore off the tie that made him feel suffocated. Darren still remembered that he had also teceived a photo of ra naked on the bed two years ago, which made him have te believe that ra cheated on him. Two years had passed, and Darren thought he didn''t love ra anymore. However, he gat furious when seeing these new photos! When was ra photographed? Who was the man she slept with? Horace? Or any other man? Breathless, Darren almost freaked out. In order Nal 10 go Crazy, he decided to do something! Darren picked up the phone and dialed a number. When the call was connected, Darren tried his best to fake a smile. "Hello, Horace. This is Darren. I haven''t seen you since I came back. Yes, you left in advance at thest family dinner, Well, I happen to be downstairs yourpany. How about talking for a while in the cafe? * Half an hourter, Horace arrived at the coffee shop on the first floor of the Solrace building. By the window, Horace was sitting ina wheelchair, looking down at the envelope on the coffee table. His eyes darkened. ¡®Darren, what is this?" On the other side of the table, Darren was sitting upright. He was a little nervous before Horace, but he said calmly, ¡®Ihave to show you something¡± ¡°About what?" Horace was extremely calm. He was not curious about what was in the envelope, but asked another question. Darren didn''t know where to start, so he threw a question first, ¡®heard that you''ve had a new woman recently, right?¡± Although Darren sounded indifferent now, he was shocked when he first learned about it. Oarren knew Horace well. Horace was never interested in any woman. Horace¡¯s brother, Sean, even doubted whether Horace not only got crippled but also suffered from impotence due to the car ident ten years ago. Fortunately, Horace got married in the end. What surprised Dasren was that Horace began to hang out with ra, Hearing what Darren said, Horace raised his eyebrows. ¡°You seem to be very clear about my affairs¡± Horace''s vaice was a little lower, which made Darren feel subdued with cold sweat on his forehead. ¡°t¡¯s a coincidence: Darren forced a smile. ¡°When in Queensvale, my business partner, Mr. Muller, identally offended that woman, and he told me about it¡¯ Hearing this, Horace remembered what happened in Queensvale, so his eyes turned cold. ¡°And?¡± Horace realized that Darren was here to talk shout ra. Horace never tried to hide his rtionship with ra from Darren, but Darren seemed to have mistaken ra as Horace¡¯s mistress. Darren could feel cold sweat trickling down his forehead, but he braced himself, ¡°That woman, who is called ra, happened to work in mypany. I got something about her, and I think you should know about it¡± Saying that Darren looked at the envelope on the table. Only then did Horace realize the photos in the envelope were rted to ra. After pondering, Horace finally took the envelope and opened it. His eyes turned cold and sharp the moment he saw the photos in it! Darren was secretly observing Horace''s expression. Seeing the change in Horace¡¯s face, Darren was convinced, Horace definitely had a crush on ra, or he would not have been so cruel to Mr. Muller. Speaking of which, ra was really good at tempting men. Darren was fascinated by her back then, and even Horace fell for her now. Nheless, all ra''s ns would fail today! Darren was to expose her true colors. Oarren was vindictive. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. But he had to admit that he didnt want ra and Horace to be together. After flipping through these photos, Horace put then on the cafe table with a snap. Horace tumed his head and said to the waiter next to him, "I want a lighter¡± Darren was a bil shocked. Lighters? Darren remembered that Horace never smoked. The waiter quickly brought a lighter to Horace. Before Darren realized what Horace wanted to do, Horace bumed the envelope. ¡°Horace, what are you doing?¡± Darren was Startled. After finishing speaking, he looked Horace in the eye. Horace''s cold eyes sent a chill down Darren''s spine. Oarren was startled. ¡°Do you want to use them to do something else, Darren?¡± With a sneer, Horace said expressionlessly, ¡°Now that I''ve seen thern, can get them burnt at random? How ridiculous! Although ra didnt reveal any private parts in the photo, as her husband, Horace would stop anyone else from seeing these photos. Darren looked at Horace, swallowed, and lowered his head. "Youre right¡¯ The envelope, with the photos inside, quickly burnt out. Horace threw away the lighter, leaned towards the back of the wheelchair, and stared at Darren coldly, "Tell me who gave you these photos¡± Darren looked up at Horace in astonishment and couldn''t believe what he had heard. ¡°Horace, why are you so calm? You should be curious who she was photagraphed with and why these photos were taken¡¯ Horace took a deep look at Darren and whispered, "No. ra is my woman. I know her much better than you" Chapter 34 How About Changing Your Job? Chapter 34 How About Changing Your Job? Chapter 34 How About Changing Your Job? Oarren was startled. He didn''t expect Horace to react this way when seeing these photos. Horace thought Horace would be furious and break up with ra. However, Horace looked indifferent. id it mean that Horace believed in ra? Oarren was frustrated by this idea. He couldn''t ept this. Why did Horace trust ra 50 much? ra was just Horace¡¯s mistress. Darren had been in a rtionship with ra. Nheless, when he saw those photos, he thought that ra was a dissolute woman without even thinking about it. Oid it mean that Darven didnt trust ra? Thinking of this, Darren tried his beat to calm himself down. Darren thought he couldn''t be wrong. The evidence were those photos! Barren told himself that Horace didn''t care about it because Horace didn''t love Darren at all. "Darren, you eeem to be very interested in my ¡®woman, Horace said in an impassive voice. Darren froze. Looking up at Horace who remained catm, Darren suddenly realized that he was acting like a clown. Besides, akhough Horace was sitting ina wheelchair, he looked extremely elegant and graceful. This reminded Darren of what Sean had told him. Oarrer¡¯s father, Sean Kirnd, who was always arrogant, ssid that he would have lost if Horace hadnt lost his legs. Thinking of this, Darren felt very depressed, Darren had thought of himself as a genius. But now, he realized that he was far dwarfed by Horace. Although Darren didnit have topare himself with Horace, this perspective made Darren irritable for no reason. Somehow, Darren aid, ¡°Yes. After all, I dated her in college. You might not know it, Horace.¡± Darren deliberately made his voice frivolous, a if he wanted to anger Horace. Darren''s words worked. Horace clenched the armrest of the wheelchair silently, and soon, he sneered, ¡°Really?¡± Horace''s tone was cok, which made Darren''s hair stand on end. Only then did Darren realize that he seemed to have gone too far. His face turned pale and his tone softened. ¡°Horace, don''t be angry You dont have to take such a woman seriously. I asked this because tm afraid your wife will be upset. ¡° The identity of Horace''s new wife was kept unknoven. lt was said that Russell had wanted Horace to Marry a woman from a noble family, which was even regarded as a threat by Sean. However, Horace suddenly announced that he had married an ordinary girl from a requias family. Darren had been back for a long time, but he hadn''t seen Horace''¡¯s wife yet. Horace squinted at Darren and didn''t say anything. Darren realized that Horace didn''t want to talk about this. Darren felt a little embarrassed and finally ¡®answered Horace¡¯s question. ¡®I get these photos from an anonymous email¡± "Anonymous?" Horace repeated in an expressiontess tone. Garren nodded, but he was unwilling to give up. ¡°Horace, a word of caution, however. ra is reckless in her personal life, 30 she even has a bad reputation in thepany. You''d better.¡¯ ¡°Darren. Before Darren could finish his words, Horace interrupted him in an unpleasant voice, "To some extent, Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. it''s none of your business¡± Only then did Darren realize that he should stop, 30 he lowered his eyes and said, ¡°Im sory" ¡°Well, Darren, if there is nothing else, I should go home¡¯ Horace tightened his cor and said, ¡®My wife is waiting for me at home¡± With that, Horace ignored Darren and walked out of the cafe. After Horace got into the car and seated himself, isaac, who was situng in the passenger seat, felt that the mood in the car was super subdued. ¡®Isaac. Horace said, "How is your investigation going?¡± it took Isaac a few seconds to realize what Horace meant. ¡°Do you mean the incident that happened to Miss Selman two years?¡± ¡°ves. ¡°Because it''s been a long time since then, so it does take time and work? ¡°You can ask Darren about it. He received an email rted to that event. ¡°Ves, sir¡± As Horace tapped on the armrest of the wheelchair, his face turned gloomy. How dare they plot against ra! Also... When Horace saw Darren who came out of the cafe outside, his eyes turned even colder, Horace heard that Darren had given up on ra and was going to get marned soon. If 0, Darren shouldn''t he so concemed about the rtionship between them. Thinking of this, Horace sneered. He didnt expect that he would fight for ra with his nephew. ra didn¡¯t even know how she finished this terrible day. ¡®When it was time to get off work, ra left the office as fast as she could. When Ctara got home, she saw Horace, who always came backter than hes, was waiting in the living room. ¡°Where are Martha and Donald?" After ra took Off her shoes, she walked into the living mom and tried her best ta look normal. ¡°I gave them a day off today¡± Therefore, only Horace and ra were in this house, Horace stood up from the veheelchair and took out the dishes from the kitchen. ¡°The dinner is ready. Let''s eat¡± ra nabbed her slightly red eyes, nodded, and walked into the dining room. During this dinner, both ra and Horace were silent and deep in thought. Horace finished his meal and whispered after a moment, ¡°ra, how about changing your job?¡± ra didrit expect Horace to say this, so she was shocked, ¡°Why do you want me to change my job?¡± Horace looked at ra. ¡°Yourpany is too far from home, and it doesn''t pay well. You can find a better one¡± ra also knew that a pay rise would be offered if she switched her job. If it weren''t for the fact that her mother was ill ra might have left GLAM. The monthly medical bills were so much that ra couldn''t change her job now. However, ra couldn''t tell this to Horace, go she pursed her lips. ¡®Tm very happy in GLAM, a0 I don''t want to leave there.¡± Hearing this, Horace squeezed the fork in his. hand. ¡°Really?¡± Horace looked at ra with mixed feelings in his heart. Chapter 35 The Second Kiss Chapter 35 The Second Kiss Chapter 35 The Second Kiss Seemingly, Horace remained calm when Darren showed him those photos. But in fact, he was furious inside. Horace couldn''t calm down. He could tell that those photos were taken by a hidden camera, so they might be taken two years ago. Horace had heard a fot about what happened two years ago, and ra had also made it clear to him. ra was drugged back then, so she was not to rne. However, those pictures did infuriate Horace! As long as Horace thought of the scene where ra was having sex with other men, the rage began to burn inside him! If it weren''t for the fact that Horace had improved his self-control over the years, he would have thrown a hit at the table. Horace was also angry with Darren. Horace wondered whether Darren was getting his tevenge on ra of trying to alienate ra from him. Regardless of what Darren wanted to do, Horace decided to stop ra from working with Darren. Otherwise, ra would be in danger again. Thus, Horace asked ra to change a job, but ra refused without hesitation. Horace didn''t understand why ra refused. Did it mean that ra didn''t want to leave Darren? Thinking of this, Horace thought it was childish of him to think so. Nheless, this idea kept haunting him. When Horace thought of the photos, his face tumed cold. He put down the fork and added, ¡°You don''t want to leave Darren, right?¡± ra''s face tumed pale. She didn''t expect Horace to say so. Did Horace think that Ciara still loved Horace and would cheat on him? Although ra married Horace identally, she attached great importance to their marriage, so she would never cheat on Horace. Hence, what Horace said almost split ra inside. ¡°Horace, what do you mean?" Her tone was cold. ¡°Do you think I cheat on you?¡± ra admitted that she was a little too sensitive now. But ra really couldnt stand it. Darren''s sarcasm and insults, together with the photos, made her on the brink of a nervous breakdown. ra had originally thought that Horace would at least believe her. To her disappointment, Horace regarded her as a dissolute woman as well. Horace didn''t expect ra to react so strongly. He frowned. ¡®! didn''t mean that. Just go on with your meal: Horace didnt want to talk about it anymore, but ra put down the tableware and said in a low voice, ¡°tm Full! With that. she wanted to get up and leave the table, Before she got up, Horace got up abruptly, put her hands on both sides of her chair, and imprisoned her ¡®on the chair. ¡°Horace, what are you doing?¡± ra raised her eyes in a panic and stared at Horace''s handsome face. Horace''s eyes vere dark. He looked at ra and said in a low voice, "ra, is there something you''re not telling me?" Horace knew Darren well. Darren was ahvays impulsive, so he must have asked ra about the photos after receiving them. Besides, ra looked very absent-minded, so she must have seen the photos. Nevertheless, she didnt say anything to Horace. This made Horace even more annoyed. Why did ra hide it from him? ra was wronged, but she didn''t tell this to Horace, her husband. Instead, she decided to continue working for that magazine. Harace didn''t know what he was angry about, but seeing ra''s pale face and watery eyes, he was burning with rage. ¡°ra, answer my question!¡¯ ra remained silent, 80 Horace was even angrier. He squeezed her chin and forced het ta look at him. ra felt a little bit hurt, with tears trickling down her cheeks. She red at Horace. ¡®Horace, what the hell is wrong with you?¡¯ Horace was almost crazy. Looking at ra''s flushed face and tearful eyes, Horace thought she was extremely tempting! However, Horace was haunted by the photes and what Darren said. In the end, Horace couldn''t help it. Horace lowered his head and kissed ra on the lipe before she could exim. Horace had just wanted 10 give a warning kiss. Nheless, when he kissed ra, he was stunned by the faint fragranceing from her lips. This tempting smell was typical of ra. The next second, Horace was tempted. He couldn''t help sticking his tongue down her throat. ra was shocked with her eyes wide open. This was the second time that Horace kissed her. Compared with thest time, this kiss was obviously more touching. At first, ra was struggling to push Horace away, but it didn''t work no matter what she did. After a while, ra was almost short of breath. Her face was flushed, and she was too breathless to struggle but slumped in Horace''s arms. After a moment or two, Horace saw that ra''s face was flushed red, so he let go of her reluctantly. Horace straightened up. His jealousy was vented alittle by the kiss. Seeing ra''s swollen lips, Horace felt a little sorry for her. He reached out, caressed her tips, and said in a low voice, ¡®I''m sory. Did I hurt you?¡± ra bit her lip and didn''t answer. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Seeing ra''s look, Horace said in a cold voice, ¡°Why do you hate me so much for kissing you?" This reminded Horace of what happened on the bedst time, so his eyes darkened. ra didn''t know what to say but felt exhausted all over. She pushed Horace away, got up, and left the dining room, Horace stared at her back but did not get up to chase after her. Horace dic not sleep in the master bedroom this night, and ra was unable to sleep alone. The next day, Horace left before Ctara woke up. After finishing breakfast alone, ra went to thepany. Before she sat down on her chair, Darren quickly walked out of his office. With a frown, ra wanted to go to the toilet to avoid meeting him. However, Darren pointed at her and said, ¡°ra, are you avable this afternoon? Come with me to Solrace for an interviews¡± Chapter 36 The Second Interview Chapter 36 The Second Interview Chapter 36 The Second interview Solrace Corporation? ra froze, tumed around and saw Darren looking at herself with an emotionless face. ¡°Mr. Kirnd; she said, trying to look calm, ¡°I''m not feeling very well today. Do you think you could ask some else to do it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Darren made his tone official and businesslike. ¡®This is our second interview for the chief executive of Salrace. You interviewed him before, so you should know him better. It''s better that youe with me¡± ra frowned. Interviewing Horace with Darren? Nt would be crazy of her to do that! ¡°But I''m really sick. fm afraid that I will mess it up. Sara and the folks were there with me during our first interview, so it will be the samme for them to do it¡± ¡°ra Selman; Darren lost his patience and said coldly, "Do you wanna lose your job?¡± GLAM was a for editor-in-chief, who had his own office. The conversation was heard by the whole office, which soon turned silent. People were peeking at the tension between the two. ra stared at Darren, and finally gave in. ¡°All tight. Got you. Mr. Kirkdand? ¡®Then dont waste another second. Let''s go; sald the expressionless Darren, who turned around and left, with ra following him with an impassive face. The moment they left, the office burst into amotion. "Wow, what was that? There seems to a problem between ra and Mr. Kirnd. I thought he liked her¡± ¡°Don''t be silly, why would you think he doesn''t like her? If he doesn''t like her, then why is he bringing her to such an important job?" ¡°But I saw they almost got into a fight¡± ¡®There never was a fight. ra was obliviously just throwing a hissy fit¡± The office was full of women and thus gossips. ra had joined the magazine for only two years, but her performance had been great, even better than that of those with three to four years of experience. Partly because ra would go for any news no matter how exhausting and difficult it was. But others didn''t think so. There had been rumors that ra hooked up with @ moneybag, so it added fuel to the rumors when she was seen to be suspicious with Mr. Kirnd. With a sullen face, ra was driven to Solrace with Darren, unaware that she had be the focus of the office''s gossip. ¡°Darren Kirnd; said ra, at the end of her tether, while there were only she and Darren. ¡°What on earth do you want?¡± ¡°What? Are you scared?¡¯ he sniffed, ¡°He is just a sugar daddy of yours. What is it to be afraid of? You have to be tougher to be a mistress who ruins other''s family, right?" Thinking that he was being unreasonable, she refused to say another word to him and looked out of the window instead. The car finally reached the Solrace Building. ra followed Darren upstairs and, led by the secretary, they walked into Horace''s office. tt was a modern office with a huge floor-ceiling window, before it, a man was sitting in a wheelchair. The sun shone on him, like he was enveloped ina halo. ¡°Uncle; greeted Darren, whe came in with ra, ¡°Sorry for bothering you with the abrupt interview. I hope it''s a good time?" Horace slowly turned around with a nk look on his chiseled face, ¡°It''s OK. Just a small interview¡± Horace had appeared calm, even when he saw ra. ¡°All right, then let''s get started.¡± Darren smiled and beckoned ra to sit down on the sofa. Horace also wheeled himself to face across them, without giving one look at ra the whole time. ¡°Thank you for thest interview, Uncle.¡± Darren pretended that they were doing the interview as usual. ¡°Thanks to you, our sales boomed¡¯ *My pleasure.¡± ¡°This time, we would like to talk about the prize of Outstanding Youth you have been awardedtely, asked Darrenposedly, ¡°How do you feel about getting the award?" ¡°t''s kind of a recognition, said Horace briefly. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The conversation between the two rtives went smoothly. But ra, who was sitting aside, found it hard to stay calm. She knew Darren well enough to know that he came to interview his uncle himself because he was nning on something. Could it be... Suddenly, she remembered yesterday''s pictures, and her face tumed pale. Did Darren mean to show Horace those pictures in this interview? It had never urred to ra that Darren had already shown them to Horace. As for the interview, Darren was only doing it because he was not pleased with Horace response to the pictures. He was unhappy with Horace¡¯s nonchnt reaction, so when thepany decided to do another interview with Horace, he came here himself and brought her with him. After some trivial customary questions, with a twinkle in his eyes, Darren asked, Oh, right, after the award, there have been a lot of talks about your wife on the media?¡± With the light in his eyes dimmed, Horace nodded, ¡°indeed.¡± ¡°Then do you mind sharing the stories between you and your wife?¡¯ Darren shed a polite smile, ¡°Well, you know, the female readers tend to be interested in this¡¯ ¡°My wife?¡± Horace said with a faint smile on his face, "She''s just a in Jane¡¯ ¡°Could you be more specific?" asked Darren, with a nce at the nearby ra, ¡°She must be a simple and nice woman, right? And you two must love each other very much?¡± After hearing the questions, ra finally realized why he brought her to the interview. He wanted Horace to say in her face that how great his wife was and much they loved each other, so that she would feel ashamed of herself and back off. re found it hrious. Darren was trying ta make her to feel jealous of herself? It''s hard to imagine the looks on his face when he knew that she was Horace''s wife herself. She could not help but shivered as she tried to imagine that. Nah, she wasnt really eager to see that. Meanwhile, Horace also knew what he was. getting at as he heard the questions. Horace saw the resisted smile on her face out of the corner of his eyes. He could not help lifting the corners of his mouth. She should have found it funny. If so, then he wouldn''t mind ying the show with her. ¡°My wife is indeed a simple and nice woman; said Horace slowly, ¡®She''s very shy, and she still blushes a lot even now that we''re married. She''s adorable¡± ra was shocked. Although she instinctively turned her face to Horace, she dreaded ta look at those seemingly smiling eyes as she raised hers. Chapter 37 Dont Want Him to Think of Me Like That Chapter 37 Don''t Want Him to Think of Me Like That Chapter 37 Don''t Want Him to Think of Me Like That ra soon flushed scarlet. Horace was obviously talking about her. He had been like a half-stranges to her, so of course any intimacies with him still made her blush. Meanwhile, Darren immediately gave ra a cocky look as he heard what Horace had said. He had expected her to feel ufortable at hearing the nice things Horace had said about his wife, only to find her lowering her head, face flushed, and taking notes awkwardly. Darren frowned and continued to asked, ¡°So an innocent and nice woman like auntie is really your type, right, Uncle?" Horace gave him a faint smile, without denying. Darren wouldn''t give up and continued, ¡°Sure, who wouldn''t fall for a woman who is angelically nice and pure, unlike those who y the field and date you because of your money. Beware of such a wornan: ra, who had been bashful about Horace''s words, frowned at Darren''s remark. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. tt was a in sideswipe at her. Ever since they had met each other again, Darren had always been talking to her like that, but somehow, she felt irritated by how he described her in front of Horace. ¡®what does that supposed to mean, Darren?¡± Enough with the tolerance for Darren, she looked right up at him, and asked him bluntly. Darren sniffed. ¡°So, finally snap, huh, ra?¡± Actually, ra herself had no idea why she was somad. Maybe it was just because she didn''t want Horace to have any misunderstandings about her. She didnt want the man who had told her that he trusted her to think of her as a gold-digger too. ¡°I just think you should be responsible for what you say, said ra curtly. ¡°Responsible? Huh¡± Darren sniffed and stopped bothering himself to be implicit, "You don''t really think you can keep up with your acts as a pure angel in front of my uncle, right? Well, let me tell you, I have already shown him those filthy pictures of you, so are you still¡ª* ¡°Enough!¡± Horace cut him off sharply. ra''s face turned ashy. What? Horace had seen those pictures? Seeing her pale face, Darren felt in his heart a twitch, but also whoops. ¡°So, you are not actually trying to put on this act in front of my uncle, are you?¡¯ Darrenughed cruelly. ¡°About your marriage, don''t tell me you didn''t even¡ª* ¡°Darren, I said enough; Horace repeated, in a warning tone. Darren''s face paled. He turned to him. But Horace, who was staring at the pale ra, didn''t look at him. ¡°Uncle, I-" Without relenting, Darren intended to say something, when suddenly, Horace rested his eyes upon him. How creeping those looks were! As sharp as a de, sending a chill down his spine with only one took. ¡°Darren Kirnd, Horace called his full name in a slow and deep voice, sounding formidable, ¡°Don''t push it¡± Darren''s face paled while he felt reluctant to admit the fear deep down, "Uncle, no matter what, we are family. she is just a stranger¡ª" ¡°Darren Kirnd; He was again ruthlessly interrupted by Horace, "Do nat cross the line again. You should know that among we Kirnds, we''re enemies against each other¡¯ Oarren was startled by the directness of his remark. He gave another look at his frosty eyes, frightened with a cold sweat. His father was right. Although Horace was ina wheelchair, this uncle of his was a tough nut. Seeing that Horace had gone so far to defend her, though feeling unwilling to reconcile, he dared not to go further, so he hung his head and said instead, ¡°I shouldn''t have said that¡¯ ¡®Then let''s call it a day¡¯ Horace ordered a banishment expressionlessly, ¡°You may go first. As for ra, I''ll take her home." ra? The natural and affectionate way he called her stung Darren''s heart like a thorn. And he was to take her home? That was so tant of him, wasnt he afraid to be seen by her husband? Oarren, however, daring not to say another word, bit his lip, got up and walked out of his office alone. There left Horace and ra in the office, reigned by a deathly silence. ¡°ra? Finally, after staring at the paleness on her face, Horace twitched his eyebrows, rose and came to her, whispering, ¡®Are you alright?" ra then came to herself, raised her eyes and looked at Horace. She asked in a shivering voice, ¡°Have you seen those photos?¡± She finally realized that why Horace had been acting so weird the day before. He first asked her to change her job and then kissed her. It all tumed out to be about those pictures. Chara felt so shamed thinking of them that she couldn''t face him and instead tumed her eyes away, But Horace stopped her by pinching her chin with his fingers and forced her to look into his eyes. ¡°ra Selman, he said in a deep voice, ¡®Do not look away from me:" After a pause, he continued, ¡®t saw those pictures. Someone must have installed a pinhole camera in your hotel room two years ago." Actually, ra herself had thought of that, so she nodded. After remaining silent for a while, she pursed her lips and said, ¡°I''m sorry¡± ¡°Sorry for what?¡± Horace¡¯s voice was much deeper. ¡°Those photos must have difited you¡± ra''s voice was ever lower, so was her head. She looked as pale as a piece of paper, with tears slightly shaking on her eyshes. Horace felt his heart captured by something, aching. Damn it. What kind of feelings were those? He had never even felt anything like that for Laura ten years before. His hand cupping her chin moved, forcing her to raise her head and look up into his eyes. ¡°Remember, ra¡¯ He looked right into her eyes. ¡°Never apologize for something that''s not your fault¡± ra feit a shiver through her shoulders. Last to the determination in the man''s eyes, she didn''t nod until after some while. While they were in the lift, ra suddenly temembered samething and after hesitating for a while, she finally asked carefully, "Horace, after you Saw those pictures, did you ever think maybe they weren''t taken two years ago during that incident but some other time?¡¯ Just like Darren who presumed as a matter of course that these photos of her and the other man were taken recently. ¡°Why would I think that?¡± Horace said with a impassive book in his eyes, ¡®Two years ago, it was the only time you had sex, I guess?" Chapter 38 How Many Times？ Chapter 38 How Many Times£¿ Chapter 38 How Many Times? Without expecting such a question from him, she felt her cheeks burning, ¡°How do you know that?¡¯ ¡°I fait it that night¡¯ ra froze a moment until she realized he was talking about that wild night when they had almost done it. She felt her cheeks hoi enough to boil eggs. She then took a peep at him and found him staring at her with a half-smile on his face. ra''s face reddened even more. Unwilling to be looked down upon by Horace, she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°So what? Looks like youre very experienced, then tell me, how many times?¡± Much to his surprise, Horace was checkmated by the always timid ra. Then the lift reached the first floor. Horace then raised his hand nearby his lip and gave an awkward cough, ¡®Here we are. Let''s get on the car¡± With that he wheeled himself out before her. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She hadn''t expected her to take that question serious herself, but she got worked up when she saw his reaction, so she went right after him and said, ¡°You didn''t answer my question. So how many times have you ever done it?¡± As unylelding as she had always been, ra never let go of anything she had determined to find out, so she kept questioning even after they got in the car. ¡°Come on, tell me. Is it because you have done it So many times that you can''t tell me? Were they with the same woman? Or different ones? in the car, Horace felt overwhelmed by her. He propped up his forehead with his hand. He regretted having started the conversation and shot himself in the foot. He had never expected to see that chattering side of her, But that''s kind of cute. As he saw ra bending over his wheelchair and questioning him, with hes twinkding eyes and her pouty cheeks, Horace couldn''t help but lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. The unexpected kiss caught her off-guard. She felt the warmth on her brow on fire, burning her face. She squared her shoulders and sat back down in her own seat. Horace was surprised to see her react that much, and burst intoughter, ¡°So this can hush you,¡± ra red at him but stopped bombarding him with questions. After all the fooling around with Horace, ra felt Much better from the bad mood she had got with Darren and nodded off with her head leaning on the window. Seeing that ra was asleep, Isaac, who had kept quiet in the front seat, finally asked in a lowered voice, ¡®Mr. Kirnd, I got the result of what happened to Mrs. Kirnd two years ago.¡± Horace, who was staring at the asleep ra in profile, turned to him with a cooler face, ¡°You found that man?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°As you told me to, I have locked him up. What are we gonna do next, Mr. Kirnd? Should we find some guys to beat him up?¡± ¡°Beat him?¡¯ A cruel sniff shed across his face. ¡°Oh, he wishes. When ra''s home, you go there with me? With a chillness in his eyes, Isaac said, "Ves, Mr. Kirnd.¡± When the car reached the house, ra woke up and rubbed her eyes. ¡®ra, you go home first. Have a rest. I''ve got something to do¡± ra was surprised for a moment but soon nodded. ¡°OK,e back early then¡± After getting off the cas, she watched the car as it drove away, she couldn''t help but wonder if he was seeing someone, a woman, probably, sote at night. In the light of what a good kisser he was and how adept at it he showedst time when they almost did it, he must be a womanizer. ra fett upset, but she didn''t know why. She fet shocked at noticing how her moods changed. What''s was going? She wasnt supposed to care about whether he was seeing someone else, but why she seemed to do? ra raised her hand and ced it on her chest. She suddenty realized that deep down in her heart, something has changed. Suburb, west of the city. At a derelict factory, an old man who looked younger than his age was tied to a chair. He seemed to have been tortured to hisst gasp, with his eyes drooping. it was not until the door to the warehouse opened did he raise his head. As he saw the wheelchairing towards him, the old man froze for a few seconds until he recognized the man and said, struggling, ¡°Mr. Kirnd! Oh, god, it is you, Mr. Kirnd. t have no idea what this is all about. Did do anything wrong? Would you spare me, please?¡± Horace felt a rage of fury boiling inside him as he saw the old man''s wrinkled skin and fat body. Damn itt "was such a disgusting man who vited ra two years ago? As he pictured ra undes him, Horace felt as if his chest was to explode. Slowly, he wheeled his chair there, lifted his hand up and strangled him! ¡°Tell me? Horace said in a voice that was low and chilled to the marrow, ¡°Two years ago, at the Millennium Hotel, did you rape a schoolgirl or not?¡± Two years ago? The panicked old man recollected his memory before he remembered something. Trembling from head to toe, he soon said, ¡°Mr. Kirnd, there was some mistake. The thing that happened two years ago, I didn''t actually get to do it¡± Didn''t get to do it? Horace paused for a moment before he loosened his grip, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The old man, at that moment, literally wetted his pants, so he immediately came clean about what had happened back then. ¡°Two years ago, there was indeed a man who soliciting such business, saying there was a virgin school girl for me to y with. But then as 1 got back from my dinner and went to the room to check her out, there came in some men, all in ck, and they drove me out right away!¡± ¡°Men in ck?¡± Horace slightly squinted his eyes. ¡°Yes! I have no ides who sent them there, but it seemed that they were in urgent need of a woman. And I quess their boss must have been some powerful man. I was old, I didn''t dare offend them, so! let them take her. Horace then clenched his fist and looked at him coldly, ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Of course it is sure! Oh, god, please, I didn''t do anything to that girl! I didn''t even know what she looked like¡± Horace finally let go of his hand under the conviction that he didn''t have the gut to lie to him. ¡°Take him away? Horace said impassively, "Go check whether he was telling the truth. Also, ask him who introduced ra to him¡± "OK? Isaac took the order immediately, beckoning his men to take him away. Then he turned to Horace and whispered, "It''s great that it wasn''t this disgusting old man who raped Mrs. Kirnd¡± Without any hint of delight on his face, Horace gave him a cold look. ¡°So I should feel happy that she was raped by another man?¡± Chapter 39 You Are a Fan of Tight Fit？ Chapter 39 You Are a Fan of Tight Fit£¿ Chapter 39 You Are a Fan of Tight Fit? Isaac''s face pated. ¡°That''s not what I mean, Mr. Kirnd¡± Brushing him off, Horace wheeled himself out of the warehouse. When he got home, ra wasing out from a shower in a towel. She was shocked to see Horaceing into the room. ¡°Ah¡ª¡® ra gave off a muted cry, and rushed back into the bathroom. But Horace said casually, ¡®There''s no need to hide. I have seen it anyway¡± ra froze. Although nothing ended up happening that night, Horace had indeed seen everything about her. ra''s face was buming. But feeting embarrassed to look coy, she walked out awkwardly and soon put on a gown before she ripped off the towel. Horace watched ra, whose body was still wet, with drops dripping down her shapely neck, her face flushed from the stuffiness in the bathroom, as yummy as a peach. Horace gave a cough and then turned his eyes away. He knew that she had slept with another man before, but his body responded by instinct every time he saw hers. Damn it, he used to be such apulsive freak for cleanness and purity. But when it came to ra, she seemed to be an exception. ra soon burrowed into the bed after putting on her pajama. She turned to him and said, ¡°Aren''t you gonna shower?" Horace soon came to himself and nodded. He tose from the wheelchair and entered the bathroom. ra then realized why there weren''t any one around him to take care of him, because he didnt need them at all. And if anything, they would have been another pair of eyes on him, which wouldve caused him more trouble. The sound of sshing water soon came out form the bathroom. ra was about to check her phone when the sound from the bathroom stopped and then Horace called her. ¡°ra?¡± Horace''s voice was very attractive. It was deep and a little husky, so her heart skipped a beat every time he called her name. "Yes?" She soon got up from the bed. ¡°forgot my underwear? Horace continued to say, ¡°Could you get it for me?* ra froze with her face blushing. Got his underwear? That was a very personal item... ¡°Are you in the middle of something? Without hearing back from ra, Horace asked, ¡°Then I will just go out, is it OK?" ra pictured how hot he''d loak likeing out of the shower, she then jumped off the bed. ¡°No, Iwill get it for you. Where is i1?* Inside the bathroam, Horace stood by the door, smiling slightly, and said in a low voice, ¡®In the bottom drawer of the closet¡± ra opened the drawer and saw all the designer underpants in it. She closed her eyes and fumbled around before she gat one. She then came to the door of the bathroom and knocked. She expected Horace to open only a crack for her to slip it in, only to find that him had the door wide open. The steam came out of the bathroom, and there emerged a hot and steamy man before ra. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Although there had been some intimate contacts between them but it was first the time ra had ever seen Horace naked. His shoulders were broad, breasts sturdy, abs perfectly shaped and as white as marble, with two distinct mermaid lines running down the area covered by the towel... Bam! ra fett as if her head had been furning! ¡°Thanks.¡± Horace remained casual, contrasting with the nervous ra. He took the underwear fram ra and then raised his eyebrow, ¡°So you are a fan of this tight-fit style?¡± ra soon felt as if steam were blowing off her ears! Looking down on her rosy cheeks, Horace found her extraordinarily cute and watched her as she closed the door. When she''s back to her bed, ra still felt her cheeks hot enough to boil eggs, so she then strolled through twitter to caim herself down. But it didnt take long before Horace came out. Too embarrassed to look at him, her eyes remained glued to her phone. "Good night; Horace whispered and tumed off the light when ra nodded her head. Much to her embarrassment, she was unable to fall asleep. Whenever she shut her eyes, she could see his sturdy body and the seemingly smiling face. She kept chanting her prayers to god to cool her pounding heart down, As he heard the woman murmuring in the dark, there were many times Horace feit the unge to just have sex with her that night, but on second thoughts, he managed to repressed the urge. A dish so yummy deserved the wait befare he got to relish it. The next moming. ra was woken up by her ringing phone. When she opened her eyes, Horace wasn''t in the bed. She fetched her phone from the nightstand and saw the call from the hospital, and soon answered it. ¡°Hello, Ms. Selman, we''re calling to inquire about the ten-thousand dors medical bill, and we have talked to you about it the other day. May we know when it will be paid?¡± ra felt an attack of headache. She almost forgot the bill, and Darren had rejected the advance on sry she asked from him. How was she going te raise the money? She assured the caller again and again that she would have the money to pay for the bill before she hung up the phone. Looking preupied, she went downstairs. In the dining room, Horace was having breakfast, while Isaac was reporting to him on the investigation. ¡°Based on what we have found, the old man wasnt lying. It was indeed set up by someone else, but he didn''t go through it. Some people got in the way¡± ¡°who were they?¡ã Embarrassment shed across Isaac''s face. ¡°We don''t know yet.¡± *You don''t know?" Horace raised his eyebrow. He knew that Isaac was @ verypetent assistant, so if he couidn''t find them, that meant that they must have some usual background. ¡°Keep it up. said Horace, ¡°Who approached that man?" ¡°We have found some clues, there seemed to be a bribery and it should be easy to find out whom: Isaac nodded and suddenly, he seemed to remember something, and said hesitantly, ¡°Well, also, Mr. Kirkdand, during our investigation, we found that Mrs. Kirnd¡¯s mother was likely to be seriously ill two years ago, and she has been in ama since then¡± Horace was shocked for a moment with a colder look on his face. "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?¡± isaac felt wronged, ¡®That''s because you never asked us to investigate that, sir¡± he thought to himself. ¡°What about the expenses?" It suddenly struck him. ¡°That should be a huge bill after staying so long in the hospital. ¡°Yes, but she got the insurance after being a Stratmont¡¯s permanent resident by marrying you. So it took some pressure off her, but the bill she still has to pay herself is not small¡± So medical insurance was the reason why she rushed into the marriage. Horace realized that as he looked up and saw raing downstairs. He beckoned Isaac to stop saying further. ¡°Moming¡± ra looked at Isaac in the dining room confusedly, "What were you guys talking about?¡± Chapter 40 Medical Bill Chapter 40 Medical Bill Chapter 40 Medical Bill ¡°Nothing, Horace answered quietly.He had had the porridge stewed all night for her.¡°Come down and have some breakfast¡¯ Without thinking further, she sat down. At breakfast, she kept thinking about the money. Meanwhile, Horace nced at her knitted eyebrow, and at that moment, he finally knew what was on her mind. Horace picked up a shrimp dumpling, put it on ra''s te, and whispered, ¡°ra, let''s go see your mother some time: ra froze with shock, and as she raised her eyes on him nervously, she found him staring right at her. ¡°Well, thanks, but I''m afraid.¡¯ She avoided his eyes, ¡°She''s not feeling very welltely, so she needs. to rest quietly.¡± ra was being evasive, without mentioning a single word about her mother''s critical condition or the expenses. A trace of displeasure shed across Horace''s eyes. For all his years in the business circle, he had met some frivolous women, be it prostitutes or socialites, all of whom acted pettishly and were dependent on men for the pettiest thing, all phoning in his money or help. ra, however, was different from them. Ajthough it hadn''t been tong since they married, she had never asked anything from him, or precisely, she tried to avoid tuming to him for help. Such distance and alienation annoyed him, but he didnit know why. ¡°Really? Horace¡¯s unhappiness made him sound curt, "Then may her get well soon.¡± ra frowned. Did she say something wrong? Why did he seem grumpy? But she didn''t know what to say, so she finished her breakfast silently, after which she quietly let him dropped her off to the subway and went to work. When she reached thepany, instead of going straight to her office, she went to the financial department and tried to get an advance on next month''s pay. But as it turned out, she had already been advanced her next month''s sry and would have to ask for one on the month after that. ¡°Well, ra, dear, it''s not that we don''t want to help you, and we understand what you''re going through, but this is not up to us; said Tasha of the finance department in a sorry tone. ra''s eyes dimmed, and when she was about to say something, there came a cold voice fram behind. ¡°ra Selman, what are you doing here at this hour? Don''t you have to get ready for the interview this afternoon?¡¯ Her heart dropped a beat as she heard the voice. Very reluctantly, she turned around and saw Darren standing right behind her with an impassive face. ¡°Ihad something to deal with? answered ra briefly, unwilling to say anything else to him, she marched out of the office, But just when she came out in to the hall, Darren Caught up to her. He seized her wrist and threw her against the wall. ¡°What do you want, Darren?" sald ra furiously in a muted voice, afraid to be overheard by Tasha. ¡°Nothing.¡± Darren looked down to ra condescendingly, with the typical teasing look on his face, ¡°Just wondering why my future sister-inw kept asking for a wage advance.¡± ra realized that Darren must have heard the conversation between her and Tasha. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She madly rubbed the wrist that hurt from his grip. Trying to sound nonchnt, she said, "I have told you, Mr.Kirnd, I want to buy a purse? Darren felt so offended that he be began tough, ¡°So you think I''m a fool?" He just wouldn''t believe that Horace would not give her the money for a purse, if that was really what she wanted, given that how much he cared about her. She must have been desperate for money because of something that Horace wasnt supposed to know, which was why she tried to get an advance. At the thought of that, Darren cocked theer of his mouth in a sinister way. All of a sudden, he pressed his hands on the wall behind ra,ering her. ¡°What are you doing? Darren Kirnd!" ra was getting panicked. ¡°Looks like you really need the money; Darren leaned his body slightly close towards ra, ¡°You monthly pay... Let me guess, you need about ten thousand dors?" ra frowned, ¡°It''s none of your business.¡± With that she tried to pushed him away, but then she froze at what he was gonna say the next moment ¡°How about this? I''ll give you ten thousand dors if you sleep with me for one night.¡± ra looked at him and the mocking look on his face in astonishment. ¡°So?" Darren looked down, and got upset by the paleness on her face, but then as he thought about the way she and Horace had made sheep''s eyes at each other the day before, his anger surged inside him, ¡°You know, it''s way above the market price, so you are not losing out? Then he suddenly remembered something, his. lips crooked even more, ¡®Oh, right, I almost forgot, you already sold yourself for that two years ago, but that''s probably your first time? Now I''m still paying the same money for you, slut. God knows how many men have you... You should be more grateful¡ª" A p fell on his face. Before he finished his words, ra finally couldnt take it anymore. She threw a fierce p across his face. Darren was numb with shock at the unexpected p. Covering his face in amazement, he fixed his eyes upon the dainty woman in front of him. Her pale face was now red with anger, and her eyes were full of tears, which she forced back by biting her bottom lip. Darren felt a hard blow at his heart. He had meant to hurt her, but somehow, he wasnt feeling any bit happy, instead he found it heartbreaking to see that look on her face. ring at him, ra fought back her tears and said word by word, ¡®Darren Kirnd, I was such an idiot for having loved you before.¡± With that she threw away his hand and disappeared from the hall without another look at him. Darren was left standing there atone, looking as if his soul had been lost. Until after some time, Tasha, who was on her way to the bathroom, saw him stiffened like a sculpture. ¡°Mr.Kirnd? Tasha was shocked. He then came to himself, looked at her and asked, ¡°Tasha, do you know what ra needs an advance for?¡± Tasha felt embarrassed to answer the question, but she didn''t want to lie seeing that he was the editor-in-chief after all, so she told him the uth, ¡°Her mother is seriously ill, so she needs the money for her medical bill. That''s why she asks for an advance, so Please go easy on her, Mr.Kirnd¡± Seriously ill? Medical bill? He was shocked at hearing the unexpected answer. Chapter 41 A Message from Darren Chapter 41 A Message from Darren Chapter 41 A Message from Darren ra knew she couldn''tpose herself and go back to work, so she bet her colleague Stephanie take charge of the interview, and she asked for a leave. She took a taxi back to Horace''s house. Once she closed the door behind her and took off her shoes, she couldn''t gather any strength to walk into the room, 30 she sat on the floor, lost and exhausted. She couldnt help thinking of Darren, her nightmare. ¡°Every time when I think this must be the worst, but the next time you''ll torment me even more cruelly. You sent me to other men as if I was amodity. This time are you trying to insult me with your disgusting money?¡± When Ciara was about to drive herself to tears, she was suddenly scooped up into a bridal carry by somebody. ¡°what? At first, ra was shocked, but then she spotted a handsome, angr face. H was Horace. ra asked, ¡®Horace. Why..are you home?¡± tt was. noon, and Horace should be at the office. ¡°le home to fetch something; Horace exined. Then, Horace noticed her eyes, red from constraining tears; his face sunken, and asked, ¡°What about you? Why do youe home this early?¡± ¡°The interview is finished, so Ie home earlier¡± ra exined, but then she realized she was still in Horace¡¯s arms, which made her face bum. ¡°Horace... could you let me down, It¡¯s a bit embarrassing¡± ¡°There''s no one home; Horace said coolly, and carried ra into the room, ¡°Bon''t sit an the floor again. It¡¯s too cold? Horace put ra on the sofa in the living room and ask in a cool voice, ¡®Have you had lunch yet?¡± While ra was reminded that she was so angry with Darren that she had forgotten all about lunch, so she shook her head and ask, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Neither did I,¡¯ ¡°Well, let me cook for us. Since Martha was not here, she, as Harace''s wife, should be responsible for the cooking. Once she got up, she suddenly remembered something, and said embarrassedly, ¡®I am not so proficient in cooking. Is it okay that I make some fried rice?" She knew Horace was particr about eating. Though not luxurious cuisines, Martha would normally prepare delicate home dishes and she would cook lots of food, and ra was afraid she couldn''t do so. Horace thought ra was rather cute with the cautious expression on her face, and he said, ¡°Fired tice will be fine: Ciara breathed a sigh of relief, and putting down her purse and phone an the table, she went into the kitchen. When ra was cooking in the kitchen, her phone rang, and it was a message. ra was busy with cooking, but she worried that the message was sent by her colleagues about something important, so she Called out, ¡°Horace, could you please check the message for me?¡± While Horace was reading the financial news, he lowered his head to check on ra''s phone upon her words. But on the screen, he saw a name that annoyed him ¡ª Darren, and the content of the message was even more annoying, which said, ¡ãC, if you really needed money for your mom''s treatment, I can lend you some. Horace tightened his grip when he saw the message. C? What a cute nickname. Also, why did Darren know about her mother''s illness? Did ra tell him herself? The possibility filled Horace with anger. ra hadnt even told him about her mother''s illness. How could she tell that bastard Darren? While he was still lost in his thoughts, ra had made the lunch and was about to serve it on the table when she said, ¡°Horace, it''s time for lunch.¡± She didn''t notice the cold and unpleasant expression on Horace''s face since she was focusing on untying the apron. However, the knot was too tight and she found she couldn''t take off the apron, at least hot in a short time. Horace raised his head, then found ra seemed to be troubled by the apron, so he walked to her and caught her hand to stop her, saying, ¡°Let me help you.¡± Horace stood s0 close to ra that when he spoke, ra could feel his breath falling on her shoulders, which mace her blush. She drew back her hands and said, ¡®Thanks¡± Horace didnt say anything but concentrated on untying the knot, but thanks to ra''s efforts, the knot became much tighter, which was quite difficult to untie. Knowing Horace was standing right behind her made ra a bit nervous, so she had to speak something to distract herself, "Horace, who sent the Message?¡± Horace paused, but he soon answered, ¡°It was from Darren¡± ra was stunned at the name, while Horace continued, "Don''t you want to know about what he said?¡¯ ra swallowed and smiled bitterty, ¡°Did he text to humiliate me?¡± ¡°No. Horace finally untied the apron and took it off for ra, and continued to say, ¡®He said he could lend you the money for your mother''s operation¡± Ctara''s eyes widened, and she tured around while asking in shock, ¡®How can he possibly know.¡± She was about to say how did Darren know about her mothers illness, but when she tumed around, she faced directly Into Horace¡¯s cold eyes, which made her even more shocked. The expression on Horace''s face betrayed him and ra understood everything, and she asked in a Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. quivering voice, ¡®Horace, you..have known my mother is ill too, haven''t you?" Horace lowered his head to look at ra, her forehead glistened with sweat since she had just cooked in the kitchen, and her bang tumbled. Horace couldn''t help but raised his hand to tuck the strand of hair behind her ears and tried to say as casually as possible, ¡°Yeah, I knew that.¡± ra''s eyshes twitched. She should have known it. Horace was a man of power, he could easily find out anything about her if he wanted to. Seeing ra falling into silence made Horace frown, and he asked, "You angry?¡± ¡°No; ra answered, shaking her head, ¡°I know your people with noble names will be cautious even to people around them: ra knew it just like Darren who had also concealed his true identity from her, so it wouldn''t be so shocking for ber to find out Horace had probed at her personal information. But Horace was hurt by ra''s words since he had never intended to guard against her. As for the information, he had only checked her background once before their marriage and he had never done it again. This time, it was because of the investigation about what happened two years age that he identally knew about her mother''s illness. ¡°ra, I.¡± Feeling depressed, Horace was about to exin when he was interrupted by the phone ring ¡ª Itwas ra''s phone again. ra paused at the call, but when she noticed the phone number, she picked it up immediately. "Hello, doctor. I''ll soon pay off all the charges, please give me more... But before she could finish, she was stopped by the anxious exmation of doctor. ¡°Miss Selman, your mother¡¯s illness was exacerbated, and she needed an operation right now! Can you pleasee to the hospital to sign the agreement and pay off the charges? We should start the operation as soon as possible!¡¯ Chapter 42 The Operation Chapter 42 The Operation Chapter 42 The Operation ra was struck dumb, and her face turned deathly pale. The next moment, she rushed out of the house like crazy. ¡°Ciara!¡± Horace ran after her and grabbed her wrist. ¡°What the hell happened, ra?¡± He forced her to turn around but was shocked to find her face wet with tears. ra screamed hysterically, ¡®Let go of me! My mom needs surgery! I have to go to the hospital!¡± There was a glint of surprise in Horace''s eyes, but he didn''t listen to ra but imprisoned her in his arms instead, bellowing, ¡°Calm yourself down! ra! It will be toote even if you set off now, I''ll tell Isaac to arrange the thing first¡± ¡°No, you don''t..¡± Once Harace suggested helping her, she refused involuntarily. But she couldn''t finish het wards since she spotted the anger in Horace¡¯s eyes. Horace began furiously, ¡°ra, why are you so stubborn? Do you want your mother to recover or not?¡¯ But when he saw ra''s pale face and the distrustfulness in her eyes, he softened. ¡°ra, I''m your husband. I beg you to trust me and let me help you in this urgent moment.¡¯ Magically, Horace''s words stopped her hysteria, and ra stopped to look at him nkly. She didn''t expect that proud Horace would say something like this and even beg her to trust him. With ra finally calming down, Horace called isaac. ¡®Hello, isaac, go to the hospital and arrange the operation for ra¡¯s mom, and pay off all the charges if needed.¡± When he was talking to Isaac, Horace kept his eyes on ra, but this time, she didn''t refuse his help and only stood there with her head drooped, as if in regret. After the call, Horace held Ciara''s hand, and said gently, ¡°Let''s go to the hospital¡± Then he led ra out of the room. But when they reached the door, ra suddenly remembered something, and she said hastily, "Horace, your wheelchair.¡± stair had told ra that Horace pretended to be disabled because of the threat from his big brother. So, if others saw Horace could walk normally, it would probably get him into trouble. Horace stopped at ra''s words and looked at ra with amusement, saying, What? Are you afraid that others would find out I''m not disabled?¡± ra nodded and went to get the wheelchair, saying, ¡®Come on. [1 push the wheelchair¡± Horace obeyed and sat in the wheelchair. While ra pushed him out, Horace felt his anger disappear without reason. In fact, it made him feel much better to know ra was worried about him. Once they went into the car, the driver drove directly to the hospital as quickly as possible, Though the hospital was not far from home, every second seemed to ra a year, which rendered her restless. But suddenly, she felt something warm covered her hand. It was Horace who covered her hand with his. His hand warmed her cold hand up and also reassured her, dispersing the agitations in her heart. The car finally arrived at the hospital and once it stopped, ra charged out anxiously, even forgetting to help Horace off the car. She ran all the way to the operating room, where Isaac was waiting outside and at the sight of ra, he greeted, ¡°Mrs. Kirnd'''' At the very moment, a nurse came out of the Operating room and ra came to the nurse and asked, "Excuse me, nurse, how about the operation?¡¯ The nurse answered shortly, ¡°We don''t have N?velDrama.Org owns all content. much time to prepare for the operation so it''ll be of greater risk. Please wait till the operation is over¡¯ Then, the nurse left hastily, leaving ra so shocked that she sat on the ground numbly. ra had known that only by operation could her mother recover, but her mom had always been in bad health and the risk of the operation was high. Therefore, she had always been hesitant and told the doctor to treat her mom with medicine and don''t do the operation until her mom became better. However, the illness suddenly exacerbated and the operation had to be done, which meant the risk would be even higher. Lost in her terrible thoughts, ra crouched on the ground, shivering, and she kept praying in her heart, "God, please..don''t take my mom away. I can''t do without hert¡± ¡°ra, I think I have told you don''t sit on the floor. it''s too cold¡¯ There was a low and hoarse voice. Though ra was still lost in her worries, she was lifted up by Horace, and when she finally realized what happened, she had been sitting on hisp. ¡°Horace..¡± ra said surprisingly. Her face was ghastly white, her hands and legs were as cold as ice, and her face was smeared with tears. Looking at her really pained Horace, but what he could do was wiped off her tears andforted her softly, "Don''t worry. I am here with you: Though his words were simple, they warmed ra''s heart magically and she gradually calmed herself down. She then felt extremely tired, and this time she didn''t reject him, but crouched in his arms and stared at the red light of the operating room, which meant the operation was still going on. While Horace could feel ra''s soft body leaning on him and he could even smell the fragrance from her. His heart, which had been cold and hard for decades, suddenly softened at the moment. After a long wait, the light of the operating room finally changed from red to green. ra jumped at the sight and rushed to the door of the operating room at once. Then came the doctors and nurses, with tiredness written all over their faces. ¡°Dactor, excuse me...how about my mom..¡± ra nearly stuttered. The doctor looked at ra and said smilingly, ¡°Miss Selman, everything is fine. The operation is very sessful and your mother will probably regain consciousness tomorrow¡± Her mom could regain consciousness? ra felt all the stress and agitation faded away at the good news. She was supposed to thank the doctor but found her legs so limp that she was going to fall. But the next minute, she fell not on the cold, hard floor but on a broad warm chest. It was Horace who rolled the wheelchair over and held her steadily. There was a dim smile even on Horace¡¯s cold face. He put his hand on ra¡¯s head and ruffled her hair, saying, ¡°Thank god.¡± Though his voice was low, what he said drove ra into tears. Overwhelmed by joyfulness, she feached out her arms and held around Horace¡¯s neck, crying happily, ¡°Yeah, thank God...I just...thank God¡± Chapter 43 Mom, Im Married Chapter 43 Mom, I''m Married When Horace and ra finally settled down to have dinner, Horace received several calls from his colleagues. Horace had put his work away to help ra, for which ra was quite grateful, but she also knew it was time for him to leave, so she said, "Horace, I will take care of mom. You just go back to work." Horace looked at ra, who was eating so hurriedly that there was a bit of sauce left on the corner of her mouth, and he wiped it off for her, saying softly, "Ok, I''ll take my leave then. I will be back tomorrow and don''t hesitate to call me when you need help." ra nodded but Horace didn''t move at all. ra frowned and asked, "You are not going to work?" Staring at ra indulgently, Horace unconsciously licked on the finger which was stained with the sauce wiped off from ra''s mouth, and only after a few minutes did he begin to speak, "Oh, I am just thinking whether you take what I said seriously." However, ra had been utter stunned at Horace''s unconscious action thus ignoring his words minutes before! Didn''t he think this was too intimate? It should be a sign of bad hygiene if it was done by others, but once it was Horace, it turned out to be kind of sexy with his long finger, handsome face, and thin lips. "What? What did you say?" Feeling her face burnt, ra took her eyes off him and asked confusedly. "I''m wondering whether you''ll ask me for help if you are in trouble," Horace repeated. But ra trying to avoid eye contact annoyed him a bit, so he forced her to look into his eyes by holding her face and said seriously, "ra, I hope you really take me as your husband." Husband? Staring into his dark eyes, ra suddenly lost her words. But soon, she answered, "Of course. From now on if I need help, I''ll call you first. I promise" Her answer satisfied Horace. He smiled and said, "Ok." Then, he let go of her and was about to leave. When he reached the door of the ward, ra stopped him suddenly. "Horace!" He tilted his head and saw ra was looking at him with her face blushing. "Horace, thanks a lot for your help." Though the words were in, Horace''s heart was filled with happiness and he said, "You''re wee." The night fell and ra slept in the ward to watch over her mom. Fortunately, Horace had already changed a private ward for her mom, so she could sleep on the camp bed, which made the watch over much easier. The next day, ra was woken up by a fit of coughing. Even though she was not fully awake, she knew it was her mom who finally regained consciousness after all these years. "Mom!" ra dashed to her mom and asked excitedly, "How do you feel? Do you feel better? Do I All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. need to call the doctors?" "I am fine." Though Helena Selman still looked pale, she managed to reach out and stroke ra''s hair lovingly, her eyes glistening with tears. "ra, oh, my dear ra. I miss you so much¡­I miss you so much." ra burst into tears and she nodded madly, choked with sobs. "Mom, you know¡­you know you sleep for two years. It''s just so long¡­so long for me." Two years ago, that terrible night, when she lost her virginity and two of her most beloved folks ¨C her lover, Darren, disappeared without a word while her mom was struck by illness and fell into aa. Laughing bitterly, Helena held ra''s hand and said, "I am so sorry I can''t be with you in these two years, ra. You must have suffered a lot, you¡­" Helena stopped suddenly at the sight of the ring on ra''s finger. "ra," Helena eximed excitedly, "You¡­you are married?" ra paused but soon answered smilingly, "Yeah, mom, I am married." ra knew her mom never had a happy marriage so her mom had always expected ra to find her happiness, so ra didn''t hold back about her marriage. "Oh my, that''s great." Helena was so excited that she even cried. "Who''s your husband? Is it Darren? Did you get married after graduation?" When Helena mentioned Darren, ra couldn''t help but shiver. Helena had been in aa for two years and she didn''t know Darren had broken up with ra. ra bit on her lip but finally managed to say, "No, it''s not him. We broke up two years ago." Helena was surprised. "Oh, my poor ra. But it was over. You''ve found your happiness now, right?" ra nodded with a smile on her face to hide the bitterness in her eyes. While Helena examined the ring carefully and smiled more contentedly, saying, "He must be a good man." ra said nothing since she knew her mom didn''t want her to marry someone with great power or fortune, so her mom could be happy even with the simple-designed ring. But she couldn''t imagine what would her mom think of her once she told her mom that she had married Horace, Darren''s uncle as well as a great Kirnd. "Stop it! Don''t think about these, ra." She could only tell herself in this way. It was when ra was going to buy lunch for her and her mom, but at the moment someone knocked on the door. ra was quite bewildered since her mom didn''t have many friends in Stratmont. Who would be the visitors then? She opened the door and it turned out to be Horace and Isaac. Horace still sat in the wheelchair while Isaac was holding the lunch boxes and a bag of fruits. "Horace?" ra asked surprisedly. "ra? Who is it?" Helena asked from the ward. ra looked into the ward bewilderedly and suddenly didn''t know how to exin. But Horace, hearing Helena''s question, raised his eyebrow and said, "I am ra''s husband, Horace Kirnd. I''ve brought you lunch, madam." Chapter 44 You Want to Divorce Me? Chapter 44 You Want to Divorce Me? "Mom!" ra shot Helena an angry nce as if ming her mom for asking the question. "Come on, ra. I am just worried about you. Marriage is a big thing for you, but you have decided without my opinion." Helena mumbled. "It''s okay, ra." Compared to ra''s embarrassment, Horace seemed quite calm. "This is my name card." Helena took the name card and when she saw Horace was a "chief executive officer" and "shareholder", she was quite surprised. "Solrace¡­ I haven''t heard of thispany," Helena hesitated, then continued, "What about your parents? What are their jobs?" This time, ra was stunned at her mom''s question and was even more anxious to stop her mom from asking anymore. But it was toote. Horace answered inly, "My parents have passed away. But my grandfather is Russell." "Russell?" Helena paused. "Russell Kirnd?" She didn''t know about Solrace since it was a new everyone in Stratmont. "Yes," Horace admitted. "Russell is your grandfather," Helena thought aloud, "So you are also a Kirnd, and also Russell''s second grandson." Horace nodded while Helena''s face blenched at his admission and couldn''t even speak a word. "Horace¡­" ra knew what Helena was thinking about, so she called on Horace to distract him. "Horace, I want to go home to take a shower. Could you drive me home? You can wait for me in the car." Horace nodded and turned to Helena, saying, "I''lle to visit you tomorrow then. Please take care." Helena said nothing but watched as Horace went, her face still ghastly white. Once Horace left, Helena turned to ra immediately and said to ra weakly but firmly, "ra, you can''t stick with this man. Divorce him as soon as possible." ra felt a shiver running through her spine and she eximed, "What are you talking about, mom?" Helena grabbed ra''s hand and said, "I said, divorce him! Don''t you know what will happen if you marry a rich man? Just look at me! A poor woman jilted by her husband. How can you know whether he truly loves you or not? Maybe he just wants to y with your affections." Hearing Helena''s words, ra also turned pale but she still tried to disprove her mom, "No, mom, it can''t be! We have already married." "So what? Maybe he just needs a nominal wife." Though Helena had been unconscious for two years, her mind was still clear. "Or how to exin why he, a noble Kirnd, will marry amon girl." ra was rendered speechless. Deep in her heart, she knew what Helena said was true. On the very first day of their marriage, ra knew the only reason why Horace married her was that he needed a wife. But what she didn''t tell Helena was that she was willing to marry Horace because she needed the citizenship in Stratmont. Since both of them had their own purposes, she felt it untenable to me Horace. ra tried to ignore the point but exined to her mom, "Mom, I think Horace is a good man." And she said what she meant. Though she and Horace hadn''t known each other much, Horace always showed up when she was in need, just like this time, saving her mom from the emergency. "ra! Don''t you understand all his kindness is just the disguise? Just look at me and you will know how a man can destroy your whole life. I just want you to live in happiness." Helena eximed, and she was so worried about her daughter that she even burst into tears at the end. This was too painful for ra to watch, so she came forward and hug Helena tightly, saying, "Mom, don''t be so sad. It''s not good for your recovery. To tell you the truth, I marry him because I need to secure the citizenship and the medical insurance for you. I have never been in love with him." What ra said stopped Helena from crying. Raising her head up, Helena looked at ra surprisingly and asked, "Are you sure?" "Of course," ra looked into Helena''s eyes and said, "You are my mom. Can''t you tell whether I love him or not?" It was true that Helena knew ra well and could even tell if her daughter was really infatuated with the man or not, just like Helena could tell years ago, ra had been deep in love with Darren. After all, Helena was ra''s mom and had raised ra up on her own. Helena was reassured by ra''s words, but she didn''t forget to remind ra, "Fine. But promise me, ra, divorce him once you have the chance." However, it never urred to ra that she would divorce Horace. Despite of the reasons why she married him and his noble identity, ra never intended to end the rtionship. But seeing her mom''s pale face, ra had to lie, "Okay, mom, I promise you." Helena breathed a sigh of relief but at the same time, she couldn''t help but feel a sense of guilt, so she said, "ra, me me if you want to. It will be more difficult to find a good man if you divorce." ra hugged her mom more tightly, tears glistening in her eyes, and she said, "Mom, it''s okay. I am the happiest person in the world only if you are by my side." She then tucked her mom in bed and when she was about to leave, she saw a folder on the bedside table, which was probably forgotten by Horace. So, she put the folder into her bag and left the ward. As for Horace, he just wheeled into the car when Isaac asked surprisingly, "Mr. Horace, what takes you so long? I think you are just going to pick up the folder left in the ward?" But Horace didn''t answer. Isaac turned around bewilderedly and only found himself facing Horace''s dark and angry face directly, which gave Isaac quite a shock. Isaac thought to himself, "What the hell happened? Mr. Horace has been quite amiable all the way but he now bes so sulky. God, please don''t let Mr. Horace be mad at me." Ten minutester, ra joined Horace in the car, with the folder in her hand. "Horace? Is this your folder? You left it in the ward." Horace didn''t reach out to get the folder in ra''s hand but only tilted his head to stare at ra, his Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. eyes dark, without any emotion in them, which made ra feel ill at ease, and she said timidly, "Horace?" The cautious expression on ra''s face reminded Horace of what he had identally heard when he was about to pick up the folder in the ward¡ª "To tell you the truth, I marry him because I need to secure the citizenship and the medical insurance for you. I have never been in love with him." Though he knew this long ago, it still rendered him sulky when he heard ra confessing it. Horace couldn''t help but get lost in his thoughts, "Of course, she will tell her mom everything. How can you be affected by ra? Stay tough, Horace!" Finally, Horace ignored the folder and spoke in a cold voice, "ra, you want to divorce me?" Chapter 45 Return the Rest to Me Chapter 45 Return the Rest to Me Isaac, who was sitting in the passenger seat, almost hit the windshield when he heard this. He was shocked. ra was shocked too. She looked at Horace in disbelief, saying, "What are you talking about?" "Didn''t you marry me for citizenship?" Horace said peacefully, "Now you get it. And it won''t change even if you divorce me." ra''s face turned pale. She couldn''t believe that Horace knew her purpose. But she shouldn''t be surprised. Since he had investigated her mother, he should be able to know this too. Looking at Horace''s dark eyes, ra bit her lip and whispered, "I guess you married me for a reason too, right? Will you divorce me when I be useless to you one day?" Horace didn''t expect ra to ask such a question. He froze for a moment. ra was not stupid, she knew that Horace married her in such a hurry for a reason. Horace''s eyes darkened. He whispered, "No." ra didn''t expect such a quick answer. She was stunned. Looking at ra''s surprised expression, Horace added in a low voice, "Since I married you, you will be my wife for the rest of your life." Horace sounded indifferent, but ra was stunned. She looked at Horace, couldn''t believe her ears. "So." Horace whispered again in a more domineering and determined tone, "ra, forget about the idea of leaving me. ra didn''t expect to hear this. She was touched. She felt as if butterflies were flying somewhere deep in her heart. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, she didn''t dare to look at Horace''s dark eyes. She looked away and whispered, "Since I married you, I''ll be devoted to you and never divorce you as long as you don''t divorce me." ra''s voice was light, but Horace heard it. Seeing ra''s slightly blushed face, Horace suddenly felt less angry. He thought to himself, "Forget about it." He knew that ra married him for her mother''s illness. She didn''t have feelings for him but that was alright. She belonged to him now and one day she would fall in love with him. Not knowing if she was overthinking but ra felt that Horace didn''t like Donald and Martha taking care of him, although he was polite to them. "You haven''t eaten yet, right?" ra took off her coat, rolled up her sleeves, and went into the kitchen, "I''ll cook for you." But when she opened the refrigerator, she was suddenly stunned. She saw that the fried rice she cooked yesterday in the refrigerator, was wrapped in cling wrap. "Have you eaten?" Horace had gotten out of her wheelchair and walked behind her. "I''ve eaten." ra replied, "I''ll cook you noodles." As she spoke, she wanted to get the noodles, but Horace grabbed her wrist, "No, I''ll just have the fried rice from yesterday if I am to eat alone." With that, he took out the fried rice in the refrigerator and walked toward the microwave. ra stopped him, "You can''t eat leftovers." Horace was very picky about food. ra couldn''t imagine him eating leftovers. Thinking of this, ra reached out for the rice. Horace suddenly raised his hand, slightly lifting his eyebrows, "Why can''t I? I ate itst night." Horace was much taller than ra. Now ra couldn''t reach the fried rice at all. ra was in a rush yesterday. She cooked two bowls of fried rice for lunch but she forgot them at home. Horace must have eaten one of themst night and put the other in the fridge. ra felt kind of embarrassed. She reached out to the rice on tiptoes and said, "That was because no one was at home yesterday. But I am here today, I''ll cook for you now." Looking at ra''s anxious face, Horace bit his lips slightly, his hand still above his head. He leaned down a little and blocked right in front of her. Being so close to Horace, ra was startled. She lost her bnce and almost fell. Luckily, Horace caught her in time. He grabbed her waist. "Be careful," Horace whispered. "I like the rice you fried." The sentence was simple, yet Horace spoke in a husky voice. ra couldn''t help but blush. "If you like it, I''ll cook for you now." ra lowered her head. She didn''t want him to know that she was nervous. "Eating leftover is not good for your health." "Only once in a while. It won''t harm." Horace slowly let go of ra and put the rice in the microwave. "I don''t want to waste the food you cooked." ra couldn''t do anything but watch him heat the rice and eat it. Horace had a good table manner. He ate the rice elegantly as if he was dining in a fancy restaurant. "Well¡­" ra sat down across Horace while he ate. She rubbed her hands in hesitation and said in the end, "You paid my mother''s hospital bill. The doctor said it''s 60 thousand in total. I''ll pay you back." Horace was focused on eating. Hearing ra''s words, his face fell. "ra." He said patiently, "Have you forgotten what you promised me yesterday?" "Yesterday?" ra was confused. Then she realized what he meant. "Do you mean that I promised to ask you for help whenever I need it?" "Yes." Horace stared at ra. "I thought we were close." Horace''s eyes were sharp as if they could prate everything. ra looked away in embarrassment. "We are close. But I don''t want to owe anyone anything." She bit her lips when she spoke. Indeed, Horace and she were friends now. Yet she just couldn''t stand owing people. Horace noticed ra''s stubbornness. Therefore, he gave up on the words he was about to say. "Since you insist." Horace''s gaze fell on the fried rice and something urred to him. "I don''t need the money. You can pay me with something else." "Like what?" ra looked at Horace immediately. She couldn''t figure out what she could offer him. He shouldn''tck anything. Chapter 46 Cook for Me Chapter 46 Cook for Me "Food," Horace said curtly. "If you want to pay me back, cook for me." ra opened her eyes wide, couldn''t believe her ears. "That''s it?" she said in surprise. "But I''m not much of a good cook." She meant, that the food she cooked was "not bad", that is, if notpared with Martha. But Horace wanted her to cook for him? Seriously? "What''s it?" Horace lifted his brows slightly. "You don''t want to?" "Of course, I do." ra immediately said. "But I owe you 60 thousand. How many meals should I cook for you?" "How do you think?" Horace asked back. ra had no idea. Dining at a normal restaurant shall cost at most a few hundred. 60 thousand should be hundreds of meals. "A hundred?" she asked cautiously. Horace found her cute when she carefully did the math. He smiled. "It''s a deal." "What should I cook for you then?" A meal that cost a few hundred, she must prepare it carefully. "Well, I know only a few dishes. I''ll check the recipe and try tomorrow." "Alright." Horace smiled even more. The next day was Sunday. Horace left home for a meeting early in the morning. ra found some recipes online after she woke up and began to study them. After being with Horace for a while, ra noticed he seemed like spicy food. So, ra chose three spicy dishes. She stayed in the kitchen the entire morning and at noon, she finished her first dish. She immediately took a photo of it and sent it to Horace, asking if he liked it. At the meeting office of Solrace. Directors from all departments were all presented, making a report with great caution. "Mr. Kirnd, that''s what we''ve achieved this quarter." One of the middle-aged men, while wiping sweat, carefully said, "Are you still satisfied?" Horace flipped through the documents in his hand, and said indifferently, "Do you think I''ll be satisfied with this kind of achievement?" The crowd broke out in a cold sweat again. "May¡­ may I ask which part doesn''t meet your expectation?" "All," Horace said curtly. He tossed away the document at hand and said emotionlessly, "Redo it." The room fell into dead silent. Horace, a man in a wheelchair, had built Solrace from nothing to an importantpany in just two years, thanks to his decisive leadership. "Okay, Mr. Kirnd!" The middle-aged man took back the document in a panic. The next director was about to start reporting, trembling. But at this time, a crisp ringtone rang in the dead silence. Everybody turned pale. They looked at each other in panic. Who dared not turn his phone into silent mode during meeting time? Just as everyone was looking at each other, Horace calmly looked at the mobile phone, which lit up on his desk, it showed that ra sent a photo. Horace swiped across the phone with his slender fingers, and he saw the dishes in the photo, as well as ra''s text, "Mr. Creditor, which do you want to eat today?" People in the conference room saw Horace pick up the mobile phone and suddenly realized that it was Horace''s phone just rang. They exchanged a look of disbelief. Horace had always been a workaholic. He didn''t use mobile phones at all, unless for work. But now he was checking text messages in the meeting? Before everyone could recover from the shock, something more shocking urred¡ª Horace smiled¡­ People were all stunned, they couldn''t believe that their boss, who usually behaved like a killer robot, would smile. Many people present had been working for Horace since the day Solrace was built. Even they never saw the man in the wheelchair smiles. ra, who was busy in the kitchen on the other side, did not know that the few photos she sent out had caused such a sensation in Solrace. She browsed through several other recipes and then heard the phone ring. She picked up her phone and saw Horace''s message saying, "All of them." So greedy. ra skimmed her lips. She ate the fish herself and cooked another one in the afternoon. In the evening, Horace returned home and saw a sumptuous table of dishes and the petite woman busy in the kitchen. It seemed an ordinary sense, but it put a smile on Horace''s face. "You''re back?" ra noticed Horace and hurried out, "Wash your hands and try them. I cooked a lot, if you can''t finish them I can pack them in a lunch box so you could bring them to work. "Nah." Horace sat down. "I can finish them." ra didn''t think so. It was a lot of food even for four people, not to mention only two of them. However, she had underestimated Horace. His appetite seemed to be better than usual that day. He indeed finished all the dishes. ra was stunned. She had eaten with Horace quite a few times yet she never realized that he could eat so much. The next day was Sunday. ra again spent the entire day cooling for Horace. This was how the weekend passed. On Monday, ra went to work. She used to enjoy going to work before Darren became the editor-in-chief. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Unlucky for her. Just as she sat down in the office, the managing editor came over and said, "ra, I have an interview this afternoon. Could you please sort out this document and send it over to Mr. Kirnd''s office?" ra took over and frowned, "I have to prepare for tomorrow''s interview in the afternoon, could you please find someone else to do that?" Before the editor answered, Diane Kirby, who was on the side, suddenly mocked, "Oh, Miss Selman, can you stop acting? Everybody knows about your rtionship with Mr. Kirnd." ra was stunned. She didn''t expect Diane''s words. Looking at Diane, who joined thepany at the same time, she frowned, "Diane, stop, that''s not true." "That''s not true? Or are you guilty?" Diane sneered. She peered at ra and said, "ra, we are not blind." Chapter 47 Claras Ex-Husband Chapter 47 ra''s Ex-Husband ra wanted to refute. But through the corner of her eyes, she found that many people were hiding under theputer, secretly ncing at her with suspicion and even disdain. ra''s heart missed a beat. She couldn''t be more familiar with this kind of look. Her ssmates and teachers at the school looked at her with the same look two years ago when the thing she did was exposed. ra bit her lip, unable to say a word. She sat down, quickly sorted out the report, and then, under everyone''s watching, she walked to Darren''s office and knocked on the door. "Come in." Darren''s slightly weary voice sounded from inside the door. ra pushed open the door and walked in. Darren winced slightly seeing ra. ra quickly put the file on the table, "Mr. Kirnd, this is the Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. document you want. If there is nothing else I can do, I''ll go back to work." With that, she turned and left, but before she reached the door, Darren called out. "ra, stop." ra reluctantly stopped but did not turn around. She asked in a cold voice, "Mr. Kirnd, is there anything else?" "What is that attitude?" Darren''s voice also grew colder. He got up and walked slowly toward ra, "Are you avoiding me?" "Yes," ra admitted it. Her frankness made Darren even angrier. But looking at ra''s pale face after taking care of her mother these days, his tone involuntarily softened, "ra, how is your mother?" Although he didn''t like ra''s mother, who was a mistress, he had seen Helena a few times when he was in love with ra. After all, she was a senior, and he should express his concern. ra didn''t expect Darren to ask this. To hide her surprise, she quickly replied, "It''s all right, thank you, Mr. Kirnd. Darren looked at ra''s stubborn look, hesitated, or said, "I heard that you need the money to pay the hospital. I sent you a text message, did you¡­" "Mr. Kirnd." Before Darren could finish speaking, ra interrupted, "If there''s nothing else, I''ll go back to work now." This time, before Darren answered, she walked straight out of the office. In the corridor, she sighed. She didn''t understand why Darren suddenly stopped humiliating her but starting to care about her mother. But she found that whether Darren insulted her or was nice to her, she felt ufortable all the same. Maybe it was the best ending for them, who were once so in love with each other, to be strangers. Thinking of this, she smiled bitterly and went to the office, nning to have lunch with Sarah. Inside the office, Darren watched ra leave, and frozen in ce, motionless. He didn''t even know what kind of attitude he had towards ra now. ra was a bitch, he should hate her. Yet when he learned that she took the money because her mother Helena was sick, he had a feeling of guilt. He had been with ra for so long, and he knew how important Helena was to ra. So, he sent a text to ra, asking if she need financial support. Yet ra didn''t reply. Did she get the money from somewhere else? From those guys? Darren felt he was about to be crazy. As long as he thought about ra and money, he couldn''t help but think of ra and other men, and he couldn''t help feeling angry! He felt a tightness in his chest. Irritably, he loosened his tie, returned to his desk, and made a phone call, "Hey, I need you to check which hospital is Helena Selman in." People who worked for the Kirnd family were extremely efficient. In the afternoon, Darren received the call. Half an hourter, Darren arrived at the address he got from the call, it was the Pine Valley Medical Center. Holding a bunch of lilies in his hand, he looked at the private ward in front of him, his eyes flickered. He knew that ra couldn''t possibly get a private ward for her mother on her own. Some guy had helped her. Damn! Darren controlled himself not to think too much. He knocked on the door and a weak female voice came from inside. "Come in." Darren entered the door and was stunned when he saw the skinny and pale woman on the bed. "Aunt Helena." Helena had always been a beautiful woman in Darren''s memory. He once thought in despise, no wonder someone would abandon his wife for her. Yet now, the beautiful woman was nowhere to be found. "Darren?" Helena was surprised to see Darren too. Soon she smiled in joy, saying, "It''s been a long time. You look even more handsome now. Come and take a seat." Darren sat down and they started to chat. Helena had always liked this "poor" boy. Soon, she started to talk about the past. "You were so good to ra. Really good." Helena said, feeling kind of regretful. "But eventually, you guys broke up. Who would expect that? I slept for two years and when I woke up, ra had married¡­" Darren was kind of absent-minded yet when he heard so, his face changed. "Married to whom?" Helena paused. "Don''t you know who''s ra''s husband?" "I''ve just returned to the country not long ago," Darren said vaguely. "I haven''t heard of it yet." "I see." Helena''s eyes darkened. "He must have kept the marriage secret on purpose. Otherwise, as such a big shot, everybody would know." Darren felt weird. He frowned and went on asking, "So who did she marry to?" Helena had seen Darren as his future son-inw. She thought that Darren was caring about ra, so she didn''t cover anything. "Horace Kirnd. I heard he is the CEO of Solrace, and he is a Kirnd. I can''t even sleep well whenever I think of this." The moment Darren heard this, he nched. Horace Kirnd? ra''s husband was Horace? "No way!" Darren said almost immediately. He stood up abruptly and said, "You must have made it wrong. ra wouldn''t marry Horace." Chapter 48 Would You Marry Me Too? Chapter 48 Would You Marry Me Too? Helena didn''t expect Darren''s reaction to be so drastic. She said, "Yeah, I was shocked too when I heard that. Darren, where are you going?" Darren wasn''t in the mood to go on listening. He quickly left the ward and went back to thepany. On the other side, in GLAM, ra and Sarah were eating sandwiches in the pantry. ra was reading recipes while eating. Sarah was absent-minded, ncing at ra. "If you have any questions, just ask," ra said without raising her head. She had noticed the way Sarah looked at her. Sarah''s face turned red. She spoke with some embarrassment, "Well¡­ nothing serious, but there are some rumors in thepany..." "About me and Darren?" ra raised an eyebrow. "More than that." Sarah bit her lip and finally said, "Well, Diane and I saw you get out of a luxury car, and then we noticed that there seemed to be something between you and Mr. Kirnd. Diane had a friend who was from the University of Zhanard, and she said..." When she heard the words "University of Zhanard," ra''s heart raced. She had left Hainding, the city she was familiar with, and came to Stratmont in the hope of getting rid of her bad reputation. But that thing had be a stain on her life that she can''t wash off. There were always people who knew about it wherever she went and then spread out like a virus. ra took thest bite of the sandwich and smiled indifferently, "What do they say about me? Did they say that I had been a slut when I was a student or did they say that I was with Darren?" Sarah didn''t expect ra to be so frank. She felt embarrassed, and she hurriedly said, "ra, of course, I believe that you are not that kind of person!" ra looked at the little girl in front of her and felt warm, "Thank you, Sarah." After lunch, ra returned to the office. As expected, she saw many colleagues were still discussing her. ra smiled indifferently. Two years ago, she could not bear such nder and insults. But now, she had grown up, she knew that escaping wouldn''t solve any problems. Since she was innocent, why would she care about others'' Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. judgments? Thinking of this, ra sat down, trying to concentrate on preparing for tomorrow''s interview. However, she suddenly heard a bang, and a man rushed in through the door. ra looked up in amazement and saw Darren''s face blue. He rushed to her desk, and whispered, "ra,e to my office!" ra furrowed her brows, trying to refuse, but Darren had left. The way people looked at ra became even weirder. Diane even mocked, "It seemed like Mr. Kirnd has missed you. He is such a nice person. Did he forget that you''ve cheated on him?" ra red at Diane and went to Darren''s office. Entering the door, she saw Darren walking around in the office. ra recalled that he used to do the same in school whenever there was an exam or anything that made him anxious. "Mr. Kirnd," ra asked, observing his face. Darren paused. He red at ra and said, gritting his teeth, "ra. Oh no, should I call you auntie- inw?" ra''s face turned pale instantly. "How¡­ how did you¡­" ra said with a trembling voice but before she could finish, Darren rushed to her and grabbed her shoulder. "How did I know? It doesn''t matter." Seeing that ra didn''t deny it, Darren realized it was true. He became more furious. "Why did you tell me? Is it fun to hide it from me?" Darren recalled how he had interviewed Horace with ra and talked about ra in front of him. Horace must have seen him as a fool. Darren grabbed ra''s arm so hard that the pain made ra''s face paler. She finally couldn''t stand it anymore and shouted, "Darren! Calm down! I didn''t want to hide this from you, you never asked it!" Looking at ra''s painful expression, Darren finally calmed down a little. He let go of ra and staggered to the couch, his hands buried in his hair, clutching his head in pain and muttering, "Why... Why did you marry him? Why did you betray me two years ago?" ra felt heartache seeing Darren like this. She still remembered that he used to wait for her under the dorm and brought her breakfast every day and how he, in a white shirt, said good morning to her on his bicycle. They were so sweet. How did it turn into this? ra bit her lips, holding back her tears. She thought she hated Darren. But now seeing him like this, she knew she was wrong. He was painful too. He was the chosen one, yet he had suffered so much for her. Darren wanted tofort Darren. She wanted to tell him that she didn''t betray him. But Darren''s words shattered all that she was going to say. "ra!" Darren suddenly raised his head, his ck eyes now scarlet, "Do you love money that fucking much? For money, you can even marry that cripple?" Thest trace of blood on ra''s face faded. She looked at Darren in disbelief and trembled, "What did you say?" "I said you, would you do everything for money?" Darren stood up and approached ra, "You betrayed me for money, didn''t you? Did you hook up with my uncle just because of he is rich? Well? ra, you''re amazing!" ra stared at Darren in front of her as if she had never known the man before. "Speak, ra!" Seeing that ra did not answer, Darren pressed closer, "If you had known that I was a Kirnd, would you have married me too?" Chapter 49 Found a Clue Chapter 49 Found a Clue Not knowing why but hearing that ra and Horace were married, Darren couldn''t control his anger. "Tell me. Are you regretful? I am a Kirnd too. And I am a healthy man, not a cripple like Horace." Darren could help but started to insult Horace under his great anger. "My father told me that after the ident ten years ago, Horace didn''t only lose his leg but also his sexual ability. Wow, ra! You are so open-minded. You don''t mind marrying such a man just for the money?" "Darren! Shut the fuck up!" ra roared. She could stand Darren humiliating her, but when he started to insult Horace, she lost control of her anger. Thinking of Horace, such a perfect man, always sitting in a wheelchair, the inadvertent dejection on his face, ra suddenly found Darren so hateful. It was because of such a family that Horace had to pretend to be crippled for a decade. Darren didn''t expect ra to be so angry. He paused. Yet ra didn''t want to look at him anymore. "Darren," She said coldly, "I know that you don''t feel good. You thought that Horace and I were in a shameful rtionship, but on the contrary, we are a legitimate couple. But don''t worry about us. I know better than you about his sexual ability!" After saying this, she went straight out of his office and mmed the door hard. Darren remained alone in the office, standing as if he had lost his soul. It wasn''t until his phone rang suddenly that he came back to his sense. He Picked up his phone. Seeing "Ashlee" on it, he felt a stab of annoyance. "Hello?" He answered, his tone impatient, "What''s the matter?" "Darren." Ashlee''s sweet voice came from the other side of the line, "Are you busy?" "I am fine. What''s wrong?" "Nothing." Ashlee sounded a little aggrieved, "We are going to get married, but I haven''t even met your grandfather... After all, he is the head of the Kirnd family. So I shall pay a visit to him, right?" Darren had wanted to say "We''ll talk about thister." impatiently, but suddenly he thought of something Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. and his eyes flickered. "You''re right." He calmed down, "Not only my grandfather, but also my uncle and aunt, and some other people in the family, you should meet all of them." "Really?" Ashlee said joyfully, "So when?" "Soon." The corners of Darren''s mouth raised coldly, "I''ll arrange a family dinner and invite everyone, to formally introduce you." At six o''clock, ra left the office immediately. She couldn''t wait. When she got up, there were still many people discussing her with disdainful eyes. ra felt annoyed. She couldn''t stand Darren and these people. She thought that now since her mother''s condition had stabilized, maybe she should change her job. ra wandered all the way home only to find that Horace was already at home, and not in a wheelchair, but standing in the living room. "You''re back?" Horace said lightly. ra nced around the house, changed into slippers, and asked, "Haven''t Martha and Donalde back yet?" "I gave them a long vacation." "Then I''ll cook for you." ra walked toward the kitchen, "What do you want to eat?" "Up to you." ra was quite tired today, if she was alone, she would make some casual food, yet she had to cook for Horace to pay him back. So, she cooked beef. But when she was cutting vegetables, she thought about the troubles at work and became a little absent-minded. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her fingers. "Ouch..." She screamed and quickly withdrew her hand, only to find that she had cut her finger. "What''s wrong?" Horace''s voice soon rang out behind. ra turned around and saw him enter the kitchen. "Nothing." ra barely managed to squeeze out a smile, "I cut my hand, a Band-Aid will do." It was a small wound, but she was bleeding. "Let me check." But Horace, as if he hadn''t heard ra''s words, grabbed her hand and examined it carefully, and his serious look made ra a little embarrassed. "It''s all right." She whispered, "It''s a small injury, I cleaned it up myself... Ouch, Horace, what are you doing?" Horace paid no attention to ra''s words. He quickly took her finger into his mouth. ra felt numb all over her body. She felt her face burn. She didn''t dare to look at Horace''s handsome face. She looked away and said nervously, "Horace, I''m fine¡­ You don''t have to¡­" She was so nervous that she couldn''t speak. Horace slowly released her hand and looked down to see her red face. He chuckled, "Wait a minute, I''ll go get the Band-Aid." With that, he left the kitchen. After Horace left, ra caught her breath. Horace soon returned. He opened the band-aid and carefully attached it to ra. He looked serious as if he were not facing a wounded finger, but something invaluable. "All right." After carefully pasting the Band-Aid, Horace nced at the kitchen and frowned, "Don''t have to cook today, let''s order some takeaway." ra''s mind had gone nk, she nodded to whatever Horace said. They walked together to the living room. Horace flipped through the takeaway website, his eyebrows furrowed, and asked, "What do you want to eat?" "Everything is fine." Horace bowed his head and casually pressed on the notebook. At this moment, Horace''s phone suddenly rang on the coffee table. Horace didn''t lift his head. He casually asked, "Who''s calling?" ra nced at the screen, "It''s Isaac." "Put it on the speaker, please." ra did as she was asked, and soon Isaac''s voice rang from the phone. "Mr. Kirnd." Isaac''s voice somehow sounded a little agitated. "Speak." "We found a clue about the little girl back then!" Chapter 50 The Little Girl Back Then Chapter 50 The Little Girl Back Then ra was stunned. The little girl? Horace''s face also changed slightly. "What clue?" "It''s a photo taken around the ce where the ident happened, shall I''ll send it to you?" "Okay." After the call, Horace resumed ordering food. ra couldn''t resist her curiosity and asked, "Who is the little girl that Isaac said? Horace nced at ra. If it was someone else asking this kind of question, he would feel annoyed, because he never liked others to ask about his personal things. But he was d that ra asked. She finally had some interest in him. "A girl saved me when I was kidnapped." Horace didn''t want to hide it. "I''ve been looking for her. I want to thank her." Kidnapping? ra was stunned. The kidnapping because of which people thought Horace had be crippled? ra was a little curious, but she knew that the kidnapping must be the same to Horace as what happened two years ago to her. It must be a nightmare. So, she didn''t ask more. Horace ordered the takeout, and half an hourter, the doorbell rang. ra opened the door, and saw the delivery man standing at the door nervously, "Did you order the pizza?" ra looked at the box in his hand and was stunned. Horace ordered pizza? "Yes." The delivery man obviously had never delivered takeaway to such a rich area. That was the reason why he was so nervous, ra quickly took it and signed, "Thank you." Walking into the room with a pizza, ra couldn''t help asking, "Horace, do you like pizza?" Horace was stunned when he saw the box in her hand, "The shop is a pizzeria?" "Yeah, or what do you think?" Horace furrowed his brows and turned hisptop to ra, "It is called Italian Mood, I ordered the ''Italian vors'' meal, I thought it was a whole set of Italian dishes." ra was dumbfounded. How na?ve these rich people could be! He took the name of the restaurant and the name of the dish seriously. "Most of these deliveries are pizza, Italian pizza." ra put the pizza on the table, "Have you ever tried pizza?" "I tried grilled pizza in Europe." Horace looked down, "I haven''t really tried pizza in a cardboard box." "Take it as an experience then." ra pulled off a piece of pizza and handed it to Horace with a grin. Horace reached for the pizza and took a bite, frowning slightly, "It tastes different from what I''ve eaten before. ra was a little amused, "It''s not bad to eat like this once in a while." As she spoke, she pulled a piece of herself and shoved it into her mouth. In fact,pared to the exquisite dishes that Martha prepared every day, such simple and casual food fit her taste more. She remembered that when she was in college, there was a snack street behind the University of Zhanard, where she and Darren always bought junk food, although not healthy, they enjoyed them. Watching the woman in front of her eat the pizza with a bright smile on her face, Horace was in a trance for a moment. He suddenly found that he probably didn''t know enough about ra. Isaac arrived while ra and Horace were eating the pizza. He was surprised when he saw the pizza. He knew how picky Horace was on food, yet Horace was eating pizza now? Isaac repressed his shock and he handed the envelope in his hand to Horace and said respectfully, "Mr. Kirnd, this is the photo I found." ra thought, holding the pizza, maybe she should leave them alone for a moment. Yet Horace opened the envelope in front of her and took out the photo. Horace frowned, it was too blurry. It was taken randomly by a visitor. The mean object was the willows beside theke, but in the corner, people could vaguely see a girl in a red dress, although her face was not clear. "I''m sorry, Mr. Kirnd, someone took the photo, it was just a coincidence." Isaac apologized, "But this girl appeared at the time and was dressed in line with the person you are looking for." N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Horace picked up the picture, thoughtful. ra couldn''t help but look at it with curiosity. The girl in the photo, although her face was clear, should be about fifteen years old from her appearance. Her red dress was very unique. ra suddenly furrowed her brows and blurted out, "This dress..." Horace raised an eyebrow, "You know this dress?" "It looks familiar." ra bit her lip and suddenly remembered, "Oh, it seems to be the dress of the heroine of a cartoon when I was in junior high school. It was a Disney limited edition. All girls dreamed to have one." Isaac suddenly remembered something, "Yes, speaking of which, this girl you are looking for, Mr. Kirnd, should be about the same age as Mrs. Kirnd, right?" Horace''s kidnapping happened ten years ago, and at that time, ra was indeed about fifteen years old. "Do you have this dress too?" Horace raised an eyebrow suddenly. raughed bitterly, "This dress is a limited edition, it cost thousands of dors, how can I afford it?" Horace put the photo back in the envelope, and said to Isaac, "Since it is a limited edition, if it is read, it should be much easier to find." Isaac nodded and left immediately. Horace and ra continued eating. Not knowing if it was her delusion. She looked at him a few times, on purpose or by ident, and found traces of disappointment on his face. Was he thinking about the kidnapping? Because the Kirnd family insisted, the media didn''t reveal much of the details of the case. But since it would hurt his leg so badly, it should be a terrible kidnapping case. ra was looking at Horace''s handsome side face when she suddenly heard Horace speak. "How long are you going to look at me?" ra blushed. She quickly lowered her head, "I''m sorry." Horace chuckled softly but didn''t say anything more. He finished his pizza and asked ra to go to the shower. ra finished the shower and wiped her hair. She came out but didn''t see Horace in the bedroom. He was on the balcony attached to the master bedroom, staring at something. Chapter 51 A Womans Pendant Chapter 51 A Woman''s Pendant Stunned, ra took a few steps forward and found that the thing in Horace''s hand was a pendant. The pendant was an exquisite crystal pendant. It was obviously a more feminine style, very beautiful. ra was stunned. Horace... Was he staring at a woman''s pendant in a daze? Who was the owner of this pendant? Was it the woman that Horace liked? Somehow, this idea came to her mind, and she suddenly felt a little ufortable. She quickly shook her head and suppressed the strange feeling in her heart. ra, you had to remember who you were and what you should do. Now that you had known that Horace married you just for a nominal wife, what else did you expect? Never expect anything that didn''t belong to you. As an illegitimate daughter, didn''t you understand this point at a very young age? When ra was in a trance, Horace suddenly turned his head and saw her. He frowned and said, "Why is your hair still wet? I told you that you should blow-dry your hair after shower." It was not until then that ra came back to her senses. She gave a wry smile and began to blow her head obediently. He walked to her and put away the pendant in his hand. He said calmly, "This weekend Darren is going to hold an introduction party for his fianc¨¦e. Get ready and attend it with me." Hearing that, ra''s hand froze all of a sudden. Looking at Horace standing behind her in the mirror, she hesitated, "Do I have to go?" When she saw the coldness on Horace''s face, she quickly said, "I see. I''ll go." One can escape a moment, but he can''t run away forever at all. It was impossible for her to not see Darren and Ashlee all her life. Horace''s face softened a little and nodded, "Don''t be nervous. I have ordered a dress for you. You can go to the store and take your measurements tomorrow." ra knew that a lot of people woulde to the party. Although it was an introduction of Ashlee, she had to be more careful since it was the first time for her to appear in public as the wife of Horace. So, she nodded and agreed. On the second day, ra finished her interview early and came to the boutique that Horace told her to Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. measure the size. ra had never been to such a ce, so she was a little reserved. Fortunately, Horace was very considerate. Since he didn''t have time, so he asked Isaac to apany her. "Mrs. Kirnd," Isaac had been waiting at the door of the boutique for a long time. When he saw ra, he opened the door for her. "This way." Following him, ra saw the delicate decoration of the boutique. There were only a few customers in the shop, mainly the sales clerk. When ra came to the second floor, several beautiful girls came up to measure her size. She awkwardly raised her hand as to let them do the job. When she was looking forward to the end of all this, she suddenly heard a surprised voice¡ª "ra?" She was stunned. She turned around and saw Ashlee who had just gone upstairs looking at her in shock. ra''s heart thumped. What a small world! Why did she meet Ashlee? This boutique was the best custom-made shop in the city, and Ashlee also came here to make the clothes for the weekend banquet. But Ashlee never thought that she would meet ra, that bumpkin! "ra," Ashlee walked over in her orange and pink high-heeled shoes. "Why are you here? A poor woman like you can alsoe here?" There was no one else around Ashlee at this time. Therefore, she didn''t hide her arrogant and domineering side to his nature at all. Her tone of speaking to ra was full of sarcasm. ra''s eyes turned cold. Before she could say anything, Isaac, who was standing next to her, stood out and said expressionlessly, "Miss, please pay attention to your tone when you talk to Mrs. Kirnd." "Mrs. Kirnd?" Ashlee was so shocked that her eyes were about to fall out, but she was observant in some ways. Looking at the man in front of ra, she knew that he was not an ordinary person, so she didn''t lose her temper for the time being. At the same time, the shop assistants had measured the size of ra. ra didn''t want to have anything to do with Ashlee at all. She quickly said, "Isaac, let''s go." Isaac nodded and gave a cold nce at Ashlee. Then he escorted ra downstairs. Seeing that ra ignored her and left, Ashlee was so angry that she stamped her feet. The sales clerk next to her was frightened and could only ask in a trembling voice, "Miss Middleton, are you ready for taking the measurements?" Ashlee then realized something. She looked at the shop assistants and said sharply, "Tell me, who is that woman?" Ashlee was a regr customer of this shop. These shop assistants had long known her domineering personality, so they didn''t dare to act rashly at this time. Moreover, in their eyes, there was no need to hide the identity of ra. So, they answered honestly, "She is Mr. Kirnd''s wife." "Mr. Kirnd?" Ashlee widened her eyes. "Which Mr. Kirnd?" "The CEO of Solrace Corporation, Horace Kirnd." Ashlee''s jaw dropped and she almost fell down. Others didn''t know who Horace was, but as Darren''s fianc¨¦e, she knew. He was the youngest uncle of Darren, the Second Young Master of the Kirnd family. Ashlee''s face turned pale. She couldn''t believe what she had heard. The man that ra had married was supposed to be a poor man who couldn''t even afford a diamond ring? How could it be Horace Kirnd! All of a sudden, she grabbed her bag, rushed downstairs, sat in the car and shouted, "Go to GLAM right now!" After arriving at GLAM, Ashlee rushed in directly. The receptionist asked her who she was looking for in a hurry. She said impatiently, "I''m looking for your chief editor. I''m his fianc¨¦e." Upon hearing this, the receptionist took Ashlee to look for Darren in person. As soon as Ashlee entered the office of Darren, Isaac sent ra to the downstairs of the magazine. As soon as ra returned to the office, she found that the atmosphere was very strange. Everyone was not busy with their work. Instead, they sat together and discussed something eagerly. Seeing that ra came in, Diane was the first one to straighten up. She couldn''t hide thecent smile on her face, "Oh, ra, how dare youe back? Aren''t you afraid of being caught by Mr. Kirnd''s wife?" Diane''s words perplexed ra. Sarah quickly pulled her to the corner and said in a hused voice, "ra, do you know that the fianc¨¦e of the chief editor is here?" ra was stunned. Ashlee was here? What was she doing here? On the other side, the atmosphere in the chief editor''s office was particrly tense. Standing in front of the desk, Ashlee screamed with her beautiful eyes wide open, "Darren! Why didn''t you tell me that ra is the new wife of your uncle?" Chapter 52 Rub Her Nose in It Chapter 52 Rub Her Nose in It Darren didn''t expect that Ashlee would know the identity of ra. He was surprised at first, but when he saw the domineering and crazy look of Ashlee, a trace of impatience shed across his eyes. "I didn''t intend to hide the truth on purpose. I just didn''t mention it deliberately. Besides, they''ll attend the banquet on weekend. At that time, you''ll know." The mention of the party made Ashlee more desperate. "The party, for fuck''s sake!" Ashlee''s voice became more and more sharp. "Have you ever thought that I might break down when I suddenly see ra on the weekend? Do I have to call her aunt?" Glenn and Valerie had always treated Ashlee as the apple of their eyes, because she had always been very willful. But in order to get along well with Darren, she had been trying to restrain her temper for the past six months. But at this time, she was really too angry to control herself. When she thought of ra whom she despised most and whom she thought she had destroyed stepped on in her head and became her aunt, she was so angry that she wanted to scream. "Darren!" The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. "Tell me! Did you do it on purpose? You still can''t forget her, right? That''s why you want to see how I''m embarrassed at the party!" At first, Darren was annoyed by Ashlee, but when he heard her words, his anger suddenly subsided. "Are you kidding me?" He suddenly sneered, with a cruel light shing in his eyes. "It''s not sure who will be embarrassed at the party." Ashlee was stunned and finally calmed down. She frowned, "What do you mean, Darren?" "Aren''t you curious?" Darren lit a cigarette for himself and smoked slowly. "ra did such a shameful thing two years ago. How could our family ept her?" Ashlee froze. The next second, she seemed to understand what he meant. Instead of being angry, she showed an excited expression. "Darren, you mean that Horace and others still don''t know what happened to ra two years ago?" "Horace knows." For some reason, his face darkened. Ashlee was a little puzzled. "Then why did he want to marry ra?" "It is not my uncle that matters," Darren was more and more agitated and he interrupted Ashlee without patiently. "The point is that my grandfather was born in a military family. He thinks highly of people''s character. He will never tolerate a filthy woman like ra." Ashlee was overjoyed, "So, what are you going to do, Darren?" "I''m going to tell Grandpa the truth of ra Selman on the banquet." "That''s it?" Disappointment appeared on Ashlee''s bright face. "Or what are you going to do?" Darren frowned. Under the sharp gaze of Darren, Ashlee smiled awkwardly, "Nah, nothing. That''s good." Anyhow, Ashlee was relieved to hear that Darren was going to deal with ra. It meant that he had no feelings for ra, right? Although she was not happy that ra could hook up with Horace, anyway, Horace was a cripple. Besides, after what had happened two years ago was exposed, ra might be kicked out of the Kirnd family. Thinking of this, Ashlee felt much better. Realizing that she had been too rude before, Ashlee felt a little regretful. She immediately walked up to him and sat on his legs like a spoiled child. She said in a sweet voice, "Darren, I lost my temper just now. I''m sorry. Are you angry with me?" A strong smell of perfume came to his nose, and Darren could not help frowning. There was no doubt that Ashlee was pleasing to men. That''s why he chose her among so many women. But for some reason, since he came back, he felt that Ashlee was more and more wayward and annoying, and even the smell of her perfume was particrly pungent. Unlike ra, she always had a faint fragrance of body wash, neither when she was in school nor now. The smell was not mboyant, but sweet¡­ Damn it. Why did he think of this woman again? The more he looked at Ashlee, the more annoyed he became. He pushed her away, "I have a meeting. If you are tired, you can have a rest here. Remember to close the door when you leave." Then he stood up and left the office, ignoring the sudden paleness on Ashlee''s face. Seeing that Darren walked out of the office, Ashlee clenched her fists, so tight that her red fingernails were almost going to pierce through her palms. Was it her illusion? She always felt that since she met ra, Darren had be more and more indifferent to her. Was he still in love with ra? No! Impossible! He had already nned to make a fool of ra. How could he still love her! Wait a minute. However, was it possible that the reason why he did so was to separate Horace and ra, so that ra would be single again? This idea came to Ashlee''s mind, and her face turned paler. Damn! No, she couldn''t give ra any chance to turn the tables. Ashlee bit her red lips and came up with a n. ¡­ When Ashlee left the office, people from the office outside couldn''t help but get excited at the sight of her. "Oh my God! This is the fianc¨¦e of our chief editor. She is so beautiful and she dresses well," Sarah couldn''t help admiring. Sitting in her seat, ra nced at Ashlee and her eyes darkened. Yes, Ashlee had always been beautiful. Ashlee had been like a little princess since she was a child, bright and beautiful. Inparison, she herself was just like an unremarkable weed that would always be outshone by N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Ashlee''s halo. Hearing Sarah''s words, Diane sneered, "Of course, this is the difference between a real girlfriend and a real mistress. ra, if I were you, I would shrink back from difficulties." ncing at Diane coldly, ra suddenly stood up. Diane was startled by her and stepped back, "ra, what... what are you doing?" "Nothing," seeing her like a paper tiger, ra''s disdainful smile deepened. "I''m just going home." Then she picked up her bag on the table and walked out of the office. She was lucky. When she arrived at the elevator, Ashlee had already left. The two avoided a meeting. She went back home by car. As soon as she entered the house, she smelled the food fragrance from the kitchen and knew that Donald and Martha hade back. She washed her hands and had dinner with Horace. At the dinner table, for some reason, in the face of the delicate dishes cooked by Martha, Horace''s appetite was not as good as a few days ago. He casually picked up some food for ra and said, "I''m free this weekend. I''ll apany you to the hospital to visit your mother." Stunned, ra blurted out in a hurry, "No, thanks." Chapter 53 My Mother Isnt a Mistress Chapter 53 My Mother Isn''t a Mistress Horace raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at ra sideways. "Why?" Realizing that her reaction was too direct just now, ra was embarrassed and said in a hurry, "My mom is just starting to getting better. She needs to have a rest." "Is that the reason?" Horace seemed to understand, "It''s because your mother doesn''t want to see me, right?" Hearing that, ra''s hand holding chopsticks froze for a moment. She raised the corners of her mouth, "How could it be?" "Why not?" Horace was calm. "I can see that your mother doesn''t like me." Unable to retort, ra had to say awkwardly, "It''s not your problem. It''s my mother. She doesn''t like rich people." Horace raised his eyebrows. Of course, he had investigated ra''s family background, so he knew that Helena had been called mistress. Although Horace didn''t say anything, ra seemed to see through his mind. She smiled bitterly, "You know I''m the illegitimate daughter of the Middleton family, right? You must be thinking why my mother said she hated rich people on the condition that she was with Glenn before." Horace didn''t answer. "Actually, my mother has never started a rtionship with Glenn Middleton," ra''s face suddenly turned cold. "My mother and Glenn were ssmates in college. Glenn has always liked my mother, but my mother didn''t like him. However, Glenn was unwilling to give up on her. After getting married with Valerie Bet, he still coveted my mother, and he asked someone to drug her and then he raped her, so my mother was pregnant with me. Although my mother hated Glenn, she thought that the baby was innocent, so she swallowed her anger and gave birth to me." Horace looked at ra. He hadn''t found out anything about it. "Valerie hated Glenn''s feelings for my mother, so she spread rumors everywhere that my mother seduced Glenn and said that my mother was a mistress. My mother doesn''t know anyone in the upper ss, and she can''t fight back. She can only bear such a bad reputation and bring me up alone." Speaking of what had happened in the past, ra clenched her fists and her eyes were full of resentment. She really hated Glenn. However, he was her biological father, which could not be changed. Horace looked down at ra. He put his hand on her fist and prized her fingers one by one. ra was startled. She looked up at Horace and smiled awkwardly, "Sorry, I got worked up." "No," Horace was still very calm, but the light in his ck eyes seemed to be much gentler than usual. "I''m d that you''ve told me this." He was really happy. If he wanted to know these things, of course he could find them out. But it was different if ra took the initiative to tell him. Hearing that, ra was stunned. She took a look at Horace and couldn''t helpughing, "You are really a strange person." Horace smiled and said nothing. Indeed, after knowing ra, he found himself behaving more and more strangely. Everything went smooth in the next few days. Finally, it was weekend, the day of the Kirnd family''s banquet. On this day, ra got up early. The make-up artist and hairdresser had already been home. They had been busy all day long before they finally helped her with the hairstyle. Horace had already prepared well and waited quietly in the living room. Soon, he heard the clip-clop of high heels. He looked up and saw raing down the stairs. He was stunned. Last time, in order to see the Kirnd family, ra also wore a dress. And Horace had been amazed by her once. But this time, he was even more shocked. What ra wore today was a rose-gold dress, which was well tailored to outline her slim body. The back was hollowed out, revealing the beautiful curve of her back. Her long hair was coiled up, and the makeup on her face was exquisite but not mboyant, which gave full y to her beautiful look. Still not used to wearing high-heeled shoes, ra lifted the hem of her dress and went downstairs. She saw Horace looking at her with burning eyes. She suddenly felt her cheeks burning and asked softly, "Am I beautiful?" After dressing up, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was a little stunned. After all, she was a girl, who loved dresses and makeup. However, from childhood to adulthood, she did not have a chance; only Ashlee had the right to do so. She could only wear the simplest white T- shirt and jeans and watch Ashlee being the gorgeous one. But today, she realized that she could also be so beautiful. Looking at ra in front of him, Horace chuckled. Instead of answering her question directly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her gently. Wearing high heels, ra couldn''t stand steadily. She was pulled into his arms and fell on the legs. The distance between the two people became tight that a few strands of ra''s scattered hair touched Horace''s neck. Horace wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered, "Beautiful. You are so beautiful that I start to worry about taking you out." ra didn''t expect that the usually silent man, Horace, could say such flirtatious words. Her face turned redder and she couldn''t say anything. Horace chuckled, sliding the wheelchair, and took ra out of the vi and got in the car. Sitting in the car, the driver quickly drove to the vi of the Kirnd family. In the car, ra couldn''t help but feel a little nervous. She was afraid that she would make a fool of herself because there would be so many people at the party, let alone seeing Ashlee and Darren today. Looking at her nervous smile, Horace seemed to have guessed what she was thinking. He asked in a low voice, "Nervous?" "A little," ra admitted. "I''m afraid I''ll embarrass you." Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "You are so beautiful. How can you embarrass me?" Horace smiled. "Have you attended such a gathering before?" "No," In order to ease her nervousness, ra said more. "But in order to earn tuition fees, I used to work as a waiter at parties like this. At that time, I envied those girls who could wear such beautiful clothes. At that time, I also thought that I could attend it one day." Horace couldn''t helpughing, "So you have fulfilled your wish?" "Sort of," ra couldn''t helpughing. "When I came back home, I secretly learned the dancing steps of those girls at the banquet. I thought if I could take part a banquet in the future, I would be able to dance so elegantly..." Suddenly, ra realized that she had said something she shouldn''t have said. She shut her mouth and looked at him nervously. Damn it. She was too careless. She knew that it was impossible for Horace to dance in front of everyone, so she shouldn''t mention it. Compared with ra''s nervousness, Horace was calm. He still smiled and said lightly, "Really?" ra didn''t dare to say anything more. She stayed silent. Horace got off the car first and helped ra get off. ra got off the car carefully and was stunned when she saw the vi in front of her. Chapter 54 Not Appropriate for Our Family Chapter 54 Not Appropriate for Our Family This was a veryrge vi. In front of the vi, there parked many luxurious cars. Beautiful young girls Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. were stepping out of the cars with the help of handsome fes. ra was in a trance. Was this the kind of banquet? It was really the same as in TV series. She was a little spaced out. She just let Horace lead her into the vi. Along the way, they met a lot of people, who seemed to be either a Kirnd or an old friend of the family, so they all knew the identity of Horace, and showed a polite and respectful smile. "Mr. Kirnd." Those people were all gentle, but ra still realized that they couldn''t help ncing at her with curiosity. ra tried her best to ignore those gazes and followed Horace into the vi. The banquet hall in the vi was veryrge, noble and elegant. Horace took ra to the main table. From a distance, ra saw Ashlee and Darren. Wearing a grey suit, well cut, Darren looked very handsome. Wearing a bright yellow dress, Ashlee looked as beautiful as a blooming flower. "Hey, Horace, you are here!" The first one to see ra and Horace was a man sitting next to Darren. He looked less than fifty years old and his features were bright and upright. But his eyes revealed sophistication that ra felt a little ufortable. She immediately guessed that this man should be Horace''s brother, Darren''s father, Sean. Soon, his eyes fell on ra. With a meaningful smile on his face, he said, "You must be my sister-in- ra sat down at the table with Horace. Soon, Horace began to introduce the people present. ra greeted them politely one by one. The first one to be introduced was Russell. Although ra had met him once, she didn''t leave a good impression on him, so she had to be nicer to him now. Russell snorted and said nothing. Then Horace introduced Sean who was still looking at her up and down, which made ra very ufortable. Then came Darren and Ashlee. The moment Darren saw ra, a glimmer of surprise shed across his eyes, but soon he returned to his indifferent look. As for Ashlee, she looked at ra with jealousy in her eyes. She didn''t expect that ra would be so beautiful. ra almost surpassed her in beauty. What surprised her more was Horace, who was with ra. Although she had known that Horace was handsome and capable, he was still a cripple. Ashlee disdained him before. But at this time, seeing Horace in person, Ashlee finally understood what was an elite. She had always thought that Darren was the best man she had ever seen, butpared with Horace, Darren was still too young and ordinary. Horace wore a simple ck suit today, but he looked different from others. He was calm but also mboyant, low-key and elegant and somewhat sexy. Ashlee was stunned. If Horace hadn''t been sitting on a wheelchair, she would have thought that Darren who she had tried her best to get was no better than Horace. After introducing the Kirnd family members, the maids finally began to serve the dishes. Looking at the table full of delicacies in front of her, ra didn''t dare to eat at will. She ate slowly and took small a small bit every time. It seemed that Horace noticed ra''s cautious actions, so he picked up some food from his te and put them onto hers. Such a seemingly casual action made many people at the table to change their faces. There was a sh of surprise in Russell''s eyes, and the way he looked at ra was a little different. While Sean''s face darkened. No one knew what he was thinking. And the one who couldn''t hold his horses was Darren. Looking at the intimate behavior between ra and Horace, he felt that the fire in his chest was burning again. A hint of anger shed through his eyes. Suddenly, he sneered, "Horace really loves my aunt." ra''s hand holding chopsticks suddenly froze. What did Darren want to do? Horace nced at him indifferently. "Is there anything wrong with loving my wife?" The anger in Darren''s eyes was even greater. When he spoke again, his tone had be strange. "Yes, it''s true that you love her, but aunt''s character may not deserve your love." These words were like a dull thunder bomb. Suddenly, there was a dead silence on the main table, and everyone''s faces changed. ra''s face turned pale. However, Horace''s face turned extremely cold. "What do you want to say, Darren?" "I don''t want to say anything," seeing that Horace seemed to be angry, Darren was in a better mood. "But ra and I happened to be in the same university, so I know something about her school days." Hearing that Darren kept them in suspense, Russell was the first one to lose his patience. He put down his chopsticks heavily and said impatiently, "Spit it out. Don''t beat around the bush. It''s annoying." ra had heard that Russell was born in a military family and had made a great contribution to the army. After retiring from the army, he went into business. With his wisdom and skills, he quickly gained a firm foothold in Stratmont. But after all, Russell came out of the military camp. In his life, he didn''t care about the details and hated others to y tricks on him. Hearing his great grandpa''s reproach, Darren''s face turned pale, but he quickly said, "Great Grandpa, as far as I know, ra had done something to sell herself when she was still a student. I really don''t think it''s appropriate for such a woman to enter our family." Thest trace of blood on ra''s face faded away. She was not in a hurry to exin, nor was she angry. She just raised her head and stared at Darren sitting opposite her. After saying that, the anger in his chest was released. He wanted to take a look at racently, but when he raised his head, he saw ra''s pale face and clear eyes. That look¡­ That look showed more incredibility than reproach. For a moment, it was like a needle stabbing into his heart. He was stunned. At this moment, he suddenly regretted his impulse just now. He wanted to say something, but all of a sudden, he heard a scream from the guest at the next table¡ª "Oh my God! What''s that?" Chapter 55 Ashlees Plan Chapter 55 Ashlee''s n The scream interrupted everyone''s thoughts. They suddenly looked up and saw the big screen in front of them suddenly lit up. Because this banquet hall was usually of many uses, there was a very huge screen in the center. But this time, there was no need to use the screen, so the screen was originally ck. But somehow the screen suddenly lit up. What was more shocking was the content on the screen. There were several photos, which changed like slides. Seeing those photos, ra felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her hands and feet were cold. They were her pictures. In the photos, her face was red, her clothes were in disarray, and her hair was messy. She was lying between the quilt with a blushed face, eyes hazy, lips slightly parted. Although these photos didn''t belong to wardrobe malfunction pictures, her flushed face and expression made others understand what she was doing at that time. ra could recognize those photos even these photos were burnt into ashes. Two years ago, Darren took those photos to question her. She quickly turned her head, and when her eyes fell on Darren again, her sight was no longer shock, but hatred, strong hatred. She knew that Darren hated her because he misunderstood that she had betrayed him. That''s why he told what she had done at this family banquet. He wanted to take revenge on her. But she never expected that he would show these photos. And what''s more he showed these photos to so many people. Was he really going to destroy her? Even if she really betrayed him at that time, was it necessary for him to do this? On the other side, when Darren saw these photos, he was actually as shocked as ra. He did want to reveal the scandal of ra, but he had never thought of using this way. In such a mean and cruel way. So, he had no idea why these photos were suddenly released. In a panic, his first reaction was to exin to ra. But he saw the hatred in her eyes as soon as he Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. looked up. In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into an abyss. He had never thought that the woman he once loved would look at him with such strong and real hatred one day. Other guests were also shocked. There were many people at the banquet. In addition to several members of the Kirnd family, there were also some rtives, as well as old friends and business partners. Therefore, the banquet was full of people. Everyone was shocked to see these photos. Although they were all well-educated, upper-ss people, they were still gossipy. At this time, they could not help but lower their voices and whispered. "Oh my God! What''s going on? Why did the photos be released at the dinner party?" "Don''t be silly. Don''t you see that the main character of this photo is the new wife of Horace?" "Oh, it seems to be true. When were these photos taken? I don''t think they were taken with Horace. Is it another man?" "This is a big scandal. I think this woman is going to be kicked out of the Kirnd family." After all, all the people present were from well-known families, so they would not use extreme words in theirments. However, there was still an uncontroble sense of schadenfreude and ridicule in their tone. Hearing that, ra''s face turned paler and paler. Her clenched hands under the table were almost going to pierce through her palms. As for Horace, the moment he saw the photos, the cold anger in his ck eyes finally burst out. Damn it! How dare someone work against his woman under his nose! The main table was not far from the console of the main screen. Without thinking, Horace picked up the knife that was intended to be used to cut the steak and thrust it directly into the on-off button of the screen! Bang! In an instant, the screen returned to darkness. The people around were shocked. They didn''t expect that Horace would behave like this and they stopped talking all of a sudden. There was dead silence. Everyone didn''t dare to say one more word, but looked at Russell, wondering how he would react. "Ha," Russell had gone through many trials and tribtions. He was also shocked when all this had just happened, but soon he calmed down and sneered. He looked at Horace and asked, "Horace, is this true?" But Horace didn''t answer Russell''s question immediately. To be exact, he didn''t even pay attention to his grandpa. He just looked at ra beside him. Looking at her pale face, Horace''s ck eyes grew darker and colder. "Horace!" seeing that Horace didn''t answer him, Russell finally was irritated. He smashed the crutch in his hand heavily, "I''m asking you a question!" Hearing that, Horace slowly turned his head, with a cold expression on his face. "I said it was not true. Do you believe me?" After all, Russell was his grandfather. Although he respected Russell, he was not humble. Russell was so angry that his wrinkles were about to fly up. "Horace, do you really think that such an immoral woman can enter our family?" Mr. Kirnd''s words caused a great uproar at present. What Mr. Kirnd said was very clear. He wanted to deny the status of ra. ra couldn''t help trembling. She didn''t know why she felt like she was hit hard when she heard Russell ''s words. After all, she got married just for the citizenship of Stratmont. Now that she had the that, even if she lost this marriage, she should not care, should she? But somehow, she felt empty at the thought of divorcing Horace. She felt even more emptier when she thought that she couldn''t go back to that vi from now on, and that she and Horace might be strangers again. Noticing the change of expression on ra''s face, Horace felt his heart ached slightly. Without hesitation, he grabbed ra''s hand under the table. All the people present were too scared to say a word in the face of Russell''s anger, but only one of them kept her head down, fearing that hercent and happy expression would be discovered by others. The woman was Ashlee. Yes, it was she who showed the pictures on the screen. When Ashlee heard that Darren was going to reveal the true face of ra at the banquet, she was happy, but she also felt that it was not ruthless enough. Since she wanted to hurt ra, she had to do it thoroughly. She wanted her reputation to be ruined and she wanted that ra would never be respected in the upper ss. So, she secretly bribed the servants of the Kirnd family to disy the photos. That''s how Ashlee made everyone see those photos. In this way, even if ra and Horace divorced, Darren would never be together with ra again because Darren was such a proud person. While Ashlee was thinkingcently, she was waiting for ra to be kicked out. However, at this time, Horace opened his mouth and the smile on Ashlee''s face froze. "Grandpa, you are right. Maybe ra is not qualified to be the daughter-inw of our family." When he said the first half of his word, ra''s face turned paler, but he quickly added, "But my wife doesn''t need the Kirnd family''s approval." ra raised her head in disbelief and looked into Horace''s eyes. His dark eyes were calm and firm. The temperature of his palm also came through his skin, as if melting her cold heart. Suddenly, ra felt a lump in her throat. Russell was also stunned, but Sean couldn''t stand it anymore. He scolded in a low voice, "Horace, how could you talk to Grandpa like that! Marrying such a shameless woman has disgraced our family. Don''t you admit your fault?" It was not until then that Horace slowly looked away from ra and coldly looked at Sean. It was just a nce, but it made Sean feel like falling into an ice cer in an instant. "Sean," Horace called his name directly, and his voice was so cold. "ra is my woman, don''t tell me what I should do." Sean''s face turned white and he wanted to say something, but Russell suddenly coughed. Immediately, Sean didn''t dare to say anything more, but looked at Russell. "This thing remains to be discussed. After all, she and Horace are legally married," Russell said in an unpredictable tone. "Don''t quarrel with your family just because of the rumors of some viins." Hearing that, ra was amazed. She didn''t know much about Russell. But it was said that he was a very cruel and ruthless person. Otherwise, it was impossible for him to create the glory of the Kirnd family by himself. But she didn''t expect him to be so easy-going. She made the Kirnd family lose face in front of so many people. Why didn''t he me her? Both Sean and Horace were surprised at Russell''s reaction, but they knew that their grandpa was a man of his word, so they didn''t dare to say anything more. Ashlee was thest one to be reconciled. She widened her eyes and could hardly believe what she had heard. She had thought that she would destroy ra this time, ruin her reputation and kick her out. But to her surprise, nothing happened. Horace didn''t look down upon ra at all, and even Russell didn''t me her. What the hell was going on! Unwilling to give up, Ashlee blurted out without thinking, "Great Grandpa, it''s not a rumor. It''s true¡­" But before Ashlee could finish her words, Russell suddenly raised his head. His sharp eyes frightened her so much that she couldn''t say anything. "What do you think you are?" Russell said coldly. "You don''t get to call me that now. Make it clear that you haven''t married into our family yet, so stay out of the our business." Ashlee was so scared that she broke out in a cold sweat. It never urred to her that the trap she set up didn''t hurt ra, but left a bad impression on Russell. She didn''t dare to say one more word. She just lowered her head and bit her red lips hard. Why? Why! Why was ra always so lucky that she couldnd on her feet. During the next meal, everyone was silent. After dinner, everyone came to the hall next to the dining room to dance. The band was ying on the stage, and the melodious music rang in the spacious hall. Countless couples hugged each other and danced trippingly. The waiter walked through the crowd with champagne and wine. Some people who didn''t dance gathered together, talking andughing. Everything seemed to be the same as the ball in TV series, but ra just felt that she was out of ce. Standing behind Horace''s wheelchair, she could feel people around ncing at her, sizing her up or "Horace," Ashlee and Darren were dancing in the center of the hall, attracting the attention of all people. ra felt even more ufortable, "How about we go back?" Anyway, they couldn''t dance, so they had nothing to do here. "We will sleep here tonight," Horace said. ra was a little frustrated, but she didn''t know what to say. She nodded. "What? You don''t like it?" Horace''s eyes darkened, "Because of what happened just now?" Embarrassed, ra didn''t know how to answer. "I don''t care. When that thing happened two years ago, more people rolled their eyes and despised me. I just... I was afraid that you would be unhappy here." What she said was true. Horace was her husband. Others might think that she cheated on him. As a man, he must feel ashamed. ra really didn''t want to see such a perfect and excellent man like Horace be the target of ridicule. Horace didn''t expect that ra would answer him like that. He was first stunned, and the next second, he turned the wheelchair to ra. Seeing the nervous and uneasy expression on her face, he couldn''t help but feel soft in his heart. "ra," Horace suddenly asked. "Do you want to dance?" "Dance?" ra was stunned. "With whom?" Horace was in a wheelchair and couldn''t dance, but she didn''t know anyone else present except him. Looking at the silly look on ra''s face, Horace couldn''t help but chuckle. "With me," Horace said two words briefly and suddenly grabbed ra''s hand. With Horace? ra was even more stunned. Before she could react, Horace suddenly controlled the wheelchair under his body and slid towards the center of the hall. Then, ra, who was led by him, walked to the center as well. "Horace?" ra waspletely stunned. "What are you doing?" "Dance." There was a faint smile in Horace''s usually indifferent eyes. "Didn''t you say that you had specially learned dancing before? Can you dance now?" Only then did ra realize that Horace was really going to dance with her. She blushed immediately. "I... I''m talking nonsense. I can''t even tap my feet to the beat." The smile at the corners of Horace''s mouth deepened. "Is that so? Then it will be easier." Hearing that, ra was shocked. Before she could ask "what do you mean by easier", Horace suddenly tightened his grip on her hand. Suddenly, ra lost her bnce and fell into Horace''s arms. "Horace? What are you doing?" ra panicked and tried to stand up, but Horace had already locked his hands between her slender waist, making her unable to move at all. "Don''t move," Horace looked down at her with a smile. "We are dancing." Chapter 56 We Are Dancing Chapter 56 We Are Dancing When they were talking, Horace controlled his wheelchair to slide slowly onto the dance floor along with the rhythm of the music. ra was in his arms, dancing under the bright lights with him. The bystanders were stunned by this scene. ra was surprised. She looked at Horace''s handsome face in front of her, which was perfect and wless. His eyes and brows looked soft with a smile instead of indifference on normal days, which made him look more charming like a diamond. Such a handsome man¡­ Such a handsome man was her husband¡­ Horace''s wheelchair moved slowly, which shocked people. Even Ashlee, who was eye-catching in the middle of the dance floor, couldn''t help stopping at this time. "Dancing in a wheelchair?" She was surprised. But soon, she turned to be jealous and sarcastic. "Disability is disability. It''s pathetic." Ashlee wanted tough at them. But looking at Horace''s handsome face and their beautiful posture, she suddenly felt that her sarcasm was powerless. Other bystanders around her changed from shock to envy. "My God, I know for the first time that one can be so charming just sitting in a wheelchair?" "I envy ra. Her husband loves her so much, who is so romantic and excellent." "He deserves to be the second young master." Among them, some older ones thought about the ident that year and sighed, "What a great young man that year! If there wasn''t the kidnapping, eh?" ra, who was sitting on Horace''sp, noticed what the people around her were talking about. Since she didn''t hear clearly, she couldn''t help looking up. However, Horace suddenly stopped her by pinching her chin. "Do you care what they say?" Horace understood ra. ra smiled a bit awkwardly. "Ignore them," Horace whispered, loosening his hand and turning it into a gentle touch. "You just need to enjoy the moment." Horace''s voice was deeper than usual as if it had magic. Seemed to be bewitched, ra nodded and put her hand around his neck, sliding slowly with him on the dance floor. Seeing how cooperative ra was, Horace''s lips were slightly raised. Meanwhile, at the top of the stairs, the second floor. Standing straight, Russell was looking at the dance floor with a condescending manner. He was slightly moved by watching ra who smiled brightly and Horace with a faint smile dancing on the dance floor. How long hadn''t he seen Horace smile like this? "Master." At this time, a white-haired butler came up, "It''s almost time. Is it time to see off the guests and arrange for young masters anddies to amodate here?" "Yes, it''s time." Russell looked back up and nodded, "By the way, call that girl ra to my study." After saying that, Russell turned to the study. The dance soon ended. In the end, the person who sought the limelight was not Ashlee who was the nominal protagonist, but ra who sat on Horace''sp all night. As thest song finished, ra stood up. Before recovering, she suddenly saw an old man like a butler walking toward her, who said respectfully, "Madam, pleasee with me to the study." ra froze. Was Russell looking for her? Was it because of the photo just now? Thinking of Russell''s sharp eyes, ra felt nervous and instinctively looked at Horace. Horace just nodded slightly. "It''s OK. Although grandpa has a grumpy temper, he is not unreasonable." After hearing what Horace said, ra felt relieved and followed the old butler to the study on the second floor. Russell''s study was very quaint with the smell of sanders. When ra walked into it, she suddenly had the illusion of traveling through ancient times. Russell had changed to his robe and sat behind his desk. He focused on her with his fierce eyes since she entered the door. ra tried to calm herself, went to her desk, and said respectfully, "Sir." "What do you call me?" Russell asked seriously. ra was stunned and didn''t react. "Now that you have married Horace, you should call me Grandpa like he does." Seeing that ra didn''t understand, Russell reluctantly exined. Finally, he added with a sneer, "There''s a big difference between you and your sister, who can''t wait to call me Grandpa. But you as a granddaughter-inw didn''t." A hint of panic shed across ra''s eyes. Russell knew that she and Ashlee were sisters. But after thinking, it was impossible that Russell hadn''t investigated her since she married Horace for so long. However, since Russell let her call him Grandpa, he didn''t mean to disown her. She felt a bit relieved and called out gently, "Grandpa." Russell nodded with satisfaction, and raised his chin, "Sit down." After ra sat down, she heard Russell''s words with dignity, "What do you think I''mseeing you for?" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "Maybe it''s about the pictures at the party." ra plucked up her courage to look up at him. Since she had this opportunity, she wanted to exin, "Grandpa, these photos are actually¡ª" But before she exined, Russell had already raised his hand to stop her. "You don''t have to exin to me." Russell sounded a little impatient. "Do you think I haven''t investigated you since you have married Horace so long?" The word "investigate" was very clever, which expressed his idea. Not only did he investigate what happened two years ago, but also the truth, so he knew that ra was framed. ra realized why Russell wasn''t surprised or even med her after he saw the photo. He had known for a long time. ra breathed a sigh of relief and said sincerely, "Thank you, grandpa." "You don''t have to thank me." Russell snorted coldly, "Do you think I didn''t me you because you were innocent?" Chapter 57 Your Duty Chapter 57 Your Duty ra froze again. It had to be said that Horace was right. Russell''s temper was really weird which was hard to figure out. "No matter whether it was your fault two years ago or not, if you are involved in such a scandal, you can''t marry into our family," Russell said coldly. ra didn''t think of this. Her face turned pale. "So grandpa, why can you ept me?" "It''s not me but Horace loved you." Russell''s expression showed his mixed feelings, "It''s been ten years since Laura died. I thought Horace would never love anyone or get married." ra was stunned. Laura? Who was she? Was she the woman Horace used to like? ra was confused, but she didn''t have the guts to ask Russell. "But unexpectedly, he married you." Russell looked at ra again with his sharp eyes. "At first, I thought you were just a puppet he used to deal with me. But I knew that he was really into you since thest time we met and this party." Horace loved her? Russell''s words let ra move for no reason. But she was a little disapproving. Although Horace was very kind to himself, this man was way out of her league. ra couldn''t imagine that he would love her. However, of course, she would not deny Russell in front of him, so she just listened quietly. "That''s why I can ept you." Russell continued, sounding a little tired. "As long as he loves, I''ll agree with him." Looking at Russell, ra suddenly felt that he was not the powerful leader in front of everyone, but an ordinary old man who wanted his grandson to be happy. "But." Russell suddenly spoke again with a serious tone. "Don''t forget, what''s your duty?" ra couldn''t follow, "What is it, Grandpa?" N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "To have a baby with Horace! Isn''t it obvious?" Russell''s eyes widened as if he was angry at ra''s ignorance. "Look, the child of my grandson Sean has already grown up, but Horace, at this age, still has no children!" ra was shocked. After all, did Russell find her just to want her to have a child with Horace? Horace and Sean were brothers, but their ages were very different. Sean was almost fifty, and Horace hadn''t even reached thirty. However, the men in wealthy families usually got married early and would have several children at the age of thirty. ra was embarrassed and didn''t know what to say. But Russell suddenly narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Girl, don''t think I don''t know. Although you and Horace are married, you haven''t had slept with him yet!" ra was knocked for six! How could Russell know this! "Girl, tell me the truth." Russell twinkled and paused, "Was it because he is ipetent?" ra was already terrified, and her face turned red after she heard this question! What did he say? Hold there, Grandpa! Seeing ra didn''t answer, Russell became more worried and continued to ask, "You know, the ident ten years ago made Horace''s legs hurt. I''ve always worried about him. I want to let him see a doctor, but he refused. That''s why I''m worried." Looking at Russell''s worried expression, ra was moved. It seemed that Horace hid his condition about legs from Russell, so Russell was so worried. Seeing his worry, she could not bear it. She gritted her teeth and said brazenly, "I think Horace is alright." Russell was stunned. "How do you know?" "We didn''t do it, but at least we live together." ra was so shy that she couldn''t wait to find a hole to hide. "Sometimes, you know, I can see his reaction." ra''s face was so hot. But what she said was true. She was very sure that Horace had no problem. Not to mention the erection she saw every morning, just there was an identst time. And the time she suddenly came out of the bathroom, she had a "personal" experience of his ability. To be exact, he was great instead of good. Russell was stunned at first, and then understood ra''s meaning. He immediately looked ecstatic, "Really! Haha, that''s great! Great!" Russell stood up excitedly, holding a crutch in his hand. "Since he''s fine, what are you waiting for?" ra didn''t know how to answer, so she had to say, "After all, we just know each other." "Bullshit! " When Russell was excited, the dirty words came out again. "My wife and I met through someone else. We had sex since we got married on the first night! You young people should be very open-minded, aren''t you? How can you be even shier than us!" ra''s face was so red like the color of tomato now. She only heard Russell say waving a crutch, "Girl, I tell you, I''m not a pedantic person. What happened before was not your fault. I don''t me you. But now it''s time that you go for it! No time like the present. Today! Today, you should do it in the old house!" ra froze. Did it tonight? Before she could react from shock, Russell shouted, "Rodney!" After the door of the study was open, the old butler came in soon. "Rodney, hurry to take ra and Horace to the room." Russellughed and said, "Take them to the room which I asked you to prepare it in advance!" What? A prepared room? ra was too scared to ask what room it was before she was taken out of the study by the butler. When she walked to the door, she could hear Russell''s bubblingughter. ra was taken to a room on the third floor. Before she entered, the butler said very considerately, "There were only you and Master Horace on this floor. Therefore, make yourselvesfortable. Don''t be afraid of being heard or disturbed." Chapter 58 Lets Do This Chapter 58 Let''s Do This When she finally grasped what the butler meant, ra''s face turned red. Before she could answer, she was pushed into the room by him. When ra walked into the room and just stood still, Rodney closed the door. Click. The door was locked from the outside. ra was startled and knocked at the door. "Rodney, Rodney? Why did you lock the door?" There was no answer outside. ra was anxious and tried to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. "Don''t knock. They did it on purpose." Just as ra was worried, a cold voice suddenly sounded behind her. ra was stunned. She turned her head and saw Horace sitting behind her. Under the dim light, Horace was sitting in a wheelchair. His suit jacket had been taken off, revealing the white shirt inside. The two buttons had also been loosened, which revealed his sexy and charming corbones. "Horace?" ra then realized. She nced across the room and saw the bed. Her eyes widened. "Is this the room we sleep in at night? But this bed is too small, isn''t it?" The bed in front of her was just a wide single bed, which could barely amodate two people, who must hug each other to sleep on it. "Yes." Horace noticed at first, "They should have done it on purpose." ra also understood that this might be what Russell said before, the special preparation. Her face turned red. Indeed, although ra and Horace slept together at home, they had little contact because the bed was "Just now." Horace suddenly spoke and looked at ra. "What did grandpa tell you?" ra remembered what Russell had just said to herself, and her cheeks became even hotter. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "No, nothing." ra was too shy to repeat what she just heard, and she was not good at lying at all. She felt guilty when she said this. Horace raised his eyebrows, standing up directly from the wheelchair to walk slowly to ra. "Even if you don''t tell me, I can still guess what the old man told you." ra''s face was even hotter. "You, you can?" Horace hade to ra at this time. Looking at her flustered and shy appearance, he felt very cute. For a moment, he couldn''t help teasing her. "Of course." When Horace spoke again, his voice was lower which sounded sexy and charming. Not only that, he pressed his hand on the door next to ra''s head. He leaned down to approach her, "Does he want you to have children with me?" ra felt that her face was about to burn, and she bowed her head. "Well, it''s normal for the elder to worry about you." ra''s voice became softer as Horace became lower and closer to her, and his cheek was almost touching hers. The breath of men came to her, wrapping her, which made her flustered and breathe quickly. Horace was just trying to joke with ra. But as he got closer to ra, he smelled the faint fragrance on her. For a moment, he was also moved. In particr, ra today was extremely attractive. Her tight skirt made her sexy figure be seen. From his view, he could see her soft bust and fair skin. And her little face, which was close to him, was even more red, like a red apple, fresh and juicy, so alluring that made people want to take a bite. Horace thought so, and he couldn''t help but do it. He leaned down and gently bit ra''s hot cheek. He didn''t bite hard, but ra was still scared. She called out, "Ah?" This cry, like a feather brushing Horace''s heart, made him feel as if he had been simted. He suddenly grasped ra''s slender waist to lift her. Suddenly, the two pressed together. ra was more flustered when she felt his heat. "Horace? You?" ra didn''t know that every word she said now made Horace hotter. He tried to stay rational, lowered his head to nip at ra''s slightly red earlobes, and whispered, "ra, do you think we''ve done what grandpa said?" The soft, wet feeling on the earlobes made ra feel as if an electric current was passing through her body. It was so numb that she could not help trembling slightly. She had psychological preparation. After all, she was married. If Horace asked, she would not refuse as a wife. Moreover, when Russell said to her just now, she had thought about the possibility of doing it. To her surprise, she didn''t hate it. So at this time, hearing Horace''s inquiry, she nodded gently, although she was too shy that her ears were so hot and about to smoke. He felt her nod in his arms, and Horace''s passion was sparked off, which instantly swallowed up his remaining self-restraint. He suddenly bowed his head to kiss ra''s soft lips. The softness and fragrance filled his tongue like poison, which made him sink in an instant. Damn it... Did ra drug him or what? Just a kiss was enough to make him lose self-control? Horace pressed ra firmly against the door. His hand slid down from her back to the hem of her skirt. The design of this kind of Party skirt was very cumbersome. Since Horace couldn''t find the zipper at once, he suddenly lost his patience and ripped it! The skirt was soon torn off and fell from ra''s fair shoulders. Looking at ra''s posture in front of him under the dim light, Horace''s throat tightened. With his identity and status, he had nevercked womening on to him. Many women had tried their best to arouse his interest, but he had always worn Joseph''s coat, which made Russell and Sean think that the kidnapping ten years ago hurt him. But at this time, facing ra, he just felt that his body was not his own. The me in his body was not controlled at all, which seemed to be upied by the woman in front of him! Now that ra had agreed, Horace didn''t want to restrain himself at this time. He immediately bent down. His hot lips trailed from ra''s lips down to her neck, her chest, down, and down¡­ But just then¡ª Chapter 59 Are You Challenging My Limits? Chapter 59 Are You Challenging My Limits? "No!" ra suddenly screamed and pushed Horace away. Horace didn''t expect that ra would suddenly resist like this. He was pushed unprepared and took a few steps backward. Looking up in surprise, he saw ra''s flushed face and watery eyes with fear. In an instant, Horace suddenly calmed down like being soaked in the cold water. ra soon realized that she had gone too far. She felt guilty and cautiously approached Horace, "I''m sorry... I suddenly thought of what happened two years ago..." For ra, it was the most terrible nightmare. Not just because the most precious things were lost overnight. It was because what happened that night made her discredited. For a long time after that, she couldn''t even get close to a man. Even shaking hands with men would make her afraid. Now that she has recovered a lot, she once thought that she could ept Horace. But when she did this, she still had instinctive resistance! Looking at Horace calming down, ra felt unspeakable guilt. Horace must feel she was unreasonable. They were married and she agreed, but at thest minute, she still refused him. No man could stand being rejected like this, can he? Thinking of this, she summoned up her courage to approach Horace carefully, putting her hand around his neck, and took the initiative to kiss him, trying to turn on Horace again. But Horace suddenly picked her up to put her on the bed. ra thought Horace would continue. She quickly tightened her body and prepared she would not act the same to push him away thest time. After she waited for a long time, Horace didn''t do anything. Instead, he picked up the quilt to cover her body. ra was stunned. "Horace, are you angry?" Horace sat beside the bed and looked down at ra with calm eyes. "No." "Then why did you..." "Ask me why I don''t go on?" Horace whispered, his long fingers brushing ra''s cheek, soft and gentle, "Because I hope you will enjoy it, instead of enduring it for me." He reacted to ra, which he couldn''t deny. To be exact, he reacted very much. If he didn''t care about ra, maybe he would continue, because it was hard for men to hold back. But he loved ra. Because of his love, he didn''t want their first time to be a bad memory for ra. If he did that, what''s the difference between him and the man she met two years ago? ra didn''t expect Horace to say that. For a moment, she just felt that she was moved. Men and women were different. For women, loving a person meant that they can give their all. For a man, if he fell in love, he would endure for her. Her eyes twinkled and her tight body in the soft quilt finally rxed, "Horace, thank you." Horace chuckled, stood up, walked to the chair next to the table, and sat down. "You can sleep here today." ra was stunned. "What about you? Aren''t you going to bed?" "The bed is too small, and there is only one quilt. Forget it." ra frowned. "Although the bed is small, it could still hold two people. You can sleep with me." Horace suddenly looked at ra with unpredictable eyesight. "ra, are you challenging my self- control?" ra froze. Well, she almost forgot that she had teased Horace so hard today, but he didn''t seed atst. When Horace was suffering now, she even asked him to sleep with her¡­ She was careless. ra didn''t dare to talk anymore now. She just covered herself up andy down. ¡­ On the other side, Russell paced back and forth anxiously in the study. Until Rodney came back, he hurried over, "How''s it going? How are they?" "They''ve entered the room, but I don''t know what happened for sure." Rodney was honest. After all, he didn''t dare eavesdrop. Russell nodded and sighed, "I just hope they can save me a snack and let me hold another great- grandson as soon as possible." "Don''t worry too much, sir." Rodney said seriously. "Well." Russell suddenly thought of something, and his face suddenly became cold again. "Can you find out something about today''s photo?" It was such a big banquet, that someone suddenly showed such a picture. No matter whether its N?velDrama.Org owns all content. purpose was to humiliate the Kirnd family or ra, it was intolerable. Rodney nodded. "I found out that it was Young Master Darren''s fianc¨¦e, Miss Ashlee Middleton." When Russell heard this answer, he was not surprised at all. He just sneered, "Sure enough, I knew this girl was a bad one." Rodney said expressionless, "Maybe it''s because of what happened between Miss Selman and Master Darren in university." Russell nodded and sighed, "Nephew and uncle like the same woman. It really caused me a headache." "But Miss Selman is the only one whom Master Horace loves, so you will support him anyway." Rodney was Russell''s henchman who understood his idea. "Yes." Russell rubbed the center of his eyebrows wearily. "As for the girl Ashlee, tell Darren about what she did." "Don''t you want to deal with her, sir?" "Oh, such a hoyden, can she also deserve to let me deal with her myself?" Russell sneered, "if Darren can''t handle her well, he doesn''t deserve to be a child in the Kirnd family!" "Yes, I see." Rodney took orders and then left the study immediately. Russell walked to the bedside to watch the moon outside. After he suddenly thought of Horace''s smile when he was dancing with ra on the dance floor, his wrinkled face suddenly softened. How many years hadn''t he seen Horace smile like this for years? It seemed that Horace had met a woman who could make himugh again atst. Now, he just hoped that they could have a child. While Russell was worrying, the atmosphere in the upstairs room had cooled slowly from the scorching heat. Horace sat in a chair, supporting his head with his hands with closed eyes. Although it waste at night, ra was not sleepy at all. After being silent for a long time, she carefully said, "Horace, I can''t sleep. Let''s talk." Horace didn''t open his eyes, but said faintly, "What did you say?" "Well..." After thinking for a while, ra said, "Why did grandfather know whether we had sex or not?" Chapter 60 Where Are the Photos From? Chapter 60 Where Are the Photos From? "Martha and Donald told him." Horace said simply, "They are grandpa''s people. It was said that Grandpa sent them to take care of me, but they are also watching me." ra realized the reason Horace always wanted to get rid of Martha was this. The reason Russell watched Horace was that he cared about him. But no one liked to be watched. Especially Horace hid his situation about his legs. "Well," ra hesitated to ask, "Why don''t you tell your grandpa that you''re not disabled? I think he cares about you a lot." Horace opened his eyes. "He cares about me very much. However, he is old and wants to enjoy a peaceful and happy life. Therefore, sometimes there are some problems in his judgment." ra was confused. "What judgment?" N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Judgments about his families." Horace said, "For example, he always thinks that Sean and I should get along well, so if he knows about my legs, he may inadvertently tell it to him." ra was stunned, and then she realized. Horace hid his situation from Sean. The rtionship among big families was tooplicated. Thinking about this, ra had a headache, sleeping in a daze. In a trance, she seemed to see Horace sitting at her desk, taking out something to look at. Under the light, she saw that the thing in Horace''s hand was shining faintly, like a crystal pendant. Was that the pendant before? ra felt a little ufortable for no reason. Whose pendant was it? Who made Horace care so much? Thinking of these, ra slept. ¡­ Compared with the peace of ra, the atmosphere in the other room of the house was much tenser. Darren walked into the room with a livid face. Ashlee, who had changed into pajamas in the room, hurried over to hug his arm. "Darren, where have you been? I have been waiting for you for a long time after taking a bath." Ashlee wore a silkce nightdress on purpose. She looked more attractive under the dim light. Her chest was constantly rubbing Darren''s arm. But Darren was not moved at all. He just nced at Ashlee gloomily. "Ashlee, do you have anything to exin to me?" Ashlee was a little scared by his attitude. "Exin what? Darren, what''s the matter with you?" "Those photos today." Seeing Ashlee still pretending to not know, Darren sounded impatient, "Who allowed you to release those photos of ra?" Ashlee turned pale. Did Darren know she expose these pictures? "Darren... Did you... Did you misunderstand something?" She flustered, "I don''t know how those indecent photos came out suddenly, but you believe¡ª" "Ashlee, why are you pretending at this time!" Darren just felt that the face in front of him was bing more and more annoying. He got rid of her. "Grandpa has found out! How would he think of me?" What? Even Russell knew about this? Ashlee''s face turned pale. She didn''t realize that she was trying to frame ra, but she was hurting herself by her doing! Looking at Darren, she knew that the only chip in her hand was Darren. Her eyes became red quickly, and pulled his sleeve sadly, "Darren, I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I didn''t think it through. Will you hate me because of this?" As she spoke, tears trickled down her face. It had to be said that Ashlee was very beautiful. At this time, she was a weeping beauty, who looked even more moving. After all, she was also his girlfriend. Darren was a little softhearted and slowed down his tone, "Ashlee, tell me, why did you do this?" Ashlee bit her lip and whispered, "Because I''m too scared..." "What are you afraid of?" "I''m afraid you''re still thinking about her. I''m afraid you''ll love her again, and then... And then abandon me..." Darren didn''t expect Ashlee to say that. He was stunned. Looking at her smiling face full of tears, he felt a little distressed and stretched out his hand to hug her. "Fool." He whispered, "ra did such a dirty thing two years ago. How could I have anything to do with her?" Not knowing if it was because there were too many unpleasant things today when Ashlee heard Darren''s promise, she didn''t feel relieved at all. Instead, she felt even more anxious. "Darren." She nestled in Darren''s arms and could not help whispering, "If you knew that two years ago... she didn''t do those things, would youe back to her?" This had always been Ashlee''s demon. She once thought that as long as Darren and ra broke up, they would be separated. After all, life was not a TV drama. Who could still remember others after breaking up? Most people became strangers after all. But now she became less and less confident. She did not expect that Darren would be ra''s boss, let alone ra would be Horace''s aunt. Ever since she knew that ra worked for Darren, she had been worried that ra would exin what happened before. But she didn''t know why ra never exined. She was puzzled and yet relieved. But she was still worried. Looking at Darren''s attitude towards ra recently, she always felt that she underestimated the feelings between them. She was really afraid. After Darren learned the truth, would he reunite with ra? Darren didn''t expect Ashlee to say that. He was stunned for a while, but he quickly said in a cold voice, "The photos are the proof. It isn''t a misunderstanding." Ashlee looked at his cold face and dared not speak. Darren looked at the poor woman in his arms and suddenly thought of something. He frowned, "By the way, how did you get those photos?" Those photos were sent to him by an anonymous email. He didn''t show them to anyone except Horace and ra, but why did Ashlee have them? As she was caught up in her own thoughts, Darren''s question struck her back to reality. She nched. Oh, no, she almost forgot the origin of the photos. Looking at Ashlee''s suddenly colorless face, Darren finally realized something. He slowly pulled her away from his arms. His face stern, his dashing eyebrows frowned. "Ashlee, did you send me those photos?" Chapter 61 The Old Man Back Then Chapter 61 The Old Man Back Then Ashlee''s fingers, imperceptibly, clenched. A few days ago, when she found out that ra had married Horace, she had been so angry that she had made this n with barely any thought. And initially, she had been particrly confident in her n, having bribed a subordinate of the Kirnd family. Once the banquet was over, she had arranged for that subordinate to resign and leave, so she initially thought there was no way she would be exposed. But she didn''t expect that the Kirnd family, as a prestigious family after all, would have investigated these matters much more efficiently than she had thought, and she was exposed that night. So she never thought about how to exin the origin of the photos. And hearing Darren''s questioning at that moment made her even more unsettled. It was true that she had sent him the photos in Darren''s hand, both two years ago and recently. It was she who had set up the trap, and it was she who had ced the pinhole camera in the hotel. But Darren must not know about this. So she tried to calm herself down as quickly as possible and had an idea. She pretended to look scared, "Darren, don''t me me if I tell you how I got these pictures, okay?" Darren''s eyes contracted for a moment, "First, you tell me where exactly you got the photos?" Ashlee avoided his gaze, and her voice dropped a few more notches, "Actually... I secretly looked through your phone." Darren had looked at Ashlee with a grim face and a wary expression, but he didn''t expect such a reply from her and froze. "Yeah." Ashlee whispered as if summoning tremendous courage, "Do you remember the day we were at the Japanese restaurant? You seemed out of sorts that day, and I thought you had a woman outside, so I got scared; I went through your phone and saw there was an unread anonymous email, so I clicked on it... I didn''t expect to see something like that, and I was so shocked that I instinctively passed it on to my phone." Darren frowned, struggling to remember. Indeed, he had had dinner with Ashlee on the days he had received that anonymous email, and he had been preupied because of ra''s picture. Could that be what had happened? He looked down at Ashlee beside him, only to see her eyes red and as pitiful as a little bunny, and all of a sudden, he couldn''t help but feel a little bit of sorry. "All right. I got it." He patted her shoulder, "Don''t make that face as if I''ve bullied you." Ashlee bit her lip and gave him a cautious look, "Darren, you don''t me me?" me her? N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Of course, he did. Especially when he thought about how ra had looked at him when the pictures were released, he had been so angry that he wanted to break off his engagement with Ashlee, that stupid woman! But then he looked at Ashlee''s eyes, which were simr to ra''s, and he couldn''t bear the thought. It was true that he had been too concerned about ra since his return to China, and it was no wonder that Ashlee was insecure. Ultimately, Ashlee would do it because she loved him too much. Darren''s eyes suddenly twinkled. What if... If only ra could be as madly in love with him as Ashlee was and would do anything for him... In a trance but for a moment, Darren shook his head, "I forgive you this time, but in the future, don''t do these things without telling me, okay?" A look of joy shed across Ashlee''s face when she heard that Darren wasn''t going to take it up with her, and she hugged him, "Of course not! Looking at Darren in front of her, Ashlee''s eyes flickered for a moment before she suddenly straightened up, her eyes winked like glitter and her voice charming, "Darren, it seems like we haven''t done it for a long time since we got back..." Darren was suddenly a little stunned. The room was only lit with a bedsidemp, the light was already a little dim, and between the haze, Ashlee''s face couldn''t help but ovep even more with the look in his memory. At this time, Ashlee had taken the initiative to approach him, red lips pressed over, her body slowly rubbing against his, "Darren... I want you... so badly." But the moment Ashlee got close, the strong scent of her perfume reached his nostrils. In an instant, he sobered up as if cold water had been poured over his head. "No." He spoke abruptly, pushing Ashlee away. Ashlee stumbled a little at a push and looked at Darren incredulously and hurt, "Darren..." Darren was suddenly at a loss for how to face Ashlee and could only say, "I''m too tired today. Maybe another time?" Ashlee was hurt but still couldn''t say anything; she could only bite her lip and nod. Darren quickly got ready to shower, but before entering the bathroom, he couldn''t help himself and turned his head, whispering, "Ashlee, your perfume is too strong. Don''t wear it anymore." With those words, he walked into the bathroom without looking back. Ashlee, who was left behind, looked as pale as if she had lost her soul. She had been rejected by Darren again. She had taken the initiative numerous times since her return, but Darren had never epted her. Not only that, but he wouldn''t make time for her; most of the time, he was at the magazine publishing Thepany with ra. And today, he said her perfume stung? When they first got together, he had clearly said it was his favourite perfume, so she would carefully spray it on either during the day or after her bath. But now he was telling her that she was better off without perfume? How many girls of this age don''t these days wear perfume? Except for poor slobs like ra! ra... Ashlee''s face went even paler as the name came to her mind. Was she overthinking it again? Was Darren... still unable to let go of ra?! Ashlee was so angry that she almost exploded, grabbing the pillows and quilts on the bed like crazy and smashing them silently around the room. ra! You shameless bitch! You have no right to steal a man from me when you are so lowly! You''re the one who pushed me to this point! Don''t me me for being unkind! Angrily, she pulled out her phone and ensured Darren was already in the shower before dialling a number. "Hello." Her voice was icy as the call was answered, "Find me that old man, you know, the same one back then. Tell him I want him to do me a favour, and if he helps me, I can give him several beautiful young girls. All for free." Chapter 62 Are You Hinting At Me? Chapter 62 Are You Hinting At Me? The following early morning. When ra woke up, Horace had freshened up and was standing in front of the mirror, buttoning up his shirt. His buttons were still mostly unbuttoned, exposing a little of his chest, firm and white, his muscles well defined and as perfect as a work of art. ra didn''t expect to see such a thing so early in the morning, and she was a little dumbfounded. Noticing ra''s confused look in the mirror, the corners of Horace''s mouth lifted slightly in an imperceptible curve, and his low voice rang out, "What? Are you still satisfied?" ra then returned to her senses and froze for a moment before realising that Horace had asked if she was happy with his body. She blushed and averted her eyes. Horace raised an eyebrow as he watched the young woman look away in panic, a hint of displeasure shing in his eyes. Ignoring the few buttons still scattered across his chest, he turned to ra''s side of the bed and leaned down, cupping her chin and forcing her gaze back to his. "ra," Horace whispered, his voice low and sexy, "see if you want to, I''m not charging you." ra''s eyes rounded. Was it just her? Why did she think that Horace, the guy, was getting shameless in his words? ra couldn''t beat Horace for cheekiness, and she blushed even more at the slight exposure of his firm chest in front of her. Fearing Horace would see how nervous she was, she could only change the subject haphazardly, "So... do you think your grandfather will know that we didn''t have sexst night?" Horace''s eyebrow tilted, leaning a few more inches lower, "Maybe, so?" This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "So..." such proximity made ra increasingly flustered and spoke without thinking, "So will we be scolded..." Horace''s eyebrow raised even higher, "ra, are you implying something to me?" ra froze, and when she realised it, she wanted to bite her tongue! She was stupid to bring that up! "I didn''t mean it..." she said in a panic, afraid that Horace would take it the wrong way. "That''s not what you meant? Then what do you mean?" Horace gave a softugh, his breath blowing on the tip of ra''s nose as he spoke, "Don''t you know that men are most sexually active in the morning?" ra''s face was as red as a tomato, and her words stuttered even more, "I, I''m not..." Horace had been joking, but he hadn''t expected the little woman in front of him to take it seriously. Instead of showing such a flustered expression, the curve of his mouth couldn''t help but increase. "Just kidding." He whispered, and before ra could sigh of relief at those words, the second half of Horace''s following sentence had her entire nerves tightening again, "But... your concerns have a bit of a point, so we''d better do something about it. " "Huh?" ra panicked, and before she could ask Horace what he would do, Horace leaned down and buried his head between ra''s pale neck. "Ah!" ra was startled and tried to struggle, but as if Horace had foreseen it, he snapped her hands together with one hand, leaving her pinned to the bedding, unable to move, "Horace... what are you doing! You, what are you doing..." The wet, tickling sensation came from between her neck; ra was terrified and tried to cry out in horror, but the tingling sensation spread throughout her body, and by the time she said the second half of the sentence, her voice could not help but tremble slightly. It was long before Horace slowly straightened up and looked at the stark red marks on ra''s fair neck, the corners of his mouth curled up into a satisfied arc. "That should do the trick," Horace whispered as he looked at the tiny woman blushing in front of him. Only then did ra react to something and hurriedly pushed Horace away, jumped up from the bed and rushed to the mirror next to her. Seeing herself in the mirror, ra froze in her tracks. She saw herself in the mirror, her face flushed, her eyes shining, with an unfamiliar flirtatious look on her brows. Was this... still her? But that was not even the most important thing. What mattered most was the strawberry mark on her neck, which was more obvious! "Horace!" she couldn''t help but have a few moments of anger, "How could you... I can''t go out and meet people like this!" Horace had walked up to ra''s back and naturally wrapped his arms around her waist,ughing lightly, "I''m just leaving my mark." ra red at Horace, but there was nothing she could do about it but change her clothes. Martha had prepared her clothes to return when she arrivedst night. In fact, after marrying Horace, Horace had asked someone to buy her many clothes, but they were all too expensive, and ra didn''t wear them because she thought they were too high-profile. The dress that Martha prepared for her this time was one of those dresses, an ordinary-looking halter dress, but with an excellent cut and material that made her look elegant. The only downside was that it was a halter dress, so the strawberry mark around her neck was also visible. ra didn''t have any concealer with her, so she had to put on a little foundation to cover it up, and then she went downstairs with Horace. Russell, Sean, Darren and Ashlee were already eating breakfast in the dining room. Seeing Horace''ste arrival, Sean''s face sank, "Horace, you''re a bit slow, aren''t you, making Grandpa wait for you?" "Isn''t Grandpa already eating?" Horace''s wheelchair slowly slid to the table, his expression calm, "I was a bit busyst night, so I sleptte." The phrase "a little busyst night" was evocative, and everyone at the table looked at ra next to him. Russell''s eyes lit up as he saw the marks on ra''s neck, and he immediately said to the butler next to him, "Rodney, you help me stew a bowl of the bird''s nest I brought back from Indonesia a while ago for ra." ra was a little ttered, "Thank you, Grandpa." Seeing Russell''s concern for ra, Sean''s face changed slightly, especially Ashlee''s, whose eyes were so jealous that they could almost spitfire. Darren couldn''t help but look at ra a couple more times, and soon he saw the apparent red mark on her neck. His hand under the table involuntarily squeezed tighter in a sh, and his body tensed up! Although he had long felt that something must have happened between ra and Horace, seeing it with his own eyes made him feel like a monster was roaring in his chest! Not only that, but looking at ra''s slightly flushed face and the flirtatious look in her eyes, he couldn''t help imagining the scenes of ra and Horacest night... Chapter 63 Keep it Up Chapter 63 Keep it Up The meal was spent in such an eerie atmosphere. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. Darren was in a bad mood, so he left soon afterwards with Ashlee. ra dutifully drank up the bird''s nest before leaving with Horace. Russell was in a great mood and said he was going for a walk after the meal, so he walked them both to the door. Horace''s wheelchair slid into the car first, and ra was about to follow, but Russell suddenly pulled her back. "ra," Russell said with a mysterious look, "you did well yesterday. But I''m telling you, as someone who''s been there, the chances of hitting it in one go are too small, so remember to work hard when you get back." ra froze for a moment before realising what Russell was talking about and blushed again. Oh really. One grandfather, one grandson, both so thick-skinned! ra hurriedly got into the car after a couple of random responses. The Kirnd family''s party had passed without a hitch. In the next few days, the deadline for printing the new issue of ra''s magazine publishingpany was approaching, and the wholepany was busy. Even Darren had no time to give ra a hard time; he was busy with the magazine. Since the failure of itsst deal with Queensvale, thepany had been in a bit of a financial crisis, the biggest since its inception. Luckily, the second interview with Horace was just in time to hit a new sales record so they could get over the hump. But the money gap was there, and Horace could save them once, but not twice. For this new magazine issue, everyone is again scratching their heads about what to put out. This time Diane Kirby was very motivated and went to interview a substandard food processing nt herself, using a spy camera to recorded a lot of inside stories. There has been much attention on food safety in the country recently, and the consensus was that the subject could cause a stir, so everyone worked together overnight just to gut this dodgy factory. As part of thepany, ra was not in charge of the story, but she worked overtime too. At midnight that night, ra was still in her office working on theyout when Diane suddenly came up to her and dropped a file on her desk, "ra, this is my record of the workers in this factory, many of whom don''t have the relevant technical licences so that you can give me a count." ra was already busy with typesetting and suddenly saw this and frowned, "Diane, I''m a bit rushed. Can you do your count?" "What do you mean?" Diane started as if she had heard a joke, "Do you know how busy I am! You have to understand that I did this interview all by myself! I''m already busy just sorting out the interview, and you''re asking me to sort out all these chores myself?" ra frowned, "But I''m too busy here too. Why don''t you¡­" Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Diane impatiently, "ra, I know you have someone to back you up, but don''t be so arrogant. Do you want to take it for granted at the magazine publishingpany just because you have the editor-in-chief to help you?" Diane''s voice was very sharp and deliberately raised her pitch when she said this; everyone in the ra''s face went cold. She took a deep breath, took the papers Diane gave her without any haste and said indifferently, "Okay, I''ll sort it out for you." A look of triumph appeared on Diane''s face, and she was just about to make a couple of foolish remarks, but then ra spoke up again without haste. "But please, also, don''t think you''re a benefactor to thepany just because you did an interview; after all, this is only the first manuscript you''ve been responsible for in the two years you''ve been with the magazine." ra''s words were mean, but they were also urate. She and Diane had joined the magazine simultaneously, and she''d been able to handle a separate manuscript all by herself a year ago, but Diane had always just done odd jobs like proofreading. "You..." Diane didn''t expect ra to turn on her suddenly. She nched, but when she heard many peopleughing around her, she couldn''t help gritting her teeth and storming away in anger. As soon as Diane left, Sarah slid her chair over and gave ra a thumbs up, "ra, that''s cool! I''ve been so upset with Diane thest few days, just doing an interview, and her tail''s up in the air." ra smiled nomittally and just started working on the file Diane had given her. As she did, she couldn''t help but frown. This factory was shady, employing people from rural areas outside the city who knew nothing and were just working machines for them. She hesitated and couldn''t help asking, "What will happen to these workers after we expose this factory?" "All of them will lose their jobs." Sarah shrugged, "I''m in charge of investigating the factory''s financial situation. They''ve recently taken on a lot of big orders, and they''re having trouble keeping up with the money. They seem to have been in arrears for a long time, and if we expose them, I guess all these orders will go down the drain, and these workers will not even have to think about their wages." ra''s heart was not in the right ce to hear this. But she knew it would be irresponsible for consumers to allow food made in such shady factories to be distributed in the market, so she couldn''t say anything more but continued to sort out the information. It was around 11 o''clock when ra felt her stomach pumping a little. She rubbed her stomach and frowned. She had a poor stomach, and the slightest hunger made it hurt. Today, she had eaten a few biscuits for dinner to work overtime, and now she was having trouble holding on. But the shop downstairs was also closed at this hour, so she had to walk to the pantry to see what was in the fridge. But there were too many people workingte today, and others had long since eaten the snacks in the fridge, so ra had to warm up some milk to warm her stomach. She was taking a small sip of the milk when she suddenly heard a footstep behind her. She turned her head and saw thest person she expected to see. Darren. Darren had a bento in his hand, apparentlying to the microwave in the pantry to reheat it, but he hadn''t expected to run into ra, and he froze for a moment. ra''s face turned cold instantly, and she turned her head to leave, but Darren called out. "ra!" ra didn''t stop and continued to walk out the door, but suddenly her wrist was grabbed, and she was forced to stop, turning around to see Darren''s angry face. "ra Selman." Darren''s face sank slightly, "I''m calling you. Didn''t you hear me?" Chapter 64 Ill Never Forgive You Chapter 64 I''ll Never Forgive You "I hear you." ra''s tone was cold, "But I don''t want to talk to you." ra''s cold attitude stung Darren, and his hand squeezing ra''s wrist involuntarily hardened. "You''re still mad about the party?" Darren barely held himself together, "I''m sorry about that. Also, I didn''t know about the photos; you have to believe me. I''m not that mean." ra didn''t want to pay any attention to Darren, but when she heard him say, "You have to trust me", she couldn''t help but hold the sarcasm in her eyes, "Trust you? Believe you in what? That you hate me so much that you want to ruin my reputation? Or you''ve gone to all that trouble just to torture me?" Darren''s face turned pale, and his tone took on a bit of anger, "ra, you''ve known me for so long, don''t you know what kind of person I am? Even if I hated you, I wouldn''t do something that despicable!" Darren''s words caused the sarcastic curve of ra''s mouth to increase. Apart from the sarcasm, her smile was a little more miserable and helpless this time, "Darren, you want me to trust you, but have you ever given me your trust?" Darren hadn''t expected that from ra and was stunned. "We''ve known each other for so long, been together for three whole years, don''t you know what kind of person I am?" ra took his tone and said slowly; her eyes couldn''t help but reddened, "But back then, a few pictures, gossip from others, made youpletely forget what kind of person I was; you always preferred to believe everything others said, not me." Darren''s heart shook. What did ra mean by this? Was she rebuking him for not trusting her back then? "That''s not even close to the same thing!" Darren felt irritated for no reason, "Fine, even if I misunderstood you two years ago, can you exin how you, an ordinary little journalist, could have married my uncle? Isn''t this the best evidence that you went to great lengths to join a wealthy family? And don''t think I didn''t see your submissivenessst time in front of Mr. Muller. It''s just that I didn''t want to tell my uncle. I''m afraid he doesn''t even know what kind of a woman you are out there!" Looking at Darren in front of her, ra suddenly felt that she had been kicked in the head by a donkey to say those words to him. The woman in his heart was already a dirty slut, and she was still talking to him about trust? What a fool. What a fool she was. When ra didn''t say anything, Darren assumed she had nothing to say in return, and as his gaze inadvertently swept over the red mark on her neck that hadn''t fadedpletely, the beast in his chest seemed to reawaken. "You say I should know you, but what you showed me in those three years we were together wasn''t even the real ra, was it!" Darren growled low, "The ra I knew would blush at the thought of holding hands, but the real you? ra, you''re still strutting around with that obvious mark on your neck. Do you have any shame?" Darren knew his words were harsh, and if they were before, he wouldn''t have believed he could say something so snarky. But when it came to ra, he was as if being possessed and had be entirely unlike himself. ra looked at Darren in front of her, not angry at his insults, nor did she retort, only her eyes grew colder. "Darren," she suddenly spoke in a low voice, soft but colder, "if one day you find out that everything is a figment of your imagination. When that happens, even if you try to apologise to me, I will never forgive you." With those words, ra shook off Darren''s hand without ncing at him and turned to leave. It was only after she had walked outside the pantry that ra felt herself out of breath, and she gasped for air so drastically that her lungs seemed to be going to explode. At that moment, her phone suddenly rang. ra looked at her phone, and the moment she saw the name disyed on the screen, she was stunned; the next second, she picked it up as if she had grabbed a lifeline. "Horace..." she said quickly before the person on the phone could even speak. Horace''s low voice on the other end of the line rang out, "ra, where are you?" "I''m at the office." ra tried to keep herself calm as she replied, "I''m workingte; I texted you earlier and told you that you didn''t have to wait for me for dinner." "I know." Horace''s voice was as cold and nd as ever, but at this point, ra felt as if it was calming her down, "Come down." "Down?" ra stared, "Down where?" "Downstairs, I''m downstairs from your office." Lost in thought for a moment, ra ignored the high heels on her feet and quickly ran towards the lift. In the lift, her heart pounded as she watched the numbers on the lift screen, and she mentally chanted - Hurry up, hurry up... For the first time, she suddenly wanted to see Horace quickly. Ding. The lift finally stopped on the ground floor, and ra couldn''t wait to get out. Running to the door, she saw the familiar ck Bentley. At this moment, she couldn''t care less if anyone from the office saw her; she just put her feet up, straightened her messy clothes and hair, and walked quickly. Inside the car, Horace caught a glimpse of ra''s movements through the window, and his dark eyes flickered with a smile as he quickly opened the door. ra got into the car. "What brings you here?" She looked at the man in front of her, looking increasingly calm and handsome in a simple navy jumper. "To bring you dinner," Horace said lightly, handing the lunchbox in his hand to ra. ra froze and opened the lunchbox to see Martha''s exquisite cooking inside. In disbelief, ra looked up at Horace, "You came to our office just to bring me food?" Perhaps ra''s eyes were too puzzled. Horace averted his eyes a little unnaturally and coughed lightly, "No, I went to a meeting at the office and brought it for you on my way." ra couldn''t help but snort out augh. Even a shrewd person like Horace could say the wrong thing at times. Herpany was in the west, their home was in the east, and Horace''spany was in the middle, so there was no such thing as "stopping by". But ra knew that Horace was thin-skinned, so she didn''t say anything; she just put the lunchbox in her arms and said softly, "Horace, thank you." Horace looked at her again, her eyes shining like a sea of stars in the dimly lit carriage. "You''re wee." He whispered a little more softness in his tone than he was aware of, "Take it back to your office. It''s not good to leave your seat for too long, is it?" All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. ra nodded and opened the car door to get out. But the moment she was about to get out of the car, she suddenly felt a little reluctant. She suddenly turned her head to Horace and looked at him. When Horace saw ra''s hesitation, he frowned slightly, "What''s wrong?" Looking at the handsome man in front of her, ra felt a softness in her heart and spoke softly, almost without thinking, "Horace, can I hug you?" Chapter 65 Can I Hug You? Chapter 65 Can I Hug You? Horace was stunned, obviously not expecting ra to make such a request. Seeing that Horace did not reply, ra realised what she had said as if in hindsight, and with a blush All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. on her face, she hurriedly managed a smile and said casually, "Uh... I''m just kidding. I''ll go up first." She said as she panicked and wanted to get off. However, before she could set foot outside, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone. The next moment, before ra had time to react, her body was pulled backwards, and she fell into a warm embrace. Horace''s scent of a mature man, mixed with the faint smell of cigars, wrapped around her entire body and made her feel at ease for no apparent reason. "Thank you." ra whispered, looking up in Horace''s arms, her eyes shining, "I gotta go." Feeling the fragrant soft body in his arms, the corners of Horace''s mouth couldn''t help but rise slightly, "Okay, I''ll wait for you at home." ra nodded and stepped out of the car. After getting out of the car, she didn''t rush back; she just stood in ce and watched Horace''s car leave. The warmth of the lunchbox in her arms,ing through her clothes, was hot. It was like... The same as the embrace Horace had just given her. The aroma of Horace still lingered on her body as she recalled that embrace and ra could not help but blush slightly. Okay, okay, anthomaniac is almost enough. ra patted her face and hurried upstairs. Even she hadn''t noticed that the bad mood that Darren had put her in was lifted up with Horace''s appearance. After a full day and night of work, the magazine samples were delivered to the printer on time. ra didn''t even have the energy to say a few words to Horace when she got home, so shey down, slept for two days and nights, and woke up when the magazine wasunched. It was worth all the hard work. The expose of the ck-hearted food processing nt caused quite a stir, and although the sales did not reach that of thest issue with Horace''s interview, it did attract enough attention to draw in quite a few advertisers. Thepany''s crisis was finally over. ra is happy for thepany, as she has been working here for two years and has some feelings for it. The only downside is that Diane''s nose is about to grow into the air as the story bes a major sensation. Still, everyone was happy primarily, and Darren, who has always been a distant personality, said he was inviting everyone to get together for dinner today. Everyone was cheering and talking about how they would kick the editor-in-chief''s ass. Sarah also excitedly said, "ra, you''re going too, right?" ra nced at Darren in the crowd and shook her head, "I''m in a hurry to get home, so I won''t be there. You guys have fun." A sh of disappointment crossed Sarah''s face, but she knew of Darren and ra''s awkward rtionship and had to nod. ra went down the hall with the group, and while everyone was still gathered around, chattering and discussing where to go for dinner and singing, ra took the initiative. She said, "Sir, I have something going on at home today, so I won''t be going. I''ll leave first." Darren''s eyes flickered to hear that ra was leaving, but he nodded. The group also looked at Darren and ra''s interaction with a weird look, but after all, Darren was here, and they couldn''t say anything. ra pretended she didn''t see everyone''s eyes and turned her head to prepare to leave. But just as she was about to leave the office building, she was suddenly bumped into someone. "Ouch." She stumbled a few steps and looked up to see the person who had bumped into her, a man in his early thirties, dirty and with rough, tanned skin. ra staggered. Not only did this man not look like someone who worked in an office building, but with her journalistic acumen, ra also realised that the man looked extraordinarily flustered and didn''t even apologise or stop when he bumped into her but just stumbled forward. ra had a bad feeling in her heart and immediately turned her head to see the man pulling something out of his pocket, shiny and silver. When she saw what the man had pulled out, ra''s face turned pale. It was a knife! ra hurriedly tried to call security, but then she suddenly saw the man running towards Darren in the centre of the crowd. ra''s face went pale, and she ran over to him, eximing, "Darren!" ra''s scream was almost instinctive, even down to the title, which involuntarily became the year''s title. Darren heard ra''s voice and froze, turning around to see a fierce man rushing towards him with a knife. "Ah!" The other office people around saw the man at this point and scattered with a scream. The man''s target was Darren, and as the crowd dispersed, he immediately picked up his pace and rushed straight towards Darren in the middle, shouting in not-so-standard Mandarin, "Darren Kirnd! You made me lose my job! You''reing to hell with me!" Darren had grown up with a high standard of living, and even when he was a poor boy, he was only pretending to be an ordinary student, so he had never seen such a situation and was utterly dumbfounded. ra, on the other hand, let out a cry of surprise and, almost without thinking, dashed towards the man. The distance between them was not far, and ra quickly caught up with him; without even thinking, she grabbed the man''s arm to stop him from hurting Darren. The man had been lunging towards Darren like a madman when he was suddenly pulled by a woman, stumbling a little, and the next moment he turned his head and saw ra, his face became even more fierce as he shouted, "Stinking woman! You dare to spoil my ns! Then I''ll kill you first!" With that, he shifted his aim and waved the dagger in his hand towards ra! ra was pulling him, and as he turned, she was staggered by the reaction; before she could stand, the man had the shiny dagger in his hand, which was already in front of her. She was too frightened to dodge. Darren, on the other side of the room, saw the scene, and only then did it take him a moment to jolt awake, his face bloodless. "ra!" he shouted and immediately rushed over to her. Chapter 66 She Was Hurt by Trying to Protect Me. Chapter 66 She Was Hurt by Trying to Protect Me. But in the end, it was toote. As Darren yelled out, the man''s dagger stabbed ra directly in the arm. "Ahh..." The excruciating pain caused ra''s body to shiver, staggering, she fell to the ground. At the same time, Darren had finally rushed to the man and swung his fist across without saying a word! Russell was a soldier and was always very strict with his children and grandchildren, who had been taught essential martial arts and karate since they were young. The man was knocked to the ground with a punch. "ra!" Darren didn''t even bother to look at the man on the ground. He just quickly rushed to ra, who had fallen to the ground and picked her up. Looking at her pale face and red silk shirt, Darren felt as if his heart had been hammered by something! The next second, he looked around at the stunned crowd and shouted, "What are you doing standing there? Call an ambnce!" Only then did everyone wake up as if from a dream, trembling while rushing to dial the ambnce number. Darren held ra tightly, who was ufortable with his sudden closeness and whispered, "Don''t be so nervous. It''s just a small wound on the arm. Let go of me. Everyone''s watching." But Darren, as if he couldn''t hear her, just held his hand over her bleeding wound, shuddered, and shouted in anger, "ra, you''re an idiot! Do you have any idea how dangerous that situation was? Why did youe at me?" Darren seemed to have forgotten that there were people from thepany watching, that he had been loathing ra the other day, and that ra had betrayed him two years ago. At the moment, all he could see was ra''s ghastly white face and the bright red blood. And... ra''s words, "Darren, look out!" ra looked at Darren in front of her, and for a moment, she was dazed. At this moment, she suddenly felt that the Darren in front of her had changed back to the Darren she was once familiar with. Not the Darren in the suit who was always sneering at her, but the Darren in the white shirt and jeans giggling at her on his bike in the schoolyard. Darren didn''t seem to notice the change in ra''s eyes and was still scolding her in annoyance, "ra, you silly girl! What kind of gantry are you trying to disy?" ra froze, and then suddenly couldn''t help butugh. The smile was a bitter one. She remembered that Darren had loved to say that about her when they were studying together. Whenever she stayed upte to work on her schrship, she stood up for a female student in the same faculty who was not treated fairly, and she went on a long run for the sports day even though she had her period... He would have hugged her angrily and said heartily, "ra, do you remember you''re a girl!" At that moment, the ambnce sounded outside, and without saying a word, Darren picked ra up directly across the room and walked out quickly with her in his arms, ignoring the gasps and shocked stares of the people around him. In Darren''s familiar embrace, ra was lost in thought again. For a moment, she felt as if she had been transported back to that summer three years ago, when, still on her period, she had participated in a long-distance race and fainted from the pain at the end. Darren had tumbled down from the stands, picked her up and rushed to the infirmary... ra was a little deterred from thinking more about it. The more you remember some things, the more they reflect the hopelessness of today. The ambnce quickly took ra to the hospital. ra wanted to leave after having her wounds treated on the spot, but Darren, who was making a big deal out of it, used his identity and asked for a private room, making ra protest to no avail. As shey down in the ward reluctantly, Darren went to pay for the treatment. ra was thinking of N?velDrama.Org owns all content. how to sneak away when her mobile phone suddenly rang. ra shivered when she saw the caller ID. It was Horace. ra was a bit afraid to tell Horace about her injury, but she couldn''t answer his call, so she picked up. "Hello..." "ra, where are you?" Horace''s low voice rang out over the phone. "I..." ra''s voice couldn''t help but drop a few notches, "I''m at the hospital." "The hospital?" Horace''s voice on the phone suddenly sank, "What are you doing in the hospital?" "Um... I got injured, but no big deal." ra didn''t want to lie to Horace, and with this bandage so obvious, she was sure he would see it when she got home, so she had to be honest. "Injured?" Horace''s voice suddenly rose sharply, "What hospital are you in?" "Pine Valley Medical Center." It was only ten minutes after the call hung up that Horace''s wheelchair appeared at ra''s door, in such a hurry that ra was even worried that he might just get up and run on two legs. As soon as Horace entered the ward, he saw the thick bandages on ra''s arms, and his face turned grim. His wheelchair slid swiftly in front of ra, and his voice was a little cold, "ra, is this the minor injury you were talking about?" ra scowled in fear and looked cautiously at Horace, "You''re angry?" Horace was indeed angry. Very angry. Angry at ra. She couldn''t even take good care of herself! But his worry overshadowed his anger when he looked at ra''s pale face. "Never mind." Horace''s tone finally softened, "How did you get hurt?" ra''s face froze, suddenly a bit unsure of how to answer. Was she going to say that she had taken the knife for Darren? Then Horace would probably be even angrier, wouldn''t he? Just as she was thinking about how to answer, the door to the ward suddenly opened, and Darren walked in, looking so worried that he didn''t even notice Horace next to him, and said, "ra, the hospitalization procedure ispleted, and the police have caught the man who attacked me, so you don''t have to worry about it. Just have a rest¡ª" Darren was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly noticed Horace in the room and stopped his words. The atmosphere in the ward suddenly became tense. "Darren?" The moment Horace saw Darren, his eyebrows raised slightly and his tone displeased, "What are you doing here?" Darren was not yet able to hide his temperament as invisibly as Horace. At this moment, seeing Horace''s expression, there was an uncontroble amount of oddity. However, he still replied, "A mob attacked me at thepany, and ra was injured trying to protect me, so I sent her to the hospital." Chapter 67 Clara, What Do You Want Me to Do? Chapter 67 ra, What Do You Want Me to Do? ra''s heart almost stopped for a second. Was Darren doing this intentionally? Why did he talk so detailed about it? Wasn''t he afraid that Horace This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. will misunderstand it? ra looked at Horace nervously, trying to see his reaction, but Horace''s eyes were like bottomless ra. "She was doing this to protect me." Horace''s breathing became slightly heavier. Darren''s words were like a provocation. Horace had always felt it''s a waste of time to pay attention to such words. But this time, he had to admit, that Darren seeded. The wound on ra''s arm became even more dazzling at this time. He took a few deep breaths secretly before suppressing the anger in his heart. "Really?" When he spoke again, his tone was still unhurried, "ra is a qualified aunt. After all, it makes sense for her to take good care of her nephew." With simple words, Darren''s face suddenly turned pale. "However." Horace said slowly and nced at ra who was lying nervously on the bed, "I hope she won''t be so impulsive in the future." ra''s heart fluttered for no reason because of his nce. She couldn''t think carefully about the meaning of Horace''s words at all. She could just nod casually. Darren''s expression became more and more awkward. "Well." The other two didn''t speak, and Horace spoke again. "Darren, thank you for sending ra to the hospital. I will let Isaac pay you back the medical fees and other expenses." Darren gritted his teeth and finally said, "Uncle, we don''t have to do this." "How can it be?" Horace said lightly, "My wife ra doesn''t like to owe anything to other people." His wife ra. Other people. Darren only felt as if there''s a monster in his chest roaring again. But seeing ra lying weakly on the bed, he still held back the fury. On the other side, ra was relieved when she heard Horace''s words. In fact, when Darren went to pay the medical fees, she had already been bothered by this behavior. She could owe anyone money, but she just didn''t want to owe Darren anything. Inparison, she would rather let Horace pay for the medical bills. She had owed Horace tons of money anyway. Things couldn''t go any worse. "Okay." Darren took a deep breath and said coldly, "Then I won''t disturb you, dear uncle and aunt. I''ll go back first." Obviously satisfied with Darren''s "attitude", Horace nodded and sent Darren out of the ward. Seeing Darren leaving, ra was first relieved. But before she couldpletely rx, she saw Horace slowly turning the wheelchair to her, with a cold expression on his face. He whispered, "ra, is there anything you want to exin to me?" It made the hairs on the back of ra''s neck stood up. "I... My arm hurts..." ra really didn''t have the courage to face the intimidating Horace. So, she could only try her best to divert his attention using an extremely clumsy attempt. She pretended to be pitiful at the same time. ra originally thought that her pretending skills were so bad that Horace would definitely expose her. But she didn''t expect that he would get close to her concernedly, with his handsome eyebrows knitted together. He was stroking her bandaged arm, while whispering, "The wound, does it hurt? Is it infected? You want to call a doctor to examine it?" Darren''s voice was still low and cold. But she could feel the concern in his tone. ra didn''t expect him to take it serious so easily. She felt a little sorry for him afterward. She could only smile awkwardly, "Actually, it''s okay... It just stings a bit. It should be normal." Hearing this, Horace raised her head, because he was checking the wound just now, the two were very close, and ra could see his panicked expression in his obsidian-like eyes. After a moment of silence, Horace opened his thin lips. ra thought he was going to question her again. She was nervous and didn''t know how to answer. But she didn''t expect him to whisper, "Take a good rest. I''ll let Martha prepare some chicken soup and send it over to you." ra was stunned for a moment, looked up at Horace, wondering why he suddenly stopped questioning her. But Horace''s big hand covered her eyes. "Go to sleep now, we can discuss anything after you wake up." Horace''s voice was low, making her feel like fine velvet swept across her eardrums. ra had taken painkillers before, and she was indeed a little drowsy now. she nodded and closed her eyes obediently. For some reason, it seemed that she always fell asleep very easily every time Horace was around. Just when she was about to fall asleep in a daze, she suddenly felt a soft touch on her forehead. Then, a low sigh sounded in the ear¡­ "ra, what am I gonna do with you?" ... After ra fell asleep, Isaac came to the hospital with Martha''s freshly simmered chicken soup. "Mr. Kirnd, this is¡­" Isaac walked into the ward. Just as he was about to speak, Horace made a silent motion. Isaac was stunned for a moment, he then noticed ra sleeping on the bed. He shut his mouth quickly and followed Horace out of the ward. "Now you can go on." Horace said lightly when they came to the corridor, "Have you investigated the detail of ra''s injury?" "Well, I inquired the security guard of their office building, and many of them witnessed it." "What happened?" "Didn''t their magazine report an unqualified food processing factory before? That processing factory was shut down. But they had owed a lot of workers'' wages before. Now they can''t pay it off. Then an extreme worker wanted to take revenge on Darren. And then..." As he said, Isaac suddenly hesitated. He didn''t dare to continue. Horace''s ck eyes squinted slightly, "Proceed." Isaac had no choice but continued, "The man originally wanted to attack Darren. But to protect Darren, Ms. Kirnd rushed over to stop him. The gangster got angry and stabbed Ms. Kirnd." Isaac was observing Horace''s expression carefully as he said this. But Horace''s expression remained calm. Isaac was confused. He thought that Mr. Kirnd really cared about Ms. Kirnd. Or maybe it was his delusion? "What else?" Horace just said calmly. "And...and I heard from the people present saying that Darren seems to be very worried about Ms. Kirnd''s situation." Isaac said, "He even held Ms. Kirnd to the hospital in person..." Horace''s ck eyes suddenly popped out. "I see." But judging from facial expression, Horace was still m. "Go and do your work." Isaac wiped his cold sweat, nodded, and was about to leave. But he identally saw the armrests of Horace''s wheelchair. He couldn''t help being stunned. Horace was holding the armrest of the wheelchair. Now that he let it go. He even saw that there were four deep fingerprints on the rubber armrest, as if they had been squeezed out by Horace. Chapter 68 I Owe Him Chapter 68 I Owe Him When ra woke up, Horace was still sitting by the bed. Seeing that she was awake, he poured chicken soup from the thermos next to him and said lightly, "You''re up. Have some soup." ra sat up with one hand supporting her. Her right arm was injured. She wanted to use her left hand to reach out to the bowl of chicken soup. But she hasn''t gotten used to using left hand yet. Seeing this, Horace frowned slightly and took the spoon in her hand, "Come on, I''ll feed you." Saying that, he took a spoonful of chicken soup, blew it until it''s cooler, and fed it to ra''s lips. ra was stunned. Horace was feeding her in person? She really didn''t expect that she would be so well taken care of like this, but she still opened her mouth N?velDrama.Org owns all content. and drank it obediently. She drank the soup in gulps. With her eyes looking at Horace in front of her, she felt a little uneasy. Horace always looked so calm and hiding his true emotion, that she couldn''t tell whether he was angry or not. ra was thinking about whether she should take the initiative to bring up the injury when she heard Horace say lightly, "Is there anything you want to tell me?" ra froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile. Sure enough, in front of someone like Horace, she really couldn''t hide anything. "I was just wondering if you''re upset," ra said honestly. "Upset about what?" ra hesitated. "You are upset because that I got hurt for Darren." ra lowered her tone involuntarily when she said these words. Her voice sounded soft, like a feather brushing through Horace''s heart. Horace looked at her. His gaze softened a bit, "Well, I am indeed angry." ra didn''t expect Horace to confirm this so directly. She was stunned, raised her head, and met Horace''s eyes. Seeing the surprised look of the littledy in front of him, Horace raised his eyebrows slightly, "What? Don''t you want to ask me why I am angry?" "I... probably know why you''re angry," ra said slowly. Horace raised her eyebrows even higher, "Then tell me, why am I angry?" "Because I''m your wife." ra blinked. "No man would be happy about his wife getting hurt for her ex- boyfriend..." Horace''s eyes squinted imperceptibly. Hearing ra''s answer, he didn''t know if he should be angry or helpless. Did this stupid woman still think he was thinking her as his possession until now? She''s really sluggish. "Horace?" Seeing that Horace didn''t speak, ra spoke again cautiously, "I''m really sorry. I wasn''t considerate of your feelings this time. I''ll be more careful next time." Bang. Horace put the bowl down abruptly. The spoon hit the side of the bowl letting off a crisp sound. ra was startled by the noise. "ra, that''s why you think I''m angry?" Horace slowly raised his eyes to look at ra on the bed. Seeing her nodding nkly, his eyes became even angrier, "Then what if I say, the reason why I''m angry, is more than that?" ra froze for a moment. More than that? But she couldn''t think of anything else that would make him angry. After all, their marriage was fake and they had reached an agreement, right? Could it be... he was jealous of Darren? The thought popped into ra''s mind for only a second. And then she quickly shook her head with a wry smile. Impossible! He is Horace. If she wasn''t his wife, he probably wouldn''t even look at her. So why would he be jealous? She was narcissistic. "I don''t know." After thinking, she could only look at Horace and say honestly, "Why are you angry?" Looking at the confused expression of thedy in front of him, Horace''s eyes shed with anger. Next moment, he grabbed ra''s chin, pulled her little face closer to him, and said in a low voice, "ra, you really don''t understand, or you are acting stupid with me?" ra didn''t expect that Horace would suddenly do this. She was indeed a little scared. Looking at the handsome face draw near to her, a trace of panic shed in her eyes. Since Horace and her little face were so close this time, he could certainly notice the fear and panic shed in her eyes. In an instant, he calmed down as if a bucket of cold water was sshed over him. Looking at the flustered little woman in front of him, he loosened his hand and finally let go of her. "I''m sorry." He sat up straight in the wheelchair again, "I lost my temper just now." "It''s okay." ra also felt that today''s Horace seemed a little strange, but she only knew that he was still angry. So, she didn''t think about it. Horace looked at ra, her eyes squinted slightly. When will this stupid woman realize that, his affection to her has be much more than the affection for a man and a wife? Horace was not a man with a rich experience in terms of rtionships. He had always been in an advantage position over girls. He had never really pursued a girl. And this time, he didn''t know how to express his feelings. Looking at her pale face and the wound on her arm, he could only suppress the irritability and anger in his heart. His tone returned to calm, "ra, why did you save Darren?" Although this littledy didn''t understand his mind, there were something he had to figure out. ra didn''t expect Horace to suddenly ask this. She was stunned for a moment before she said, "I didn''t think so much at the time. I just wanted to stop that thug. I didn''t expect that he had been out of control and would even attack me." Horace''s eyes narrowed, but he still didn''t say anything. "However, fortunately, I save Darren this time." ra seemed to suddenly think of something, and her eyes flickered, "At least, I feel that I don''t owe him anything anymore." Horace then fixed his eyes on ra, "You owe him?" "Yeah." ra nodded, "When I was at coge, tuition was actually quite budget. I''ve been applying for schrships and part-time jobs. And Darren has helped me a lot secretly." She was brought up by Helena alone. Helena has always been in poor health. Especially when she was in college, she could hardly support her tuition and living expenses. Therefore, she had always applied for schrships and also had taken part in work-study programs. But after all, University of Zhanard was also full of talents. Opportunities for part-time jobs and schrships were not so easy to get. For some reason, although her grades were not very good, she could always get the first-ss schrship. Moreover, she could "coincidentally" find convenient and lucrative part-time jobs every time. At the beginning, she would feel that it was God blessing her. But after knowing that Darren is the young master of the Kirnd family, she realized that it should be Darren who helped her secretly. ra didn''t like to owe favor to people, especially at this moment that she and Darren have such an awkward rtionship. Therefore, this favor could be considered as a payback once for all. From now on, no matter what she owed him when she was young, or what he had done to hurt her now, it had been even. They didn''t owe anything to each other anymore. Chapter 69 The Truth of What Happened Before Chapter 69 The Truth of What Happened Before ra was thinking about the past and she was a little stunned for a while. She didn''t notice that Horace was looking at her withplex expression. Was she doing this because of what she owed Darren back then? Horace didn''t know how to express his feeling. Did he show up toote in her life? The ra he knew is an independent woman who had been used to deal with everything on her own. But he didn''t know that she used to be just an ordinary student, tortured by the burden of family poverty and the shame of her life. She couldn''t even lift her head up back then. But Darren met her at that time and gave her love and support secretly for the first time. Horace suddenly raised her hand and grabbed ra''s. ra was startled by the warm touch on her hand and looked up at Horace, "Horace, what''s wrong with you?" Horace looked at her with aplex expression, and just whispered, "Nothing. I am just thinking, that I wish I could meet you earlier." Even if he can''t meet her in coge. It could help a lot if he could meet her and save her two years ago when she was at her bottom. ra was stunned by Horace''s abrupt words, and nodded confusedly, thinking that Horace was still angry. So, she added, "Horace, don''t be angry. If what happened yesterday happens to us again, I will definitely rush over and protect you like I did." When ra said this, she thought that Horace was still angry, and said it casually since she didn''t have any other options She never expected that such a simple sentence would make Horace stunned. The next second, his previous angry mood suddenly cheered up. The corners of his mouth couldn''t help bursting into a smile. He raised his eyebrows and looked at ra, "What you said is true?" ra hurriedly nodded her head like crazy. Looking at the sparkling eyes of the girl before him, Horace couldn''t believe that his mood would shift from angry to joy. Damn. Was his mood so easily manipted by this littledy like ra? He tried to keep his calm expression. After carefully feeding ra the chicken soup, he was about to leave, "I''m going back to thepany. You can rest in the ward." He turned around and wanted to leave, but ra suddenly grabbed the corner of her shirt. Horace froze for a moment, then turned around, "What''s wrong?" "Well... I don''t want to be hospitalized." ra looked at him pitifully. "I always hate being in hospital. Look at me. I''m so injured. There''s no need to stay here. Can I go home?" Horace frowned, "It''s better to be hospitalized. What if your wound gets infected? What if that person smeared some bacteria or virus on the dagger?" ra was stunned. That man was just an ordinary worker. How could he be so despicable? She knew that Horace could be persuaded by reason and ying soft to him. She continued to pretend to be pitiful and begged him, "Horace, I''m really fine. With you around, even if I get infected, you can call a doctor for me right away, can''t you?" As expected, ra noticed Horace''s brows rxed. She quickly said again, "And look, the medical resources was so tense now. I am quite okay now. It''s inhumane for me to take a ward." Horace looked at the littledy in front of him trying everything to persuade him. He finally agreed, "Okay, I''ll take you home first, and I will go to thepany then." ra cheered secretly, watching Horace let Isaac go to deal with the discharge procedures for her. Then she soon sat in Horace''s ck Bentley. On the way home, ra suddenly thought of something, "By the way, Horace, the man who stab me, what happened to him then?" "I''ve already sent awyer." Thinking of that person, Horace''s expression turned cold again, "Don''t worry, I won''t let him go." If it wasn''t for the idiot Darren who got the police involved in this so quickly, the man would have paid more for what he had done. ra frowned. "Horace, just teach him a lesson. That would be enough." Horace looked at ra. "He hurt you so bad, aren''t you angry?" "I''m." ra said. "But after all, they are also a group of poor people. They put down everything in their N?velDrama.Org owns all content. hometown and came to the big city. They work hard, but they didn''t get paid. That''s why theye to revenge. Of course, they do it the wrong way. But the factory behind them is the head of all these. Just give him a small punishment and let him know he''s wrong." Horace looked at ra, neither agreed nor refused, but said, "I see. We are home. Go back and take a rest." Only then did ra realize that just as they were talking, the car had already arrived at the vi. She then got out of the car. After ra got out of the car, Isaac in the passenger seat turned around, "Mr. Kirnd, what should I do with the man that hurt Ms. Kirnd?" "Let thewyer bail him out and kick his ass after hees out." Horace said coldly. It would be such a favor for sending someone who hurt his wife to the police. Isaac was not surprised to hear Horace''s answer. He nodded, not expecting that Horace spoke again. "After that, you can let him go. By the way, go to the top management of the factory, find evidence of their corruption, use their private property to pay off the factory''s debts as well as the workers'' wages." Isaac froze for a moment and looked at Horace in disbelief. When did Mr. Kirnd be so considerate? He even worried about the wages of those workers? Horace ignored him. He just watched ra walk to the door of the vi by the car window. She finally walked in with Martha''s panic support. Based on his personality, he certainly didn''t like to mind other business. But if it was ra''s request, he had to reconsider his decision. That man hurt ra, and of course he had to pay for what he had done. But meanwhile, since ra sympathized with those workers, he was willing to do what she wanted and help those workers. As long as she wanted to, he would help her do it. ... At the Kirnd family''s old mansion. Darren was calcting the sales of this issue of the magazine. But no matter how many times he recalcted it, the numbers just don''t add up. He eventually pushed theptop in front of him irritably and leaned back on the chair. Damn. For days, since ra got hurt for him, he had been irritated. Whatever he was doing, he could see ra''s worried face as she ran towards him in his mind. He thought that she was no longer the ra he once knew, but she saved him. If she was really a selfish gold digger who can give up everything for money, why would she stand up for him at such a dangerous moment? Or could it be that he has misunderstood something for the past two years? Darren just felt very agitated. The thought that he might have misunderstood ra made him a little excited, but he also felt that it was impossible. Thinking over and over again, he finally picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hey, it''s me." The phone was picked up, and Darren said coldly, "I want you to help me investigate one thing. Thorough investigation. I want the truth." Chapter 70 Do You Want to See It? Chapter 70 Do You Want to See It? When she got home from the hospital, ra took a shower and finally felt that the smell of disinfectant in the hospital was washed away. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Lying in bed, she immediately felt terribly sleepy. She didn''t like the hospital, so she couldn''t sleep well in the hospital these nights. Now she''s finally back. She rolled over casually. Without even noticing, she was already lying on the right half of the bed that belonged to Horace. Sinking her head into the soft pillow, ra suddenly smelled Horace''s fragrance. It was his usual shampoo, mixed with the smell of a cigar. ra felt relieved for no reason. She was suddenly a little greedy and didn''t want to go back to her ce. She leaned on Horace''s pillow and fell asleep. In the evening, Horace went back to the room and saw ra, curling up like a kitten on the bed. He was stunned at first. But he gently smiled immediately. After closing the door, he silently got up from his wheelchair and walked to the bed. ra was sound asleep, not even noticing his approach. Horace originally wanted to help her cover the quilt. But when he pulled up the quilt, he fixed his eyes on the wound on her arm. She couldn''t help frowning. When ra took a bath just now, although she avoided the wound on her hand, there''s still water sshed on it. Now the bandage was still a little wet. Because she has been sleeping, she also forgot to change the bandage. Horace frowned with dissatisfaction. As an adult, she couldn''t or wouldn''t even take good care of herself? Horace originally wanted to wake up ra and ask her to change her bandage herself. But seeing she was sleeping so soundly, even drooling on his pillow, he suddenly couldn''t let her do this alone. With a sigh, he just picked up the medicine that ra brought back from the hospital on the table next to him. He then put it on the bed, and carefully unwrapped ra''s bandages. ra was in her sleep and vaguely felt that someone was moving the bandage on her arm. She didn''t care about it at first, but there was a sudden pain in the wound. She woke up then, "Ouch!" When she opened her eyes, she saw Horace sitting beside her bed with a cotton swab in her hand. And the bandage on her arm has been taken off, revealing the wound. "Horace?" She was taken aback, "You are back?" "Yeah." Horace didn''t look at ra, but simply put a cotton swab over her wound. At that moment, ra winced in pain and huddled up involuntarily, "Ouch... Please¡­ slow down." Horace raised her eyebrows, "It wasn''t because of me. It all because you don''t remember to change the bandage and apply the medicine on time. The wound is now a little festering, I have to clean up the dirty things before applying the medicine." ra then remembered that when she left the hospital, the doctor did instruct her to apply the medicine twice a day. But she was so sleepy and fell asleep. She didn''t apply it during the day. "I forgot..." she whispered. Horace gave her a dissatisfied look. As if punishing her, he increased the strength of his hand, "Would it be safer for you to be hospitalized since you can even forget such important requirement?" The pain from the wound struck her. ra''s face turned pale. She could only beg for mercy, "I was wrong. I''m really too tired today. You can tell Marthater and let Martha remind me." Noticing that there''s cold sweating out from ra''s aching forehead, Horace immediately ease the strength of her hands and frowned, "Is it really that painful?" "Tell me about it. It''s not you who got stabbed." ra muttered. She just said this casually. But she didn''t expect that Horace''s expression suddenly changed. He whispered, "I got stabbed before." ra was stunned and looked at Horace, "Was it... the kidnapping ten years ago?" What a pampered young master Horace is. Except for the kidnapping ten years ago, ra couldn''t think of any possibility he could have been injured so badly. "Yes." Horace lowered her head to apply medicine to ra, so she couldn''t see the expression on his face. "Three stabs, on the thighs. If it wasn''t for timely treatment, I would have been permanently disabled." ra''s arms trembled. Only then did she realize how irresponsible she was when she said that casually. She couldn''t help but looked down and whispered, "I''m sorry..." "Sorry for what?" "Mentioning your sadness." ra suddenly felt thatpared to what Horace had experienced, she was such a pampered girl since she would scream for her little wound. "It''s okay," Horace whispered. ra still couldn''t help but ask, "Is the wound still there? Will there be any seque now?" Although she had nced at Horace''s body when he''s bathing, he had a towel around his waist back then. She didn''t see the lower half of his body, so she didn''t know if these wounds exist. "My physiotherapy worked out quite well, so there aren''t any major seque. It''s just that the wound will hurt when it rains." Horace said lightly. He then looked up at ra and raising her eyebrows as if he suddenly thought of something, "What? Do you want to take a look?" "Take a look at the wound?" ra was stunned for a moment. The wound was in such a sensitive ce. How could she see that? She hurriedly said, "No, no¡­ Argh!" She was in half way of saying her word, when she suddenly felt a sharp paine from the wound. And she suddenly screamed out before she could finish her sentence. "The wound is finally cleaned up." Compared to ra''s pale face with pain, Horace''s expression was still m. He then threw the cotton swab into the napkin. ra froze for a moment. She then understood when she saw arge piece of blood scab with pus on the cotton swab. Looking at the wound, his childhood¡­ All the word Horace told her just now was just to distract her, because he needed to clean up a big blood stain on her. "Apply some more medicine and it''ll be fine." Seeing ra''s pale face, Horace''s tone couldn''t help bing gentler. He then took a new cotton swab and wiped it for her, "Please, this may hurt." "Well, I know¡­ But¡­ Ah... Take it slowly... Um... Not here¡­ Be Gentle..." In the room, ra was enduring the pain of Horace applying the medicine to her. None of them was aware that Martha outside the door was blushing when she heard it. Martha wasing up to ask ra and Horace to go downstairs and have dinner. But she didn''t expect that she would hear ra groaning when she got to the door. And the words ra was shouting¡­ Poor Martha, you can''t me her for misunderstanding what the two were doing. But she was even happier. She didn''t care about asking ra to have dinner. She just went downstairs excitedly. "Old woman, what about the young master and youngdy?" When Donald downstairs saw Martha "Forget the dinner." Martha came over, blushing, "They''re busy in the room. Don''t disturb them." Chapter 71 I Mainly Take the Initiative Chapter 71 I Mainly Take the Initiative Donald was stunned for a moment. Then he understood immediately. There''s blush of happiness on his face, "You mean, they are¡ª" "Shh! Old man! Don''t say it out!" Martha gave Donald a sideway nce, but she couldn''t even hold back her smiling. "This is really great!" Donald was also very happy. He stood up immediately, "I have to hurry up and report the good news to the master." Upstairs, ra waspletely unaware that the few words she shouted out in pain were misunderstood by Donald and Martha. After applying the medicine, she felt hungry and went downstairs with Horace. As soon as Martha saw them, she was stunned, "Oh... Why is it so fast¡­ Ahem, I mean¡­ Dinner is ready. Young master, Miss Selman." ra sat down, and her hands were still unable to move naturally. Martha wanted toe and feed her, but she didn''t expect that Horace''s wheelchair had already rolled over. He picked up her bowl and Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. asked ra in a low voice, "What do you want to eat?" Horace had fed her once in the hospital before, so ra wasn''t so awkward now. She said obediently, "I want to eat broli and eggnt." Horace grabbed them immediately and fed it into ra''s mouth. Donald and Martha aside were bbergasted when they saw this scene. Their young master was actually feeding someone with his own hands? And they lived long enough to see that day! ra took a long time to finish her meal. Seeing that Horace had been busy serving her, she felt sorry and said embarrassedly, "Horace, I can eat with my left hand. You can have your own dinner." Horace ignored her, making sure she ate thest bite of food in her bowl. And he then started to have his own dinner. Soon, Horace was about to finish eating. Seeing Martha was getting up to set the table, he suddenly thought of that and said, "Martha, ra needs to apply the medicine every day. Remember to remind herter." Martha nodded, but didn''t go back to the kitchen with the bowl in her hand. Horace noticed that she seemed to have something to say to herself, so he raised her head and asked, "Is there anything else?" "Well, young master..." Martha hesitated, but looking at ra''s pale face, she couldn''t help but say, "Although I''m d that you two are so in love with each other. But Ms. Kirnd is still recovering from the wound after all. So you... you could be gentler, right?" Martha said these words with good intentions. For the fact that ra screamed too loudly just now, and now her face was not very good. Martha indeed felt sorry for her. Both Horace and ra were stunned. But they were adults after all, they quickly understood what they mean from Martha and Donald''s embarrassed look. ra''s face flushed. Damn it¡­ Did Martha misunderstand what she shouted when Horace applied the medicine to her just now? "Martha, actually¡­" She was conserved and wanted to exin to Martha quickly. But she didn''t expect that before she could say anything, she was interrupted by Horace. "Martha, don''t worry." Horace said lightly, "I know that ra is injured, and I have been paying attention to it. I am the one that takes the initiative." ra''s eyes widened in an instant! What did he mean by "takes the initiative"? This Horace. Why didn''t he feel awkward at all when he lied? Especially such an explicit one! Donald and Martha obviously didn''t expect that Horace, who has always been cold and reserved, would say such an explicit word. Both of them were stunned for a second. But soon, they smiled and nodded, "Oh, I''m relieved to hear that. Young master, you are so considerate" The hell he was considerate! ra was blushing now, and her face was extremely red. She tried to exin something, but Horace directly took her hand under the table and squeezed it, obviously trying to stop her. So she could only let Horace lead her upstairs obediently with her blushed face. When they finally came back to the room, ra couldn''t help but burst out. With her uninjured left hand, she picked up a throw pillow and smashed it directly at Horace, "Horace! What the hell were you talking about just now! What are you doing? It''s just... mumble jumble!" Before the pillow fell on Horace, Horace gently raised his hand and caught the pillow urately. Seeing the little woman in front of her being a little angry and upset, Horaceughed hoarsely. ra probably haven''t realized that, she has be more and more "reckless" in front of him. And now she dared to "hit" him? But for some reason, ra behaving this way made him feel good. He gently smiled, and said in a low voice, "What? Don''t you like it? But we are married, after all. A married couple will have sex. Otherwise, what would Martha and the others tell grandpa?" ra was stunned for a moment, then calmed down a little, remembering what Horace had told her. Martha and Donald were actually grandpa''s spy at home to supervise her and Horace. She then realized that Horace''s words just now were intended to mislead Donald and Martha, or indirectly to mislead Russell Kirnd. "But..." But thinking of what Horace said just now, ra still felt awkward under any cases. "You don''t have to tell them that nonsense... about that..." Looking at ra''s blushing appearance, Horace suddenly felt she was so cute and raised his eyebrows, "What?" "Like, ''you take the initiative''..." ra''s voice was getting lower and lower. Her head almost falling to the ground. Horace chuckled, using his index finger to lift ra''s chin. "I''m not talking nonsense. It should be me who take the initiative, or... do you want to try it?" "No... No need..." ra suddenly jumped up as if she was bit by snake and ran to the closet, "Well... I''m going to take a shower, goodbye!" As she said that, she grabbed the towel with her left hand and hurriedly rushed into the bathroom. In the bathroom, ra was looking her red face in the mirror. Damn it. ra covered her face in annoyance. ra, why are you so useless. Horace makes a few jokes about you, and you react so badly? Are you so useless or not? Although ra''s hand was injured, she still washed carefully and avoided the wound thanks to the automatic shower in Horace''s bathroom that can control the range of water. When she came out after the shower, ra saw Horace sitting on the balcony, holding still. ra was wiping her head while walking over and asking him to take a shower. But when she took a few steps closer, she was suddenly stunned. Because she saw what Horace was holding in his hand. He was staring at it, in dazed. The object in his hand shone softly in the moonlight, so bright that ra recognized it instantly. It was that ne again. Chapter 72 The Mysterious Necklace Chapter 72 The Mysterious Ne ra had seen this ne many times. And every time, Horace held it like a treasure in his hand, as if he was drowned in his thought, fascinated by the ne. ra stopped the word that she was about to utter, and just looked at Horace quietly. Under the moonlight, the expression on Horace''s face now waspletely different from who he used to be. With a bit of nostalgia, mixed with some simr feelings like regret and helplessness. Out of no reason, ra felt as if there''s a little hedgehog rolling on her chest, choking her up. At this point, Horace seemed to notice ra''s approach and turned around. "Have you finished washing?" In the blink of an eye, his face returned to his coldness in usual days. And the ne was put back in his palm. "Yeah." ra calmed herself down as fast as she could, "You can go and wash." "Okay." Horace nodded and walked back to the room. He didn''t rush to the bathroom, but walked to the desk, carefully put the ne in his hand into the first drawer, and then walked into the bathroom with the bath towel. ra stayed in the room and heard the sound of watering in the bathroom. Her eyes couldn''t help but fixed on the desk. She couldn''t help being curious. What was the origin of that ne? Why did Horace look so sad every time he looked at that ne? ra didn''t know what happened to her before. She''s never been a very curious person, but at this moment, she just felt as if there''s an invisible hand pushing her at her back, pushing her step by step to the desk. Just take a look... There should be no problem? After ra confirmed that Horace was still bathing inside, she then held her breath and gently opened Horace''s drawer. She didn''t know what was wrong with her. The ne was like a thorn in her side, bugging her non- stop. Even when she was with Darren, she had never felt this way. The drawer wasn''t locked, and it was quickly opened. ra saw that there were several documents inside. Upon the documents, there were a few photos, and the ne. ra took out the ne first and ced it carefully in the palm of her hand. It was a very beautiful ne. Although the crystal wasn''t as gorgeous as diamonds, it has a clear and simple atmosphere. She could tell from the knife work that this would not be cheap. ra flipped the ne over and was stunned when she saw the back. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. The front of this ne was engraved to the shape of heart. But on the back, there''s a letter engraved on it. Different from the exquisite crafting of the ne, the letter was obviously carved by ayman. It was quite unsmooth, but still recognizable: the letter "L". L¡­ In ra''s mind, she suddenly recalled what Russell Kirnd said to her back in the mansion¡ª "It''s been ten years. Since Laura died, I thought Horace would never love anyone again." Or maybe this ne belonged to the woman named Laura? "Who is Laura? Was she Horace''s ex-girlfriend? And where is she now?" Driven by curiosity, ra couldn''t help but took out the photos from the drawer. The moment she saw the photo, she couldn''t help being stunned again. In the photo, there was a man and a woman. Both of them were very young. They seemed to at their 18s. The boy, ra recognized him quickly. He was Horace. Instead of the mature and stable Horace today, it''s the very young version of Horace. His facial features were as charming as they are now. But the Horace back then seemed more boyish and exuberant. If the present Horace was a cup of low-key but fragrant tea, then the younger Horace must be a bottle of spirits, vigorous, high-spirited, but so enticing . It made people intoxicated at a nce. But what caught ra''s attention more was the girl in the photo. That was a very beautiful girl. She was so pretty that even ra was stunned when seeing her. She had always thought that Ashlee Middleton was already very beautiful. Butpared with the girl in the photo, Ashlee was likeparing carnation with roses. Something was missed after all. Such a beautiful girl... Could it be Laura? The owner of this ne? ra suddenly felt upset for no reason in her heart. That kind of feeling was just like the awkward feeling she had in elementary school. When Glenn Middleton suddenly be so kind that she was transferred to a private school, she saw Ashlee for the first time. Ashlee was wearing a beautiful dress, and she was wearing the clothes left by other little boys. So she could only stood awkwardly beside her. She now felt the same. ra was lost in her thought, not even realizing that the sound of water sshing in the bathroom had disappeared. Until a cold voice with a faint anger sounded in her ear¡­ "ra, what are you doing!" ra suddenly woke up as if cold water pouring over her head. She got up quickly, and saw Horace came out of the bathroom before she knows. He was wearing pajamas. Water was still dripping from her hair. A pair of ck eyes was staring into her coldly. ra panicked immediately, as if she was caught as a thief. Even the ne was still in her palm, "Horace, I''m just¡ª Ouch!" She hurriedly wanted to exin and put the ne in her hand back hurriedly at the same time. But she was so nervous that the ne fell off. ra''s face suddenly turned paler! This was a crystal ne! If it hits the ground, it will smash into pieces! She hurriedly bent down to pick it up, even using her injured hand. She could feel the pain of the wound being torn apart, but she couldn''t even care about it. But she didn''t expect that the Horace next to him moved faster. He bent and strode over. The ne eventuallynded firmly in his hand before it fell to the ground. ra''s hand grabbed the air as if she really had something in her hand. She couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that the ne was fine. But before she could finally rx, she heard Horace''s cold voice above her head¡­ "ra, please exin what the hell you''re doing?" Her heart almost stopped. She raised her head, and saw Horace holding the ne in her hand, looking at her coldly. The moment she met his ck eyes, ra only felt that her heart was being violently hammered. The pang was killing her. She never thought that Horace would look at her like this. Even before, when they first met, although Horace was indifferent to her, he would never look at her this way¡­ There''s no temperature in the icy cold eyes, and there''s even a little bit of disgust. ra''s lips quivered a few times, and she finally said in a low voice, "I''m sorry. I noticed that you keep staring at this ne and have been in a daze for a few times. So I couldn''t help getting curious..." Her voice grew lower and lower, until it was almost inaudible. Chapter 73 Fallen in Love? Chapter 73 Fallen in Love? ra herself knew how bad her reasons were. She just secretly rummaged on someone else''s things. She couldn''t believe she would do such bad behavior. Horace looked at ra, whose face was pale, and felt a pain in his heart. Shit. Could it be that his tone just now was too severe and thus scared her? Horace really didn''t want to yell at her, but the scene where the ne almost shattered just now seemed to be still in front of him, and he couldn''t help but feel some anger in his chest. This ne, to him, represented too much if it really broke just now... He didn''t even dare to think about it. He knew that he was with ra now, and he was afraid that his attitude would not be very good, so he turned and walked to the closet, took out the shirt he wore when he went out, "I still have some business to do in mypany. I''ll go first, you rest early." ra''s eyshes trembled slightly. She thought, "Didn''t Horace want to see her anymore?" But she couldn''t say anything, just bit her lip and nodded. Horace quickly changed his clothes, and without even blowing his hair, he sat in a wheelchair and left the room. All the way downstairs, Martha was cleaning the room, when she saw Horace, she couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment. "Master, it''ste, where are you going?" She hurriedly chased after him. "And your hair, why is it wet? Hurry up and blow dry your hair quickly." Only then did Horace stop the wheelchair, and his expression was still a bit cold, but he still said calmly, "Martha, there is something in ourpany I should deal with. Remember to remind ra to change the fresh dressing for her wound." "I know, but..." Before Martha''s words were finished, Horace had already left in his wheelchair without looking back. in the room. ra sat down on the bed as if she had lost her soul. The severe pain in the arm came, she carefully unwrapped the bandage to check and saw that the wound was torn open. She knew that the wound had to be treated again, so she quickly picked up the cotton swab and wanted to be treated it. However, her left hand did not work well, and stabbed it several times, only to poke out more blood. Her tears fell down, and she didn''t know whether it was because of the pain or because of Horace''s scolding just now. It seems that that ne really has a special meaning to Horace. He just moved a little, which made Horace furious. But¡­ It''s really cruel. She is alive, but she can''tpare with a ne. It seems that she is nothing in Horace''s heart. ra couldn''t help being stunned when such an idea came up in her mind. But the next second, she couldn''t help but smile. She thought to herself, "ra, why did Horace think you are more important than that ne? You should know that his ne belonged to his ex-girlfriend, the girl named Laura. Such a beautiful girl, even a toe of hers is more beautiful than you, of course, a ne can blow you away. But you, have you been toocent these days? Just because Horace was a little gentle towards you, then you didn''t know who you are, and you even dared to rummage through his things? You take yourself too seriously." She should have known that in this world, no one would really care about her except her mother. Whether it is her biological father, Glenn or Darren, who said she would apany her for the rest of her life, they are just passers-by in her life. How could she expect Horace to treat herself differently? ra understood these principles better than anyone else. But why... Why was she feeling so upset¡­ N?velDrama.Org owns all content. ra stretched out her hand in a daze and put it on her chest, only to feel that there was an invisible hand grasping her, it was very painful and ufortable. Could it be... Her eyes flickered, and she suddenly felt that there was something in her heart that she could no longer ignore. Could it be... She had fallen in love with Horace? ... That night, Horace didn''te back. Martha wanted toe and treated ra''s wound, but ra refused, because she was afraid that Martha would see her red and swollen eyes, so she just rubbed the medicine randomly. In the early morning of the next day, ra woke up just after the sunrise. Looking at the empty half of the bed next to her, she only felt that her heart was empty. Damn it. She quickly patted her face to wake herself up. Her current state is really terrible. After experiencing the breakup with Darren two years ago, she made up her mind early that she would get married and have children in her life, but she would never let herself fall in love with someone like this again. But now, was she going to get lost again? No. Absolutely no. ra made a quick decision in her heart. She hurriedly got up, not used to managing a few pieces of luggage with her left hand, and carried it downstairs with one hand. "Oh, Mrs. Kirnd, you are..." Martha was horrified when she saw the luggage in ra''s hand. "My mother is just about to be discharged from the hospital, and I n to go home to take care of her." ra smiled at Martha, "After all, I haven''t been with my mother for a long time." "You are injured, mydy. Would you be able to take care of others?" Martha was anxious, "Why don''t you bring your mother over and I''ll take care of you two." "Thank you. But I can handle it, and my mother is not used to living in unfamiliar ces." ra refused, "I''ll tell Horace everything, don''t worry about it." After eating breakfast in a hurry, ra took a taxi and left. Back at the home, she had been away for a long time, ra simply packed up, checked the time, it was still early and decided to go to work. She has been on leave for a full week, and logically she shouldn''t be on leave for so long, but no one in the magazine said anything about her. If she had guessed it correctly, it was because of Darren. The day she went back to the work, Sarah and Stephanie came to chat with her for a long time. Although there are Diane and her friends were sneering and sarcastic, ra still felt in a good mood. She sat down and was just about to start work, but expectedly, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps. She was stunned, turned her head, and saw Darren''s serious expression on his face. "Mr. Kirnd?" ra stood up and looked at Darren''s strange expression, then she frowned "Is there something I can do for you?" She didn''t know if it was her illusion, but she always felt that Darren was very strange today. At this moment, Darren waspletely stunned, he seemed to have forgotten that there were so many people around, he just rushed over, grabbed ra''s shoulder, and roared, "ra, why didn''t you tell me? Why didn''t you tell me you were framed two years ago!" Chapter 74 Why Didnt You Explain? Chapter 74 Why Didn''t You Exin? ra turned pale as if struck by lightning. She stared at Darren in front of her, unable to say a word, but her lips kept trembling. Seeing her like this, Darren''s eyes immediately turned red, and he shook her even more violently, "Tell me! Why didn''t you exin it! Why do you allow me to torture and insult you like this!" Darren was going crazy now. He couldn''t describe his mood at all when he learned the truth that two years ago, ra was framed by someone on purpose and she was forced to do those stuff. He was heartbroken, and he was so sad when he knew that ra has endured so much in silence. He regretted that not only did he not help ra when he needed him the most, but he also exposed her wounds, again and again, insulted her, and hurt her. He was so angry that it had been a while since he and ra met again, but she just kept tolerating his derision against her and never exined a word. Because he was too angry, after Darren learned all this, his first reaction was to go to ask ra, even if ra was at Horace''s house now, he would rush over to find her! But he didn''t expect that when he just left his office, he saw raing to work. In an instant, he didn''t care that there were so many eyes around him, he just rushed over like crazy and questioned ra. Because he was so emotional, he even forgot that ra was still injured, and he grabbed her with some force. Suddenly, ra was painful as he pulled her, and her face was distorted and turned pale. ra''s pale face finally made Darren calm down a bit. He immediately released his hand, "I''m sorry, I forgot that you still have wounds." ra had calmed down a little from the shock at this time. She nced at the shocked audience watching this drama, and whispered to Darren, "No matter what happened, let''s go to the office and tell me." Darren also realized that he was a little too impulsive at this time. He nodded and walked into his office with ra one after the other. As soon as the two of them left, the entire office exploded. "My God, what happened just now? I was like a TV show! So the previous rumors are all true. ra really had a history with Mr. Kirnd?" "That incident was originally true. But it was said earlier that the two broke up because ra prostituted when she was at school, but Mr. Kirnd just said that it was a misunderstanding two years ago?" "So ra didn''t do that kind of thing? Oh, I told you, we''ve known her for two years, for such a good girl, there''s no way she would do such a dirty thing!" Diane, who was sitting aside, heard everyone talking about what happened just now, and the weather vane changed from scorning ra to being sympathetic. She couldn''t help clenching her teeth and stood up. "Ah, Diane, where are you going?" "I''m not feeling well! Gotta take a leave and go home!" ... Meanwhile, in Darren''s office. ra sat on the sofa with a pale face, watching Darren in the room, walking around non-stop, the two of them didn''t speak for a while. In the end, ra sighed and said, "Darren, don''t be so emotional." All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. She knew that Darren only walked around like this when he was emotionally unstable. Darren stopped abruptly and looked at ra, his cheeks still tense, "ra, why didn''t you tell me that you were framed two years ago?" ra''s eyes flickered for a moment, "You knew everything?" "Yes, I knew all of it!" Darren stood in front of ra and growled, "Why didn''t you say anything? So many times, every time I... said such horrible things to you, why didn''t you exin it?" "Didn''t I exin?" ra said abruptly, looking up at Darren with clear eyes, "And even if I exin, will you really believe me?" Darren''s body trembled and instinctively wanted to say "Yes", but when he said it, he suddenly thought that he had insulted ra again and again, so righteous, so cruel, he suddenly couldn''t say it. ra looked at him and smiled lightly, with a bit of bitterness, "Darren, I don''t know how you came to know about it back then, I only know that when I was the most vulnerable and needed you the most at that time, you left without even saying goodbye. Do you think I really don''t me you for the past two years? You said you believed me, then when you learned about these things, why didn''t you ask me for the truth? On the contrary, you directly condemn me to death?" When ra said these words, she looked straight at Darren, her eyes were as clear as snow, making Darren a little unsure of how to face her. He could only look away but still said unwillingly, "Someone showed me some photos at the time. I thought there were photos, then how could I misunderstand you." Photos? It was the first time that ra knew that Darren had seen those photos two years ago. She gave a wry smile. "Yeah, it seems that your so-called trust in me is not worth a few photos after all." She whispered, "Perhaps you never believed in me, otherwise, why did you never want to tell me that you are a member of the Kirnd family?" "It''s two different things!" Darren was a little anxious, "I hid the identity of mine because¡ª" "Darren, don''t you understand yet?" Before Darren finished speaking, ra interrupted him, her voice froze for a moment, "You never really believed in me, no matter two years ago or now, all you have ever believed in is yourself." After saying these words, ra twitched the corners of her mouth helplessly, "What''s the point of talking about this now, it''s all over, there''s nothing to talk about." Saying that she didn''t want to discuss this issue with Darren anymore, she stood up and prepared to leave. But unexpectedly, Darren immediately chased after her and grabbed her wrist. "ra, what do you mean by ''there is nothing to talk about?" Darren stared at ra stubbornly, the heat in his eyes made ra a little afraid to face it, "Since you will block a knife for me, I don''t believe that you had really forgotten me in your heart!" ra''s body trembled imperceptibly. But soon, she calmed down and looked at Darren next to her. Darren''s beautiful eyes were full of longing and regret, which could not be concealed at all. It was like a flood that made people dare not face it. "Darren, I think you made a mistake." She whispered, "I didn''t block that knife for you. I just pulled the man away." "It''s the same! You obviously care about me, right?" Darren growled. "I did want to save you." ra''s eyshes trembled slightly, but her tone remained steady and calm, "Because I owed you that." Chapter 75 Returning to Her Mothers Home Chapter 75 Returning to Her Mother''s Home Darren grabbed ra''s hand and froze, "What do you mean?" "Back then, those schrships and part-time job opportunities were all secretly helped by you, right?" ra said in a low voice, seeing the flickering fluctuations in Darren''s eyes, she knew that her guess was correct. "I really am grateful to you. Although you didn''t trust me and lied to me, without you, even graduating from college would be a luxury for me." If she hadn''t graduated from college, she wouldn''t even have had the chance to find a stable job in a magazine, let alone pay for the medical treatment for her mom. Therefore, she was really grateful to Darren. "What do you mean?" Darren''s face turned pale, "You mean, you saved me that day just because I helped you?" His expression stung ra slightly. In fact, she knew that she saved him, of course, not just for this reason. In an emergency, she saved him just because of instinct, and she didn''t even have time to think. After all, he used to be the person she had loved the most in her life, how could she forget it, how could she just watch him be in danger? But these, Darren didn''t need to know. Thinking of this, she didn''t show the turbulence in her heart, she just said calmly, "Yes." Thest trace of blood on Darren''s face faded, but there was still a hint of unwillingness in his eyes, and he grabbed ra harder, "ra, I don''t believe it! I don''t believe you have no feelings for me anymore!" ra was in pain from being caught by him, and finally roared a little intolerably, "Darren! What rights do you have to question me like this!" Darren was startled by her roar, and finally, let her go. Yes, what rights did he have? He had insulted ra like that before, so how could he ask her to forgive him and admit that she likes him? ra rubbed her sore wrist and said coldly, "Darren, you should remember, I told you, even if one day you find out that all this is your misunderstanding and apologize to me, I won''t forgive you either." Darren''s body trembled, and he immediately remembered that she did say such a thing when he insulted ra viciously before. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "I''m sorry, ra, I¡ª" He sincerely wanted to apologize, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted coldly by ra. "You don''t need to apologize to me, because I won''t forgive you." She raised her eyes and looked straight at Darren, "You lied to me about your background when you were together and didn''t believe in me at all. Besides, you insulted me over and over again. I won''t forgive you." What she said was serious. She couldn''t bear to see Darren get injured, and she did feel that she once owed him, but all this could not be changed, the fact that Darren had hurt her again and again. No man has ever hurt her like this. She couldn''t forgive him, and she never wanted to have any contact with him again. She only hoped that from now on he could be as far away from herself as possible. The moment Darren heard ra''s words, thest trace of blood on his face faded and he froze in ce. ra didn''t want to see his face anymore and left the office quickly. ... The Middleditch''s, thergest shopping mall in the city center. Diane trotted through the expensive brand-name stores, clutching her purse, her eyes full of anger. She thought, damn ra, she was obviously an unscrupulous bitch, everyone was blind, and they even helped her! She was so angry that she wanted to buy several bags to relieve her anger, but looking at the expensive prices of the bags in front of her, she knew that she couldn''t afford them with her poor sry. It made her even angrier! Why! Why would she need to save money and spend several months'' sried to buy these bags, but, ra, a bitch, can buy these bags by giving those men a few winks! Diane was feeling indignant when she suddenly heard the silver bell-likeughter of several girls behind her. "Ashlee, you look so good in this dress, Darren is so lucky to have a beautiful wife like you." Darren? Diane was stunned, turned her head, and saw a young and beautiful girl, surrounded by several other girls, trying on a dress worth hundreds of dors. With such an outstanding appearance, Diane recognized at a nce that she was the fianc¨¦e who had Seeing that every single item on Ashlee''s body was worth thousands of dors to famous brands, Diane was a little jealous, but soon, she rolled her eyes and suddenly thought of something. Although she couldn''t deal with ra, Ashlee, Darren''s real girlfriend, is different, right? Thinking of this, she immediately took courage and took a few steps forward, "Well, are you the fianc¨¦e of Mr. Kirnd?" Ashlee was originally looking at herself in the mirror narcissistically, but suddenly she heard someone talking to her, she turned her head and saw Diane. With just one nce, she saw the fake bag that Diane was carrying, a trace of disdain shed in her eyes, but she said politely, "Are you talking about Darren? Yes, I''m his fianc¨¦e." "I know! I thought you are just now." Diane pretended to be delighted, "I am a member of the GLAM, and I saw you in the magazinest time." Ashlee couldn''t understand her motives but nodded anyway. "Maybe it''s a bit hasty to talk to you suddenly, but the main thing is... I really can''t stand it anymore, so I want to tell you." Diane said mysteriously. Ashlee frowned, "What''s the matter?" "It''s about ra and Mr. Kirnd." Ashlee''s expression changed immediately. She nced at Diane sharply, and immediately said to the women around her, "You go to the coffee shop and wait for me here, and I wille to youter." Those girls were all Ashlee''s followers, they didn''t dare to resist at all, nodded, and left. As soon as they left, Ashlee looked at Diane with a cold expression, "Tell me, what are you trying to say?" ... ra finally got off work and walked to the subway station, almost instinctively, and got on the subway to the Kirnd mansion, but halfway through the ride, she realized that she was going to pick up her mother today, so she quickly got off and changed subway to the hospital. After she took her mother home, she tidied up the house with her inconvenient hands and went downstairs to buy something light to eat. It was past 9 p.m. when she was done with all this, and she suddenly remembered that she didn''t seem to have told Horace that she had returned to her parents'' house. Although she wasn''t sure if Horace cared about her whereabouts, to be polite, she still sent a message. After sending this message, ra hurried to help her mother get up to have a meal. She didn''t know that when she sent this text message, the man on the other side of the phone who was in a meeting, saw it, and his face turned livid in an instant. Chapter 76 In Front of Me, You Dont Have to Pretend Chapter 76 In Front of Me, You Don''t Have to Pretend In the conference room, the head of the finance department, who was reporting this quarter''s profit, broke out into a cold sweat when he saw Horace''s suddenly gloomy expression. Was there something wrong with the report? But that was impossible because the profit has also increased by several percentages? The supervisor wiped his sweat and reported thest part, and asked Horace cautiously, "Mr. Kirnd, may I ask... is there any problem?" Dead silence. Horace didn''t seem to have heard the report from the supervisor at all, just nodded, his eyes cold on the mobile phone screen on the table. On the phone was ra''s text message. "Horace, I went back home to take care of my mother who was discharged from the hospital." The tone of voice could not be simpler which made the anger in Horace''s chest rush upward. Her home? Wasn''t her home supposed to be their home too? This woman really knew how to provoke his anger! Horace''s silence caused panic among the people present. These heads of various departments are usually all at the top of the pyramid, but at this time, looking at Horace in fear, they are afraid that he was not satisfied with this season''s performance. Time passed by, and just when everyone felt that their backs were soaking wet, Horace finally raised his head. Everyone thought he was going toment on the profitability of this quarter, but he didn''t. Unexpectedly, he just said suddenly, "The meeting is suspended today, and we will continue tomorrow." When the words fell, he ignored the shocked eyes of the people around him, slid the wheelchair under him directly, and left the conference room. Even Isaac was stunned at this time, stunned for a few seconds before hurriedly catching up. "Mr. Kirnd." He quickly caught up with Horace, "Did something happen? Is there an earthquake at our nuclear nt? Or there''s a hurricane at the power nt?" In his consciousness, Horace would interrupt the meeting, so that must be something extremely serious happened. Unexpectedly, Horace just stopped the wheelchair suddenly, and looked up at him coldly, "Isaac, go find out where ra''s family lives." "Mrs. Kirnd''s parents?" Isaac was immediately dumbfounded. But Horace didn''t pay attention to him anymore, just slipped the wheelchair away again, and left cold words, "Go there immediately after you find out." ... At this moment, ra, who was carefully feeding Helena at home, had no idea what kind of anger a man had caused by a text message of hers. She bought porridge from outside, but the porridge made by this restaurant was just cold rice mixed with water, so tasteless that Helena lost her appetite after a few bites. ra was a little anxious again. She wiped Helena''s mouth with a handkerchief and said "Mom, you eat so little. I''ll go buy you some more." With that, she got up and put on her coat. Helena frowned, "It''s almost ten o''clock. Where can you buy food?" "But you can''t eat anything. Well, if there is no restaurant, I''ll go to the supermarket to buy something back." Saying that she walked out of the door directly. Walking out of the building, ra was counting the change in her wallet while walking, when she suddenly saw a car light shing in front of her. She raised her hand to cover her eyes, and after finally getting used to the light, she saw a ck Bentley driving slowly towards her. ra was stunned for a moment. This car was... Her house in Stratmont was rented, the mostmon kind of residential house, so this ck Bentley was really out of tune with the surrounding scenery. She was still in shock and didn''t react when she saw the car door suddenly open and a familiar wheelchair slowly slides down. ra couldn''t believe the scene she saw. She watched Horace''s wheelchair slide in front of her before she stammered, "Ho...Horace, why are you here?" Horace looked at the woman in front of him. She was wearing pajamas inside with a sports jacket putting on outside, and the big slippers on her feet. Her hair was casually tied into a bun. It looked a bit sloppy, but for some reason, He still found it cute. But thinking of her text message, he couldn''t help but look cold, "Why did youe home suddenly?" ra didn''t expect Horace to suddenly appear downstairs in her house and only asked this question. She could only answer half-truly, "My mother wanted to be discharged from the hospital, so I picked her up and took care of her." Horace raised his eyebrows, but did not continue to ask, "It''ste, what are you doing outside?" "Go buy food for my mom." "Buy food? Ten o''clock?" Horace frowned, "The restaurants are closed." "Then I can only go to the supermarket to buy rice." There was nothing at home, she couldn''t even cook porridge for my mother. Horace looked at ra with a bit of helplessness in his eyes. This woman sometimes seemed to be strong, but sometimes she was a little silly. She couldn''t take care of herself, and how could she take care of her mother? "Isaac." After reading this, Horace said, "Go to the hotel next to you and ask them to cook some food in the kitchen immediately." ra was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved, "No, I don''t need that. I''ll cook it myself." "It''s ten o''clock, and you asked your mother to wait for you?" Horace raised his eyebrows, "Don''t forget, your mother is still a patient." ra was speechless now. Of course, she knew that it was gettingte, but she only med herself for being too busy today, so she was still so busyte at night. Thinking that her mother was sick and hungry, ra was no longer stubborn, so she had to ept Horace''s help and whispered, "Thank you." Horace''s expression softened a bit, "Let''s go, let''s go upstairs." "Upstairs?" ra was stunned again. "Otherwise?" Horace looked at the frightened little woman in front of him, his expression was even more helpless, "Are you telling me to wait for Isaac downstairs with the wind blowing?" ra''s face turned red again, and she quickly pushed Horace into the building. Taking the elevator upstairs, ra pushed Horace into her home and saw the mess in the room. "Well... I just came back and I haven''t cleaned it up yet. I''m sorry." After all, it was a girl. Seeing such a messy home, ra was also a little embarrassed and quickly began to clean up. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. But unfortunately, her hand was not very flexible, and when she moved it, she ripped the wound and made a painful sound. Horace keenly noticed ra''s twisted little face, he couldn''t help frowning, and immediately got up from the wheelchair, "Let me help you." ra was so embarrassed to ask Horace, the wealthy young man, to clean up the room, and quickly waved, "It''s alright, although I can''t work fast now, I can finish it in a while." "In front of me, you don''t have to pretend." Horace grabbed ra''s hand and pushed her down on the sofa. In front of me, you don''t have to pretend. Such a natural sentence made ra suddenly stunned, and she forgot to struggle, just sat on the sofa in a daze, watching Horace clean up back and forth. Chapter 77 I Live Here Today Chapter 77 I Live Here Today ra could tell at a nce that Horace was probably someone who had never done housework before. He was a bit clumsy for the simple tasks of collecting garbage and washing cups, and his expensive shirts were sshed with water. "That..." ra couldn''t help but say, "Do you need help?" "No." Horace muffled his throat and stubbornly wiped the table. ra looked at his clumsy hand, and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily. However, she had to admit that although he was not good at it, Horace''s perfect physique and handsome face still look quite pleasing to the eye when he was doing housework. ra looked at Horace in front of her, and originally felt a little sweet feeling in her heart, but suddenly, she thought of something, and her eyes darkened. She thought about why she hurried home. It was because of a ne of Horace''s. It''s because her heart was already a little chaotic. She quickly avoided her gaze, forcing herself not to see him again. She said to herself, "ra, you can''t look at him anymore, no matter how many times you looked at him, such an excellent man will never be yours." Horace was packing things, and a weak voice suddenly sounded in the room next to him, "ra, is there a guest at home?" ra was stunned for a moment and immediately realized that Helena, who was resting, was disturbed by them. Afraid that Helena saw Horace standing up, she quickly walked into the room. "Mom, did we wake you up?" She walked over and saw Helena sitting up, "I''ve already requested someone to buy food, you can eat it after a while." Hearing the noise outside, Helena frowned, "Who is here?" ra looked embarrassed, "It''s Horace." "Your husband?" Helena''s expression suddenly becameplicated. "He came to see you? What is he doing outside?" ra didn''t know how to answer, so she could only whisper, "He''s cleaning the room for me." This time, Helena was stunned. Her eyes flickered slightly, and finally, she whispered, "Forget it, you just have to figure some things out yourself." Of course, ra understood what Helena was talking about, walked over, held her hand gently, and whispered, "Mom, don''t worry. I will control myself." This promise was not only for Helena but also for herself. She couldn''t let herself really fall in love with Horace. Helena looked at ra, her eyes glinting with inexplicable emotions, "Okay, I trust you." ra smiled lightly and walked out of the room again. When she came out, Horace had already tidied up the room, and stood there, holding a rag in his hand, and said proudly, "I have tidied everything up. Not bad, huh?" Seeing Horace''s expression was almost asking for credit, ra couldn''t help but burst outughing. Who would have thought that Mr. Kirnd, who was always so calm even while doing a deal worth hundreds of millions of dors, would be so proud of cleaning a room? "Very good," she praised sincerely. "Thank you." While the two of them were talking, Isaac just came back. ra went to open the door for him. As soon as Isaac came in, he saw Horace with a rag in his hand, and his eyes were so frightened that his eyeballs almost fell. But he didn''t dare to say anything, just handed over the meal honestly. ra took care of Helena and finished her meal, and she also ate some casually, it was already 11 p.m. After clearing the table, ra looked at Horace and Isaac, "Horace, Isaac, thank you very much today, it''s a littlete, be careful when you go back to drive." "Mrs. Kirnd, you are wee." Isaac smiled and was about to stand up and leave. But Horace next to him was still sitting on the chair and had no intention of returning to the wheelchair. Isaac felt that something was wrong, and immediately asked tentatively, "Mr. Kirnd?" "You go back first." Horace said lightly, "I live here today." Live here? ra''s eyes suddenly opened round, looking at Horace in disbelief. Isaac was also shocked, but he was a well-trained special assistant, and he calmed down quickly, "Okay, Mr. Kirnd, then I will pick you up tomorrow morning and bring you a change of clothes." When he finished talking, he left without asking. "Hey, Isaac, wait a minute." ra was in a hurry. Seeing Isaac walking so fast, she could only look at Horace, "Do you really want to live here today?" Horace raised his eyebrows, "What? Can''t I?" "It''s not impossible." Seeing Horace didn''t seem to be joking, ra became even more nervous, "It''s just that there are only two rooms here..." "You and I, sleep in your room." Horace replied without hesitation, "Isn''t that how it should be?" ra''s face immediately flushed. Although she and Horace did sleep on the same bed all day when they were in the vi, the bed in her room was much smaller than that in Horace''s vi. If they were lying together... N?velDrama.Org owns all content. She was a little afraid to think about it. Moreover, in this way, isn''t itpletely contrary to her original intention of leaving the vi? "You see the conditions here¡­ I''m afraid you won''t be used to it." ra bit the bullet and continued to make excuses. "It doesn''t matter." Horace raised his eyebrows slightly, "I don''t care." ra really had no excuse, and after staring at Horace for a long time, she could only say, "then that''s ok. I... I''m going to take a bath first?" Horace looked at her with a half-smile, "Okay." ra hurriedly entered the bathroom. Just as she was about to start washing, she suddenly found an annoying problem. There was no bathtub in her house, only a shower. The shower was also the simplest type. Usually, it was enough, but at this time, her right hand was injured, and the showerhead could very easily ssh water on her wound. She had no method at all, but she still took off her clothes, turned on the shower, turned on her side, and washed carefully. But her bnce was not good, and the wound was still soaked with water. She wrinkled her face and wanted to raise her hand, but she mmed into the bathroom door, and suddenly she felt heart- wrenching pain "Ouch!" She couldn''t help screaming in pain, and soon she heard hurried footsteps from outside the bathroom, and Horace''s worried voice, "ra, are you alright?" "I''m fine..." ra hurriedly said, but the wound was so painful, her voice was shaking, and it didn''t seem like she was fine at all. Therefore, Horace outside immediately said, "Wait a minute, I''lle in right away." ra panicked all of a sudden, "It''s really fine. You don''t need to..." But before she could finish her words, she heard a knock on the bathroom door, which was opened directly. Chapter 78 Ill Help You Chapter 78 I''ll Help You The lock on the bathroom door at ra''s house was broken long ago, so Horace was able to push the door open directly. As soon as he came in, he saw ra holding one arm high, and the other arm hurriedly pulling up a bath towel to cover herself. In such a hurry, she forgot to turn off the shower, and the wound on her arm was immediately wetted. This careless woman! Seeing ra tossing herself like this, Horace couldn''t help being a little angry and immediately walked over, quickly hugged ra into his arms, and then turned off the shower. N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "ra, why are you so stupid." He couldn''t help but scold in a low voice, and immediately grabbed ra''s arm and looked at the wound on it. Sure enough, he saw that the wound was almost purulent with water, and he was even angrier, "How can you take a shower alone with a showerhead like this?" Horace scolded dissatisfiedly here, but ra didn''t say a word at all. She just felt her body clinging to Horace. The only distance between the two was the thin shirt on Horace''s body, which was soaked by the water droplets on her body. So the shirt was clinging to their bodies. ra was even able to personally feel the muscles on Horace''s chest, the mermaid lines in his abdomen, and... She felt like her head was about to explode! Horace said a few words to ra, and when he saw that she didn''t speak at all, he couldn''t help frowning, and then he looked down at her. At this nce, he saw ra shrinking in his arms, her body copsed tightly, and her blushing face almost dripped blood. Horace was stunned all of a sudden. Just now because he was worried about ra, he didn''t even notice the state of ra being hugged by him. The fair skin was slightly red due to the high temperature in the bathroom, and the water droplets flowed down. Although it was not the first time that Horace faced ra''s body, for some reason, every time he faced it, he seemed to feel a stronger attraction. Besides, this time the challenge to him was even greater because ra''s soft body was close to his, even if he didn''t look down, he could still feel every curve of her body. In an instant, Horace only felt that there was a fire in his body, the more it burned, the more intense it was! ra was already in a panic, but suddenly she felt the change in Horace''s body, and her ears suddenly became so red that it seemed like smoke was gonnae out the next minute, and she struggled instinctively, "Ho... Horace, put me down..." But her struggle is so powerless in front of Horace, it''s like tickling, it''s not so much rejection, it''s more a challenge to him! Almost without thinking, he suddenly pushed ra against the bathroom wall. Immediately, the distance between the two was even morepressed to intangibility, and even the ups and downs of each other''s breathing chests could be clearly felt. "Horace, you, what are you doing..." ra couldn''t struggle, so she could only raise her eyes in a panic. Horace didn''t know what happened to him, even though it was only ra''s gentle question at this time that almost defeat hisst sense of reason! He bowed his head abruptly, and his fingers slowly slid across ra''s waist, making her goosebumps and trembling, he whispered, "What do you think I''m going to do?" Horace''s voice was extremely lower, deeper, and sexier than usual, ra only felt that her body was getting hotter and hotter, and stammered, "No... don''t..." "Why not?" Horace leaned down a bit again, and put his lips on ra''s earlobe, "Last time you said yes clearly." ra''s ears were already very sensitive, and at this time, under Horace''s provocation, she couldn''t hold it back, but herst sense of reason still told her¡ª Don''t. Absolutely not. Nothing can happen between her and Horace. Thest time she was in the Kirnd''s old house, she did agree with Horace, but at this moment, her mood waspletely different. She agreed before because she felt that although it was a loveless marriage, she was married to him after all. She didn''t mind having a child with Horace, which was also her duty as a wife. But now she couldn''t do such calm thinking. Because she realized that she seemed to have feelings for Horace that she shouldn''t have, she didn''t dare give her body to Horace again. She was afraid, afraid that after she give herself to Horace, she would really fall into this, and she would never leave Horace again. Thinking of this, she pushed Horace away desperately, "My mom is in the room. It''s not okay..." Horace lowered his head, and his blurry gaze met ra''s glinting eyes. He suddenly woke up a lot. Nothing was more disappointing than a person who had been lost in love, but another person is still rational. Horace thought that ra was still the same as before. She was not ready because of what happened two years ago, so he loosened his body a little. Horace didn''t expect that one day he would be helpless to this point, enduring the feeling of "wanting someone but can''t have her" over and over again. In particr, this woman in front of him could always make him so desirous. Never mind. For the sake of her injuries, this time, forgot it. But he didn''t mean to let ra go, he suddenly wrapped around her waist again, and in her panicked eyes, he said, "Don''t worry, I won''t force a woman to do things she doesn''t like. I just want to help you take a bath." With this kind of shower, if ra took a bath alone, the wound would be inmed. ra was still blushing, "Thanks. But I''ll just wipe myself clean." Saying that she hurriedly wanted to slip away, but Horace held her and prevented her from leaving. "What are you shy about? It''s not the first time I''ve seen your body." He said casually, took down the shower, and turned it on. "If you''re worried about me, don''t worry, I can control myself." With that, he naturally began to help ra take a bath. ra knew that Horace''s personality was unequivocal. No matter how she refused, it was useless. She could only tighten her whole body and let him bathe herself. However, when Horace''s big hand swam past her, the warm temperature and slightly rough touch made her feel as if countless currents were flowing through her. She held back so hard that she didn''t tremble. On Horace''s side, it was even harder to endure. Although he said that his self-control was good, he found that in front of ra, his self-control was put under horrendous challenge every time! But anyway, he promised the woman in front of him, and he could only grit his teeth and endure it. After finally finishing this bath which turned out to be a torture to both of them, Horace carefully wiped ra dry. Feeling that Horace was carefully wiping her body, ra felt a bit dazed for the moment. Chapter 79 Fall in Love Chapter 79 Fall in Love ra almost forgot how long it had been since thest time she had been bathed in this way. In ra''s memory, Helena bathed her a lot when she was a kid; yet when she grew older, Helena became busy earning a living and she must take care of herself. It was unexpected that, after years of independent and lonely life, there appeared a man who would be willing to take care of her, feed her, clean her room for her and bath her when she was injured. His care seemed to be trying to make up for all the love she had lost over the years. More importantly, he was a man with such a high social status and had never done such things. At that moment, ra felt that some parts of her heart were moved and even melted by his tenderness. She could not help closing her eyes to conceal her real feelings. "Horace Kirnd¡­ Please stop being kind to me. I am so afraid. I am so afraid that I will fall in love with you." After the bath, ra and Horace went back to the living room and Horace was sopping wet. Feeling sorry, ra rummaged through her closet for severalrge sports clothes that she would wear when she did exercises. Before handing those clothes to Horace, she ventured, "Are you sure that you want to stay here for the night?" "Of course," Horace took the clothes and said, "Don''t you want to take care of your mother? Well, you can''t do that with an injured hand. Therefore, I will stay and take care of both of you." "Don''t trouble yourself." ra didn''t want him to stay so she said, "I can do it myself." "Are you sure?" Horace raised his eyebrows, "Are you sure that you can do it yourself when you could not even bath yourself without my help?" Horace''s words reminded ra of the bathroom story, which made her blush and stopped her from refuting his words. Then, Horace chuckled lightly and walked to the bathroom with the sports clothes. All of a sudden, ra was a little annoyed that she was tricked by Horace again and even acquiesced his stay. Before entering the bathroom, something suddenly urred to Horace''s mind and he said, "If you don''t want me to stay, thene home with me." He walked straight into the bathroom after his words. Horace took a cold shower on purpose. He didn''t leave the bathroom until he had controlled his fiery desire. When he was back in the bedroom, he found that ra was already lying in the bed. The bed was so small that ra was almost curled up in the corner. Horace could not bear to see her sleeping in this way, so he went straight to pull her in his arms after he entered the room. "What are you hiding from?" Horace held ra tightly and whispered into her ear, "Won''t it be much morefortable in this way?" As he said that, he quickly turned off the light, closed his eyes and fell asleep. He was really exhausted after busying himself for the whole day. The fragrance of ra''s hairforted him in an indescribably tender manner. From a special perspective, a small bed also had its advantage. Soon, Horace''s breathing became steady and he fell asleep. However, lying in his arms, ra could not calm herself down for a long time. She turned around slightly, raised her head, and saw Horace''s handsome face with a little stubble on his chin. His breath and scent enveloped her. At that exact moment, she felt that her heart began to beat wildly. A shade of helplessness appeared in her eyes and she closed them in despair. "ra, don''t conceal your feelings anymore. You are falling¡­" "You have already fallen in love¡­" ... It had already been midnight, but, in Stratmont, there were countless people still awake. Darren, after his overtime shift, plodded back to his rented apartment beside the periodical office at a weary pace. He did not like living in his family house, neither did he want to be with his father and grandfather every day. Therefore, he rented an apartment far away from home. When he went out of the lift and was about to open the door with his key, he caught sight of a small figure. He was startled and could not believe what he had seen. He asked, "Ashlee, is that you?" Yes, indeed, it was exactly Ashlee Middleton sitting in front of his apartment. Hearing Darren''s voice, she raised her head with two red eyes. It was obvious that she had just finished crying, which made her look so poor. "Darren, you are finally back." Ashlee, half crying, asked wearily when she caught sight of Darren, "I have been waiting for you for a long time and my phone call didn''t work." "Why do you wait for me?" eyebrows knitted, Darren helped her stand up and said in afort tone, "I worked overtime today and my phone is out of power. Let''s get inside first." Once they entered the room and closed the door, Ashlee pulled Darren into her arms. Transfixed and startled, Darren asked in a gentle tone, "Ashlee, are you alright?" Ashlee''s tear wetted his shirt. She whispered, "D, will you leave me?" She did not even know how to describe her panic and helplessness when she heard what Diane Kirby''s said to her that day. Diane told her that Darren questioned ra in public why she did not tell the world that she had been framed. Ashlee knew that Diane told her this with only one purpose. That is, she wanted her to teach ra some lessons. But it was unexpected to Diane that her words nearly scared Ashlee to death. How could Darren know the truth that ra had actually been framed two years ago?" Then, would he be with ra again? Would he find out that I designed the n? Attacked by great panic, she did not want to talk with Diane anymore. Instead, she went to Darren''s home in a hurry and called him restlessly. However, she did not dare to mention any of her secrets in front of him. The only thing she could do was to find out his attitude carefully. It was obvious that Ashlee''s question shocked him. Darrenpsed into silence for a few seconds and then asked, "Ashlee, what happened?" Realizing that he did not answer her question directly, Ashlee was caught by an even greater panic. In order to conceal her fear, she loosened her hug and smiled bitterly, "I am fine. I am just a little bit scared. Well, you know, our wedding ceremony ising soon." Ashlee''s words reminded Darren of their wedding next month. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. A shade of unwillingness suddenly caught him. The longer Darren paused and stayed quiet, the more scared Ashlee became. She ventured, "Darren, you still want to marry me, right?" Her words pulled Darren back to reality and he squeezed a smile, "Of course, yes, Ashlee. Everything will be alright. You are just imagining things. You are freezing now. You''d better take a hot shower." He led her into the bathroom. Ashlee plodded wearily into the bathroom and slumped on the flush toilet. It''s doomed. As expected, Darren would change his attitude after knowing what had happened to ra. What did she have now to defeat ra? Her phone suddenly rang when she was still lost in her thought. The name on the screen startled her. "Ashlee''s speaking." she picked up the phone quickly, "You don''t need to find that old man anymore. I have already¡­" Before she finished her words, what the person on the phone had said made her change her countenance immediately. "What? You mean that the old man didn''t make the n work back then? How could it be!" Chapter 80 Do You Love Horace? Chapter 80 Do You Love Horace? When Ashlee was taking a bath in the bathroom, Darren was standing on the balcony, smoking. Not aware of the passage of time, he had already smoked a whole package of cigarettes. It was the first time that he had ever been attacked by feelings of regret. He regretted leaving ra without saying goodbye two years ago; he regretted his engagement with Ashlee; and what''s more, he regretted his tricks on and insults to ra. It was he himself who drove his beloved one away. Therefore, he could me no one for this. More importantly, now, Horace has already been with ra. When he thought about Horace, he could not help clenching his fist and smoking much more heavily. He remembered that when he showed those photos to Horace, thetter chose to believe in ra''s innocence without hesitation. Horace trusted her, probably because he had already known the truth. No matter whether he knew the truth or not, he did not hurt ra after all. Compared with Horace, Darren felt himself a coward and a loser. Such aparison made him irritated. The thought of those photos reminded him that there were still several of them kept in his phone which he forgot to delete. At that moment, he felt that those photos hurt him a lot and he only wanted to delete them right now. When he was deleting the photos, he suddenly noticed something bizarre. Hold on. Why did these photos look different from the ones that he had projected on the screen at the Kirnd family''s dinner party? Although he did not try to remember all that about ra, he found that all the details about her were deeply printed in his mind and he could recall every detail. Of course, he could definitely remember those photos at the dinner party. The photos on his phone were almost the same as the photos projected on the screen at the dinner party except for one of them where ray on the bed with her hair loose and scattered on the pillow. Suddenly, Horace found it hard to breath. Why¡­ He remembered that Ashlee told him that all the photos disyed on the banquet came from his phone. But why was there an extra photo projected on the screen? Did that mean that¡­ One possible exnation urred to Darren, which startled and even scared him. However, before he could ponder on it, a soft and tender voice rang behind him-- "Darren?" He was brought back to reality by the voice. He turned around to find Ashlee Kirnd staring at him intently and quizzically with her hair dripping wet. He found that Ashlee''s face, which was simr to but more beautiful and flirting than ra''s face, made him scared and gave him goose bumps. "Well, Ashlee," he involuntarily stepped back and said, "I had a call from my office. Something happened and I have to handle it. Don''t wait for me. Take a rest." Before Ashlee could say a word, he went straight towards the door. "Darren¡­" Ashlee was stupefied by his words and when she wanted to stop him, he had already left the house. Ashlee stood in a frozen manner, lost in thought. "Why does Darren leave in such a hurry? Is he going to meet ra?" The thought of ra and what she had learnt from the call made her pale. She had sent someone to contact that old man and now she was told that the old man did not rape ra two years ago and it was someone else who had done that. What shocked her the most was that her boy could not find out any information about that mysterious man, which meant that this mysterious man was more powerful than her. Who was that mysterious "rapist" two years ago? ... In the morning, when ra woke up, the first thing that she saw was Horace''s handsome face which was so close to her. It was so close that she went nk for a few seconds before she could realize that they were lying in the bed in her little apartment. She wanted to get up immediately, but Horace''s hug stopped her. His eyes were still closed and when he realized her intention of getting up, he tightened his hug and said, "Be quiet. It is only 7 o''clock now and we can sleep a bit longer." It was unexpected for ra that Horace was actually awake. She was frozen by his hug and words and she could do nothing but lie still. However, she found it impossible to fall asleep again. As time passed, she grew more and more nervous and the bell rang before she almost sweated. Horace opened his eyes slowly and then stared at ra intently. "Good morning, ra," he whispered hoarsely. His voice was soft like a feather and could give everyone goose bumps. Such a morning greeting made ra blush, "Good morning." ra got up and prepared a clean towel and toothbrush for Horace. After cleaning herself up, she helped her mother wash her face and brush her teeth. Then, Isaac came with the breakfast prepared by Martha. There was, of course, breakfast specially prepared for Helena. Seeing the substantial breakfast on the table, ra could not help whispering to Horace, "It is unnecessary to trouble Martha." "It is fine. It will just take a little more time." Horace took a sip of the porridge and said, "But, if you still insist on living here, it will trouble Martha much more." Startled, ra ventured, "You don''t mean that you still want to stay here for another night?" "Well, if you still want to stay here," Horace answered casually, "then I will ask Martha to bring me my pajamas. Your clothes are too small for me." ra was made speechless. She now admitted that Horace was a smart, high-handed man. He never shouted at her or forced her, but he could always, in a smart way, make herpromise. ra now realized that he was exactly a better game yer. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. "Fine," she lowered her eyes, "I will be back tonight." A shade of smirk appeared on Horace''s face, "You can bring your mother with you." "My mom won''te with me. She has already gotten used to this house." "Then I''ll find you a nurse to look after her." Knowing that her refusal wouldn''t work, ra nodded her head and acquiesced. After breakfast, Horace drove ra to work. She remembered that she had a morning meeting to sit that day, so she went straight to the public meeting hall above her office. It was unexpected for her to see Darren sitting in the meeting hall alone, preparing for the meeting. Noticing her arrival, Darren was shocked and asked, "ra, didn''t you receive an email about the half- hour dy of the meeting?" ra felt frustrated. Horace''s arrival yesterday upset her n, which made she forget to check her email. "I forgot. I am sorry." she wanted to disappear immediately, "I''ll leave now." "Wait." Before she could leave, Darren stopped her. Eyebrows knitted, ra asked, "Director, what can I do for you?" "I have a question for you." Darren stood up slowly. Compared with the former guy who had been mean to her, now he spoke so gently, just like the mild young man he was back in the old days. He asked, "Do you love Horace?" Chapter 81 A Murderer Chapter 81 A Murderer It was totally unbelievable that Darren would ask this question in such a direct and reckless way. ra was startled by him, frowning, and answered, "I''m sorry, sir. I don''t want to answer such a question." When she was about to turn around and leave, Darren walked towards her at a fast pace and took her by the wrist. "Well, indeed, a director won''t want to ask you such a question." Darren said anxiously, "But I was your boyfriend, and I want to¡­ Well, I am your friend now, and I want you to tell me the truth." He had wandered outside for a whole night, lost in thought of ra and everything about her. Then he found that, for him, the marriage between ra and Horace now mattered the most. Before, he always believed that ra married Horace only for his wealth, but now, at that moment, after everything that had happened, he had to reconsider their marriage again. If it had not been for money, ra would only marry Horace for two reasons. It was either for love, or for apromise with reality. Darren would never convince himself of the former reason, because, although it had already been two years since they broke up, he refused to believe that she had already forgotten her love for him since he himself hadn''t forgotten his love for her. Therefore, he would rather believe that she married him only because she had no other choice. In order to find out the truth, he had sent someone to investigate their marriage, which revealed the truth that ra had had countless blind dates a month before their marriage. All those men whom she had dated were neither handsome nor rich, but all of them were registered permanent residents in Stratmont. The discovery, associated with Helena''s disease, gradually led him to an answer. That was why he came to question ra about her attitude. He wanted some excuses for their badly- ended rtionship two years ago. Questioned in such a pressing way, ra turned pale. She tried to calm herself down and then refuted, "Darren, Horace is your uncle and I am your aunt now. It is quite inappropriate for you to pry into your family elders'' life, isn''t it? Mind your own business." Such a refutation was unexpected. Darren gnashed, "ra, don''t beat around the bush! You never love Horace, right? You married him only because he is a registered resident in Stratmont, right?" That Darren had made such an in-depth investigation was out of ra''s imagination, which nted a shade of unbelievability and fear in her eyes. Noticing the change in ra''s countenance, Darren was then convinced that he had found out the truth and his heart began to beat more and more wildly. He held her wrist more tightly and further questioned, "ra, am I right? You don''t love him at all, right? Well, of course, how can you love a cold and disabled man?" Even Darren himself couldn''t tell why he cared about this marriage. The only thing that he was sure about was that he would be caught by fury whenever he thought about the scene that ra would sleep with Horace every night and they had already seen every part of each other. Thus, he would insult and humiliate Horace whenever he could. However, it seemed that Horace was better than him from every perspective except for his crippled legs and aloof personality. ra was going to ignore his words, but his insult to Horace made her angry in an indescribable way. "Darren, stop this nonsense!" she got rid of him with all her strength and scolded coldly, "You are the handsome and richer or do you have a greater trust in me? I will let you know that I have never regretted my choice of marring him!" Darren would never believe that ra, such a gentle girl, would fight against her in such a violent way. He was stupefied by her words and anger, and then gradually grew paler and paler. Why did she be so angry? Was it because of Horace? Was it only because I insulted Horace? Did her anger mean that Horace meant more than her nominal husband? Such a guess nearly suffocated Darren. In the next second, he took her by her wrist again, but with a greater strength thanst time, and growled in a low voice, "ra Selman! You''d better tell me that you don''t love him! Stupid girl! You know nothing about that beast!" Darren''s grip made her so painful that she could not utter a word. Darren did not notice the change in her countenance and kept scowling, "Ten years ago, Horace, the cold beast, left her girlfriend alone to die and ran away himself! How can you love such a selfish and cold man!" ra was trying to get rid of him, but his words froze and shocked her like thunder. "Nonsense!" increasingly pale, she blurted out, "Stop saying this nonsense!" Realizing that ra was still defending Horace, the fury in Darren''s heart med more wildly. His anger made him forget that the ten-year-ago case was a taboo. He continued, "Nonsense? If you don''t trust me, you can investigate it. Then you will know how Horace survived the kidnap and how Laura Hutchinson had died because of him!" ra became deadly pale. Laura Hutchinson¡­ Wasn''t she the girl who owned that crystal ne? She died. She died because of him in the kidnapping ten years ago. There was suddenly too much information dashing into her brain, which made her speechless. Her paleness calmed Darren down. He let go of her wrist and began to regret his impulse. The kidnap ten years ago was an absolute taboo for the Kirnd family and they had suppressed the news. However, he actually divulged the details of the kidnap case only because of his jealousy. Anyway, this unintentional divulgence could now let ra know Horace''s real personality, which was still wonderful. At the thought of this, Horace calmed down a little and said, "ra, I don''t care about our real rtionship and our future fate. I just don''t want you to be cheated by him." The shock made ra ignore Darren''s words. Then, a few secondster, personnel of GLAM entered the office one by one for the meeting. When they saw ra and Darren, they were first startled and then sat down quietly, with mute gossips filling the whole meeting hall. ra also sat down quietly. However, she couldn''t concentrate on the meeting at all since what Darren said about the kidnapping had upied her mind. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was totally unexpected that she had been jealous of a dead girl for so many days. Then, did Laura really die because of Horace? ra found herself fearful to go any further. Chpater 82 The Truth Chpater 82 The Truth ra went back to her office after the meeting finally ended in her anxiety. She wondered whether she should investigate the kidnap case. After hesitation, she decided to ask Stephanie for help. "Stephanie," she asked, "Can you do me a favor?" Stephanie had been a reporter for more than ten years. She used to work in a newspaper office before she quit the job because she found it tiring to conduct interviews all over the country, and then she worked here as an exclusive editor. "Yes, go ahead." Stephanie and ra were friends, so she did not refuse her. ra slightly bit her lower lips and said, "I want to know about the kidnapping that happened to the second young master of the Kirnd family ten years ago." This request was obviously unexpected for Stephanie. She paused for a few seconds and said in a slight panic, "ra, why do you want to know about this case?" Stephanie was the only one ra could turn to. Since the kidnap case happened ten years ago, she was sure that, except for the Kirnd family, only the policemen and reporters who had followed the case could tell her the truth. Therefore, she decided to try her luck with Stephanie. "Well¡­" embarrassed, ra took a deep breath, "I am just curious." "If it is only out of your curiosity, then you had better stop your investigation." Stephanie answered in a solemn and serious tone, "Not everyone can pry into Kirnd''s history." After her words, Stephanie continued her work. Her attitude towards this case increased ra''s curiosity. Stephanie must have known some details. "Stephanie," ra quickly drew up a chair and sat down, "I really want to know the details. I can''t tell you the reason, but I do need to know." It was lunch time and everyone, except for Stephanie and ra, was having their lunch in the canteen. Stephanie raised her head and stared at ra with a profound look. After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly said, "ra, I can tell you some details. But you must tell me the truth. Did you ask this because of your husband?" This question startled ra, "Stephanie, how did you¡­" "Well, I have known that a long time ago." Stephanie sighed, "Your husband is Horace, right? What''s more, he was exactly the second young master of the Kirnd family¡ª the protagonist of the kidnap case." Stephanie''s words shocked rapletely. She thought that she had hidden her marriage well enough, but Stephanie still knew the real identity of her husband. What''s more, Stephanie also knew the rtionship between Horace and the Kirnd family. Although ra did not give an answer and tried to conceal her feelings, her facial expression betrayed her, which told Stephanie that she was right. Stephanie sighed again with an I-know-I-am-right expression and said, "You are shocked that I knew his identity, right? Actually, I''ve realized that Horace is the Kirnd''s second young master since my first interview with him. And my suspicion about your rtionship was raised when I saw the ring, so I asked you a tentative question." Now ra admired Stephanie to a greater extent. As an experienced reporter who had worked hard in the news circle for more than ten years, Stephanie had a keen eye for details which was truly iparable. Now that Stephanie had known the real identity of her husband, ra decided to tell her the truth. Anyway, she hid their marriage not because it was a shame, but because she wanted to avoid gossip. "Yes, Stephanie, you are right." ra admitted in a low voice, "Then can you tell me more about the kidnap?" ra was afraid that Stephanie would still refuse her request. Yet Stephanie, looking her in the eyes, said seriously, "ra, I know that you are a good girl. Although there has been a lot of gossips and rumors recently, I still believe that you are not a gold digger." Hearing that, ra was touched and her eyes turned red, "Thank you, Stephanie." She had been misunderstood and despised for nearly two years. At the very beginning, she would always try to defend herself. However,ter, she gave in since she knew that no one would trust her. Therefore, Stephanie''s trust was quite touching to her. "Well, I was shocked when I found out about your marriage with Horace." Stephanie stared at ra with a shade of pity in her eyes, "Although Horace is outstanding, what he has done during these two years can''t make me believe that he can be a good husband." ra turned a little pale, "Stephanie, tell me everything you know." Stephanie sighed and said, "You are lucky that you asked the right person. Ten years ago, I still worked in a newspaper office and I was the one who took charge of the case. I worked very hard to find out the truth. However, before I could publish this story, I was threatened by the Kirnd family not to divulge any details about it. I am clearly aware of what the Kirnd family would do to me if I betray them, so I keep the secret as if I knew nothing about it." Now ra realized why Stephanie would know the real identity of Horace. If she truly had had an in- depth investigation into the case, she would already know Horace''s name and appearance. Yet the tone of Stephanie scared her, "What happened?" "At that time, Horace was still a university student. Originally, the Kirnd family was to send him to study abroad, but he decided to stay home for a girl, who was his girlfriend at that time. Well, if I remember correctly, the name of the girl was Laura¡­" "Laura Hutchinson," ra interrupted. ra''s interruption startled Stephanie a little, "What? You know her name? Yes, indeed, her name was Laura Hutchinson. They were close to each other. They might be each other''s first love, I guess. Anyway, Horace didn''t study abroad because of the girl." Stephanie''s words reminded ra of the photos in the drawer. In the photo, they were both young and smiling happily. They must have been so deep in love with each other. Just like she and Darren before. "When they were freshmen, Horace and Laura got rid of the bodyguards sent by the Kirnd family and went to a small town for fun. It was unexpected that they would have been kidnapped." "They were both kidnapped?" ra was shocked by the information and could not help interrupting Stephanie again, "You mean that not only Horace, but also that girl was involved ten years ago?" "Yes," Stephanie said seriously, "The Kirnd family suppressed the news, so no one noticed the disappearance of the girl and everyone believed that Horace was the only victim." Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "Then?" "At that time, the kidnappers asked for a sky-high ransom. After all, Horace was Russell Kirnd''s grandson, so the ransom was paid. However, after receiving the money, those kidnappers still nned to kill the victims. It might be because their identities had been known by the Kirnd family. They locked Horace and Laura in a warehouse and set a fire." Chpater 83 I Trust Him Chpater 83 I Trust Him The story struck fear into ra''s heart, "Did Laura die in the fire and only Horace survived?" "You are right," Stephanie turned much more serious and also paler, "However, ording to the case record I found in the police office, the kidnappers actually tied Horace and Laura together, but Horace N?velDrama.Org owns all content. fled from the warehouse with his injured legs while Laura was found dead tied up." ra also turned pale, "So you mean that¡­" "Yes," Stephanie lowered her voice, "Horace left her girlfriend to death and ran away alone." "No," ra blurted out, "No, it couldn''t be. Horace couldn''t be selfish enough to do such a terrible thing." Although she hadn''t been with Horace for a long time, she was sure that, no matter how cold he seemed to be, he was actually a gentle and kind person in nature. Thus, she couldn''t believe that he would actually leave his girlfriend to death and fled away himself. Realizing that ra would continue to trust and defend him, Stephanie gave her another pathetic look and sighed again, "ra, none of those rich men can face death bravely. Instead, they are more afraid of it than other people. More importantly, Horace was only a boy at that time, so it is understandable that he would flee away alone." Biting her lips, rapsed into silence. "That''s all I know about this case. Before I could conduct further and more detailed investigation, the Kirnd family had already suppressed the news," Stephanie continued, "Well, at the very beginning, I didn''t want to tell you about this case since you have already married Horace. However, as a stubborn person myself, I insist that if a man doesn''t even try to save his beloved one when encountering danger, you can''t entrust your life on him." While saying, Stephanie held ra''s hands gently, "You are a good girl. I want you to know that you can''t be cheated by what he has shown you, and neither can you hold some unrealistic fantasies towards him. You should depend on yourself so that you can live your own ideal life." Of course, ra knew that Stephanie told her the details because she cared about her. She squeezed a smile and said, "Thank you for telling me this, Stephanie. I still can''t convince myself that Horace would act in such a selfish way." That ra was so wrongheaded made Stephanie anxious, "ra, you can''t be an obsessive of Horace! You should know that those rich men are cold and cruel in nature! You can''t depend your life on them!" Smiling, rapsed into silence again. Now she had calmed down from the shock and could gradually digest and analyze the information learnt from Stephanie and Darren. She finally knew that the girl whom she was jealous of was Horace''s first love. What''s more, whatever the truth, she died because of Horace, which was beyond question. She also finally understood the profound sadness shown on Horace''s face whenever he saw the crystal ne. To be honest, who could truly get over the sadness brought by the death of his beloved one, especially when the death happened in a fire because of him when they were both young and beautiful, so deeply in love. ra couldn''t dare to try to imagine how sad Horace had been all these years. Compared to the pain caused by the injured legs, the pain caused by the loss of his beloved girl was the real trauma. With regard to what Darren had told her that Horace left the girl to death and ran away, ra doubted. Even though he did flee away himself, she believed that he had his reasons. It seemed that she had a blind and irrational trust in Horace, but she still insisted on believing him. She trusted him without hesitation, which was exactly the same as what Horace did to her two years ago. A married couple should, of course, understand and trust each other, shouldn''t they? Moreover, she couldn''t be hardhearted enough to scold him after he had endured so much pain since the kidnap ten years ago. When ra and Stephanie finished their conversation, their colleagues gradually came back from the canteen. They didn''t dare to discuss the case anymore, so they went on to work silently. ra decided to go back to her small apartment when she finally finished her work that day. In the afternoon, she received a text from Martha that a nurse had already been hired for Helena. Yet she still felt worried about her mother''s situation, so she went back to Horace''s vi after she went back home and made sure that the care worker was professional. Meanwhile, in the CEO''s office in the Solrace Corporation. Horace was having a look at the newest fund model when Isaac suddenly knocked on the door and entered the office. "Mr. Kirnd," Isaac looked strange in his expression, "You asked me to investigate the man who vited Mrs. Kirnd''s safety two years ago and I had already checked all the security cameras and records of the hotel. I found nothing suspicious except for one thing that had been forgotten in the room." The movement of Horace''s fingers on the keyboard paused. He asked coldly, "You guys are so inefficient. You have been investigating for such a long time, but with no satisfying results. Why can''t you investigate that thing left in the room yourself? And you even need my help." Isaac''s forehead began to sweat. He ventured, "Mr. Kirnd, I''ll definitely conduct my investigation. But before that, I believe that I must show it to you first." Hearing that, Horace finally turned around from theputer and cast a look at the thing. Isaac immediately put down that thing on the table and exined, "As a five-star hotel, Millennium Hotel would keep and take care of everything that their guests have leave behind by ident, and then try to get in touch with their guests. However, this time, they haven''t been able to get in touch with the owner of this item. Therefore, this handkerchief has been kept in the storage room for two years." There was a handkerchief lying on the table in front of Horace. It was a delicate dark-blue silk handkerchief with extremely high quality. It looked like a man''s handkerchief since there were no patterns on it except for a small English letter "J" in cursive embroidered at the bottom. When Horace saw the handkerchief, his countenance suddenly changed. He picked it up and observed it carefully for a long time before he suddenly looked up at Isaac with deadly coldness in his eyes and asked, "Are you sure that you found it in that room?" Horace''s pressing tone made Isaac scared. He stopped himself from shivering and suppressed his desire to wipe his sweat with his handkerchief, "Yes, Mr. Kirnd. All of a sudden, Horace tightly clenched his fist, which creased the handkerchief. "Bring stair Jakovich to me!" he growled after a few seconds of silence. Chapter 84 The Handkerchief in the Room Chapter 84 The Handkerchief in the Room "Well¡­ I''ve been trying to get in touch with Mr. Jakovich since the moment I found the handkerchief. However, I couldn''t contact him because he is now attending a design seminar abroad and has turned off his phone." "Try your best!" Horace scowled in a low voice angrily, "Bring him to me as soon as you can get in touch with him." Isaac was so scared that he became deadly pale, "Yes, Mr. Kirnd." Now Horace had no mood for the model on theputer screen. He moved towards the door in his wheelchair rapidly. Isaac followed. Then, Horace asked coldly, "Is ra home now?" "Martha called just now and told me that Mrs. Kirnd had already gone back home." Hearing that, Horace finally softened his poker face a little. When he suddenly realized that he still held that handkerchief in hand, he immediately cast it to Isaac with disgust and said, "Throw it away. Also, buy and close thepany that produces this handkerchief. I don''t want to see it anywhere anymore." Taking stair Jakovich into ount, Isaac hesitated, "But how about Mr. Jakovich?" "Do as I said!" ra had fallen asleep when Horace was home. Sleeping with Horace in a small bedst night gave her a light sleep, which made her tired that day, so she went straight to bed after having dinner. When Horace entered the room, he found ra curling up in bed, wearing the silk sling pajamas bought by Martha. She tightly held the quilt in her arms, which exposed her delicate shoulders and back to the air. Horace frowned. ra had gotten used to such a sleep posture. Instead of tucking herself in, she would rather hold the quilt in her arms. Therefore, he would wake up at midnight in order to tuck her in in fear that she would catch a cold. Why did Martha buy her sling pajamas? Such pajamas could not keep her warm. After locking the door, Horace stood up from the wheelchair and walked towards the bed, hoping to tuck her in. When he just stood still beside the bed, ra turned around and left the quilt behind, which totally exposed her body to the air. All of a sudden, Horace held his breath and stopped his movement. He then understood why Martha would prepare such pajamas for ra. The pajamas were ck, embroidered with delicate, beautiful patterns. ra became more attractive when the cloth covered her fair skin. The pajamas were not loose but slim, so that it could delineate ra''s sexy figure. When she wore it and slept in such a casual posture, it was extremely tempting. Desire was burning in Horace''s eyes. At that moment, ra woke up and slightly rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Horace?" realizing that there stood a man beside the bed, she was startled and then became sober, "Wee home." When she went home that day, she was so tired that she fell asleep very soon. Now, seeing Horace standing just in front of her, what Stephanie had told her that day urred to her and she became soberer. Before making a response, Horace rapidly covered ra with the quilt, which dissolved his fiery desire. He said, "I think you should put on more clothes in case you catch a cold." It took ra several seconds before she lowered her head to have a look at her new pajamas and realized what he meant. She blushed, "I have only been away from home for one day and it was unexpected that Martha would throw away my old pajamas and buy me this." Now ra did regret that she went home yesterday. Her imprudent decision not only brought her no benefits, but also put her at the "kind" mercy of Martha. Indeed, those who had worked for rich families were better yers than her. "Well, how about your wound?" Horace suddenly recalled ra''s wound and he took her wrist out of the quilt. Seeing the used bandage and cotton inside it, he knitted his brow, "You haven''t redressed it, right? ra, can''t you take better care of yourself?" ra looked a little guilty and lowered her head, "I will redress it right now." She tried to get up from bed, but stopped by Horace. He said, "I''ll do it for you. It is inconvenient for you to do it with your left hand." He got the cotton swab and medicine and began to redress ra''s wound. ra could not remember how many times Horace had helped her change the wound dressing since the ident. Whenever he did that, his hot breath would fall on her arms, which always made her blush. She could not help turning around and staring at Horace''s handsome face. It dazzled her a little. From this special angle, his eyshes looked long and dense, and his eyes sparklingly dark. Even a girl''s eyshes and eyes could not be more beautiful than his. Attracted by Horace''s eyes, she ventured in a soft tone, "Horace, can I ask you a question?" Horace paid all his attention to her wound. Without looking up, he gave a grunt of acquiescence. "The owner of that ne¡­Is she your ex-girlfriend?" ra asked. The movement of Horace''s hand paused for a few seconds and then he rapidly resumed his work. Again, without looking up, he gave a grunt of approval. It was unexpected that Horace would be willing to talk about this topic. She was relieved a little and posed another question, "You loved her very much, right?" Hearing the question, Horace finally looked up. The darkness in his eyes was deep, preventing ra from guessing what he was thinking about. He asked calmly, "ra, why do you want to know about this?" ra began to regret her questions and responded in a low voice, "Well, I can sense your sadness whenever you have a look at it." The darkness in Horace''s eyes flickered. He lowered his head again and went on redressing ra''s wound. When ra thought that Horace did not want to continue this topic, he made his response unexpectedly. "I am sorry to her." It took ra several seconds to understand his words. He was sorry to Laura? Her heart sank. Did it mean that he had really left Laura to death and fled away alone ten years ago? Otherwise, why would he say that he was sorry to her? No. It was impossible. She slightly shook her head to get rid of her imagination about this topic. She did not dare to ask more questions about it, so their conversation about this topic came to an end. ... While in the old house of the Kirnd family. Russell Kirnd was old, so he went to bed early. However, in the study, there stood a bowing figure, with his face lowering into the darkness, in front of Sean Kirnd. "Are you sure?" Sean, with an extremely gloomy face, asked, "Did that cripple really have sex with his new married wife?" "It is real," the man standing in front of the table answered seriously, "Mr. Russell Kirnd has been concerned about this matter. Besides, what I have observed can prove it." "Damn it!" Sean threw a hard punch at the table with fury in his eyes, "If it is real, then this ra Selman would probably have a baby with that loser?"Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Chapter 85 Clara, Im Sorry Chapter 85 ra, I''m Sorry "It''s theoretically possible." The person at the desk replied respectfully. "This must never happen!" Sean''s face was hideous, he thought for a while, and said, "I will find a way to hold Horace tomorrow and you need to find a way to get rid of that ra." The man frowned, "Sir, why don''t we just get rid of Horace directly?" "You think I don''t want to?" Sean sneered, "but you also know how much the old man cares about him. In the kidnapping case ten years ago, he almost turn the whole Stratmont upside down, so we can''t touch him. But ra Selman is different, she''s just an outsider, even if something goes wrong, the old man won''t do anything." "Ok, I see." "Besides." Sean suddenly thought of something, his face sank, then he said, "Don''t let Darren know about this." The man''s eyes flickered, "Yes." "Go." "Yes, sir." ... ra went to GLAM the next day, and after a while, she received a text message from Horace, saying that he was going on a business trip, and remembered her to change her medicine and take care of herself. She obediently replied "OK", and continued busy with her work. The deadline was approaching and the office was a mess. She finally managed to get this work finished. ra was thest group to leave the magazine. It was past midnight. Coincidentally, there seemed to be a concert in the stadium next to thepany, and the traffic was so congested that it was impossible to get a car. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Everyone was talking about carpooling, but when they asked where she lived, she couldn''t answer. She couldn''t tell everyone that she lives in the most expensive viplex in the city, right? So, she could only bite the bullet and smile, saying that her husband was already on his way to pick her up and they should leave first. Everyone was like "I''m so envious", and they got into their car one after another. In the end, only ra was left waiting at the door of thepany. ra waited and waited, but after 20 minutes, there was still no car, and the car-hailing app didn''t work, but Horace wasn''t in Stratmont and she didn''t have anyone to ask for help. She could only continue to wait. But rather than a taxi, a red Ferrari stopped in front of her. Seeing the people sitting in the sports car, her face froze, and she immediately turned to leave. But the door was opened so quickly and the person in the driver''s seat caught up. "ra, what are you doing?" ra was forced to stop and turned her head, "Mr. Kirnd." Darren walked toward her with a helpless expression, but he still opened the car door, "Get in the car, I''ll take you home." But she didn''t move, "No need, my husband wille to pick me up." She emphasized the word "husband", but Darren just looked even more helpless, "ra, you don''t need to irritate me on purpose, I know that my uncle and my dad are both on business trips." ra didn''t expect that Horace''s business trip was actually for his family, and she was embarrassed. But she still refused to move, "I''ll just take a taxi." "It''s sote, there was no taxi. You don''t have to feel stressed. I''m just sending you back. Even if it''s an ordinary employee standing here today, I''ll send her home." When the words fell, he saw that ra was still standing motionless, and he couldn''t help but get angry. He grabbed her arm directly and dragged her into the car. "Let go of me!" ra really didn''t want to have anything to do with him, not to mention how embarrassed the two of them were, just because she vaguely felt that Darren had feelings for her, she wanted topletely draw the line. However, how could her strength bepared with him? She was still dragged into the car by him. Darren quickly closed the car door, locked it with the key in his hand, got into the car himself, and started it at the fastest speed. It was toote for her to get out of the car. ra looked at him angrily, but there was nothing she could do, so she chose not to say a word. Darren was quite sensible today, he didn''t say anything to her, just quietly sent her to the door of the vi all the way. The car was parked outside the familiar vi, ra breathed a sigh of relief, said "thank you", and immediately tried to get out of the car. Unexpectedly, Darren, who had been silent all the way, suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to her seat. ra thought that he got crazy again, and immediately warned him, "What are you doing?" Looking at her fear in front of him, Darren''s eyes glinted with a trace of hurt. But soon, he said, "ra, I''m sorry." She did not expect that he would suddenly say something like that and she was stunned and looked at him nkly. "Two years ago, I misunderstood you and left when you needed me the most." Darren looked at her straight, word by word, and said seriously, "I owe you an apology, I''m sorry, I''m really sorry." When Darren said these words, he was sincere. For a long time, he was busy misunderstanding her and taking revenge. After knowing the truth, he was busy thinking about her rtionship with Horace, butst night, it suddenly urred to him that he seemed to owe her an apology. Apologies for the bad things he''s done. ra looked at him with a serious face, her eyes flickering slightly. She just didn''t know how to describe her feelings at this time. To be honest, she never expected his apology. The damage that had been done was not something that could be made up for with a single sorry. But looking at the serious face, her originally cold and defensive heart did melt a little. At this moment, she could vaguely recognize the exuberant young man back then. Her lips trembled and she avoided his gaze, "It''s all in the past, there''s no need to mention it now." Indeed, no apology can make up for the damage that had been done. But again, it''s no use brooding over it. It''s hard for her to pretend to be forgiving and tell Darren that she had let go or forgiven him, but she won''t take revenge on him either. After all, it was the person she loved for the first time. He symbolized her purest and most beautiful years. She didn''t want to destroy him or the beautiful memories they had. "I..." Darren only felt a dull pain in his heart and wanted to say something, but ra had already raised her eyes quickly. "Thank you for sending me back today, I really need to go, goodbye." After that, she no longer gave him any chance to speak, and quickly broke free of him and opened the car. Darren sat on the seat and looked at her back, feeling lost. Was she not even willing to give him a chance to apologize? Darren didn''t even drive away, but just sat in the car nkly. When he realized it, two hours had passed and the sky waspletely dark. He quickly patted his face and was about to drive away, but at this moment, he suddenly smelled a strange burnt smell. Chapter 86 A Big Fire Chapter 86 A Big Fire On this side, after ra left his car, she returned to the vi, ate dinner as usual, and quickly fell asleep. But she didn''t know if it was her illusion. She felt that she was very sleepy today. She felt dizzy when she was taking a shower. She fell asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow and she didn''t even have a dream. She didn''t know how long she slept in a deep sleep, but she was woken up by a pungent smell of smoke. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She coughed and coughed. She woke up in her sleep, struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and suddenly felt the stinging pain of her eyes being smoked. She immediately felt that something was wrong, and quickly got up, but the moment she got up, she realized that her body was so weak that she had no strength at all. What''s wrong with her? But at this moment, she didn''t care so much, and just quickly turned on the light on the bedside table. In an instant, she saw ck smoke filling the room. Fire¡­ it was on fire? ra was really frightened, and the pungent smell of smoke made her cough even harder. But she still calmed herself down as fast as she could, quickly dragged her weak body out of bed, grabbed her jacket, and rushed out the door. But when she opened the door, she was even more frightened! What a big fire! Before the door was blocked, the fire from the outside did not spread in, but when the door opened, she saw that the entire corridor was already on fire, and the mes were greedy. "Martha! Donald!" At this moment, ra was still worried about the two old people in the room, but no one answered, leaving her to choke on the smoke. She couldn''t take care of that much anymore; she could only take care of herself first. But looking at such a big fire in front of her, it was impossible to rush out directly! She tried to calm down, ran back to her room, closed the door, and rushed into the bathroom with a nket, soaked it in water, and put it on her body before rushing out again. With the protection of this nket, she was a little more daring, and immediately lowered her body as much as possible to avoid inhaling too much smoke from the corridor where the fire was raging. She finally walked to the entrance of the corridor and was about to go downstairs, but she saw that the stairs were burned even more severely. Several steps had been burned, and she couldn''t get through at all! While she was in a panic, she suddenly saw a gust of white mist flowing towards her! She looked at the white mist and was stunned for a few seconds before she realized¡­ It was a fire extinguisher! The next second, in the white fog, a familiar slender figure rushed over. "ra! Where are you?" The moment she heard this voice, ra was shocked and delighted, screaming like she was grabbing a life-saving straw, "Darren! Darren, I am here!" The white mist of the fire extinguisher eased the fire on the stairs a little. She immediately saw Darren running towards her, but at this moment, the railing of the next corridor was suddenly smashed down by the fire, and the two of them were suddenly separated from each other. In the middle, the fire raged again. "Damn it!" She heard Darren covering his mouth and scolding, "ra, stay there, I''lle find you right away!" ra wanted to nod her head, but suddenly, she thought of something. Wait a minute, is Horace''s ne still in the room? It should be. Horace treasures that ne very much. He doesn''t take it away from home. Usually, he keeps it in the drawer when he goes to work or on business trips. The fire was so big that after the table was burnt into ashes, the crystal ne would definitely be destroyed. Then Horace would be heartbroken. She couldn''t help thinking about Horace''s sad expression every time he held the ne and suddenly felt very ufortable in her heart. Damn, if she was rescued unscathed while she didn''t try to take his most precious thing, would that make her too selfish? Although she knew that the ne was just a dead thing, after all, that was the only left treasure for him, she really couldn''t bear to deprive him of thest bit of nostalgia! Thinking of this, she looked at the nket on her body, it was still wet, and it wouldst for a while. The fire didn''t get too big for the time being and Darren still needed some time. So, she gritted her teeth, pinched her nose, and screamed, "Darren! I need to go back and get something!" Darren was struggling to put out the fire, and when he heard her words, there was a blow in his head and he shouted, "Are you fucking crazy? What can be more important than your life?" ra didn''t know what he said, but she just ran back to the room for a few seconds. Her body was still a little weak for some unknown reason, but she couldn''t care less, just clenched her fists and rushed back to the room in one breath. She was running too fast, inhaling too much smoke, and coughing badly, but she insisted on dragging her feet towards the table. She didn''t close the door when she left, so the fire had spread to the room and the table was on fire. She opened the drawer through the nket. But at this time, many soaked areas of the nket have been dried, and her hands were immediately scalded. "Argh!" She screamed in pain, but she didn''t care, she just endured the pain and pulled the drawer. Soon, she saw the crystal ne. She took out the ne as fast as she could and tried to take out the photo, but the photo was too mmable and was burned all at once. She had to give up and held the ne, but she didn''t dare to use too much force, and immediately tried to rush out of the room again. But just as she rushed to the door, the bookcase next to the door suddenly copsed with a loud noise! The books on the bookcase had already burned beyond recognition. The wallpaper of the bookcasey across the door, sparks were flying everywhere, and she was so frightened that she stepped back several steps. What now¡­ The door was blocked all of a sudden, how should she get out. She was nning to wrap herself in a nket and roll out of the room, but the nket had already started to catch fire. She was in a dilemma all of a sudden and she felt a little annoyed by her conceit and impulsiveness. Damn, in this way, the ne might not be saved along with herself! But she just didn''t know, if she really died, will Horace be saddened by her death, or will he be more saddened by the loss of his ne? She guessed it was thetter... After all,pared to Laura, who he once loved deeply, she was just a stranger who he had just known for a few months, right? ra even admired herself. Even at this time, she was able to imagine wildly. The fire around her was getting bigger and bigger, she could barely see the corridor. The smoke was getting heavier and thicker and her eyes were blurred from coughing. Was she...? Was she really going to die here? When she copsed, she carefully wore the ne and protected it. If her body was found together with the ne, she hoped Horace could understand her intentions, and for the sake of thinking about the ne before she died, he could treat her mother well. While crying and thinking wildly, she suddenly heard a shout. "ra!" Chapter 87 Out of Danger Chapter 87 Out of Danger ra was stunned, looked up, and saw a figure running outside the mes. "Darren!" She hurriedly called out, but her throat was so hoarse, "I''m here! Here!" Darren still heard her voice and immediately rushed over. But the fire at the door was so big that he couldn''t get in at all. The extinguisher had been used up. ra was in despair. Was God going to take her life? But at this moment, she suddenly saw that Darren, who was outside the fire, threw the fire extinguisher away and rushed into the mes! With a blow in her mind, she screamed with her broken throat, "Darren, don''t!" ra couldn''t believe her eyes at all. There was such a big fire at the door, but Darren just dashed in without hesitation! Had he lost his mind? Or...he was just trying to save her? Thinking of this, she bit her lip tightly. Tears fell down but only to be dried on her cheeks instantly by the high temperature. All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. What a fool¡­ He was really stupid... She was no longer his girlfriend now. He didn''t have to do this to save her! Not worth it at all! At this time, Darren had already rushed into the fire and suddenly rushed to her. ra saw that the shirt on his body was burned in several ces, revealing the burned skin inside. She was terrified and she quickly patted him with the nket on her body to put out the fire for him. But Darren just kept his face tense, without dying for a second, he quickly hid in the nket with her, then protected her in his arms, and quickly ran out the door again. Darren was much taller than her, so he kept her in his arms and she waspletely shielded from the mes. But things were different for him. Although there was a nket, the fire still burned him. ra heard him groaning on top of her head. ra couldn''t help shuddering all over, but she knew that it was not the time to be emotional. Darren did everything for her, but because of her stupidity and self-righteousness, the two of them fell into danger. So, she must grit her teeth and get out. Thinking of this, she tried her best to cooperate with him, and the two of them rushed out of the corridor, but when they got to the corridor, most of the stairs were burnt out. Darren hardly hesitated. He grabbed hold of her, turned around, and jumped off it! He turned around, so his backnded,pletely protecting her in his arms. Although the stairs are not high, there were already many burn wounds on his back. The moment they imagine how painful it was! She bit her lip and tears kept trickling down. Afternding, he stumbled up and continued to pull her to run out. But after a few steps, he almost fell. "Okay, Darren, enough." ra quickly supported him and said in a hoarse voice, "I''ll help you out!" ra found thatpared to the second floor, the fire on the first floor was much smaller. Although she was too small for him, she was still able to struggle to drag him out, thanks to there being no fire there. As soon as they went out, she realized that the fire had attracted the attention of the residents of other vis around. Someone called a fire truck and an ambnce. As soon as they went out, the people around them burst into exmations. The firefighters were just about toe in at this time and seeing them, they rushed over and picked them up directly into the ambnce. ra''s head was dizzy and she even saw stars, but she still held herst breath, grabbed the sleeve of the fireman beside her, and asked, "He... is he alright...?" She dragged him out just now but she didn''t have the strength to check his condition. The fireman realized she was asking about Darren, he quickly checked it, and said, "He will be. He just passed out, don''t worry!" Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, her eyelids twitched and she finally fainted. ... When she woke up, she was already lying in the hospital ward. Next to the bed, sat Isaac. "Mrs. Kirnd, you''re awake!" Isaac quickly stood up when he saw her awake, "How do you feel? Can you see clearly?" Hearing his words, she realized that her eyes were indeed foggy, and she couldn''t see things very clearly. But she didn''t have time to care that much, she just grabbed him and said in a dry voice, "Where''s Darren?" As soon as she opened her mouth, she realized that her throat was broken. Isaac looked embarrassed but still said, "Don''t worry, he''s fine. He''s just a little infected but he should be awake now." ra breathed a sigh of relief and coughed violently. Isaac hurriedly brought her a ss of water, "Master Horace is already on the ne and he will be there in a few hours." "Isn''t he on a business trip?" "As soon as he heard about the fire, he immediately decided to take the earliest flight back." Isaac said seriously, "Mrs. Kirnd, he is very worried about you." ra twitched the corners of her mouth. Maybe he was more worried about the ne. Speaking of the ne, she suddenly thought of something, hurriedly touched her neck, and said in a panic, "Where''s the ne?" Isaac was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, and immediately picked up the crystal ne on the bedside table, "Is this what you''re talking about?" Isaac didn''t know the origin of this ne. He just saw her grab the ne and was relieved, "Great, the ne is still there..." Isaac was a little inexplicable. Just as he was about to call a doctor to take a look at her, ra suddenly raised her head, "Isaac, can you take me to check on Darren?" She knew that when Horace was here, with his domineering temperament, it would be difficult for her to see Darren. But she was really worried about him, and more importantly, she really felt that she was very sorry. Isaac showed an embarrassed expression, "This is not good..." To take Mrs. Kirnd to see her ex-boyfriend? He had got to be insane to do something like that! ra frowned, "Okay, if you don''t apany me, then I can only go by myself." As she said that, she struggled to get out of bed. "Oh, please." Isaac was afraid of her now, so he had to help her into the wheelchair and hang the IV bottle on the wheelchair, "I''ll take you there." Isaac pushed her to Darren''s ward. Before entering, she heard Ashlee crying inside. "Darren, how did you get injured...what am I supposed to do?" ra was a little embarrassed and wanted to leave, but Darren on the hospital bed had already seen her. His eyes flickered and he quickly said, "ra, since you''re here,e in." Chapter 88 Darren, Thank You Chapter 88 Darren, Thank You ra had to ask Isaac to push her in. As soon as Ashlee saw her, she stopped crying and the jealousy in her eyes almost burst out! Darren quickly looked at Ashlee, "Ashlee, leave us first." Ashlee''s face was full of reluctance, but Darren was very insistent, so she had to go out, giving ra a hateful look before leaving. Isaac also went out wisely. In the ward, only they were left. ra looked at his pale face, with a ster cast on his legs, countless burns on his face and arms, and those she couldn''t see under his clothes. Her eyes were red. But she still tried her best to restrain her tears and said, "Darren, thank you very much." Darren looked at her and said with a calm tone, "You really should thank me. You went back to your room to get that ne so desperately. If it wasn''t for me, you would have died there." In fact, when he rescued her, he saw clearly that what she tried so hard to get back was a crystal ne. She clenched her hospital gown slightly and said in a low voice, "Actually, you don''t need to do this." "No need?" Darren raised his eyebrows suddenly, "ra, do you think I''ll really watch you die?" ra didn''t know how to face him, so she had no choice but to turn her head, "You just need to take care of yourself. I''m not worth your life to save." Hearing that she talked all about the words like "no need" and "not worth it", although he kept telling himself not to lose his temper, he couldn''t help but get angry. He got up and his hand was covered with gauze, but he still pinched her chin and forced her to look up at himself, and said coldly, "ra, is it worth it? Is it necessary? I have the final say, not you!" ra looked at him and saw the feelings in his eyes, which could no longer be concealed. She couldn''t help panicking. No. Impossible. They can''t get together now. Then she quickly tried to break free from his hand, and said sternly, "Darren, watch your attitude. Remember, I''m your aunt now!" Aunt. These two words, like cold water,pletely froze him. ra took the opportunity to break free of his hand, frowned, and looked at him, "Darren, you and Ashlee are getting married soon. I hope today''s gaffe will not happen again." After she finished speaking, she stopped looking at him, turned her wheelchair, and left the ward, leaving him alone on the bed. After walking out of the ward, ra stopped the wheelchair, leaned on the wall, and took a deep breath. His violent reaction was like a thorn stuck in her heart. She couldn''t tell what it was like. Once, when Darren tried his best to torture and humiliate her, she thought it was just because her betrayal, he wanted to avenge himself. But today, when she looked at the unconcealed affection in Darren''s eyes, and his desperate efforts to save herself, she realized that she was wrong. He hadn''t let go of her yet. Because he didn''t let go of her, he tried to torture her before; because of that, after knowing the truth, he seemed to be expecting something he shouldn''t expect. But now, what could they expect? She had be his aunt, and he was about to be her brother-inw. The two of them were destined to be the most familiar strangers to each other. There was a thorn in her heart and it seemed to be stirring constantly, making her unable to bear the pain. They thought that they would be together for a lifetime, but now¡­ Darren, he came toote, not a day or two, but after two years. As soon as she came out, Ashlee suddenly shed out of the corner and stopped her. She was crying, biting her lip, "ra, you and I need to talk." ra knew her too well. If she didn''t talk to her at this time, she would probably keep harassing her. She had to suppress the sadness in her heart and said to Isaac, "You can go back first." Isaac nced at Ashlee distrustfully, and said in a low voice, "I''m at the entrance of the corridor. Call me if you need anything." ra nodded. As soon as Isaac left, Ashlee took off her mask and shouted at ra, "ra! You bitch, when are you going to leave him alone!" ra looked at Ashlee somewhat ironically, "Ashlee, when did you see me harassing him?" "You are! Otherwise, how could he suffer such a serious injury in order to save you!" Thinking that all the wounds on his body were all for her, she hated her so much. "Bitch, ever since we were kids, what else could you do except steal my things!" ra was toozy to talk to Ashlee, but when she heard this, her eyes turned cold, "Ashlee, for God''s sake, since childhood, who likes to steal?" They went to elementary school and junior high school together, both were private schools. At that time, ra didn''t know how much she had suffered because of Ashlee. ra had a crush on a senior, so Ashlee went to tell that boy she liked him and dumped him after three days of dating; she wanted to be the merit student, the next thing she knew was that Ashlee asked Valerie to bribe the teacher and thus Ashlee became a merit student; ra joined a school club, and Ashlee directly asked the teacher to dismissed that club. She had never understood that Ashlee had always been the dazzling one since they were children, why did she still target herself like this? Later, she couldn''t take it anymore, so she decided to get into an ordinary high school, by which she finally escaped from Ashlee. Ashlee glowered at her, "It''s you stealing from me! I know that you''ve been jealous of me since you were a child. As long as it''s my stuff, you''ll snatch it! It''s just that you''ve never made it before. But this time, I don''t know what dirty tricks you''ve used. You actually seeded!" ra was stunned by Ashlee''s persecution paranoia. "Whatever." She didn''t want to talk to her. "But I''ll tell you clearly, I''m married and I''m not interested in your man." Then she left directly. Ashlee watched her leave and she was so angry that she almost bit her lips. But she knew that ra was right. It was not about her, but him. Darren was injured and the wedding would definitely be postponed. She was really afraid that this Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. dy would finally turn into a cancetion. How was she gonna keep him? Her eyes darted here and there, and fell on her belly. Was there only one way left¡­? Chapter 89 You Cripple! Chapter 89 You Cripple! When ra returned to the ward, she only felt that her eyes were getting more and more ufortable, so she closed her eyes and fell asleep. After falling asleep, she didn''t even know that a man came to her ward. Looking at the pale woman on the bed, with countless wounds on her body, Horace''s face turned gloomy and there was anger burning in his ck eyes. "Sir." Isaac on the side said in a low voice, "She is fine now." "Have you found out who did that?" Horace asked coldly. "The report will be here soon." "Okay." Horace then retracted his gaze, "Then before that, let''s go and see another patient." Isaac was stunned for a moment before he realized who he was talking about. Horace went out in a wheelchair and came to Darren''s ward. Darren finally drove away Ashlee. He was sitting on the hospital bed holding his phone. He was struggling to send a text message to ra to ask her about her health. Suddenly, he heard a knock. "Come in." He was wondering who woulde to see him, but when the door opened and he saw a man in a wheelchair outside, he froze. "Horace?" he said, with a bit of surprise in his tone, "Why are you back?" Isn''t he handling the family business with his father in Maniana? How could hee back so soon? Was it because he had heard of ra''s ident that he had deliberately rushed back? Darren immediately understood and felt inexplicably ufortable in his heart. Even his biological father, after learning that he was injured, just called to show concern, but Horace just left everything over there and came back? "Well, I heard that you were injured because of ra, so I came back." Horace''s expression was indifferent. Darren frowned slightly, "Thank you for your concern, but ra... Auntie, how is she doing now?" Hearing the unconcealed concern in his tone, Horace''s ck eyes suddenly turned cold, and he didn''t even answer the question and it was embarrassing. "It seems that you really care about my wife." After a long time, Horace spoke in a very calm tone, but for some reason, there was a sense of oppression. Horace''s words always implied that he possessed ra, for no reason, Darren felt so jealous. After all, the atmosphere between Sean and Horace has always been tense and he actually didn''t have much respect for this uncle, so he stopped to pretend at this time, he just sneered, "Yeah, after all, she''s my first love and I concerned about her." He said these words to irritate Horace, but Horace still just smiled coldly and said slowly, "Then thank you for your concern." Darren was choked and speechless. Seeing the inherent conceit in his brows, he finally got annoyed, sat up straight from the hospital bed, and shouted, "Just say it directly, what do you want to do?" Seeing Darren was angry, Horace just gave a half smile, "To thank you for saving my wife''s life." What Horace said was true. Although he was not happy with the fact that Darren rescued her from the fire, if it wasn''t for Darren, he might not have been able to see her. However, this thank you in Darren''s ears was indescribably harsh! Heughed angrily, looking at Horace in the wheelchair, his eyes suddenly filled with sarcasm, "Yeah, I rescued her from the fire, unlike someone, even if he was there, he could do nothing. Could you save her life?" As soon as his words came out, Horace''s face suddenly turned cold and Isaac on the side was angry, and stepped forward, "Darren, what do you mean!" "My meaning is very clear." Darren put away his smile and nced coldly at his legs, "You are disabled, how can you give her happiness? If you two encounter the same danger in the future, can you save her? You can''t! Because you''re a loser! You don''t¡­" Before he finished his words, Horace raised his hand and grabbed his knee under the quilt urately. Darren was startled and said defensively, "What are you doing?" In the meantime, he tried to shake off Horace''s hand. But his seemingly random grab contained great power, no matter how hard Darren tried, he couldn''t break free. "I''m your elder and I think I should teach you some lessons." Horace''s expression was still unchanged. "You cripple!" Darren was extremely arrogant for starters; how could he endure such threats and insults. Then he struggled harder, yelling, "Let me go!" Horace''s brows furrowed, and he suddenly exerted force! Suddenly, Darren felt a sharp pain in his knee, his face turned pale, and he fell limp on the bed. "Don''t say that ever again." Horace said, his tone calmer but this time with a slightly more dangerous tone than before, "I can guarantee that you''ll spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair, just like me." Darren instinctively wanted to refute, but when the sharp pang came through his knees, he was really scared, and he swallowed his words back. He knew that although Horace was in a wheelchair, he had been learning various martial arts since he was a child, and he could really cripple him. Seeing that Darren finally stopped speaking, Horace sneered, let go of his knees, and turned the wheelchair away. "Horace!" Before he left the ward, he suddenly heard Darren shout again. But he still kept going towards the door. "Did you know that she was in the fire and could have been rescued by me unscathed! But she went back desperately to get one thing, which caused the two of us to be caught in the fire!" As soon as Darren said these words, Horace finally stopped. "What?" He didn''t look back, just asked in a cold voice. While Darren didn''t answer. He recognized the ne that ra tried so hard to save. Sean once said in a mocking tone when he was drunk that Horace was a useless man and Laura had This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. been dead for ten years but Horace was still treasuring that worthless crystal ne. Therefore, the ne that ra tried so hard to get back should be for him. The jealousy in his heart almost burst into mes. Darren didn''t want to answer his question at all. He just sneered, "If you want to know, go ask her yourself." Chapter 90 Horaces Anger Chapter 90 Horace''s Anger Horace frowned. Without saying another word to Darren, he turned his wheelchair and left the ward. When he got back to ra''s ward, she was sound asleep. Her little face was as pale as the ashen This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. sheet. Seemingly still in pain, her brows furrowed slightly. Horace''s heart ached for her. "Tell them I won''t be in thepany these days." Horace lowered his voice and turned to Isaac. " If they have anything to report, let them schedule video conferences or directlye here to me." "Mr. Kirnd..." Isaac was stunned. In the years he had worked for Horace, he had never seen Horace miss a day''s work for anything. Horace ignored Isaac''s words, stopped the wheelchair by ra''s bed, and gently caressed her cheek with his fingers. Feeling the sudden warmth on her cheek, ra frowned a little and opened her eyes. Coming into her blurry vision was the silhouette of an extremely handsome face. She froze for a second, then quickly tried to sit up, "Horace?" Horace stopped her. "Don''t move. Just lie down." ra nodded and obedientlyid back down. "How are you feeling?" Horace asked, trying to hold back his anger. Although ra couldn''t see the expression on his face, she vaguely felt there was something wrong. "Horace, are you angry or something?" Horace didn''t answer. Angry? More like scared. It was the same fear he had experienced back when he was abroad and heard that his home was on fire. He had never felt the extreme terror ever since. Horace held her by the wrist in silence, staring at the burn marks at the back of her hand. His heart was torn into pieces. "Darren just told me that you went back into the burning house to get something?" Horace asked. His question reminded ra of something. "Oh, right. I went back to get this." She took the pendant off her ne that she wore with difficulty. "This pendant is important to you, isn''t it?" The slightly cool touch in Horace palm made him look. It was the crystal pendant. Shocked, he instantly shifted his gaze to ra, his tone inexplicable, "You went back into the burning house just for this pendant?" ra''s vision was still a little blurry, so she couldn''t tell the expression on his face. "Yeah. As I said, I know it is important to you," she answered honestly. Horace tightened his grasp on the pendant until his knuckles turned white,pletely at a loss for words. He didn''t expect that the thing ra desperately went back for was this stupid pendant. The dead silence made ra a bit anxious. ra asked, "Horace? Are you okay? Is there something wrong with this pendant? It didn''t get burnt in the fire, did it?" With that, she hurriedly looked down, trying to check the pendant. However, all she could see was a blurry tiny dot. "ra Selman, what on earth were you thinking!" Horace''s sudden roar shocked her into a daze. ... She had never seen him so agitated before ra frowned. "Horace, why would you..." Horace interrupted her, "It''s just a stupid pendant! The house was on fire! You are lucky that you are alive now. What if you never make it out of the house!" Horace was furious. What was she thinking, really? She would even risk her life for this damn pendant? Yes, this pendant is indeed important to me. It''s the only thing that person left me. But it is worth nothingpared to ra! He had long forgotten about this freaking pendant. When he was told that the house was on fire, all he could think about was ra''s safety. Now she was telling him that she went back to the house for this invaluable pendant? She could have died in the fire! How could he stay calm! Horace lost his usual elegance. Because of her eye injury, ra couldn''t see the concern in Horace''s eye. Therefore, she thought that Horace was just reprimanding her. "I risked my life for this pendant because it is so important to him. Does he know how scared I was when I ran back into the burning house? But I overcame the fear for him. Shouldn''t he be thanking me? Why is he yelling at me for no reason?" ra wanted to cry. The tears caused a sharp pain in her eyes. ra couldn''t help but rubbed her eyes. Horace anger blinded him so he didn''t even notice that ra was weeping. He squeezed the pendant in his hand. The edges of the little crystal hurt his palms. He lowered his head. For the first time in a decade, he didn''t feel guilty or helpless when he looked at the pendant. Instead, anger overwhelmed him. ra put her life on the line for this stupid pendant. He hated it to the core. If he continued to keep this pendant, would it make her think that what she did was right? Would she make the same stupid decision if the house was set on fire again? Horace knew that these irrational thoughts wouldn''t even cross his mind on a normal day. But he simply couldn''t stop thinking about that right now. Looking at ra''s pale face and the injuries all over her body, a sudden rage took over. He lifted his arm and hurled the pendant at the floor. sh! A crisp voice rang out in the dead silence of the ward. Hearing that, ra looked up in an attempt to see what was happening. She had a bad hunch. "Horace, what did you do!" Still overwhelmed by anger, Horace turned to ra and said in a cold voice, "I smashed the pendant." "What? Are you crazy?" ra bounced up from the bed, on the verge of breaking down. She desperately grabbed Horace''s hand, trying to find the trace of the pendant. "Are you serious? What the heck were you thinking! The pendant is the only thing your ex-girlfriend left you!" Chapter 91 Let Me Take Care of You Chapter 91 Let Me Take Care of You Horace had no idea that ra knew where did this pendant came from. At this moment, however, he couldn''t care less. Horace took hold of her wrist with one hand, wrapped his free arm around her slim waist, and drew her closer to him. "ra Selman." He lowered his head to look ra directly in the eye, still sounding a little agitated. "Listen. If this pendant will put your life at risk, I would rather smash it!" ra froze. What did Horace mean by that? He smashed that pendant for her? But how was it possible? Her ex-girlfriend gave him the pendant. It was so special. Why would he do that for her, ra Selman, an unimportant person? Horace''s words were like a beacon of hope, navigating her through the mist of questions that had been niggling her and leading her to an answer, an answer that was too sudden for her to face head-on. ra''s train of thought was cut off by Horace''s abrupt movement. He lifted her chin and frowned as he studied her face. "ra, what''s wrong with your eyes?" Just now, he was too swamped by his anger to even notice that ra eyes were bloodshot. Not only that, her eyes didn''t seem to be focusing. Panicking, he made ra lie back down and waved his hand in front of her eyes. ra frowned. "I''m not blind. It''s just that my vision is a little blurry. That''s all." "Blurry?" Horace said, "Damn, then why didn''t you tell the doctor?" Before ra could make out an answer, Horace pressed the call button next to ra''s bed. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ra felt as if this man in front of her was not Horace at all. He was so easily agitated today. "I didn''t feel a thing back then. I thought it was nothing. But now it does hurt a little." Hearing that, Horace was even more worried. He let go of what happened just now and covered her eyes with his big hand, forcing her to close her eyes. "Just rest your eyes while waiting for the doctor." ra justid there without struggling. "Good. He doesn''t sound angry now," she thought to herself. A doctor walked in. After giving ra a quick check, he soon found out what happened. The doctor said that she possibly got ashes into her eyes in the fire and prescribed her some eye drops. Since her eyes weren''t able to provide adequate moisture because of the fire, the doctor also told her not to use her eyes so often these days. In ra''s understanding, she thought the doctor was telling her to close her eyes and let them rest as much as possible. Horace, on the other hand, directly asked the doctor to get a sleep mask for her. "This is too much," ra said. "It''s not that big of a deal. This sleep mask willpletely block my vision. How am I supposed to do anything on my own?" "You don''t have to." Horace didn''t mince the word. Unlike the usual Horace, he was more straightforward and direct today. He put the sleep mask on for her and said firmly, "I''ll take care of you." "But don''t you have to work?" With the sleep mask, all she could see was darkness. She felt insecure and wanted to take it off. Seeing that, Horace grabbed her hands and stopped her. "I''ve already informed thepany. I will work here in the next few days." "What?" ra was so shocked that she stopped the struggling. "You are going to work here? In the ward?" The Horace she remembered was a total workaholic who spent most of his times at the office. Now, he was saying that he would stay here to take care of her these days? "You don''t have to do this," she said. "You can call Martha to take care of me." "Why?" Horace had already made up his mind. "I can take care of you myself. Now, just sleep." The way Horace said it was almost imperative. Seeing that there was no way to make him change his mind, ra listened to him andid back down. Because of the burns on her body, the doctor gave her some painkillers and saw her take them. ra already felt a bit drowsy. With the sleep mask, she fell asleep soon after her head hit the pillow. Seeing that, Isaac came forward and whispered, "Mr. Kirnd, I have something to report to you. It is about the fire." Horace returned to his usual calm and collected self after ra fell asleep. He turned his wheelchair and led Isaac to the smallpartment where he could still see ra and talk without waking her up. "Go ahead," Horace said. "The fire started in the study next to the master bedroom on the second floor." Horace thought about it andmented, "So, you are saying that this person actually wanted to hurt ra." Isaac nodded solemnly, "Also, there was no sign of forced entry. The security camera didn''t catch anyoneing in." Horace''s face darkened. "Are you sure?" Isaac nodded, knowing what Horace might be suspecting. The home security system in Horace''s vi was monitored 24/7. If the rm didn''t go off, there was only one possibility left. It was an inside job. Horace squeezed the armrest of the wheelchair. "Get Martha and Donald here." His tone was bone- chilling cold. Half an hourter, Horace sent several people to stand guard outside ra''s ward. He went down to the warehouse of the hospital. In there, an old couple hunched over with their hands tied behind their backs. When the door opened, a slender man sitting in a wheelchair went in and stopped in front of the two. The woman''s body quivered when she saw the man in front of him. "Mr. Kirnd! Why did you do this to us?" she eximed. Martha had been nothing but loyal to Horace. She thought he knew that. Finding out that Horace the person behind this came as a total shock to her. Horace ignored her and said, "Donald, Martha. You have been working for the Kirnd family for years now. I don''t want to make things difficult for you. So just tell the truth, and you will be spared." Martha asked in confusion, "What truth? What are you talking about? " Horace turned to Donald. "Donald, do you know what I was talking about?" Since Horace entered the warehouse, a dreary gloominess had been veiling Donald''s face. But now, he looked at Horace and let out a burst of disturbingughter. Horace sat in his wheelchair and didn''t rush him. Finally, Donald stoppedughing and stared at Horace. "My bad. I didn''t expect that woman would survive the fire." Chapter 92 Why Are You in My Bed? Chapter 92 Why Are You in My Bed? Horace remained calm, apparently having been expecting that from Donald. Martha, on the other hand, was shocked. "Donald, you are talking nonsense again!" "I''m not!" Donald spat, staring at Horace dead in the eye. "Second Young master, you must have known it all. Yes, I drugged ra''s dinner and set the house on fire. I take full responsibility for it. My wife didn''t know anything about this. Let her go." Martha widened her eyes and snapped, "Donald! Are you freaking out of your mind? How could you do this to Mrs. Kirnd! Have you forgotten how much we owe the Kirnd family?" "Of course, I haven''t!" Donald bellowed, "I did that because I wanted to save the Kirnd family!" Seeing Donald and Martha being hysterical in front of him, Horace''s face darkened. Horace''s cold expression sent chills down Donald''s spine. "Second Young Master, with all due respect, everyone knows that the Kirnd family business should be passed down to the eldest son. Not to mention that you are now crippled. That''s all the more reason to make way for the eldest young master. Brothers shouldn''t fight against each other! Rancor will put the family interest at risk!" Hearing Donald''s far-fetched reason, Horace sneered, "So what? Is that why you tried to kill ra?" Donald gritted his teeth. "Yes. Because I can''t let her give birth to your child. I can''t let your child block the eldest young master''s way. I did that all for the Kirnd family." Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "So, this is your so-called reason, huh?" Horace interrupted Donald coldly. "Just tell me. How much money did Sean spend to buy you off?" Donald remained silent, his face drained of color. Although this didn''te as a surprise to Horace, he was still grossed out by Donald. Donald acted like he was nothing but loyal to the Kirnd family. In reality, however, he was just a selfishckey who would do anything for his own benefit. Horace had been through the same betrayal ten years ago. He turned his wheelchair and headed to the door, didn''t want to look at Donald''s disgusting face for one more second. Just then, Donald shouted, "Horace! Yes, I took the money from the eldest young master. But what I told you was all true! Although he was behind all this, he neverid a finger on you! He just wanted to kill ra. That''s all! The eldest young master cherishes the brotherhood between him and you. Just make way for him. You don''t have to take over the family business. The money you have is already enough to suffice you for centuries. Hearing that, Horace stopped. He sneered. Sean must have given this Donald a fortune. "Brotherhood?" Horace said sarcastically. "He didn''t tell you? Looks like Sean doesn''t really trust you that much. You still don''t know the truth about the kidnapping ten years ago, do you?" Donald froze, "What truth? What do you mean?" Horace ignored his questions and left the warehouse. After going back to the corridor of the hospital, he turned to Isaac and ordered, "Take care of it." "Got it." Isaac said. "But sir, don''t you want to keep an eye on them yourself?" Isaac thought that Horace would be furious when he found out that Donald had betrayed him. But Horace was obviously much calmer than when he saw ra''s wounds moments ago. Horace sneered, "There''s no need. Donald is just a pawn. The mastermind behind this won''t show up just like that." Isaac immediately understood what Horace meant and stopped talking. "Also," Something flickered in Horace''s eyes as he continued, "Send Martha and her son out of the country, then give them a sum of money." Isaac nodded his head in response. Horace had always been objective and just. He would never vent his anger on a single innocent soul. Horace rolled his wheelchair down the empty corridor and headed to ra''s ward. "Sir, do you want to stay in the hotel next to the hospital, or do you want me to arrange an empty ward for you?" Isaac asked tentatively, didn''t want to identally provoke Horace in any way. Horace''s answer shocked Isaac yet again. "No need. I''ll just stay with ra." Isaac''s eyes widened in astonishment. It took him a while before he could calm down. "Okay, then I''ll ask the nurse to get another bed in here." As they spoke, the two of them were already at the door of ra''s ward. Through the window, Horace noticed that there was still room for him on ra''s bed. It was the VIP ward after all. "Don''t." He stopped Isaac. "There is a bed right here." Isaac''s jaw dropped. Was this man really Mr. Kirnd? He hadn''t been possessed, had he? Mr. Kirnd has always been particr about everything. Now, he was saying that he wanted to cram in the same bed with a patient? Perhaps it was because Isaac showed his shock too much, Horace slowly raised his head to look at him. "Is there any problem?" Only then did Isaac remembered to close his mouth. "No, absolutely no problem. I will go prepare toiletries and a change of clothes for you." Isaac soon returned with those things and left. Horace took a shower in the bathroom, changed into his pajamas, then went back to ra''s bed. ra didn''t take up much space of the bed since she liked to curl up on her side when she slept. Horace soonid down beside her and made himselffortable. Feeling the familiar warmthing behind her back, ra frowned a little and rolled over. Then, something sturdy shed with the softness of her nose. Ouch. That hurt. She instantly lost her sleepiness and tried to figure out what was the thing that she just hit. But all she could see was darkness because Horace had forced a sleep mask on her. She fumbled, trying to take it off. Before she could, a big hand seized her by the wrist. "Stop," A deep and maic voice rang out. "I told you. You can only take it off when you are using the eye drops." Horace whispered into her ear. The warm breath tickled her a little. ra froze when she recognized the voice. "Horace?" Since Horace wouldn''t let her take off the sleep mask, she could only feel her way forward in the darkness. Only then did she realize that what her nose just hit was Horace''s solid chest. "Horace? Why are you in my bed? Wait, are you wearing pajamas?" ra was dumbfounded. Chapter 93 Kiss Chapter 93 Kiss ra had only seen him in formal wears. The texture she felt just now, however, was incredibly smooth and soft. Horace was obviously wearing silk pajamas. "Why is he here? In his pajamas? And in my bed?" ra wondered. The more she thought about it, the more she didn''t feel right. She couldn''t help but feel him up with both her hands. When she touched his body, she blushed a little. Well, although she had seen his body before, feeling it with her own hands was a totally different story. Touching it was much better than just looking at it. His eight-pack was so incredibly firm and solid. She could can even feel the lines of his abs... Lost in thought, she worked her way down a little bit more and identally touched something. Horace let out a muffled grunt. "ra, are you tempting me?" His voice was hoarse. ra realized what was the bulge and hurriedly retracted her hands. However, Horace grabbed her by the wrist and drew her hands to his solid chest. "Horace..." ra now knew for sure that Horace was indeed wearing pajamas and lying next to her, "What are you doing here? Why didn''t you go home?" "I''m here to keep youpany," Horace murmured. "Keep mepany?" ra froze. Her slightly opened mouth was the tell that she was really shocked. Horace could picture the look on her face although she was wearing a sleep mask. He couldn''t hold back the smile. His heart softened. The fuming rage that welled up his mind a second ago out of worrying about ra''s safety dissipated. He wrapped his arm around the small of her back and drew her into his embrace. He buried his head in her neck, greedily inhaling the fragrance emanating from her hair. "Sorry," he Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. whispered. It took ra a minute toe around. "For what?" "For what happened today." He regretted yelling at ra and smashing the pendant right in front of her. Howe that he just lost control like that? He always thought that nothing would agitate him after what he had been through ten years ago. But there was just something about ra that would make him lose his cool. ra recalled the sharp noise when the pendant was hurled at the tile. She felt a bit fluttered. Horace must be regretting smashing that pendant. There was a stirring of emotions in her chest. ra forced a smile. "Yeah, that pendant is so important to you. You shouldn''t have done that." Even in the dark, Horace could still see how forced that smile was. He frowned, and hugged ra even tighter. "I''m not talking about that pendant," He whispered into her ear. ra froze for a moment and said, "But it was your ex-girlfriend''s..." She regretted the second the words came out of her mouth. Shoot. She shouldn''t have brought up Laura. She was in no ce to do so. Bringing up histe ex-girlfriend was like touching his raw nerve. Horace froze for a second before saying, "You are quite well-informed, aren''t you?" He didn''t show any emotion. ra felt a little embarrassed and didn''t answer him. ra''s body tensed up. Horace, on the other hand, couldn''t be more rxed. He smelt the fragrance of ra and fondled with a stroke of her hair. "This ne does have a special meaning for me," Horace continued. ra was kind of surprised that he admitted it that easily. Her face darkened a little. But soon she heard Horace say, "But if keeping the pendant means that you would risk your life for it another time, I''d rather toss it down the garbage chute." ra froze again. Horace did say something simr earlier today. But she thought he said that in the spur of the moment and didn''t mean that. However, right now, in the dead of the night, Horace repeated it again, sounding serious. The words reverberated in the background of ra''s brain like an incantation. "So," Horace added, his voice low, "If you really care about my feelings, don''t ever risk your life again for anything. Your safety is the most precious thing to me." "Your safety is the most precious thing to me." The words stunned ra into a daze. When she came around, blood rushed to her heart as if it was going to explode. She felt relieved that it was dark and she was wearing the sleep mask so Horace couldn''t see how red her cheeks were and how flustered she looked. She was just thinking that she was lucky when she felt something cool on her face. She was startled, but quickly recognized that it was Horace''s hand. "You are burning." Horace chuckled. Indeed, Horace''s fingertips felt ice-cold on her boiling hot cheeks. For a moment, ra was so embarrassed that she wanted this sleep mask to be permanently set on her so that Horace could never see her face again. She tried to calm down. But before she could, Horace''s voice sounded in her ear. "ra." His voice was deep and enchanting. ra responded to the call of her name and instinctively raised her head. The next second, she felt something cool and soft on her lips. ra was wearing the sleep mask and couldn''t see anything. She froze. "What''s happening?" Her question was answered soon enough. His lips gently grazed on hers. Then, he possessively pried open her mouth with his tongue, and kissed her with fervent urgent as if wanting to breathe her in. Chapter 94 Dessert Chapter 94 Dessert This was not their first kiss, but her heart still decided to skip a beat. Since she couldn''t see anything with the sleep mask on, her other senses intensified all the more. ra felt his soft lips. The way their bodies intertwined made ra quiver. When Horace let go of ra, she was almost breathless. Her cheeks were red as a beetroot. Horace suddenly regretted making her wear the sleep mask. He wanted to see her expressions. He wanted to seek even the slightest trace of surprise and delight in her eyes. ra''s warm skin, her unique fragrance, and almost everything about her could drive Horace crazy. But he managed to hold back the burning desire. ra was still in recovery and she was hugely traumatized by the ident two years ago. ra, however, waspletely unaware of the thoughts going through the mind of the man lying beside her. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Horace suddenly hugged her and bit her earlobe. "Someday, I''ll eat you for dessert," he whispered. She froze for a minute before she finally understood what he meant by that. ra felt her cheeks were burning. Feeling her rising temperature, he stopped teasing her and chuckled. "Go to sleep," he whispered as he tucked her in. Horace''s rhythmic heartbeat quelled her. ra suddenly felt sleepy. It was simply magical. When she was around him, she could be so nervous yet so serene. She slept well that night. For the next few days, Horace really stayed in the ward with her. asionally, some people would have the slightest intention of leaving her side. And every night, he slept in the same bed with her. ra worried that Horace''s business might be negatively impacted if this kept going. On the fifth day, ra finally talked him into taking the discharge formality for her after much importuning. When the formalities werepleted, ra secretly asked the nurse and learned that Darren was discharged from the hospital a few days earlier than her. Now he was under the care of his family doctor. Hearing that, ra heaved a sigh of relief. She didn''t know Darren that well to really care about him. She just felt bad for dragging him through the mess this time. When she returned home from the hospital, ra noticed that Martha and Donald were not around. Instead, there was another housekeeper about the same age as Martha. She was also a good cook but was just a lot less talkative than Martha. ra didn''t ask much about Donald and Martha''s disappearance. She was not a fool. She had gathered that the fire was probably an inside job the day the fire started. Although there didn''t seem to be many people around, ra knew that there were groups of guards outside, monitoring everything going on in the residence. Also, the security system here was top-notch. The guards would definitely notice something if someone tried to break in. So, it was possibly an inside job. She recalled how peculiarly sleepy she felt that night and naturally connected the dots. Now that Donald and Martha were reced, she was even more certain that the fire must have something to do with them. However, she knew the two were forced. She thought the two took orders from Russell. But to think about how Russell treated her, it didn''t seem possible. Then who was the one behind all this? Could it be Sean? The thought was giving ra a headache. The strife and conflicts in this family were simply too intricate. Now that she had be a member of this family, as Horace''s wife, she had to be more careful. ... In the old residence of the Kirnd family. Looking tired and livid, Sean sat in the study, apparently just returned from the airport. Darren stood opposite him with bandages on his body. His face was pale and didn''t look very d either. "Dad," Darren said coldly, "The fire at Horace''s house. You did that, didn''t you?" Darren was impulsive but he was not a fool. He grew up in the Kirnd family and had already witnessed too many things happened around the house. He had already figured it out in these few days he spent in the hospital. "So what if I did it?" Sean didn''t intend to hide it. Darren''s face contorted a little. "Dad! You want to kill ra? Why? She''s innocent!" Sean''s face darkened the second he heard ra''s name. He punched the table in rage and shot up from his chair. "Darren Kirnd, watch your attitude!" he roared. "Are you trying to go against me for a woman? I''m you father!" When he heard that his n had failed because his son risked his life to save that woman, Sean was so angry and he smashed several vases in a row. Ungrateful imbecile! "I''m not!" Darren''s face was ashen. "It''s just that she didn''t do anything! Leave her out of this. Your target is Horace, isn''t it?" "What do you know?" Sean yelled, "Horace had been single for all those years. If he can''t have any children, he naturally wouldn''t be a threat to us. But now he is married with ra Selman. If she bears his child, what edge do we have topete with him?" Darren''s face was drained of color. "How is it possible? Horace is crippled." "So what?" Sean was annoyed. "He built Solrace from scratch. The market capitalization and annual profits of hispany are far higher than those of thepanies I manage. He is telling everyone that I''m even less than a cripple!" Chapter 95 Go to a Place with Me Chapter 95 Go to a ce with Me Darren''s face turned paler. He knew Horace was a tough guy, but he had never expected him to be as tough as that. Sean looked at his son with a harsh face, and said sternly, "Darren Kirnd, you just think I would never know that you got out of your way to protect that ra was because you still like her?" Darren''s eyes grew round with shock. His father had known about him and ra? He was stunned there for a moment before he calmed down and sniffed. Yeah, he had left the home in rebellion, while his father had ostensibly said that he would just let him and sit by, but how could he possibly have done that to his only son? During his four years in college, his every move had probably been under his watch. "You already knew that?" said Darren coldly. "Yes," answered Sean casually, "When Horace was getting married, I realized that the woman was your ex-girlfriend. But I don''t care who she is, as long as she''s Horace''s woman, I won''t spare her." Darren''s face was ashen as he sensed the man''s murderous tone. He sprang over the desk and snarled, "You''re never going to hurt ra!" Darren had expected his father to be annoyed by his threat, but he simply gave a sneering smile. "All right, I promise you I won''t take her life," he said slowly. Darren then confused. He didn''t think he would really relent that easily, so he looked at him distrustfully, "You mean it?" "Of course. When did I ever lie to you?" Sean then calmed down. "Because I have thought of a better way to deal with Horace." With a half-incredulous look at him, Darren nodded. "OK, as long as ra is fine, you can tackle him however you like." Sean nodded and said, "You may leave now." There Darren left. Once he walked out, the assistant in the room came near the desk. "Mr. Kirnd," said the assistant with a dull face and deep voice, "Are you really going to let her off?" "Who told you that?" Sean said with an icy look. The assistant froze in confusion. "But you just said¡ª" "I only said that I wouldn''t take her life, but I never said that I would let her off." A scheming smile shed across his face. "It''s rare that Horace cared about someone so much, so it would be a waste to just kill her." In fact, he had nned to kill her, but when they were in Maniana that night, Horace flew right back home once he heard something wrong with ra, he was startled. He had long known that the woman was special to Horace, but only in a way for fun, just like how he''s interested in any hot women. But then he found out that Horace was in love with that chick. And that finding thrilled him. He had always hated Horace, the little brother who''s so much younger than him but overshadowed him in every way. He had always been jealous of his brother for being so much better than him, and even more of their grandfather''s preference for him. It''s was not until that kidnap ten years before, from which Horace lost his legs, did he start to believe that his brother had been out of the picture before growing up as a threat. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Yearster, however, to his disappointment, Horace returned from Maniana as a bigger threat to him in spite of having to sit in a wheelchair. For all these years, ever since the jerk''s return and the establishment of Solrace, he had been growing into a bigger threat. Sean had always tried to get rid of his brother but he was like a watertight wall, there was no weakness to be found of him, let alone tear him down. Until ra came along. As long as Horace cared about her, she would be his weakness, his only weakness. How could he just kill her as simply as that? With that thought, a cruel smile appeared on his face. ... Over the following days, ra had stayed at home while Horace finally got back to work at her insistence, but he got home early every day to have dinner with her. ra had seen everything he had done for her, and felt warm inside, though she had never said anything about it. It was a weekend when they were eating together, and Horace turned to ra. "Do you have time tomorrow?" ra blinked her eyes and smiled wanly, "Do I look like someone who''ve been busy?" "Well, then do you want to go to a ce with me?" Having almost gone moldy for all these days at home, she nodded hard as soon as she heard him, without even asking where. Horace smiled softly. "OK, then sleep early tonight. We will start off early tomorrow." Early next morning, ra was woken up by Horace, and found him already changed into a ck suit, looking very formal. She was then confused, wondering if he was going to meet someone. "Get up and get changed." re thought that Horace seemed preupied that day. He had even prepared a dress for her on the bed. It''s a gracefully tailored ck dress. ra didn''t think too much and got on the car all dressed up after the breakfast. Horace had been unusually silent throughout the trip, and ra noticed that there was a bouquet of lily on the seat. She had been wondering where they were heading, but failed to get up the courage to ask, so she sat quietly instead. An hourter, they were out of town and parked at the suburb. ra had fell asleep on Horace shoulder until she felt the car was stopping and opened her drowsy eyes. She was stunned by what she saw outside the window. "This is..." She looked at Horace in amazement. Horace, also staring out of the window with a mncholy look, whispered, "I''m taking you out to meet her." ra was speechless there. Then Isaac, who had already gotten off, opened the door, through which Horace wheeled down before ra followed right after him. When she came out and saw the sight before her, her face took on a serious look. The ce Horace had brought her to was a graveyard. Then ra understood why he had been acting so weird. Horace held her little hand, and they soon came in front of a tombstone in the midst of the yard. On the snow-white stone was engraved¡ª Laura Hutchinson. Chapter 96 Laura Hutchinsons Tomb Chapter 96 Laura Hutchinson''s Tomb On the tombstone, there was a ck-and-white photo of a beautifully smiling girl at her flowery age, whose stunning beauty had been frozen in the picture forever. "Sorry," Horace suddenly said in a deep voice, while ra immersed in associating with the tomb, "Are you mad that I brought you here without asking you beforehand?" ra soon shook her head when she came to herself. Sure she wouldn''t feel mad, and quite the contrary, she was sort of delighted. Ever since she had learned from Stephanie about the kidnap, she had been trying to talk it out with Horace. But it was his privacy after all and it was such a heavy history, so she failed to bring herself to do it. To her surprise, Horace talked about it himself, and wouldn''t it mean that he was ready to open up? His eyes faintly twinkled as he stared at the tombstone, holding ra''s hand, feeling the warmth of their touching palms. "I guess you know who she is?" ra hesitated for a while before she nodded. "A bit." "And you''ve heard the rumor?" Horace''s face remained nk, voice dry. "That I left her behind and ran for my life without her." ra felt a little tense, not knowing what to say. Compared to her unease, Horace was calm and even smiled slightly. "Don''t be nervous, and just tell me the truth." "Yes, I did hear about the rumor," said ra honestly, after hesitating, and she soon added, "But I don''t believe it." There was a weak light glittering in his unfathomable eyes, "Why not?" "Because I don''t think you would ever turn your back on others, especially your girlfriend," ra said quietly, while looking at him with a little uncertainty. "Am I right?" Horace didn''t answer her directly, and instead stared at the tombstone, murmuring, "You really think so? Actually, I.. I don''t know..." ra was startled. He didn''t know? What did he mean he didn''t know? Without continuing with the subject, he then said, "Laura and I grew up together. She was a Hutchinson. The Hutchinsons and the Kirnds have been friends for generations." ra froze there. The Laura turned out be the daughter of the Hutchinson family. The Hutchinson''s, the Jakovich''s (stair''s family), as well as the Kirnd''s were the three prestigious families in Stratmont for generations. Sure enough, that Laura had been a pretty and precious daughter of an old money. ra smiled wanly, feeling bitter inside somehow. She must have looked like a weedpared to a woman like that. She repressed the upset feelings and asked, "And then?" "I thought we would grow up and get married, just like any other ordinary couple," whispered Horace, "But then she was abducted along with me during the kidnapping ten years ago." ra had heard that from Stephanie, and what mattered was what had happened after the incident. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. "We were shut inside a warehouse, and when they got the ransom, they didn''t let us go, but tied us up and injected something into us to make us sleep. Then they set the ce on fire." Horace''s remained poised when he said that, but ra could hear the concealed madness and murderous intent. "They put you to sleep?" ra was shocked at the part that she had never heard from Stephanie. "So you saw their face and they had to kill you?" "No." Horace frowned. "The kidnappers wore mask and gloves the entire time. No evidence was left on the scene." ra was then confused. She and Stephanie had thought that they had seen the face of the kidnappers, who was afraid to be recognized, so they burned down the warehouse. But then as told by Horace, there had been no need for them to murder. The magnitude between kidnapping and murder waspletely different. If those kidnappers had got thatrge sum of money, they should have left the country quickly, but why would they have chosen to murder? "Then why did they have to kill you?" ra couldn''t help but ask the question. An evasive look appeared in his eyes for a second. He seemed to know something, but he didn''t answer, and simply continued with his words, "I was then woken up by the smoke of the fire." ra was surprised. Why did it sound so much familiar with the fire she got gone through before? But without thinking further, she pricked up her ears and kept listening, because she knew he was at the most important part of the story. How did Horace run away after he woke up? Did he run without his girlfriend Laura? Horace continued to say, with his eyes rested on the tombstone. "When I was awake, I realized that my hands were no longer tied up and Laura, who had been lying next to me, were gone." ra was perplexed. She had been wondering how Horace struggled free from the rope, only to be told that it had been undone itself. Also, where was Laura? ra had never expected such a story, so she couldn''t help but ask, "Are you sure?" Then Horace looked at her ant, "So you don''t believe me either?" "That''s not what I mean," ra soon exined. It was just that the whole thing had been so weird, and she noticed that the word "either" used by Horace, so after hesitating for a while, she asked, "So people didn''t believe what you say?" "No," Horace slowly lowered his eyes, "After the fire, nobody believed my story. Even the police said I was lying. But whether I was lying or not, I didn''tmit any crime, so they ended up letting me off the hook." ra was struck numb. To her surprise, that was the "truth" she had been dreading to find out. Anyway, she really wanted to believe Horace and that he would never have done such thing as abandoning his girlfriend, so she racked her brains toe up with a more reasonable exnation. "If you remember it right, then there are two possibilities. Laura had left by herself, or been taken away by someone else." Chapter 97 The Truth? Chapter 97 The Truth? "When I woke up amid the fire, I found that Laura had disappeared, so I searched the entire warehouse but failed to find her." Horace continued to say in a low voice, "She was gone, and the rope had been untied, so I thought that she had left first or taken away after she untied my hands. So I left. Then the police told me that it''s impossible." "How did they mean?" "Because found the scorched body of her on the scene, and she was still tied. The DNA test showed that it was her. Plus, they found a de on the floor, which was probably used to cut off my rope, and there was a cut on my hand." ra was shocked. Indeed, everything at the scene suggested that Horace had freed himself with the de and left alone, abandoning Laura. But that was not how Horace remembered it. Theoretically, the biggest possibility was that he had lied to cover up his ruthless behavior. "So, that''s what happened," said Horace slowly, looking up to ra, "Which version do you believe? Mine or theirs?" The unexpected question had her frozen. Looking into his mysterious eyes, from which she seemed to have seen some vague expectation. ra''s eyes glinted with a bit sadness, when she said softly, "I believe you." With a blink of his eyes, Horace lifted the corners of his mouth. "I''m so happy to hear you say that, whether you mean it or not." With that he looked away when ra got down before him and grabbed his hand, looking right into his eyes. "I mean it," said ra earnestly, "Just like when you chose to believe me, I believe you. However Every single word ra had sincerely said was engraved in Horace heart. His heart was slightly struck, and subconsciously, he tightened his grasp of her hand. For all these years, even his grandfather, who had been there with him since forever, had never really believed him. Although he never cared about how people thought of him, he did care about how she did. If ra, as everybody else did, had thought that he had abandoned the woman he liked, he might feel hurt. But she said she believed him. He felt touched inside as he watched her blight eyes. Meanwhile, he couldn''t help butugh bitterly, "But you know what, sometimes even I don''t believe myself." ra was confused, "What do you mean?" "Ten years ago, when they were investigating the case, I had gone through hypnosis and other Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. therapies. All the experts said I wasn''t lying, but a psychologist said it was likely that because I had been drugged in the abduction, and been so traumatized that my memory went wrong. That means I forgot cutting the rope with the de and leaving Laura behind. It''s likely that I made up the memory because of my fear of facing the mistake I had made." ra went nk, and blurted out, "How is that possible?" The Horace she had known was undoubtedly strong, so how was it possible that he had deceived himself to escape from the truth? "Yeah, I don''t go with that either." Horace''s smile was crooked into a bitterer way, as he reached out his hand to touch ra''s face, whispering, "But I was indeed kind of scared, and I wasn''t mature enough back then." ra went silent. Sure. She almost forgot that Darren was not who she had known him to be ten years before, when he had been just a kid. How much terror must that terrifying kidnapping have inflicted on Horace back then? But she soon came out of her pondering and gripped his hand, and said resolutely, "Whether it was ten years ago or now, I believe you have never done that and will never do." There was no hesitation in her tone, which seemed to carry some kind of power. Horace looked at her and smiled. "You''re so silly, ra," he said in an affectionate tone that was strange to himself, as he held out his hands to cover her little face. "You believe people so easily. You''d better be careful not to be cheated." "You won''t do that to me," said ra automatically, but gave him another look before she confirmed again. "Will you?" Horace cocked his lips upper, as he bent over to kiss her on the brow. That was a feather-light kiss, brushing down the brow, against the nose tip and then on the lip. "I''ll never deceive you, ra," he whispered after the kiss, "But you''ve got to promise me that you''ll be more careful." Feeling dizzy after the tantalizing kiss, ra restored her soberness on hearing thetter part of his words and raised her head. "Careful?" "Yeah." Horace''s eyes became dull as he stared at ra, "You have no idea how frightened I was when our house was on fire the other day." ra was shocked. That was the first time she had ever heard him saying "frightened" of something since they had met. Was it because he worried about her? "Fire," Horace added in a low voice, looking at ra, "has taken the woman I loved from me once. I don''t want it to happen again." ra heard a bang inside her head, looking at Horace in disbelief and astonishment. Woman he liked? Again? What did he mean? Horace''s words were very straightforward, but ra simply felt like she was in a fantasy right now, so she dared not think or ask further. So she looked at Horace numbly with wide-opened eyes, her mouth as round as that of a little golden fish out of water. Her look was so funny that it amused Horace and made him giggle. ra then came back to herself and soon shut her mouth, getting up. But to her surprise, just when she was rising, Horace suddenly gripped her by her hand and pulled her hard into his arms. She fell right onto hisp, and before she could exim, Horace pinched her chin, and seized her lips with his, swallowing down all her uing exmation. Chapter 98 Thanks for Believing Me Chapter 98 Thanks for Believing Me Different from the kiss before, it was overpowering, showing his possessiveness of her. He quickly pried open her mouth, conquered her tongue, as he fastened the hold of his hands, as if to rub her into his blood. After a long while, he finally let go of her with a wistful look. His heart softened as he looked into his arms and saw the dainty woman''s apple-red cheeks. He came close to her and whispered to her ears, "Thanks for believing me. ra." And he was even more grateful for her appearing in his life, when it had been gloomy and lightless. ... ra had been at home resting for half a month before she felt ashamed and pleaded to get back to work. After all, she had taken so many leavestely, so she''s afraid that she would get fired. When she came back to the office she had been away for long, people came asking her how she''s faring, apparently most of whom had realized their misunderstanding about her, thus the unusual enthusiasm. But of course, except for Diane Kirby. The first thing she said when she saw ra was, "Oh, look who''s here. Our Miss Selman, I thought you''re well-connected enough to make money by simply lying at home." Diane looked at ra with unspeakable hared. She had run into Ashlee the other day at a mall, thinking she could use her to get rid of ra, but for reasons unknown, she just scuttled away, without taking any actions. Those rich little princesses were just useless! But she herself couldn''t think of any ways to deal with her either, so whining was all she could do. ra was in no mood for responding to her, neither did others. Sarah caught ra by the arm and said excitedly, "ra, you probably haven''t known yet. The heinous factory that we had exposed was sued and all the workers there have got their pays." "Really?" ra was surprised to hear the news. These days, factory workers are an underprivilegedmunity, who could hardly get their pays back unless they made big news out of it. "Yeah, and not only that, everybody said we took credit for it, so they gave us an award!" eximed Sarah more excitedly. She searched the news on her phone and showed it to ra. "Something like a social contribution award, not like something big, but it''ll bring more poprity to our magazine! And people on Twitter have been saying that we are a press with conscience." ra fell silent. As someone who knew the truth, she was aware that this thing didn''t actually have anything to do with theirpany, but anyway, the magazine became known by more people because of that, so it should help with sponsorship and sales, which was a good thing to them all. "That''s great," she said smilingly. "Yeah, and Mr. Kirnd said he will treat us to drinks today. So you muste with us this time. I won''t take no for an answer." Sarah''s eyes flickered with expectation. ra was surprised. "Has he got back to work?" "Yeah. What a coincidence, he also took a leave the day you did." Sarah seemed to have thought of something and added, "But he came back a week earlier than you." ra frowned. Darren''s injury was much worse than hers, how could he have returned to work so soon? Before she started to think further, Sarah clung to her arm and kept saying, "ra, pleasee tonight." ra was aware that it made her look alien if she kept saying no to all office group activities, so she said yes, thinking that it was just a group of people drinking together. At the end of the busy day, ra finally saw Darrening out of his office with gauze on his face. He was surprised to see her in the office, but soon he said to people the office, "Let''s take off and head for that Karaoke bar." People cheered and crowded downstairs. They grabbed cabs and arrived at the KTV. But when they started trickling into the bar, they saw a fancily dressed woman waving at them, "Darren, here!" ra was shocked to see that woman. It was Ashlee. She looked very sexy in that little ck vest and mini skirt. Her hot body struck the male colleagues numb. When they walked towards her, Ashlee soon came up to Darren and clung to his arm in a very natural way. Her red mouth produced a seductive smile and said, "I have booked us a booth. Let''s go inside." Darren, however, knitted his eyebrows tightly as he saw Ashlee, "What are you doing here?" "Didn''t you call me about the party? I just thought it won''t hurt for me to join you, so I came." She smiled brightly and rested her eyes on everybody, "Am I not weed?" After a short silence, everybody hastened to say, "You''re kidding. We are more than happy to have you here, Mrs. Kirnd." Ashleeughed even more gaily, and said to Darren, "You see, now that everybody says that, you won''t ask me to leave, right?" He nervously took a look at the peaceful-looking ra. With all the people there and her being his nominal fianc¨¦e, he had no choice but forced himself to take her into booth with everybody else. They have been very busy at worktely, so everybody enjoyed themselves wildly, with some singing and others binge drinking. ra was not interested in those things, so she had been sitting quietly in a corner with a ss of juice, scrolling on her phone. After a while, she went out of the booth to the washroom. As she got to the door of the washroom, she smelled cigarette, and saw Darren smoking down the hall, with a few butts scattering around his feet. She frowned.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. She had never known him to smoke before, yet he seemed to be so addicted. But she knew that it had nothing to do her anymore, so she soon skirted around him and headed for the bathroom. Darren, however, had already seen her and soon called, "ra?" She then halted and turned around resignedly, "Mr. Kirnd?" Darren hade in front of her, with the cigarette smell getting stronger. She instinctively wrinkled her nose. She didn''t know why but she really disliked the cigarette smell of Darren,pared to Horace''s faint smell of cigar. She slightly frowned her eyebrows and said quietly, "What''s the matter, Mr. Kirnd?" Chapter 99 Got Drugged Chapter 99 Got Drugged "How are you feeling?" asked Darren with his eyes lowered upon her. "I''m much better now." ra stepped back away from the smell. Darren shrewdly noticed her reaction and said with a bitter smile, "So you still hate the smell?" Before ra got to answer, he soon added, "But you don''t seem to hate it when Horace smoke, do you?" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ra didn''t want to talk about Horace with him, and she could see that he was a little drunk, so any argument would be meaningless. She didn''t answer him and walked around him into thedy''s room. Before she walked in, she looked around, and found that he didn''t follow after her this time, but was leaning against the wall, looking all depressed. He lighted another cigarette, and binged on it. ra felt stung in her heart. There was no way for her to feel nothing as she saw him like that, but she also knew that she had long lost the right to care anything about him. She felt a little lost as she came to the washbasin. Just when she was about to wash her face with cold water, a stall was kicked open behind her with a bang. ra frowned, and when she looked up, she saw Ashlee looking at her with a gloomy face. She moaned about her bad luck inside. She just wanted to use the bathroom. Reluctant to talk to her, so she soon washed her hands and walked straight to a stall. Ashlee, however, grabbed her by the wrist, yelling, "Stop there, ra Selman!" ra frowned. What was wrong with the crazy woman again? "What do you want?" she said to her with icy look. "I''m the one who should ask you the question!" Apparently, she was also drunk. She snarled at ra, "What did you say to Darren out there? You are hitting on him again!" It seemed that Ashlee had heard them talking. ra knew that Darren was being unfair to Ashlee with his ambiguous attitude. But she couldn''t find any way to sympathize her, so she threw away her hand and said with a impassive face, "You are the one who can''t control your man, so I am to me?" With that ra felt no mood for using the bathroom anymore and walked straight out of it, without giving Ashlee another look. Ashlee was swayed and totted a little when ra got her hand off. She held onto the washbasin and watched ra''s back, with fury boiling in her eyes! ra Selman! What made you think that you could be so brash and condescending? I will ruin you! Ruin you! She thought. Suddenly she seemed to remember something and soon took a little bottle out of her pocket, with the look in her eyes colder. She had got some extra of that drug, so she might as well just give ra some. Although ra was tarnished already, she was a married woman after all, so however tolerant Horace and Darren could be, they would never take this one. At the thought of that, Ashlee''s bright red lips lifted into a icy curve, feeling neither sad or wronged, she raised her chin and strutted out of the bathroom like a pride peacock. Meanwhile, ra used another bathroom and returned to the booth. Many of the people had been very drunk and a mess. Soon after ra sat down, a waiter came in with drinks they had ordered, which were all alcohol except for one ss of juice. Everyone struggled for the alcohol, while ra took the only juice and sipped it. After a long time, ra felt so tired that she rose and shouted to the noisy crowd, "I''ve a report to make tomorrow. I''m leaving." But everybody was having the greatest time, so nobody noticed her. She shrugged and took up her purse beforeing up to Darren and said, "Mr. Kirnd, thank you for your treat. I gotta go now." Ashlee had been sitting beside him, with a defending look at ra. While Darren, who seemed to be so wasted and looked all drained and depressed, put his finger on his temple and nodded. ra had left the booth in such a hurry that she didn''t see Ashlee''s sinister and cocky face behind her. She intended to take a cab and go home, but somehow, she uncontrobly tottered after she''s out of the door. She propped herself up against the wall of the hall to prevent herself from falling. Damn it. What''s going on? She didn''t drink at all? Then why was she feeling so dizzy and weak? Not only that, she also felt inexplicably hot, sweating heavily while she was wearing a skirt in an air- conditioned hall. She looked up in panic, and saw her reflection on the door of a booth. She saw her cheeks blushing unnaturally and a horny look in her eyes. No! ra soon realized that it was exactly what happened two years before. Could it be... She couldn''t help but tremble as she thought of the juice she had drunk up. She felt the urge to leave as soon as possible but her legs were so weak to move. Panicked and scared, she soon intuitively took out her phone and dialed a number. After some long beeps, the phone was answered. "Hello?" Horace''s husky voice came out from the phone, which ra saw as a life-saving straw, so she hastened to say, "Help me, Horace." She had barely realized how dependent she had be on Horace until then. The first thing that came to her mind was to call him when she was in danger, forgetting all the formalities but asking him toe to rescue straightforwardly. While Horace, who had been happy to hear from ra, only to hear what she had said, All of a sudden, his face paled, without asking what had happened, he soon said instead, "Where are you?" "The KTV in Tower Q." ra felt her bone softening when she said that. Damn it, how potent the drug was! She felt like as if she was heated enough to explode. Her hands were so powerless that they couldn''t even hold her phone, so it dropped on the floor. The drop of the phone caused the call to be hung up, and while she struggled to squat down, she felt her head spinning and could hardly stand up. She was in that painful position for a long time before she pulled herself together, reaching for the phone. At that moment, a mboyant leather shoe stepped on her phone. Before she could think, a disturbing voice was heard overhead. Chapter 100 You Asked for It! Chapter 100 You Asked for It! "Hottie, the way you squat is so provocative. Who are you trying to seduce?" ra''s heart skipped a beat. She looked up and saw a man with a dazzling shirt who looked like a jerk. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. He was squinting at her, his eyes overflowing with desire. ra couldn''t pay more attention to her phone. She stood up with a stagger, and turned around, wanting to leave. Yet the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. "Where are you going, hottie? Your phone is still in my hand." ra felt like throwing up when the man touched her body. She started to tremble, her body turning hot. The guy was a yer, he immediately knew that ra was drugged. He got excited and asked, "Hottie, someone drugged you? You must be suffering now. Let me help." As he spoke, he reached out to ra''s waist. ra screamed in fear. No! Hell no! She didn''t want one more experience of the nasty thing that happened two years ago. Thinking of this, she pushed the man yet to no avail. The man was too strong. He was reaching out to her breasts. She was about to copse yet suddenly she heard a sound. Something was smashed over from afar. The next second, she heard it crash on the man''s head. And the man''s disgusting smile disappeared. Blood ran down her face. All happened in a second. ra didn''t even realize what was going on. The man had fallen to the ground, beside him was the debris of a vase stained with blood. ra looked up in a panic and saw a tall figure at the end of the corridor whose hand was in front of his body for he had just thrown something. At one nce, ra recognized the person. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes. It was Horace. He came to save her. Before she cooled it, Horace strode over. Yes, striding, not in a wheelchair. He strode to her in a ce full of people. Soon, Horace stopped beside ra, his handsome face a bit pale. He embraced ra and looked into her teary eyes, whispering, "ra, are you alright?" Only then did rae back to her sense. She looked at Horace, who was standing in front of her, and asked in a flustered low voice, "Horace, where¡­ where is your wheelchair?" They were at a bar crowded with people. If anyone recognized him and told Sean, all the years he had pretended to be a cripple would be a waste. As she spoke, she saw Isaac running over anxiously from the end of the corridor with the wheelchair. Horace was too fast, and Isaac failed to catch up with him. Unlike ra, who was in a panic, Horace was not in the mood to pay attention to this. He noticed ra''s unnatural blush and could feel that her temperature was higher than usual. "Are you drugged?" He asked. ra was so worried about Horace that she didn''t pay attention to herself. Hearing Horace''s question she found that her temperature was getting even higher now in Horace''s embrace. She felt like a fire running about in her body. She wanted to say something yet when she parted her lips, it turned into a moan. Even she was surprised by the allure of her voice. Isaac pushed the wheelchair beside Horace, he was out of breath. He looked around anxiously and was confirmed that no one should have seen Horace. Then, he lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Kirnd, the wheelchair, pleasee sit down." Horace ignored him. Instead, he bent down and picked up ra with both of his hands. "Mr. Kirnd¡­" Isaac asked immediately. Yet Horace had walked outward with ra in his arms while instructing, "Book a room for me in the hotel nearby." Horace brought ra to the hotel in the shortest time possible. During the way, several people pointed at them, judging. Yet he ignored all of them. Entering the room, he put ra in the bathtub immediately and then turned on the tap. Cold water ran on her body. He said in a harsh tone, "ra, wake up!" The cold water cooled down ra''s skin, yet the fire inside of her remained unaffected. The contract of the cold from the outside and the burns from the inside made her suffer a lot. She curled up in the bath, and said with great struggle, "I feel so sick¡­ It hurts¡­" Seeing ra in pain, Horace felt his heart being torn apart. At the same time, he realized that ra still had wounds on her body. Now soaking in water, the bandages had all fallen apart. He also realized that this was a strong drug. ra''s face remained red even if he had been constantly sshing cold water on her. It was even stronger than before. Now ra''s blushed face looked morbid. She looked miserable. Damn it! Who did it? Who used such a potent drug on her? Horace couldn''t stand watching ra suffer anymore. He immediately picked her out of the bathtub, ripped off her wet clothes, dried her, and put her on the bed. He turned on the air conditioner, making the room as cold as possible. Yet ra was still in an insanely high fever. She suffered more and more. She felt like countless ants biting her bones. She felt like Horace was the only one who could save her. She reached out, grabbed his arm, and murmured, begging, "Horace, help me, I can''t take it anymore." ra had no idea how horse and soft her voice was at the moment. He was under great challenge. Besides, ra was all naked under the nket. With her slightest wet hair and her blushed face, Horace was on the verge of losing control. Fuck! Seeing ra in such torture. Horace made up his mind. He looked down at ra, his eyes dark. "ra." He murmured, slowly pulling off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. "You asked for it. Don''t me me." Chapter 101 Their First Sex Chapter 101 Their First Sex Burning inside, ra couldn''t tell Horace''s words. She moaned and whispered, "Help¡­ help me." Horace''s eyes looked darker. He swallowed and then pinned down the horny woman on the bed. He kissed her lips, tasting her suffering. Soon, Horace felt the fire inside of ra spread over to him. Yet he didn''t rush. It was the first time he and ra had made love. He didn''t want to do it under the condition that ra was drugged. But to this point, he could no longer hold on. He had been wanting her for a long time. He knew that ra could still feel and remember him even though she was drugged. He wanted to give her the best experience. At the thought of this, he became gentler. He whispered beside ra''s ear, "Baby, are you scared?" At the touch of the weight and the heat, ra couldn''t help but think of two years ago. The nightmare of being raped was still haunting her. She curled up her body out of fear. Horace seemed to have felt her fear and resistance, yet he didn''t retreat and endure. He grabbed her wrist, lifted them above her head, and once again murmured beside her ears, his breath hitting into his ear as he said in a deep and horsed voice, "Don''t be. I knew you have a traumatized memory. I''m bringing you the closure." Horace''s words seemed to be magic. ra''s mind went empty. Her tense body rxed. The drug had made her miserable yet herst intuition reminded her of what was going to happen. It was Horace. So, maybe it would do. Horace noticed that ra had rxed. He smiled andpletely let go of his restraint. He took the girl under his body. It was a long, sleepless night. ra had no idea how long had passed, yet she was no longer nervous and scared. She became active. Thest time she had sex was the nightmare that happened two years ago. She finally had the closure. From now on, she could enjoy the beauty of sex like everyone else. After quite a while, her fever was gone. She fell asleep in exhaustion. The next morning, ra was wakened up by the coldness. Horace turned the air-conditioner to the lowest temperature. Waking up in shiver, ra saw Horace lying beside her. His handsome sleeping face looked like a masterpiece under the sunshine casting in through the window. She couldn''t move her eyes from him. After a while, Horace said in a low voice, "Are you done watching?" Only then did ra realize that Horace had woken up long ago. She turned around, shy. Yet before she moved, Horace grabbed her shoulder and pull her into his arms. ra knocked on Horace''s solid chest. Her heart raced. Horace kissed her forehead, and asked gently, "Did you enjoyst night?" ra paused. Then she blushed, so much that even her ears turned red. "Enjoy?" Driven by the shyness, she grumped, "You took advantage of me." "Did I?" Horace wasn''t angered. He chuckled and said, "I thought I was saving your life." "You are shameless." ra gritted her teeth. "Shameless?" Horace was amused even more. "Would you give me more chances to be shameless?" ra was so shy that she couldn''t speak. She realized that although Horace looked like a gentleman, he was very dirty inside. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Too shy to make a response, she chose to stay quiet. Yet Horace wouldn''t let go. He pinched her chin and lifted her head, saying in a low voice, "Answer me, baby." ra''s face was as red as blood because of her shyness. She murmured, "It depends on my mood." Horace paused. It wasn''t an affirmative answer. However, for a timid girl like ra, it was the best answer she could give. Horace was ecstatic. "I''ll try my best to serve you, mydy." ra blushed even more. But at the same time, she had to admit that she felt sweet. Finally. She had finally stepped out of the shadows of two years ago. She thought she would never live like an ordinary woman, getting married, and having a child. Yet she came across a man that took her out of the darkness Somehow, she even felt grateful for the unknown bastard who drugged her the day before. Feeling Horace''s warmth and heartbeats, ra suddenly lost control of herself. She held Horace''s strong waist and murmured, "Horace, I feel like falling for you." She had realized this feeling long ago yet she nned to hide it deep inside. Because she didn''t think Horace would like her. However, after so much that happened, she felt Horace''s love too. So, she decided to give him a chance. Or, a chance for herself also. Horace didn''t anticipate ra''s confession. He paused. The next second, he held ra tight as if he wanted to make her part of his body. "Me too," he murmured. He had never been so gentle before. "And much earlier than you do." ra was stunned. Before she figured out what he meant. Horace kissed her, sealing all her questions inside. After a wet kiss. Horace let go of her. He smiled and said, "Baby, do you want to do it again? Without the effect of drugs." Before ra understand what does he mean by saying one more, Horace kissed her again and then answered the question with action. For the days that followed, ra woke up every morning exhausted. But she couldn''tin to anyone, because she should have anticipated it the day she married Horace. Chapter 102 Ashlees Scheme Chapter 102 Ashlee''s Scheme Darren woke up in another room of the hotel. He felt dizzy. Memories ofst now slowed appeared in his head. They were in a bar, drinking. Yet he got drunk easily, which was weird. And he felt his body burning abnormally. He vaguely saw ra go out of the bar. Fearing that bad things would happen to her, he staggered to chase after her. Then someone supported him. And ra disappeared. Just as he was trying to recall what happenedst night, a woman rubbed his hair gently. He was stunned. Then he saw Ashlee lying beside him, naked. She was looking at him shyly. Ashlee was naked, and the room was messy. Darren immediately knew what had happened. He felt a burst of desperation. He had decided never to touch Ashlee again. Yet¡­ Why? At the same time, Ashlee crawled to him and wrapped her limbs around him like a snake. Her eyes were full of desire. Ashlee was very seductive. Her touch almost made Darren, who wasn''tpletely sober, lose control of himself. With hisst sense, Darren pushed Ashlee away and jumped out of the bed, grabbed his clothes, and rushed into the bathroom. Being thrown onto the hard bed of the hotel, Ashlee paused. She couldn''t help feeling resentful.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. She had been trying to seduce him many times, but Darren never epted her. Would he treat ra the same way if she did the same thing? He wouldn''t have touched her wasn''t for the drug. Ashlee still remembered the crazyst night. Especially how he had called ra''s name in the bed. Thinking of this, Ashlee clenched her fist, her nails stabbing against her flesh. Darren was thinking of ra while having sex with Ashlee. That was uneptable. That was disgusting. But it wasn''t easy to get the chance, so she endured it. She would do anything to get Darren. In the bathroom. Darren opened to tap to its limit. Cold water sshed on his face and cooled him down. Things that happenedst night seemed to be normal, yet it was all designed. Ashlee''s showing up outside the bar, his drunkenness, the bed¡­ He recalled the picture that Ashlee disyed by ident and started to feel that also Ashlee looked cute, she was not a simple person. He started to fear. Now it seemed like he should investigate Ashlee. Darren went out of the bathroom and saw Ashlee, who had gotten changed, smile at him. He avoided her gaze. He didn''t want to talk to her. As siblings, Ashlee kind of resembled ra. But her smile was never as gorgeous as ra''s. He picked up his watch and phone from the desk, and said without looking at her, "I''ve got a lot of things to do today. Bye.''" "Darren!" Ashlee was anxious, she wanted to say something. However, Darren shut the door without looking at her. Ashlee stood still, upset. She touched her belly with her right hand, and her eyes flickered. Darren, you keep ignoring me, but I''ve got something fromst night. Kids were said to be the link between the parents. As long as she was pregnant, he wouldn''t get rid of her. Darren left the hotel in a hurry. He called his assistant immediately, asking him to investigate how Ashlee had gotten the photo, and if she had that photo on her phone. What happened two years ago? Who was the person behind it? Darren had never anticipated the questions before going back to his home country. Ashlee dressed up and then went to the hall of the hotel, where she met ra on the sofa. ra was waiting for Horace out. She paused because she didn''t expect to see Ashlee. Ashlee smiled proudly when she saw ra. ra showed up at this time, did it mean the drug worked? Did she make it? "Miss Selman, why are you sitting here? What did you dost night? You look exhausted." Ashlee approached ra and said slowly, "I wonder who was the lucky guy that got to spend the night with you, Miss Selman." Ashlee couldn''t wait to see the humiliated expression on ra''s face. Yet ra just frowned. She was wondering how did Ashlee know about what happened between Horace and herst night. "Why don''t you say anything? Shy? Come on, as a renowned whore, what is there to be shy about? I wonder what will Mr. Kirnd do if he found out what you did." ra turned pale. She knew that she was druggedst night. She was wondering who did it. Now, from Ashlee''s attitude, she knew the answer. ra was enraged, yet because Ashlee was her sister, after all, she warned with a cold voice, "Ashlee, what did you do? Tell the truth." Ashlee looked at ra, and the resentment in her eyes became even stronger. She could not be defeated by ra, not ever. "What did I do? I was telling the truth. You know what you didst night. You are married, why dide to the hotel? You flirt with other guys yet you are not ming me. How dare you?" Ashlee scolded, turning more excited as she went on. She med all that she had suffered from Darren earlier on ra. At this time, a deep heavy voice sounded. "Ashlee, do you know who you are talking to?" Ashlee turned around and saw a handsome maning over in a wheelchair. He was outstanding. His appearance attracted the attention of everyone in the hotel lobby. Ashlee was puzzled. Horace? Why was he here? Yet in face of Horace, Ashlee didn''t show any fear. Instead, she smiled, saying, "Mr. Kirnd, I am d you are here. Do you know that ra¡­" Horace interrupted her, "I see. Are you interested in what your sister and her husband didst night?" Chapter 103 The Person Behind the Crime Chapter 103 The Person Behind the Crime Ashlee was stunned as if being stroked by thunder. So, it was Horace who slept with ra in the hotelst night? So, her n failed? Ashlee almost screamed out in anger, yet she didn''t dare to do so in face of Horace. She clenched her fists tightly and left without casting more looks on ra, biting her lips. "Ashlee, wait!" ra called out. Ashlee turned around, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her chin raised, looking like unwilling to admit defeat. "Ashlee, listen to me carefully. I''ll forgive you this time." ra looked at Ashlee coldly, "But I will take revenge if you dare do such nasty things again." Ashlee shivered, yet she managed to remain her arrogant look and then turned to leave. After Ashlee left, ra and Horace went into the car. ra remained silent during the way. She was in deep thought. She was sure that it was Ashlee, her sister, who drugged herst night. She felt hurt thinking that her sister wanted to ruin her reputation through such despicable means. Thinking of what Ashlee hadmitted, ra shivered. What happened two years ago was so simr, was it Ashlee who did it too? Horace noticed her unease. He shook her shoulder gently, saying, "Do you feel unwell? Are you exhausted?" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Isaac''s eyes were fixed on the back of the car before them, yet when he heard the word "exhausted", he immediately thought of something and blushed. Ashlee paused, then red at Horace, her face red. Horace coughed faintly, "You need to be mended." "No, I''m not tired." ra''s face blushed even more, and she immediately exined her being absent- minded. "Not tired? Then I guess we can¡­" ra immediately reached out and covered Horace''s mouth. Yet her hand was grabbed by him. Horace said seriously, "Tell me, what were you thinking about?" He had a sharp observation. ra sat back. Looking at the busy street outside, she pondered for a while, and then said slowly, "I suspect Ashlee had something to do with what happened to me two years ago." "Need me send someone to investigate it?" ra hesitated. She didn''t have the power to face it before. But now, with Horace by her side, she had. She should find out who was responsible for her loss of virginity two years ago. "Okay." ra agreed. Horace thought of something. It seemed like he could tell her now. So, he said prudently, "To be honest, I''ve been investigating something." He cared about what happened at that time. Otherwise, he wouldn''t bother to investigate. ra''s eyes sank. Yet she said nothing other than asking, "Did you find any information?" Horace told ra that the person who raped her was not an old man but someone else. As for who he was, they didn''t know yet. Not an old man but someone else. It didn''t make much of a difference for ra. The dirty spot of her life wouldn''t change if it was an old man or a handsome one. The past was unchangeable. ra sighed, "Horace, I don''t care so much about who the person was anymore. I just want to find out who drugged me, who spread the rumor in my university, and who wanted my death." Horace hugged her without saying anything more. Since she wanted to truth, he would find it out for her. He wanted to know the truth too. However¡­ At the thought of the scarf, Horace''s eyes darken, he didn''t speak more. "I''ll find out the truth." He promised. ra suddenly recalled something. She asked with worry, "I hope no one saw your legsst night." Hearing ra''s concern about him, Horace smiled, saying, "Don''t worry, everything is under control." The car stopped. ra looked out from the window and found that instead of the vi, they arrived at her apartment. She looked at Horace with a puzzle. Horace said," I''d like to visit your mother." ra hesitated. She knew that Helena didn''t like Horace. She didn''t care about that before because she and Horace were just a couple by name. But things were different now. She thought maybe she should exin to Helena. Thinking of this she nodded and got off the car with Horace. Inside the apartment, Helena was reading an issue of GLAM. "Mom," ra entered the door and found Helena looked less sick. "Madam." Horace entered in the wheelchair. Helena froze, yet she greeted back politely. Isaac put down the bags and went out. "Please forgive us, Madam, we came in a rush and didn''t get to prepare the gifts. These are some supplements for your health." Helena didn''t like ra to be with this rich guy. She said coldly, "We are just a humble family. These gifts are too much for us. Please, you don''t have to do this next time." Horace looked at Helena without much of an expression. "Mom!" ra couldn''t stand it. She sat down beside Helena''s bed and said, holding her hand, "Horace did it out of good intention." Horace suddenly didn''t know what to do. ra had never seen Horace so helpless. She was kind of amused. "Horace, it''s about time for lunch, go and get some food. My mother likes beef." Horace nodded. After Horace and Isaac left, ra said to Helena, "Mom, you went too far. Horace is a good guy. He is different from those typical rich men." "I just don''t like you being together with him, I prefer Darren." "Mom, forget about Darren, my husband is Horace." Seeing ra being so protective of Horace, Helena asked, "ra, tell me the truth. Have you fallen in love with him? Why are you so protective?" Of course, she had fallen in love with him. She loved him so much that she had attached her life to him. She cared about every of his move. She wanted to be with him forever. Looking at Helena''s worried face, ra said, "Yes, mom. I''m madly in love with him. I want to live with him forever." Chapter 104 Rumors of Her Husband. Chapter 104 Rumors of Her Husband. Seeing that ra seemed to be in love, Helena''s eyes flickered. She knew that ra had gone through a lot. She wished ra would find a reliable man who understood her and loved her. Could Horace make her happy? It wouldn''t be easy to live with a rich man. Would Horace abandon ra when he had enough of her? Was his love strong enough to go through all sorts of challenges? ra understood Helena''s concerns. She murmured, "Come on, my dear mother. Horace had saved me from danger many times. I love him and I trust him. Don''t worry." Helena reconciled when she saw the sweet smile on ra''s face. "Alright then, since you guys are married, be a nice couple. I wish for nothing but your happiness." ra hugged Helena, speaking like a spoiled child, "Mom, I know you love me, we only have each other in this world. Don''t worry, I know how to take care of myself." "Silly." Helena''s eyes were filled with tears. Horace came back with some food. Seeing Helena and ra hugging, he didn''t disturb. Helena''s attitude turned warmer. She reached out to Horace and said, "Come over, I want to tell you something." "Horace," Helena said word by word, looking very serious. "ra is the only daughter I have. She had suffered a lot with me. So, I just want her to find a good man and have a peaceful life no matter being rich or poor. She said she loves you, thereby I''m handing her to you." Horace looked at ra in surprise. Helena''s attitude changed. ra must have said something to her. He remembered that ra told Helena she didn''t love him and that they were just a couple by name. Thinking of this possibility, Horace felt warm. So nice. ra finally epted him in front of her family. Horace looked at Helena, and said seriously, "Madam, trust me, I will take good care of ra." He was not a man of speech yet he never broke his promises. Helena nodded at his sincerity. The rtionship between the three improved. ra knew that Helena preferred peace. So, they left after the meal. Looking at ra''s back, Helena, sitting alone in the bed gradually stopped her smile. She was so lucky to have such a caring daughter. Yet she wasn''t a good mom. She felt sorry for ra. Her guilt became stronger over the years. If ra found out the truth, would she still recognize her as her mother? Would she forgive her? Helena prayed, wishing ra a happy life, and wishing to be forgiven by God. She wanted to amend her sins. She felt so sorry for ra, but she wished her happiness from the bottom of her heart. After leaving the apartment, Horace sent ra to the GLAM building. ra was about to get off the car when Horace suddenly called out her name. She turned around, wanting to ask what happened. Yet Horace grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. Surrounded by Horace''s warmth and fragrance, ra''s heart raced. Isaac, who was in the driver''s seat, buried his head into his clothes, as deep as he could. He thought that Horace was getting more and more willful. He treated Isaac as air. ra felt embarrassed hooking up when Isaac was present. Yet she couldn''t change Horace''s mind. She said with a blushed face, "Let go of me, we can talk when we go home." "Thank you, ra." Horace''s deep voice was charming. "What for?" ra was confused. Horace smiled, "For telling your mom that you love me." ra pause. Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn''t help but hugged Horace tighter. She should be the one saying thank you. Thank him for being in her life. They cuddled for a while. ra felt like she was about to bete. She moved a little, saying, "Horace, I need to go to work now." Horace kissed her forehead and said, "Alright," although didn''t want to let go with her. ra said goodbye to Horace reluctantly. Just as she got into the office, Sarah came over in a rush. "ra, finally you are back. Big event!" ra looked at Sarah''s exaggerated look and furrowed her brows, "What''s about?" "About Horace Kirnd, the president of Solrace." Sarah''s eyes widened, "You don''t know? Didn''t you check Twitter?" About Horace? ra was stunned. She didn''t expect it to be rted to her husband. She asked curiously, "What Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. happened to Horace?" "It''s about him and Ynda Zachman! News has gone viral on the inte, saying that the popr female star wanted to seduce Horace and steal him from his wife. ra, don''t you think she is too shameless? Mr. Kirnd will never like such a woman. She doesn''t deserve it at all. " Sarah was excited, but ra was stunned. Ynda Zachman? Oh, she remembered, she was the most promising actress nowadays, who was said to be the goddess in the minds of all men. She had a perfect figure, sexy lips, smart eyes, sweet voice, no man can resist such a charming woman. Yet how would such an icon be rted to Horace? Everyone at the office was discussing. "I always thought Ynda was very aloof, I didn''t expect her to be so proactive in front of Mr. Kirnd." "Mr. Kirnd is so perfect! Even Ynda can''t hold it. But Mr. Kirnd is married, I guess nothing would happen, right?" "Who knows! But it is Ynda! Men are all animals when ites to sex, who could resist such a beautiful face and hot body?" ra trusted Horace, yet she couldn''t help but mind a little when she heard these words. She immediately took out her phone and opened Twitter. As Sarah said, the names Ynda and Horace were both on the trending list. She was too busy. She didn''t realize it. Chapter 105 Follow Up Rumors of Her Husband Chapter 105 Follow Up Rumors of Her Husband It turned out that recent Ynda, who had repeatedly expressed her admiration for Horace on different asions, praised him for his extraordinary temperament and taste, calling him a business genius. ra opened Ynda''s Twitter and saw her openly express her admiration for Horace. It felt like she wouldn''t marry anyone but Horace. Ynda was very popr. She had tens of millions of fans, ranking in the top five on Twitter. There were manyments below. "They are a perfect match! I will forever support my goddess. Kiss." "She is just a gold-digger. That''s so disgusting." "She is stealing other''s husbands so openly. Be careful, YZ. Mrs. Kirnd wouldn''t let you go." "She is such a bitch. She should be punished. Mrs. Kirnd, what are you waiting for?" "Stop ndering her. Love is free. We are her supporters." ra read more than a hundredments and was amused. Fortunately, she did not disclose that she was Horace''s wife, otherwise, she would have been recognized when she went out for a meal. Ynda Zachman caused an uproar about the topic of homewrecker on the Inte. The power of the inte was formidable. At this time, the editor-in-chief came out of the office and came to ra''s desk. Seeing that she was checking Ynda''s Twitter, his eyes lit up and he said, "ra, you are the most sensitive about the news. I knew you were following the news too. I just talked to Mr. Kirnd and we decided to dig deeper into this news, one is a popr female star, the other is a noble president, and the news of these two people must be interesting enough! So, we decided to give this mission to you." ra opened her mouth and froze. That would be strange news. As Horace''s wife, she was going to interview the rumors about her husband and a famous actress. And even the world, knew. "What do you feel as a married man being pursued by someone else? How many times have you guys dated? How did you know each other? Do you think she''s more beautiful than your wife?" ra thought of somements. But it was Darren''s idea? Did he think that he could affect the rtionship between her and Horace by doing so? ra felt that she didn''t know Darren anymore. When the crowd heard this, they were very sympathetic to ra, shaking their heads and sighing. This was a very difficult task. Not to mention that it would be difficult to have an interview with Horace, who never ept interviews. Getting into contact with Ynda won''t be easy either, her schedule was very tight, and she was not very friendly and was hard to get on with. Without social connections andmon interests, involved, interviewing these two people was as difficult as going to the moon. ra wouldn''t possibly make it this time. Diane smiled sarcastically, this time she was not going to snatch the task. She wanted to see ra make herself a fool. Sarah volunteered to help ra, and ra gave her a grateful look. However, wouldn''t it be kind of weird for a wife to interview her husband about the rumors about him and an actress? The editor-in-chief tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Please! If our magazine would be popr again and be the best seller depends on you! ra, we''ll try our best to help you." It seemed that the editor-in-chief was determined. ra swallowed her saliva. Diane mocked, "ra, you are very skilled, you have interviewed Horace, and you have the same ring, this task must be yours." ra wanted to refuse the mission, but the editor-in-chief''s aggressive eyes told her not to resist. Besides, she needed to pay for Helena''s medical expenses. She can''t rely on Horace''s support. And she had asked for her sry in advance many times, and it was time to repay the debt. It seemed that this time there was no escape. ra didn''t have time to care about Diane''s sarcastic words. For now, she had to get first-hand information. Since the task was on her, she mustplete it. This was ra''s professional quality cultivated over the years. On the bright side, at least, she knew Horace. Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Horace. Horace was reading a document about a foreign-funded project when his phone vibrated. Seeing it was a message from ra, he couldn''t help but check. She seldomly texted him. He opened the chat box. ra texted, "The news says there is something between you and Ynda" What? Horace frowned, but soon he smiled. He replied, "Jealous?" Jealous? ra, on the other side,ughed when she saw the text message. She had never been a narrow-minded woman. She believed that no one could take away what belonged to her, not even a real goddess. But those who didn''t belong to her could part from her just This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. for a picture, like Darren. She texted, "I need explosive information. Our magazine is very interested in you guys. Mr. Kirnd, don''t cover it. Tell me everything." Horace smiled even more seeing this text. Was she asking for information or taking revenge under the name of work? Horace thought it would interesting if she stayed around her every day calling him Mr. Kirnd. He would be able to see her at any time. That sounded nice. As for Ynda, Horace had thought that she would be a trouble. It was not the first time that he had a crazy admirer, yet he never paid attention to them. But now¡­ He was suddenly curious. He wondered what would ra look like when she was jealous. Thinking of that, he texted, "I can handle the news for you, but you have to handle yourself for me. What do you think?" ra was speechless seeing the text. Handle yourself for me in the night. He was still talking about conditions at this point. ra bit her lips and replied, "Cut the crap. Are you feeling guilty?" ra found herself getting bolder and bolder. She dared to argue with Horace now. Unfortunately, the Radical Technique was not very useful for Horace. However, he was indeed curious about ra''s attitude towards this matter, so he checked his work schedule and sent an address to ra. ra, on the other side, stood up after seeing the text. She triumphantly shook her phone and said, "Guys, I got some clues about Horace and Ynda." Chapter 106 Seducing Him in Front of His Wife Chapter 106 Seducing Him in Front of His Wife The crowd was stunned. So soon? For real? Sarah was the first to react. She hugged ra, saying, "ra, you''re so good! You are outstanding in this industry!" Diane was typing. She sarcastically said, "Outstanding people must have means that ordinary people can''t reach. Presumably, she got the clues with some unusual means. ra, you are such a hooker, who are you hooking up with this time?" Yes, the editor-in-chief had no channel to get the news, why could ra? ra couldn''t tell them that Horace, the person they admired, was her husband. That would be bigger news that the rumor of Horace and Ynda. Sarah tilted her head and asked, "ra, what clues, and how do you know they are true?" The eyes and ears of everyone in the office were erect. ra could only answer vaguely, "Well, my husband works at Sre, so..." Everybody understood. They no longer doubted. ra went to the address Horace sent over with the photographer and Sarah. It was an art center in Stratmont. There were many masters of culture and youngsters. Ynda was there shooting the annual advertisement for Solrace. The ad was very important to Solrace because it was rted to a start-up project in a joint venture with a French business partner next year, so Horace supervised it personally. At the center, the rhythmic music sounded like the epitome of the busy and tense atmosphere in the studio. Ynda was wearing a sexy long skirt. Her long curly hair was shattered around her neck. Her lips were red. She moved her sexy body ording to the instruction of the photographer''s assistant, posing a variety of dancing poses. asionally, she peered at Horace, who was supervising, with her charming eyes. Luis, the photographer of GLAM, drooled as he watched. Sarah narrowed her eyes and squeezed him hard with his elbow, signaling him to concentrate on his work. Luis red at her reluctantly and said, "Let me look at her a few more times!" ra looked at Horace in the field, who still looked cold, not at all moved by Ynda''s overtures. Good. He was a man of rules. ra thought. Yet at the same time, she felt a headache. Of course, she knew that there was nothing between Ynda and Horace, but in this case, how did she write the story? If... If she can photograph something for two people, the magazine would sell well, right? She admitted that she was a bit strange wanting to photograph her husband and other women, but that was because she trusted Horace too much. So she patted Luis'' shoulder and whispered, "Be sure to choose a good angle, follow Ynda and Horace, as long as the two get close, immediately capture it! The opportunity is rare!" However, until the intermission, Ynda did not have the chance to approach Horace. They didn''t even have any eye contact ra got impatient. How does this work, there wasn''t any big news at all! Did theye in vain? Horace, who had been waiting for ra, soon saw her anxious little reddened face. The two looked at each other, and ra immediately pouted in Ynda''s direction, signaling for Horace to do something. Horace''s face darkened. Was she forced him to flirt with other women? ra did not notice Horace''s face. She pointed her finger at Ynda, her meaning was obvious. But Horace refused to do so. Sarah and Luis also felt anxious. "ra, we only took photos of Ynda shooting advertisements, and of Mr. Kirnd. They don''t have no contact at all, what should we do?" ra thought for a moment and said, "Wait. Let''s wait until Ynda finishes shooting the ad." After two hours, Ynda was tired and decided. She decided to stop there. Ynda''s assistant hurriedly handed over the juice. Ynda took a few sips of juice and hurried towards Horace. ra''s eyes lit up, and Luis silently held up the camera. "Mr. Kirnd!" Ynda sweetly called his name. The pungent smell of perfume wafted towards him. Horace couldn''t stand it. He was even angrier seeing the expectant expression on ra''s face. He did not want to look at the enchanting woman in front of him. He directly turned his head and left. Ynda was stunned. She wanted to catch up. "Ynda, Ynda!" However, the makeup artist stopped Ynda, "There is a phone call came from the filmpany for you." "Okay, I get it." Looking at Horace''s departing back, Ynda stomped her feet angrily. ra, who was on the sidelines, was also annoyed. They almost got a picture of the two of them. But Horace was gone, there was nothing left to photograph. They went back. Before off work, they received Diane''s sneers and disappointment of the editor-in-chief before ra left work. Coming home from work, Horace was already at home. As soon as she entered the door, he nced at her, "You''re finally home." "You''re early today too," ra replied while wearing slippers. She looked at Horace, and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow, "Why didn''t you talk to Ynda today?" At the mention of this, Horace''s anger burned again. How could a wife push her husband into the arms of another woman? Did she care so much about his feelings at all? Or could everything be traded in marriage not based on love? Horace''s face became more and more gloomy, "What do you want your husband do with another woman?" ra was stunned. Realizing Horace''s displeasure, she quickly shook her hand and said with an easier tone, "I don''t mean that. I just wanted you and Ynda could get closer to look more familiar, so I could take pictures." ra said seriously, not feeling wrong in the slightest. After all, it is just a picture of them together. All they needed were a few photos, the rest was left for Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. people to run their imagination. She didn''t think there was anything wrong with it. But these words sounded very approached; harsh to Horace''s ears. His voice, at this time, was already extremely cold, "ra, you don''t mind our husband having an affair with other women?" "It''s just a picture. There is nothing between you guys anyway." ra argued, somewhat unsure of what Horace was really angry about. Horace''s face turned uglier. "ra, how intimate do you want Ynda and me to be? Holding hands, hugging, kissing?" He asked in a low voice, and at the same time slowly stopped in front of ra, looking straight at her. Chapter 107 Dining Together Chapter 107 Dining Together ra shrunk her neck and said, "I trust you, but I need mind-blowing news, anyway, it''s a rumor. I''ll rify it for youter, okay? You should help your wife''s career!" No! Horace never expected that one day he would be so angry with the woman for this. But damn it, looking at ra in front of him begging, her pink little face made him eager to eat it in one bite. Therefore, he took her small hand and asked in an unpredictable tone, "What do you think that I and Ynda are holding hands like this?" " "Good!" ra replied simply. "How about this?!" Horace grabbed her shoulder forcefully and moved closer to her. ra nodded and said, "Better, better!" Horace''s face suddenly turned gloomy. She could even ept that? This woman had no little sense of crisis! A hint of cold air suddenly appeared in Horace''s eyes, and ra realized that something didn''t seem quite right. But it was toote, Horace had pressed her heavily on the couch. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ra realized what he was going to do. She blushed and tried to struggle, saying "Horace, let go of me! If you dare do this with Ynda, I''ll never forgive you! " Hearing this, Horace felt better. It turned out that ra had a bottom line towards him. He can''t do this to Ynda? But he could do this to her? Horace bent lower, the distance between the two was airtight. "Horace, don''t..." ra''s body began to change. It went soft and she lost her force. Sensing ra''s reaction, Horace unbuttoned ra''s skirt. "Miss Selman, we are not at the studio, no one woulde to capture us." His lips were soft and full of infinite affection, and the kiss made ra drunk. He was gentle and knew how to make her feel morefortable and at ease. ra no longer resisted. She wrapped her hands around him. Women were like the flowers, they only bloomed in front of their beloved men. Their fragrance was fascinating. Every inch of their soft and smooth skin was worthy of men''s careful and gentle care. They lie down on therge sofa, and the two became one. Feeling the meekness of ra in his arms, Horace was satisfied. ra belonged to him alone. The next morning. Horace woke up the first and draped a nket over ra on the couch. She was still asleep. She must be tiredst night. ra''s face had a perfect curve. Her long eyshes are hanging down, and her nose was delicate She looked like a doll that can''t wake up. Horace''s eyes flickered. In Ynda''s scandal, ra was willful, but perhaps she began to rely on him, ept him, and trust him, that was why she made those unreasonable small demands. Horace tried to understand her thoughts, but he still couldn''t stand it, how could she easily allow Ynda to meddle with him? Love should be selfish. Horace would never have tolerated anyone treating ra in this way, not even a nce. Last time in the Queensvale, that Mr. Muller was drunk and wanted to take advantage of ra. He still remembers how furious he had been. But what about ra? Toplete the task of GLAM, she repeatedly challenged his limits. Wasn''t ra jealous? However, yesterday in the studio, he also saw ra''s hard-working side. It shouldn''t be easy for her. To catch the news, she did her best, just want to get the recognition and respect of others, and make people stop judging her for the things that happened before. With this in mind, he stepped aside and made a phone call. At this time, ra woke up with a sore back. Horace had just finished the call. He came over and sat down, put his arms around her, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I''m sorry forst night." He whispered, "I didn''t want to argue with you, but I don''t want to have unnecessary contact with Ynda." ra nodded obediently, feeling that she had gone too far yesterday. She said, "I see. I didn''t think that much, I just wanted toplete this mission." Seeing ra so well-behaved, Horace''s mood improved a little. But at the same time, he was also a little curious, how would ra, who was always docile and sensible, look when she was jealous? "Want toplete the task, right?" He whispered in an unpredictable tone, "You can rest assured, you willplete this task, I have just arranged to have dinner with Ynda this evening, you can take as many photos as you need." "Really! Where? ra looked at him a little incredulously, as if she had found a big treasure. Her face, which was a little sad just now was instantly full of smiles. Horace''s eyes darkened again. This woman would piss him off one day. Why was she so happy hearing that he was going to dine with a woman? "Seven o''clock in the evening, at Yangtze House. Do you remember it?" "Of course, I remember, it was the restaurant where I met that scumbag on thest blind date." ra stood up and said happily, "Great, I can surely get some big news this time! Thank you, Horace!" ra said gratefully to Horace, and then happily went upstairs to wash and change clothes. Horace looked at her back, his eyes darkening. No other woman except ra would be so happy knowing that her husband was to have dinner with another woman. Other women would curse their husbands, or hug them tightly and wail, beg them not to go, or take a knife to his neck. It''d be even better if she said she wanted to fight with Ynda. But ra¡­ Funny. Well then, he was going to see where was her limit? Horace chuckled softly and went to work alone. ra arrived at GLAM early in the morning with great joy. Diane sneered and said, "Miss Selman, I heard that you found nothing yesterday, and you can still be so happy, you are so carefree." ra looked at her but didn''t talk to her, she didn''t want to reply and she didn''t want to affect her good mood today. She cleared her throat in the office and announced, "Guys, I got thetest news. This evening, Mr. Kirnd will have dinner with Ynda!" Sarah and Luis pped their hands happily when hearing the news, shouting "Long live ra." Diane was pissed off. Chapter 108 Jealous Chapter 108 Jealous The cheers in the office were so loud that even Darren heard them. He called ra into his office. He first looked at her arm, his eyes were full of concern, "Are your injuries all right? Are there any scars? " ra shook her head and said, "I''m fine, no scars left."" After the greeting, the room suddenly became quiet. In this office, Darren had a lot of conflicts with ra. He had hated her, resented her, tortured her. ra must have been very sad at the time. He was wrong, so wrong that he could not forgive himself "ra, I didn''t mean to assign Horace''s news to you, the managing editor decided this." Looking at ra''s defensive expression, Darren exined, "I am sincere this time. I''ll never do anything to hurt you again, please, forgive me." At first, ra did feel that Darren could not be forgiven, her suffering caused by him was unforgettable. However, in that revenge, he rushed into the fire and saved her regardless of the danger to his life, what couldn''t be forgiven after that? People said that the deeper the love was, the stronger the hate would be. Darren hated her because he didn''t know the truth, even though he never believed her. ra replied, "Darren, I don''t want to have anything to do with you anymore, so I no longer hate you. I forgive you." She was standing in front of him, but Darren felt she was distant away. Darren''s lips twitched, unable to continue, so he changed the topic, "You guys sounded so happy just now, aren''t you worried that there is something between Horace and Ynda?" There must be a reason behind the rumors. There''s no pure friendship between men and women." Darren was right. Of course, ra understood. The friendship between men and women would eventually be love one day. But Horace wasn''t that kind of person. Horace was a neat freak when it came to rtionships. His kindness to Laura and his care for her was by no means something that any man can do casually. ra looked straight at Darren, "I believe him. Horace is my husband and I know him well. Ynda Zachman is banalpared with Laura Hutchinson. " Darren was stunned. Did she even know Laura? It seemed that Horace had told her everything. They were intimate. He asked, "Laura was gone. I am talking about you, ra. How long have you known him? You''re so sure that he''s what you think he is?" ra looked out the window and said slowly, "Some people can be seen through at a nce. If we were to get along, we must trust each other. I believe in Horace, just as Horace believes in me." " When ra left the office, Darren kept thinking about herst words. The biggest and most undeserved mistake of his life was not believing ra. ra was once as innocent and sweet as a white gardenia, her kindness, tenacity, and innocence deeply attracted him. He fell in love with her. But he was from a well-known family. Many people approached him for his identity, so he hid it even in front of ra. When he saw the photos, he didn''t even think about it, he was sure that ra betrayed him. If he had given her a chance to exin and calm down to ponder, now they would not be as strangers. Darren felt that he had lost ra, lost her heartpletely. After a busy day at work, in the evening, ra and herpanions prepared various equipment and set off for Yangtze House. They arrived at their seats, which they had booked in advance, at half-past six. Sarah and Luis pretend to be a couple. They hid the camera in an undetectable ce and waited. At seven o''clock, they saw Horace and Ynda enter the restaurant one after the other. The drama was about to begin. Ynda looked particrly charming tonight. At a nce, one could tell that she had dressed up carefully. Her perfect figure made ra ashamed. She was wearing a low-cut evening gown. Her breast was showing. Ynda was wearing thick makeup, which suited the night perfectly. Sarah sighed secretly, "She is indeed a national sweetheart." Luis was already stunned. "Guys, be professional. We must get the photos today." ra amusingly reminds the two to keep their heads clear. At that table, after Ynda ordered, her eyes never left Horace. She looked down and smiled, "Mr. Kirnd, it is really hard to have a date with you, how long have we not seen each other?" Horace politely replied, "For the cooperation, we will meet again." "I heard that you are married, Mr. Kirnd?" She noticed his ring. Horace nodded, the corners of his mouth rising. The two were casually chatting about some unimportant subjects. A bottle of red wine was served. Luis quietly turned on the camera. Horace had caught a glimpse of ra and her colleagues the moment he entered the door, The waiter poured a ss of red wine for Ynda. The two of them toasted and drank. Luis started to take photos. The steaks were served. Ynda stopped the waiter from serving her. She said coquettishly, "Mr. Kirnd, could you please cut the steak for me? Or I''m afraid I might lose the appetite." Horace thought for a moment and agreed. Horace carefully cut the steak and handed it to Ynda. Sarah and Luis both felt envious. Finally, they got something big. But ra''s face turned ugly. Horace never cut steak for her. But he did it for Ynda However, Sarah spoke at the wrong moment, "It looks like there is indeed something between them. Mrs. Kirnd is in danger. Men are all yers." Sarah had no idea that Mrs. Kirnd was sitting right in front of her, and was the mastermind of this secret photo shoot. On the other side, Ynda swayed slowly towards Horace with a ss of wine in her hand. "Mr. Kirnd, the shooting that day went so well. We should celebrate it." Before Horace could react, Ynda threw herself into his arms. The red wine spilled on both of them. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ra''s eyeballs were about to pop out! Ynda was too shameless. Horace was about to get angry, but seeing ra''s bitter face, he changed his mind in an instant. He supported Ynda, picking up a napkin to wipe off the red wine on her skirt and chest. Sarah and Luis nced at each other, grinning. Big news! Striking headlines! "Mr. Kirnd taking care of a drunk actress." It was such explosive news. Chapter 109 I Did It on Purpose Chapter 109 I Did It on Purpose Although she begged Horace to have dinner with Ynda, ra felt very ufortable when she saw Horace being intimate with other women. The fish was sent to the mouth, the cat would certainly eat it. It was the instinct of men. ra admitted that she was jealous Almost uncontrobly, she picked up her phone and sent a text message to Horace. "Don''t forget you''re married." Horaceughed when he saw ra''s text message. "Who sent the text, is it so funny?" Ynda leaned in curiously, wanting to see the text. Horace will lock the phone screen. Ynda had seen so many big scenes, she sat back very knowingly and started to y with her curly hair, trying to be seductive. Ynda said, "Mr. Kirnd, I have confessed my admiration to you on the Inte, you have to be responsible for that. Otherwise, I won''t find a better man than you." Horace looked at Ynda thoughtfully, which made her shy. "Mr. Kirnd, don''t look at me like that, I''ll do whatever you want." Ynda''s seductive look enraged ra. At this time, Horace finally straightened his face and said lightly, "Miss Zachman, don''t forget, I am already married." Ynda didn''t expect Horace to reject her so directly. She was stunned, feeling awkward. She had many pursuers from the film and television industry, the business world, and the showbiz, yet she didn''t like anyone but Horace. Now, he had rejected her so crisply, and his determined eyes told her that she had no chance. But she wouldn''t give up Horace so easily. Getting married was not a problem. There were a lot of divorced people! It should be easy for a woman to chase a man! Sarah and Luis are excited about the great harvest tonight. It was so exciting! Theirpany was going to be a hit. Sarah looked at ra and found that she didn''t look right. Sarah asked worriedly, "ra, are you okay? You can rest assured. We have taken exclusive photos. ''s, Challenge of A Perfect Match''. What do you think of this headline?" ra nodded perfunctorily. She needed some fresh air. ra said to Sarah and Luis, "You guys go ahead. I feel a bit dizzy. Gotta get out and have some fresh air." On the other side, Horace saw ra leave with a bad face, guessing that she must be angry. He was more worried about whether she felt sick. So, Horace wiped his mouth, put down his napkin, and slid his wheelchair, "Excuse me for a minute. I have to go to the bathroom. Please enjoy your meal." ra sat on the toilet in the bathroom, fanning with her hand, her mind full of Ynda''s enchanting look. The more she thought about it, the more ufortable she felt. Are men so weak in front of seduction? Do they even have "loyalty" in their dictionary? ra suddenly remembered their sex on the couchst night, andined more about Horace in her heart, and alsoined more about herself, why did she let her husband date other women. She didn''t want to keep chasing the news anymore, the photos were taken and the task was done. When did she be so unforgiving! It was such a big change that she couldn''t ept it. If it weren''t for Sarah and Luis by her side, she would have gone to them tonight and told Ynda that she was Horace''s legal wife. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ra decided to leave here immediately. She didn''t want to see them being intimate anymore. She came out of the bathroom and was about to go back to get her bag and leave, but when she passed the dressing room at the door of the bathroom, she was grabbed by arge hand suddenly. She was pulled into the dressing room. The door of the dressing room was locked. ra looked up in shock and found it was Horace. "Horace?" She was greatly surprised, "Why are you here? Aren''t you eating with Ynda? You..." Before ra could finish speaking, Horace got up from her wheelchair and forced her into the corner step by step, giving her no time or room to resist. Horace pressed her to the wall. ra stared at him with wide eyes. Horace raised an eyebrow, looking kind of satisfied as he said in a low voice, "ra, are you angry? But isn''t that what you want?" ra gritted her teeth, trying to say something, but failed. Yes, it was indeed her request, but why did she feel so angry when it came true? ra turned her face away, not saying a word. But then she suddenly heard Horace''s softughter. She looked up and saw Horace smiling at herself. She suddenly realized something. She red at him with irritation, saying, "Horace, you did it on purpose!" Horace smiled without saying anything. He did it on purpose for sure. He just wanted to see her jealous, to make her aware of the sense of crisis. ra was bing more and more childish because of jealousy. Horace found it adorable. Horace couldn''t help it. ra raised her hand to hit Horace but was caught by him. He put her slender white hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "I did it on purpose." He whispered, "I''m tired of this meal a long time ago, ra, let''s go home, I don''t want to eat here, I want to eat you now." ra blushed even more, "Stop this, you... Umm..." Before she could finish speaking, Horace kissed her. Her lips had a fatal attraction to him. ra dodged, but she couldn''t resist Horace''s domineering lips. The two kissed wildly as if they had forgotten about everything else around them. After a long time, ra propped up her somewhat paralyzed body and pressed on Horace''s shoulder to make him pause. She gasped, and said, "Horace, we should go out, otherwise, people outside should think that we are missing. It would be a trouble if they found us." "I don''t care." Horace didn''t want to stop, he hadn''t kissed enough, how could he let her go easily? "Horace, calm down. Even Ynda can cause such a sensation, not to mention us, it is time to go." ra reminded. Horace took a deep breath and suppressed the fire in his body, forcing himself to cool it. He didn''t mind letting others know that ra was his wife, but not in this way. Horace''s eyes darkened slightly, "Let''s go home." But when they walked out of the dressing room embracing each other, they bumped into Ynda. Ynda''s eyes goggled like she had seen a ghost. ra shivered from start. Chapter 110 Shower Together Chapter 110 Shower Together She never expected Horace to have other women! She was shocked, but she quickly regained herposure. The woman in front of her was worse than her in every aspect. Her breasts were not as good as hers, nor were her booty and face. Ynda felt sorry for Horace''s taste, and couldn''t figure out why would he like her. The next second, Ynda smiled tteringly. She walked up and bent down to Horace, saying, "Mr. Kirnd, I can''t wait for you, but you''re here to talk to someone else, let''s go. Go home with me." Ynda looked at ra, who was dressed in a suit, with disdain. ra felt that two women fighting for a man were ridiculous sense. She wanted to leave as soon as possible, so she said, "You guys enjoy yourself. I''m getting out of here now." Horace grabbed ra''s hand. Horace didn''t like Ynda. He disliked her even more now that he dared to tease him in front of ra. ra had confessed her love for him, he didn''t want to see anyone who ra didn''t like. Horace looked at Ynda coldly. Ynda took a step back and trembled slightly. Horace said expressionlessly, "Miss Zachman, the dinner is over. Bye." Ynda couldn''t believe her ears. What? She was abandoned just like that? Ynda couldn''t believe her ears. Ynda nced at ra, thinking that it was all her fault, she ruined Horace''s date with her tonight. She had underestimated her! Ynda was very aggrieved. She couldn''t figure out how she annoyed Horace. Everything was fine at the beginning, Horace was about to be conquered, yet someone interfered with it... Horace ignored Ynda and said to ra, "Let''s go." After saying that, the two left directly from the back door of the hotel without paying any attention to Ynda. In the car, ra texted Sarah and Luis, who were still at the restaurant, saying that she got something to handle and she had to leave. On the way, ra remained silent. Ynda''s appearance increased her sorrow. She couldn''t live without Horace anymore. Thinking of Ynda''s devotion to Horace, ra''s heart was full of worry. She trusted Horace, but she didn''t trust fate. ra worried that their short love would lose to the temptation of women and that Horace would turn to Ynda or other women after getting tired of her one day. ra suddenly became very unconfident. She was just an ordinary woman with a shameful past. Horace may not mind now. But if they couldn''t find the person who set up the trap for her, the future would be uncertain. The snarky Ashlee had caused trouble for ra, and now because of Horace, she had to deal with Ynda, a bigger threat. ra felt kind of tired. She didn''t talk to Horace after they got home. She looked expressionless. She changed into her pajamas and sank onto the sofa. Horace felt it was time to break the silence. He was only using Ynda to confirm ra''s feelings for him. He would never take this woman seriously or let her sabotage their rtionship. "It''s been a tough day. Go take a shower first." Horace got up from the wheelchair and walked over to ra, raised his hand to stroke her hanging hair, and whispered. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ra looked up at him, trying to say something, but swallowed it back, feeling it was inappropriate. Horace knew what she was trying to say. So he asked, "Are you angry? Why didn''t you speak to me on the way home?" ra shook her head and replied, "I am not. I just don''t like the way Ynda treated you." She didn''t want to admit it. She didn''t want to look petty and unreasonable. However, she indeed felt bad. Horace chuckled, "I hired Ynda as the face of thepany just because she is suitable. In terms of poprity and audience, she is the best choice." ra looked at Horace, slightly stunned. Was Horace exining to her? Exining why he was rted to Ynda? ra suddenly had a sweet feeling. Horace was cold by nature and he was a little arrogant. Yet he was now taking the initiative to exin to her. She was unhappy, but she felt better now. Yet thinking of the way Ynda flirted with Horace today, she still couldn''t reconcile. She couldn''t help but asked, "But if she is just the face of thepany, why would she be so passionate about you?" "You should have asked her." Horaceughed bitterly, "She seems to have misunderstood that I hired her for other reasons." Indeed, during her years of being an actress, Ynda had never failed in chasing a man and was therefore very confident about her charm. "I didn''t want to bother myself with Ynda." Horace looked down at ra again, "But... someone keeps pushing me to her." ra paused. Looking at Horace''s handsome face from such a short distance, she blushed. Indeed, it was she who forced Horace to dine with Ynda. And in the end, it was she who got jealous. What a shame! ra grinned awkwardly. Horace caught ra''s smile. With a soft look in his eyes, he took her into his arms, saying, "You''re beautiful tonight." Beautiful? ra felt she looked no special tonight. She was in a suit, as usual, looking rigid. And there was nothing special about her makeup either. ra took her hand back. Pushing by the little awkwardness that remained in her heart, she asked, "I am not as beautiful as Ynda. She is so sexy. You could almost see her boobies tonight through her dress." Horace couldn''t help but said with a chuckle, "She is not my cup of tea." He meant it. ra''s delicate appearance, in Horace''s eyes, was far more attractive than Ynda''s vulgar ttery and exposure. He picked her up directly and walked to the bathroom. "Where are we going?" ra asked with a blushing face. "To take a shower" Horace''s voice was low and gentle, "Let''s wash together." ra blushed. She wanted to refute, but Horace bowed leaned over, and kissed her lips, whispering, "You made a mistake today, now you will be punished. Don''t refute." ra couldn''t say anything after hearing Horace''s domineering voice. She was brought into the bathroom. Soon, the bathroom was sshing with water and steaming. ra''s face was as pink as a peach. Chapter 111 Yolandas unwillingness Chapter 111 Ynda''s unwillingness On the second day, after sending ra to herpany, Horace came to Solrace. After the morning meeting, Horace was alone in the office. Today, he didn''t have too much work. He leaned against the back of the chair and read the report. Suddenly, he heard Isaac shouting at someone outside, "You can''t go in." The scream interrupted Horace''s thought and he sat up straight. The door was pushed open. It was Ynda Zachman. Outside the door, Isaac followed in, "Mr. Kirnd, she broke in without an appointment." Frowning, he asked Isaac to wait outside and he would deal with her. Today, Ynda was not dressed as she usually was. She wore a long coat and covered herself tightly. She usually dressed herself exposed. Ynda tidied up her messy hair and said innocently, "I''m sorry, Mr. Kirnd. I came uninvited. But I just want to see you very much. I miss you." Horace frowned, "Didn''t I make it clear to youst night?" He ordered, "Get out. I''m busy." Ynda bit her lips and did not intend to leave. Instead, she walked forward and did something that caught Horace off his guard. She quickly took off her long coat. Inside was her naked body. Seeing this, Horace couldn''t help but pull a long face. Anyone who knew Horace would understand that he must be furious right now. When infuriated, Horace would be silent. However, Ynda thought that her flirtation had seeded, so she rushed forward and hugged Horace. "Mr. Kirnd, I know you like me. I just want to know your rtionship with that woman, but I also want to be your woman. I really¡­ah!" Before she could finish her words, she was pushed away by Horace. "Put on your clothes and get out of here," Horace''s eyes and tone were as cold as ice. Not willing to give up, she twisted her body in a charming manner. Her snow-white body and ample and soft bosoms swayed in front of Horace. "Mr. Kirnd, I''m willing to do anything for you. It''s my pleasure. You can have me." Horace''s face was even colder, and thest trace of patience disappeared. He called Isaac and said in a low voice, "Ask the security guards toe up and throw this garbage out of here." Her face turnedpletely pale. She was on the verge of breaking down. She began to cry, "Mr. Kirnd, why do you have to choose ra Selman, not me? I''m not better than that ugly woman?" When Horace heard the name of ra, his face changed and his tone became colder. "Why do you know her name? Are you investigating her?" "What''s so good about her? I don''t need to investigate her," exined Ynda. "I met her colleagues Ynda continued, "That ra is average-looking and has a widow''s peak. The reason why she obeys you is that she must have a crush on your money and your status. Mr. Kirnd, I''ve seen a lot of women like her. I don''t know how good she is at seducing you, but I know that she must have no good intention to approach you. Don''t be deceived." Horace looked at her coldly, "I don''t want to hear your dirty mouth spit out the name of ra. If you say one more word, I promise you that I will let you die without aplete corpse." Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Horace''s words were so serious that Ynda took a deep breath on the spot. She didn''t expect that ra was so important to Horace, which was really surprising and shocking. Ynda could do nothing but cry. She was good at crying, and tears fell down quickly. "Mr. Kirnd, I said this out of kindness. No man has ever treated me as a real woman except you. The rest are sick men who only want to take advantage of me," she cried even more sadly as she spoke. Horace was unmoved. Except for ra, the tears of other women were not enough to disturb his mood. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "You don''t allow me to mention ra. I won''t say it again. Don''t be angry. Don''t ignore me." From the beginning to the end, there was no expression on Horace''s face. At this time, the door of the office was opened. Isaac came in with security guards. When he saw this scene, his face changed greatly. Although Ynda was very open-minded, she was still a female star. How could she let these people see her? She quickly put on her clothes. Seeing that the security guards wereing to hold her, she quickly got up, wiped her tears, clenched her teeth, and left the office with pride. After walking out of the office, Ynda''s face twisted. She hated ra. She wouldn''t let her go. ra, you''re just an ordinary woman. How dare you steal a man from me! Ynda''s self-esteem was seriously hurt. At this time, ra was sitting in the periodical office and writing news. The editor in chief asked ra to write the news report in person. The editor said that only those who were present could write the most real and shocking news report. "The CEO of Solrace has a candlelight dinner with his goddess. Ynda has publicly expressed her admiration for Horace many times, but Horace has a wedding ring on his right hand..." ra wrote. ra couldn''t continue writing. Her heart ached. She really cared about him. In fact, ra did regret taking the task. Because she found that since she took this task, she had be suspicious and jealous, like a dissatisfied woman. A burst of backache came to her. After several days of sex life, her body might not be able to withstand it. In order to avoid being exhausted from having sex with Horace, she should eat some nutritious food at noon and replenish herself. This was also a good opportunity to rise to fame. Since she had used her husband, she decided to hold on straight to the end. ra cheered herself up again. She was very satisfied with the photos. In the photos, Horace and Ynda were sitting opposite to each other. The atmosphere was warm and romantic, which set off the background of the breaking news. She tried her best to tell the truth, but it was inevitable to exaggerate it. Otherwise, the article would not be interesting to read and would beined by the audience. Hey! When ra wrote, she suddenly thought it was a chance for her to take revenge. Horace, I''m sorry. In the past few days, he took advantage of her in the bed every night. She wanted to punish him a little. When ra was absorbed in writing, her phone suddenly rang. She looked down and frowned. It was an unknown number. Who could it be? "Hello, ra Selman from GLAM. Who''s speaking?" On the other side of the phone, Ynda was talking. She asked ra out to meet her alone. Chapter 112 Yolandas Demonstration Chapter 112 Ynda''s Demonstration Ynda and ra made an appointment with each other at La Mer Bleue Cafe in the center of the city. It was a very famous shop, and many celebrities would meet here to talk about business. The environment was rtively quiet, and there was a very good private protection space. Ynda had already taken off the long coat and changed specially into a very expensive dress. Her hair was made into a chignon and she looked like a nobledy from a rich family. ra had never worn beautiful clothes since she was a child. She could only watched Ashlee showing off in front of her. Therefore, no matter how noble and gorgeous Ynda was, ra felt that no feelings could be stirred in her heart. Ynda lit a cigarette. A waiter wanted to stop her, but he didn''t say anything when he saw the woman was a big star. He couldn''t afford to offend her. Ynda blew the smoke on ra''s face. ra managed to hold back her anger. "ra, right? This is the second time we meet. I don''t want to make friends with you today. On the contrary, you are my rival in love now." Ynda behaved as if she was here to challenge ra. For the sake of Horace, one minute ago, ra was still trying to make up stories about Horace and Ynda. But the next minute, she sat together with the heroine in the article, fighting for a man. Thinking of this, ra wanted tough. Ynda was surprised, "Are youughing? You look down on me." ra waved her hand, "No, no. You misunderstood. I was just absent-minded." What a strange woman. Ynda thought to herself. Ynda changed her sitting position, "You are just an ordinary person. You can''t be more ordinary. The president of Solrace is way out of your league." Chase after Horace? How funny! Now that Horace was her legitimate husband, she didn''t need to pursue him. ra remembered that Ynda didn''t know anything about it, so it was not her fault. But did she look like a woman who seduced others? She always thought that she always kept her nose clean. Seeing that ra was so calm, Ynda thought she was a difficult woman and maybe a professional mistress. She continued, "What''s your rtionship with Mr. Kirnd? You were with him that night. Are you his mistress?" Mistress? Did Ynda treat her as a mistress? ra found it ridiculous. Ynda didn''t know what kind of person ra was, nor did she know what kind of person Horace was. And yet she said she loved Horace. Seeing that ra neither answered nor denied, Ynda came up with an idea and began to show off her so called acquaintance with Horace. Fortunately, Horace had told ra what had happened between him and Yndast night. Otherwise, what Ynda said would really affect ra''s mood. "You should know that it was Horace who asked me to shoot the advertisement and I became the spokesperson of Solrace. So, I know that Horace must like me and want to chase me, so he asked me to model in the advertisement." What Ynda said was exactly the same as what ra knew. It seemed that Horace didn''t lie to her. He was very honest to her. A waiter brought two cups of coffee. Ynda ordered a cup of cappino, and ra got a cup of expresso. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Seeing the coffee ordered by ra, Ynda snorted, "Such a poor taste." Poor taste? One year, ra specially made a report about coffee. It took her a week to understand the origin, production and operation of coffee. Her dream was to find a ce to run a coffee shop with her pension when she grew old in the future. She still remembered that in the past, Darren often took ra to various coffee shops in Stratmont and participated in various cultural activities. He joked that he was willing to be the cup of coffee in ra''s hand, so that she could take care of him every day. With a silly smile, ra replied, "Do you think you''re a pearl in my palm?" The color of that year had faded, and after so many trials and hardships, she and Darren who had sworn to be together for the rest of their lives had already had someone to live with. ra forced herself to snap out of her reminiscence. "Well, I have said so much, so you should understand that giving up is your only way out. You cannot It seemed that if ra didn''t say anything, Ynda wouldn''t let her go. Maybe she would keep chattering the whole morning. But ra had a lot of work to do. For example, how to type out the photos of Ynda and Horace and where the photos could be typeset so that the photos were more exciting. ra took a sip of her ck coffee, natural and pure. She said slowly, "Although you are very confident, I don''t think Mr. Kirnd is as familiar with you as you described. Can you tell me more details?" Why not take this opportunity to get what she needed for the news story? "Okay. Then I''ll tell you. You think I''m the obsessive one? I''ll never forget the way Horace looked at me when he saw me for the first time. His eyes were full of affection. If it weren''t for the presence of others, I think he would have pounced at me and hugged me on the spot. It really was love at first sight!" Ynda answered, unaware of what ra was up to. While talking, she became excited. In fact, when Horace first saw Ynda, there was indeed admiration in his eyes, but it was not like what she had described. He just felt that he had made a good decision. Ynda was indeed the best candidate for the product spokesperson. Obviously, Ynda misinterpreted this appreciation. ra thought it was necessary to wake up Ynda. She couldn''t be so stubborn anymore. Otherwise, it was not a good thing for herself and Horace. "Really? But I don''t think so. Mr. Kirnd and you are not that close." Ynda raised her hand, deliberately sighed, "s, men are always keen on face-saving. He is shy. You know nothing." "In my opinion, your rtionship with him doesn''t seem to be so close that... you two have a chance to stay in a room?" What ra said reminded her of what happened in Horace''s office this morning. She got angry, "That''s because we deliberately keep a distance from each other. Do you think you are better than me? Humph, you are just a mistress, maybe less than a mistress. The biggest winner is not you, nor me, but the wife of Mr. Kirnd." The coffee in ra''s mouth almost gushed out, and she was choked by the word "Mrs. Kirnd" from Ynda. The wife of Mr. Kirnd¡­ Was her. It seemed that this title had be a thorn in the flesh of many people''s eyes. Some were envious, some were jealous, some resentful, and some spected. ra thought it was not easy to be Mrs. Kirnd. She had offended a lot of people for no reason. Chapter 113 Slap Herself? Chapter 113 p Herself? Ynda thought that ra was choked by fear, so she mocked, "What? Are you afraid? I warn you that if you get close to him again, I will expose your scandal and let his wife punish you well. His wife will strip you naked in the street and beat you to spit blood. At that time, don''t hate me. You deserve it." ra couldn''t helpughing. It turned out that Ynda envied her very much. But she didn''t know that the woman sitting opposite her was Mr. Kirnd''s wife. What else did she say? Horace''s wife was gonna p her? So, ra should p herself? It was so funny. ra thought why things always went on by ident in the world. ra didn''t want to listen to her anymore. She felt that this meeting was meaningless to her. She stood up, "Since you finished your words, I''m leaving now. The magazine office has a lot of things to deal with. Please help yourself. Oh, I''ve paid for my coffee." Ynda didn''t get what she wanted. She still felt that ra was an obstacle. "Oh, let me say one more word," Looking into the hatred in Ynda''s eyes, ra added. "Love can''t be forced by anyone." Ynda fell into the sofa. Damn it! Why was ra immune to both soft and hard tactics? ra trotted back to the periodical office and continued to write her news. As for Ynda, she didn''t show any mercy. The fact could not be changed. She should teach Ynda a lesson. If Ynda continued to be entangled with Horace, it would definitely affect her career as a star. ra did this for the sake of Ynda. After all, they were both women, and it was not easy for them to make a living. Although Ynda tortured her a lot, she couldn''t be a person who would hit a man when he is down. This day, everything was in order. And it was time to get off work. The people in the office were all busy today, and they left in unison after work. ra was thest one to leave the office. She noticed that the light in Darren''s office was still on. She left quietly. Horace sent her a message saying that he would go home for dinner tonight. ra asked him what he wanted to eat, but he answered brazenly, "Eat you." ra''s face turned red again, and she couldn''t help but think of the scene that the two of them took a bath togetherst night. They were eager to return home. Passing by a flower shop, Horace bought a bunch of flowers and was going to give them to ra to make her happy. He knew that she liked lilies of the valley, which was mentioned in the information when he investigated ra before. The housemaid had already prepared the food, which was exquisite and nutritious. ra hoped that she could cook as well as a nanny. In this way, no matter how cunning Horace was, she could cope with him. ra liked the flowers sent by Horace very much. Smelling the fragrance of the flowers, she felt all her fatigue vanished. He even knew she liked lilies of the valley, which surprised ra. Horace was very considerate. After eating the food in his mouth, Horace asked ra, "How''s your day today? Is there anyone in the periodical office who is hard on you?" It would be better if he didn''t mention it. But when he mentioned it, ra felt ufortable. She replied, "No one in the office makes things difficult for me today. I have made such a great contribution. Who dares to bully me?" "But your fan girl, Ynda, came to me," added ra. Hearing this, Horace was unhappy. He had seriously warned her not to bother ra this morning, but she turned around and went to make trouble for ra. Horace asked, "What did she say?" "She didn''t say anything. She just added fuel to the fire. She deliberately came to piss me off and mock me to appease her anger." Horace smiled, "Didn''t you think that you seek trouble for yourself?" Seeing that Horace looked like an onlooker, ra snorted in her heart. When the magazine came out, it would be absolute that you would get pissed off. Just wait and see. Will you still be able to sit here and say sarcastic words as you are now? Sure enough, a few dayster, the magazine''s report was on sale, and it was a big selling. There was a heated discussion on the Inte. Someone even congratted Ynda on micro-blog. It was really uneptable. "You have seeded. Take him." "I''m afraid the two of them are already glued to each other. Ring, ring, the bell of hot sex." "Horace is so handsome. He is mine." "Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!" Sarah was browsing thements online and praised, "ra, the magazine is popr this time, and its level will be definitely improved in the industry. It''s too cool for a beauty to match a rich man." ra was thinking whether Horace had read the magazine or not? On the other side¡­ Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Horace was very unhappy to see that. It seemed that everyone in thepany had spread the news. He also received several calls from important clients. They just greeted him, intentionally or unintentionally, in order to get more information beyond the report. What a cruel woman! Horace looked at the name on the magazine and smiled. At night, he wanted to teach her a lesson. This time, he couldn''t let her go easily under her begging. If he didn''t teach her a lesson, she might not know how powerful he was. When he was lost in his thoughts, Isaac came in and reported that he hade back with stair Jakovich. When mention THE Mr. Jakovich, Isaac''s expression was vivid. Horace asked Isaac to bring stair in at once. stair was still in a state of shock after being tied up by Isaac. He looked at Horace and blinked before he came to his senses. He shouted, "Horace, what''s wrong with you? Are you really my friend? Let me go!" In the morning, in stair''s private apartment, he was having a dream with a beautiful woman in his arms. Unexpectedly, he was dragged to the bed by a man. He looked up and saw the fierce Isaac. He was angry at that time. Before stair could scold him, Isaac was about to tie him up. He knew what kind of person Isaac was. He said he had to put on his clothes at least, but he was dressed in a mess. As a result, he was tied all the way here by Isaac. Along the way, he asked what had happened, but Isaac didn''t answer. He was so pissed that his hands were shaking. Now, he was still sitting in front of Horace, standing like a prisoner, without water to drink and even a smiling face. stair was very angry, "Why are you looking for me, Horace? How can you invite someone like this?" With fierce eyes, without any brotherhood, Horace asked coldly, "stair, let me ask you, did you sleep with a woman who was drugged in the Millennium Hotel two years ago?" Chapter 114 Horaces Questioning Chapter 114 Horace''s Questioning Horace had changed. He began to pay attention to his private life? stair stood there, lost in thought. Isaac pushed him from behind and asked him to answer Horace''s question quickly. stair finally came to his senses. He thought for a while and replied, "A woman who was drugged? It''s impossible. I won''t touch such a woman. After all, I''m handsome and rich. There are many beautiful women who keep throwing themselves at me. Why would I touch a woman who is not willing to be with me? Yes, I admit that I''m dandiacal and I have a bad wine personality. But I have a good taste in women." ording to stair''s background and appearance, he really didn''t need to touch a woman who was drugged. He should not be that kind of person. But what if he was drunk, unconscious or went to the wrong room? Horace asked aggressively, "Think it over and answer me. Have= you ever been drunk and be not like yourself?" stair realized the seriousness of the matter when he was questioned seriously. However, the only person he could think of was ra who could make Horace behave like this. Still tied up, stair asked, " Wait¡­ the woman who was drugged, don''t tell me she''s your wife! What on earth happened?" Horace didn''t answer. For the sake of ra, he didn''t know how to start. Besides, he didn''t want to talk about Darren. Seeing this, Isaac had to exin to stair. Isaac told stair briefly what happened to ra two years ago when she was in college. stair was shocked and sympathized with this woman. Who the hell was so crazy and vicious? If he knew it, he would definitely not let this bastard go! Isaac said that Horace had sent him to investigate the drugging incident of ra. He had traced it back to that night in the Millennium Hotel and that room. The receptionist of the hotel gave Isaac an important clue. On the morning of the second day after the incident, a waiter found a silk scarf with the letter "J" on it when he was cleaning the room. That scarf was simr to the one customized by stair. Isaac smiled apologetically, "So, Mr. Jakovich, I''m really sorry. I kidnapped you in a hurry. After all, you are the most suspected." Hearing that, stair nodded repeatedly, "It''s okay. It''s okay. I understand. It''s your duty. The scarf is indeed..." Speaking of this, stair suddenly stopped. He turned around and stared at Horace, angry and annoyed. His silk scarf factory had been suddenly taken over by someone for no reason a few days ago, which caused him to be exhausted. Maybe that man was Horace? It made sense. Only Horace had the ability to take over his scarf factory in a short time. Now it seemed that he had found the person behind this acquisition. stair cursed, "So, you, Mr. Kirnd, suspended production of my factory for no reason. It turned out that you just wanted to avenge for ra? I... I''m going to die unjustly." Horace made an eye gesture to Isaac to untie stair. Isaac poured a ss of whisky for stair. Horace had gone too far. He even became her private detective to protect her. He really took her as his own treasure. How great love is! stair cursed Horace in his heart, "I really can''t let you go in this way. You''ve crossed the line. We''re brothers. In the end, you don''t care about me after getting married." Horace was still confused. After all, the evidence wasid there. Who else could it be except stair? He would rather kill all by mistake than let them go. stair was usually a yboy. His words were too untrustworthy. "Try to remember that night again. I won''t kill you. I just want to find out the truth and give ra justice. I hope she can be happy in the future. stair, try to recall again. Two years ago, the Millennium Hotel, the silk scarf, the room..." stair tried to recall the past and drank up the whisky on the table. He raised his hand and promised to Horace that he had never slept with ra. He would not do such a thing. If he did, he would admit it. As for the silk scarf, he didn''t know what was going on. However, Horace didn''t trust stair that much. He just asked, "Could it be that you''ve forgotten about it? After all, you slept with too many women." stair buttoned up his clothes and straightened them. After thinking for a while, he said, "That''s impossible. I have kept a record. Otherwise, with so many women around me, I can''t remember clearly. I have never seen or slept with ra." stair looked through the daily arrangement two years ago, "Two years ago, I didn''t go to the Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Millennium Hotel. The record didn''t mention it, and I didn''t remember either." If it wasn''t stair, who would have the silk scarf? Isaac questioned, "What about the handkerchief? The customized handkerchief with the letter "J" embroidered on it? It''s produced by your factory. What''s more, the letter J is the initial letter of your surname." What? Even Isaac began to interrogate him. They had already taken him as a suspect. Was it reasonable? stair said, "The silk scarf looks like mine very much. But "J" doesn''t only stand for Jakovich! Maybe it''s Jackson, Joe, Jones... There are so many possible names. It''s not necessarily mine." Horace scolded stair in a low voice, "Don''t quibble. You know how powerful I am. It''s definitely not as simple as closing down your silk scarf factory. stair, if the silk scarf wasn''t yours, do you know who could have it?" It had been a long time since he saw Horace care about a woman so much. stair sighed. In the past, Horace didn''t need to wear a mask or hide his ability with a wheelchair. He was happy and full of sunshine. It was time and experience that changed him. Now, ra had entered his life, and Horace had be livelier. Since Horace attached so much importance to this woman, out of brotherhood, stair must answer truthfully and help Horace with all his might. stair replied, "I have too many silk scarfs. Every year, I will give them to many friends and important clients, but they are all close friends with me. About the silk scarf two years ago, you have to let me go back and think about it. Don''t worry, Horace. Your business is my business. I will help you investigate the matter of the silk scarf and find out the truth." Chapter 115 Horaces Weakness Chapter 115 Horace''s Weakness stair left the office in a hurry. He was afraid that Horace and Isaac would change their minds and y tricks on him again. He''d better leave as soon as possible. However, he would definitely do what he promised to Horace. What stair said made Horace fall into deep contemtion. As stair said, most of his friends were those close to him, and some were his clients who had coborated with him for many years. Was the man who raped ra one of them? Was there anyone he knew among them? Horace''s face turned livid. Although what happened two years ago was just an ident, he had already decided to teach the man a lesson two years ago. But if the man was someone he knew, wouldn''t it be embarrassing? But he wouldn''t let go of anyone who hurt ra. How dare that man touch his woman? Especially before ra met him. Damn it. Isaac was worried about stair. He felt that stair was unreliable no matter what he said or did. He asked, "Mr. Kirnd, do you really believe what stair said?" After thinking for a while, Horace said firmly, "I know what kind of person he is. He is not a person who doesn''t dare to admit what he has done. As for whether he is reliable or not, it''s hard to say." Isaac nodded in agreement. Horace continued, "I hope he can really help me find out something. At least we are a step closer to the truth." At the same time, in the vi of the Kirnd Family, Roger Mullins, the assistant of Sean, came to Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. report work. He first reported some trivial work as Sean listened and recorded it on his notebook. "Is there anything else to report?" asked Sean. Roger stood straight and straightened his body. He thought what he was going to report next was very important. He answered, "Yes, Mr. Kirnd. I got big news." With his eyes wide open, Sean shouted, "Then tell me quickly. Do you want me to be anxious to death?" "Here is the thing, Mr. Kirnd. At noon the other day, I heard a news in the Millennium Hotel that two or three people had a dispute in the hotel hall. A woman was drunk..." At this moment, Sean really wanted to fire Roger. This kind of news spread all over the world. Was he cking off recently and thinking that his sry was too little? Or did he not want to work? Seeing the unfriendly expression on his face, Roger hurriedly said, "You look anxious again. I haven''t finished yet. Please listen to me, Mr. Kirnd." "Tell me now!" cried Sean. Roger always beat about the bush when he spoke. Every report from him was thest thing that Sean could bear, and his report always made him grind his teeth. With a relieved smile, Roger said, "It''s not surprising at first, but it''s strange that all the surveince recordings in the hotel have been deleted. So, with my keen sense, I think there must be something wrong here, because Horace seemed to have been there that night, so did ra, and so did Darren." "Why didn''t you tell me earlier? So? What did you find out? Who deleted the surveince video, Horace?" Roger nodded heavily, "Yes, you''re right. It''s true that it''s Horace who asked Isaac to delete all the surveince videos of the hotel. But there is something stranger than this." Sean had aroused his appetite and waited quietly. There must be something wrong. ra, Horace, Darren, the surveince footages¡­He had a hunch that Horace wanted to cover up something that he had deleted the surveince videos. "There was a passer-by in the hotel. He saw a man who looked like Horace that night, but that man didn''t sit on a wheelchair. Instead, he stood there. He was a normal man who could walk and run," Roger continued. Shocked, Sean stood up from the chair. It was a huge surprise. He grabbed Roger''s cor and shouted, "Are you sure it''s true?" After being caught by Sean, Roger felt that his breath almost stopped. He tried to say, "I was just guessing, or why did he delete... delete the surveince videos of the hotel?" Sean removed his hands and Roger coughed several times. Yes, a good conscience is a soft pillow. There were only two purposes for Horace to delete the surveince videos of the hotel. One was ra, and the other was himself. Then Sean sent people to investigate this thing carefully and warned them not to miss any details. Roger was a little embarrassed. He said, "The witness can''t be found now. I get nothing on Horace." Sean began to worry, even afraid. If the passer-by really saw Horace, then Horace deliberately hid the fact that his legs were not disabled? What was his purpose? Did Russell know about it? Seeing that Sean showed a worried expression with knitted brows, he quickly asked, "Mr. Kirnd, how about we try the method ten years ago again? What do you think?" Ten years ago, Horace was just a wolf, but now he was not only a wolf king, but also a beast. After being defeated once, Horace became stronger and difficult to deal with. Besides, Horace was on the alert to him. It was not that easy to get him. Sean scolded, "Loser! Do you think it''s so easy to catch Horace now? He has Isaac beside him. Can you beat him? Isaac has never left Horace except sleeping." Roger felt ashamed of himself. It was true that he couldn''tpete with Isaac in martial arts, but he was smart. He came up with an idea, "Mr. Kirnd, I mean... we can start with the women around Horace, such as his newly married wife, ra. I think he likes her very much and wants to cherish her every day." ra? He had seen her before, and his grandfather seemed to be on her side. He still remembered the video released that day. It seemed that this woman was not simple. Her background was mysterious. Judging from the video, he didn''t think ra was a decent woman. However, she was different from others since she was favored by Horace. He nodded and praised, "Well, well, well. You said something nice this time." Roger didn''t know how to respond to his praise. What he said before was not nice? Was it nonsense? It was not until then that Sean understood what Roger meant. He urged, "Why are you still standing there? Go and get ready. If youplete this task, you will be rewarded handsomely." After receiving the order, Roger went out. Horace, your secret is exposed. Your weakness is ra. As long as I master these two weak points, Horace, your good days wille to an end. Thinking of this, a cruel smile appeared on Sean''s face. Chapter 116 The Young Master of the Hutchinsons Chapter 116 The Young Master of the Hutchinson''s stair did look cynical. However, if he wanted to do something practical, he would be very efficient. On the second day of the meeting between Horace and him, stair made an appointment with Logan Hutchinson in La Mer Bleue. stair came first. He ordered a cup oftte and two desserts. He looked around to see if there were any beauties around. After a while, Logan Hutchinson arrived as he had promised. His appearance immediately caused a sensation in the coffee shop. Because he was so handsome! He was an impable, perfect and enchanting man. People who saw Logan Hutchinson all praised that a handsome man in the world should be like this. It seemed that it was not too much to describe this man as Apollo. Everyone was amazed. This man was like celestial and god-like! The waitresses tried to ost him, but he was too handsome that they did not dare toe forward. He had light brown skin, Greek nose, mesmerizing eyes and perfect lips. The well-tailored coat went well with his shape and temperament. In a word, all the women present were enchanted by him, even feeling inferior to him. He was the son of the Hutchinson Family, one of the richest families, while the Hutchinson Family was a literary family. He was Laura''s brother. Their parents had died a long time ago. Now there was only Logan in the family who was supporting the Hutchinson family. It was said that the Hutchinson family was at the end of its rope. The two of them met and sat down. After sitting down elegantly, Logan picked up the menu and began to order coffee. There were still many women''s eyes fixed on the side of Logan. They were unwilling to take their eyes back. Seeing this, stair joked, "You are always so charming. Well, it''s said that beauties love heroes. In my opinion, heroes are also inferior to you. Oh, no, heroes also fall in love with you." Logan ordered a cup of ck coffee from Italy and said to stair, "You are still the same as before. You haven''t changed at all. You neverck beauties around you, do you?" stair nodded with a smile, "Don''t say that. Let''s go straight to the point." "Go ahead. What do you want despite your busy schedules?" "Well, can I onlye to you for something?" Logan was really good at reading people''s mind, stair thought. Logan said, "Others don''t know you, but I know you well." stair thought it would be better for him to go straight to the point, without hiding anything from him. On second thought, no way. What if the man bullying ra was Logan and he didn''t admit it? He had to take a roundabout way. He asked, "Logan, do you know that my silk scarf factory was closed a few days ago?" Logan nodded and spread out his hands, "I heard that it was closed in an instant. It''s amazing. You don''t care about the factory too much. What a pity!" "Exactly! What a pity!" stair cursed in his heart. "Damn it! It''s all because of that narrow-minded man, Horace. Otherwise, his silk scarf is so popr that it''s impossible for him to close the factory." Thinking of this, his heart ached. stair rolled his eyes, "I remember I gave you a few silk scarfs two years ago, right? You haven''t lost them, have you?" Logan couldn''t figure out what stair was going to say to him, but he also knew stair''s words meant more than they said. He said on purpose, "It was so long ago. How could I remember it clearly?" stair wanted to make it clear. He lowered his head and sighed. He had to ask him directly, "Well, you''ve always been smarter than me, and I won''t keep you in suspense. Tell me, I did give you a silk scarf two years ago, right?" He admitted that stair had given him several. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. stair continued, "Did you go to the Millennium Hotel two years ago? Did you meet a beauty who was drugged? Did you sleep with her? Did you throw the silk scarf?" Hearing that it was a serious matter, Logan hurriedly said, "Wait, what''s going on? Can you exin the whole thing clearly? What kind of overpowering drug? What woman?" It was not appropriate for stair to tell Logan everything about ra. After all, he had to save his good friend''s face. "Did you go to the Millennium Hotel two years ago?" asked stair. Logan recalled carefully what had happened two years ago. He replied, "I''ve been there." Hearing that, stair''s eyes widened and asked, "Did you see a woman who was drugged?" Logan replied, "No. I saw a lot of women who were captivated by me. As for a woman who was drugged¡­no." "You haven''t had sex either?" Turning his head sideways to look at stair, he wondered what was wrong with him today? He replied, "Don''t you know me? I''m famous for my self-discipline. Don''t you know that I like women, but I''m a very principled person, not you?" stair agreed with him. Indeed, Logan was famous for his self-discipline. Every time people in the circle went out to have fun, only Logan never went there, nor did he have any rumors. No wonder he was born in a literary family. He had good taste and style. Even Horace admired him very much. Logan was not interested in stair''s question. He felt it was a boring question, although he didn''t know why he asked that. What he wanted to know was something else, such as Horace. "How was Horace doing?" asked Logan. stair also thought that it was time to change the topic, in case that Logan would keep asking something else. stair replied casually, "Oh, he is so contented with his life now. With a beautiful woman in his arms, he has long forgotten his bros and be a ''good husband''." Logan frowned slightly, which made his mncholy more obvious. He asked stair, "Is Horace married?" stair nodded and replied, "Yes, a sh marriage, forced by Russell Kirnd." "Sure enough, he had forgotten about Laura," thought Logan. In the fire that year, Horace didn''t help Laura at all. Ten years had passed, but now he was married. Logan was quite upset and his tones was full of hostility, "He haspletely forgotten the people in the past. He has a new girlfriend, a sessful career and a promising future. Those who died for him now seem to be nothing." stair felt embarrassed that he was standing between the two of them. He thought maybe he shouldn''t have told Logan about Horace''s marriage. At this point, the two of them chatted for a while and then left. Chapter 117 Im Pregnant Chapter 117 I''m Pregnant When ra arrived at the office early in the morning, Sarah was talking about something with the others. Sarah said, "There will be something interestingter. I saw Mr. Kirnd''s fianc¨¦e just now. She was fashionably dressed withbels, but she went into Mr. Kirnd''s office with a long face. They must have had a fight. We''d better be careful today, or their anger may be vented on us." Hearing this, ra thought, "What does Ashleee for? Is she going to throw a hit?" Thinking of this, ra decided to avoid Ashlee. If necessary, she would make an excuse and leave the office. Diane peeked at ra from her own seat and was looking forward to what would happen next. Diane was very happy. She thought, "Now that Mr. Kirnd''s fianc¨¦e is here, ra Selman, you must be very guilty and afraid!" In Darren''s office, Ashlee was wearing a long and sad face, with tears welling up in her eyes. She asked, "Darren, what do you mean in the text message? Please tell me what I''m doing wrong. Why do you want to break up with me? Do you know I am almost heartbroken?" Looking at Ashlee, who kept asking, Darren sneered. Ashlee was audacious enough toe here. She always had a look of pity, trying to deceive the others with her pretty face. Darren thought, "Ashlee, how dare you still try to deceive me!" With a sneer, Darren threw all the photos of ra from the drawer to Ashlee, saying nonchntly, "You can stop that now. I''ve found out what you did. Ashlee, it was you who framed ra back then. How dare you!" Hearing Darren''s words, Ashlee paled and unknowingly took a few steps back. She got nervous. However, Ashlee refused to admit it. She argued, "No, I didn''t do that. You''re making a mistake. Darren! These photos can''t prove anything. You must trust me." The anger in Darren''s eyes intensified. He asked someone to find out who sent him those photos and who took the deal. To his shock, all of those implicated Ashlee, so she must be the mastermind of this matter! Ashlee was jealous of ra, so she ruined ra''s reputation with those photos. Due to the rumors, ra kept being defamed and had a hard time in college. What a malicious woman Ashlee was! How unfortunate for ra to have such a viperous sister! If it weren''t for those photos, Darren couldn''t have left and broken up with ra, and then ra wouldn''t Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. have married Horace. Ashlee was responsible for all of these! Therefore, Darren hated Ashlee. "A mistake? You can''t fool me! ra is your biological sister! Why are you so cruel to her?" Darren was furious. What Ashlee did really disappointed him. After finding out who the mastermind was, Darren was shocked that Ashlee, who was his fianc¨¦e and ra''s biological sister was so malicious. Darren nearly married such a vicious and ruthless woman! How terrible Ashlee was! Despite her pretty face, she was as evil as a devil! Darren had always thought Ashlee was very innocent. Although she was a little arrogant, she was a kind girl. Nheless, she framed ra. Ashlee deliberately showed those photos to Darren and even spread the rumors to defame ra! On the contrary, ra had no idea about this and remained nice to Ashlee. Thus, Darren decided to keep ra away from Ashlee in case ra would be in danger. That was why Darren offered to break up with Ashlee. He should have made it clear to her face to face. Nevertheless, Darren did not want to see Ashlee anymore, so he texted her. Unexpectedly, Ashlee came here. Darren was determined to break up with Ashlee. On the contrary, Ashlee was panicked at this moment. When she received Darren''s text message, she was very angry. Ashlee thought ra must be responsible for this. ra might well bewitch and seduce Darren, and then Darren was asked to break up with Ashlee. To Ashlee''s shock, Darren had investigated the photos and found out the truth. Ashlee couldn''t admit it, or Darren would never forgive her. What was worse, he would have a deep hatred for her. Ashlee had a hard time getting engaged to Darren, so she would not give up and leave him. Thinking of this, Ashlee decided to take her chances! Ashlee tried her best to calm herself down and said to Darren with a pitiful look, "I didn''t do that, Darren. You have no evidence, so you can''t me it on me! Besides, you can''t break up with me." Hearing this, Darren was puzzled. He looked at Ashlee in confusion. Before Darren could say anything, Ashlee stopped him. Ashlee covered her belly with her hands and said with tears in her eyes, "Darren, I''m pregnant! I''m pregnant with your baby! We''re having a baby!" Pregnant? Ashlee was pregnant? Darren thought that Ashlee must be lying. She couldn''t be pregnant at this time. Darren could not ept this. Darren shook his head and said, "This is impossible. You must be lying! Ashlee, I won''t buy whatever you say!" Ashlee didn''t give up. She continued, "Darren, you can''t deny what you did. You remember the night we spent in the hotel after leaving KTV. It was such a wonderful night! And then I get pregnant. Darren, the baby in my belly is yours! You should be responsible for us!" Ashlee grabbed Darren''s hand, ced it on her belly, and said to him, "I''m pregnant, but you want to break up with me. Are you going to abandon us? Darren, even if you have a prejudice against me, the baby is innocent! Darren, you must be responsible for him!" Ashlee smiled to himself, thinking, "Darren, just give up. You can never get rid of me." Ashlee said in a motherly voice, "You can touch my belly. It is very small now, but a few monthster, we will be able to hear its heartbeat. I''m so happy to have your baby in my belly, Darren. I love this baby." Darren froze! The arrival of the baby sent shock waves through Darren''s mind. The next second, Ashlee fell into Darren''s arms with a happy smile, pretending as if nothing had happened. Chapter 118 Darren Despairs Chapter 118 Darren Despairs Finally, Darren was persuaded and no longer insisted on breaking up with Ashlee. Thus, Ashlee happily walked out of Darren''s office and even greeted the others in the main office. Ashlee was known as a Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. wealthy heiress with an air of arrogance, so no one dared to offend her. Ashlee found that ra was not in the office. She had intended to give ra a hard time. When Ashlee thought it was a pity, she met ra with a pile of documents at the elevator. ra saw Ashlee as well. It seemed that she failed to avoid Ashlee. Ashlee had such a deep hatred for ra that she even wanted to kill ra. If it weren''t for ra, Darren wouldn''t have been suspicious of Ashlee. If Ashlee hadn''t denied it and made an excuse, Darren could have gotten rid of her! ra had wanted to take the elevator upstairs, but she changed her mind and decided to go back to her office, only to be stopped by Ashlee. Ashlee said, "Please wait, ra. I want to talk with you. After all, you must be curious why I''m here." "Not at all. Now if you''ll excuse me, I need to work." "ra, you''d better stay away from Darren. I am warning you for thest time. If you continue hounding him, I''ll show you no mercy!" Ashlee threatened. Her tone was extremely cold. ra thought all her family were so strange that they seldom got along well with each other. ra said, "I''m married and I have my own husband. Ashlee, I don''t think we have to see each other anymore." Ashlee viciously watched ra walk away. She didn''t expect ra to be so indifferent. On the contrary, Ashlee felt very anxious. But she thought that ra must be pretending to be calm. Now that she was here, she couldn''t leave just like this. She should teach ra a lesson!" Thinking of this, Ashlee came up with an idea and made a decision. By the afternoon, when Diane Kirby was off work, she received a call from Ashlee and was asked to meet at a cafe. Ashlee handed Diane a white envelope. Diane opened it and saw that it was a considerable amount of money. Diane realized Ashlee wanted to have something done. Undoubtedly, it must have something to do with ra. Diane smiled and said, "Miss Middleton, you''re too generous. What can I do for you?" Ashlee looked arrogantly at Diane and said, "It''s very easy. You just need to keep an eye on ra and my fianc¨¦ and tell me if anything happened between them. As you know, that bitch covets my fianc¨¦ at all times! I can''t let him fall for her." Diane carefully put the envelope full of money into her purse and looked at Ashlee with a smile. She patted her chest and said to Ashlee, "Don''t worry, I hate ra the most! She is just a vixen who can do nothing but hook up with men. She has made a great deal of trouble in GLAM. She looks very capable, but she can''t do anything without men''s help. What a bitch!" Ashlee smiled with satisfaction. She did need someone like Diane, who shared the same hatred towards ra with her. Ashlee said, "Thank you. I hope we can make a good team. But you must keep it secret and don''t let my fianc¨¦ know. Nothing is more important than this! Got it?" Diane nodded and said, "I see. Just don''t worry. I''ll do it well!" "That''s good," Ashlee said. Diane didn''t leave until she spent a few minutes talking with Ashlee and finished her coffee. Diane wanted to be closer to Ashlee so that Diane could be promoted with higher pay. After Diane left, Ashlee sat alone in the cafe. She touched her t belly and felt a little upset when thinking of what happened today. Ashlee was not pregnant, so she lied to Darren. Ashlee had thought she would definitely get pregnant after drugging and sleeping with Darren. However, it didn''t go as she thought. Ashlee failed again. She failed to get pregnant. When in Darren''s office, Ashlee had no choice but to lie that she was pregnant, hoping that Darren could stop investigating the photos for the sake of the baby. Besides, Ashlee wanted to attract all of Darren''s attention. ording to what had happened these days, Ashlee realized that Darren still loved ra. In order to prevent them from getting back together, Ashlee decided to murder ra. And then she could slowly manage to win Darren''s heart. In a bar, Darren was alone in a corner, drinking whiskey on the rocks. Ashlee was pregnant! Darren still couldn''t ept this. He was desperate and just wanted to drain his sorrows. Only when he was drunk could he feel relieved and get rxed. Darren was mentally exhausted. He loved ra while she was married to another man; he hated Ashlee but he couldn''t get rid of her. After all, the baby in Ashlee''s belly was innocent. Darren didn''t want to be an irresponsible father, so he couldn''t drive Ashlee away. Nheless, he did hate Ashlee! In the beginning, only Darren thought Ashlee looked somewhat like ra, so he dated Ashlee as an act of revenge for ra''s cheating on him! Nevertheless, it was a mistake! ra did not cheat on Darren. Instead, she was the victim! Back then, when ra needed Darren''s support and protection, Darren broke up with her. Two yearster, when Darren saw ra, he turned a cold shoulder toward her! Darren was very remorseful. Darren was drunk. In a trance, he saw ra in front of him. With a smile, she was wearing a blue dress, running towards him and calling him by his name. Back then, ra always wore a ponytail. She liked watching movies, so she always took him to the cinema after ss. She said, "Darren, we''ll watch movies here even when we are old!" Darrenughed. "When we are old, this dpidated cinema will be removed." And then they burst out ra''s face gradually blurred out. Suddenly ra turned into Ashlee. Ashlee blinked her sultry eyes, grabbed Darren''s arms, and said to him, "Darren, this is our baby..." Darren drank a lot. Haunted by the good times with ra and what Ashlee said today, Darren felt very painful and upset. Darren muttered, "ra, can you forgive me? I miss you so much!" "ra, ra..." Chapter 119 A Violent Kiss Chapter 119 A Violent Kiss ra worked overtime today. When almost everyone had left the office, Sarah said to her, "ra, it''s time to take some rest. Just go home. Horace had a meeting tonight, so he was not at home. Only when it was very dark did ra finish her work and decide to turn off the office lights. To her shock, Darren suddenly stumbled in. The heavy smell of alcohol hit her nose. ra went up to hold Darren and asked in surprise, "Are you drunk? Why do you drink so much? What are you doing here? Come with me, and I''ll send you home." Darren opened his eyes and saw that in front of him was ra, the one he loved. Darrenughed out loud. "ra, you''re still here. You haven''t left!" ra wondered how drunk Darren actually was that his words were barely audible. "Darren, what should I do for you? It''s sote. We can talk about it tomorrow." ra thought she''d better leave here now. However, Darren was so drunk, so she was a little worried about him. Darren giggled and said, "Are you hiding from me? I drank a lot today. I know you don''t like me to drink. You used to say I had a low tolerance. I remember everything between us before." ra sighed and said, "Don''t mention that anymore. Isn''t it great that we all have our own life now?" "Great? Seriously?" Darren smiled bitterly and said, "My life paled without you." "Darren, you can''t say that..." ra had some pity on Darren. To her surprise, Darren suddenly grabbed her shoulders and yelled crazily, "ra, why? Although I didn''t trust you before, do you really not love me anymore?" ra paused for a moment, startled. "ra, I know you still love me. Can you make up with me? I was a jerk. I''m sorry for what I did." "Darren, what are you talking about? You should go home now. You need to sleep and everything will be fine in the morning." Darren went up and hugged ra, refusing to let go of her. "Darren, let go of me. You are drunk!" ra tried to struggle but was held harder, on the verge of not being able to breathe. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Darren dominantly hugged ra and cried out to her, "If I were not drunk, I couldn''t be so brave to hold you! ra, I can''t forget you. Don''t leave me alone, and please forgive me for what I have done. Don''t leave me alone..." For a second, ra''s heart softened to Darren. After all, she had spent the best time of her life with him. They deeply loved each other. However, everything changed. ra met Horace and Darren... ra remembered Ashlee. She took the opportunity to push away Horace and said, "Darren, you still have Ashlee, you are going to get married. I can tell that she loves you very much, and you''ll be happy together." Hearing this, Darren got excited. He looked very disgusted. He shouted, "Stop saying her name! Do you know why I agreed to marry her? She looks like you, so I decided to marry her to get you back. I don''t love her at all. I love nobody but you. ra, I really regret it. I did that because I love you! I love you, ra!" Hearing Darren''s words, ra was surprised. His eyes were so sincere and passionate. Darren kept his love hidden because he was afraid. He thought she was a bad woman and didn''t trust her. When Darren rushed to save ra, ra had the feeling that Darren still loved her. "ra, you are mine. I want to go back to the campus. Let''s go back together, will you? We are the best for each other!" Darren looked at ra, with a burning desire in his eyes. Darren thought ra was especially attractive tonight. He was deeply tempted. Only Darren and ra were in the office now. It waste and the colorful lights reflected on the ss window, so it was a good time to do something meaningful. Darren felt horny all over. He remembered the past again. Whatever had happened between them, regardless of the bitter ones or the happy ones, became the most memorable. When ra and Darren were on campus, they could always distinguish themselves from the others. Darren rode ra to and from ss together on his bike. They went to the cafeteria together, watched movies together, did volunteer work together, and so on. They seemed destined to be together and never apart. They always wore happy smiles back then. However, their smiles froze, shattered, and disintegrated. Darren''s indifference and determination had left a scar in ra''s heart, and it couldn''t be cured. ra said to him, "Darren, we are both grown adults, so just leave it behind. We can never start over again." "No, ra, don''t be so cruel..." Darren got closer to ra. "Give me another chance, and I will love you and protect you forever. I can''t give you what Horace can''t give you!" ra kept stepping back and was forced to the corner. She was a little scared and said, "Darren, just stand there. You are drunk, so I will ignore what you said. Just stay away from me. I ... I have fallen in love with Horace. I''m sorry, Darren!" ra was in love with Horace! She said that she loved Horace! Darren was dead inside. ra refused his request. Darren was a little annoyed. Seeing that ra kept stepping back, he was irritated and pulled her into his arms! ra was stunned. She was pressed against Darren''s chest so hard that she couldn''t move at all! "Stop, Darren. Let go of me!" Before ra could finish her words, Darren kissed her! It was a violent kiss! Therefore, ra remained unable to move! However, ra struggled, Darren didn''t stop and kept kissing her! Darren couldn''t control his love for Darren anymore, so he refused to let go of ra. Instead, he was willing to do everything to get her back! Chapter 120 Another Photo Chapter 120 Another Photo Darren''s kiss was so aggressive that ra couldn''t push him away. She could do nothing now. When Darren stuck his hand inside ra''s clothes and pull her closer to him, she felt that he had an erection! Darren was obviously out of control now! Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ra realized that she must stop Darren. She couldn''t cheat on Horace! Hence, ra mustered up her courage to exert all her strength and struggled to get a hand out of Darren''s arms. The next second, a crack echoed around the room. ra gave Darren a p! Then, with all her strength, she pushed Darren away. Darren stumbled and almost fell. He sobered up a bit and stood there frozen. Darren realized he had made a mistake and eagerly apologized, "I''m sorry, ra. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me. Don''t leave me alone." ra''s clothes were almost torn. She red at Darren and couldn''t believe what he had done. She said to him, "Darren, I hate you!" ra took her handbag from the table and ran away, crying. Darren fell and sat half-fainting on the floor. He buried his head in his arms and curled up on the floor, full of remorse. In a corner of thepany, a woman with a cell phone took a few photos when Darren kissed ra. It was Diane. Ever since Ashlee asked Diane to spy on ra and Darren, Diane almost followed them everywhere. Finally, she grasped the chance today. With a smile, Diane thought, "ra, how dare you! You''re screwed up. Miss Middleton will show you no mercy. You will definitely be expelled from GLAM! You''re doomed. But you deserve it!" Diane hid in the corner and immediately sent the photos to Ashlee. Ashlee had just returned to the vi. She threw off her high heels andy down on the bed, with her hair draped. She was thinking about what had happened during the day. She wondered what Darren would do next and whether he would propose to her. Ashlee was also hesitant about what kind of wedding dress she should wear. The wedding dress must be from Paris, tailor-made and eye-catching. As Ashlee was imagining how she looked at her wedding, Ashlee received the photos from Diane. In those photos, Darren was lovingly kissing ra. Irritated, Ashlee shook all over and threw the phone out! Damn it! Did it mean that Darren and ra got back together? Ashlee burst out crying and she wanted to kill ra! How dare ra do so! She was responsible for all of these! ra always annoyed Ashlee. Ashlee had to share the same father, the same vi, and the same property as ra. ra even seduced Ashlee''s future husband! From where Ashlee stood, ra should not have been born. Instead, she should disappear from the world. Helena, ra''s mother, was also a slut who did nothing but hook up with men! ra was just like her mother. Ashlee stood up from the bed, wanting to fight with ra and teach her a lesson, but she stopped at the door. Ashlee realized it was not a good idea to directly fight with ra. Also, it wouldn''t make any difference to solve the problem. Two years ago, Ashlee sessfully ruined ra. Therefore, Ashlee thought she could manage it as well! She had to think of a way to spread the photos. The best way was to show the photos to Horace. He would definitely dump ra. As the president of Solrace, Horace would be furious when knowing that he was cuckolded. He would definitely break up with ra and make her life a living hell! Thinking of this, Ashlee suddenly threw back her head andughed, with tears in her eyes. "ra, I will have you pay the price!" Ashlee swore in her heart. The next day, Horace, who knew little about what happenedst night, was working at thepany. He had been so busy that he spent little time with ra these days. Horace nned to finish his work early today and spend the night with ra. Horace enjoyed seeing ra when he got home. He always felt at peace when seeing ra reading. Isaac walked in and said that a woman wanted to see Horace. Horace thought it was Ynda Zachman, so he refused. But Isaac added it was another woman. That was a surprise. He wondered who the visitor was. Hope she was ra. Thus, Horace asked Isaac to ask the woman toe in. To his surprise, the visitor was neither Ynda nor ra, but Ashlee Middleton. Horace didn''t have a good impression of Ashlee. However, considering that she was ra''s sister, He didn''t drive her out. Horace asked Ashlee to take a seat first. Horace noticed that Ashlee was looking at him with a strange expression. He thought she must be here for something important. He had a bad feeling. Ashlee finally said, "Mr. Kirnd, I''m here to show you something, but you must keep calm." Horace did not speak, but only frowned slightly. He wondered what Ashlee wanted to do. Ashlee took out a photo from her handbag and put it on Horace''s desk. Horace did not look at the photo but stared at Ashlee. He was almost tired of photos. Why did people keep showing photos to him, Darren before, and now Ashlee? Ashlee said, "It seems you don''t dare to look at the photo, Mr. Kirnd? Are you afraid of seeing something you don''t want to see? For example, my sister was dating other men." Horace sat in the wheelchair and examined Ashlee. Ashlee did look a bit like ra, so she must be ra''s sister, but why did she always harm ra? Horace wondered whether Ashlee regarded ra as an enemy just because of Darren. Darren''s face darkened and he said, "I know ra very well." "Mr. Kirnd, I do appreciate your confidence, but you will change your mind after looking at the photo." Ashlee gave an evil smile and gestured to Horace to take a look at the photo. Horace hesitated for a while and finally picked up the photo on the table. The photo was blurry, but Horace could make out who were in the photo. Horace froze. In the photo were Darren and ra! Not only that, Darren was excitedly holding ra and kissing her! The next second, Horace crumpled the photo up! Chapter 121 Do You Have Something to Tell Me? Chapter 121 Do You Have Something to Tell Me? Horace felt his chest was burning with great rage! Horace looked up at Ashlee and said through gritted teeth, "What do you bring these photo to me for?" Ashlee was shocked by Horace''s anger. She didn''t expect him to be that angry. Ashlee said, "Horace, are you blind? ra cheats on you. You love ra, but she doesn''t love you. She loves her ex-boyfriend! I just want to show you what kind of person she is. You can''t be deceived by her! I''m just being nice!" "Really?" Horace sneered and said coldly, "Just get out of here." Ashlee''s face was as white as a sheet. She was confused. It didn''t go as she expected. On the contrary, Horace was angry with Ashlee. Ashlee showed Horace the photo because she wanted to irritate him so that he would abandon and ruin ra. However, Ashlee was threatened. Nheless, Ashlee didn''t expect Horace to be so infatuated with love for ra! Ashlee got excited and said, "Why do you ask me to get out? ra cuckolds you, but you didn''t care at all. Shame on you!" Ashlee continued, "Horace, I know you must be very angry. I''m so furious that I nearly wanted to kill her when seeing the photo! She marries you but she hooked up with my husband. Shemitted adultery!" Horace looked at Ashlee and got impatient. Horace was furious as well when seeing the photo. Nevertheless, it was none of Ashlee''s business! If it weren''t for the fact that Ashlee was ra''s sister, Horace would have driven her out! Horace did not argue with Ashlee, but said in a low tone, "Ashlee, it''s none of your business. I''m warning you for thest time. If you do anything bad for ra, I''ll show you no mercy." Ashlee got up the courage. "I am defending my marriage and my fianc¨¦! If ra dares to hook up with Darren again, I''ll make her life a living hell!" After saying this, Ashlee was afraid when seeing the anger in Horace''s eyes. "Well, Horace. I''ve said it all. I wish you both happiness. Bye." Now that Horace was so cold, Ashlee thought she shouldn''t havee, so she decided to leave. When Ashlee was about to walk out of the office, she stopped and asked, "Do you think ra truly loves you, Horace?" After Ashlee left the office, Horace couldn''t calm down. Horace wheeled himself to the window and looked out at the street. Many people passed outside the floor-to-ceiling ss window. Horace thought that, to some extent, he was destined to meet ra and marry her, but he was not clear about ra''s attitude. "Do you think ra truly loves you?" Ashlee''s question kept haunting him. Surprisingly, he couldn''t give an affirmative answer. He had never been so uncertain about this kind of thing. However, when it came to ra, he was not confident at all. When Horace returned home in the evening, ra was reorganizing the closet in the bedroom. She spread out all her clothes on the bed and grouped them one by one into categories. Seeing Horace, ra casually said, "Oh, you''re back." ra looked thoughtful and absent-minded in a low mood. Seeing this, Horace got restless. ra was indeed preupied. She was haunted by Darren''s kiss, so she tried to distract herself by reorganizing the closet. ra was hesitant whether to tell Horace what Darren had done, but she was afraid that Horace would be angry and leave her alone. Horace was always jealous of Darren, and he had been stuck with the fact that Darren saved ra for a few days. Thinking of this, ra didn''t know whether Horace would forgive her. ra didn''t want Horace to be angry. Instead, she wanted him to be in a good mood every day. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ra was deep in thought, so she did not realize that Horace wore a long face. Horace slowly stood up from his wheelchair, walked up, and suddenly pressed ra against the wall and asked, "ra, is there something you''re not telling me?" "No..." ra got even more flustered. ra wondered whether Horace already knew it. Did Horace know it from Darren? Horace frowned and asked her meaningfully, "Really?" "Oh, I do have something to tell you." ra hesitated for a moment. "You probably already knew it." Horace swallowed and didn''t know how to answer. He was lost for words. From where ra stood, now that Horace took the initiative to ask her, regardless of whether he knows or not, she should tell Horace the whole thing. As Horace''s wife, ra would make it clear to Horace that she was forcibly kissed and that she broke away and ran away. ra calmed herself down and then said to Horace, "Horace, I have something to tell you. Last night in GLAM..." Before ra could continue, Horace stooped her with a kiss. It was a dominant kiss. The moment ra spoke, Horace found himself not wanting to hear ra mention Darren. Horace didn''t want to hear anything about Darren anymore. He wanted to eliminate Darren from ra''s heart. Apart from himself, Horace didn''t want ra to mention any other man! As Horace kissed ra, ra couldn''t help shivering. Sheyfortably on the bed and enjoyed whatever Horace did to her. ra was gradually turned on. Horace''s kiss was dominant and powerful, which made rapletely intoxicated. ra loved the way Horace kissed her lips. She thought she was stuck with him. As they both enjoyed the kiss, ra felt Horace''s heart beat faster and faster. He gradually took off ra''s clothes, thinking that her fair and smooth skin looked extremely alluring. Just when Horace was to prate ra, ra''s cell phone rang. The phone was on the bedside table. Horace nced at it and saw the call was from Darren! Chapter 122 Punishment Chapter 122 Punishment It was in the middle of the night, and Darren even dared to call ra. Damn it. Horace got even more upset! ra asked, "It''s sote. Who is that?" Horace replied coldly, "It''s Darren." Hearing this, ra panicked and guiltily looked away. She wanted to take the phone but was stopped by Horace. Without any hesitation, Horace answered the call and put Darren on speaker. ra was shocked. Darren didn''t know it was Horace who answered the call, so he kept apologizing. "ra, I''m sorry for what I did. I shouldn''t do that to you. Please forgive me. Please don''t be mad at me. I was drunk, but I mean it. ra, can you hear me? ra?" Hearing what Darren said, ra wanted to ask him to shut up. However, Horace began to kiss her, so she couldn''t speak at all. Horace''s kiss was violent, and he began to unbutton ra''s clothes with one hand as he put the other hand inside her clothes and caressed her. ra tried her best to push Horace away but in vain. Horace held her so hard that she couldn''t move at all. Darren did not know what happened on the other end of the phone. He thought ra was too angry to answer, so he continued, "ra, I know you are angry. You always sulk and remain silent when you are angry. I was drunk that night. It was all my fault, so please don''t punish yourself..." The other side of the phone remained silent, but a click suddenly broke the voice. Horace ripped off all ra''s clothes and threw them onto the floor. He pressed her hands against the wall so that she could not break free. He fixed his eyes, which were burning with desire, on ra, as if he wanted to swallow her. The more ra struggled, the faster Horace moved. The angrier Horace was, the more he wanted to torture Darren. Darren put his ear close to the phone and asked in confusion, "ra, are you listening? Did you talk to Horace about this? It''s a secret between us, so don''t tell Horace about it. We can deal with it ourselves. ra, can you give me one more chance?" Horace ignored whatever Darren said. After all, Horace was ra''s husband and he was having sex with ra. ra didn''t want Darren to hear what she and Horace were doing, so she whispered to Horace, "Horace, you are going too far. You can''t do that." Horace recklessly gazed at ra ad didn''t stop. Horace wanted to show Darren that he was ra''s husband. Besides, Horace wanted to give ra a good orgasm so that she could make some noise! Horace tried her best to turn ra on. ra deliberately turned, but Horace stopped her and stuck his tongue down her throat. ra was overwhelmed by Horace''s smell. She couldn''t help trembling all over, but she clenched her teeth, trying her best not to scream. Darren realized something went wrong. He couldn''t believe what he had heard but anxiously shouted, "What happened, ra?" ra felt very ashamed to be heard by someone else when having sex. This was simply outrageous! ra gritted her teeth to keep herself from making any noise. She was angry, but could not stop Horace, who was out of control now! Horacepletely disregarded ra''s will and feelings, so ra felt seriously insulted. She trusted Horace so much, but he did this to her in return! ra couldn''t take it! "Horace, stop right now." Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. In ra''s mind, Horace might think she was a slut after knowing what happened two years ago. ra was not a virgin anymore, so she felt she was being despised. Horace did the same thing as that bad guy did. The only difference was that ra loves him, Horace. However, it didn''t mean that Horace can do this to her without her consent. "Horace, you have to do this? Please stop..." ra begged. Horace remained indifferent, but said in a cold voice, "ra, this is your punishment." ra realized that Horace was aware of what Darren had done to her that night. As a result, Horace got angry and jealous. ra could see herself in his shoes. Nheless, Horace should not do this as a punishment. ra thought Horace, who was always her protector, turned into a devil tonight. Thinking of this, ra couldn''t help but shed tears. Darren was extremely anxious. He shouted at the other end of the phone, "Horace, you bastard! Let go of ra! I''m responsible for everything, so just fight with me. ra is innocent! Horace, can you hear me? Let go of ra!" Horace didn''t respond. He just wanted to teach Darren a lesson that no man could get close to ra! How dare Darren kiss ra! Darren was nobody but ra''s ex-boyfriend. He wanted to show Darren that he was ra''s husband! Darren shouted, "ra! Horace, you can''t do that to ra! Let go of her!" ra tried her best not to make too much noise, but Darren could hear ra''s whimpering and Horace''s low voice. Darren was furious! Heartbroken, Darren could not bear to listen to what was happening on the other side of the phone. Darren dropped the phone and cried with his head buried in his arms. Darren loved ra, but she was having sex in bed with Horace. What was worse, Darren couldn''t do anything. The phone was finally hung up. Horace stopped after ejacting. ra pushed away Horace, who was lying on her, and hurriedly put on her clothes, with tears in the corner of her eyes. Horace got what he wanted, but he did not feel happy at all. Horace was in a trance. ra stood up and yelled at Horace, who was lying on his back. "Horace, you''ve gone too far!" After saying that, ra ran out without even looking back. Chapter 123 Show Us Your Husband Chapter 123 Show Us Your Husband ra slept in the guest room while Horace spent a sleepless night alone. The next day, ra left early before Horace could see her. In the evening, when Horace arrived home from work, ra was already at home. After dinner, she went to the bedroom alone. Horace did not want to say anything, either. Hence, he remained silent. ray down on the bed fully clothed, making enough room on the bed for Horace. Her eyes were closed as if she had fallen asleep. Horace came in with the wheelchair and saw this. He sighed, put his quilt and pillow on hisp, and went to the study, leaving ra alone in the bedroom. The next morning, they remained nonchnt rather than talked with each other, as if they had be strangers in one night. Even the servant realized something went wrong between ra and Horace, thinking that such a perfect couple shouldn''t give the cold shoulders to each other. No couple bore grudges. However, ra and Horace had barely spoken to each other for many days. Nheless, the servant did not interfere with this, and the house got much quieter than usual. Neither ra nor Horace wanted to speak to the other. They both were angry with each other. From where Horace stood, ra was so angry because Horace deliberately let Darren hear it when they made out. ra felt ashamed in that she cared a lot about Darren''s attitude towards her. This made Horace even angrier. But in fact, ra was angry that Horace did not respect her will. Sex was really a matter of mutual This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. agreement, but Horace made it rough and violent. One day, when ra was on the way to work, Horace''s car went whizzing by rather than stopped and picked her up, as if Horace didn''t see her. In the past, Horace always waited for ra at this intersection and then drive her to the entrance of the subway before driving away. In a low mood, ra walked into her office. Darren looked through the window and found that ra looked upset with low spirits these days. Nheless, he did not dare to ask her what happened. After the violent kiss, Darren always avoided ra for fear that she would be angry or embarrassed. Darren was very anxious. Everyone in the office was excited and enthusiastic about something. Sarah ran up and gave ra a big hug. Sarah was so happy that her eyes narrowed, saying to ra, "ra, the photo of Horace and Ynda we reported made GLAM not only sell well but also reached the top of the monthly sales! ra, we won!" Everyone apuded ra''s group and said they should learn from them. At that moment, the chef came over and said, "I have another piece of good news for you! Considering our outstanding performance, thepany decided to reward us! The annual trip is around the corner and all of us can bring our family along!" "That''s great!" "What good news!" "Hooray!" Everyone cheered. ra got caught up in the excitement, and finally gave a smile. Sarah said to Stephanie, "Stephanie, I know you''ll take your husband with you, right? I don''t know which boyfriend I should take, afraid that the other one will be jealous. Can I take both with me? Please." The chef was amused and shook her head. Stephanie knew Sarah well. Stephanie said, "Seriously? You don''t even have a boyfriend, so just stop talking nonsense! You are old enough to get married. We are all anxious for you." Sarah giggled. Diane suddenly stood up from her seat and asked with a sly smile, "ra, I wonder which man you will take, your husband or your paramours?" The office fell silent abruptly because of Diane''s question. Everyone was also curious about what ra''s husband actually looked like and who he was. Sarah suddenly realized that their report made a hit because ra''s husband was working in Solrace. Without ra''s husband''s help, they couldn''t have captured the photo of Horace and Ynda. Sarah said, "Diane, you shut up. You can''t defame ra. If ra''s husband hadn''t broken the news to her, GLAM couldn''t sell so well. Thank you, ra?" ra was astonished. ra had no choice but to echo Sarah, awkwardly smiled, and said, "Don''t mention that. He did not do anything. You don''t have to take it seriously." Sarah then said, "No. Whatever you say, he did us a great favor! ra, you must bring your husband on to trip with us so that we can thank him in person. We owe him big time! Everybody, do you agree with me?" "Can''t agree more!" Everyone strongly approved of Sarah''s idea! Diane rolled her eyes and sat back down. She thought, "ra, you have offended Ashlee. She is a ruthless woman and she will make your life a living hell." Everyone wanted to see ra''s husband. However, ra didn''t want to talk with Horace now, so she didn''t know what to say now. She thought it was a real paradox. ra was still angry with Horace and didn''t want to go on the annual trip with him. Nheless, if she didn''t take him, everyone would overthink it. If ra took Horace with her, then everyone would know that her husband was actually Horace, the president of the Solrace, which would make it even worse! ra pretended as if she suddenly remembered something and said to Sarah, "Sarah, I forgot my bag downstairs. I''ll go down and get it. Please answer the phone for me." After saying that, ra blushed and rushed out of the office. The others began to wonder whether that ra refused to show her husband to them in that he was particrly ugly. Perhaps it was not ra''s husband but her mistress who broke the news to her. After all, few people dared to do that. No one wanted to offend Horace. Diane got excited and said, "Look at the ring on ra''s hand. We can tell what her husband is like. He must be a low-rank employee working in Solrace. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have bought ra such a cheap ring." Stephanie couldn''t bear to hear this and said to Diane, "You know nothing about ra. Just stop talking nonsense here. Can you mind yournguage? ra''s husband has nothing to do with you. Just mind your own business!" For a while, almost all people in the office began to guess who ra''s husband was. Chapter 124 Ugh, Not Her Again Chapter 124 Ugh, Not Her Again In Solrace. Horace looked at the invitation to the charity auction on the table and frowned slightly. This auction was held by Russell''s friend, so Horace must attend it with a date. Horace was puzzled about how to tell ra about it. He didn''t know whether ra was willing to attend the auction with him. After work, when ra returned home, Horace was waiting for him. Seeing ra, Horace felt a little nervous and didn''t know what to say. ra had been doing a lot of thinking and realized that Horace overreacted because he loved her too much. After all, ra was also responsible for being kissed, so Horace''s fuming was reasonable. Instead, if he was actually indifferent to it, ra would also be sad. Horace''s anger meant that he did love ra. Not having talked for so many days, both ra and Horace wanted to be reconciled with each other. However, none of them was willing to take the initiative to apologize. Horace grabbed the invitation, thinking that perhaps this was a good opportunity for them to be reconciled. ra kept ignoring Horace these days. She was always left alone with a frown, which almost killed Horace. Horace sat in the wheelchair, handed the invitation to ra, and whispered, "ra, this is the invitation to a charity auction. Would you like to go with me?" ra took the invitation but didn''t open it. ra remained angry and could not forgive Horace. She was angry that Horace pretended as if nothing had happened. ra felt that Horace thought nothing of her feelings and didn''t that she couldn''t disentangle herself with the past. ra said, "I''ve never been to such a fancy charity event, so I don''t want to embarrass you." Hearing this, Horace put on a long face and persuaded, "This auction is held by Grandpa''s friend. If you don''t attend it, Grandpa will be sad and angry. He has always been nice to you." ra didn''t want to annoy Russell and she was also afraid that Russell would realize something unusual between her and Horace. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Thinking of this, ra had no choice but to agree to go with Horace. However, ra did not have a suitable dress for the auction. Also, she was not good at ding make-up. This event indeed posed a challenge to her. Horace could read ra''s mind. He felt ra looked very cute when she frowned. Horace made a phone call to Isaac and asked him to deal with that. Because ra refused to make their rtionship clear to the public, Horace had to ask Isaac to arrange this. ra gave Horace a grateful look. However, ra still couldn''t forgive him. They both were silent for a moment, and Horace suddenly said, "I don''t want to sleep in the study tonight." ra''s heart softened. The bed in the study was not asfortable as that in the bedroom, so Horace must have had a hard time these days. Nheless, ra said, "You''re the owner of this house, so you can do whatever you want." After Horace returned to the bedroom, he and ra slept on either side of the bed. The next day, ra was taken by Isaac to a high-end private club. ra took a bath spa at first, which greatly rxed her. Ovee with the smell of the essential oils, ra felt her blues were gradually cured. It did have a positive effect on her mood. With light makeup and a princess-like hairstyle, ra looked distinguished and charming. ra put on the mint-green dress Horace prepared for her. It was designed by a famous designer. In this dress, ra looked lovely, elegant, and noble. All the people present, including Isaac, could not help admiring her for a moment. Isaac suddenly realized that women did need suitable clothes! ra was actually a great beauty! Horace hurriedly arrived and waited for ra toe out in the lobby of the clubhouse. In a formal suit, Horace looked very handsome. Although in the wheelchair, he remained charming and could always attract the attention of women. When ra walked out of the door, Horace was stunned. ra was as beautiful as a real princess. She was elegant but lovely, with an attractive and perfect figure. Although ra still didn''t want to talk to Horace, considering Russell, she still decided to cooperate with Horace. She held his arm and set off to the auction. The charity auction was held in a luxurious hotel. After Horace wheeled himself in, with ra, who was well-dressed, they attracted much attention from the crowd. ra and Horace first ran into Darren and Ashlee. Ashlee''s eyes were filled with jealousy and envy. Because of Horace, ra sessfully married into the purple! In the past, ra always wore the cheapest clothes. When shopping, ra was often thought of as Ashlee''s maid. But now, ra was well-dressed and able to attend such a noble auction with those born with a silver spoon. How ridiculous! Darren almost fixed his eyes on ra. He thought ra was extremely beautiful, like the princess in a well-known film. Ashlee walked up and said gloomily, "My goodness. ra, I can hardly recognize you! Look at your dress. You used to be very ugly and poor." Horace''s gaze turned cold as he red at Ashlee. It sent a chill down Ashlee''s spine, so she stooped and looked away at once. Horace wheeled himself to Darren and said in a cold voice, "Just stay away from who doesn''t belong to you. It is different from the auction. No matter how much you offered, you can''t win her heart." Horace''s tone was super dominating. Horace and ra were legally married. Thus, whatever Horace said or did, Darren could not contradict or do anything. ra did not pay attention to either Horace or Darren. She was reminded of the kiss and the call, and then she felt very embarrassed. Every time she got embarrassed, she wanted to go to the bathroom. ra said to Horace. "You can go in first. I need to use the bathroom." Before Horace could say anything, ra strode away. Ashlee rolled her eyes at ra and said to Darren, "Let''s go inside." After saying that, she held Darren''s arm to the inner hall. After finishing, ra washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror in a trance. She wondered whether she was Horace''s elegant wife or that poor girl who couldn''t even make a living. For a moment, ra couldn''t tell who she was. Only then did ra realize that she had changed a lot. On the way out of the bathroom, ra almost bumped into someone. When ra looked up, she froze. It was Ynda Zachman, that actress. ra didn''t expect her to be here as well. Chapter 125 Are You Mrs. Kirkland? Chapter 125 Are You Mrs. Kirnd? Ynda always wore a bewitching dress. With an alluring figure, she enjoyed showing off. It was typical of Ynda to dress like this. She could do whatever it took to attract Horace''s attention. Ynda was also wondering why ra came here. ra looked ordinary all over and she should be from a poor family, so Ynda was curious about who invited ra here. Was it Horace who invited ra here? On second thought, Ynda shook her head. It was said that Horace woulde with his wife. Ynda jealously nced at the grand dress on ra. "You do take care of your dress tonight. Then whom do you want to hook up with? ra, how shameless you are! You don''t belong here. Just get out Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. if you know what''s good for you!" ra had had enough of Ynda, so she did not want to waste time arguing with her. ra moved sideways and tried to walk past Ynda, saying, "Excuse me, please make way and let me pass." Ynda stretched out her arm and stopped ra. "Wait! I haven''t finished my words!" Ynda stood in ra''s way. "You and Mr. Kirnd left so hurriedlyst time that I failed to take a good look at you. I want to know how you managed to bewitch Mr. Kirnd. He had never cared so much about a woman." ra tried her best not to hit Ynda. ra did regret asking Horace to invite Ynda to dinner. ra hadn''t expected that it could cause so much trouble. Ynda continued, "Do you know whoe here today? Horace and his wife! Although I have not seen his wife before, I think she muste from a noble and distinguished family. So just give up. You''re no match for her at all." ra thought, "You''re wrong. I am Horace''s wife, from an ordinary family. You''re always so childish. Ynda got excited as she said, "Then are you afraid now? You''d better get out as soon as possible!" ra was amused. She didn''t know why Ynda was so snobbish. Ynda actually thought ra was Horace''s mistress. Almost everyone dreamed of being Horace''s wife, but ra didn''t. ra wouldn''t change for anyone, so she had none of the vanity so often associated with Ynda. ra said to Ynda, "I don''t care who Horace''s wife is. I''m here to attend the charity auction, not to argue with you, Miss Zachman. Please get out of my way." Ynda''s face darkened. She was irritated. What Ynda dislikes most was ra''s indifference. They both liked Horace, but ra pretended as if she didn''t. From where Ynda stood, ra was too hypocritical! ra always wore a pitiful look and pretended to be a good girl, but her eyes were tinged with shrewdness. Ynda had met a lot of this kind of people. Ynda shoved ra and said, "Although you are well dressed, you will definitely embarrass yourself before Mrs. Kirn! Can you guess what Mr. Kirnd will do? He will ignore you, and you will make yourself a joke in front of Mrs. Kirnd! Overall, just get out of here, or you will embarrass yourself." People were always judged by money and rights, but this was incorrect. Most people thought it was superior to live a rich life and interior to love a poor life. However, happiness and health were much more important than money. Life couldn''t be measured by money. ra thought she and Ynda shared different values. ra asked you, "What about you? Mrs. Kirnd will probably think nothing of you." "Are you kidding me?" Ynda raised her head and smiled. "I am a superstar, so I also enjoy high status. Also, I am the brand ambassador of Solrace, so even Mrs. Kirnd should greet me." ra thought, "Actually, I''m Mrs. Kirnd, but you have no idea about it." Thinking of this, ra sighed. It seemed really not easy to be Horace''s wife. Ynda tossed her hair and a heavy smell of perfume came over ra. ra''s nose twitched and she sneezed. Ynda said with an arrogant look. "It is said that the items in today''s auction are worth millions, considering your sry, you are too poor to be here. Nearly all the guests are crazy rich here, and they can spend tens of millions at one stroke. On the contrary, you can''t afford anything here." ra smiled and said nothing. ra apanied Horace here to please Russell. She was very unwilling to attend the auction. ra did not like auctions and thought money prevailed in the auction. The charity was just a stunt here. "ra, what are you thinking about? You can''t afford even a grain of anything here. Just scram!" Ynda pushed ra even harder than just now. It was difficult for ra to keep her bnce in high heels, so she was about to fall after being pushed. The next second, Horace appeared behind ra and caught her in the wheelchair. Seeing Horace, Ynda immediately greeted him with a smile. "Mr. Kirnd, long time no see." Ynda''s voice was extremely sweet. Horace ignored Ynda, held ra''s cold hand, and frowned, "Where did you go just now?" ra smiled. Horace''s timely support made her a little moved. She said to him, "Nothing serious. Don''t worry. I met Ynda, so we had a chat." Horace tucked at ra''s dress and nodded after making sure that she didn''t get hurt. Ynda, who was ignored, opened her mouth wide in shock. She thought Horace must be possessed. Otherwise, Horace couldn''t be so nice to ra. What was more, his eyes were full of affection towards ra. On the contrary, Horace always gave Ynda the cold shoulder. Ynda was very jealous of ra! Ynda was shocked that Horace dared to show his love for ra in broad daylight. Why was he so audacious? His wife would be furious when seeing this. The next second, an idea suddenly struck Ynda. She almost wanted to brush it off immediately. Could it be that ra was Horace''s wife? That''s why they were so tant in the public. When ra and Horace looked towards Ynda, Ynda found that they wore the same rings. Ynda pointed at ra and said in a trembling voice, "Are, are you Mrs. Kirnd?" Chapter 126 Diamond Necklace Chapter 126 Diamond Ne ra and Horace walked towards the auction hall, leaving Ynda standing there in a trance. How would Ynda feel if she found out the truth? Would she regret what she had done? After today, she might cry over this for days. Every time ra thought of the funny and shocked look on Ynda''s face, she couldn''t help but want tough. And she didugh. It had been days since they quarreled, and they hadn''t talked to each other since. And now he finally saw her smile. Horace felt much better. As the two were walking, they stayed silent. Everyone had to donate something for the auction, and the benefits would be given to charity. First, they had to give their donated goods to the auction house for registration, and then they waited for the auction to begin. ra and Horace walked to the auction lot registration desk. There were already donators there who came with exquisite and valuable collections. When the staff asked ra what donation she was going to give out, ra frowned and said, "Crap! I didn''t bring anything!" The staff looked at her in surprise and didn''t know why she came to the auction empty-handed. This had never happened before. ra blushed, feeling embarrassed in front of the staff. She thought maybe she had been taken as a fraud who came here for free food and drinks. Seeing ra standing there like a kid who had done something wrong, Horace took out a blue velvet box. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. He then asked the staff to open it, saying that it was from Mrs. Kirnd. Actually, Horace had prepared the item for donation. It was just that before he could take it out, the staff had asked ra. Upon seeing the exquisite velvet box, the staff had expected that the thing in it must be very expensive. He hurriedly opened it and was amazed. Mrs. Kirnd''s donation was a valuable diamond ne! There were nine diamonds in total engraved iyed on the ne and every one of them were exquisite and expensive. The ne was absolutely splendid! The staff thought that Mrs. Kirnd was really generous and that the auction tonight was going to be exciting. As the staff looked at the ne, he was so impressed by it that he might actually drool. ra was equally as surprised as the staff. It was absolutely a gorgeous ne. It was the first time she had seen something so beautiful. Seeing this, Horace asked, "Do you like it? If you like it, you can keep it. We can always donate something else." "No, it''s okay," ra shook her head and refused. The ne was too beautiful for her to wear. "It is beautiful, but I think we should give it for donation. In this way, we can help a lot of people and it will be beyond its value." It was just her artlessness and kindness that attracted Horace. If it was some other woman he brought here today, she should have been so fascinated by the diamond ne that she would try and talk Horace out of giving it away. There weren''t many people in the world that didn''t like expensive things now, and ra seemed to be one of them. Horace hadn''t expected it from her when he first met her. Seeing how thoughtful Horace was and that he especially brought such a valuable donation here, ra was moved and looked at him with gratitude. Horace smiled at her dotingly. ra was much less angry with him now. The staff ced the ne somewhere prominent and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Kirnd, you can take your seats in the auction hall now." Hearing this, Horace and ra left. Soon after they left, Ashlee came with her donation. There were all kinds of valuable donation here, jewelry, antiques and paintings as well as calligraphy. Ashlee was amazed. Among the donations, the most eye-catching one was a sparking diamond ne ced in the center. Everyone would be attracted to it as soon as they walked into the room. Pointing at the ne, Ashlee asked the staff beside her, "Hey, do you know who donated the ne?" "It''s from Mrs. Kirnd," the staff checked the list and said, "Isn''t it beautiful? I have never seen such a beautiful ne. I heard that it was made in southern Africa and there are only three of them in the world." The staff had thought that his answer could please Ashlee, it didn''t. Instead, Ashlee rolled her eyes at him. After knowing how expensive ra''s donation was, Ashlee felt jealous. There were all celebrities here today and she couldn''t bear the idea of letting ra steal her thunder. She had to donate something even more expensive than the ne! The staff put on a long face and asked, "Miss, what will your donation be?" Ashlee decided to donate a limited-edition Herm¨¨s bag. After careful examination, the staff said to her, "I have recorded your donation, you may take a seat in the auction hall now." Ashlee had been thinking about how she could wreck ra''s auction. As she came up with an idea she smiled wickedly. Smiling politely at the staff, she said, "You seem like a hard-working person, I like it. Can we be friends?" The auction was a popr event, a lot of people came, so did stair. Seeing Ashlee, he greeted her simple and left to talk to others. ra only knew few people here. However, Horace seemed to be friends with a lot of them. There had been a lot of people who came to greet him. After knowing that she was Horace''s wife, they couldn''t help but stare at her, which made ra feel nervous and uneasy. Horace saw it, patted the back of her hand and she felt better. "You will be attending such events often from now on and you will get used to it. Don''t worry, I''m here," Horace said to her. "Okay." hearing his words, ra felt much calmer. Ever since ra walked into the ce, Darren had been fixing his eyes on her. He found that ra had been following Horace everywhere since she entered this ce, it seemed that she was clingy to him. On second thought, she should be. This must be her first time attending such an event, of course she would be nervous. However, Darren couldn''t help but feel sad about it, because ra was here with another man, not him. He wanted to say hello to ra, but with Ashlee around, he couldn''t. Chapter 127 A Handsome Man Chapter 127 A Handsome Man As the option was about to begin, ra felt nervous and wanted to go to thedies'' room again. Horace asked, "You need me to go with you?" ra shook her head, took her purse and left. Saying that she left the room, Darren had wanted to follow her when Ashlee said, "Darren, I need to go out for a minute. I''ll be back soon." Since Ashlee was going outside, Darren couldn''t follow ra, not when Ashlee was still pregnant with his child. He didn''t want to displease Ashlee at this moment, for she was a pregnant woman. ra arrived at thedies'' room, put her purse on the washstand, washed her hands and left without taking her purse with her, probably because she forgot it. It was when Ashlee followed her into thedies'' room. She had intended to talk to the staff at the auction house so that she could get an opportunity to destroy the diamond ne when she saw ra walk into thedies'' room. She thought that this might be a great opportunity, so she followed ra. She was lucky that ra forgot her purse on the washstand. Ashlee felt that this was a great opportunity. She quickly reached out her hands to grab the purse, rummaged through the things in it and found something. She thought that with this, ra was going to make a fool out of herself today. Ashlee grabbed the thing in her hand and left thedies'' room, running towards the auction house as fast as she could. When ra walked out of the bathroom, opened her purse and wanted to fix her makeup, she found that her amulet was gone. It was Helena, her mother, who got it for her. Where did it go? Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. She nervously rummaged through her purse, searching for it. She took out all the things in her purse, her lipstick, tissues, her phone and her key. She had looked everywhere on and below the washstand but couldn''t find it. She had been carrying it everywhere with her for years. Her mom walked a long distance and got it for her, she had to find it. Out of anxiety, sweat broke out on her nose. Maybe she identally dropped in the hall? Thinking of this, ra walked out of thedies'' room. With her head lowered, she bumped into a man on his chest. The man''s chest was so muscr that she staggered backwards after bumping into it. "Ouch!" "Are you all right, Miss?" the man was scared and hurriedly asked. He had just walked to the corridor when this woman rushed out of thedies'' room and ran into his arms. What happened? Was this her trick to get his attention? Of course, before he could reach any conclusion, he stepped ahead to hold her steady. He looked at the woman in front of him up and down. She was dressed decently and with grace manners. She was obviously a beauty with sparkling eyes, although she looked anxious. "Oh, I''m sorry, sir. I''m really sorry," ra answered. However, as soon as she looked up and saw the man in front of her, she was stunned. This man was so beautiful. He had fair skin, tall nose and sexy lips. With clear eyes and long eyshes, he looked like someone who only existed in the movies. He was so beautiful that ra felt dwarfed. The man looked at the woman in front of him curiously. After she saw his face, she had been grinning. What was she thinking with that strange expression on her face? Then he asked, "Miss, are you sure you''re alright?" It was not until then that ra centered herself. With a smile, her white teeth were shown as she spoke, "I''m fine. It doesn''t hurt." The man felt rxed and asked, "You''re here for the charity auction?" ra smiled and said, "Yes, I am. You too?" "Yes, you seemed in a hurry, what were you going to do?" seeing that ra was still staring at him without looking away, the man reminded her. Damn it! ra patted her head. She almost forgot about finding her amulet. Why was she here talking to the handsome man? However, it was weird. She didn''t think she was that easily attracted by handsome men. But when she saw the man in front of her, she felt weirdly close with him. ra sped up and answered, "Yes, thank you for the reminder. I was doing something serious just now and identally bumped into you. I''m sorry. I''m leaving now." Because she was in a hurry to leave, as soon as she took a step, she slipped and almost fell down, for she hadn''t gotten ustomed to wearing high heels. Seeing that she was about to fall, she felt helpless. "Ah!" ra screamed and thought that she was going to make a fool of herself. However, at this moment, Horace rushed over in the wheelchair and held ra. It was so close. ra had lingering fear and her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt grateful for Horace''s as- always on-time rescue. She said to him, "Horace, thank you.'' However, Horace didn''t reply to her. He looked at the man with a serious expression and hostility in his eyes. ra was stunned. There must be some kind of grudge between the two. Otherwise, why would they stare at each other without talking or greeting? They didn''t even say hello to each other. ra asked tentatively, "Do you know each other?" It was not until then that Horace withdrew his gaze. ra looked at the expression on the man''s face and knew that Horace and the man knew each other. However, she didn''t know if they were enemies or friends. The man spoke first, "Horace, I haven''t seen you for a long time. What an unpleasant coincidence!" Horace still didn''t say a word. Unpleasant? ra thought that the man looked so handsome, he mustn''t be a bad guy. But why would he say ¡®unpleasant''? Was he a business opponent of the Solrace Corporation? The man didn''t mind Horace''s indifference, turned his head, reached out his hand and said to ra, "Let me introduce myself first. I''m Logan Hutchinson. May I know your name?" So his name was Logan Hutchinson? ra stared at him without blinking. With a smile, she reached out her hand, shook it with Logan''s and said, "Nice to meet you, my name is ra Selman. I am Horace''s..." Suddenly, Horace coughed and interrupted her. "All right, let''s go. The auction is about to start." ra came back to herself, smiled politely at Logan and waved him goodbye. All of a sudden, Logan asked, "Is she the woman you married?" Horace and ra turned around at the same time upon hearing his question. With an indifferent look on his face, Horace answered, "Yes, it''s her." Then he turned around and kept walking. With a humph, Logan said in a low but clear voice, "She''s nothingpared to Laura." Laura? Laura Hutchinson? ra was stunned. However, Horace didn''t stop. He grabbed ra''s hand and left. Chapter 128 Lauras Pen Chapter 128 Laura''s Pen ra wondered what the rtionship between Logan and Horace was. Logan mentioned Laura just now, who was he? Were the three of them friends before or was he in love with Laura? ra found that when Logan mentioned Laura, there was sadness in Horace''s eyes. Maybe he would never forget about Laura. As they walked, ra asked Horace, "Who''s this Logan? You don''t seem to like him." As if he didn''t hear her question, Horace kept walking. At this moment, Ashlee had returned to the auction hall. Darren and she were sitting a few rows in front of ra and Horace. On the left of ra sat Horace, and on the right, stair. With the two handsome men beside her, many women stared at the three of them and were jealous of ra. Logan had returned to the auction hall and took a seat left in front of them. When he saw ra and Horace, he greeted ra politely and ra smiled and nodded at him. The lights were turned on, after a stage show, the auction began. However, it was not until after the host made a long speech about the charity course and weed the celebrities in the business world here today for about half an hour that the auction officially started. The first item for auction was Logan''s donation. It was a pen. After hearing the host''s introduction of Logan, ra found that he was the eldest son of the Hutchinson family. So he was Laura''s older brother? She could finally understand why Logan missed Laura so much now. The host then introduced the pen, "Everyone, please looked at the pen and the diamond on it. The diamond is very exquisite and valuable in terms of craftsmanship. This pen was donated by Mr. Hutchinson and it was handmade. The pen is an invaluable remembrance for Mr. Hutchinson, for it belonged to his sister, Miss Laura Hutchinson. The pen has been maintained in good condition, and it is the one and only." As soon as they saw the Pen, Horace and stair''s faces changed. Horace''s face darkened and he frowned. Laura¡­ He recalled her in his mind. This was his gift for Laura when she turned 12, for hoping she could get better in her study and be the first among the whole grade of students. Horace remembered that Laura cherished the pen dearly. Back then, when Logan wanted to take a look at it, she didn''t let him. However, after years, Horace didn''t expect that Logan would give the pen out for the charity auction. Thinking of this, Horace looked even unhappier. stair murmured to himself, "That was a heavy blow." He knew well about Logan and knew that he was trying to get back at Horace and to make Horace mad. ra, who was sitting next to him, heard his words. She wondered why he said that, so she asked, "What do you mean?" stair knew that ra knew about Laura and Horace''s past, so he whispered in her ear, "This was Horace''s gift for Laura when she turned 12." ra nced at Horace and found that he didn''t look happy. Oh, so that''s what it is. His ex-girlfriend''s belonging was given out for auction, of course he would look nervous and angry. As Laura''s brother, how could he do that to histe sister''s belongings? Didn''t he know how much the pen meant to Laura and Horace? Or was he here auctioning the pen on purpose to make Horace angry? What exactly was on Horace''s mind right now? At this moment, the host said, "Mr. Hutchinson, Would you like toe onto the stage and say a few words?" Seeing that Logan stood up and walked over, the host smiled and said, "Everyone, let''s wee Mr. Logan Hutchinson!" Seeing Logan holding the microphone in grace, the women of the stage all eximed by his handsome appearance. On the stage, Logan cast a nce at Horace before he said, "I am here donating my sister''s pen today to get bless for her happiness in heaven, and at the same time, I want to help the poor. I think that if my sister was still here today, she would also be in favor of this." The crowd apuded for him. It was not until he sat back on his seat that the host said, "Okay, everyone, the auction starts now! The staring price is 10,000 dors. You are free to make your bids now." The pen was exquisitely-made and well-maintained. Under the spotlight, it gleamed. It was indeed a beautiful pen. The tip of the pen was made by gold, making it easy to write and hard to be damaged. It was indeed the perfect pen for signing on contracts and looking good. Everyone started to make their bids. "One hundred grand!" "One hundred and fifty grand!" "Two hundred grand!" Everyone seemed excited about getting the pen. After all, the pen was the first item for sale at the auction and everyone wanted to get it as a lucky start. Horace clinched his fists, which were sweating. He had been trying to suppress his anxiety. However, upon seeing that everyone seemed excited about the pen, he couldn''t help it anymore. He must get the pen back! The pen could only belong to him. He couldn''t sit here and watch it being sold to some stranger. He knew that if Laura was still alive, she wouldn''t want to give it away. She loved the pen he had given to her. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. stair and ra turned their heads to look at Horace, wondering if he would make a bid. ra had mixed feelings. On the one hand, she didn''t want Horace to bid on the pen. On the other hand, she didn''t want to know him as a heartless man. What would he do about the pen? He had been cherishing that crystal ne for years, ra simply took it out and looked at it and he got furious. How could he just sit here and watch the pen being sold to a stranger? At this moment, Horace kept thinking about Laura in his mind. He thought about how she smiled at him and called him, "Horace, look at my pen! I love it! You give it to me, remember?" Everyone was making their bids and the price soared. "One million!" All of a sudden, Horace made his bid. Everyone eximed. It was the highest offer so far. Many people had given up. The price was way higher than the pen''s worth. Eventually, Horace made a bid. He wanted the pen because it belonged to Laura. As expected, he couldn''t forget her. ra was stunned and did know what she was feeling. Chapter 129 Being Pranked Chapter 129 Being Pranked Surely, he loved Laura more than he loved her. Yes, it must be. ra thought to herself. Horace and Laura met and fell in love with each other at a very young age and they grew up together. How could she rece Laura in his heart? She couldn''t evenpare herself to Laura, who was such a beautiful and excellent woman. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. What''s worse, she had died, which meant that Horace would never be able to forget her. ra didn''t know what she was feeling. At this time, Logan made a bid. "One million and a hundred grand!" The audience eximed. He was the one who donated the pen, why would he make a bid? What was happening? Did he regret giving the pen away? It was a reasonable exnation, after all, the pen was histe sister''s belonging. Horace stared at the pen, raised his hand and bid again. "One million and two hundred grand!" Everyone began to discuss. Everyone present was celebrities, so, many of them knew about the past between Horace and Laura. Moreover, the kidnap and arson case had made a sensation back then. Some of them were acquaintances of the Hutchinson family and the Kirnd family, so they knew a bit more about Laura and Horace. If Horace hadn''t managed to escape the fire, he would have been killed in the fire with Laura. In order to save him, Laura asked Horace to escape first. However, the fire was too big for her to escape and she ended up being killed by the fire. How sad and tragic it was! Now it seemed that Horace still loved Laura deeply. His wife was sitting right beside him, and he was trying to get his ex-girlfriend''s belonging. Logan kept raising the price with a sneer. "One million and three hundred grand!" Horace, you hypocrite. You don''t deserve Laura''s pen. Horace followed. "One million and four hundred grand!" ra lowered her head and stared at her purse, she dared not look at the expression on Horace''s face, nor the pen. Everyone turned to look at ra, wondering if Horace wanted to get the pen so badly because he was still in love with Laura and the pen was the evidence of their love. If that was the case, how awkward Horace''s wife must be right now! ra kept lowering her head. stair knew that if this went on, ra would be embarrassed, however, she couldn''t leave at this moment. Therefore, he said to her, "Hey, don''t think too much. What they had is in the past now. You are Horace''s wife, remember." stair''s words made ra feel even worse. How unlucky she was today! She had just lost the amulet her mother gave her, and now, her husband was bidding on his ex-girlfriend''s pen. What a horrible day! How could he bid such a high price on his ex-girlfriend''s belonging in front of his wife? He had shown no respect for her by doing so and this had also proved that he loved Laura the most, not her. However, if Horace was a heartless man who could forget the woman he loved so readily, would she still love him? As she thought about it, ra found that Horace had a reason to do this. After all, he had had beautiful memories with Laura, which were precious. ra had mixed feelings. Logan made another bid. "One million and five hundred grand!" The host waited for a few seconds before he was about to count down the seconds. No! He couldn''t let Logan get it. Horace was determined to get the pen. He raised the bid. "Two million!" The auction today seemed to be getting more and more interesting. The crowd cheered for Horace. "Congrattions, Mr. Kirnd!" "Mr. Kirnd is a really good man." The host was also excited. They had sold a pen for two million and it was very rare. He raised his voice, "Two million, once! Two million, twice! two million, deal!" The crowd apuded. Staring at the pen, Logan couldn''t help but sigh. Perhaps this was what Laura would want. Horace was really something. The second item for sale was stair''s donation, which was a handicraft made in Thand. It looked beautiful and was richly ornamented. The craftsmanship in the way the gold was iyed in it was magnificent. All in all, it was an invaluable artifact. It ended up being sold to a fat rich man. Ashlee''s donation was a limited-edition Herm¨¨s purse, which she had bought in Francest year. And now, she no longer liked the design and had decided to give it away for the auction. However, the purse was adored by the rich middle-ageddies here, who all craved to get it. Seeing that the purse was sold at a high price, Ashlee feltcent. At least, it made her look good. Then, a few more donated items were sold. Although they were all exquisite collections, the audience wasn''t so excited about them as they had been about the first few items. The host was in low spirits because of this. Soon, it was ra''s donation that was about to be auctioned. The items sold just now were all ordinary collections, however, this was Mrs. Kirnd''s donation, which meant that it must be valuable. Everyone''s eyes were fixed on it with expectations. The item was then shown to everyone. Upon seeing it, ra was dumbfounded. How could it be? Why was it here? Her donation should be a luxurious diamond ne, not this! ra didn''t know what had happened. Holding ra''s hand, Horace told her not to act rashly, just calm down and sit still. Everyone couldn''t believe what they were looking at. This must be the most ridiculous item for auction in history. Mrs. Kirnd was really something. Darren was anxious. What should he do? This must be a prank, because ra would never take that thing out for auction. Was it Ashlee again? He squinted at Ashlee, who was looking proud. He could almost be sure it was her. Ashlee was gloating. Her n worked again! She sneered in her heart, "ra, let''s see how you are going to turn the table in front of all the celebrities here! A bastard of a whore, how dare you steal my man? I want you to taste how it feels to be condemned by everyone! What''s more, everyone present isn''t to be messed with, their stares and words could kill you!" "Oh my God, what was that?" someone gasped, "It''s ugly!" "Is this a joke? This is for charity. How could she do that?" "Wow, what a bumpkin." Chapter 130 Embarrassed to the Core Chapter 130 Embarrassed to the Core The wife of Solrace Corporation''s CEO, gave away a ragged amulet for a charity auction. Moreover, the amulet seemed to have been carried by someone for ages and the rim of it was worn. It seemed that she didn''t want to devote anything for charity. But how could she donate a used amulet? Hadn''t she thought about how embarrassing it would be for Mr. Kirnd? When everyone saw the amulet, there was disdain in their eyes as they looked at ra. However, ra didn''t care how others were looking at her. The amulet was a gift from her mother, there was her mother''s love in it. She couldn''t watch it being sold! She nervously grabbed Horace''s arm and looked at him pitifully, "What should we do? I¡­ I can''t lose this. My mom gave it to me, I have to take it back!" Horace had no clue of what had happened. Who reced the diamond ne? No matter who it was that did this, that person obviously came for either him or ra, which meant that it must be Ynda or Ashlee. It shouldn''t be Ynda, she didn''t have the guts. He could also phase out Darren. Although he hated to admit it, Darren wouldn''t do this to ra. Horace was pissed. Who the hell made this sick joke? At this moment, ra saw Ashlee, who was sitting a few rows in front of them and who turned around and smiled at hercently. She immediately knew that it was Ashlee. She must have reced her donation to embarrass her. Ashlee was the only person who knew that she carried the amulet everywhere with her and the only person who knew how much the amulet meant to her. Staring at Ashlee angrily, ra thought that she had gone too far this time. Everyone was snickering and discussing. "It''s a piece of crap!" "How could Mrs. Kirnd do this? If she hated doing charity, she didn''t have to be here, no one forced her to. She wanted to build an image but was so petty, I am impressed." "I heard that she works as a reporter at a magazine and shees from an ordinary family. I think she''s just a bumpkin who thought she could donate any crap as she liked." "Why did she evene if she was going to donate some trash? How funny." "Such an eye-opener." Although everyone was talking in a low voice, the room was small and ra could hear every word of theirs clearly. However, she had nothing to refute. ra bit her lips and frowned. "I heard that she didn''te from a rich family. She''s just lucky she married a rich guy. I wonder what Mr. Kirnd saw in her." "I know. She''s not even close to being a nobledy. Did she even know what an auction is?" Hearing everyone''s discussion, Ashlee was pleased. "ra, you are a joke right now. Let''s see what you are going to do about it! Horace Kirndes to your rescue every time, right? Look at him. He''s embarrassed because of you. He probably didn''t mind the photos of you kissing another man, but I don''t think he''s going to be okay with this!" Logan turned to look at ra and Horace with a smile. It seemed that there was someone else that didn''t like those two and wanted to set them up. Well, he''d love to see what Horace was going to do to save his newly married wife. ra felt so awkward that she wanted to flee. But she couldn''t, she had to get the amulet back. Although it was nothing but an amulet, it was her mother''s gift for her. Her mother raised her up alone and had gone through a lot of hardships. She only got this amulet for ra for hoping that she could be safe and healthy, also, she wished ra could grow up in happiness, just like any other daughters. ra''s mother once heard that the native amulets worked really well, so she took a bus and went to a native habitation. Back then, she was still in college. To get the amulet, she would have to climb the mountain. She had gone through a lot to get ra the amulet. ra had no idea how many miles she had walked, but her mother told her that the longer the distance was and the sincere one was, the better the amulet would work. She had travelled a long distance to get ra the amulet, ra''s life would be smooth and happy. Everyone was brought into the world by his mother, and when his life started, he had absolutely nothing. One could never be able to truly repay his mother for raising him up. Thinking of this, ra Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. was even more nervous. She had to get the amulet back! To keep the order in the venue, the host spoke. "Everyone, please be quiet. Anything could be auctioned here today. This is an auction for charity, as long as the donor is sincere in helping the poor, the item''s value would be beyond its worth! Everyone, let''s start bidding!" There had never been such a worthless thing for auction before and everyone was confused on how much to bid on it. The host talked to the organizer before he said, "The blessing in the amulet is invaluable, everyone can feel free to make your bids!" No one was willing to pay a high price on a crappy amulet, it would be equally as wasting their money, and they might even be called idiots, bidding on such a worthless thing. But even so, to please Horace and to win his favor, there were bidders. Someone bade ten thousand, another bade fifteen thousand. There was even a man who bid eighteen thousand dors. Hearing their bids, ra couldn''t help but clench her hands nervously. What should she do if the amulet was sold to someone? She looked at Horace helplessly. Seeing the worried look on her face, Horace held her hand and said to her in a low voice, "Don''t worry. I will take it back for you." Then, he raised his hand and made a bid, "One million!" The crowd fell into silence. One million? For a crappy amulet? That was ridiculous! The amulet wasn''t even worth a hundred bucks! One million? Horace Kirnd''s offer was shocking. Everyone began to wonder if Horace had gone crazy. First, he bought his ex-girlfriend''s diamond pen, and now, he was throwing big money at his wife''s amulet. Was he too rich to know how to spend him money? ra was stunned. She had wanted to tell him that he didn''t have to do this when Horace held her hand, indicating her not to worry about it. Chapter 131 Ten Million Chapter 131 Ten Million Everyone was thinking that Horace was throwing in big money for a crap, but none dared gossip about him. They all started to think of ra from a new perspective and envied her. Horace really loved her. How lucky she was! ra hadn''t expected that Horace was willing to spend that much money on her amulet. He must be afraid that someone might get it, so he soared the price. He was intelligent. However, one million was too much money. Everyone thought that there should be no bidders now. Only rich idiots would keep raising the price. Before ra could thank Horace, Darren suddenly raised his hand. He said in a loud voice, "One million and a hundred grand!" Everyone took a deep breath. There was really such a fool! What was happening? It was weird enough that someone donated an amulet for auction, and now there were two men fighting for it? Did the amulet really work that well? Everyone was confused. If not, why would two Kirnd men fight for it? What the hell was Darren doing? Ashlee couldn''t help but curse him in her heart. ra turned to look at Horace. Would he keep bidding or would he give up? She wished he wouldn''t give up and that he would fight for her amulet as hard as he did for Laura''s pen. At least, it would mean that she was equally as important as Laura to him. Horace looked calm. Staring at the amulet, he raised the bid again. "One million and two hundred grand." "One thousand and three hundred grand!" Darren followed. The amulet was important to ra. He had always wanted to protect ra and be her backup, this might be the only way he couldpensate her. "One million and four hundred grand!" "One million and five hundred grand." They kept bidding. The other bidders had all turned into on-lookers, watching the two raising the price. The Kirnds were really generous! If they had known how much the Kirnd family loved amulets, Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. they would have given out the amulets they had for the auction. "Darren, stop this!" Ashlee said to Darren in a low voice. Ashlee hated ra to the guts. It turned out that her Herm¨¨s purse wasn''t as valuable as the crappy amulet ra''s mom left her? What was this? How could ra steal her thunder with a crappy amulet? If she had known this earlier, she wouldn''t have traded the diamond ne. She was more pissed with Darren, who was still fighting for this amulet with Horace. Everyone could see why he was doing this, How embarrassing this was for her! Her glory just now had be a joke! The host was so excited that he kept swallowing and said, "This is thrilling! Thank you, Mr. Darren Kirnd and Mr. Horace Kirnd! Thank you for your appreciation and kindness for our event!" "Two million!" Horace raised his bidding te again and said without hesitation. "Oh! Two million! We have a two-million!" the host said, his hand shaking from excitement. Horace sneered. Darren Kirnd, you think this will be your shot at winning ra''s favor? You''re wrong! You will never stand a chance at getting ra! On the other side, Darren had taken this as a vent for all his jealous and fear for Horace. He wanted to crush Horace''s confidence. He gritted his teeth and raised his bidding te. "Three million!" Ashlee felt heartbroken. "Darren, why are you still defending ra?" Everyone looked at Darren. They could understand that Horace was doing this for his wife, but why did Darren Kirnd want to get the amulet so much? "Darren, is this really necessary?" Ashlee couldn''t help it anymore and asked. "Well, you started this. You have to pay the price for your own doing," Darren answered. "What¡­" Ashlee chocked on her words. Darren knew the story behind the amulet and he knew Ashlee so well that he didn''t need to investigate to be sure it was her who did this, ra didn''t know why Darren was so obsessed with her amulet, but she didn''t want him to get it. She hoped Horace could win it. Even if he didn''t return it to her, she wanted the amulet her mother gave her to be kept in the hands of the man she loved. Darren, you think this can help you get ra back? You are terribly wrong. You will never win! Horace was determined. He had done ying this game with Darren and lost his patience. This was going too slow, why should he waste him time on Darren? He raised his bidding te again. This time, he wouldn''t leave Darren any chance. "Ten million!" he said. The crowed was in an uproar. This had made history in the auction house. Ten million for an amulet? The amulet wouldn''t worth so much even if it was made of diamonds! The host said in a trembling voice, "Ten¡­ Ten million dors! Are there any more bidders?" Darren held his bidding te and didn''t want to give up. He could continue, he could. Ashlee couldn''t take anymore of Darren''s craziness. Was ra''s amulet worth all this? Did he even see her here? Was he going to spend all their money on an amulet? She couldn''t let him! She grabbed his hand that was about to raise again and said in a low voice, "Are you insane, Darren? What are you going to me? Ten million? Your dad won''t give you that much money!" She was right. Even if he seeded in winning the amulet, his father would be pissed and couldn''t get that much money in short time. It seemed that he had to give up. "Horace, he was so damn serious! I''m sorry, ra." Darren apologized in his heart, frustrated. The host continued in a trembling voice, "Ten million, once! Ten million, twice! Ten million, sold!" Horace got it. The host waved his hand. "Congrattions, Mr. Kirnd!" Darren was disappointed in himself and felt down. He was not interested in the auction anymore and looked listless. Again, he lost to Horace. "Thank you," ra said to Horace with gratitude. Horace grabbed her hand and held it in his left palm. At this moment, they needed no words. They were in the same ce with the goal, which was to love the other and make the other happy. Everyone was in shock and envy. Mr. Kirnd really loved his wife. The pen he bought was now nothingpared to his wife''s amulet. Chapter 132 Crazy Chapter 132 Crazy ra was dumbfounded. What? Horace bought the amulet her mom gave her with ten million dors? No one was as shocked as she was now. She knew that he would help her, but she didn''t expect that he woulde this far to. It cost him more money than Laura''s pen. Did it mean that she was more important to him than Laura? ra had to admit that she was lucky to meet Horace. She looked at him with sparkling eyes and couldn''t help but ask, "Horace, was it worth it?" Horace lookedposed. He stared at ra and answered, "It''s important to you, right? Then it was worth it." Was it that simple? Horace thought ten million was worth it? Sure enough, he cared about her and her amulet. He thought the amulet precious, just like she did. Her anger before caused by what was with Darren had disappeared. She would simply take it as Horace was being childish. With tears in her eyes, ra had fallen for Horace. There had never been any man who loved her as much as Horace did. After the amulet was sold, the auction was about toe to an end. The rest bidders bought the rest of the donated items. After the auction, there was a dinner party. Everyone had moved to the restaurant. After the exciting auction, everyone arrived at the restaurant decorated with flowers and filled with delicious food. Listening to the beautiful music, everyone felt rxed and started chatting. However, the topics were still about the auction. Many people came to make toasts to Horace and talk business with him, ra didn''t have anything to say. She didn''t like being in a crowded space and didn''t know how to say ttering words. Therefore, she walked to a corner and drank her red wine. A lot of things had happened at the auction today. She was really moved by what Horace had done and the fact that he always came to her rescue. Looking at him in a wheelchair in the crowd, talking andughing with others charmingly, ra was delighted. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Finally, she had her own knight, who was handsome and charming. Although he sometimes looked cold and distant, he was a considerate and loving man deep inside. While talking to some foreigners, Horace suddenly turned around and looked at ra. He winked at her, which made ra blush. With a sweet smile, she raised her ss at him and took a sip of her wine. Her eyes were still fixed on Horace when she heard Darren and Ashlee arguing in the next corner. Ashlee said, "Darren, have you thought about how embarrassing you were just now? You embarrassed me, your fianc¨¦e! You were fighting with another man for a stupid amulet. Ten million! Have you lost your mind?" "Oh, so you are mad at me now? Let me ask you something. Did you do it? ra would never sell her amulet! Ashlee, I have agreed not to break up with you, don''t go too far!" Darren said in an impatient tone. ra''s heart skipped a beat. Darren must have bid on the amulet for her. Because he knew better than anyone how important it was to her. She remembered how she held the amulet in her hand and showed it to him back in school. "Darren, look! My mom got it for me from a remote native inhabitation! She said that she made an extra wish there!" With a smile, Darren hugged her. The breeze blew ra''s hair and Darren could smell the fragrance on her hair. They had such a beautiful past. But now, everything had changed. Ashlee''s voice interrupted her memories. ra heard her gritting her teeth and said, "Fine. You don''t care about me, it''s fine. But what about our child? You intended to make it live poorly the second it is born? Are you going to tell it someday that you spent all our money for a crappy amulet?" "Ashlee, cut it! I didn''t get it, did I? Besides, it''s not that bad! I have more than ten million!" "So, you think it was nothing to spend big money on that amulet for that bitch, ra?" "Ashlee, in your eyes, it might be just a crappy amulet. But to ra, it is precious, do you understand?" Ashlee was furious at Darren for his care for ra and his refutes. "I don''t! I really don''t! I love you so much, why don''t you love me?" Ashlee was so mad at his indifference and said, "I am driven crazy by jealous! I should be the one you love!" Darren leaned against the wall and looked tired. "Ashlee, there is a limit to my patience. I am shattered. Let''s stop fighting. I need some space, alright?" "Darren, you are so heartless. I have loved you so much, but why can''t you forget about ra? Why? Why are you still in love with her, even though she''s sleeping with someone else now? Why don''t you love me?" Ashlee had done talking to him. Her heart had been broken. She ran out of the corner and glimpsed at ra, who was sitting there alone. She didn''t intend to pick on her and she was throwing herself at her now? Ashlee felt that ra was better than her at everything now. She must have heard the conversation between Darren and her just now. There she was,ughing and mocking her! Ashlee was outraged. Looking at the red wine in her hand, she wanted to pour it on ra. At this moment, ra was still in shock and didn''t even notice Ashlee here. Ashlee was pregnant with Darren''s child? While she was in a daze, Ashlee had walked up to her. "ra, you bitch!" with a shout, Ashlee poured the wine at her. ra''s face changed when she saw Ashlee pouring the wine at her. Out of instinct, she leaned back and closed her eyes. However, when she opened her eyes again, she didn''t find any red wine on her. What happened? Chapter 133 Horaces Warning Chapter 133 Horace''s Warning At that juncture, someone took the pouring wine for her. ra turned around and saw a man on the wheelchair in front of her. It was Horace. The red wine had sshed on his arms and clothes. Just now, Horace was worried that ra might be bored alone, so he pushed the wheelchair towards her. Unexpectedly, ha happened to see Ashlee walk out of the corner. Sensing that she might hurt ra, he sped up and saw the ferocious look on Ashlee''s face and the wine ss raised in her hand. Horace stared at Ashlee, who was dumbfounded. Ashlee quickly threw the wine ss away in panic. The ss broke into pieces on the ground and everyone looked over. It became quite in the restaurant. Standing beside Horace, ra asked anxiously, "Horace, did you get hurt? Let me check you." "I''m fine," Horace replied. stair walked over and looked at everyone before he said to the crowd, "It''s okay, everyone. Someone identally dropped a ss. Keep enjoying yourselves!" Seeing that there was no argument over here, everyone continued chatting and order was restored. stair took out his handkerchief and wiped the wine off of Horace''s arms. While doing so, he said, "Oops, what happened? How did you get wine on you? I need to have a talk with the manager here and tell her not to let certain people in from now on."" Horace took over the handkerchief and wiped himself. Seeing this, stair suddenly remembered something and was stunned. Ashlee knew that she had made a mistake and hurriedly apologized, "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry, Mr. Kirnd. I wasn''t aiming at¡­ It was an ident." ra realized that Ashlee came for her. At this moment, Darren had walked over. He had drunk a lot of wine. Holding ra''s hand, he asked nervously, "ra, were you hurt?" Seeing him, ra quickly withdrew her hand and lowered her head. "I''m fine." Staring at ra, Darren was lost in her. Ashlee, who was embarrassed by what Darren was doing, was so angry that she stamped her foot. Everyone present was looking at them, a few who knew about their stories had begun to discuss. Someone said, "See? The uncle and the nephew don''t seem to get along." Another replied, " Darren seems to care a lot about his aunt. Have you forgotten how he was Horace didn''t like Darren being close to ra. In a terrifyingly cold voice, he said. "Darren, you''d better keep an eye on your fianc¨¦e." Darren was surprised at Horace''s words in public. Regardless of the Kirnd family''s reputation, he was pointing fingers at Ashlee and him. It seemed that Horace had done pretending and was ready to attack. Although he was in shock, he said politely to Horace, "I will, uncle." After that, he turned to look at ra, "I''m sorry, I apologize to you on behalf of my fianc¨¦e." Ashlee had always been arrogant and she was not happy about this. "Darren, I didn''t ask you to apologize for me! I¡­ I just failed to hold the ss just now. I didn''t do it on purpose!" Darren stared at her, indicating her to shut up. This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Horace and he weren''t blind, they knew if she did it on purpose or not. If it wasn''t for the fact that there were more and more people gathering here, Darren really wanted to teach Ashlee a lesson in front of ra. However, ra was worried that everyone would be embarrassed if this became big, so she said, "Since no injury was made, we should let it go. There is no need to apologize since this was simply an ident. Right, Horace?" Of course, Horace knew that she meant to let it go. However, Ashlee kept trying to hurt ra and she needed to be taught a lesson. What''s more, just now, at the auction, the diamond ne was reced by the amulet Helena gave ra. It might also be Ashlee who did it. Being stared at by Horace, Ashlee felt guilty and dared not look into his eyes. She looked away. In his wheelchair, Horace took a circle around Ashlee while looking at her up and down. Ashlee was so terrified and she sweated. "Miss Middleton, your sister is here. Have you said hello to her?" Horace suddenly asked. Ashlee was pissed. She couldn''t bring herself to say hello to that bitch, ra. Therefore, she ignored Horace. ra held a corner of Horace''s clothes and said in a low voice, "Horace, leave it." Horace couldn''t. He said to stair, "stair, I need your help with something. Ask the organizer of the auction to do an investigation on a diamond ne that got lost here today. It''s worth two million dors." While saying that, Horace kept staring at Ashlee. Upon hearing this, Ashlee''s face turned pale. Crap! If someone found it was her who reced the diamond ne, she might lose everything and might be thrown into jail! She quickly knew that Horace was threatening her. With a smile, she said to ra, "ra, look. Your husband is teasing me again. You shoulde home for dinner together someday. I''ve been missing you." ra seemed to have understood everything. It was indeed Ashlee who stole her amulet just now. Although she resented Ashlee for what she had done, Ashlee was a pregnant woman and she didn''t want to hold on to this. She said to stair and Horace, "Just let it go, it''s not a big deal. Horace, I feel like going home, let''s go home, shall we?" Seeing that Ashlee had given in and that ra had decided to let her go, Horace agreed. He didn''t care about the diamond ne but ra''s safety. Raising his head, Horace warned Ashlee, "Ashlee Middleton, listen to me. I''m giving you onest warning, be careful with your actions, or your family will pay for what you have done." Ashlee was terrified and she felt weak in her legs. Seeing that she was about to stumble, Darren hurriedly held her. Horace looked really terrifying just now. After saying that, Horace left the restaurant with ra. Standing there still and in a daze, stair stared at Horace and ra''s receding figure with his handkerchief in his hand. Just now, when he was wiping the red wine off of Horace''s arms, he felt it familiar somehow as if this had happened before. Chapter 134 The Man is Found Chapter 134 The Man is Found After Horace and ra left the auction, they got straight into their car and prepared to go home. With all that had happened at the charity auction, there was no telling what the rumors would be. Horace''s $10 million bid will surely be another Stratmont sensation and may even make the headlines. When ra arrived at the car, she took out a small handkerchief and wiped the wine stains from Horace''s arms and body. She whispered, "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault for causing you trouble again." Trouble? This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Horaceughed softly. ra, you are indeed a massive pain in the ass. But I am willing to be troubled by you, and with you by my side, I am eager to be so troubled for you every day. Horace patted her and said, "That''s okay, I like it." ra''s heart was grateful to Horace; she could feel his warmth and love every time. The things he does for her cannot be measured in terms of value. ra felt so happy to have Horace''s love. Since she grew up alone, ra has never known what love is. When she met Darren, she thought that was love and that she could live in the sunshine every day and be happy. But when she met Horace, ra finally knew what love was. Horace has been defending her from the start. On the day of the blind date, he took care of her meal expenses so that she wouldn''t make a fool of herself. Then, he wanted to marry her, indirectly solving the problem of ra''s ount so that her mother, Helena, could recover. Then, there was the uncountable love and heroic rescue; such a man was worthy of a lifetimemitment. ra suddenly couldn''t help but hug Horace. His chest was so warm and expansive, and ra feltfortable. She felt his warmth and heartbeat; at that moment, she just wanted to lean into his embrace and forget all her unhappiness. ra said, "Horace, thank you. Not thank you because of the ten million dors, thank you because of your love and protection of me, thank you." Horace''s heart heated up, and it was the first time ra had ever offered to hug him. She probably wasn''t angry with him anymore. Horace didn''t have time to react; what was wrong with ra? He asked carefully, "You''re not angry with me anymore?" "I stopped being angry a long time ago." ra said frankly, "I just thought before that you didn''t respect me enough; how could ... you treat me so dominantly, not at all gently, almost rudely. But when I think about it, you were, I think, just too angry at the time, and you can''t be med for all of it." Horace frowned, "You were just angry about that?" ra tilted her head sideways and asked curiously, "What else would I be angry about?" Horace thought that after all these days of cold-fighting, ra was angry because she cared about what Darren thought, and that''s why he was so upset. It turns out that wasn''t the case. Instead of answering ra''s question directly, Horace smiled and said, "It''s good that you''re not angry anymore." ra said, "So, you''re not angry either?" Horace wanted to ask about the photo of Darren kissing ra but didn''t want to remind ra of the man again. At the same time, it didn''t seem necessary to know. At this very moment, ra was sitting beside him, looking at him with such affection that he didn''t think anything mattered. He believed her. It was that simple. Horace said, "Silly girl, I stopped being angry long ago, too." "Then why have you ignored me all these days? It''s killing me inside." ra asked, frowning. Horace looked at ra''s delicate face and wondered what he would do with her. "I''m not ignoring you." He hugged her and whispered, "And not angry." ra frowned. So, he wasn''t angry. Did that mean he wasn''t jealous? "I thought you were jealous." "I was indeed jealous." Horace didn''t deny it either. ra''s heart sank. He added, "But I believe you, ra, I believe you. I''m just jealous." I believe you. Three simple words, but they warmed ra''s heart. Darren didn''t believed in her back then, but now Horace did. That''s the right person, right? That''s good. They looked at each other and smiled. The cold war that had been going on for so many days was because they cared too much about each other. Horace holds ra''s hand tightly and sps her fingers together. Looking at the beautiful ra in front of him, Horace felt a tightening in his throat. ra saw the burning gaze in Horace''s eyes. She ducked her head sheepishly. But Horace caught her chin, lifted it and kissed her on the lips. ra''s body began to soften, her heart full of affection. She could get rid of her previous passivity and kiss Horace alone. Horace is so moved that his heart flutters with it. Horace''s love grew, and ra''s arms wrapped around his neck. His lips felt like they were going to eat her, and ra let Horace have his way as she took his caresses, willingly giving him everything she had. The temperature in the carriage grew warmer as Horace murmured into her ear, "Go home and let me feed you well." ra breathed deeply, her chest heaving together, her face blushing more and more. The shyer she was, the more attractive she looked to Horace, and he sealed her lips with his again. They kissed, and the day''s events seemed to flow warmly through ra''s heart at that moment. ra melts too, like the icebergs of the Himyas melting away into bubbling cial water, nourishing each other''s hearts. When the car finally arrived at the vi, the driver and Isaac, red-faced, watched the two of them get out. It was only then that ra noticed someone else in the car and blushed, feeling the redness and heat on her cheeks from the kiss and hastily straightening her dress. Horace said, "Come on, let''s go home." They got out of the car, and ra pushed Horace into the house. Horace was thinking about how to have ra when he got a call from stair. What a wrong time for this bugger! Horace frowned and didn''t want to bother, so he hung up, but stair made a second call. Horace then stood up. He knew stair. He usually seemed to be indifferent. It must be something important for him to be so urgent. Horace said to ra, "You go up first; I''ll make a call." ra nodded and went upstairs first. And Horace got on the phone. stair panted on the phone, "Horace, Horace, I think I know who the man in the Millennium Hotel was two years ago who lost his silk scarf! I''ll tell you all about it at your house in a minute!" Horace''s expression changed all of a sudden. The man who did it two years ago was found? Chapter 135 The Night Two Years Ago Chapter 135 The Night Two Years Ago Horace, shocked, hung up the phone and went back upstairs to his room. He was thrilled to see ra changing but said nothing, "You''ve had a long day; go back to your bedroom and get some rest." ra knelt andy close to his legs, saying, "What about you? You''re more tired than me today, aren''t you?" Horace said, "I''m waiting for stair; he''sing to see meter for something." "Oh, okay. Don''t stay up toote." ra nodded and went ahead to take a shower. In the bathroom, ra was lost in thought. ra was overwhelmed by everything that had happened at the auction today. First Laura''s diamond pen, to the loss of the peace amulet, to Horace''s $10 million auctions for the peace amulet, Darren and Ashlee''s fight, Ashlee''s pregnancy and Horace''s drink blocking ... ra inevitably feels many emotions. Water is gentle, mainly as the warm water flows over ra''s body, each stream of heat invading her skin and flowing from her hair to her feet; ra''s tense nerves are instantly relieved, sofortable. ra thought of Horace. He had bought her mother''s peace charm at the auction for $10 million and had stood up to Ashlee''s spilt red wine in case she was hurt, and he was always there when she was in danger ... It''s just that there seem to be many obstacles between ra and Horace, like Darren, Laura and the truth about what happened two years ago. Perhaps Horace doesn''t care, but what happened two years ago will always be a thorn in ra''s side, often stabbing her in the heart. But who didn''t have a past? The fire and Laura were the thorns in Horace''s side. He still had to pretend to be disabled and got tons of things to deal with. On the other side the living room. Horace had been watching the news on his phone for a while but hadn''t even read a word. What stair said on the phone had thrown Horace into contemtion. What was the truth, and could stair solve the mystery? For a moment, Horace was suddenly terrified of knowing the truth. Because, as often happens, the truth is terrible. Horace waited anxiously, and it was some time before stair arrived. The nanny went back, and Horace got up from his wheelchair. Everything about the auction was not exhausting; it was the wheelchair that was the most tiring. Horace poured stair a ss of wine. stair took it and said, "How could you still dare to drink red wine? You''ve had it all over you, addicted to it?" He put his nose up, sniffed Horace''s clothes, then covered his nose and said, "Such a strong smell of wine, huh? You seem to be a good drinker, man." Horace asked impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense and tell me, what did you mean by what you said on the phone? Any luck with the silk scarf?" stair looked pleased and said, "It''s been a long night. What''s your hurry? s, you''re a man with no sense of humor, always acting cool, aren''t you tired?" Horace sat down on the sofa and said, "Stop it! Come on, tell me about the silk scarf; what do you remember, don''t test my patience." "All right, fine." stair threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender and said, "There''s someone you have to thank on the auction. She''s the one who reminded me of something rted to the silk scarf." "Who?" Horace waited for stair''s answer. stairughed aloud at the sight of Horace''s eagerness and said, "Look at your anxious face, tsk tsk. You don''t get to see this every day, haha!" Horace grabbed stair by the cor and said aggressively, "Enough! Spit it out! Who is it, who is she!" "Let go of your hand, hey! Alright, I''ll tell you!" Horace let go of his hand, and stair said as he took a step back in a hurry. "It''s Ashlee! If she hadn''t thrown red wine at ra, you, Horace saved the day with red wine spilt all over you; I wouldn''t have remembered it. I thought I''d seen this before when I was wiping you with a silk scarf. ..." stair pretended to be pondering. Horace waited dumbly. Suddenly, he realized something was wrong! Horace closed in on stair, locked his eyes and threatened, "stair, what bloody time is it? Will you stop selling out, or I''ll be unkind to you!" "Geez, I''m just trying to break the ice. Look at you..." stair watched Horace while keptughing and crooked his finger at him, said, "Come on, serve the mister." "Had enoughughing? Had enough?" Horace was going to take stair down if he kept up the charade! stair had enough ofughing and then said to Horace, "Horace, I can tell you about the silk scarf, but you have to promise me one condition." Horace had guessed that and said, "I knew it! Go ahead." "Pinkie swear!" stair made a gesture of a hook. Horace batted away the gesture stair had shed and said, "I still need that?" stair smiled and said, "Restore my silk scarf factory immediately, I am innocent, and it is wronged. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Horace, it''s all your fault; you don''t even know how many girls I''ve lost in the meantime!" Horace sat back down and said, "It won''t be hard to recover the scarf factory, but it depends on the value of the clues you provide." "Don''t worry. It''s absolutely valuable." stair sat down and said, "And, definitely the truth you can''t imagine." The truth. Horace''s heart was beating a little faster. ra was at the Millennium Hotel two years ago, with whom exactly... Horace dared not think any further. stair suddenly asked, "Horace, do you want to hear it?" "Yes." "Sure?" Horace let out a deep breath and said, "I''m sure. I can take it; go ahead." "All right then." stair sat down peacefully and said thoughtfully, "Do you remember, two years ago, it was also a party like this, and you and Logan Hutchinson had an argument and a nasty fight. You identally got red wine on your clothes, and I lent you my silk scarf." Horace thought hard and replied, "It seems like there was such a thing." Horace remembered that night after he and Logan had argued and had drunk too much wine as if he wasn''t feeling too well; he left halfway through the party before it was over. The venue for that party, he remembered, was a ce not far from the Millennium Hotel. stair saw that Horace was reminiscing, and his expression seemed to change quickly, so he put on a bitchy face and said, "So, young master Mr. Kirnd, do you remember anything?" "I ... I ..." Horace was momentarily speechless. This time it was stair''s turn to be rushed by Horace, and he said hurriedly, "And then what, you got drunk, and then, you went to the Millennium Hotel ..." Horace suddenly remembered that night two years ago! Chapter 136 He Remembered. Chapter 136 He Remembered. Horace remembered it all! That night, two years ago, Horace was attending a dinner party where famous people gathered. At the dinner party, he argued with Logan over Laura. While arguing with Logan, he noticed that he was getting weaker and weaker in consciousness, and his body was burning as if he had a fever. Later, he realized that perhaps the wine he had just drunk was not right like someone had drugged him. He feared he was in danger and rushed to get Isaac to take him to the nearest hotel. Horace thought of this, grabbed the phone and called Isaac, "Hello? Isaac, do you remember a party two years ago when I came out and said I hadn''t been drinking properly and asked you to take me to the nearest hotel? Do you remember that happening? What was the name of that hotel?" Not knowing how Isaac would have answered over the phone, stair watched as Horace''s phone Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. slowly fell from his hands. stair asked, "What did Isaac say? Did he send you to the Millennium Hotel, did he?" Horace nodded, unable to believe it was true. Such a coincidence? "Indeed!" stair asked, "So, do you remember what happened next, Horace?" Horace was convinced by Isaac''s confirmation that his memory was correct. He remembered the whole story. That day, Isaac had taken him to the Millennium Hotel, and since the hotel''s upscale suites were full, Isaac had given him a regr room so he could get some rest, and then Isaac had gone back to get him a change of clothes. Horace remembered that the drugs were so potent that his body felt on fire, and he couldn''t help but unbutton his shirt to feel calmer. However, after a short while, Horace''s body started to stir again, like a purring cat that had to find a woman. Horace couldn''t stand it any longer; his body was so ufortable that it felt like a bomb had been nted. He had to go out and find a woman to solve his problem, and the sooner, the better! Horace remembered that he was stumbling out the door, his face burning and mouth dry. He found an old man in the next room, helping a drunken woman get a room. Horace thought that an old man with such lewd looks holding a limp, beautiful woman in his arms must not be in a rtionship; this woman must be taking money from him to provide him with a service! Great, there was a stranger woman right before him. Just get this deal. Horace stopped the old man straight away. Of course, the old man didn''tply at first. Still, seeing that Horace had offered him several times as much money and that Horace was dressed in regal clothes and was no ordinary person, the old man had to give up and handed over an unconscious beauty into Horace''s arms walked away. Next, Horace helped the woman into the room. Then, he turned into a beast and pounced on the woman lying on the bed, and he smelled her hair; there was a fresh, faint floral scent. Horace guessed, could it be that the woman he had bought that night was ra? But he couldn''t remember what the woman looked like at the time; her eyebrows and eyes seemed very simr to ra''s, including her body and skin and the smell of her hair, all very intimate. stair looked at Horace''s expression and suddenly interrupted his recollection, smiled and asked him, "Hey man, shouldn''t I congratte you!" Horace was stunned, but inwardly, he was filled with joy. ra''s first time wasn''t to an older man or some other silk-scarfed guy, but himself! It seemed that Horace had remembered all of it. Sure enough, stair''s suspicions were correct! Now he could clear his name! stair said, "Its fate that the two of you havee to meet each other! So, you and sister-inw are having a shotgun wedding! Gee, you guys are so bold!" Horace turned on him again and said, "I forbid you to talk about ra like that." stair said, "I''m talking about you! Now that''s a relief for you. Dude, you gave me a job, and I did it with honor! You see... my silk scarf factory, can I start running again? You can''t go rogue!" Horace said, "OPEN, and have your silk scarf factory open tomorrow. Now, you can go back." stair wanted to get drunk with Horace until dawn, and he kicked him out. What a man with a wife and no brotherhood. Anyway, the truth was out, Horace had remembered, and he was destined to have a hard night''s sleep. When Horace returned to his room, ra was already asleep, and Horace looked at her face. She was sleeping soundly, with a smile on her lips, wondering what good dreams she was having. Her narrow shoulders were half exposed, and Horace could not resist reaching out to touch them. Afraid of disturbing her sleep, he dared not move, pulling the quilt up to cover her shoulders. The moment he did so, Horace thought again of that night two years ago. He remembered that night, but because it had happened so unexpectedly, he didn''t remember it was the Millennium Hotel, nor did he think it was such a coincidence. Horace remembered that he had had a very rxing time that night, a rare asion when he had not resisted a strange woman, after the number of women who had offered themselves to him before, all of whom he had firmly rejected. He thought it was because the drug was too potent and he couldn''t control himself, but now he thought it was ra that he didn''t resist. Thinking about it, Horace felt that he and ra were meant to be in the dark. A hurried night two years ago had brought them back to meet, marry and love each other again one day two yearster. Could it be that on that night, he hade to like her? Why else had he not resisted her body but rather lusted for it and reminisced it somewhat? Horace remembers that two years ago, after a night offort, he woke up to find the bed surprisingly stained with blood and realized that the woman had given her first time to him, which was precious to a woman. Horace was afraid of short-changing the woman and asked Isaac to leave her $10,000 as Because it waste at night, the room was unlit, and the woman was lying with her back to him, he did not get a good look at her, so when ra appeared in front of him, he did not recognize her either. His memory of that night was confusing and vague. He wouldn''t have remembered it if stair hadn''t reminded him today. As Horace was lost in thought, ra rolled over in bed, and her eyes slowly opened to see Horace staring at her, thinking that stair must havee and gone. ray on her back, looking at him, rubbing her eyes sleepily, and asked him, "What''s wrong? What are you staring at?" Horace stroked her head and said gently, "Nothing, I just thought it was nice meeting you." Chapter 137 Mrs. Kirklands Photo Chapter 137 Mrs. Kirnd''s Photo Horace doesn''t sleep and looks at ra like this, baffling her. She asked, "Why are you staring at me? Is something wrong again?" "Oh, nothing." Horace didn''t want to tell ra about what happened two years ago. Horace leaned down and kissed ra on the lips. Yes, that''s what it felt like then; he was so stupid. If only he had known it was her, he would have been tenderer. Horace told ra in his mind, "We''re together again, but you don''t know it''s me yet." ra was aroused by Horace''s kiss and ran her hands over his firm back. She had fallen in love with his body. It was warm andforting, sofortable that it felt like she was touching a cloud and her body floated up into the sky. Horace gently undid her nightdress and slid his hands gently over her white, delicate skin, inch by inch, letting his hands remember ra''s body inch by inch, so that he would never forget or mistake it for another, to be one with his body, entwined and never separated. It was a night of tender, passionate love and pleasure. The next day, Horace came to the office heartily and called in Isaac. He said to Isaac, "You don''t have to investigate the truth about two years ago. I already know who the man was who touched ra that night." Isaac looked at his boss in amazement, a significant plot reversal? Before Isaac could ask, Horace asked him, "Do you remember two years ago when I was drugged in my drink? Was it the Millennium Hotel you that you took me to back then?" He wanted to double-check with Isaac. "Yes, you asked me on the phonest night... Millennium Hotel! Oh my God, Mr. Kirnd!" Isaac also realized what Horace meant, and he got it, shocked, "Could it be that the woman who slept with Mr. Kirnd that night was Mrs. Kirnd?" Horace nodded. Isaac was happy for Horace, too; it was a match made in heaven! By mistake, they had saved Mrs. Kirnd from evil men. And two years after Horace and ra''s one-night stand, they met, fell in love, and married without knowing it? Isaac happily asked Horace, "Mr. Kirnd, does Mrs. Kirnd know about it?" Horace said, "I''m not going to tell her yet." Isaac was confused. Why not? Telling re meant that both of them would be happy, right? Horace didn''t exin why; he just told Isaac that he had to do something. On the other side, in the magazine publishingpany. In the afternoon, ra returned to the office from an interview, and when she saw the group of people chattering and bickering again, her head turned into two big ones. ra asks, "What are you guys looking at again?" Sarah pulled ra over to watch with her. She said, "Someone has got a wonderful picture on the inte of that Solrace Corporation president Mr. Kirnd and his wife that we interviewed together earlier. Come take a look!" ra was shocked to hear Sarah''s words. They were being photographed! No way, things were going to be exposed. She didn''t want to be found out so soon that she was Mrs. Kirnd. She tried to get into as little trouble as possible with people pointing fingers behind her back. "No, no, I don''t want to see it!" ra tensed up all of a sudden; what was she going to do if they recognized her? How was she going to exin! Would people alienate her because she was Mrs. Kirnd? Sarah said, "What are you afraid of? An ugly daughter-inw will always have to meet her parents-in- An ugly daughter-inw always had to meet her parents-inw? Did the paparazzi already know... ra''s heart was pounding; oh no, oh no, they''ve identified her! What should she do? Should she run away? The photographer, Luis, said, "Oh my God, who took this? There is no professionalism, blurred, not clear at all!" Sarah also said, "It''s a shame, isn''t it? What a rare image! But it is Mr. Kirnd; his noble and handsome aura cannot be hidden." A colleague said, "Yes, he''s in a wheelchair in this picture... I think the only person in a wheelchair among Stratmont''s business people is Mr. Kirnd from Solrace Corporation." Sarah said, "What? Are you men jealous too? Hmm." What, the photo was vague, great! But still, Horace was recognized, and what about her? Probably not. ra was surprised. How lucky she was! She went up to look at the photo, and there was no mistaking that it was Horace and her; it had been taken secretly in the hall of the charity auction. The photo was so unclear that it was impossible to see her face, and the dress she was wearing was new; they had never seen her dressed like that before, so how could they recognized Mrs. Kirnd in that photo as her? ra was relieved. Soon it was time to leave work, and everyone was still studying the photo and searching the inte for news and pictures of the day of the charity auction, but unfortunately, they had no luck. All the news about the auction on the inte was very official, with nothing substance, except for the photo of Horace and Mrs. Kirnd posted by an anonymous snapper, which was of some interest. ra doesn''t want to stay here for a moment; her heart keeps beating faster and faster, afraid that at any moment, they will find a clue and recognize her. When it was time to leave, ra was the first to get up and leave the office. The photographer, Luis, roared, "ra, get off work and leave? We''ve arranged to have dinner together; why don''t youe along too?" While carrying her bag, ra turned back to Luis and said, "Another time, you guys take your time; I''m going home first." Home was such a warm word. Horace might have been waiting for her at home for dinner together. Then in the evening, they could nestle on the sofa and watch a movie together, just like an ordinary young couple, normal but happy. ra''s departure suddenly inspired Luis, the photographer, to go back over the stolen photos and He noticed something, tapped Sarah on the shoulder, and said, "Why do I think this ra looks so much like the person in the photo, don''t you?" Sarah said, "No, ra never dresses up. Could this be her? She''s Mrs. Kirnd? It can''t be." Sarah didn''t believe it and thought that Luis must have been looking at the photos and was obsessed. But Luis, the photographer, has always had a very sharp eye! Everyone listened to Luis, the photographer, took a closer look at the photos and thought about how simr ra looked!This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 138 Who the Hell is Her Hubby? Chapter 138 Who the Hell is Her Hubby? ra was thinking about Horace''s face on the road when he was working, eating, angry and happy... Loving someone just can''t stop thinking about them. Her mind is now full of Horace, Horace, Horace... ra was sitting in the car, opening her phone and swiping through Twitter. The headline on Twitter was the news of Solrace Corporation, with many re-tweets andments. Horace''s group ofpanies would release a new fund and the amount was enormous. It would be the first time in the history of Stratmont''s financial world, quite powerful and of vital significance. The inte is buzzing about Horace, mostly withplimentary words. [Wow, Solrace is a big deal, we''ll see what happens!] [I''m proud to be a Solrace employee!] [I''m in love with Horace again, he''s so handsome and intelligent!] [I want to get his kiss; his wife is so lucky to be able to kiss him every day.] ra was so proud to see how good her husband was. Horace is a perfect man; although he looks cool outside and doesn''t talk much, his heart is very soft. ra got out of the car happily, and when she passed a dessert shop on the way, she went in and bought a cake to celebrate Horace. When ra got home with the cake, Horace had just arrived. The housekeeper had already made the meal and then went back from work. Horace asked ra, "What''s the matter? So happy and bought a cake?" ra smiled and said, "I''ve been browsing Twitter today, and the screen is full of Solrace Corporation''s new fundunch. I''m happy for you, so I stopped by and bought a cake to celebrate. Do you like this vor?" Horace opened the cake box, and inside was a tiramisu cake. ra had observed that Horace didn''t like anything too sweet, and the tiramisu had a slight bitterness that was just right. Horace said, "I like all the ones you bought." ra blushed and changed the subject, "Yourpany''s fund will be released soon, right?" Horace said, "The grouppany is preparing to release a new fund, and on the day when the fund is finalized, I''m going to bring you along to theunch and also have your GLAM interviewed." As soon as she heard about the interview, ra''s eyes lit up. She stood up, bowed to him and said, "Thank you, Mr. Kirnd, for taking care of our GLAM." Horace didn''t smile either. He deliberately put on a boss face, pointed to the greens on the table and said, "I want to eat this. You feed me." ra deliberately picked up a piece of roast pork with chopsticks and put it in Horace''s mouth. Horace shook his head and said, "Feed me with your mouth." When Horace''s eyebrows gathered, ra was about to get angry, and he said, "Do you still want to cover ourunch?" Was that supposed to be a threat? This cunning man! ra thought to herself, but she was at his mercy for the sake of the magazine publishingpany. ra dutifully took the roast meat in her mouth and came over to Horace, who reached out, grabbed her, and scoop ra onto hisp. Horace''s mouth caught the roast meat and then kissed ra firmly on the lips. In the next few days, Horace was very busy with the fund, asionally travelling, meeting often, and ra was so concerned that she waited for him toe home every night no matter howte it was, gave him a massage, and let him manipte her and caress her with reckless abandon. Horace said the body was out, but the mind was rxed, and he needed it. On this day, several GLAM people gathered around to discuss the next issue of the theme content. The group felt that nothing had been excitingtely, and the only big news was that Solrace Corporation wasunching a new fund. However, not every media is eligible to attend the fundunch, and if other magazines steal such a good news topic, their sales of this issue will probably hit rock bottom. When everyone was distressed, ra suddenly said cautiously, "Maybe, we can also participate in the conference." The managing editor suddenly saw hope and remembered that the picture of Horace and Ynda Zachman dating together was taken earlier. Wasn''t it ra''s work? Everyone asked her in unison, "Do you have a solution?" ra, as Mrs. Kirnd, was too sheepish to speak out for a while. Sarah hurriedly nudged ra and said, "Good ra, tell us, tell us, we''re dying!" ra gathered enough courage to say, "Actually, my husband told me a few days ago that we, GLAM, were also on the list of media invited by Solrace Corporation. Maybe, they haven''t had the time to inform us yet." Wow, ra''s husband is too powerful! Everyone cheered! This year''s GLAM buzz is going to be huge! The inside scoop is that they''ll be able to start preparing earlier and catch the opposing magazine off guard! Sarah said, "ra, your husband is so nice; I admire him so much! If it''s about Solrace Corporation, he''s got it all figured out! Your husband must be no ordinary employee!" ra didn''t dare look up at everyone and said, "No, he''s not that good either... Maybe it''s just a coincidence..." Stephanie chimed in, "No matter what, ra, you saved us all again, the whole magazine publishing "Yes, yes, dinner, dinner!" "Yes, ra is the lucky star of ourpany! Call your husband ande with us!" ra waved her hand and said, "No, no, no, there''s no need to be so polite. My husband has been workingtetely." Diane was so furious at the side and said in a foul tone, "ra, what does your husband do at Solrace Corporation? He''s so good at it; there''s nothing he doesn''t know. Is he a cleaner who can wander into every office?" This sharp-tongued Diane. Sarah and Stephanie red at her. She was the one who always jumped on the bandwagon and made fun of ra, the ck-hearted and jealous woman! Sarah couldn''t help but gossip again and asked, "ra, tell us what your husband does. Please tell us. It''s definitely not a cleaner. Someone has always been a green-eyed monster!" Diane said, "Sarah, who are you talking about?" "Who am I talking about?" Sarah looked at her askance and said, "What do you think?" "Hmph!" Diane picked up her notebook and left the office in a huff. Facing everyone''s endless questions and curious eyes, ra said helplessly, "Sorry, I just remembered that I have another interviewter; I have to leave soon. Let''s talk next time, let''s talk next time." ra fled. The people in the office became more curious about the identity of ra''s husband. What was so secretive about ra''s husband? She repeatedly refused to introduce him... Chapter 139 Valeries Taunt Chapter 139 Valerie''s Taunt ra was leaving the office when she received an unexpected phone call from her father, Glenn. Glenn said, "ra, I heard your mother woke up. Has she been welltely? Has she been hospitalized again?" ra replied, "Mum has woken up and is okay; she needs to recuperate now." Glenn reminisced. Back then, Helena, her dark hair fell to her shoulders, and her red lips were as beautiful as a red spider lily. He had fallen in love with her at first sight. However, the Middleton family''s business had always had dealings with Valerie''s family. At that time, the Middleton family faced a severe crisis and dared not offend Valerie. He had no choice but to abandon Helena at the beginning. He hoped that she would forgive him. After all these years, his daughter ra has always held a grudge against him for his treachery, and Valerie has not let go of Helena and has never let him get close to her. Now that Helena has woken up, he misses her and just wants to call her and hear her voice. When Glenn was holding the phone and didn''t know what to say, Valerie came to Glenn''s side at some point, and she snatched up the phone. "Hello, is this ra? It''s Valerie. the family is having dinner together this weekend, and you must As soon as ra heard Valerie Bet''s voice on the phone, hatred rose in her heart again. How ra didn''t want to go to dinner; she had had enough of the family treating her like thest time she went to dinner; she avoided it if she could. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. So, she said, "Sorry, I''m afraid I have to workte on Sunday." Valerie smiled coldly and said, "Overtime? Don''t worry. Your brother-inw is your boss, isn''t he? Just ask him to spare you a night. I don''t care. You have toe this Sunday." Why did she have toe, and would Valerie be so kind as to invite her? ra couldn''t refuse her and had to agree. Valerie hung up the phone with satisfaction and gave Glenn a nk look as she said, "Don''t look for Helena again. Just pretend that she hasn''t woken up." Glenn wanted to ask more about Helena, but when Valerie hung up the phone, he also bowed his head and kept quiet, thinking that he would ask about her secretly when his daughter returned for dinner on Sunday. Horace saw ra''s troubled face and knew that the person on the other end of the phone must not be friendly. Horace asked her, "What about I go with you?" ra hesitated momentarily and said, "Forget it. I''d rather go by myself." It wasn''t that ra didn''t want Horace to go to her father''s ce. It was just that knowing the situation at home and the faces of those people, she didn''t want Horace to get involved in such a family. ra wanted to have a little more dignity in front of Horace, who was sure to protect herself from what would be another tangled drama. On Sunday, ra arrived at the Middleton house as promised. The door to the Middleton house was closed, and ra gently clicked on it. The housekeeper came out to open the door and invited her in. Valerie was sitting on the sofa having tea with Ashlee and Darren sitting opposite her. Valerie stood up smugly when she saw raing. She said, "What took you so long to get here? The whole family was waiting for you." Darren looked back, and his heart fluttered when he saw it was ra. ra said, "Sorry, there was traffic." Darren hastily rounded up and said, "Oh, that''s okay, we''ve just arrived too." Ashlee''s expression was muted, not wanting to pay ra any attention or look at her. Valerie told the housekeeper, "Tell my husband it''s time for dinner. I don''t know what he''s doing in the study." ra thought that Valerie seemed happier than usual today and was surprised that she wasn''t being difficult, was there something that made her happy? Glenn came out of the study and was very happy to see ra. With a smile, he said, "ra, you''re here. Come on, let''s go to dinner." ra followed Glenn to the dining table. The table was beautifully decorated, with arge bouquet, a good spread of food and a bottle of wine that Glenn had kept for years. Everyone was already seated, and a ss of wine was poured for each of them. Valerie then raised her ss and said, "Today is a special day, and I am thrilled. Our little girl, Ashlee, is pregnant! She and Darren are getting married." Said Valerie, her expression unmistakably full of braggadocio. ra finally understood why Valerie had toe to this meal by herself; she was here to show off. That was Valerie. Valerie was very ingratiating with Darren and kept giving him food during the meal. Valerie saw ra eating with her head down and not saying anything, her brow furrowed, and Valerie thought she was feeling inferior. So, she said to ra, "ra, you''re married too. Why don''t you bring your husband here today so your father can see him? Is he too poor that you''re ashamed of bringing him here? Oh,e to think of it, how can your husband bepared to our Darren." ra put down her chopsticks and said, "I''m full; you guys take your time." Valerie said, "What''s the hurry? Have a few more drinks. Don''t spoil the fun on such a happy day." Ashlee tried to stop Valerie''s actions, but she simply ignored or didn''t even understand them. Darren felt bad watching ra being tormented by Valerie; he wanted to protect her so badly. But who is he to? He and Ashlee are about to get married. Valerie continues, "Look at that wedding ring on your hand; it''s low quality. Can your husband afford to support you? You can''t juste back to your father and ask for money. Sadly, a woman without charm and virginity has to marry a poor man, and that''s the end of her life. A woman should be able to live afortable life with her clothes on her back and food on her table; that makes her happy. It''s a pity, ra; I feel sorry for you. I feel so sorry for you." "Mum, say something else." Ashlee tried to tell her mother to shut up and stop talking. Valerie didn''t want to. She was going to show ra today that she would never be better than her daughter. Valerie added, "Ashlee is just being kind and is afraid that you will have an inferiorityplex as a sister. You have to get over it. You''re never going to get ahead in life. It''s not easy for poor people to make money, and when will you be rich? It''s a matter of talent! Darren is the Kirnd family''s youngest member and was born with a silver spoon. I''m sure Darren won''t let Ashlee suffer if she follows him." "Mum! Stop it." Valerie''s words made Ashlee even more embarrassed, knowing that ra''s husband was so good and what her mother was saying now was just going to p her face. Valerie wasn''t ready to give up showing off and was just about to speak up again when Glenn suddenly received a phone call. When he heard the person speaking on the phone, his whole expression changed. Chapter 140 the Middleton Family Crisis Chapter 140 the Middleton Family Crisis When Glenn Middleton hung up the phone, his face grim, like one out of his mind. Valerie approached to ask him, "What''s wrong? You don''t look well." The more Glenn tried to be calm, the more was exposed. Valerie began to be worried. He said, "The business of the Middleton family was suddenly investigated. I don''t know who did it. Maybe all thepany''s money will be frozen." This news was so appalling! Valerie turned pale and she didn''t believe it was true. Her voice trembled, "You''re lying to me, aren''t you? Glenn, talk to me! Talk! Please tell me this, this is not true. It can''t be..." Glenn looked so sad that he couldn''t smile. He looked serious. "It''s true! Ourpany is on the ropes!" Ashlee and Valerie both turned blue on their faces. The Middleton family had invested a lot in this business and has also asked for a bank loan. If the funds were frozen after investigation, it would mean that the business wouldn''t work out and the Middleton family was in danger of bankruptcy! Ashlee was too anxious to care about her image, who looked very flustered. After she managed to get Darren back, the Middleton family was in trouble now! What would Darren think about her? Would he marry a penniless woman? She ran to Darren and begged, "Darren, what should I do? Help us find a way! There must be no ident, or our family will break!" Valerie panicked too. Frozen funds, dear God! They would be impoverished! If her glory and wealth had disappeared, she would die! Valerie asked Glenn, "Glenn, what''s the matter with you? How can ourpany be investigated? Have you offended someone? Or have you been cheated? Why is my life so hard? After so many years of being with you, I can finally enjoy my life. But the money in ourpany has been frozen, and there is a lot of debt to the bank. We can''t pay it off for the rest of our life!" After saying this, Valerie began to cry. Ashlee hurried forward tofort her, and she also cried. Darren frowned, "Don''t worry, uncle and aunt. I''ll find out. I''ll help you. Don''t worry and take care of yourselves." Glenn also reproached himself. However, it was too sudden. He was careful about such a big business that he had investigated the detailed background of the other party very clearly which should be no problem. He didn''t know why they were suddenly investigated and the funds were frozen directly. Darren went to the window to make several calls. ra was also shocked by the family ident. Just now, Valerie was still showing off her rich life and Darren, a rich son-inw. The next second, she was facing the dilemma of being poor to sleep on the street. The fate of life was unpredictable. While Valerie was still sitting there crying, Ashlee and Glenn were also in a bad mood. When Darren came back after the call, he looked even worse. "It seems to be not so easy. The other is very mysterious and powerful. Even my men can''t make it clear. I can''t find out who it is at once." Valerie cried louder after hearing what he said! She bawled desperately, "Who is going against the Middleton family? Who would do that?" Glenn was sitting on the sofa with his hand putting on his heart. Seeing this, Darren quickly poured him a cup of hot water andforted him. Seeing they were sad, ra felt that it was unnecessary to stay there. She wanted tofort Glenn, but she was afraid that they thought she wouldugh at them. So she quietly left the Middleton family without saying anything. Ashlee glimpsed ra leaving, and suddenly thought of Horace''s warning! Horace said that if she hurt ra again, he would make her and the Middleton family pay a price! Ashlee felt a chill down her spine. Yes, it must be! It must be Horace who did this. Otherwise, who could have such a power to act so quickly and ruthlessly in Stratmont? By this time, ra had reached the yard at the gate. Ashlee immediately ran after ra and held her arm to prevent her from leaving. ra was startled, "Ashlee, what do you want? I didn''t do anything to provoke you. Let go of me." "You have the face to say that? ra, you are heartless!" Ashlee said sternly, "You''re even so cruel to your father? Devil! Witch!" Hearing Ashlee''s words, ra was still confused. She didn''t understand. Ashlee questioned, "Did you deliberately ask Horace to teach us a lesson to seal thepany, freeze funds, and destroy our business? My father is also your father. How can you be so shameless! I was with Darren, so you came to revenge us, didn''t you? " Where did thise from? ra never told Horace about these. She wouldn''t do this to vent her anger! ra felt very innocent and said, "Don''t be the first offends to firstin. I''m not as wicked as you said. Do you think I would do these things like you? Ashlee, I tell you, I didn''t do it! It''s unnecessary." No matter how ra denied it, Ashlee believed that it was her who encouraged Horace to do this. Her tone was even worse, "Not to mention that you''re having an affair with my fianc¨¦. Now you''re sending your husband to ruin the Middleton family business. You want to cut off our source of wealth and live a poor life like you, right? ra Selman, I underestimate you! Call Horace and tell him to stop! Hurry, hurry up!" Hearing Ashlee swear, ra could not bear it and looked angry. How could she have such a spiteful and heartless biological sister! ra said expressionless, "Ashlee, please be polite! I''ve never hooked up with Darren or asked Horace to deal with you. It''s all your imagination! I''m going to leave. I hope I''ve never known you. How pathetic." "Stop right there!" Ashlee tugged at ra, not letting her go. "ra, you can''t leave until you solve the problem today. Come back! Bitch!" ra and Ashlee were pushing and pulling in the garden. Ashlee fell carelessly. ra instinctively stepped forward to help her, but Ashlee shook her arms off. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. "I don''t need your help! ra, stop pretending!" Ashlee screamed, "I know very well how jealous you''ve always been. You just can''t bear to see that Darren and I are getting married. Just like when we were young, you secretly ruined my princess dress!" Chapter 141 Princess Dress Chapter 141 Princess Dress ra was confused, "Princess dress? What princess dress?" Ashlee smiled coldly, "Knock it off. You have such a poor memory." Although ra forgot, Ashlee remembered clearly. Ashlee said angrily, "When we were young, I bought a very beautiful Disney limited edition princess dress. You were jealous of me. Once, when we all went out to travel, you deliberately ruin it! You forgot your dirty deeds, but I remember them very well!" Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. After thinking for a long time, ra remembered. It seemed that there was a case. When ra was a little girl, once Helena was ill and couldn''t take care of her, so she sent ra to Glenn for taking care of her temporarily. One day, Ashlee came home very happy, having a Disney limited edition princess dress in her hand, which was very, very beautiful. ra had never seen such a beautiful dress before and she was envious. Every girl loved a princess in her heart. ra also had a princess dream when she was a child. ra told Ashlee that she wanted to wear the princess dress for once. But Ashlee didn''t allow it. She also scolded ra as a lowlife, who didn''t deserve to wear a princess dress. She should wear a beggar''s clothes to beg for food! ra was so sad that she went back to the room alone without having supper. However, ra still liked the dress very much. At that time, when Ashlee and her family went out, she was left at home alone. She wanted to wear the princess dress secretly. Just once, she would return it soon after trying. In this way, no one would know. So that day, ra ran to the street alone, wearing the dress secretly. There was no one on the street. She felt as if she had entered a fairy tale world. She was very excited. It was a happy day. But... Something happenedter. She ruined the dress. Ashlee got angry when she came back, and Glenn and Valerie punished her severely. ra frowned slightly. It was a long time ago. She didn''t want to remember it because it was unpleasant. so her memory was not clear about that. If Ashlee hadn''t reminded her, she wouldn''t remember at all. And now, she even couldn''t remember many details. For example, how was the dress ruined? While ra was still trying to remember, Ashlee suddenly spoke to interrupt her thoughts. "ra! You can''t deny it by saying nothing! You''ve been a jealous bitch since childhood. Now you go even further. You want to get my man! You want to ruin my family! How can there be such a vicious woman like you in the world!" ra could bear it no more and retorted, "I said that I was not interested in your things. I''m sorry to ruin your princess dress, but it was an ident. Besides, you didn''t let me go and let me wash the dishes in your house for many days. Ashlee, the misfortune of your family has nothing to do with me." Although ra didn''t admit it, Ashlee still thought that the investigation on the Middleton family business must have something to do with her. But she didn''t want to talk to Ashlee, so she ignored Ashlee and left impatiently. On the way, ra suddenly remembered another thing. Once, Horace showed ra a picture. The little girl in the photo, who was his childhood benefactor, seemed to be wearing the same dress as Ashlee''s Disney limited edition princess dress. ra thought it was a coincidence. Ashlee''s suspicion about the investigation was not impossible, because it happened too fast, just shortly after the charity auction. ra decided to go home to ask Horace about the matter so that Ashlee wouldn''t tangle with her about it in the future. In the Kirnd family. Horace was waiting for ra, sitting in a wheelchair at the door. ra was stunned and said, "Why are you sitting alone in the wind? Hurry back. I''ll ask the nanny to make you a bowl of ginger soup." Horace looked at ra carefully and said, "Are you alright? Did the people in the Middleton family create difficulties for you?" ra shook her head, spinning around in front of Horace, "I''m fine. Look, I standing here, alive and kicking, right?" Horace was relieved and returned to the living room with ra. After the nanny made a bowl of ginger soup, ra urged Horace to drink it while it was hot. Looking at Horace and ra hesitated, "I went to the Middleton family''s house today. It turned out that Valerie wanted to tell me that Ashlee and Darren were going to get married. Suddenly, my father received a call from the Middleton familypany. A big business was under investigation, its capital was frozen. They had a bank loan and were about to bankrupt." Horace nodded. "I know." ra asked him, "You know this? So Ashlee has guessed it right? You''re behind this?" Horace didn''t mean to deny it. "Yes, I want to teach them a lesson, especially Ashlee." ra knew that Horace was defending her and giving vent to her anger. He was worried about her safety, so he just sat in the wind to wait. For the first time, someone was willing to apany her and protect her. ra was very moved. How could she me him? However, if the Middleton family copsed, their days were gonna be miserable. ra had experienced the bitter days before, so she didn''t really want to see them suffer that much. Horace saw that ra seemed unhappy, so he asked, "Can''t you bear it? Don''t be too kind to your enemy, or the enemy will think you are too weak and hurt you." Now that things had happened, what else could ra do? Did she want to let Horace down? If she became softhearted to them, she would be too ungrateful. Horace looked frightening when he was angry. ra had witnessed that before. ra sighed, "Forget it. I know you are thinking about me. Besides, I never want to care about the Middleton family which has nothing to do with me. You can do whatever you want. Just... Give them some lessons. I don''t want you to pay too much for me." Horace nodded. Horace was not a man without discretion. He didn''t pay attention to the Middleton family. If it weren''t for ra, he wouldn''t even cast a nce at them. He just needed to let them know that Horace Kirnd''s woman was not to be messed with. Chapter 142 Claras Husband Chapter 142 ra''s Husband On the other side, Ashlee turned back into the living room. Glenn was sitting on the sofa with Valerie in his arms. The two were devastated. Glenn said, "I''m always careful in business. I always greet each other with a smiling face and am good at getting along with others. I never incur hatred with others. Who is going to ruin us this time? I can''t figure it out. I''m useless." Ashlee returned with a grim-looking and sat there without saying a word, even ignoring Darren. Glenn saw that her daughter''s face was wrong and asked, "Ashlee, what are you thinking? Is something wrong?" Ashlee looked at Glenn, wondering whether to tell her father or not. She didn''t want to raise ra''s identity in front of her father! However, at this critical moment, she couldn''t think too much. She said, "Dad, maybe it''s not you, but I that have offended someone." "You?" Glenn saw there was wrong and asked, "Ashlee, do you know anything? Have you offended someone? Who?" Glenn thought it was normal for Ashlee to offend many people because she was so arrogant, unruly, and willful. But who had she offended? Can he have so much power that even Darren was at a loss what to do for a moment? Ashlee thought it was very serious. If she didn''t tell the reason, she was afraid she couldn''t take on Horace by herself. She said, "If I was correct, it was Horace, the president of Sce, who was the uncle of Darren, the second young master in the Kirnd family. " Horace! The famous Horace! Ruthless and powerful Horace! Glenn and Valerie were shocked after hearing the name Horace! Horace''s work style had always been quick and efficient. His ability and IQ were amazing. He would do what he said, which often made otherpanies afraid. If they didn''t pay attention, they will fail and never have the chance to win. Horace was worth billions and had arge number ofpanies and real estate. In terms of financial power alone, the Middleton family was no match for Horace. Valerie didn''t understand why Horace, who was so superior, had no business rtionship with their family and was the uncle of her son-inw, had to disrupt the Middleton family''spany? Glenn found it incredible. Valerie asked, "Daughter, how did you offend Horace? Isn''t he Darren''s uncle, as well as yours?" The face of their family mattered little, but their business mattered much. Ashlee had to tell the whole story. Ashlee said, "If it weren''t the little bitch ra, would I have offended someone like Horace? She caused all this. Therefore, the crisis must have something to do with her!" Darren was speechless. Ashlee was right. Darren was also suspecting Horace''s involvement, which was usible. The reason that Horace wanted to break the Middleton family was to protect ra from being hurt. It was Ashlee''s action that angered Horace and made him do this. If it was Darren who experienced the same as Horace, he might have done something more ruthless than Horace for the sake of ra. Valerie couldn''t understand it. ra was just a nobody. How did she get entangled with Horace Kirnd that he would bother to make such a big move because of her? Glenn was puzzled and hurriedly said, "How could this be possible? ra? Horace? What connection can they possibly have? They are basically from two different worlds." Ashlee smiled sadly and said, "Dad, mom, it''s possible. They''re a married couple." A married couple! Glenn and Valerie almost forgot to breathe when they heard the news! Valerie felt dizzy and breathless as if she was going to faint. "Mom!" Seeing this, Ashlee hurried forward to help her. Glenn had experienced too much this day. Hearing the news, he couldn''t recover quickly. Glenn''s mind was in a mess and he couldn''t figure out what the situation was. When did this happen? Horace was his son-inw, ra''s husband! Even not asking Ashlee, Glenn knew it must be Ashlee who kept causing troubles to ra, so Horace couldn''t bear it and wanted to revenge on the Middleton family. Did ra know about this at the beginning? His own daughter wasing to avenge him now? What a retribution! Ashlee said, "Dad, now we should find a way to solve this problem." Yes, since we knew the reason and found who did it, it would be much easier. After thinking for a while, Glenn said, "If ra and Horace want the Middleton family to copse, don''t worry, I will solve the problem myself." Valerie pulled Ashlee to her side and whispered to her. She said, "Tell me how ra married Horace, and what seductive means she used to hook up with Horace?" Ashlee replied, "How do I know this? I know it suddenly!" Hum! Ashlee thought that since ra got married to Horace, ra stole her limelight. Now wherever she went, she heard people talking about how Mr. Kirnd and his so-called Mrs. Kirnd loved each Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. other and matched each other. She could not stand it for a long time. Valerie sincerely resented ra. She said, "This little wild bitch has turned into a Phoenix. It''s so vicious to bully us!" God didn''t have eyes. How could people like ra marry a rich man? Bah! Look, one day, when Horace gets tired of her, he will kick her away! Who will like this junk then! Hum! " She cursed fiercely, "Helena, this bitch, although she is enjoying good luck now, she will be in bad luck in the future, as well as her daughter. It was just a nine days'' wonder. We''ll see!" Valerie regretted that she had just mocked ra''s husband! ra must be proud of herself. She deliberately didn''t say anything and let her be a fool in front of her. Isn''t this teaching a fish how to swim? Her old face was lost in front of ra! Ashlee said, "Mom, when Dad solves the problem, I won''t spare that bitch!" Valerie stopped her daughter and said, "You''d better not harass ra Selman recently. This time, you caused the crisis. Just stop for a while." Valerie was unwilling to see Helena and ra live such afortable life! She swore to herself that she would try every means to shove them back to hell and make them never be able to turn the table! She couldn''t let these two women be so arrogant! Chapter 143 Request of the Middleton Family Chapter 143 Request of the Middleton Family The next morning. In the morning, a ray of sunshine came in. ra opened her eyes to look at Horace who was still sleeping. His breath was even and steady, his eyebrows were thick and ck, and the outline of his face was almost perfect. ra smiled while she was watching. But at this time, Horace''s hand suddenly put on her shoulder. He was pretending to sleep. ra buried her head in bed shyly. Horace also slid under the quilt and kissed ra. The two kissed for a while. And if they continued, it would be noon. ra stopped Horace''s hands and said, "Don''t... don''t do this. We rarely have such a day when both of us are free. What about we do something else?" Horace thought she was right that they couldn''t have sex every day. It was not good for health. He thought, well, let her go today. He said in a low voice, "It''s such a sunny day outside and weekend. Why don''t I take you out for a walk?" Thinking it over, ra realized that she had never gone out alone with Horace. So¡­ Was this a date? She was a little nervous, but more excited. She nodded immediately, "I''ll get up to get ready." While she was saying, she went to the dressing table. Looking at a table of expensive cosmetics, she suddenly had a headache because she didn''t know where to start. At least it was their first date. Should she make up well? But at her level, will it be self-defeating? When ra was worried, she suddenly received a phone call. ra frowned when she saw that the caller ID was Glenn. But at least it was her father, she still got through. "ra." Glenn''s voice was very anxious. "Come to the Middleton family vi right away. I have something urgent." It was one of the few times that Glenn took the initiative to call her and let here. What good could there be? Did Glenn still have time to hold a family party with her? No, He must be up to something else. She knew them too well. ra frowned. "Another day, I have something else to do today." "Oh, ra,e on. The Middleton family vi is also your home." When ra heard this, she felt disgusted. "Dad, when has it be my home? You don''t have to say more, I won''t go anyway, at least not today." "ra! I''m sick!" Glenn''s voice became more anxious and coughed violently. "Come and see me." Glenn was sick? ra was stunned. She knew that Glenn had a problem with his lungs. Maybe the closure of the Middleton familypany stimted him. He was also old. He must be very angry under such a big hit. ra''s heart suddenly softened. She promised to see Glenn soon. After hanging up, she looked at Horace apologetically. "I''m afraid I can''t go out with you today. My father seems to be ill and I have to go to see him." Horace thought for a moment and said, "I''ll go with you." ra thought, can Horace apany her to the Middleton family vi at this time? If they found out Horace had done this, would they deal with him? Horace looked at ra who still hesitated and said, "I must go with you. I''m worried about you." ra had topromise and agreed. Horace called Isaac and asked him to drive them. After arriving at the Middleton family vi, ra said that she wanted to go first by herself and let Isaac and Horace wait in the car. Horace didn''t force her this time, just nodded and watched ra get off. After ra left, Isaac couldn''t help but say, "Master Horace, did we just let Mrs. Kirnd go in alone? What if there was danger?" Horace said, "I don''t worry about that now. They haven''t dared to hurt her yet." Isaac added, " Master Horace, do you think Glenn is seriously ill? I haven''t heard of it. They asked her toe here today. Do they have any other purpose?" Horace snorted coldly, "In short, they won''t have any good purpose." When ra arrived, she found Glenn sitting in the living room with Ashlee and Valerie. ra knew she had been cheated. She turned and wanted to go. "ra!" Ashlee yelled, "Are you leaving when you just came? We haven''t said anything yet." ra stopped. It seemed she couldn''t escape today. She said, "Dad, didn''t you say you were ill? It seems that you''re quite healthy. I have no need to stay then." After mentioning Ashlee, Valerie walked over with a smile. "Oh, ra," she said, "Enmity among the family doesn''tst overnight. Come sit down, have some tea and talk with us." ra was taken aback. For the first time in her life, Valerie spoke to her so politely and asked her to have a chat with them! She was pulled by Valerie to sit back onto the sofa. Valerie said, "I heard that you and Horace are married. Oh, what a godsent marriage! Bring Horace Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. home for dinner next time." Did they know she was married to Horace? ra soon realized that it must be Ashlee who said it. Their purpose was already obvious. ra knew it well, so she just kept silent. Glenn saw that she was calm and worried, so he directly said, "ra, you must help Dad this time and let Horace let go of us. There is no grievance. Why should we be serious, isn''t it?" The family who was cold and mocked her before had pretended to like her because they had a favor to ask of her. It''s faster for them to change their attitude than to turn over a book. ra sneered in her heart and said expressionless, "I''ve never asked Horace about his business and I can''t manage it. It''s his business. I''m sorry I can''t help you." The Middleton family was stunned and changed their attitude in an instant. Ashlee looked ferocious, "ra, you are good! What, do you think you have a backer?" "Ashlee!" Valerie pretended to scold her and said, "It''s impolite to talk to your sister like this. Your sister is not such a cruel person. Who doesn''t understand the truth that you should return after being helped by others? Right, ra?" She called her name so intimate. It seemed like they were a real family. ra was about to throw up when she heard them calling her name. Glenn also came up to persuade, "ra, it''s a crucial time for Dad. Horace loves you so much that he will listen to you. Tell him to let go of us, please!" ra became impatient. "Dad, I already told you that I never asked about his business. Even if I ask him, he might not agree." "ra, I''m your biological father!" Glenn had lost his patience. He shouted at her, "You would have starved to death without our support. Your mother can''t raise you alone!" Finally, they showed their true colors. ra''s heart was almost dead at this moment. Chapter 144 Ingratitude! Chapter 144 Ingratitude! At this moment, Glenn and Valerie were still talking about the cruel reality in front of ra. At this time, the so-called kindness they had given her before became a bargaining chip to persuade Horace to let go of them. Valerie said, "When you were a child, I gave you a fancy skirt which had Ashlee had just bought for a month, and we gave you when it was almost brand-new. Also, once we were given some delicious crabs, and I gave you two to eat. Don''t you remember? We''ve been kind to you! But you''re so vicious!" Skirt? ra remembered that Ashlee gave it to her because she thought it looked ugly. As for the crabs, they allowed her to eat that right before the crabs went bad because they couldn''t finish them all. She had diarrhea for several days after eating the bad meat. This was their kindness. Now, she was asked to repay them. ra said, "I regret wearing that dress, eating your crabs, and being a member of your family. Don''t say any more. What''s the point of saying this? As long as I pay off your kindness, will you be able to let my mother and me go, let us live happily?" Valerie thought to herself. "Humph, that would be so easy for you!" ra felt very sad when she thought of her childhood. When she was a child, she and her mother depended on each other. Helena often had to work several jobs. She was very tired and busy, always sleeping veryte at night. At that time, Helena went out early and came backte. She didn''t have time to take care of the little ra, so she had to entrust ra to Glenn and his family to look after her for the time being. Helena told ra to be obedient and not to cause trouble when she lived with them. During ordinary times, Helena loved her daughter and tried not to let ra do too much housework. However, in the Middleton family, Valerie asked the nanny to do other things, forcing ra to do much housework to torture her, such as washing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the room, and weeding the garden. ra, who was young and sensible, could only bear it silently. At night, she secretly cried in the quilt and dared not tell Helena that she did not want her mother to be distracted by her. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ra still remembered that Glenn was busy at work, but Valerie often took young Ashlee to travel, and ra would follow them. Helena thought that was good for ra to see more and broaden her horizon, which was better than working and bearing hardships with her. She agreed to let ra travel with them. Helena said, "I can''t give you so much, so I can only rely on the Middleton family. I''m not a person without dignity. I don''t want you to be an ignorant child with me. I hope you will be promising and self-reliant in the future." So ra was very strong when she was young. Although she looked soft and weak she was very stubborn, and she didn''t want to rely on anyone. However, Helena did not expect Valerie, who pretended to take her, didn''t allow her to y, to go so far when they traveled. Valerie bought ice cream for Ashlee, but said to ra, "Go and take out the umbre in your bag and hold it for Ashlee. Look my baby daughter is basking in the sun." ra didn''t want to go. Valerie said, "Your younger sister is sweating. You little bitch is unwilling to take an umbre! Do you know how to be an elder sister?" ra was severely scolded. Every time, she could only follow them like a valet, sitting there alone, watching Ashlee y andugh happily. Valerie was still there talking to her. "Hear what you said. ra, we have been good to you. Is that how you repay us? Has your heart been eaten by the dog! In addition, we also paid for your college expenses! Otherwise, will you be like this today? You can''t be ingratitude, can you..." Glenn said, "ra, you can''t be so ignorant. If the Middleton family copse, I am going to jump off the building!" ra regretted that she had received support from the Middleton family for so many years. If she didn''t help them solve the problem, it seemed that she had be a big ungrateful viin. ra was suffering. All of a sudden, Valerie and others became quiet, standing behind her. Looking back, ra saw that Horace came in, sitting in a wheelchair. Although Horace was in a wheelchair,pared with his charisma and charm, the wheelchair was not a big deal anymore and even had be his signature. Horace''s aura was powerful on any asion. Horace looked around all the people present, including ra with red eyes. Valerie and Glenn looked at each other a few times and tried to open their mouth, but they were scared by Horace''s momentum and became hesitant. Glenn said, "Master, Master Horace? Come in,e in, please sit down..." Valerie, who was also well versed in public rtions, said with a smile, "Oh, it''s Master Horace. Don''t regard us as outsiders. Just now we were talking with ra. And you came in. Haha." Horace came to the Middleton''s ce in person! Glenn couldn''t figure out what his purpose was. Did he want to acquire the Middleton familypany as part of Sce, or do he want to negotiate a deal with him? Valerie quickly elbowed Glenn when she saw that he was just looking at Horace without talking. Glenn then reacted and said, "Oh, yeah, we were just talking to ra about her childhood. This little girl has worried us a lot. s, but she is also my own -" Before Glenn finished, Horace interrupted him coldly. "I heard what you just said." Horace''s words made Valerie and Glenn stunned at that time. His tone was cold and unfriendly. What did he hear? Therefore, Horace came to the Middleton family today to be her guard, instead of talking about business. He was protecting ra! Glenn said awkwardly, "Now that you havee, I have something to say. We beg Master Horace for mercy to let us go. I heard that you and ra are married. So you are also my son-inw. If you are avable, you cane home for dinner." Valerie pretended to be rxed andughed, "Yes, my dear, you are right! The family doesn''t talk strange words. Wow, ra, you''ve married a good man!" Just now, Horace had heard how they scolded ra outside the door. Now they were ttering. Horace hated it. He just saw that ra had suffered great injustice here, so he came in to stop them, instead ofing in to visit rtives. People, except Horace himself, were not qualified to scold Horace''s woman! When ra saw Horace was about to get angry, she grabbed his arm in time and whispered, "Horace, No." Chapter 145 Complete Breakup Chapter 145 Complete Breakup Horace frowned. Did rapromise? Just let them go so easily? That was not his style. This time, he was going to defeat the Middleton family, so that they will never be able to make a what kindness was. When he looked down at ra, he found that her eyes were a little red, and he became even angrier. "ra, do you let them go after they treat you like this?" ra had her thoughts and ideas at this time. It was better to let go than to let them off. She had thought about revenge, but what could she do after she vent her anger? As long as she was still a member of the Middleton family, she would always have constant connections with them. She had had enough. ra looked at Valerie and Glenn, and summoned her courage to say to them, "Yes, Horace, I want to let them go, let the Middleton family go." "Why?" Horace asked, puzzled. "Horace, I don''t think I owe the Middleton family anything. Instead, Glenn owes my mother and me. At first, Glenn forcibly upied my mother, and then my mother gave birth to me. But these years, he never paid attention to my mother and me!" Glenn bowed his head with nothing to say. He was guilty to Helena and ra. ra then said, "The Middleton family has always looked down on me in every way, but I can''t be a heartless person. Horace, please let them go. I just want to live in peace. I hope I''m not involved with them more than revenge." After hearing this, Valerie and Glenn immediately smiled at Horace and said, "Yes, we are still a family. ra, you did the right thing. You did the right thing! These are just conflicts that arise between people on our side, which can be settled after all." Horace''s eyesight was like a sharp knife, he said to Valerie, "Shut up!" Valerie shrank back in fright. raughed when she heard this. A family... The word was so harsh. When did they regard Helena and her as a family? In particr, Valerie and her daughter had always regarded their mother and daughter as a thorn in the flesh, who had been humiliated in every way. They felt that they were superior and looked down on them. Over the years, how did the Middleton family treat them? Even the nanny looked down on her. ra said to them slowly and expressionless, "Family? If you think you''ve done me a favor, I''ll repay it. But can you figure out the family affection in this way? At least, I don''t understand. In my opinion, I only owe you half of your blood." "ra... You..." Glenn felt guilty. ra cried, unconsciously. Other fathers loved their daughters very much and spoiled them like little princesses. Glenn was weak in front of Valerie, conniving at Ashlee, and indifferent to ra. If Glenn coulde to see her mother and her more, perhaps their life would not be so hard, and her mother would not have to work several jobs day and night and be ill because of tiredness. Who could understand the contradictions and sufferings in ra''s heart? She wiped her tears and said, "Today, I beg Horace to let you go. It''s because I have returned your blood. From now on, I don''t want to have any connection with the Middleton family. I think you always think so. Since I have nothing to do with you in the future, please don''t bother me and my mother anymore." After all, ra was also Glenn''s daughter, and Glenn didn''t want to break up with her. Besides, she married Horace. He could see that Horace loved ra. With this rtionship, the Middleton family''s future business would be further improved. Glenn said, "ra, don''t say that. I know the Middleton family is sorry for you, but you are my own daughter, after all, ra..." But Valerie held him back and said, "It doesn''t matter, it doesn''t matter! ra, you and your mother shouldn''t have appeared. It''s you who disturbed our life. Do you know? If it wasn''t you, the Middleton family this time..." When Valerie saw Horace staring at him, she was so scared that she quickly stopped. But she was not convinced, so she whispered, "Is the crisis happening because of ra this time? Hum, now you have Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. be a hero!" Horace sneered, "Is that your attitude?" Valerie and Glenn were in despair again. They looked at ra again, motioning her to continue begging Horace for forgiveness. ra hated them for losing face in front of Horace. Glenn begged, "Mr. Kirnd, give us another chance." He scolded Valerie, "You apologize to ra! Quickly!" Valerie was reluctant in her heart, but she said, "Oh, ra, you are a great man who rarely stoops to harbors grievance for past wrongs. I have a sharp tongue but a tender heart." Horace sat in a wheelchair, looking at Valerie coldly without saying. But his eyes gave people iparable oppression. Seeing this, Valerie changed her tone, "ra, right..." She couldn''t force herself to apologize to this bitch. But Horace was staring at her. No matter how reluctant Valerie was, for the future of the Middleton family and her glorious, as well as her rich life, she had to open her mouth at this moment. Valerie remained two-faced, "ra, I''m sorry. It was our fault before." Hearing Valerie''s apology, ra was not happy at all. Although she also knew that Valerie was not sincere, it was a miracle that the apology coulde out of her mouth. From now on, they will be strangers. So she looked at Horace and whispered, "Horace, I''m tired." She was really tired. She didn''t want to see the Middleton family who made her sick. Horace looked at her reddish eyes and felt a pain in his heart. He wanted to kill the wretched Middletons! But since ra said she didn''t want to be involved with them, he respected her. Horace raised his hand to hold ra''s cold little hand in his palm of his. When he looked at the Middleton family, he was expressionless again. "For ra''s sake, I will let you go this time, but there must be no next time." Valerie and Glenn were so scared that they didn''t move or make a sound. Valerie quickly ttered, "No, we won''t disturb you. Ashlee won''t either. We dare not, dare not..." "That''s the best." Horace sneered, "Otherwise, the next time it will not be as simple as investigating your business!" Valerie and Glenn were so scared that their legs went weak that they were dizzy and could hardly stand. But Horace was toozy to look at them. He just took ra''s hand and got out of the house. Chapter 146 Childhood Memories Chapter 146 Childhood Memories When ra walked out of the Merivia Bay, she was stupefied. She finally broke off all rtions with them¡­ From now on, she owed nothing to Glenn nor the Middleton family. What the Middletons had done to her was no longer important. From this day on, her mom was the only family she got left. Well, no. She also had Horace. Thinking of this, ra felt uplifted and motivated. Then Horace and ra got in the car. Horace asked Isaac to drive them home. ra was either lost in her thought or stared into the space. Her eyes were always red. Horace thought he should let her vent out her feelings. She had been too exhausted from facing the painful past. One without strong willpower would be overwhelmed by it. The Middletons bombarded her with unbearable words. ra was too fragile to handle it. She must have been heartbroken. Horace held her in his arms and said in a deep voice, "It''s OK to cry if you want to." In Horace''s warm and strong arms, ra was cozy and warm as if she was by the hearth. She no longer feared the frostiness and cruelty. She wept in his arms, unleashing all her grievance umted since childhood. She didn''t need to overstrain herself or put on a brave face. She could just cry when she needed to. ra could finally make a clear break with them after so many years of entanglement. She was bullied, abused and tortured when she was young. When she grew up, they constantly put her down. She thought she never belonged to that family. Luckily, she was able to get rid of the Middletons now! She felt so relieved. It turned out that she had carried so much burden in the past years. Horace quietly cuddled her. After ra had cried enough, Horace looked down at her. "Are you feeling better now?" ra nodded. "Would you like to talk about your past now? I will listen to you. It can also help you vent your feelings." Horace kissed her gently on the cheek. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. She wiped her tears and start to talk about her childhood. ra said, "When I was a child, the Middletons once said that they would take me to the seaside for a trip. I was so thrilled. I had never been to the seaside. I only knew from the book that the sea was blue. The coastline extended to the other end of the earth. It was so beautiful." Horace sat closer, put ra''s head on hisp and let her lie down. It would make her more rxed. "Horace, I liked the sea very much. It gave me a sense of security. We went to Mauritius, which was a romantic ce. I had been longing for that trip for a long time. My mother had no time to apany me, so she also approved of the trip. We had a good time at the seaside. The sea was really beautiful, and all my problems seemed to be blew away by the breeze. But suddenly Ashlee''s Barbie doll fell into a crack in the stone. She started to cry and wanted to take it out" ra heaved a heavy sigh. What happened next was not as pleasant. "I don''t know whether Ashlee identally dropped the Barbie doll or she deliberately wanted to screw with me? I saw herughing when the doll dropped. At that time, Valerie was anxious seeing Ashlee cry, so she asked me to reach out into the crack of the stone. She said that I was thin and small, so I could take it out." ra closed her eyes. She still felt sad when she recalled it. "At that time, I was very afraid. It was my first time at the sea. There were so many stones, on which there were full of shells and seaweeds. They were sharp and slippery. But, I still reached out my hand into it. I finally found the Barbie doll, but I was scratched by the stones and shells. It left scars on my hands, arms and legs. The scars are still there." In fact, Horace noticed those scars before. He thought ra got those scars, for she used to be a bratty kid. He didn''t know it turned out to be like this. ra said sadly, "At that time, my wound was soaked in sea water, which was very painful. But Valerie and Ashlee didn''t care about me. They took the car back to the hotel and said that my father was waiting for them to have dinner. I had to walk back in the wind." She remembered that she had walked a long way. She was hungry and tired, and her wound also hurt. By that time, they had finished their meal. They left nothing to her. She was starving that night. She missed her mother very much. However, after the trip, when her mother asked if she had a good time, she said she did. Because ra didn''t want to upset her. Horace looked at ra, his eyes glinting with emotions. He wanted to say something tofort her, but he couldn''te up with any sweet word. What he could do was holding her quietly. ra sighed and whispered, "Horace, do you regret letting off the Middletons?" "Do you want to hear the truth?" Horace said in anger, "I really regret it. If I knew what they had done to you, I would let them die miserably." ra was worried that Horace would target at them again because of what she said. She hurriedly said, "You made the promise. Don''t go back on your words." He looked deeply at her and finally nodded. "Don''t worry, I will not break my word." ra breathed a sigh of relief. Horace suddenly pulled her in his arms. "No one will hurt you, ra. I''m here." ra leaned against Horace''s strong arms and heard his deep voice from above. "I''llpensate for everything you missed in your childhood." ra smiled, "I don''t need yourpensation. I''m already very happy." Horace stroked her hair and said nothing. After returning to the vi, ra had dinner, took a bath, and then went to bed. After breaking off rtions with the Middleton family, ra felt as if she was reborn. She slept tight. ra went to bed early, while Horace was still busy. Isaac had done his job and was about to leave. Horace suddenly asked, "By the way, how are the preparations for the press conference?" "It''s all set." Horace nodded. "Make sure that everything goes well tomorrow." Isaac nodded and left the vi. Chapter 147 Why Do I Need to Dress Up? Chapter 147 Why Do I Need to Dress Up? The next day, Solrace Corporation would hold a press conference tounch its new fund. ra and Horace woke up early. Horace dressed more formally than usual. He wore a simple but elegant tailored suit which ttered his face and exaggerated his grace. ra couldn''t take her eyes off him. She grinned without noticing it. Horace looked at ra in the mirror. "What are you smiling about?" asked him. "I think you look cute." ra answered honestly. Horace grinned and said, "You should also dress up today." "I don''t need to. I''m only a journalist. GLAM has received the invitation, so we will be there today." ra winked at him. The doorbell buzzed. Someone rang the bell. It was so early. Who could it be? ra opened the door, and a group of people came in with a bunch of cases and equipment. ra was stunned and didn''t know what was happening. "Good morning, Mr. Kirnd and Mrs. Kirnd!" ra looked at Horace in astonishment. "What are they doing here¡­" Horace, on the wheelchair, said to them, "Here you are. I''ll leave her to you." What? ra was all at sea. Those people opened the cases. There were cosmetics, spa and scissor¡­ Horace also prepared a one-piece and jewelries. Now she figured out that they were going to dress her up, just like the auctionst time. For god''s sake, the torture began. ra felt dressing up was no different from torturing. They put mask on her face, did makeup, put on nail polish, trimmed her hair¡­ Finally, everything was done! ra was perplexed. "What''s the point of all of these?" Horace said, "The press conference today is significant to Solrace Corporation. I hope you can show up stunningly. Spellbound, Horace stared at ra in the mirror. ra found it ridiculous. "I''m only a journalist. Why should I dress up? I''m just covering the news." Horace put on a heart-shaped diamond ne for ra from behind. The diamond was rather clear. It dazzled under the light. "This is a gift for you, a souvenir of the press conference. Do you like it?" ra nodded, "Yes, it''s gorgeous. But it''s too expensive, I don''t deserve it." "You deserve it." Horace said firmly. ra touched the ne. It was a souvenir, invested with his consideration. She liked it. She suddenly thought of the crystal ne. Would he still care for that ne today now? After a long time, the dressing was finally done. With the hair tied back to a high ponytail, ra looked vivacious and graceful. The overpriced one- piece and shining ne all ttered her. She had transformed into another person. She turned around in front of the mirror. ra felt weird. She preferred casual andfy look. Now, in high heels and a fancy dress, she didn''t even know how to walk. She asked, "Do I have to wear this? Is it really necessary?" Horace ginned, "Yes, you have to." Well, she couldn''t defy her husband. There was no way that ra could take the subway in this outfit. Horace asked Isaac to driver her to work, while he took another car. Once ra walked in the hall, many men fixed their eyes on her. She hurriedly walked into the elevator, with her head down. People in the elevator also stared at her. ra felt her palms were sweating. She never received as much attention, though she had worked here for years. She regretted that she listened to Horace. She couldn''t find another outfit to change, so ra had to go to the office. Sarah, Stephanie and the photographer Luis were busy preparing for the press conference and walked up and down the office. When Sarah saw an elegant-lookingdy walked in, she thought it was a customer. She walked up and asked, "Hello, who are you looking for?" "Sarah, it''s me, ra." ra whispered with her head down. "OMG!" Sarah cried out. After hearing Sarah''s cry, people all looked at them, thinking she bumped into a robber or something. "Is it really you? ra?" Sarah opened her mouth in surprise. "Oh my, it''s ra!" "You look so beautiful!" Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Everyone was stunned. Was this the ra they knew? She looked like a noblewoman. Did ra have something to celebrate? Or did she lose her mind? People tried to work it out. Sarah touched ra''s dress and looked at the tag. Gosh! It was a luxurious brand. The dress looked like haute couture, worth at least a hundred thousand. Where did ra get so much money! "Wow, ra, I saw this dress in a magazine. This brand is really expensive. Is it Haute Couture?" ra quickly checked her look. She felt so weird. Moreover, Sarah spotted the shining diamond ne on ra''s neck. Sarah pointed at it, "ra, is this a real diamond or a knockoff? It looks real." ra was nervous and hurriedly said, "Well, it''s a knockoff." "Fake? Did you buy it on Amazon?" Sarah asked. ra brushed it off. ra''s outfit was so fabulous, and they were all impressed by her. It turned out that ra was so stunning after dressed up. They used to think that she was merely good-looking. Darren came out with the document in hand. He was stunned when he saw ra. She was so beautiful today, looking like another person. This was the second time to see her all dressed up. The first time was at thest charity auction. Darren suddenly remembered that today was the press conference of the new fund of Solrace Corporation. No wonder she dressed like this. But he still wondered what she dressed up for. She didn''t usually look like this. He stared at her and pondered. ra never stood out with her beauty in the past. But since Horace was around, she began to shine, as if she was surrounded by the stars. That ra, that young, beautiful, carefree and innocent girl back in university, gradually faded away. Darren''s heart ached. Everyone began to prepare for the press conference. ra was also busy. The press conference was about to begin. People from GLAM were ready to go. Chapter 148 The Press Conference Chapter 148 The Press Conference ra went to the conference with Darren, Sarah, Stephanie and several cameramen. Darren sat beside ra. He saw the ne. It must be given by Horace. Darren remembered he also gave her a ne, but it was not made in diamond. He pretended to be a poor college student in front of her, so he bought her a crummy one. He regretted it. On the way, Luis said, "Will Mrs. Kirnd attend the press conference? Then we can take frontal photos of her." Darren looked at ra. ra gave him a glimpse, then turned her head around. Sarah tapped on Luis''s shoulder, "Luis, you should spare no effort to take the photo of Mrs. Kirnd. The press conference is not important at all." What? ra found it amusing. How could they take the photo of Mrs. Kirnd, since she would be upied covering the news under the stage? Sarah asked, "ra, your husband must have met Mrs. Kirnd. What does she look like? Will she C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. attend the conference?" ra was stunned. "No. Mrs. Kirnd¡­I think she will not be there¡­" Her voice trailed off. Hearing their discussion about Mrs. Kirnd, ra didn''t know whether she should be happy or uneasy. The conference was grand and solemn. Even the reporter of Stratmont News came to broadcast it on hand. All kinds of luxury cars parked at the gate of the press conference, including Maserati, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Bentley... there were even some customized cars. All of them were worthy more than 100 million. They were amazed by all the luxurious items. Darren said, "You can have fun, but don''t embarrass GLAM. You must bring back the first-hand cover and photo. It''s up to you this time." "Got it, editor-in-chief!" Darren whispered to ra, "Do you think it''s appropriate to attend the press conference dressed up like this?" "Horace asked me to dress up, and I can''t reject him. Don''t worry, I''ll get my work done." "That''s not what I mean." Darren always found her innocent. "I mean¡­you look good today." ra wanted to say something, but she felt resigned. Sarah urged ra and Darren to step up, so they could get in together. There were a champagne tower and a tenyered cake. They even invited top-ss French chef to prepare various delicacies to treat the guests. "Wow, such an extravagant press conference! It totally blows my mind!" Sarah found everything fascinating. Many celebrities and stars gathered together. They all dressed up and behaved gracefully. Good- looking men and women walked to and fro, chatting andughing. Even Stephanie was thrilled, "Awesome, the Holrace Corporation is so awesome! There are so many big shots here today. I''ve seen so many VIPs in one day, including those we never had a chance to interview before." People at GLAM were all happy to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event. People at the conference hall were all looking for their seats. Others from the media threw a jealous look at them. How could GLAM, a second-ss magazine, have the best seats? It was unprecedented. Sarah and others were also stunned. Their seats were at the front. Even the NO.1 magazine at Stratmont had to sit behind them. What made them more jealous and perplexed was that ra''s seat was in the middle of the first row. The anchor''s seat was only at the end of the first row, while ra sat at the very center. ra didn''t dare to seat in the first row, she would get nervous. She kept falling back. Stephanie pointed to the front, "ra, your seat is in the first row." "No, no, I don''t want to sit there." They all sat down, there was no room for ra. She had to sit there. She cautiously sat in the VIP seat in the front row. With the music began and the lights lit up, the press conference began. Isaac slowly pushed Horace in the wheelchair onto the stage. ra found Horace more attractive, even drop-dead gorgeous on the stage. Horace was introducing the fund''s risk control model, structural characteristics, its advantages and profit characteristics, while ra started to space. It took her a while toe around and continue to listen to Horace''s speech. Everyone was fascinated by Horace, as if the fund was no longer important. ra heard someone talking about her husband. "He''s so handsome, even on a wheelchair, and talented. It''s a pity that he''s married." "Yes, he has been single for years, why did he suddenly get married? Do you know who his wife is? Who can handle him?" "No, maybe it''s political marriage. He doesn''t love his wife at all, so she never shows up." "He is so calm, handsome, rich and talented¡­ I''d like to sleep with him even if he is vegetative, let alone on a wheelchair¡­" "Dear, you have no shame at all¡­" Having heard their conversation, ra was speechless. Was it really ok to gossip about Horace and her like this? Horace looked so gorgeous on the stage, like a bright star in the night sky. But she was merely a wild lily on the ground. Their rtionship was a mismatch¡­How could they be together¡­ ra was overwhelmed by inferiorityplex. Horace was so eye-catching on the stage. He was extremely excellent and talented, but she barely had advantages. He was out of her league. Laura shouldn''t have such worries when she was with Horace. ra suddenly shook it off her mind. What was wrong with her? Why was she being paranoid on such a big day? She got rid of all the whims and fixed her eyes on Horace. Horace said a lot about the fund. Finally, amid a great round of apuse, a journalist asked, "Mr. Kirnd, haven''t you introduced the name of the fund?" As soon as the journalist said it, everyone found that it was true. They all stared at Horace. Horace, however, was very calm. He said slowly, "Its name is ra Fund." Chapter 149 Clara Fund Chapter 149 ra Fund ra Fund¡­ ra silently repeated the name of the fund. ra Fund! ra! She did a doubletake. It was her name! Horace named the fund after her! She was touched by his love. No wonder he gave her a ne as the souvenir. Why he never talked about it before? She was somehow restless. He was so good at keeping secrets. Would her identity be exposed in front of all? But¡­ ra was a normal name, no one would figure out as long as Horace didn''t bring up. Unsurprisingly, a journalist asked about it. "Mr. Kirnd, does the name of the fund bear any special meaning?" Horace said, "This fund is named after my wife. She is also at the press conference today." Hearing this, everyone was surprised. People looked around, trying to find his wife. Mrs. Kirnd was here! Mr. Kirnd would reveal her identity! Big news! The fund was named after Mrs. Kirnd. It seemed that they devoted to each other. What a loving couple! Everyone was waiting to see Mrs. Kirnd and wondering who she was. Sarah was struck by what Horace said. "I can''t take it anymore. Mr. Kirnd was so devoted to his wife. I''m close to tears. Why isn''t there such a man for me? s, poor me." An idea suddenly came to her mind. ra Fund. ra Selman! ra Fund! Sarah turned to Stephanie, "ra Fund, ra... Isn''t it ra''s name? Is it just a coincidence?" ra almost freaked out! She wanted to exin that it was just a verymon name, and it was just a coincidence. But before she could say anything, she heard Horace say, "ra Fund will be issued permanently, for my wife, ra Selman." ra was speechless! And the whole crowd went into a cmmotion! ra Selman! It was Mrs. Kirnd''s name! There was only one person who looked angry. Darren clenched his teeth and frowned his brow. He was jealous of Horace, for he could express his love to ra in such an unscrupulous way. Now both Horace and Ashlee stood in between ra and him, not to mention Ashlee was already pregnant. Darren stared at ra who sat in front of him. He didn''t know what was on her mind. ra was now surprised and delighted. She didn''t know whether she was more surprised or more delighted. People at GLAM all went crazy when they heard what Horace said! Mrs. Kirnd was actually ra, their colleague! It couldn''t be true! ra''s husband was Horace Kirnd! Mrs. Kirnd was that ra! Did they lose their mind? Sarah stared at Horace on the stage, shaking the photographer Luis. "Did you hear it? Did I hear it wrong? ra''s husband is..." Luis replied, "OMG, OMG, OMG... I''m going crazy!" He worked together with the Solrace corporation CEO''s wife. He just made fun of her on the way here. Darren had to admit he was impressed, for he could publicize their rtionship in such a high-profile and wayward way. It seemed that he was going to lose. At the thought of this, Darren seemed restless and frayed. At this moment, Horace was rolling his wheelchair under the stage. Amid everyone''s exmation, he approached ra and gently extended his hand to her. ra''s heart missed a beat. "Horace, I, I..." she stammered a little. Did Horace want her go on the stage? Horace knew that ra had never showed up as a focus center under the spotlight. He said thoughtfully, "Don''t worry. Just take my hand." Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ra was still hesitating. Get on the stage? She had been working under the stage and never came under the spotlight. How could she still remain calm? But Horace didn''t give her a chance to flinch. He took her by hand and led her to the stage. People all looked at them. ra was shed by the light. She felt as if she had entered the fairnd. ra was still in a trance. She couldn''t believe what had happened. Unprepared, she didn''t even know what to say. She was brought to the public by Horace. No wonder they came to their house this morning to dress her up, it was for the press conference. As she stepped on the stage, she was bombarded by the shes, to a point she couldn''t open her eyes. Everyone was excited to see Mrs. Kirnd! Well, she was beautiful! This was what she looked like. And she was elegant¡­ Sarah, under the stage, kept beating her chest and panting. "No way, no way, anyone can help me? I need artificial respiration! Oh God, oh God, ra is Mrs. Kirnd! ra''s husband is Mr. Kirnd!" The calmest person here was Stephanie who already knew it. She said to Luis, "Don''t you want to take a picture of Mrs. Kirnd? It''s the time." Luis said, "How can I take pictures? I can see ra every day. Do I still need to take pictures?" "Stupid!" Sarah patted him on the forehead, "But since ra is Mrs. Kirnd, we can definitely make the next headline by interviewing her!" Sarah said, "Look, ra is so attractive today!" The people at GLAM were all excited. Darren was the only one livid. How could Horace show her off in front of so many people! They thought it''s love? Just because they got married? He did not believe that ra would fall in love with him. She was not as vulgar and materialistic. Horace couldn''t win her heart with money. ra and Horace stood together on the stage, watching the audience apud. Although ra was very nervous, she gradually calmed down, with Horace holding her hand tightly. ra leaned over slightly and whispered, "Horace, thank you." Chapter 150 A Gift for You Chapter 150 A Gift for You When ra was restless, Horace continued to publish the information of ra Fund in a calm tone and held ra''s hand firmly. It also made her simmer down. "ra Fund has the highest return rate, and it is also the most stable and profitable fund of Holrace Corporation. Since it is named after my wife, I hope it can help more people improve their economy and further improve their life quality." Horace said a lot about the Holrace Corporation, but ra totally zoned out. She was dizzy under the sh. Under the stage, Sarah saidcently, "ra''s husband is Mr. Kirnd, no way will Diane embarrass ra again!" "Let alone Diane, we all need to befriend ra." said Luis. Darren said icily, "Shut up. You are not allowed to mention Horace Kirnd in the office. Do you hear me?" Sarah and others nodded. Why was editor-in-chief pissed off? Sarah sticked out her tongue. Horace and ra walked up to the champagne tower and poured in the champagne, which bode well for good sales. Horace ended his speech and left the stage to the fund manager who would make further introduction. Horace and ra walked off the stage. They sat down in the center of the first row. Horace touched ra''s hand, "Your hands are cold." "Maybe I''m too nervous." ra forced a smile. Horace nced at her and whispered, "Did I scare you?" ra shook her head. It was more like a surprise rather than being scared. Though she wasn''t used to people''s attention, she was still happy to be approved by her husband. The conference was soon over. Sarah and other colleagues left without ra. Darren put on a sullen look on the way back, which made others terrified. Sarah was the brave one. She said, "ra truly cut a figure today. She made GLAM proud! We should throw her a party someday. Maybe we should also invite Mr. Kirnd." "Stop being paranoid, Sarah. It is ra''s husband. The fox preys farthest from his hole." "You know nothing," Sarah said, "I still remember the first time when ra and I went to interview Mr. Kirnd, he acted weird. He kept asking her whether she was married or not. Now I knew he was flirting with her. My God! I witnessed all of it!" "So, when you interviewed him, they were already married?" Asked Luis. Sarah agreed, "I think so. ra started to wear a wedding ring from that day. It turned out that she got married with Mr. Kirnd. ra didn''t treat us as friend and kept holding out on us. We even suspected that her husband was a janitor. s, there is no way a janitor can be so handsome and talented. He was a CEO!" Darren silenced the car with a cough. Sarah felt that Darren was not as excited and happy as they were. He was even a little grumpy. She didn''t know why, but she finally shut up and dared not to speak again. ra finally came to senses after walking out of the conference press. ra wanted to go back to the office. Horace declined, for he wanted to take her to a good ce. She thought, well, ok, because her colleagues wouldn''t let her go when she went back. They would certainly gossip about it. She hadn''t figure out how to exin it to them. ra and Horace got on the car. After ra sat down, she finally got it together from puzzlement and came to her senses. Horace had been watching her. Seeing she was better, he asked, "Are you used to it?" ra forced a smile. Though they had been married for a while, she couldn''t get used to her identity as Mrs. Kirnd. Horace knew what she was thinking. He slightly frowned his eyebrows, "Will you me me? I publicized our rtionship without asking for your permission." "No," ra shook her head, "I just think it''s too high-profile. I thought you didn''t like it." "Well, I didn''t like it before." "Then why did you call me Mrs. Kirnd in front of everyone? Aren''t you afraid that it might bring negative impact?" "But I want everyone knows that," Horace stared at ra and stressed every word, "you, ra Selman, is my wife." Her heart skipped a beat. Horace stared at her luscious lips and blushed cheeks. He couldn''t help kissing her. ra had been so tense since the press conference. Now she was finally melted by the kiss. ra thought she didn''t like Horace but deeply fell in love with him. She was already mesmerized by his warmth and affection. She didn''t want to leave him, and wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. She copsed in his arms and whispered, "Thank you, Horace." Horace grinned. It seemed that all his preparation were worth it. He didn''t only want to surprise her, but also want to publicize their rtionship with a high-profile announcement. He never wanted to cover their marriage, but he never bothered to make it public. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. But Darren and Ynda''s existence made him want to make it high-profile. He wanted to tell everyone that he and ra were husband and wife. They were officially married. Horace kept holding her hands on the way. ra was touched. But she frowned when she looked outside the window. "Where are we heading? Aren''t we going home?" "I have a present for you." Horace smiled. A present? ra didn''t know what gift he would give her after such a big surprise. She tried to pump more information, but Horace didn''t say anything. After a while, the car stopped. ra looked through the window. Her face turned pale when she saw what was outside. Chapter 151 That Man Two Years Ago Chapter 151 That Man Two Years Ago Outside the window, there was a hotel. The Millennium Hotel. ra couldn''t believe it. Horace took her to the Millennium Hotel, a ce where her heart was broken, a ce where she lost herself to a man she did not even know! ra looked at Horace with her face turned pale, "Why are we here?" Horace did not say a word. He walked her out of the car and into the lobby. Everyone in the hotel knew who Horace was. The staff bowed to him and ra respectfully and sent them into the elevator. ra''s hands trembled. She didn''t understand why Horace did all this, but she knew that she didn''t want toe to this ce! She was filled up with fear and disgust. He held her hand in his as he had felt all of her feelings. After getting out of the elevator, Horace took ra to the door of this room. When ra saw the room number, thest trace of blood on her face faded. She recognized this room. She could never forget this number. This was the room where it all happened two years ago. ra felt like she was gonna be swallowed by a ckhole. The painful memories from two years ago flooded her mind and ra felt that she was about to faint. Horace said, "Shall we go in?" "No." ra refused. "I don''t want to go in there again. I hate this ce. Horace, can we please go?" Horace insisted, "ra, there are things you can''t escape from. You must face them with courage. Besides..." It seemed that he wanted to tell her something, but he stopped. ra had no courage to talk about the scandal two years ago in front of a man she cared about. She remembered that she was drugged by someone at a party two years ago. Her body was as burning as hell and she felt strength was all escaping from her body. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. At that time, she was really confused and dizzy, but she knew that she had to leave that party as soon as possible. She got out of the door, but then she was taken to this hotel by someone she did not know. She was taken into the elevator and then into the room. She remembered a man holding her so tight that she couldn''t escape or call for help. She wanted to, but she was so weak and almost unconscious. She tried to fight or yell. But her voice attracted no one''s attention. She felt desperate as she knew at that time that horrible things were about to happen to her. She wanted to run away. But no matter how hard she tried, her feet and arms would not move. She was frightened, but her head became dizzier and dizzier. Later that night, she was taken to the room, pushed to the bed, and swallowed up. The drug made her so vulnerable that the man took advantage of it. ra didn''t want to recall what happened next at this time. Every time she recalled it, her heart bled as if it was stabbed by a sharp knife. Over the years, every time she thought of this, it would stir up the hatred in her heart. Who drugged her drink? Why did this person set her up? She could not think of what she had done wrong. After that night, ra knew that she would never be able to face Darren again. She was sad. Her sky turned gray and gloomy. It was like the end of her world. She had lost all hope. Looking at the room in front of her and recalling those memories, ra was in such a bad mood that she wanted to leave. But Horace half-dragged her here. ra looked at him and said in a sad voice, "Horace, why did you do this? I don''t want to be here. I don''t want any gifts anymore." However, this time he seemed to be exceptionally persistent, as he looked at ra, and, his eyes were shining like gold in the darkness, "ra, please just trust me." Those simple words made ra hesitate for a while, and finally, she followed him into the room. The room was still the same as it had been, just like what was ra''s memory, dark and suffocating. Horace didn''t seem to notice her pale face. He took her to the side of the bed. ra lowered her head and dared not look at Horace. She was afraid that he would care about her past. Now they had been in this ce, and he had known all about it, would he dislike her because she had been with a man she even did not know? Or worse, would he leave her because of it? "Look at me, ra." Horace whispered to her, "Look at me, baby." ra slowly raised her head and met Horace''s eyes. Horace''s eyes seemed to be burning. He whispered, "Now, close your eyes, close them for me." ra was unable to think about what Horace was going to do, but she listened to him. Horace turned off the light. He gentlyid ra on the bed, press his lips on hers, and gave her a long, tender kiss. ra could not rx. What was he doing? Did he want to have sex with her in this room where she had the most heart-breaking experience of her life? She whispered, "Horace, Horace, stop, please don''t..." "Why not?" Horace gently kissed her and whispered, "What is wrong with this ce?" Horace was a good kisser. Her body had gradually softened. His fingers were warm and powerful and slid across her breast. ra could not help but expect more. She started to respond to her man. He let her hold him. In the dark, she saw that his eyes were especially bright. She looked forward to Horace''s further exploration of her body. But at such a moment, Horace suddenly stopped. In the dark, he asked her in a low voice, "Does this remind you of anything?" He continued to touch her smooth skin, inch by inch, passing through dangerous ces, full of infinite provocation, but he just didn''t give ra what she wanted most. Horace''s question flustered ra. There were only bad memories here. What else could she think of? Was he going to be mad at her so that he did not want to go on with what they were doing? ra said incoherently, "What is it? I can''t think of anything." Horace seemed to have the answer in his head, "ra, don''t you think this feeling is familiar?" ra realized that something was wrong with Horace and frowned, "Horace, what do you mean?" Seeing that ra was unwilling to think of anything, he knew that she must still be reluctant to recall anything about that night. Horace finally stopped tormenting poor ra and whispered, "The man two years ago." ra froze and heard Horace speak again, "I found that man." ra was stunned. Her body began to tremble and her face nched. Chapter 152 The Truth Chapter 152 The Truth ra did not expect Horace actually found that man! Must be an old and disgusting scumbag. She thought. ra thought of her experience two years ago, and her body trembled even more. No¡­ She didn''t want to know. At least not here, not at this moment¡­ "Horace..." ra''s voice was shaking as she spoke, "I don''t want to know. Please don''t tell me." C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "But you must know." "Horace, do you¡­ do you dislike me?" ra''s tears blocked her eyes. Horace stared at her, taken aback. "Why?" "If not, why did you bring me here and why do you have to bring that up right now?" Horace smiled. Horace stopped teasing her. He did not want her to be upset anymore. Horace put his lips to ra''s ears and whispered, "ra, the man in this room two years ago was me. I was with you that night." ra was shocked! The man who was with ra two years ago was Horace! What could it be! ra sat up from the bed, looked at Horace, and said, "You must be joking, right? I bet that man you found must be an old ugly human scum and that''s why you take the me on yourself to keep from me feeling disgusted and sad, right? Please spare the efforts, just tell me the truth!" Horace got up and turned on the light. The room lighted up instantly. ra said, "That''s very kind of you, but I don''t want you to carry such a heavy burden alone. I want to know the truth, even one day you would get tired of me and want me to go." Horace lifted her chin and said, "You silly, I will never get tired of you! Why it''s so hard to convince you that he was me? You don''t want that man to be me?" If that man really was Horace, well it was obviously better that way for her. However, to be honest, she really had no impression of that man. Horace stared at her straight and said to her again, "Listen, ra. I was here with you that night two years ago. Seriously." Horace did not seem to be joking this time. So she asked, "Tell me, what really happened? How could it be you?" Horace smiled and started to talk. After Horace returned from the states, Sean always disliked him, fearing that he would win the love of their grandfather. He thought Horace was a threat to his career and status in the family. When Sean learned that his legs were disabled, he still couldn''t rest assured. He also wanted to test whether he was able to have children or not because he did not want any of his brother''s offspring to be the family''s sessor. Sean hired many beautiful women and asked them to meet Horace "by chance", but Horace was not interested in any of them. As a result, Sean thought of one evil trick. On that day, not far from the M Hotel, there was an important dinner banquet. At the banquet, Horace and Logan Hutchinson were arguing, which gave Sean a chance to drug his drink. Logan and Horace''s argument was about Laura, Logan''s sister. Horace also had some mood swings at that moment and that was when he had that drugged drink without any awareness. By the time he drank that ss of wine, it was already toote. Sean''s n was about to seed. ra frowned when she heard this. She remembered that Sean was also a member of the Kirnd family. They were brothers! How could he treat Horace like that? She couldn''t help asking, "Are you sure it was Sean? Isn''t he your brother?" Horace sneered, and a trace of sarcasm shed across his eyes. "After that night, I asked someone to investigate Sean. My guess was correct. Who says that your kin would not hurt you? Isn''t Ashlee your biological sister too? When ites to money and fame, rtives will also be enemies. That''s life, isn''t it?" ra did not know what to say. Unexpectedly, the seemingly glorious Kirnd family had such dark secrets inside, brother fighting against brother, just for money and fame. How ironic was that! ra realized that Horace had more courage than she could imagine. It''s not easy to pretend to be disabled. She realized that Horace really had very strong willpower. It would be difficult for ordinary people to do it for so many years without being detected. ra said in a low voice, "So you''ve been drugged. That was not something ordinary people could bear." Horace defaulted. ra could understand him very well, as they had been through the same thing. ra asked, "What happened next?" Horace poured two sses of red wine and handed ra one. He went on, "I knew something was wrong with me, so I immediately called Isaac and asked him to take me to the nearest hotel to rest. Because I knew that Sean would find a woman for me. I would not be able to resist the power of the drug in that case." ra listened to his story and thought to herself that this was thrilling and luckily he had Isaac to protect him from those bad people. Horace said, "Unexpectedly, I met you, ra." "Me?" "I saw an old man holding an unconscious woman, trying to get into the door next to mine. I gave him some money and asked him to go away. Then I entered the room with you, and then we..." ra was so shocked! In the beginning, she was really without consciousness, so she didn''t know that so many things had happened to him and her. ra finally came back to her mind. She held Horace''s arm, incredulous, and her voice trembled slightly. "Horace, was that you? Two years ago, it was you? We, we knew each other at that time, and we were already... Then, we got married!" ra was shocked. Unexpectedly, Horace was the one who had been with her that night, and this changed everything! Horace chuckled, "you finally understand." ra felt happy and somewhat unreal. The man who she thought was a nightmare to her was now sitting in front of her, and it was Horace, her husband, the man she loved so much. ra was still in a trance. "So, I wasn''t touched by other men, only by you..." She blushed, looked at him, and stopped talking. "Yes, by me?" Horace kissed ra on the neck and slowly slid down, "I''m so sorry baby, but I think this would change everything for you. Now I finally can make peace with myself and so do you. " ra smiled and could not speak because he was kissing her. He stripped her of herst piece of cloth, bowed his head, and kissed her. ra embraced him with all her body and soul. The knot in her heart had finally been untied. She would never have to resent God for letting her go through that. Because¡­ because that night turned out to be the beginning of her life with Horace. ra''s body all opened up for him, and she was as soft as water. Chapter 153 As Mrs. Kirkland Chapter 153 As Mrs. Kirnd When they woke up the next morning, Horace and ra had breakfast together in the hotel. ra was very happy because everything was clear and she finally knew the truth. Horace ordered the breakfast service in the hotel. It was a very luxurious breakfast and a waiter was serving them nearby. ra was not used to it. Horace handed ra a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice and whispered, "You were working too hardst night. How about having some more juice?" "Horace, keep your voice down. There are people around!" ra blushed and looked nervously at the waiter next to her. The professionalism of the waiter was respectful. He acted as if he hadn''t heard anything. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. On the table, she suddenly thought of something and asked Horace, "two years ago, in the morning, was it you who put 10000 dors in cash in the room?" Horace nodded and said, "Iter found out... Well, that was your first time, so I felt guilty and I wanted to make it up to you. But I did not know how to face it, so¡­" Two years ago, when he first saw ra, he thought she was a prostitute because she was with that old man. He had no feelings for ra at that time, so he left ten thousand dors in the hotel room to make She said, "Do you mind that I donated the money? I donate it to a charity house." "You did the right thing," Horace said. ra smiled and said, "At that time, I just wanted to make the money y its due value. In my opinion, the money was dirty, and I didn''t want to spend it on myself." After the meal, Horace wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "of course, I can understand. But didn''t you really need money in those days?" Yes, I did, very much. ra thought. ra said to Horace, "Yes I did. I required money at that time because I needed to pay for my mother''s medical expenses in the hospital, my rent, and the food on the table. I was looking forward to my year- end bonus to pay all the bills piling up on the table." ra said, "However, to me, that money was not owned with just means. I did not want to have them on me so I gave them away. When I thought of some kids who could have proper meal and decent clothes, I felt a little bit more relieved." "How about now?" Horace looked at her with burning eyes. "Do you still think the money is dirty?" "Since I knew it was you, I don''t feel that way anymore." ra made a face and smiled, "But I still would''ve donated them. Because that money made me feel like it was a business deal." ra blushed. Horace looked at her, and his heart softened. When they both had finished, Horace whispered, "I will send you to work today. Let''s go." ra quickly refused, "No, I''d better go by myself." Horace frowned and said, "Now that everyone already knows your rtionship with me. It''s pointless to hide anymore." ra was stunned. She had to admit that what Horace said was quite reasonable. ra said, "Well, ok." So ra sat in Horace''s ck Bentley, and they set out together. ra has been struggling all the way to herpany. She could not think of a way to handle her co- workers as she knew that they were waiting for her exnation for that incident. Seeing ra''s sad face, Horace asked, "Are you thinking about how to face your colleagues?" "Well, I''m a bit scared, Horace." "Don''t be afraid." Horace held her hand in his and said "You have me, right?" That was exactly why I was afraid. She thought. The car stopped at the front gate of the building. ra took a deep breath and said goodbye. It seemed that she had gathered all the strength that she had in her to get out of the car and get inside. Horace pursed her lips and watched ra get off the car with anxiety, and he found her exceptionally cute. ra reached the gate of the building, took a few deep breaths, and then walked in with big strides. As soon as she walked to the front desk of the hall, she found herself bing the focus of gossip. They were all staring at her and whispering to each other. "She is the wife of Horace, the president of Solrace Corporation. Who could have known! She hid it so well." "Very ordinary woman. I don''t know what Horace sees in her." "Her skirt and ne are so beautiful..." "I heard from somewhere that she used to have a bad reputation. She''s not a decent woman as she pretends to be you know¡­" ra entered the elevator with her face half-covered but still was recognized. In such a closed environment, ra felt like their eyes were like worms, crawling all over her body. At the door of the office, ra felt that the road was as long as a hundred miles. As soon as she entered the office, people surrounded her like hungry wolves praying on a piece of juicymb steak. ra suddenly had an impulse to cry and yell as she really felt ufortable Sarah stared at her, "Mrs. Kirnd, you havee to work!" Stephanie smiled knowingly, "ra, Congrattions! How does it feel to go public with Mr. Kirnd?" ra''s lips twitched, "Thank you but I don''t quite feel anything¡­" Luis chimed in, "ra, we don''t know you are this good at picking up with rich man! Tell me the secret! How did you do it?" "How is he like at home? What is his favorite thing to do at home? Please, ra, tell us all about it!" "ra, oh, no, Mrs. Kirnd, are you still going to work here? If I were you, I would quit this stupid job and do whatever I like with all the money and time I have! " Sure enough, they were a group of gossipy people. ra sighed. ra said, "Please just stop asking me this and that! I am still me." Sarah said as if she hadn''t heard her, "Wait, you didn''t change your clothes. You''re wearing the same dress as yesterday! Didn''t you go homest night?" ra noticed that since she got up a littlete in the morning, she didn''t have time to go home from the hotel to change. Sarah suddenly eximed, "Oh my God, you and Mr. Kirnd must not have gone home! Where have you been? Have you been to the hotel...?" "Sarah, stop!" ra quickly covered her mouth with a red face and stopped her from going on. ra quickly walked to her desk and sat down, trying to hide in files from work. Sarah looked at ra and begins to fantasize. She could not help but think, "These two were so romantic!" In the office, only Diane''s face was a little bit unnoticeably twisted. She never thought that ra and Horace could be husband and wife! She once said ra''s husband was only an ugly dustman of Solrace¡­ Being so mean to ra before, she could only imagine what her future life in thepany would be. Diane thought she''d better avoid offending ra from now on. Chapter 154 Are You in Love with Him? Chapter 154 Are You in Love with Him? Seeing that ra was not interested in talking about this anymore, they went back to their own seat. This was difficult for ra as she had never been through this before, but because of Horace, she had to keep things covered. ra finished her work. She stood up to get a cup of coffee. Just at this moment, Sarah bounced up from her seat, as if something incredible had happened. She screamed and ran to ra, "ra, have you checked your Twitter ount? You had more than a hundred thousand followers now!" Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ra was shocked! This was no joke. She logged in to her ount as soon as possible, and sure enough, everyone was talking about her! The number of her followers continued to grow! Many people on the Inte retweeted and added hashtags about Horace and her. [Mrs. Kirnd finally showed up! our idol was conquered. I was already crying on my bed. Just let me be!] [I envy that woman. She is mediocre, and the only thing she has more than me is luck.] [Horace is such a good man. Why is the woman beside him not me...] [How could this woman take Horace''s heart? I can never understand!] [I support Horace and the girl he loves. I love you, ra! I love you, Horace!] She kept scrolling and reading those tweets, and started to feel nervous about all this unwanted attention. It''s really hard to be a public figure. She had be the target of public criticism! Was she going to be recognized every time she walked out of her door? Would she be followed around by some of Horace''s groupies? ra did not want to see any of these messages anymore, and just as she was about to log out, she saw one message that caught her attention. [They have gone public? It seems that Mr. Kirnd had really forgotten the woman who died for him in the fire.] The nickname of this ount was "Back2Past". She recognized it. He also tweeted about Horace''s ex- girlfriend before. ra subconsciously felt that this person was somewhat different from other inte trolls. She clicked into the ount''s homepage and noticed that this person had followed her. Nothing on his page could give her any clue about this person''s identity. Strange. Who could it be? This person seemed to be haunted by the fire ten years ago. Could it be someone who was actually involved in the incident? "Back2Past" had even followed her on Twitter. It meant he/she was interested in her daily life. Could it be Ynda Zachman, or a superfan of Horace? While ra was trying to figure that out, Darren called her into his office. Everyone guessed what Darren would say to ra. He looked very depressed. Maybe ra would be scolded for the fund conference yesterday? ra entered the office and Darren asked her to sit in front of the desk. The two sat face to face in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Darren spoke first and looked at ra with meaningful eyes, "ra, you are a public figure now. Is he good to you?" ra nodded. Darren broke the silence again and said, "ra, do you know Logan Hutchinson?" Logan? Wasn''t he the brother of Laura Hutchinson? ra had seen him and was impressed by his good-looking face She said, "Yes. I''ve met him. He''s Laura Hutchinson''s brother." Darren sat back and said, "Did Horace tell you that?" "Yes, he told me everything. Didn''t he sell his sister''s pen at the charity auctionst time?" Darren didn''t expect Horace to be so frank with ra and didn''t hide anything. It seemed that the two were going serious with each other. Darren said, "Well, it would be better if you knew him. He is the son of the Hutchinson family, and he is going to hold an exhibition of antiques at the Dacazo Cultural Center. Your team needs to prepare for it. Our magazine will interview him and write an article about him." Interview? ra nodded, "OK. We''ll get ready." Seeing Darren staring at her, ra also felt very unnaturally. She said, "Is there anything else? If not, I''ll get back to work." ra stood up and was about to walk out of the room. "Wait a minute, ra." Darren stood up and said, "I have something to say to you." ra turned around and looked up at him. He was looking back at her with affectionate eyes. She turned her eyes away. She didn''t want to give Darren any illusion that he had a chance with her. Darren asked, "ra, are you serious with Horace? Do you have feelings for him?" He seemed to have overstepped the social borderline. ra said, "It seems to have nothing to do with you, is it?" "ra, could you please think about it?" Darren walked straight to her. "I know you agreed to marry Horace to save your mother. I don''t me you for that. This just showed your kindness. But do you really n to continue this rtionship with him? Do you think you will be happy in an arranged marriage?" Yes, she was happy. She said, "Mr. Kirnd, I''m afraid it is a personal thing and it is none of your business" "ra, I care about you. Horace is a cold-blooded man. When he meets the next woman, he will abandon you. I''m his nephew. I know him too well! You must listen to me and it''s for your own good!" "For my good?" ra thought his words were quite funny. He already had a child with Ashlee and they were about to get married, but it seemed he cared about her too much. She said to him, "You have your standing point, but could you please not speak ill of Horace in front of me? I''m his wife." "ra, be rational and think about what I said." "I''m very rational. It''s you who should step out of other people''s business." Darren''s heart suddenly ached and he said, "ra, I just want to know whether your life is good or not with him?" ra''s heart softened and her attitude changed a little after hearing Darren''s words. She said, "OK. Since you want to know... I am very happy now. Horace loves me very much and I also love him back. Yes, I admit that at the beginning, this marriage was a trade, but now we have a happy life." To his surprise, ra expressed her heart to him directly. But Darren still loved ra so much that he couldn''t forget her even if he wanted to. "Do you really love him? Do you really want to be with Horace?" Darren could not believe his ears and looked at ra with sorrow-ridden eyes. Chapter 155 The Person Behind It All Chapter 155 The Person Behind It All Two years ago, ra still loved Darren so much. But they were not meant to be together. He didn''t believe her because of several photos taken secretly. This killed all the love she had for him. And now he even asked her if she was in love with someone else. ra thought it was funny. She answered him, "I love Horace very, very much. Darren, since Ashlee has your child, you should stop messing around and take the responsibility." Darren was very unhappy about her words. He was very jealous of Horace as ra actually admitted that she fell in love with him. She advised him to live a good life with other women! Is this really the Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. same woman he knew? Darren admired Horace''s high-profile disclosure of ra''s identity. It was really a move of enthusiasm that no woman could resist. Horace did it. He conquered ra''s heart. ra said, "Darren, the only thing we have is friendship. You asked me a lot of questions today that have gone too far. Don''t forget, you are going to marry Ashlee next month." "ra, I had to. She has my child! I have no other choice." Darren hurried to exin to ra. Darren did not love Ashlee? ra was surprised. She felt sorry for Ashlee and Darren. How many years could a marriagest if there was no love? Darren put his hands on her shoulder and said, "ra, I only have you in my heart. I did not spend one day without missing you. I hate it every time I think about you lying next to another man! ra, will you ra thought that she should keep a distance from Darren from now on. She stepped back and Darren''s hands dropped. She said, "Darren, I''m sorry. I really don''t love you anymore. Ashlee has your child, and you must take this responsibility. Forget me, please. The past has passed. It''s pointless to linger on!" ra''s words provoked Darren. He forced ra into his arms. "ra, baby, don''t do this to me! You can''t do this to me!" Darren''s excessive behavior made ra remember that time when he kissed her forcefully. She got out of his arms and pped him in the face. ra fled from his office. Darren was left in the room alone. Suddenly, he felt his limbs were so cold, and so was his heart. Are her resistance and refusal all for Horace? Darren thought to himself, when she meets Logan, he will tell her something new about Horace. Then she would be able to see how cruel and selfish that man really was. Let''s wait and see. He thought. Suddenly, Darren''s office phone rang. Darren picked up the phone and heard the news about Horace. The person on the phone told Darren that Horace was indeed investigating the drugs used and photos taken two years ago. Darren knew that Horace would never give up tracking down the truth about ra being framed two years ago. If Horace kept on, he would eventually get to Ashlee. Moreover, if Horace knew that it was Ashlee who was behind it all, he would get his revenge for sure! The Middleton Family had learned a valuable lessonst time. "He did not find anything yet, right?" Darren said, "That''s good, very good. Then you should deal with it quickly and clean that all up. Don''t let him find anything." "OK, Mr. Kirnd. I''ll try my best," said the person on the other end of the phone. Darren was angry that Ashlee broke him up with ra for no reason, but now, after all, Ashlee was pregnant with his child. He had to help them. What other choice did he have? If Horace knew that Ashlee was the one that got ra drugged, he would use any strength and means to make the Middleton family pay. Ashlee would certainly end up in hell. Darren wanted to keep his child away from those troubles. He needed this family to be intact. Therefore, before Horace''s investigations, Darren had someone erase almost all clues and evidence, hoping to stop Horace from finding the truth. Meanwhile, on the other side of Stratmont, Horace was in his office and asked Isaac about the progress of his investigation. He asked, "Do we have a clue of who framed ra two years ago?" Isaac was embarrassed to say anything because he hadn''t made any progress yet. Horace frowned, "Why? Is there something you can''t find out?" In fact, Isaac also had many questions in his heart. He said to Horace, "Mr. Kirnd, we had found some, but suddenly the clues were wiped out. It seemed that someone was cleaning up. Many evidence clues were not to be found as if they were deliberately erased by someone." Horace''s eyebrows frowned and he couldn''t figure out who was so concerned about ra''s affair two years ago and deliberately hid the truth. Horace asked, "What did you find?" "We found that on the campus, in addition to ra and Darren, a third person often appeared." "Who?" "Ashlee." "Ashlee?" Horace thought it was not very unusual. Although they were not getting along with each other, they were still sisters. They must have been hanging out more or less. Horace asked, "And then?" Isaac said, "Um¡­ that''s all we''ve got so far. It seemed that some myterious force has been obstructing us." Why? How did the mastermind behind this know that he was investigating the incident two years ago? Was it someone he knows? He and ra did not even know each other two years ago. Whoever was behind it could not have rtionship between Horace and ra, and they were afraid Horace would find out the truth. He asked Isaac, "Do you know who the other party is?" Isaac replied, "I can''t find out for the time being. The other side''s influence is not small. It''s not an ordinary person." Horace felt that this had been more and stranger. Two years ago, ra was just a college student. How could she get into trouble with people with such power? Even Darren, with the influence of his family, would not mess up with people like them. Horace instructed Isaac to eliminate any difficulties and continued the investigation until the truth was revealed. No matter who the other party was, he would never give up, because he wanted justice for his girl. Chapter 156 Interview with Logan Chapter 156 Interview with Logan ra and others in her department prepared materials and then set out for the interview with Logan. Unfortunately, thepany''s cars were all sent out, so they had to take a taxi. ra walked to the side of the road and reached out her hand for a taxi. A taxi drove by and stopped in front of her. The driver was a middle-aged man. He seemed to be particrly excited to see ra. The driver said, "You must be Mrs. Kirnd! Get in the car please! Where''s your destination? It''s a pleasure for me to drive you there!" Sarah was stunned and said, "ra, you have be famous now! Even among taxi drivers!" Luis had already got into the taxi. He waved at them and said, "Come on! It''s time to go! No time for chit-chat now." ra took the seat next to the driver''s seat. The driver squinted at ra. ra felt very ufortable with that but she kept silent. The driver said, "So you are married to Horace Kirnd, right? Then why are you calling a taxi? By yourself?" ra felt her mouth a little bit dry. She answered politely, "well, we are going to Dacazo Cultural Center. A taxi is a good option because parking is difficult there. " "The antique exhibition?" Sarah said, "Do you know the antique exhibition?" The driver smiled and said proudly, "Of course I do. If you want to know what''s new about the city, just ask us taxi drivers. We will tell you anything you want to know. The items in this antique exhibition are very intriguing. It''s worth seeing." Sarah was very excited and asked the driver a lot of questions and they were having quite a long and loud conversation. ra was sitting up straight, and all she wanted was for time to pass faster so that she could get off the car as soon as possible. When she finally arrived at the destination and got off the car, ra was relieved. It seemed that the whole city knew ra over one night. It was like a nightmare for her because she really did not want to be the center of attention. They got a little bit thirsty. ra offered to go to the nearby store and got them some bottled water. In the store, as she was picking up the water on the shelves, she felt as if there were people staring at her behind her. She turned around and found that the salesperson in the store was looking at her. Did she think she was a shoplifter? ra felt irritated. She picked up the bottled water and went to the checkout counter with a cold face. The salesgirl didn''t seem to care about her attitude and she said with a smile, "Mrs. Kirnd, it''s a great honor for us to serve you today." ra thought to herself, "Not again!" The salesgirl also stretched his neck to look outside of the door. ra turned around in that direction but saw nothing. The salesgirl asked, "Isn''t Mr. Kirnd with you today?" ra shook her head and said, "I''m here for the antique exhibition." The salesman seemed disappointed to know that he was not with her. ra walked out of the store. Sarah and Luis had been waiting for a long so they said, "ra, the antique exhibition has already begun. We need to hurry." "Sorry, someone was asking me about Horace again. That was really disturbing..." ra knew Horace''s influence, but she didn''t expected it to be this huge. Not everyone could bare such public attention, but Horace seemed to be at ease with it. They came to the exhibition hall. Logan was exining the origin of an ancient ceramic vase to one of his clients. Sarah immediately noticed his exceptionally good-looking face! Sarah said, "OMG, is the real? I have never seen such a beautiful face before in my life!" Luis, instead, was sarcastic. He said, "A good-looking face is not the answer to all problems in life. By the way, now I finally knew why I am still single. It''s because the woman around me always judges a Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. book by its cover!" ra knew they were joking so she said, "All right, you two. Let''s get back to work." Logan saw ra and his colleagues waiting for him. He quickly finished talking with the client and walked toward them. Logan was wearing a white shirt with dark lines today. The faint smell of cologne just stirred up their sense of smell and made them feel better unconsciously. His face was smiling, his bright eyes glinting with cheerfulness and vigor. Sarah was captivated by his beauty. Logan''s fingers were long and clean. He had a very tall and up-straight feature with soft but glowing hair. His body exudes aristocratic temperament. "ra?" Logan said. "It''s really you. Nice to meet you." He reached out his hand and greeted her. ra readily shook hands with him and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Hutchinson." His voice was full of charm, very pleasant to hear. It waspletely unlike Horace''s hard and cold voice. She replied, "Mr. Hutchinson. Thank you for agreeing to our interview with you. I''m really sorry for the misunderstanding that we had in thest auction, but I am sure this time that would not happen again." When Logan smiled, his eyes would curve like the crescent moon, which looked so cute. He said, "Darren and I are friends since a long time ago. Of course, I''ll support what he does. But I did not expect that he sent you here." Since Logan knew Horace, it was natural for him to know Darren, ra thought to herself. The Hutchinson family was one of the three big families in Stratmont. The Hutchinson''s, the Jakovich''s, and the Kirnd''s all had connections with each other. They all had business contacts and they had supported each other''s businesses since the beginning. They had gone through the painstaking efforts of several generations. The Hutchinson family''s main business was antique, which extended overseas and had a good reputation in the city. Their ancestors came from schrly families. They had profound research on history, and they were also very appealing and influential. The Kirnd family''s influence was in the army, so Horace''s veins also exuded a sense of patriarchal control and dominance, which fitted a soldier''s temperament. If Horace hadn''t been sitting in a wheelchair, ra felt that Horace could have gone directly to the battlefield to fight. The Jakovich family had always been doing business. They were very powerful in that field. Before the interview, ra checked the background of Logan, so she learned something about his family in recent years. Logan and Laura were siblings, and their father and mother had long passed away. They depended on each other for their lives. Logan was a young boy then but he was very mature for his age. He took care of his sister as well as their family business. Unfortunately, his only family member died in a fire ten years ago. He must have been extremely heartbroken at that time. Now, Logan was the only one left in the family. People said that the Hutchinson family was the end of its era. It was fading now and could neverpare to what it was before. But ra thought otherwise. Maybe the Hutchinson family seemed to be going downhill, but Logan was a wise and capable man, and he would certainly ovee the current difficulties. This family had gone through a lot but it still had the foundations built by its ancestors. ra stopped thinking about it and began the interview. Chapter 157 Warning Chapter 157 Warning ra said to Logan, "Mr. Hutchinson, may I ask you some questions about the antique exhibition? I see today that your exhibits here today are old objects with very obvious traces of time. Do they have any stories that you would like us to know?" Logan nced at ra and whispered, "it''s not very convenient to interview here. Let''s go to my office." Sarah was standing in silence, but then she jumped out and said, "You are so considerate, Mr. Hutchinson. Unlike other men of your status. You must think the exhibition hall is a little cold, for fear that we might get cold, right?" Hearing this, he looked at ra. Sarah sounded like she was "insinuating" Horace. ra lowered her head in embarrassment. Logan thought her expression was cute, and he smiled unnoticeably. He didn''t hate her, but because of Horace''s rtionship with her, he found this woman quite confusing. He said, "It''s very creative of him to ask you to interview me. Well, I''ll cooperate. However, my condition is that I only ept your interview. Your colleagues can take some photos at my antique exhibition, OK?" Sarah and Luis looked disappointed and walked silently into the exhibition hall. ra thought about it for a moment. Logan was not an easy date. At this point in time, it seemed that she had no choice but to follow him into his office. Logan had an auto coffee machine in his office. He poured some coffee beans into it, and soon the aroma of coffee came out. Logan asked, "You like coffee, right?" "How did you know?" "I guessed it," Logan said. Logan had someone investigate ra, so he knew about her preferences. Logan put a cup of coffee in front of ra, and said to ra, "I add milk and sugar to it. After staying with people like Horace, you need something sweet and warm to keep that coldness out." Well, Logan may be right, but it was just on the surface. Horace appeared as aloof and impassive in other people''s eyes, but she could feel his warmth all the time. Maybe this was the difference brought about by love. Logan said directly, "ra, why did you marry Horace? For money, fame, or status?" Why did he think of her like everyone else? ra felt that she was wrong about him. He looked as if he was kind and sweet, but there was a big uncertain part in his character. ra said, "Mr. Hutchinson, what you asked had nothing to do with today''s interview. This was my personal affair and I don''t want to talk about it with you today." ra did not want to share her acquaintance with Horace with anyone. That''s the agreement and secret between them, even to his grandfather. She continued, "I know you don''t like me very much because of Horace. However, today''s interview could also be a good publicity opportunity for yourpany. Maybe the stock price will rise. Shall we get back to our job now?" Logan shrugged his shoulders and said, "It''s not what you think. I don''t dislike you. I''m just kindly reminding you that Horace is a very ruthless man. I am afraid that one day he would treat you the way he did to my baby sister!" ra finally understood why Logan had been giving Horace the cold face and he was always implying something when he talked to her. It turned out that he still cared about his sister''s death. He always misunderstood Horace. ra said, "Mr. Hutchinson, you misunderstood him." "Misunderstood him? ra, you are too naive and simple. The cause of the fire was well known. Be careful not to be deceived by Horace. Leave him, at least when you still can." Leave Horace? How could she? She always believed Horace because she knew he would never lie to her. Logan added, "To save his own life, he abandoned my baby sister and let her die alone in the fire... Could you imagine that pain? You do not know him for long so you still have that hope, but just wait for one day you both are in danger, then you will remember my warnings for you today. Just, please wake up from the dreams that he fabricated for you!" Logan talked about Horace as if he were so evil and despicable. ra thought it was unfair for him to me everything on Horace before the truth was figured out. ra said, "Mr. Hutchinson, you misunderstood him. Horace didn''t leave her. It was she who told Horace to leave there to find someone to put out the fire! Horace didn''t run away!" Horace was very sad about this. He still kept the belongings of Laura, and could not let anyone else touch them, including me. She had a special ce in his heart. She was eternal in his heart... " "Eternity." Logan could not help feeling sad when his sister''s name was mentioned. "Yes, you are right. A dead girl is always eternal. Do you want to be eternal in his heart? I don''t me him for running away. He was just a coward. It was too much to ask for him to die for my sister. But he was disgusting for not admitting it and trying to cover it up with another lie." ra hurriedly exined to her husband, "It was not a lie. What you think was true may just be in your head. Please, just let it go. Why do you want him to admit something he did not do? Mr. Hutchinson..." "Call me Logan, please. You don''t need to be so formal with me." "OK. Logan, I can understand that you are very sad. I don''t have the luck to see Laura in person but I Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. knew she must be a very beautiful girl and I knew she must have loved this man. I know she must have wanted him to be alive because I do. Horace would never do such a thing, just trust me. Even if you don''t trust me, you should trust your sister''s judgment, right?" Logan looked at ra. It turned out that this woman had been deeply involved, just like his sister did ten years ago. He told Laura not to get too involved with him so many times and not to be in love with him. But she just could not listen. Look at what she had lost for her judgment, her life... He said, "Don''t try to find excuses for him. You have known him for, as long as half a year, right? I have known him for almost three decades." It seemed pointless to change his mind and this conversation seemed to go on forever, so she changed the subject and said, "I can see you really love your sister. She must mean a lot to you." Chapter 158 We Are in Trouble! Chapter 158 We Are in Trouble! ra''s words brought a tinge of sadness in Logan''s eyes. When he thought of Laura, he always remembered his childhood ying with Laura in the park. When he was a child, Laura always followed him around, like a little duckling. He was always hiding from her because he found her annoying and did not want to y with her. It was not until his parents died that Logan found that he had only one family member left. She was so young and needed protection. Only then did he understand his burden and responsibility. Logan whispered, "My parents died more than ten years ago. Laura was myst and only family." Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ra also felt sad. She wanted to get back to the point and interview Logan about the antique exhibition, but Logan didn''t want to continue anymore. Logan said, "Well, that''s all for today. I''ve already told you everything I should have." He was implying that she needed to leave. ra thought that the interview for the magazine should bepleted. None of the questions were asked yet. ra said, "Mr. Hutchinson, I''ll just ask you a few questions about the antique exhibition, OK? Let''s not talk about anything else." Logan showed a smile. The smile was scornful as if her words were ridiculous. He said, "Do you think Darren send you to interview me for this antique exhibition? I found that you are a bit stupid. No wonder you were deceived by Horace. You deserved it." What did he mean? Darren asked ra to interview Logan, not for the article, but for what? Were Darren and Logan standing on the same side? Logan said, "Or, you know what kind of person Horace is, but you just love the reputation and benefits that the identity of Mrs. Kirnd would bring to you? ra, I don''t understand how you can bear with such an indifferent and cold-hearted man." Logan''s words were too harsh to listen to. ra found that there was no need to continue the interview anymore. She did not touch her coffee and stood up to leave. Logan finally said, "ra, I hope you can think about it. Think about what I said! You have done my best to save you from him." The interview ended in an unpleasant atmosphere. ra went home listlessly all the way. The interview task was notpleted. None of the questions she had prepared were asked, and instead, she got scolded and warned. When she got home, she found that Horace was already reading a magazine on the sofa. Horace saw her and said, "What happened? You are so early today!" "I had an interview today, but it ended before the expected time," ra answered. She was not in the mood to talk. While watching him sitting on the sofa, she wanted to remind him of the fire and the grudge Logan had for him. Finally, she could not help but ask, "Horace, have you ever investigated who the person was that abducted you that day? Have your grandpa?" ra thought that if that person was found, maybe they would know who set up the fire and Horace would not have to take all the mes for Laura''s death. When the criminal was found, Logan would not me Horace for this and maybe they could be friends, as they had both loved Laura so much. Horace asked in curious, "Why suddenly bring this up?" "Nothing, I was just wondering." Horace asked ra to sit next to him. Then he said, "Actually, I have found him, but..." He was not able toplete the sentence. He had known what happened that year, but he just was not ready to tell her all about it. He was afraid that she would be in danger if she knew. "But why did you ask this so suddenly? Could you please tell me the reason?" he continued. ra hesitated for a while then she held his hand, and looked him directly in his eyes, "Horace, I just hate it when people misunderstand you for leaving her in the fire because I know you did not." Horace frowned. He could not have guessed what happened to her today. Maybe it was because of thements online. "Don''t worry about it," he said, "I will find out the truth and tell the world at the right time. Now is just not the right time." Horace did not make it any clearer to her, but out of pure trust, she nodded and stopped asking. The next day, when ra was ready to go to work, Horace said he would send her to herpany. In the car, he asked her, "Did you encounter any troubles since we go public?" ra shook her head, "No, no trouble at all. All of them suddenly be extra nice to me. Yesterday when I went to the exhibition, I got recognized by the taxi driver and the salesgirl. It felt so weird you know. I guess I will never get used to it." It was better that way. Horace was worried that she would be in danger as he had quite a few enemies in the city. Horace sent her to the gate of the building. She said goodbye and went inside. When she got off the car, Isaac said, "Mr. Kirnd, we almost get to the person who framed ra that day. I just need more time." Even though there were blocks on the way, they still managed to find out the truth. Horace was satisfied, "Good. Don''t let them escape. I look forward to the good news from you." Receiving the encouragement, Isaac was happy. He continued, "About the little girl who saved you ten years ago, I about to have a name. That dress was a limited edition and only ten buyers in this city. As soon as I have the name list of the buyers, we can find out who exactly that girl was." Horace nodded, "Yes, go on with what you are doing." Horace really wanted to know the truth. He wanted to find justice for ra, and he also wanted to say thanks to that little girl who saved his life. When ra got into the lobby, she was stared at again. But now she got used to it. The interview was a disaster, but she was in a good mood today. She got into the office humming her favorite song, then she saw Sarah rushing toward her, yelling, "ra, we are in trouble!" Chapter 159 The Overwhelming Cyber Abuse Chapter 159 The Overwhelming Cyber Abuse The dramatic change in Sarah''s expression convinced ra that something terrible had happened. Would it be that GLAM was going to be dissolved? Not able to guess what had happened, ra Selman asked, "What''s wrong, Sarah? Anything happened?" Sarah grunted haltingly because she did not know how to describe the whole thing. "Sarah, tell me! You are making me nervous and anxious." The look in Sarah''s eyes made ra believe that this "something" was about herself. Sarah said, "ra, check your Twitter. Things are happening! Well, yet, you should promise me that you won''t be angry after reading those nonsenses." Although ra still couldn''t guess what had happened, she was convinced that it was definitely bad news or Sarah would not speak in such a hesitant manner when she always spoke to others actively and decisively in her daily life. Hashtags dashed into ra ''s eyes as soon as she opened Twitter. She was taken aback. Almost all the trending topics were about her ¨C ra Selman, the BITCH Horrible Histories: ra Selman The True Colors of Mrs. Kirnd How could it be? What had happened? She immediately clicked on a hashtag and found that there were several famous KOLs trying to uncover her personal information in a detailed way. Various personal information about her, including her graduation photos, family background, academic scores, clubs she had attended, and so on, had been posted online. Unsurprisingly, the news that she was Mr. Middleton''s illegitimate daughter and that she had been rumored as a prostitute in school two years ago were also under heated discussion online. The public were using ra of being illegitimately born and her mother, Helena Selman, of being a bitch destroying others'' marriage. What''s more, she was described as a whore and a terribly indiscreet girl who had slept with countless men during her university life and she did not deserve Horace''s love at all. Realizing the seriousness of the event, ra turned pale. It took the society more than two years to forget those scandals. However, now, how could she show herself up in public again when these rumors reappeared as if there had been concrete evidence? It would be much better if she was the only victim hurt by those rumors. However, since now she was Horace''s wife, this incident would also bring disgrace to Horace''s reputation. ra was totally stupefied. She felt that she was stripped off and stood nakedly in front of everyone, sneered and judged by the whole world. People online were criticizing, bullying andughing at her. Her mother was nowbeled as "a shameless mistress" and she herself as "a gold digger". Yet it was not the truth! ra knew that she was innocent and those scandals and rumors were nothing but bullshit! What''s more, she was also sure that her mother, Helena Selman, was not the one to me! Instead, she was the exact victim! And it was no other but Glenn Middleton, together with his family, who should be judged and cursed! All of a sudden, ra''s eyes were attacked by a spasm of furious darkness. Stephanie asked with concern, "ra, are you alright? You look a bit off color." It was obvious that Stephanie had already known all about those hashtags. Well, maybe she and Helena Selman were the only two people who were still in the dark. Such a supposition was confirmed by the look on other people''s faces. ra''s heart sank, but she managed to utter a reply, "I am fine, Stephanie." Her voice was low and powerless. She was too tired to think about other stuff. Deadly silence descended on the office, which made the sound of typing much louder and more obvious than ever. It was fortunate that Diane Kirby went to conduct her interview and she would not be in the office until noon, or a fight would happen in the office where ra would tear her with her curse. ra tried to distract her attention from Twitter but she failed. She could not help reading the As time went by, more and more people added theirments to those hashtags. There were even some people posing screenshots of their chatting records with some so-called relevant people, defaming ra''s reputation and sharing rumors about her history in a mean way. Countlessments had been reposted and shared, which flooded Stratmont''s onlinemunity with all those rumors. How can an illegitimately-born girl deserve the love of the CEO of Solrace? It is impossible! Well, no wonder Horace would try to keep the history of Mrs. Kirnd as a secret since she has such a dubious background. She is an illegitimate child with a prostitute mother. Horace, you have been deceived! Horace''s mother-inw is a shameless bitch. She was a mistress destroying others'' marriage! Whore! Being a prostitute during university life? She is definitely a whore. How disgusting! I have known her since I was in college. She was more than unscrupulous! She slept with everyone! A prostitute! A whore! A bitch! ra heavily bit her lips, preventing herself from crying out. A video of an unknown person interviewing ra''s university ssmates had also been posted online. Anonymous User: You were ra''s university ssmate, weren''t you? And you were the monitor of the ss. I believe that you know her very well. Is she an indiscreet girl as it is said online? ss Monitor: Well, it has been years. I don''t want to talk about her. I don''t want to offend her. All in all, she had a bad reputation. Anonymous User: Although the monitor doesn''t want to tell us the truth, ording to his answer, it is obvious that something terrible once happened. I have also invited some more of her ssmates. Will they tell us the truth? ssmate 1: This was widely known by the public at that time. It was said that she had had sex with a lot of men. ssmate 2: I remembered that she once had a boyfriend and they broke upter when he found out that she was actually an indiscreet one. Then, the boy went abroad to France. That''s all I know. What happened two years ago happened again, more overwhelming this time, dragging her down into the sea of hellish fire! The look of disgust and the mean words of her former ssmates and teachers drowned her again! Two years ago, had it not been for the obligation of taking care of Helena Selman, ra would definitelymit suicide. Now, when the merciless rumors attacked her again, she became too tired to stand up and fight back. She could not hold her tears anymore. Heart aching, she felt as terrible as being thumped by the whole world. She stifled her crying with all her strength and ran out of the office to the restroom. She locked herself in it, sobbing heavily. Luis stood up, cast a look at ra''s desk and asked, "Sarah, does she cry?" Sarah cried out, "Shut up and mind your own business!" Sarah knew that ra would like to be alone at that moment and that herfort would do nothing good. She signed. ra must be suffering a lot when things had gone wrong in this way. ra''s phone kept on buzzing on her desk. Both Horace and Darren called. Whereas, at that moment, ra could do nothing but sit on the flush toilet, crying. Chapter 160 Mental Breakdown Chapter 160 Mental Breakdown Sagging wearily and exhaustedly on the flush toilet, ra could not help shivering. She felt herself attacked by extreme coldness and thus she had been in cold sweats. What happened in the past shadowed her like a nightmare, preventing her from reaching out for any happiness. She knew that Horace''s love for her would be beaten down and torn up by reality soon. In the office, Sarah cried out angrily when she watched the interview video posted online, "Immoral! Immoral! How could they pry into and uncover other people''s privacy through public news in such an open and aboveboard way! They know nothing but bullshit! Immoral gossips!" ra was supposed to shoot a video and conduct an interview about the opening of a hotel. Darren now knew that something bad had happened, and he became anxious and worried when he could not contact her. When he entered the office, he found ra nowhere but that her phone was on her desk. Sarah told him that it was possible that ra had been crying in the restroom since she had been out of the office for a long time. Darren turned around and walked out of the office immediately. Stephanie cast a look behind Darren. Conjecture about the rtionship between these two people haunted her. Yet she still could not tell the reason why she would find their rtionship bizarre. Luis said to Stephanie, "Editor-in-chief cared so much about ra, doesn''t he? Well, our ''dear'' ra is indeed attractive. Why would I always ignore her in the past?" Sarah said, "Goodness! If I can win the love of either Horace or the Editor-in-chief, I would definitely be willing to suffer as much pain as ra." With a wry face, Stephanie slightly shook her head at Sarah and went on with her work. Darren stood outside the restroom, waiting for ra toe out. The memory of university life suddenly urred to him when he was waiting for her. At that time, ra was as innocent and pure as a flower, blooming brilliantly. He still remembered that she insisted on attending the long-distance runningpetition during the sports meeting, and after she had sprained her ankle, she still finished thepetition with strong perseverance no matter how he had persuaded her to quit the game. Worrying about her ankle, he, therefore, ran beside her throughout the whole race. In the end, when she finally made it and finished the race, she heavily fell to the ground. Darren lifted her up, pulled her into his arms, and carried her to the clinic as soon as possible. At that time, lying in his arms, that adorable ra always counted on him. Darren sighed slightly at this reminiscence. He knew that he could never have another chance to enjoy the same sunshine as he did during his youth when he was with her. Goodbye to youth. Yet, was it also time for him to say goodbye to ra? After a while, ra went out with red eyes. Darren immediately stepped forward and offered hisfort. He could notice nothing but coldness and shivering on her body when he tried to support her. "ra, I am so sorry." ra looked up at Darren and found that his eyes were so filled with pity for her. ra replied, "You don''t have to apologize." Actually, Darren was apologizing for Ashlee''s misbehavior. Yet he dared not tell her that the one who had set her up was exactly her biological sister, for he feared that she would be much infuriated and devastated. Had it not been for what Ashlee had done, ra would not have been drugged and then been raped. If nothing bad had happened, she could now be respected as Mrs. Kirnd, the wife of Solrace''s CEO, by the whole society. Darren said, "I am sorry that I don''t protect you well. Indeed, I don''t deserve your love. I am so sorry, ra." "It is none of your business," ra answered weakly, "Why are you here? Is there anything you want me to do?" Darren was there tofort her, and when he found her crying, he was convinced that what had happened must be terrible to her. Darren said, "Well, you are supposed to conduct an interview about the opening of W Hotel, aren''t you? If you don''t feel well now, I will ask somebody else to do this. How about a rest for today?" ra realized that he was there to offer herfort. She was so familiar with him that she could grasp the hidden intention behind his every word and movement. She looked at him with great gratitude. ra said, "Thank you, but I believe that I can do it. I am the one who should be in charge of this interview, so I''d better do it myself. If I take a rest, there will be more gossips and I hate that." "C¡­" ra walked away slowly with her head sank to her chest. Darren wanted to give her a hug to relieve her sadness. However, taking into ount that his hug would lead to more malicious gossips and greater pain to her, he did not even dare to raise his hands and he did nothing but watch her walking away in sympathy. ra left the office with Sarah after she tried to cover her red eyes with makeup. When she noticed the call from Horace, she hesitated for a second and decided to ignore it. Caught up in aplicated mood, she did not know how to face him again. No one dared to chat on their way to W Hotel, so the car was covered by a deadly quietness. When they arrived, they got off one by one. There were a lot of celebrities and reporters, and many of them recognized ra. Sneer with disgust and gaze with malice and despise were cast to her. Sarah said, "ra, ignore them! They don''t deserve our attention!" Luis alsoforted, "ra, remember to smile. Let them be angry at us! We have done nothing wrong, so we are not the ones to hide! Ugh, I believe that they must have done a lot of terrible things in secret." Sarah was afraid that what Luis had said would destroy ra''s mood again, so she hurriedly interrupted him, "Luis, keep quiet. We have to start our work now!" Realizing that ra turned pale at his words, Luis shut up immediately. ra walked towards the meeting hall at a weary pace. On her way to it, sneer and sarcasm continuously dashed into her ears and no one intended to lower their voice when they said those malice words. "How dare she turn up here? Shameless! I feel sorry for the Kirnd family!" "Look! Isn''t she the heroine of those hashtags? Well, indeed, bad tags! How indiscreet and shameless. I will definitelymit suicide if I were her." "That is ra Selman, the wife of Horace and he even named a fund after her. She is now notorious! I couldn''t imagine how many men she has slept with. My poor Horace." "She isn''t sexy at all. How could she be qualified to be a prostitute? I know that her mother is a whore, a mistress, and that she knows nothing but how to seduce and flirt with men." "It is said that she has had sex with countless men! How indiscreet!" Those stares and title-tattle cut deeply into ra''s heart and soul. She felt that there was a heavy stone preventing her from moving forward as she plodded. Their words hit her like whips with salt. She felt herself so useless since she could neither protect herself nor keep her mother from abuse and public malice. The opening ceremony began amid those abuses and despise towards her. All of a sudden, the atmosphere was livened by the music and apuse. Cheerful music and happyughter were hammering ra''s rattled mind. When the ceremony was over, she, alone, leaned against the wall and stared at the blue sky motionlessly. How wonderful it would be if she could fly away and escape instantly as a bird. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Tears ran down her face. More than ever, she missed Horace; more than ever, she wished that he could be with her at the moment. Chapter 161 I Know Her Better than Any of You Chapter 161 I Know Her Better than Any of You ra finished her interview as soon as possible and then waited for Sarah to take more photos. Her heart had already sunk into the deepest hell and she had no mood for anything, so she stood in the corner quietly. She was worried whether Horace had already known the rumors online and whether he would be angry or annoyed with her. Would he drive her out? Did Russell know? Would he be¡­ While ra was lost in her thoughts, things were also happening in Solrace Corporation. When Horace arrived at the corporation, many journalists suddenly appeared and blocked his way. They posed countless questions in a crazy manner, as if they had reached a consensus that they should interview him together. Within one second or two, the threshold of the corporation was so drowned by journalists that no one could pass. Horace did not know what had happened, but he could sense that it must be bad news. Journalist A, "Mr. Kirnd, can you say something about your wife ra?" Journalist B, "Mr. Kirnd, do you want to defend your wife''s reputation? Will the ra Fund be canceled?" Journalist C, "Mr. Kirnd, is ra really an illegitimate child? When she was in university, did she¡­ Mr. Kirnd! Don''t go away!" Hearing that all the journalists mentioned ra, Horace realized that it must be something about her! Then, Isaac whispered to Horace about what had happened online. At his words, deadly coldness instantly covered Horace''s face. Horace, of course, knew the history of ra. He also knew that if someone maliciously made up a new story based on the real one and spread it on purpose, ra would be dragged into hell again! She would be torn into pieces and suffer the most unimaginable pain created by those rumors, especially now when she could be recognized by everyone after he had just introduced her to the public as Mrs. Kirnd. The look in Horace''s eyespsed into a total coldness. Isaac was trying to quiet the journalists down behind Horace, "Stop the nonsense! ra is Mr. Kirnd''s wife and they love each other. Please don''t believe in those rumors. Thanks!" Journalist C, "Mr. Kirnd, it is said that ra is quite indiscreet, and so is her mother. Do you have anything to say about it? Do you think that you have been cheated by them?" Taken aback, Horace realized that what had been spread online could defame ra to thergest extent. No wonder all those journalists would pounce at him like hungry hyena for a piece of juicy story. Journalist A, "Mr. Kirnd, please tell us something. Is ra really illegitimately born as what is discussed online? It is said that she was an indiscreet prostitute when she was in university. Is it¡­" Before Journalist A finished the question, Horace, like an angry wild beast, spun around to face him C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. with the greatest fury ming in his eyes. Journalist A shut up immediately and tightly closed his mouth. The whole crowd was stupefied by Horace''s anger. Rage was flickering in his eyes like fire, which was scary. Everybody held their breath and did not dare to breathe. The whole scenepsed into silence. No one dared to utter a word when scared by Horace''s anger. When Horace was about to turn around and leave, they resumed their questions and the din became loud again right away, with everyone prowling to see his attitude towards this affair. Horace gnashed out, "Enough! Shut up!" The whole world became quiet again when Horace began to talk. Everybody''s eyes were fixed on this furious man. Horace, with his expression as cold as ice, responded decisively, "I know her better than any of you." He was very worried about ra. Ignoring those noisy journalists and leaving them outside the door, he wheeled himself into his exclusive lift. He was determined to find out and investigate the whole affair which drew the public attention to ra again. He wondered who did it. Would it be Ashlee again? He felt that the incident this time was actually moreplicated than it is seen on the surface. Isaac walked beside him and said, "Mr. Kirnd, should I conduct some investigations?" "Of course, bute to my office first." Horace called ra as soon as he arrived at his office. However, she did not pick up the phone, which intensified his worry. He decided to have a look at the onlinements. When he clicked on the hashtags, he found that ra''s family background and history, as well as what had happened two years ago, were all posted and spread everywhere on the Inte, where now was flooded with rumors about and curses on ra and her mother. ra, son of a bitch! A slut under the skin of Mrs. Kirnd! I didn''t like her from the very beginning. She and her mother, a prostitute and a shameless mistress! If I see them, I will definitely tear them up! Debauched in nature! Indiscreet! She doesn''t deserve Mr. Kirnd! Sir, divorce her! Horace became serious and stern with an icy-cold expression. It was the first time that Horace had been in such a great rage in front of Isaac, which scared him a lot. Horace thought for a moment and demanded coldly, "There are a lot of rumors about ra online. Delete all thements of those KOLs and suspend their ounts!" "Yes, Mr. Kirnd!" Horace continued, "What''s more, suppress the news and delete all the negativements about ra and her mother. No more coboration with those who don''t cooperate this time." "Yes, sir! I will do it right away!" Isaac nodded heavily. "Wait a minute," Horace, with the greatest determination to find out and not to let off the mastermind behind the n, gnashed out, "Hurry up with your investigation of the drug affair two years ago and leave your other tasks to others." Receiving the order, Isaac hurriedly went out to work. ra was still in the W Hotel. She did not even realize how she had finished the interview. Yet, all in all, it was over. Many people still stayed there, observing and talking about her. ra was lost in extreme anger and sadness, which made her sneered at the reality. How disgusting! She really wanted to tear their hypocritical masks down to have a look at their souls¡ª whether they were really innocent and pure or actually more terrible than her! There were dirty hearts and malice souls hidden under those ugly skins. All of a sudden, her chest aching, ra was attacked by a spasm of nausea, which made her quite ufortable. On their way back to GLAM, both Sarah and Luis were at their wits'' end how tofort ra. Sarah said, "ra, ignore them. We believe you." Luis said, "What has been posted online is definitely unreliable! You might be cleared of all me tomorrow. Well, how about doxing the one who spread the rumors and then we can sue him!" ra squeezed a bitter smile and said, "Thank you. I''m fine." After they went back to GLAM, ra sank into her chair motionlessly. She did not want to turn on the longer. Suddenly, Sarah ran over and cried with excitement, "ra, your husband is so cool! Amazingly cool!" Chapter 162 The One Behind It Chapter 162 The One Behind It Horace? ra wondered what he had done to win Sarah''s admiration. Sarah cried excitedly, "There is a video of the journalists interviewing Horace. Watch it! It has been spread to every corner online! He is so COOL!" She thumbed up at ra in order to show her admiration towards Horace. ra picked up her phone and found it a great pity that she had not checked on her phone for a long while because, besides the three calls from Darren, there were also eight missed calls from Horace. Even though she missed the calls, she still could see what he was going to say as he tried to contact her in such a hurry. She was grateful. Whereas, she did not know how to face him at that moment since she was sorry that the rumors about her might cause him troubles. In the video, a crowd of journalists interviewed Horace about the rumors online. The whole scene was noisy, chaotic and covered by a growing din. ra noticed that, in the video, a crowd of journalists blocked Horace''s way into the corporation and kept on questioning him about his attitude towards the hashtags about herself while Isaac was trying to maintain order¡ª it was in total chaos. Amid the chaos, Horace, although he sat still and quiet in his wheelchair in a calm manner like a delicate ice sculpture, owned an air of authority that indicated that he had the power to put the whole world under control. A journalist suddenly got rid of the crowd and stepped closer to Horace. He cried, "Mr. Kirnd, please Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. tell us something." At this, Horace finally turned around and cast a look at that journalist. The fury in his eyes would scare and make everyone shudder even through the lens. ra knew that Horace was definitely pissed, or even furious. Although he did not shout, nor did he have a dramatic change in his expression, the look in his eyes could quiet all the journalists down like a basin of icy-cold water. Horace''s voice slowly rang to break such a deadly silence. "I know her better than any of you." Even though he did not reply in a powerful tone, his seemingly casual words weighed a thousand pounds, forcing all the journalists to hold their breath. Moreover, even people like ra who saw this through the screen could feel the power of his answer. He trusted her no matter how the world had defamed her. She got a lump in her throat. She did not believe that she could deserve such trust and care from such a man. All the anger and pain she had suffered that day were relieved at Horace''s words. At that moment, ra felt that she had restored her power and positiveness again. No one could hurt her anymore as long as Horace was there with her. Horace had embraced her with warmth and rescued her sinking heart. The work of that day finally came to an end amid the rumors. ra simply tidied up her desk and left GLAM. She did not want to give any response to those boringments any more. Since she could not exin the whole story within one or two sentences, she would just give up the effort. A clean hand wants no washing. ra saw Horace''s ck Bentley parking at the crossroad as soon as she went out of GLAM''s door. He was there to take her home. Was he there for her because he was afraid that she would be recognized in the subway? Lost in thought, ra stood still for a while, not knowing how to face Horace. She did not move a little until Horace rolled down the car window and greeted her with a low but attractive voice, "Get on or not?" ra gave him a smile and then got in the car. When the door closed, Horace said, "I am sorry that I introduced you to the public in the news conference so hurriedly. I forgot those rumors." ra shook her head and said, "It is fine. I am fine since I have gotten used to those rumors. Well, I am sorry that my affair would bring disgrace to you and Solrace Corporation. I''m so afraid that you''ll never talk to me again or be angry with me." "I''m indeed very angry," Horace replied. ra looked at her with panic. He continued, "I''m angry because I didn''t protect you well." Well¡­ ra was relieved and smiled, "It''s not your fault." Horace said, "I am investigating the truth." It took ra one or two seconds to understand what he meant. It was high time that they should find out the truth of what had happened two years ago and totally end the rumors. Whereas, to tell the truth, ra had been thinking about the truth behind that affair for so many times; yet she could not figure out anything reasonable. She said, "I have been thinking whether the incident two years ago was the someone''s revenge on me or a trick by some undesirables. Why would they do those terrible things to a college student? I once thought that they were Darren''s enemies, but that idea was dismissed after we broke up." At the very beginning, Horace held the simr suppositions, but when the mastermind began to destroy evidence and hide the clues, he realized that it could not be the undesirables but someone who was acquainted with Darren or ra. ra also knew that it could be someone she knew, such as Ashlee and Valerie Bet. Yet she did not believe that they would hurt her to such an unforgivable extent since they had already shown off enough in front of her. Besides, there had been neither dealings nor conflicts between Ashlee and her except for several encounters during her university life. It was unreasonable that she hated her so deeply. A gentle breeze blew in through the window, which made ra feel a little bit cold, so she sat close to Horace to keep warm. She had suffered a lot from anger and indignation for a whole day, which made her exhausted. Now, she could finally rx herself since Horace had turned up to support her. She beamed with a relieved heart. Now their fates had been closely connected together and they would never leave each other alone. ra, as meek and cute as a kitten, leaned her head against Horace''s shoulder and fell asleep. The atmosphere in the car was cozy and tranquil. Horace was also relieved when he finally saw ra. He looked down at her face in sympathy and also with tender love. Time passed slowly. After a while, Isaac, sitting on the seat of the co-pilot, picked up a call through his Bluetooth earphone. He hung up after a few minutes with a joyful look. He lowered his voice and whispered to Horace, "Mr. Kirnd, we have found an important clue. I believe that it can help Mrs. Kirnd a lot." With lights of surprise flickering in eyes, Horace asked, "You''ve found the mastermind?" Isaac replied, "We don''t know who the mastermind is yet, but we found someone involved in the incident two years ago. He was once sent abroad. Now he is tied up in the underground garage waiting for our questions." A faint smile of satisfaction crossed Horace''s face. Wonderful, it was indeed good news. Chapter 163 Fight Back Chapter 163 Fight Back It was time for revenge. Horace sneered with satisfaction. He would make those who had hurt ra kneel down to beg for her forgiveness. He would let them pay! ra slept so soundly that Horace did not want to wake her up. Isaac said, "Mr. Kirnd, here we are. Should we wake Mrs. Kirnd up?" "No, I will carry her in. You can take my wheelchair in. No strangers can see my legs since we are in the garage inside my home." "Yes, sir." Then, Horace got off and carried her into the house. Isaac followed him with his wheelchair. Horace carried ra to the bedroom in order that she could take a good rest. She seemed to be extremely exhausted and lost in a deep sleep, which showed that she had suffered a lot from hard work and unhappiness for a whole day. Horace slightly rubbed her forehead in sympathy, tucked her in gently and then left the room. Together with Isaac, he went to the underground garage. The person involved in the affair two years ago was found and now tied up tightly there, crouching down with great fear. His thievish look made him an obvious undesirable. Horace moved towards him slowly in his wheelchair and stopped in front of him. He asked coldly, "Tell me what you did two years ago." The thievish man begged for mercy obsequiously, "You must be the boss. Yet, it has already been two years and I can remember nothing. I did nothing¡­" Horace sneered. He gave no answer but cast an icy-cold look at that man, which seemed to be able to cut him into pieces. Although Horace said nothing, the intimidating air exuded from him could nearly freeze that man, which made him shiver. Isaac kicked him heavily and said, "No more tricks! We have already done a thorough investigation and you should tell us everything or you will be tortured to death!" Realizing that these two gentlemen were the real bosses, the thievish man finally understood that he would really be tortured to death if he kept the secret any longer since those rich men would always He finally implored, "Two gentlemen, I won''t y tricks again. I will tell you everything you ask me." Isaac ducked down and looked him in his eyes. He asked, "Tell me, did someone ask you to bring a drugged girl to an old man two years ago?" "A girl¡­ an old man," the man rolled his eyes with an I-know-but-I-can''t-remember-clearly look, trying to cobble his memory together. Horace snapped impatiently, "You didn''t forget the reason why you were sent abroad, did you?" Another kick from Isaac, "Never try to challenge our patience. You''d better tell us everything right now!" "Oh! Sir, got it! It is just in my throat and I will recall it soon." Horace and Isaac had seen many such people ¨C bully the weak and fear the strong. Isaac said, "It seems that you''ve done a lot of terrible things. Think carefully and tell us all about it!" "Yes, sir!" the thievish man answered. Although Horace was quiet in the wheelchair, the thievish man could still be scared to death by his powerful,manding air. He realized that if he told them nothing valuable, he would definitely be killed! He could, of course, remember everything about the affair that happened two years ago. It was because of that girl that he had been sent abroad, so he hated that girl deeply. "Well, I can remember it!" he said immediately. He began his narration, "Two years ago, a pretty girl came to in a high-quality dress. At that time, I wondered why a rich beauty like her would have any dealings with me and, to tell the truth, she was indeed bold enough toe to me alone. She asked me to find him the dirtiest and the ugliest old man Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. that I have ever seen, and after that, she would pay me arge sum of money." Horace and Isaac exchanged a look with each other. Here came the truth! They could finally find the mastermind¡ª a pretty girl! The thievish man continued, "Therefore, she left a deep impression on me. I found her an old, ugly gambler, which satisfied her. She was indeed generous and paid me arge sum of money. Moreover, she sent me abroadter. To be honest, I didn''t want to go abroad because my wife and my child are here. Yet I had no other choice since she threatened me." Horace asked, "What''s her name? Do you have any photos and other personal information about her?" The thievish man thought hard and answered, "I don''t have her photo. Yet, I remember that she once told me her name ¨C Asha¡­no¡­well¡­Middle¡­Yes, Middleton! Her family name was Middleton! She always talked about the Middleton family." Horace and Isaac blurted out simultaneously, "Ashlee Middleton!" "Right! It is her name! You are right, sir!" the thievish man nodded heavily. Ashlee again! Wonderful! Fantastic! Horace''s expression sank into a deadly coldness and the darkness in his eyes shone the iciest light, which nearly froze everyone present and scared them away. Even Isaac stepped back with fear when seeing the darkness in Horace''s eyes. The thievish man lowered his head down immediately and stayed still and quiet. The cold air in the garage together with the wheelchair man''s scary look nearly scared him to death. He wondered whether the man in the wheelchair would kill him and whether he would spring to his feet and give him a heavy kick. Deadly silence wrapped the garage and only Horace''s heavy, angry breath could be heard. After a long while, Horace finally calmed himself down. He thought about the whole affair and said to the thievish man, "Now, go and confess your crime to the police." "Well¡­" the thievish man did not want to go to jail. Horace said, "Don''t worry. If you do what I tell you, I will help you. Understand?" "Yes, sir!" the cruelty in Horace''s eyes made him surrender immediately. Isaac took the thievish man away to the police. Horace stared behind them coldly. As before, he would definitely not let him off easily. Yet, now since ra was at the center of public condemnation, he needed a man to help to rify the whole thing for her. Let him be alive in jail for several more days. Then, Horace took out his phone and dialed a number, "I need you to do something for me." The next morning, things happened in the vi of the Middleton family. When Ashlee was still asleep and enjoying her dream where she was living an ideal life with Darren, she was woken up by being shaken violently. She opened her eyes and found that it was Valerie. Valerie looked scared and anxious. "Mom, what''s going on? Why did you wake me up so early?" Ashlee slightly rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked. Valerie said anxiously, "Ashlee, something happened! Check the news!" Chapter 164 The Change in Public Opinion Chapter 164 The Change in Public Opinion Even though the news was about an earthquake, scandals about the president, or a dirty 5-star restaurant, she should not be woken up to check it in such a hurry, especially when she was steeped in the happiness of a sweet dream where she was making out with Darren, should she? She could almost feel the warmth of Darren''s body! "Oh, my girl, wake up! The news is about you!" "About me?" Ashlee sprang to her feet at the words. Shouldn''t it be ra, who was the protagonist of the current news? ra had been such a celebrity recently and criticism about her could be seen everywhere online. Ashlee was so happy about this that she had brought many new dresses as celebration. Yet, why would she be the focus of the news? Noticing that Valerie almost cried because of anxiety, she could sense that something bad had happened. "My girl! Read this! Those people online are going crazy! The Middleton family is done!" How serious! Ashlee immediately turned on her tablet. On the Inte, almost all the media, Twitter celebrities and WeChat groups were saying that, ording to the investigation, it was not ra herself who volunteered to work as a prostitute but her biological sister who had drugged her and then made her one. More importantly, they all said that they have concrete evidence because a person involved, who helped to frame ra, had already confessed his crime to the police. With the testimony of this witness, ra now was cleared of all me and rumors while Ashlee became totally notorious. Moreover, it was also said that ra''s mother was once raped and forced by Glenn Middleton, which was exactly in ordance with an old saying, "Like father, like daughter." People also doxed out the ugliest photo of Ashlee and posted it everywhere online. The truth was uncovered! Apart from that, old stories had also been posted about how Ashlee had bullied ra since they were kids, how she sent someone to drug ra, how she found an ugly old man to rape ra, and how she made ra suffer from injustice and despise for so many years by snapping her pictures and spreading malicious rumors. Astonished, Ashlee found herself suffocated and her hands couldn''t help shaking from the fear. Who? Who did this? No one but Darren knew the truth. Yet Ashlee was sure that Darren would never do this to her. Since she was pregnant, Darren had been much kinder to her and would call her every day when they could not see each other, so he would never intend to do this. Besides, Darren, in fear that a more in-depth investigation would be conducted on that affair, had already helped her to destroy as much evidence as they could find. Ashlee tried to calm herself down and continued her reading. People on almost every social media tform were cursing her and the Middleton family. Poor ra, been so severely bullied¡­ Ashlee Middleton is definitely a demon, a jealous bitch! She looks ugly in that photo! The Middletons are all viins! They not only bullied the mother but also the daughter! How evil! Viper! Much worse than worms! Ashlee, you did those awful things to your sister! Just wait for your nemesis! You''ll die a horrible death! Ashlee, go to hell! Let the thunder kill her! The Middletons are all devils! Such devils can never run a reliablepany, no more coboration with them! Ashlee''s heart began to beat wildly and she could feel that her doom was approaching. How could she show herself up in public again anymore! There was another piece of news saying that the stock price of Mind Inc. had plunged since that morning when the news about Ashlee had been published and spread, which brought serious damage to the business of the Middleton family and made a lot of clients terminate their contract with it. Bankruptcy was the foreseeable oue. Ashlee got the willies and began to shiver. Was doom really approaching? She sank to the floor powerlessly. Valerie was very worried about Ashlee and helped her up immediately. "Mom! Mom! Help me! Help!" eyes goggling as a dead fish, Ashlee tightly held Valerie''s clothes in her hand. "I don''t want to die. I don''t. He will never let me off! Mom, I am done! I am done!" "Who? Who won''t let you off?" Valerie was puzzled. "Horace! Horace! He''ll never let me off! Mom!" in a great panic, Ashlee cried. Ashlee gradually realized that, even though Horace was not the one who published the news, he would never forgive her easily. Those threatening words Horace once said were imprinted in Ashlee''s mind, which always gave her nightmares. It was unexpected that his words had turned into reality so soon since that morning. Valerie began to be scared too when she heard his name. He was so omnipotent that he could make them kneel down as easily as he killed an ant. Valerie cried out, "My girl, oh, God help us! Don''t be afraid, I am here with you. I will never let ra and her mother off! Those bitches! They should go to hell!" There rang the sounds of rapid footsteps on the staircases. It was Glenn. Before he entered Ashlee''s room, he heard their curses on ra and her mother. He became very angry. He shouted at them furiously as soon as he crossed the threshold. "Bitch!" Glenn bellowed at Valerie, "I have heard everything you said just now! Had it not been for your insult to and hatred of ra and her mother, we wouldn''t be so miserable now! And even now, you still want to bully them! You are the one who should go to hell!" He then turned around to face Ashlee and continued, "Little devil! How dare you frame your sister? You are much worse than the devil! ra is your sister!" Seeing that Glenn scolded Ashlee because of ra, Valerie burst into ming rage as if there was a volcano erupting in her body. She shouted back, "Don''t shout at us! If you hadn''t been with Helena Selman, there wouldn''t be the little bitch ra! She is satisfied now since she sessfully defamed her sister and nearly brought bankruptcy to ourpany. She is a troublemaker and a curse! Ashlee just wanted to teach her some lessons since we don''t like her at all! Don''t make a fuss!" Ashlee began to whimper.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Valerie continued, spitting as she spoke, "Ashlee is pregnant now and she has tried her best to keep Darren by her side for us. They are going to get married! However, how about the other daughter of you? ra, what has she done? After she married Horace, she brought countless troubles to us. You should me her and make her beg for our forgiveness!" Retorted sharply by Valeri Bet and vexed by Ashlee''s crying, Glenn couldn''t shout his indignation out anymore and began to me himself. If he had controlled his sexual desire when facing Helena Selman, there would not be so many troubles at all. When the Middletons were sitting in the vi trying to figure out a solution, a boom suddenly rang downstairs and a group of people in ck stormed in. Chapter 165 Ashlee Was Taken Away Chapter 165 Ashlee Was Taken Away The nanny of the Middleton''s family tried to shout aloud to stop them, but she was in turn forced to the corner. They asked her the whereabouts of Ashlee Middleton and the nanny had no choice but to point at the bedroom upstairs. Then they rushed into the room and took Ashlee away violent. Glenn and Valerie were pushed away by them and they tried to scream and fight back. But the two used to live an extravagant life could by no means beat the well-trained hatchet men. Then Ashlee was taken away while screaming. Meanwhile, ra had just woke up. She had a nice dreamst night and now as she woke up, she felt quite energetic. Horace had been waiting for her in the dining room. ra came into the room and sat down with a smile on her face. Horace said in a low voice, "You seem to get better now." ra swallowed a mouthful of coffee and said, "I''m myself again. I don''t care what others will say. I just want you to trust me." Horace looked at her with a faint smile on face and said, "I''ve asked GLAM for a leave for you. I want to take you somewhere else." ra was quite confused. She was wondering where Horace would take her. With all those rumors and troubles out there, she didn''t want to create trouble for Horace. "I don''t wanna go," ra said. But Horace knew what ra had in mind and said, "You must go. Don''t bother, it''s not a press conference or something like that." ra frowned and was all the more confused. But she had no choice but to after having the meal. Until now ra hadn''t checked her phone and that''s why she didn''t know what happened online. Now Ashlee had be the culprit to me. Horace drove ra to a dested freezer room, in which different kinds of junk was cast here and there in a messy way. ra couldn''t help but shivered all over as she came into the house. Horace noticed that and asked, "Do you feel cold? You can take on my coat." "No. You''ll catch cold." "Just take it on." ra nodded and took the coat. She felt much warmer now. They opened the door and saw Ashlee was lying on the floor, tied up with her mouth covered by tape, her hair disheveled. ra was taken aback by what she saw, " Horace, what happened to Ashlee?" Ashlee couldn''t say anything. She just stared at Horace and ra with fear in eyes. Horace sneered and before he could say anything, someone break into the house. It was Darren and Valerie who rushed in out of breath. Seemingly it took them a lot of efforts to here. ra was all the more shocked. Ashlee was kidnapped? Even Valerie was here. What happened? Horace was quite surprised that they would break in. But soon he knew why they were here. After Ashlee was taken away, Darren and Valerie must have known it was Horace who hired those hatchet men. To know her whereabouts, they must have followed Horace here. If they thought they could change anything with their presence here, they were wrong. Horace sneered and remained silent. And now Valerie''s face had been covered all over with tears. She kneeled before Horace and cried, "Please, Mr. Kirnd, please, let Ashlee go. If you want to revenge, you can take my life. Please, let her go, I beg you, Mr. Kirnd." ra couldn''t believe what she saw. Valerie, who really cared about her dignity and never allowed anyone to find fault with her, was now kneeling on the ground to beg Horace. Valerie saw ra who was standing beside Horace and she then turned to her. ra was scared by her move and hid herself behind Horace. Valerie still said while sobbing, "Ashlee is still your own younger sister despite the things she did. Please, forgive her. I''ll apologize. She must be innocent. There must be some misunderstanding between you¡­" "Misunderstanding? How could you say that now?" Isaac scolded as he couldn''t stand that woman anymore. ra was still confused. She couldn''t figure it out what Ashlee did to irritate Horace. Was that rted to her? Ashlee tried to struggle while sobbing. But what she could do with her body tied up tightly by the rope was only to mumble unclearly. Darren couldn''t help but sympathize with Ashlee as he saw how poor she was right now. He walked over to Horace and said, "Please, for my sake, let her go. She is still pregnant. I can do anything to make up for her mistake." His words again aroused Horace''s rage. He said in a contemptuous way, "Just look how selfish you are, Darren! I think you know exactly what she did, don''t you? And now you want me to let her go? Don''t forget that you''re also a victim of that incident." Darren''s face turned pale. Yes, he did loathe Ashlee. But what could he do after he knew she had his baby? He didn''t have a C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. choice right now. It was his baby after all. Darren said with a pale face, "But remember she is pregnant. Just let her go. What had happened had already happened. ra is alright now, isn''t she?" Now ra finally understood that what happened here was actually rted to her. But she remembered that she had made it clear with them that they wouldn''t get involved with each other anymore. They were all saying that Ashlee had done something unforgivable. What had she done? ra was still wondering something else. It had never urred to her that it was rted to what happened to her two years ago. So, she asked Horace, "What did Ashlee do, Horace?" Horace looked at Ashlee then at ra before he said, "It was Ashlee Middleton who set you up two years ago." Ashlee Middleton? ra couldn''t believe her ears. All the things she suffered these years, the unfairness, the rumors, were all thanks to her younger daughter. And she could still remember how she was almost raped and how Darren broke up with her. She felt as if she was struck by a lightning. Isaac exined, "I''ve done some investigation. Two years ago, it was Ashlee who hired someone to drug you; it was Ashlee who hired the man to rape you and take those photos. She even spread those photos and sent the photos to Darren. The rumors were all created by her." ra stared at Ashlee on the floor and saw how she looked at her maliciously. Now she finally believed what Isaac told her. Chapter 166 Ashlees Unrequited Love Chapter 166 Ashlee''s Unrequited Love "No! it wasn''t Ashlee!" Valerie suddenly came out and said to Horace and ra, "It''s my fault, my fault. You can kill me if you want. Please, let my daughter go." Darren and Ashlee were stunned. What was Valerie doing? Was she even willing to sacrifice herself? And would Horace forgive Ashlee? Valerie cried, "Two years ago, I knew ra started a rtionship with such an excellent boy and I envied her so much that I nned to drug her and take those photos. I even spread rumors in her school to ruin her reputation... I did all those things. Ashlee has nothing to do with this!" Horace knew she just wanted to be the scapegoat for her daughter''s future. He said coldly, "Don''t you think I''ll let you go that easily, you and your daughter." Ashlee was still struggling. Seemingly she had something to say and Darren walked over to her and took off the tape on her mouth. Ashlee breathed heavily and Darren pressed his hand on her chest for her to breathe smoothly. Valerie continued, "No, it''s me! I did all this, not Ashlee! I just couldn''t bear to see that little bitch had her happiness and I wanted to ruin her. Hell is the only destination for her and her mother!" Horace didn''t want to forgive Ashlee that easily simply due to Valerie''s confession. He gradually lost his patience. He didn''t want to get involved with Valerie. Valerie saw her words didn''t work and then she decided to attack ra to irritate Horace. She shouted at her, "You bitch, ra! I should have hired ten more to rape you, bitch! And now you''re just standing there watching us making a fool of ourselves. How shameless you are! It''s your own younger sister and you¡­" Before she could finish, Horace was finally possessed by his anger and Isaac rushed over to her and pressed her onto the ground so that she could finally shut up. Now ra was bitterly disappointed. Valerie and her daughter constantly found fault with her in her daily life and they had even tried to hire someone to rape her¡­ They wanted to snatch away the happiness from her. And they were even her families. ra fixed her eyes on her and said with her voice shivering, "Why do you hate me so much? I''m a member of our family after all, but you¡­" Now she choked with sobs. But Ashlee suddenly burst outughing hysterically. All her ns had failed and ra was now standing right before her intact. And her evil n had been revealed by Horace, who loved ra so much. She was like amb about to be ughtered. Now instead of begging for their mercy, Ashlee wanted to kill herself. Now there was a terrible cut on her arm and now her sleeves were soaked by blood. She knew now she must tell the truth and she cried, "Why? ra, you must have known why. That''s because you stole my love from me. You stole my Darren from me! I envied you so much and I wanted you to break up. He is mine! Only I deserve to have his love. And you, ra, you are nothing but a bastard child. What does he see in you! Why! " ra and Darren were both shocked by what she said. They didn''t know that Ashlee loved Darren and she even loved him so much. ra said confusedly, "Darren? How did you know him?" Darren was also very confused. He didn''t remember he had met Ashlee back in college. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Ashlee ground her teeth and ra''s words took her back to the day she fell in love with Darren. That day she went to ra''s college to handle some business and then she saw Darren riding a bike passing by in front of her. She could still remember how he passed before her in a white shirt under the sunlight and how he smiled brightly with her eyes fixed on someone affectionately like a prince. But then he was fixing his eyes on ra. Then a sense of hatred shed in Ashlee''s eyes and she shouted at ra, "I''ve met Darren two years ago at your campus and I fell in love with him. I just wanted to ruin you, a shameless bitch! You don''t deserve his love!" And now Darren finally knew why Ashlee looked at him so affectionately and intently when he met her for the first time. ra was also shocked and she remembered that when she was a little girl, Ashlee tried to rob the shabby doll in her hand though she had already had many beautiful dolls. Little ra cried as she saw how Ashlee brought the doll back to her room. Now that feeling welled up in her mind again. And after they grew up, she even tried to steal her boyfriend and her happiness. ra fixed her cold eyes on Ashlee and said in an icy voice, "He was my boyfriend two years ago. How dare you?" "What?" Ashlee asked, "That''s the question I want to ask. Darren is such a handsome and excellent boy. You bitch don''t deserve his love!" When She fell in love with Darren, she did some investigation and found that he was of a prominent background. She would definitely try to possess him. "So, you nned to trap me and make us break up?" ra still couldn''t believe what Ashlee did to her, "I''m your sister. You shouldn''t have treated me like that despite your anger and envy. Did you know how much harm you would cause to me, Ashlee?" Darren also red at Ashlee coldly. If it were for not her evil n, now ra would have be his wife, but now she had be his aunt. Ashlee sneered and said, "That''s right. I did all those things! And now you''ve already been stained by that old man, whore! It''s toote to say anything now." Chapter 167 A Sudden Phone Call Chapter 167 A Sudden Phone Call Silence suddenly reigned the house. Ashlee''s words might further irritate Horace and ra and that might bring great trouble to her. Darren quickly stopped her, "Just shut up, Ashlee!" Horace suppressed his anger and said with a sneer on his face, "Distain? Sorry, Ashlee, I''m afraid I must inform you that it was I who stayed with ra that night." Ashlee was indeed scared but she still said those words with an evil yet proud smile on her face. But now Horace''s words made her face pale immediately. "That''s impossible!" Ashlee shouted, "It was definitely an old man¡­" She wanted to shout again, but Horace''s cold eyes told her that he wasn''t lying. She felt as if she was struck by the lightning. It had never urred to her that she didn''t hurt ra two years ago and now she would even have her own life ruined thanks to what she did. Meanwhile, Darren was also shocked by Horace''s words. But now with the baby inside Ashlee''s body in mind, Darren still said on her side, "If it was so, please let Ashlee go, Uncle Horace." Horace sneered and didn''t say anything, but Darren knew that he didn''t n to do as he said. And as she heard what Darren said, Ashlee felt much better and she said to him with tears in eyes, "Darren, you said those for me, right? You don''t want to watch me die, do you?" Ashlee knew that she didn''t have to hide anything anymore in Darren''s face. She was quite moved that Darren treated she and her child in such a way. Darren didn''t try to abandon her despite what she did. She continued, "I really love you, Darren. I was possessed by your charm the moment I saw you. I love you. I love you, Darren. I''ll do anything for you. You''re mine!" Valerie also said, "Darren! You know how much Ashlee loves you, don''t you? I could hear her crying in her room every night since she knew you loved ra. She would have done all those just because she loves you so much. Don''t me her, Darren." Now the two culprits behind the case two years ago were now standing right before ra. But she could feel nothing but ridiculous right now. It was nothing but a farce for her. Almost no one had cared about her life and her love in the recent two years. She was ndered, distained and abandoned¡­ No one knew better than herself what miseries she had been through. And she made it alone. Everyone around her thought she was a whore and they would avoid meeting her as long as they could. And the men around her either detested her or make fun of her. Most importantly, her heart was already broken. If she didn''t meet Horace, the only one willing to believe her in the world, she couldn''t imagine what a future she would have. In ra''s mind, what Valerie and Ashlee did was unforgivable. Darren shook Valerie off and walked over to ra, "Though I am your ex-boyfriend now, I still want to beg you to forgive Ashlee. She has my baby now. my baby shouldn''t shoulder Ashlee''s guilty. And Ashlee is your sister. You two are still bound by blood." Bound by blood? How ridiculous it was. She hated the same blood flowing in their blood vessels. She hated Glenn who took away her mother''s happiness and brought her to this depressing world. She needed to face the fact that she was Ashlee''s sister, the malicious woman. "Bound by blood"? She hated this rtion to the core. ra could still remember the scene when she first met Valerie and Ashlee. Valerie was her stepmother and Ashlee was her sister. She thought she could get along well with them. But these years her patience and tolerance gave her nothing but harm and envy. They disappointed her so much. It was quite lucky for her to be saved by Horace the night she was drugged. Otherwise, she didn''t know how she could make it. So, who was she in their eyes? An enemy? A stranger? Or a piece of trash that could be stepped on at any time? ra didn''t want to say a word. They have already hurt her so much. Now it was toote to say she was willing to forgive them or not. ra turned her face away and to avoid looking Darren''s eyes. Horace sneered, "Don''t say that anymore. Now you must pay for what you did to ra. Isaac!" "Copy that, Mr. Kirnd," Isaac nodded and brought into the room those strong men who had been waiting outside. Pointing at Ashlee and Valerie, Isaac said to the men, "Take them away and give some pills to them. Then you can do whatever you want." Then Isaac added, "Remember to take some videos." C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. The men walked over to the two with an evil smile on their face. Ashlee and Valerie screamed with fear and Darren wanted to stop them but he was then pushed into the corner. "Mom! Save me! No! No!" Ashlee cried, "Please! Darren! No, get off me¡­" Darren took Horace''s arm and begged, "Please, uncle Horace! Just think of my baby! It''s my child!" ra closed her eyes, determined to ignore their screams. Horace sneered, "I don''t think you are in a position to judge." The men were trying to put the pills into the struggling women''s mouth. ra was a bit scare and she pressed her head into Horace''s arms with her heart quite cold. She felt quite guilty. But even at this moment Valerie and Ashlee was still cursing her and that made ra finally decide to let Horace do what he nned to. She told herself that she was also doing so for her mother. She was kind but she knew what she had to do. She knew someone as evil as Ashlee and Valerie deserve such punishment. Suddenly, Isaac received a phone call and that really made him quite astonished. Why¡­ He knew he must stop Horace and those men. Then he whispered to Horace. No one knew what he said to Horace, who also changed his face and then shouted to stop those men. Chapter 168 A Dramatic Change Chapter 168 A Dramatic Change "Stop it! You!" Isaac took a step forward and stopped the men. The pills and water were almost stuffed into their mouth and as they suddenly stopped, the water was sshed onto the two women''s clothes. They stopped and Isaac sent them back. Valerie and Ashlee copsed onto the ground with great fear. Darren was surprised yet also confused why Horace would ask his men to stop. And he didn''t think too much and untied Ashlee. With one hand supporting her and another supporting Valerie, he helped the two stand up. "Darren!" Ashlee sensed that she was saved. She pressed her head on Darren''s chest and burst into tears. Valerie also began to sob. She was so scared. She was almost drugged and raped and if it was known to someone else, she would have been ruined. Glenn might abandon her and drive her out of the family. ra was also stunned. She had no idea what happened to Horace. What made him change his mind? What happened? Or did he forgive her in a moment of sympathy? No emotion was written on Horace''s dark face. He turned to ra and suddenly whispered to her in an apologetical voice, "Sorry, I''m afraid that I couldn''t do this to Ashlee anymore." Why did Horace let them go that easily? ra was quite confused why the phone call would make Horace decide to stop the punishment. It wasn''t like him. Horace also noticed the confusion on her face. But he couldn''t torture Ashlee anymore. He took ra''s hand and said, "I''ll exin to youter, ra." Horace was also shocked as he heard the information from Isaac. It had never urred to him that it was Ashlee. Horace said to Isaac, "Let them go. And you should stay here taking care of ra. Find me in the hospital after you sent her back home." Hearing that, Darren quickly took Ashlee and Valerie away. Horace also followed them and left. It was quite cold in this freezer room. Horace left ra alone here, which made ra feel even colder. Horace even abandoned her here and left here with Ashlee. Isaac said to ra, "Let''s go, Mrs. Kirnd. I will send you home." ra nodded. On their way back home, ra asked Isaac, "What happened? Why did Horace change his mind?" "That''s because¡­" Isaac said with hesitation, "I think maybe you''d better ask Mr. Kirnd." Now ra knew that it might have something to do with Horace''s past and it was inappropriate for her to ask more. Though she didn''t want to witness Ashlee being tortured, she was still eager to know what happened to Horace. The idea kept haunting her in her mind. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Would Horace dump her just like what Darren did? It was indeed a ridiculous idea. But she cared about Horace so much. She had already lost Darren and she wouldn''t let her Horace be stolen again. Now ra was staying at home alone. Horace didn''t call her and she had no idea when he would After the cook finished her work, ra asked her to leave. ra checked her phone and found that what Ashlee did two years ago had been revealed to the public. It must be Horace who instructed all media in Stratmont to write such articles. Luckily, Horace found out the truth. Otherwise, ra might have been the target for ming for another a few years. Justice dyed is justice denied. It was already 11 at night and Horace still didn''t send any message to her. ra didn''t want to call and disturb him. ra checked her Facebook and found that it was filled withments cursing Ashlee and her mother and she started to get tired of it. The two women had received enough punishment. And she saw the user "Back2Past" checked her page again and even liked several of her posts. It was indeed a mysterious man for ra and she then followed that user. ra spent a lot of time online and had been waiting for Horace until midnight. The whole room was reigned by dead silence. And there was still no message sent by Horace. ra put down her phone and then picked it up again and again, wondering whether she should call Horace or not. It was already quitete at night and she didn''t know whether he had had his dinner or not. Maybe he had encountered some danger¡­ ra gradually fell asleep and when she woke up, it was already another day. The moment she got up, she checked her phone and found that there was still no message. She asked a day off yesterday and today Horace was not at home so ra got to GLAM early at morning. As she arrived at GLAM, she found Darren, who had just arrived and looked quite tired. Darren saw the dark circles around her eyes and asked her, "Are you alright? You seemed not to have slept well." ra smiled and said, "You also looked quite tired." They both halted for a few seconds and then suddenly opened their mouth to say two different names, which made them both smiled awkwardly. "Horace¡­" "Ashlee¡­" Darren saw ra have something to say and then said, "Shall we have a talk in my office?" ra followed Darren into his office. Darren poured ra a cup oftte, her favorite, and said, "I remember you lovette." ra nodded, "I''m surprised that you still remember." "I never forget it." When they were still impecunious college students, Darren had taken her to a coffee shop and bought her a cup of coffee. Darren just sat there with a smile on his face watching her drinking the coffee. He told ra that he would build her arge coffee house and collect all kinds of coffee in that for her to drink. By then she thought it was a mere joke. But now she knew that Darren was actually capable of doing so. To not let herself indulge in the past, ra quickly changed the topic, "By the way, where is Ashlee and Valerie now? And what about Horace?" Darren said, "Just m down, okay? Have a cup of coffee and I''ll answer your question one by one." ra was not in the mood to drink coffee. But she didn''t want to refuse Darren''s kindness and took a sip. Darren said, "Horace had sent Valerie abroad to an underdeveloped country so that she wouldn''t bother you anymore. She had ruined herself. Horace would ensure that she wouldn''t live a happy life in her declining years." Chapter 169 Horaces Explanation Chapter 169 Horace''s Exnation Actually, ra didn''t care about where Valerie was. She just wanted to know Horace''s whereabouts and why he didn''te backst night without even giving her a phone call. ra continued, "Then where is Ashlee and what about her baby?" Darren answered, "She was taken to the hospital by Horace for examination and treatment. Now Horace is staying with her taking care of her." ra suddenly looked upwards as if she couldn''t believe her ears. Horace was taking care of Ashlee? ra''s face turned paler and her lips looked quite dry. She lowered her head. It didn''t sound like what Horace would do. ra was a bit jealous. Darren was as confused as ra. He said, "I don''t know why he would do so either. His attitude towards Ashlee changed a lot. Now he treated Ashlee like she was his younger sister." ra was still shocked as she knew the fact. She couldn''t figure out why there was a dramatic change in Horace''s attitude. ra felt even worse as she imagined how Horace stayed with Ashlee. She believed that Horace wouldn''t betray her. But his weird action made ra felt quite ill at ease. She felt as if her doll was stolen by Ashlee again. Darren noticed the change on ra''s face and he asked affectionately, "Are you okay, C? Don''t bother. Horace won''t fall in love with Ashlee. But I really don''t know why he would do that." "Oh, I didn''t think he will betray me. I''m just a bit¡­ a bit jealous." Now Darren was sure how much ra loved Horace. He fixed his eyes on her. ra was still beautiful, her hair like a ck waterfall, her lips as red as roses, her nose small and delicate, her eyes as clear and reflective as a mirror¡­ ra felt a bit ill at ease as she was stared at by Darren. She stood up and said, "I should get to work now, sorry." "ra," Darren stood up and said, "Sorry, I''m so sorry. I didn''t protect you well two years ago." ra was stunned. She didn''t expect Darren would apologize in such a sincere way. She took a deep breath and she felt that she could finally face the tragic rtionship with Darren. Now she felt much better now. With her back facing Darren, she didn''t say anything and walked out of his office as if she eventually walked out of his world. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Darren thought of the baby in Ashlee''s body and the fact that he would get married to her soon. Then he also heaved a sigh. Meanwhile, Horace was staying with Ashlee. Ashlee was lying on the bed. Now her face looked much better now and she had calmed down. Yesterday she was kidnapped, almost raped and then saved suddenly. Now she felt as if she had finally woken up from a terrible nightmare. Horace was sitting beside her with his eyes fixed on his phone. He heard something and looked upwards to find Ashlee was staring at him with fear. He then opened his mouth friendly, "Oh, you wake up, Ashlee." Ashlee didn''t dare to say a word. Horace called the nurse to exam her body. When Ashlee was taken to the hospitalst night, she was almost ina. He had been busying himself taking care of Ashlee and didn''t even came back home. He didn''t know whether ra was at GLAM or not. He wasn''t sure whether she was angry at him because he had been out all night. Nurse changed a fresh dressing for her cut. Then she took her blood pressure and her blood sample. She told Horace that if there wasn''t anything wrong, she would be allowed to leave the hospital today. Horace thanked the nurse, and the nurse smiled back at him sweetly. She thought the women on the bed was the girlfriend of this handsome man in wheelchair. What a lucky woman. When she was sent here, Ashlee couldn''t figure out what had happened. But now she had be quite sober. Horace''s weird action made her feel quite confused. She didn''t know why he would stop torturing her and started to take care of her. Ashlee was quite curious why Horace didn''t leave right now. She finally asked, "Why do you let me go? What are you taking care of me now?" "I have my reasons." So, he didn''t actually forgive her. Ashlee realized. She was scared. In her mind, Horace should have been colder to him. She said, "Mr. Kirnd, I won''t do it anymore¡­ I didn''t know my mother had done such an evil thing¡­ I¡­" "Ashlee," Horace said, "Though you''re much better now, the doctor suggested you to have a good rest." He didn''t want to mention the thing two years ago. He couldn''t revenge ra on Ashlee anymore. Now he could only punish Valerie. "So, can I get back home now?" "If the nurse agreed you to do so." Ashlee heaved a sigh of relief. Horace had given up punishing her. But what made him change his mind? Ashlee asked carefully, "Why did you¡­" Then she halted. She was afraid that if she asked more, Horace would change his mind again. Horace took out a photo from his pocket. The photo was yellowish pale, but a little girl in a princess dress could be seen on that photo. The girl looked quite familiar, but Ashlee wasn''t sure who the girl was as the photo was a bit blurred. Horace asked her, "Do you know that girl? Is that you?" Ashlee believed that the photo must have something to do with the reason Horace let her go. If she said she didn''t know the girl, what would Horace do to her? and what would happen if she said it was her? She had done a lot to harm ra. Now she was careful about any single question she answered. She didn''t answer but ask, "Why does it matter whether I know that girl or not?" "Do you still remember the night ten years ago? You saved a boy who hurt his legs and you carried him to a nearby hospital. The boy was saved," Horace halted for a second and said, "That boy was me." Chapter 170 Retribution Chapter 170 Retribution "You?" Ashlee couldn''t remember. But she knew that it was because of this that Horace would let her go. She was quite lucky. "Thank you for saving my life, Ashlee. Without you, I might have died." Horace said in a low voice, but gratefulness was written all over on his face. Yesterday when Isaac received a phone call and he was informed that Ashlee was among the customers who bought the limited-edition princess dress. And the photo was taken around Ashlee''s vi. Further examination of that photo could also prove that the girl was Ashlee Middleton. Ashlee was the one who saved Horace''s life. Now Ashlee knew why Horace would forgive her and she came up with an idea. She remained silent for a while for she didn''t want to talk much about the photo. Suddenly, she thought of her mother. She hadn''t shown up sincest night. Was she now back to the Middleton''s vi? Ashlee asked Horace timidly, "Where is my mother? Is she back home?" Horace sneered, "Listen, I can let you go. But I won''t do the same thing to your mother if she is really the one behind the things two years ago." Horace knew that it must be Ashlee who nned ra''s tragedy. But she was only a college student at that time and as her mother, Valerie must have known her daughter had used the Middleton''s family''s power to trap ra. Maybe it was because she also loathed ra and her mother so that she didn''t stop Ashlee from doing so. Now as he knew he was saved by Ashlee ten years ago; he couldn''t punish Ashlee anymore. But he wouldn''t forgive Valerie. Ashlee knew what Horace meant and now as she had finally been safe, she was afraid that Horace would carry out his n again. She didn''t dare to ask Horace to forgive her mother. Ashlee said in an affected voice, "Well, could I meet my mother?" Horace said coldly, "Sorry, I''ve sent her abroad for ra''s safety." Ashlee was scared by his words. He was indeed a heartless man. And she knew that her mother was sent abroad for further torturing. She mumbled, "Is she alright? Please, be good to her, Mr. Kirnd. She is an olddy. I really want to meet her, so could you arrange a¡­" Horace felt disgusted as he heard Ashlee mention her mother. But he still said in a low voice, "I can arrange a video call for you to have a talk. That''s all I could do." Ashlee wanted to ask more, but his face daunted her and she knew she had to ept the situation. Maybe she could get her mother backter. And now Valerie had to suffer in a foreignnd. She said sweetly as if she were a little girl, "Thank you, Mr. Kirnd." But Horace was immune to sweet words said by any woman other than ra. He still said expressionlessly, "Have a good rest." Then he left the ward and asked Isaac to arrange the video call. This afternoon Ashlee left the hospital and was taken to a house suburb to have a video call with Valerie. On the screen, Valerie was sitting in a shabby room, the dirty floor, the fractured wallpaper, and the windowpane made others feel that the house would copse at any moment. Seeing her daughter look quite well and thinking of her own miserable situation, Valerie felt tears welling up in her eyes. Valerie''s face was smeared by dirt. He looked quite tired and it seemed that she didn''t have enough rest after a long day ofboring. Ashlee cried as the miserable look of her mother had made her feel as if her heart were stabbed and as if it were she herself who were suffering. In the past, Valerie, in luxurious clothes, was always the center of attention in public and at home she was always served by arge number of servants. It was the first time for her to have such a rough time. How much her mother had suffered! Ashlee felt as if her heart were broken. Isaac left the room and closed the door. After he left, Ashlee began to say with sobs, "Are you alright, mom?" With one hand covering her mouth, Valerie also said while crying, "Don''t worry about me." But actually, she had suffered a lot these days. She would rather die. She had to do a lot of work every day and the food here was too awful. She could only eat leftovers. And some bumpkins would even bully her and spit at her. She was often beaten and cursed. Luckily, the wound on her body was hidden under her clothes so that her daughter didn''t say that. Ashlee said with tears trickling down her cheeks, "You look thinner, mom. I promise you I, Darren and my father will rescue you. Just wait for us, mom!" "Okay, I''ll wait," Valerie said as if she were not the domineering woman anymore, "And what about your father? Tell him to save me! I don''t want to stay here anymore, Ashlee!" Ashlee kept nodding. Then she looked around to ensure there was no one listening. Then she murmured to her mother, "Why would you say you nned the thing two years ago? I did this. If you didn''t say those words, Horace might not have sent you there. It''s my fault. It''s my fault¡­" Valerie was her mother after all. She would definitely try to save her daughter. Valerie said, "Silly girl. Of course, I know what you did. But I didn''t stop you, did I? Don''t tell Horace it was you. No one could resist his power." Ashlee was moved. Valerie consoled her daughter, "I just want you to be safe and happy. Don''t worry about me. It is ra Selman who made us suffer. If she didn''t ask Horace to do some investigation, Horace wouldn''t have known it was you. ra and her mother are the ones to me in this world! Promise me, kid, have a happy marriage with Darren, will you?" Ashlee felt quite guilty. Her mother had done a lot for her happiness and now she was suffering in a Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. remote country. And all that was caused by the bitch ra Selman. Chapter 171 The Secret about Her Belly Chapter 171 The Secret about Her Belly Ashlee said, "Mom, don''t worry, I will take revenge for you! ra and Helena, just wait for it! You will pay for this! I swear that you will not have a good end! Mom, take care over there!" "Okay, don''t worry," Valerie replied. Ashlee has always been protected by her mother, but now suddenly they were far apart, without her support, Ashlee suddenly felt very isted and helpless, with no one standing behind her. They were all in favor of ra and no one was willing to stand up to her. Suddenly, Valerie remembered something and asked Ashlee in a low voice, "In your belly..." She knew that time was running out and at this time, someone wasing. So, Valerie hinted at her, "You have to watch out ... Your baby is the bargaining chip!" Before she couldfort Valerie more, the video was shut down. She didn''t have enough time to look at her mother''s face. The video chat ended in a hurry and she didn''t know when the next meeting would be... Ashlee wiped away the tears on her face and sat quietly, making a decision in her heart. After a while, Horace was here. He happened to be on the way so he came over to have a look. Isaac said that Ashlee had just finished the video chat with Valerie in the room and was waiting for him. Horace found that it was necessary to have a talk with her, to ask her what she wanted, thus to return the favor once and for all. After this, he no longer owed anything to her any more. In the room, Ashlee sat upright on a chair, staring out the window in a daze. Horace remembered that ten years ago, she was a pure and kind girl, how could she be such a vicious woman now? Was jealousy so powerful that it would change a person''s characterpletely? Ashlee saw he came in in a wheelchair. There were still tears on her face but she had returned to her former calm Horace asked her, "I assume you have talked with Valerie." "Yes, sir." Ashlee said, "I really don''t know whether I should thank you or hate you. I don''t think my mother can bear that kind of suffering. She has never lived that kind of life. It won''t be easy for her." She was right, but he just didn''t want her to livefortably and Valerie wouldn''t repent if she didn''t suffer. Actually, he felt that he was easier on her. Ashlee thought that since Horace sent her mother away, he must have made a decision. If she begged him at this time, he would definitely not help her. She was not that stupid. So, she said to him, "You said I did you a favor and you owe me one, so what''s your n?" "Anything you want, as long as I can do it." Horace felt that she should ask for money or shares, so he did not take it seriously. Anything? Ashlee thought, was he so sincere? No, he must have thought it was quite easy to get rid of her. Unexpectedly, she sneered and said, "I want you to dump ra! This is my term, how about it?" Give up ra? Horace''s face suddenly turned cold. "Impossible." Horace said, his voice cold, "I will not agree to this and you should think of something more practical." "Why, you can''t do it?" Horace slowly shook his head, indicating that there was absolutely no way. "I didn''t expect you to love her so much." Ashlee joked. "Ask for other things, Ashlee." His look became impatient. Ashlee was not reconciled. This was the only chance for her to turn around, but she had to think carefully about the terms and she would not agree to a check of tens of millions. If it was before, she would choose money, but now it is different, she just wants something else. Ashlee shrugged and said, "Forget it, it''s hard for you to abandon her. Well, you need to promise me to C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. help me revive the Middleton family, marry Darren, and live a carefree life." Horace could make it happen. He nodded. She slowly stood up, raised her head to look at him, and said, "Now, take me home. I want to go home." Horace nodded, turned around, and went out. He arranged for Isaac to drive and take her back to the Middleton family vi together. ra was working in the magazine, but she was so upset that she couldn''t concentrate. All she could think was Horace... When did he be the center of her life? Without him, it was like life had lost its direction, there was a dense fog in front of her and she couldn''t find anything to grasp. raughed at herself. She didn''t want to take the initiative to call him, as if she was fussy. She hated herself like this. At this time, the office was buzzing again. ra heard Stephanie and Sarah were talking about something on the news, so she went to join them in order to relieve her boredom. She asked, "What are you talking about?" "Investment," Sarah replied. ra frowned, "Investment on what?" "Hahaha, it''s the stock. We''re talking about the stock of the Mind Inc." It turned out that the stock price of the Middleton''spany began to recover today, and whether they should buy some, maybe the Middleton family would be a dark horse in the stock market. Luis said, "What kind of evil moth is this Lin family? Yesterday the stock returned plunge while today it channeled red! My buddy saw that the situation was not good yesterday and he sold them all. It was a disaster." Another colleague said, "Mind Inc''s stocks suddenly rose, why? It''s abnormal." "This stock is not good. The stock of Solrace Corporation is stable. It can make a profit without losing money. Besides, there is a ra fund. I have bought a lot of shares." Everyone was discussing. Stephanie pulled ra aside and said, "ra, you''re here just in time, can you tell us some inside story? I heard that Solrace Corporation has invested a lot of money to save Mind Inc in the stock market. Is this true?" ra looked very embarrassed, but she couldn''t show it. She had to say, "I''m not very clear about Horace''s business. I''m sorry, I can''t help you. Stephanie seemed to see the clue and said, "It''s okay. I''m d you''re all right." Stephanie''sfort made her even more ufortable. She didn''t understand what exactly did Horace want to do? He stayed all night at the hospital to apany Ashlee and helped the Middleton family save the losses. Why did he help her so much? Could it be that she has something on him? Forget it, just take the initiative to contact him. ra felt that she couldn''t bear it any longer, so she called Horace. But when she just picked up the phone, she received a call from Russell. Chapter 172 A Meet of Four People Chapter 172 A Meet of Four People Russell spoke on the phone, "ra, today is my birthday. In the past, they always wanted to throw me a party, but I refused. However, this time, I want everyone to get together. I have told Horace. You must ra smiled, "Grandpa, we''re gonna give you a great birthday. See youter." Then she hung up the phone. ra was very surprised that no one knew about Russell''s birthday and he suddenly noticed them. ra saw that there was no more interview on her afternoon itinerary, so she decided to rush to the nearby shopping mall to choose a birthday present for Russell. The shopping mall disyed a wide variety of gifts. She hesitated for a long time and didn''t know what gift to buy. She was very anxious. She came to a men''s clothing store and wanted to buy a wallet for him. But she thought again and Russell didn''t seem to like such tacky things, so she put it down after starting at it for a long time. She turned around and came to a store that sold massagers and bought a massager that could be ced on the neck or waist. She knew that Russell used to be in the army. Although he was strong, he also had a lot of old injuries, so if he had a massager, it would be much better, right? When she was choosing a massager, Darren also appeared in the mall. He was also hanging out, but he didn''t see her and went directly to another store. ra quickly finished shopping, came out and tried to hail a taxi. But it was very difficult to get a taxi at this busy time. ra stood alone on the street, hailing the approaching taxi, but the car drove away quickly. Oh, no! The birthday party was about to start, she would bete if she didn''t get a car. ra was a little anxious and wanted to call Horace to ask him to pick her up, but she didn''t expect she couldn''t get through his phone. What was he doing? Didn''t he know that she was going to the birthday party? ra felt even more upset in her heart. At this time, Darren also came out of the mall with a gift bag in his hand. "ra?" Darren saw her standing on the side of the road anxiously. He asked, "Why are you here?" He saw the gift bag in her hand and asked, "Where are you going? Are you going to the vi?" Seeing what he was holding, she smiled and said, "It''s such a coincidence, are you going there too? Did you buy a gift?" "Yes, Russell suddenly called me, saying that he was going to celebrate his birthday. This is unprecedented." Darren said, "Let''s go there together. I''ll give you a lift." "No, I can take a taxi." ra felt that it was inappropriate. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Darren looked at his watch and said, "You can''t get a taxi during this time. Are you that afraid of me?" ra was amused by him and she was afraid that she would bete because she couldn''t get a taxi, which would make Russell unhappy, so she said to him, "Okay, let''s go together." The two got into the car. There was a traffic jam on the road, they waited for several red lights. Darren turned on the radio and it was ying the popr songs from their college days. He said, "Do you still remember this song? At that time, a boy in our department sang this song at a party in order to chase a girl, but he didn''t sing well at all." ra then recalled it. She smiled and said, "I remembered it, but the girl was so moved that the two of them even got together. At that time, we said that fortune favors fools." Life on the campus was full of fun and embarrassing stories. Some people were always reminiscing about their campus stories because those days were so unforgettable. ra lost her mind for a moment, but soon, she felt that it seemed inappropriate to discuss these memories with Darren, so she straightened her face and changed the subject, "Darren, do you know why grandpa suddenly invite us to have dinner together? I thought people should have started preparing for his birthday several months ago." Darren exined, "He doesn''t like an extravagance, and it happened that his birthday was the anniversary of my great grandmother''s death. We wanted to celebrate his birthday before, but he didn''t want to. And this time we thought it was the same, so we didn''t dare to prepare in advance. But I don''t know what happened this year and he suddenly said that he wanted to celebrate together." Then she understood. She stopped talking and the atmosphere was embarrassing all the way. They got out of the car together at the gate. When she got out of the car, she was holding the massager, which was too big for her. She couldn''t hold it steady and almost fell. Fortunately, Darren responded quickly and immediately held her. "Thank you," ra said embarrassedly and withdrew her arm from his grasp quietly. But unexpectedly, at this moment, Darren suddenly grabbed her, preventing her from breaking free. ra frowned but when she was about to say something, a ck Bentley suddenly stopped by the side. ra was stunned for a while, seeing a wheelchair in the car slide down, not only that, but she also saw Ashlee get out of the car. Her face suddenly turned pale. Horace, who hadn''t been in contact for a day, was actually with Ashlee? Not only ra, but the other three people were shocked when they saw each other. Obviously, they didn''t expect to bump into each other in this way. For a while, the four people stood there and each with a different expression. They stood for a moment in silence, looking at each other. Horace''s eyes looking at ra involuntarily turned cold. When Ashlee saw ra and Darren were together, she felt very jealous. Why! Why were these two together again! But soon, she saw that ra''s face paled when she saw Horace and her were together, she couldn''t help feeling smug about it. Ah. Ashlee thought that the only thing ra was proud of is her husband, Horace. Now seeing that her husband was with her, she must be unhappy. Now you should know about my feelings every time I see Darren and you were together. Thinking of this, Ashlee smiled charmingly, got closer to Horace, and said sweetly, "Hello sis, you''re invited too!" Chapter 173 Birthday Presents Chapter 173 Birthday Presents Horace hardly noticed Ashlee''s approach. His attention was on those who were on the opposite side. Damn it! She had a lot of nerve talking andughing with her ex-boyfriend. A trace of anger rose in his heart. Horace, in a wheelchair, ordered her, "Come to me." ra couldn''t help frowning, but she didn''t move. Didn''t he alsoe with Ashlee? She didn''t say anything about that but he actually got angry. Ashlee gave ra a fierce look, snorted coldly, hurriedly walked over to hold Darren''s arm, and said, "Darren, have you bought the gift yet? Let''s go in." Darren looked back at ra and looked a little worried, but he had to follow her. Horace and ra were still standing at the door. He asked coldly, "Why are you with him?" ra said lightly, "Aren''t you with her too? But I didn''t say anything." "You are not allowed to be with him alone in the future." Horace was being unreasonable. When she saw them were together, she felt very ufortable. The trauma Ashlee brought her has always affected her. ra knew that she was a bit willful, but when they met, he didn''t even exin it to her. Could she be happy? ra snapped, "We met on the road and we are colleagues. There''s nothing wrong with it. Anyway, we are innocent, whatever you think." Horace was not pleased with her talking back to him, especially when he saw he was holding her just now, he was even more unhappy. For a while, the atmosphere between the two was a little stiff. But it was Russell''s birthday after all, so Horace finally said stiffly, "Anyway, let''s go first." ra nodded and the two finally walked into the old house. Russell was wearing a brown tailored suit, looking extraordinarily stylish and energetic. When he saw Horace and raing, he smiled happily. He said, "What took you so long? Everyone is here waiting for you. Come to me and let me take a good look." All the people in the Kirnd family had arrived. When everyone saw Horaceing, they all cast polite nces. But seeing ra, they wore different expressions and they were all talking about the previous news of ra and Ashlee on the Inte. Although it was rified and the news has disappeared now, the appearance of these two people in the vi at the same time still caused a discussion. Russell looked at ra, suddenly frowned, and said, "Why are you haggard? Horace, this is your fault." Horace and ra raised their mouths slightly with half-smiles. Sean on the side smirked, "Grandpa, you didn''t pay much attention to birthdays in previous years. What''s wrong with this year? You are so happy." Russell smiled, "This year is different from previous years. The Kirnd family has weed a lot of new members. There are many happy events. I am very happy, so I made an exception to get together. Well, our banquet can begin." The birthday cake was pushed out. It was big and beautiful. Everyone sang the birthday song for Russell and he was very happy. And the audience was very happy, except Sean. He had been sitting on the side for a long time watching Horace and ra as if he wanted to see through them. Ashlee was ced in an important seat. It seemed that because of the child in her belly, Russell''s attitude towards her was much better. Russell helped her with food and said, "Come on, Ashlee, try this to see if it suits your taste. You are pregnant now and you should always pay attention to nutrition and diet." Sure enough, Russell was very concerned about the fact that he had another sessor. No wonder Horace pretended that he was disabled. Sean wanted to attack him back then. Indeed, Horace was quite a threat to him. After knowing what Sean had done to Horace back then, ra always felt strangely ufortable when looking at him. There was evil in his eyes, making it impossible for others to see what he was thinking. After dinner, everyone started to unwrap the presents. Sean''s gift was an emerald ornament with a very beautiful shape and a rare texture. The material was very pure. It was a rare treasure.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Everyone''s eyes lit up, and they all praised him for being filial to Russell. This jadeite was a rare treasure. Russell just looked at it and said, "Well, okay, not bad." It was time for Horace''s gift. What Horace gave to him was a wooden box made of scented rose wood, which was exquisitely carved with vivid designs. It was an antique object with a history of more than 100 years. He knew that Russell liked old things and he bought them from overseas auctions. He originally nned to give them to him as a New Year gift. Russell received the gift, and he was very satisfied, then he said, "Great, Horace knew me. This item, let''s not talk about its value. It shows highly-skilled craftsmanship that only royalties and nobles in the past could afford. Excellent. I really appreciate it." Sean was so angry but, on the surface, he was calm as water. The gifts that Darren and Ashlee gave to Russell were also very precious. Russell smiled at them both, and said happily, "I like your gifts as well, but the biggest gift you gave me is that little life. Ashlee carries on the future generations of our family, which is such a great thing." Ashlee seemed to be nervous, the more Russell said, the faster her heart beat. Everyone''s gifts were very expensive, which were all jade carvings, jadeite and the like. ra''s gift made her feel very shabby. Horace came to her side in the wheelchair and felt a little cold when touching her hand. ra broke free from his hand. She was still angry. Russell continued, "ra, I want to see the gift you brought me. I''m looking forward to it." ra pursed her lips, and everyone who looked around was looking at the gift in her hand. Forget it, she''s used to others'' indifference long ago, so it doesn''t matter this time. She opened the box, and everyone pouted, thinking what kind of gift is this, a small massager? The birthday gift from Mrs. Kirnd from the Solrace was too shabby. "A massager?" Russell took it and looked at it. ra said, "Grandpa, I know you would feel your back and waist sore sometimes. This massager should make you feel better..." Chapter 174 Bad in Bed? Chapter 174 Bad in Bed? ra was a little out of breath and her voice became lower¡­ She felt a little inferior. After all, other people''s gifts were so precious, but hers was really a bit of a flop moment they evenugh in her face. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "The wife of the Second Young Master is too stingy. A massager? Bring such shabby thing as a gift?" "She seems to be that kind of woman as well. Look at how poor she is!" "Right, I suddenly remembered those photos of her at thest banquet. What a shameless woman! She is just a dirty woman who can''t make it to the stage." "I don''t know what the Second Young Master was thinking. Why did he marry such a woman and even set up the ra Fund with great fanfare?" Hearing the mean words of the people around her, ra''s head got lower and lower. Yes, she was not from this circle at first, and she never knew what kind of gift to give. It''s normal to be embarrassed now. At this moment, Horace''s eyes became cold. He was about to say something, but at this moment, Russell spoke first. Russell looked at ra and nodded with satisfaction, speaking with a smile, "This is the best gift I''ve received. ra, you are such a considerate girl. Thank you." Her gift was highly praised by Russell and it really dropped some jaws. Everyone was staring at each other with a look of unwillingness. Russell was too partial! He actually regarded such a cheap gift as a treasure. Sean insinuated to Horace and said, "Horace, you are being too stingy with my daughter-inw. This massager is only worth a few thousand dors. How can it be worthy of a dignified president''s wife? Don''t you give her a gold card?" Horace said calmly, "This is a gift that my wife and I prepared together. I have always admired her taste. Don''t you think grandpa likes it very much? Besides, what matters is not the price, but the sincerity, do you understand?" "Nonsense!" Sean wanted to fight with Horace. Russell hurriedly said, "You two rarely meet each other. Every time you meet, you always fight about something. You are both grown men, not children. Shame on you two!" Talking about when they were young, they stopped making a sound. These two people really fought from childhood to adulthood. One has never been willing to be under the other. If one of them was the number one in the school, the other would also manage to be the number one as well. If one liked racing cars and the other would also go racing... It was like they couldn''t never stop the battle between them. Seeing that Russell likes ra far more than herself, Ashlee couldn''t help but secretly get angry. But now she has to restrain herself, especially in front of Horace. Fortunately, Russell thought that she was pregnant and he cared about her thanks to the baby. Everyone was talking andughing in the living room for a while and it was more than eight o''clock in the evening. Russell said, "You guys can go back to your rooms. I am old and don''t like to be alone all the time. I need you to apany me asionally." After hearing this, everyone said goodbye to him and went back to their rooms. ra nned to leave, but she didn''t expect Russell stopped her. "ra," Russell said, "You should stay longer and have a chat with me." Horace wanted to stay, but he was driven away by Russell. He said, "What? You are worried about your wife?" "Grandpa, that''s not what I meant." Horace frowned. "Huh? I hindered you two getting together?" Russell pretended to be serious. "Grandpa..." ra looked shy. "Come on,e to my study. Let''s ignore him." Russell walked into the study. ra looked back at Horace, reassuring him, and followed him in. Horace was still not at ease, but he also knew in his heart that Grandpa would never hurt her, but he just didn''t know what he was going to say to her. Sean on the side kept watching the interaction between Horace and ra, and he sneered. Looking at these two people today, it seems that their rtionship is not that close. He felt that it is necessary to talk to ra tonight, maybe it was an opportunity. In the study. Russell adjusted the temperature of the heater to make the house warmer. He asked ra to sit closer so that he could hear clearly. He said, "You guys are quite busy these days. Your past was found out at first and next Ashlee framed you. There''s been a lot of troubletely and it was quite hard for you two." "Grandpa, I''m sorry to have you worried," ra said. Although Russell was already reclusive, he still kept an eye on Sean and Horace. ra felt that her news had embarrassed the Kirnd family. Although it was a misunderstanding, it still rmed Russell. Russell was indeed a little worried about these things. He said, "Horace took the initiative to disclose your rtionships in a high-profile manner, which shows that he loves you very much. And his high-profile publicity caused a series of disturbances that are not conducive to the Kirnd family." ra felt even sorrier in her heart. Russell didn''t mean to me her. He just thought that he should call her over tonight and remind her that they should be careful in the future, do better protection work, and don''t let the bad guys seed again. Then Russell asked, "Ashlee is pregnant now. But why aren''t you?" "Eh... I don''t know either." ra blushed. They had been sleeping together but for some reason, she didn''t get pregnant yet. "Huh, you guys didn''t try hard and I''m very anxious." Russell suddenly became childish. ra thought that he could be very cute sometimes, without putting on an act. He suddenly thought of something and asked her mysteriously, "Is it because he was bad?" "What, grandpa?" ra was stunned for a moment. "That...in bed¡­" Russell got impatient, "Why are you so stupid..." ra was shocked and suddenly understood what he said, and she blushed embarrassedly. Horace was great and she knew it. Every day she wakes up with backache and it''s all because of his precious grandson. It seemed that Russell was crazy about having a great-grandson. How could he ask his grandson''s wife this question so bluntly? Chapter 175 Seans Olive Branch Chapter 175 Sean''s Olive Branch Seeing that ra''s face was so red, Russell knew she finally understood. Knowing that she was introverted and shy, he didn''t ask any more questions. He said, "Anyway, you must hurry up with this. You can''t let Sean and Darren have the upper hand. You have to try harder when you go back home!" "I will, Grandpa." ra thought to herself, just went with what he said. However, as soon as the words came out, she felt a little sloppy, as if she was too unreserved. While Russell didn¡¯t think it that way, he thought that ra is a good granddaughter-inw, who is very filial and considerate. Russell asked the servant to prepare a lot of supplements for her, including sea cucumber, velvet antler, donkey-hide gtin, bird''s nest...all kinds of nourishing food. "Grandpa, how can I finish eating so many supplements?" ra looked at arge bag of supplements. perplexed. With all these, could she even survive in bed with Horace? C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Russell said, "Take it all back and eat it carefully every day!" He instructed the servant, "Go, take them to ra''s room and put them in the car when they leave." ra just wanted to cry. This big and prestigious family was very persistent in carrying on the family lineage. ra came out of the study and went upstairs to their room, but Sean suddenly appeared. "What a coincidence." ra greeted him with wary eyes. Sean approached, stepped forward, and said, "My sister-inw, I''m waiting for you." "Waiting for me?" "Yes." Sean said lightly with a meaningful smile, "Let''s go to my study and have a good chat." ra frowned and didn''t want to follow him, but after all, he was the elder brother, so she couldn''t refuse. She had to bite the bullet and followed him to his study. The furnishings in the study are very particr and there are manymercial books, which are beautifully bound. The desk is neatly ced, without a trace of dust, and two disy screens are ced, showing that he is a person who likes the Inte. ra knew that Horace had been pretending to be disabled because he needs to guard against Sean. Horace was attacked ten years ago, which seemed to be rted to Sean, so she was also very vignt about him. She didn''t know what he would say to her. But Sean naturally engaged with her and said, "Sit down. Let''s have a good talk." He poured himself a ss of whiskey on ice and said to her, "What would you like to drink, coffee, wine, whiskey, or juice?" "Juice is fine," ra answered. With a kind look on his face, Sean was very nice to ra. If Horace had not told her to be careful with him, she would have been easily deceived by his kindness. Sean suddenly changed the conversation, "Did you and Horace quarrel today? It seems that you guys didn''t smile much at the party." "No." ra didn''t want to tell or exin much to him much, so she said, "We didn''t quarrel." Sean nced at her and felt that she didn''t seem to be very open to him and she didn''t seem to have a good impression of him. Then he changed the subject, "You know, Horace was very naughty when he was young, he often broke grandpa''s furniture. When grandpa found it, grandpa would beat him with a wooden stick while he would run around the house. Later, he went to school. Fortunately, he did very well in school and grandpa also doted on him very much. When he and Laura were kidnapped that year, I was very anxious..." "Sorry, I need to leave." ra interrupted him. She didn''t want to stay here because she felt very nervous. She didn''t want to hear him lie anymore. As long as she thought that he was the mastermind behind that and he was still acting in front of her, pretending to have a good rtionship with Horace, it really made her sick. Sean smiled, then he looked at ra and said, "ra, stop. We seldom see each other. I''d like to talk to you more." Talking with sister-inw? ra felt that he was very scheming. It seems that he is not just nning to have a simple chat with her. He went on to say, "Horace is always cold and proud. I know that he married you because grandpa asked him. You guys don''t have such deep affection. He must have pissed you off quite often." His strange tone made her feel ufortable. She couldn''t guess what he wanted. So she said, "Whatever you want to say, just say it. Don''t beat around the bush." Seeing that she was quite smart, he raised his eyebrow, "Okay." He drank the whisky in his hand. Unexpectedly, she seemed to be gentle and shy, but she was quite straightforward in doing things, and at a nce, she could see that he had something to discuss with her tonight. He said to her, "ra, Horace is not being serious with you. There is only one woman in his heart and that is Laura. He did several sensational things back then and he was really obedient to her. Therefore, he definitely won''t love you. So, would you like to help me do something?" "What does that have to do with Horace?" ra didn''t understand what he said, "How can I help you? Why don''t you ask Horace for help?" Sean poured another ss of whiskey. He had always been a good drinker and liked strong liquor, which excited his nerves and kept his mind sharp. It could keep him sane and sober. ra didn''t drink a single sip of the juice on the table. Sean continued, "ra, as long as you are willing to coborate with me and gang up on Horace. It will bring you many benefits in the future. I am a very generous person." ra''s expression changed. A leopard can''t change its spots. He still wanted to harm Horace and he actually thought that she would go along with them in his evil deeds. ra thought that he was crazy. Horace is also part of the family. In this respect, Sean is much like Ashlee. "Well?" ra saw that she didn''t speak and thought she was thinking, "Money is the most important thing in a woman''s life." "Gang up on Horace?" ra felt that the man in front of her was a poisonous snake. She deliberately asked him, "What are you going to do?" "There are many ways and I''m not in a hurry." Sean thought he had won, "So, do you want to coborate with me?" Coborate with him? What was he thinking? ra thought it was ridiculous. "Sean, I won''t side with you," she said coldly, "My advice to you, drop your dirty thoughts about harming Horace. After all, you guys are family." Chapter 176 How to Please Your Woman? Chapter 176 How to Please Your Woman? "Family?" Sean snorted coldly, "Among the Kirnds, everyone has their own ideas. ra, as long as you work with me, I have a way to let you live a better life with your mother." "I don''t need it. I won''t sell my husband and love for money. You''d better give up on this idea." Sean''s face turned cold. He didn''t expect ra to be so difficult to deal with. He said, "ra, don''t be so stubborn. Horace is a cripple. He definitely can''t beat me. At that time, you and your mother will be very miserable. Why did you have to do that?" ra couldn''t bear to hear Sean say that Horace was a cripple. Horace was just pretending. He didn''t know how healthy and strong Horace was, and he was still showing off here. ra said in a stern voice, "You''re arrogant." "So, you refuse to ally with me? Are you really gonna give up such a generous reward?" Sean felt that ra was too picky about the price and her appetite was too big. ra''sst bit of patience was exhausted. "Sean, I''ve finished what I needed to say." She stood up and said expressionlessly, "I''m going back to rest. Goodbye." Then, she left the room without looking back. Looking at ra''s back, Sean''s expression turned gloomy. In the end, he sneered, "I didn''t expect this little girl to be so difficult to deal with. She''s so strong-willed and very different from Laura back then..." ... Horace was alone in the room, waiting for ra, with his thoughts running wild. Thinking of today''s unhappy expression, he knew that she was angry. Indeed, it was natural for her to be angry when he had not returned all night, right? Unfortunately, he was not good with words and did not know how to make an upset girl happy again. After thinking for a while, he dialed stair''s number. stair was having fun as he hugged girls and made out. He picked up the phone and said to Horace, "It''s sote. Why are you looking for me instead of sleeping with ra?" "I have something to ask you." After hearing Horace''s words, stair choked and spat out a mouthful of wine, coughing several times. Horace put his phone away from his ear in disgust, as if stair''s wine had been sshed on his face. stairughed so hard that he almost couldn''t catch his breath. He said, "Hey, Master Horace, don''t scare me. When have you ever taken the initiative to ask me? Are you out of your mind? It''s so funny." If not for the fact that stair wasn''t in front of him, Horace really wanted to beat him up. "stair, that''s enough." "Alright, alright. I''ve had enough ofughing. Tell me, what is it?" stair calmed down and asked. "stair, I found the little girl who saved my life back then. She is actually ra''s younger sister." "Ashlee? Is it the one who schemed against ra? Now she has be a popr person on the Inte." "Yes, I didn''t expect it at first." stair felt that Horace''s tone was not quite normal. He asked, "Why are you still unhappy after finding the little girl from back then? Did she threaten you or insist on marrying you?" Horace told stair about what had happened in the past few days, as well as ra getting angry. Only then did stair understand why Horace wanted to chat with him, and why he sounded unhappy. It was all because of ra. "So that''s how it is. Ashlee has done so many bad things, but you won''t let ra vent her anger, and you even apanied Ashlee for a day. You are really grateful to her. If I were ra, I would p you on the face and whip Ashlee a few more times. It''s still letting her off too easily." stair expressed his understanding of ra. "You want your silk scarf factory to close again?" Horace''s eyes turned cold. "Alright, alright. Don''t scare me. I was wrong. I was wrong. You did the right thing. I don''t dare to say that about you. I''m just speaking up for ra." stair sighed. "I don''t like Ashlee either. It''s just that she saved me. I promised to repay her." Horace sighed. "This is really a bit difficult, Horace." stair thought for a moment and said, "I think you should have a good talk with ra. Don''t deepen the misunderstanding between you. You just have to please her. I have plenty of ways to do this." "How?" Horace frowned. It seemed to be the first time he had done something like this. He had never pleased a girl at all.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "How?" stair imitated Horace''s tone and smiled. "Romance, Master Horace, Romance! There is no woman who doesn''t like a romantic man. Women are emotional animals. You can send her flowers, perfume, jewelry, and so on. Do you still need me to teach you?" "But ra doesn''t like these things," Horace said lightly. stair thought for a moment and felt that Horace''s words made sense. ra was different from the women around stair. Those tacky things really could not easily move her. "Then you can think about it yourself." stair yawned, "All in all, no woman would hate romance. It''s just that the romance ra wants is not so tasteless. I''ve never met such a girl. I can''t help you. If you really don''t know what to do, you can search online." The veins on Horace''s forehead were bulging, and he was a little unhappy. On the other side of the line, stair keenly noticed Horace''s displeasure and immediately said, "Well... I still have something to do. You can search for it online. I''ll hang up first!" As he spoke, he actually hung up the phone. Horace hesitated again and again, but still went to the Inte to find help. He filled in the search bar, "How to give my girlfriend a romantic surprise?" There were all kinds of ideas on the Inte. It was said online that effective romance did not only represent a wonderful idea, but also did not represent a rare scene, nor did it represent a luxurious prop. The romance was important in sincerity. When feelings were strong, and when you were together, it was romantic no matter what. Even a kiss would be extremely romantic. Method 1: Combining the past and reality. Go to the ce where you once went to take a photo and write down how you feel. Method 2: Make a delicious breakfast before she wakes up. Kiss her hair when she opens her eyes in a daze and tells her that you love her. Method 4: Take a video for yourself. One camera or more cameras every day at different times and locations. Say that you love her or something else that satisfies her! ... Many of the answers were very corny, and Horace couldn''t bear to continue watching them. He felt goosebumps all over his arms. After watching for a long time, he finally saw a good way that he could ept. Well, this seemed barely eptable? Chapter 177 Ill Take You to a Place Chapter 177 I''ll Take You to a ce When ra returned to her room, she saw that Horace was talking to someone on the phone. When he found that she had pushed the door open and entered, he quickly hung up. Seeing Horace''s reaction, ra thought that Horace hung up the phone so hurriedly because he didn''t want her to know he was helping Mind Inc again. She originally wanted toe in and talk to Horace about what Sean had just said, but when she saw that Horace had something to hide from her, her mood immediately worsened and he didn''t want to talk more. ra sat on the sofa and looked at the magazine. Horace asked ra, "Why have you been gone for so long? What did grandpa say to you?" "Nothing. He is just looking forward to us..." ra felt that it was inappropriate to talk about having children in front of Horace at this moment, and she was not in the mood to continue. Seeing ra''s hesitant expression, Horace guessed that she must have misunderstood him and became unwilling to talk to him and wanted to quarrel with him. If this continued, ra would only be angrier with him. "ra, just now, I..." Horace felt that it was necessary to exin to ra, but as soon as he spoke up, he realized that he could not tell her now. This was still a secret, and there would be no surprise if he told her. Horace could only change the topic and say, "I was just dealing with the business. It''s fine." Both of them suddenly fell silent. The air was full ofints. ra flipped through the magazine, but she could not read a word. ra believed that Horace must have called to help Ashlee and the Middleton family. He had promised to protect her and would not let her suffer a little. What about now? He did not keep his word. Horace thought that he should tell ra about Ashlee saving him when he was a child. The misunderstanding between the two was caused by the inability tomunicate properly. At the same time, he also wanted to apologize to ra. He really owed her. Horace coughed lightly, breaking the silence in the room. Then, she said, "ra, actually, I have been busy with the Middleton''s affairs these days." "I know. You don''t have to exin to me." ra suddenly did not want to hear his exnation. When she heard "Ashlee" or "Middleton", she felt nauseous. She could imagine the proud expression on Ashlee''s face. When they met at the door just now, she saw Ashlee''s arrogant expression. "ra, you don''t understand." When Horace saw ra''s uncooperative attitude, he became even more anxious. "Actually, Ashlee is..." ra suddenly put down the magazine and stood up, saying, "I''m sorry, Horace. I need to go to the bathroom." Horace suddenly had no idea what to do with her. He didn''t expect ra to be so disgusted with the word "Ashlee", and she didn''t even give him a chance to exin. It was fine if she didn''t know that Ashlee was the mastermind two years ago. Now that she knew, she loathed the person even more. ra locked herself in the bathroom and her eyes turned red. Horace did not understand her grievance. "ra. Listen to me. There is a reason why I treat Ashlee like this." Horace said in a low voice. Reason? What reason could there be? It was just some excuses. ra smiled bitterly. It was already a fact that he had let Ashlee go and saved Mind Inc''s economic losses. If he really cared about her and really wanted to protect her, how could he let that person go? If he did not teach Ashlee and the Middleton family a lesson, what if they still came to cause trouble? The pain from two years ago was still vivid in her mind. Was he going to let her experience it again? Thinking of this, ra was full of resentment. She was not a person who had a heavy heart for revenge, but everything that Ashlee had done to her was really unforgivable. She almost ruined her entire life. But now, Horace, who had always said that he would seek justice for her, was helping this culprit. It was fine for Horace to let Ashlee go, but why was he still concerned about her and helping her now? The more ra thought about it, the more upset she became. "ra, open the door. Let''s have a talk." Horace''s deep voice sounded from outside the door again, sounding a bit anxious. ra bit her lip. She knew that getting emotional like this was not the way to solve the problem at all. She was hesitating whether to open the door, but at this time... Knock, knock, knock. Suddenly someone knocked on the door. Someone outside the door shouted, "Master Horace, I am the butler. Please open the door." Horace''s face darkened and he opened the door with a displeased expression. The butler first nced inside but did not see ra. He said, "Master Horace, there are a lot of people outside, shouting that they want toe to Sir''s birthday party. Sir asked me to invite you and Mrs. Kirnd to go down." "Oh, okay, I understand. I''ll be there immediately." Horace answered. ra heard the butler''s words and opened the bathroom door. He lowered her head and did not look at Horace. "ra..." Horace grabbed her arm so tightly that it hurt ra a little. ra''s eyes were red and her tone softened, but she still did not look into Horace''s eyes. "Alright, stop talking. Let''s go down quickly. Don''t let Grandpa and the others wait too long." Seeing that ra was sad, Horace felt very sad. But now was not the time to talk about this. Everyone was still waiting for them, so they had to go down first. When they went downstairs, ra saw many guests. The news of Russell''s birthday was identally leaked, and many people came to congratte him. Almost all of Stratmont''s reputable men were gathered here, and ra was surprised. Everyone was beaming with smiles as they toasted and drank. The originally quiet vi became especially noisy when these people came to tter them. ra was not used to such a scene and felt very tired. She felt very sad in her heart, but she had to wear a smiling mask. She really could not do such a thing. She looked at Ashlee talking andughing with others and felt even more ufortable. Ashlee looked at ra from time to time, and her eyes were full of pride and provocation. Horace''s eyes never left ra. Even if someone talked to him, he kept staring at her. He found that ra''s eyes were filled with fatigue and frustration. At this time, Horace came over in a wheelchair and asked her in a low voice, "ra, do you not like to stay here?" ra nodded and said, "Horace, can I go home first? I am not used to this ce." Horace''s eyes lit up. He thought of the phone call he had just received, saying that everything was ready. He said, "Then let''s leave here. I''ll take you to a ce." Take her to a ce? ra thought about the ce that Horace had taken her before. It was either an auction or a cold freezer room, neither of which was a pleasant ce. So she did not want to go. "Horace, I don''t wanna go. Can you spare me this time..." "No." Horace directly interrupted ra.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 178 The Ferris Wheel Chapter 178 The Ferris Wheel What a domineering man! But ra really didn''t like this group of people with hypocritic masks on their fac es, so she had to agree to Horace. Horace told his grandfather that he had something to do and had to leave first. Before leaving, Russell whispered to Horace excitedly, "You''re quite smart! Take this opportunity. I''m waiting to have a grandson! Go, you don''t need to greet them here." Horace got the permission of the old man and left with ra. In the car, the two of them did not talk much. They talked about family matters and trivia. The car drove very steadily, and there were fewer and fewer people walking on the side of the road. "We''re here. Let''s get out of the car," said Horace. The night was getting darker. The neon lights kept shing, illuminating the whole street and telling their stories. The autumn night sky was particrly bright; even the white clouds and blue sky were vaguely visible. ra got out of the car and was stunned. Why did Horace bring her here? The ce Horace brought her to was actually an amusement park. The lights were bright and the amusement park was empty. There were no tourists, only her and Horace standing there. Wasn''t the amusement park closed at this time? C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ra looked at Horace in confusion, waiting for him to exin. "I''ve reserved this ce. There are only the two of us now. Let''s go in." Horace looked at her with starry eyes. Did he book the whole amusement park? What was he gonna do by spending so much money? "Could it be that he wants to reminisce the memories of his childhood with me?" ra guessed wildly. Horace sat in a wheelchair, leading the way. He brought her to thergest Ferris wheel in Stratmont. The Ferris wheel at night was particrly dazzling and beautiful, with an aura of a magical world that was distinctly enchanting. The light shone on the faces of Horace and ra, and the two of them looked at each other and suddenly calmed down. ra remembered the first time she met Horace. The man was clearly sitting in a wheelchair, but when their eyes met, ra had the illusion that he was looking down at her from above. ra felt a slight chill in her heart. She was in the news and had seen many big shots, but the authoritative air exuded from this man still made her feel an indescribable sense of oppression. Not only that, but this man''s eyes were extremely cold, as if he was indifferent to everything happening around him. ra pulled herself back from her memories and looked at Horace with a faint smile. Horace said, "Do you like this ce?" ra nodded and could not help but sigh, "I like it. I haven''t been here for a long time. Thest time I came... I came with the Middletons when I was a child. Unfortunately, it was not pleasant." She told him that when she came to the amusement park when she was a child. Valerie only let her be Ashlee''s little follower and did not let her y with her. The amusement park of her childhood was full of unpleasant memories. Horace pushed the wheelchair to the Ferris wheel and said, "Let''s go. Let''s take the Ferris wheel." What did she just hear! ra was shocked. Was this still the tough and aloof Horace? Shouldn''t this be something that only those youngsters did? Horace looked back at the stunned ra and asked, "Come on, girl." "I just feel that... all of this is not your style." ra tried to hold back herughter. Horace''s face was a little red. He lowered his head and whispered, "If you want tough, thenugh." raughed out loud. Horace coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment. If not for the sake of making ra happy, he really wouldn''t have done something that he never thought of doing. ra stepped forward and stared at Horace. "Have you been too busy these past few days? Or have you eaten something bad? How did youe up with such a romantic thing like riding the Ferris wheel? Don''t scare me." It was unknown whether it was because of the environment of the amusement park or he was affected by ra''s words, but Horace also became less cold, revealing a rare shyness. Horace stood up and looked at ra, asking in a low voice, "Don''t all girls like to sit on Ferris wheels? Isn''t it romantic?" ra sighed and said, "It''s a pity that it''s at night. The park isn''t lively enough. There''s not even anyone selling marshmallows." "Marshmallows? You want to eat it?" Horace saw that ra wasn''t so angry, and he was also in a better mood. He immediately took out his phone. "What are you doing?" "Call someone who sells marshmallows and ask them to sell them to us. They wille immediately. Wait a minute." ra quickly stopped Horace and finally smiled. She said, "I was just saying. I don''t want to eat it. Don''t call. At this time, those who sell marshmallows are probably already resting. I can''t bear to wake them up. Don''t call them." "Alright, as you wish." ra was always so considerate. A staff member of the Ferris wheel came up and said to Horace, "Mr. Kirnd, we have prepared everything for you. You can start at any time." ra noticed that the Ferris wheel should have been closed. Obviously, Horace specially asked the people of the amusement park to open it again. The staff was very respectful to them. The two of them got on the Ferris wheel together. Horace held ra''s hand and asked, "I know that you are in a bad mood these days and you are angry with me. But, just listened to my exnation, okay? Can you forgive me?" The way ra looked at Horace''s eyes, which didn''t have the usual indifference and arrogance, and there was actually a hint of begging, and her heart immediately softened. "Horace, you don''t have to exin. Although I don''t understand why you are so tolerant to Ashlee, I also thought that you naturally have your reasons, but I''m just... jealous... You didn''te back for the whole night..." ra said the words in her heart. "Are you jealous?" Horace''s eyes suddenly lit up. Obviously, their focus waspletely different. Horace did not expect that ra would be jealous because of the matter between him and Ashlee. Did that mean... that she cared more and more about him? Looking at the woman in front of him whose cheeks were slightly red, Horace felt that his cold heart suddenly softened. He pinched her chin and kissed her. The two of them kissed for a long time before they separated. The past few days of estrangement had already disappeared. At this time, Horace felt that it was time to rify the matter to ra. Horace reluctantly let go of ra and whispered, "ra, do you remember me telling you about the time I was saved by a little girl when I was a child?" "I remember. You showed me the photos." ra did not know why Horace suddenly mentioned this. "Ashlee is the little girl who saved me back then." "What..." ra widened her eyes in disbelief. This... this was too much of a coincidence, right? Chapter 179 Happiness Chapter 179 Happiness "How could it be Ashlee? Have you found out?" ra still could not believe that it was true. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It was not that she did not want to believe it, but she knew Ashlee too well. How could she help a stranger enthusiastically? Horace said, "It should be true. Whether it is the location of the photos or the limited-edition purchase list, Ashlee is the most suitable candidate. Moreover, the age is also consistent." ra remembered that Horace had taken a photo before. There was a little girl wearing a limited- edition Disney princess dress. Ashlee also had that dress. She thought it was a coincidence, but she did not expect it to really be Ashlee. Horace said with shame, "I know that Ashlee owes you a lot. However, she has helped me. I have to repay her." ra finally understood. Horace had been acting abnormally these past few days because he wanted to repay Ashlee for saving his life, not because he truly wanted to help her. Horace still loved her. "Horace, I understand." After pondering for a moment, she finally spoke, "If it was me, I would be like you." Horace''s furrowed brows finally rxed. ra thought of something again and frowned. "But, you should have called me. I was worried about you. I was afraid that you would be in danger. You were so cruel to leave me alone at home." ra wasining, but under the light of the night, her beautiful face looked a bit more coquettish, which made Horace''s heart flutter. The next second, ra was instantly pulled into a strong embrace, and her unfinished words were drowned in the passionate kiss. The Ferris wheel slowly rotated, and the temperature in the box gradually heated up. Horace circled ra into his arms and looked down at her eyes. They were bright like little stars shing in the night sky. His eyes were darker and he whispered, "If you are unhappy in the future, tell me directly. Don''t hold it in." ra suddenly felt hot on her face, and her heart could not help but jump wildly. She wanted to escape but found that she had been firmly tied up by him. Before she could speak, Horace''s warm lips covered hers again. After a long time, she finally came out of his warm embrace and was almost drunk by his kiss. Horace leaned against ra''s ear and whispered. The warm breath blew on her earlobe. "ra, don''t worry. I won''t let Ashlee bully you." ra leaned her head against Horace''s broad shoulder and said nothing. At this moment, she did not need to say much. She loved him. It was enough for him to know her heart. ra whispered, "Horace, you did the right thing. You must repay the kindness of saving your life. Besides, if Ashlee did not save you, would we have known each other and loved each other?" Horace did not speak. He just took her into his arms and looked at the night view of Stratmont outside the Ferris wheel. Tens of thousands of lights were shining brightly. The tall buildings were like suddenly covered with gems. The streets also turned into a bright and shining gxy. The stream of traffic was endless, cars moving around like fireflies. The Ferris wheel slowly reached the highest point. Horace suddenly held ra and came to the window. ra did not understand his actions. She looked at him doubtfully and heard Horace whisper, "I have something for you." Before ra could respond to what Horace was going to give her, she suddenly saw that the outside of the Ferris wheel suddenly lit up... It was originally a dark night, but in an instant, there were thousands of colors. The lights of the amusement park were all lit up, and arge character "ra" appeared on the LED screen, reflecting their faces red. Swish! Boom! A me bloomed in the distance, resounding through the entire night sky, causing the passers-by in the distance to stop and watch. Colorful mes rose into the night sky, burning at the most beautiful moment, and suddenly disappeared into the darkness. The fireworks bloomed again and again, like specks of starlight, and also like fireflies dancing. ra waspletely stunned. She did not expect that the thing that Horace had given her would be this. She was so happy that she did not know what to do. She pped her hands like a kid who had received loads of candies. Horace looked down at ra. His usually indifferent mouth could not help but slightly raise. The entire amusement park served ra alone. As long as she was happy, Horace thought that it was not worth mentioning even if he spent a lot of money. This woman''s emotions became a part of his life, affecting him deeply and changing him at the same time. Horace looked at ra''s flushed cheeks and asked in a low voice, "ra, do you like it?" "I like it so much! Horace!" ra looked at Horace with sparkling eyes. She really underestimated Horace. She did not expect him to have such a romantic side. She asked, "Did you really arrange all of this?" "To be able toe up with these kinds of tricks, I also put in a lot of effort." "I like it so much, Horace. I like it so much." ra was so moved that her eyes were filled with tears. Thinking about it, it was already very difficult for him to reserve the entire amusement park. She did not expect that he still had so many tricks up his sleeves. The LED screen and the fireworks. How many more unexpected surprises were there? Horace thought to himself that it seemed that the answer on the Inte was much more reliable than the scum, stair. It seemed that women really needed to be pleased. stair was right about this. "Yes." Horace suddenly quieted down and said every word seriously, "I just want you to be happy." In Horace''s eyes was ra''s own figure. She saw his sincere and strong feelings and sincerity. Horace was such a proud man. Yet he had done so many things for her just to make her happy. What more could she ask for? On such a beautiful night, with the Ferris wheel and fireworks as witnesses, even if they were temporarily separated one day, they would not be separated because fate and love had always been in the hearts of these two people. Horace sat in a wheelchair. ra sat on the chair of the Ferris wheel and watched the fireworks bloom brilliantly. After the fireworks ended, ra realized that this was not Horace''s style. To be able to do such a romantic thing, was there someone who helped him? Although the change of people could also happen overnight, it always felt incredible when it happened to Horace. ra could not help but say, "Horace, how do you know that I like the Ferris wheel and watching fireworks? It is not like you at all." Horace did not expect that ra would ask such a question. For a moment, he did not know how to answer, and a trace of embarrassment shed across his face. Chapter 180 Ashlees Plan Chapter 180 Ashlee''s n He couldn''t tell her that it was the idea ofizens online. That would be too cowardly. "Why? Can''t I be romantic for once?" he asked in a low voice. ra smiled and said, "Yes, of course you can." Horace chuckled and did not say anything else. ra smiled and was about to speak when she suddenly sneezed. Horace''s beautiful eyebrows immediately wrinkled. "Did you catch a cold?" He immediately stood up from his wheelchair and sat next to ra. "I''m fine. It''s just that the wind was a little strong at night," ra rubbed her nose. Horace looked at ra, who was still wearing the evening dress. Although it looked good, it was very thin. He could not help but frown even more. He took off his coat and put it on her shoulder. ra felt Horace''s heat on the coat and her heart was warmed. Her hand was also very cold. She could not help but put it into the pocket of Horace''s coat. She did not Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. expect to touch the phone that Horace had put in his pocket. She was stunned and instinctively nced at the phone. Unexpectedly, when she looked at it, she saw that it was Google. And the page of Horace''s search was still open... "How to give my girlfriend a romantic surprise?" The best answer he browsed was the idea of this Ferris wheel and the idea of setting off fireworks. ra could not help butugh. It turned out to be an idea found online. No wonder it did not look like Horace''s style. Just now, he had been evasive. It turned out that he was afraid that she would know the truth. Damn, he was really cute. When Horace saw ra looking at the phone, he suddenly became awkward. He quickly took the phone and whispered, "I just happened to see it." Seeing the faint blush on Horace''s face, ra couldn''t help but smile even more happily. "Horace, thank you." She whispered and couldn''t help but hug Horace. At the same time, the Ferris wheel finally arrived at the lowest point. Horace sat back in his wheelchair. As the door of the Ferris wheel opened, ra pushed him out. As soon as she came outside, ra saw a staff member holding something pink in his hand. "This is..." ra was surprised again. A trace of embarrassment shed across Horace''s face as he said in a low voice, "Marshmallow. I think you like sweet food, so..." Only then did ra react. In the answer he just saw, regarding the Ferris wheel and the fireworks, the answer owner also added a sentence... "If your girlfriend likes to eat sweet things, then it would be better to buy her marshmallow." Even though it was just a small marshmallow, ra didn''t know why, but she felt her nose twitch. He was so attentive to her! From afar, she could smell a sweet smell. So it was this! He knew that she wanted to eat it, so he specially asked someone to make one sote at night and send it over. He really cared about her. ra''s tears streamed down like ss beads. This was the first time she received such a "precious" gift. When she was a child, she came to the amusement park to y. Glenn bought marshmallows for ra and Ashlee. It was also the color of pink, which was exclusive to princesses. It was the first time that Glenn bought something for ra to eat. ra was very happy and liked it. However, Ashlee was jealous of her. When Glenn left them to line up, Ashlee knocked off the marshmallow in ra''s hand! The marshmallow fell to the ground. Ashlee even stepped on it desperately. In an instant, the pink and puffy marshmallow became dirty. ra was very sad. Because of this, Glenn, who did not know the truth, scolded ra and never bought anything for her in the future. Recalling the past, ra was always in a painful mood, but now, she had Horace by her side and cherished her. She was satisfied. ra squatted down and hugged Horace tightly. ra said to him, "Horace, you are my greatest romance. With you by my side, this is enough." ... Horace and ra got along well in this extremely romantic atmosphere. ording to Grandpa''s request, the two of them would spend the night at the Kirnd''s old house. When they returned to the old house, the guests had already left, and the house was quiet. Russell was also tired, and he had already fallen asleep at this time. Horace and ra returned to their own room and also went to bed. ra and Horace''s room was quiet, while the other room in the old house had a different vibe. At this time, in the dead of the night, in Sean''s study, Ashlee was actually sitting there. Sean''s special assistant had already returned to the small door before Ashlee entered the room. Sean was puzzled and didn''t know what she was up to. Ashlee naturally had her purpose foring here. Otherwise, why would the daughter-inw and father-inw sit together and chat in the middle of the night? Sean looked at his future daughter-inw and asked, "It''s sote. Why are you looking for me? Where is Darren?" When Darren saw ra and Horace disappear from the banquet, he lost interest in socializing and went upstairs early to y with his mobile phone. Ashlee replied, "At this time, he might have already fallen asleep." Sean was Ashlee''s father-inw now. Sean did not like Ashlee very much. After all, the Middleton family was just a nouveau riche in his eyes. It could not bepared with the Kirnd''s. However, because she was pregnant with his son''s child now, Sean was very polite and tolerant to her. "Then why do you want to see me?" Sean said slowly. Ashlee took a deep breath and went straight to the point. "Uncle Sean, I know that Horace has always been our stumbling block. Now that you want to move this big rock away, you must need help." Sean turned back to look at Ashlee. Stumbling block? "Are you talking about Horace?" He was toozy to beat around the bush and asked directly. Ashlee nodded. Sean raised his eyebrows. This girl had seen through his mind. Sean thought that maybe Darren had told her this, but then he felt it wasn''t right. Darren would not easily tell outsiders this. Did Ashlee notice this by herself? Ashlee was quite scheming. She even paid attention to these things. However, what exactly did she want? Sean did not say a word. Seeing this, Ashlee could not help but say, "Uncle Sean, I think I can help you remove this stumbling block in front of you." "Help me?" Sean could not help butugh. "The Middletons can''t even protect themselves. What can you help me with? You should just focus on taking care of the baby. As you can see, grandfather values the child in your belly very much." Chapter 181 Collaboration Chapter 181 Coboration Sean had always been very concerned about Horace, so he had long known that Horace had dealt with the Middletons. However, it was a pity that he was still not well-informed enough. Therefore, he did not know that Horace no longer intended to deal with Ashlee. Instead, he wanted to repay the favor. However, he also knew that Ashlee was bent on currying favor with Darren. Now that she was pregnant, she seemed to have be a member of the Kirnd''s. She spoke and thought on the side of Sean, and she was not as insensible as her biological sister, ra. However, Ashlee disagreed, "Our family has just gone through a bankruptcy crisis. We indeed need time to recover from it. However, I can help you myself. I can help you deal with ra and Horace. We have amon enemy." Sean didn''t know whether tough or cry when he heard Ashlee''s words, but he asked patiently, "How are you going to help me? Horace wants to kill you and avenge his wife. What can you do for me?" Ashlee smiled faintly and said in a low voice, "Uncle, do you know that Horace has been looking for a little girl who saved him ten years ago?" "What does this have to do with you?" Sean frowned. "I am that little girl." Ashlee smiled even more confidently. Only then did Sean''s face change. Of course, he knew the existence of that little girl and how much Horace cared about that girl. However, he never expected that the entire person was Ashlee! In an instant, Sean understood why Ashlee was so confident and told him that she would help him. Not only that, but he also understood why the precarious Mind Inc was revitalized in a day. Horace did not continue to deal with Ashlee and the Middleton family. Wow, his life-savor actually wanted to hurt him. Horace probably didn''t see thating. It seemed that this time, Horace was throwing stones at his own feet. But Sean still felt suspicious. Sean said, "You want to help me deal with Horace? But Horace should have let you go by now. Not only that, ording to my understanding of him, he should also treat you well, right? Do you want to repay kindness with ingratitude?" Ashlee sneered. "Huh? Where did this kindnesse from? It was Horace himself who wanted to repay the kindness." Ashlee did not appreciate Horace''s kindness at all. She hated him, and she hated ra even more. Ashlee said resentfully, "That was what Horace owed me. He sent my mother to a small country where she''s suffering and could note back. He caused Mind Inc to lose tens of millions of big orders. I have not yet settled this debt with him! Moreover, I hate ra. I want them to die a horrible death!" Sean sneered and said, "Actually, in the end, Ashlee, you hate ra so much because Darren still loves her, don''t you?" He was indeed an old fox. Ashlee secretly sighed. "That''s right. So as long as I can bring ra to eternal damnation, I can do anything." She admitted. Sean originally thought that without ra''s cooperation, it would be very difficult to deal with Horace. He didn''t expect that Ashlee would volunteer to coborate with him. Sean asked her, "Do you have any ns? Horace is not an easy person to deal with." The corners of Ashlee''s mouth curled into a sinister smile. She slowly said, "Horace is difficult to deal with, but ra is too easy to deal with. Isn''t that right?" "Oh?" Horace had always been ruthless. Now, his only weakness was ra. He had to admit that Ashlee was right. Since ra refused to coborate with him, he could only destroy her as well. "What is the exact n?" Sean continued. Ashlee asked Sean, "Uncle, what do you think is most important to ra and Horace now?" Sean looked up at Ashlee and listened to her n with interest. When Ashlee saw that Sean affirmed her, she immediately told her n in detail. The more Sean listened, the more he thought this would work. It had to be said that sometimes, women looked at problems differently from men. In the past, he had always considered dealing with Horace from the perspective of business. However, Ashlee''s n was from another perspective. Although he felt that it was quite indecent, it had to be said that Ashlee understood ra and Horace very well. If her n seeded, it would be a very beneficial thing for Sean. Ashlee''s n was really ruthless, but it was quite risky. Sean hesitated a little and did not speak. Ashlee observed Sean''s expression and said, "Uncle, are you afraid? Don''t worry. This n is foolproof. When the timees, they''ll be in a panic!" Sean now had a whole new level of respect for Ashlee. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded and said, "This n of yours is very good. Horace will lose something important, and ra won''t be a big deal. Not only will it help me achieve my goal, but it will also help you vent your hatred and take revenge. It''s really killing two birds with one stone." "Then you agree to join hands with me?" Ashlee couldn''t help but feel excited. "Of course. I''ll help you implement this n." Sean said with a smile, his tone unpredictable. Ashlee stood up with satisfaction and told Sean, "Then you must promise me not to tell this n to Darren, okay?" "Of course. Darren is just too soft-hearted." That was what Sean had nned in his heart, and he immediately agreed. Ashlee was very satisfied with the conversation she had with Sean tonight. She should have joined hands with him earlier, and she would not have let ra be so proud of herself for so long! She secretly calcted the n. There was no time to lose, and it was better to prepare early. When Ashlee returned to her room, she found that Darren had fallen asleep at some point in time. The lights were still on and his phone was thrown to the side.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. She looked at Darren''s sleeping face and thought, "Darren, everything I did was for you to see ra''s true face clearly, and topletely forget her! Don''t me me for being vicious. I just love you too much!" On the other side, in Sean''s study, after Ashlee left, the special assistant appeared again. The special assistant said, "Sir, is Ashlee''s n really fail-safe?" Sean smiled and said, "Even if not for foolproof, Horace would die an ugly death this time. Moreover, even if Ashlee''s n has failed, what can I lose? When my father asks, I will say that I am distressed for my daughter-inw and wholeheartedly want to match the marriage of my son, so I am confused for a moment, and my father will not say anything. Moreover, Ashlee now has a child of the Kirnd family. Even if she made a great mistake, my father will not me her." As expected, Sean was an old fox. He had already nned everything in his heart. Only then did the assistant feel that it was safe. As expected, Sean was experienced and astute. Sean uttered thoughtfully, "I may have underestimated my future daughter-inw." Chapter 182 Physical Examination Chapter 182 Physical Examination ra and Horace went back to the family house for the night. Left the Kirnd''s House early the next morning. Before leaving, Russell specifically told them to take those supplements and also said once they are finished with those they could go and pick them up, once a month if they don''t want to pick them up, he will send them to the House of Horace. For the first time, ra felt the pressure of having a baby. When she got home, the maid already prepared the supplements for ra. ra said to Horace, "You really do listen to Grandpa and give me the supplement right away. Do I really need it?" "It never hurts to drink what I tell you to drink," Horace said, looking like his old self again. ra missed the Horace at the amusement park that night, so cute and not overbearing or fierce at all. It''s only been one night, and he''s already showing his true colors. After a while, the maid brought a bowl of supplements, letting ra drink while it was still hot. ra pouted and stared unhappily at the steaming bowl. She grew up hating taking medicine, including supplements, always felt that it was also some kind of drug, and tasted so bad. "Drink it!" Horace urged. ra felt like an old sow waiting to give birth, and Horace was the farmer and the butcher. ra reluctantly picked up the bowl and put it down again. Horace looked at her doubtfully. "It must taste really bad." ra pouted. Horace''s mouth twitched when he caught a rare glimpse of a childlike ra. But the supplements were so valuable that Horace didn''t want to waste them, so he took the spoon and brought it to ra''s mouth. "I''ll feed you." ra''s eyes widened, did not expect to have this treatment, had to obediently open her mouth, and had a mouthful. It actually tasted kind of good, it was sweet. "Is it good?" Horace asked. "It''s fine," ra said deliberately. Horace fed her spoonful after spoonful, and ra enjoyed herself. Horace nod reassuringly as ra finishes her supplement. Horace told the maid to go home. They can do it themselves. He told her toe back first thing in the morning. So the maid went home. ra looked at Horace strangely. Whenever Horace let the maid go, nothing good woulde of it. Is he going to do it again...? Sure enough, Horace got up from his wheelchair and immediately picked her up. ra was right. She was so embarrassed that she put her hands around his neck and lowered her head. "Horace, what are you doing?" ra whispered. Horace asked gently, "Now that you''ve taken the supplement, why don''t we take advantage of it? Don''t waste it..." "Horace..." Horace took ra into the bedroom and slowly ced her on the soft bed. He gently peeled off her coat, then her shirt, then her pants... ra''s eyes were full of shyness and she closed them gently. Horace''s body missed her skin after days of not being able to be intimate with her. ra''s lips were always so attractive to Horace that at any moment, Horace wanted to kiss them. ra was like a good ss of wine, waiting for someone who knew how to savor it, and Horace was her best wine taster. He sipped ra like wine,yer byyer, intoxicated and addicting. Horace, on the other hand, was whisky, one sip could make you dizzy, and the second sip would make you excited all over... ra loved Horace, the strong drink that lifted her body to the highest level. ... After ra''s past was exposed, Ashlee''s plot was discovered, Horace''s life-savor was found, and so on a series of things, everyone had been worn out, but life began to return to normal. ra went to work, went home, slept... More than half a month passed in a quiet and peaceful time. It would be nice to do this year after year. in but simple. ra loved it. She spent every day with Horace. The only bad thing was that Horace was so hungry that she couldn''t satisfy him. It seemed that Russell gave her the supplement for a reason. With that in mind, ra suddenly realized her period waste. ra''s period was always on time, but this time she was more than half a monthte. What''s going on? Was Russell right about this? That she could be knocked up in such a short time? ra decided to secretly go to the hospital for a check-up, to see if she was truly pregnant. She came to the hospital. There were many people in the hospital, all kinds of people, with difficult misceneous diseases, all were there. She registered and waited in her chair for an examination. Surrounding her were pregnant women, lots of whom were apanied by their partners. ra thought that if she was pregnant, Horace would apany her for the checkup. She wondered how many pregnant women would be envious of her. Horace is the most attractive man wherever he goes. A couple around her had been chatting. ra listened. The woman said, "Seven months, you can tell if it''s a boy or a girl now. I still want a girl." The man said, "You think it''s a girl?" The woman, "The baby came to me in my dreamst night. She said she was a girl." The man, "As long as it''s healthy. Every time Ie to the hospital, I''m so nervous." ra chuckled, thinking that the man was really nervous as if he were the one giving birth to the baby. ra wished that she was pregnant. Horace was going to be so happy. ra imagined herself pregnant, Horace pushing a stroller and walking her down the leafy path... Are they really expecting a baby? Horace''s blood as well as hers would flow through this baby; he or she would be the fruit of their love, the continuation of their life. Pregnancy is really a magical thing! ra waited a long time for the doctor, and people around her were leaving. She pushed the door open and went to the clinic. The doctor asked her briefly about her condition and asked her to take a blood test. ra was waiting for the blood test. ording to the doctor''s estimation, ra was most likely pregnant. However, she had yet to show any signs of pregnancy. He suggested that she go for a blood test and get more tests done. ra waited anxiously for the test report. She thought of what the doctor had said, and was pleased and excited. She touched her belly, and although she could not see any changes, she seemed to feel the existence of the little one inside her. Was she really going to be a mom? ra couldn''t help but rejoice. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Finally, the blood test result was out, and it said¡ª Chapter 183 Test Result Chapter 183 Test Result Blood abnormalities... She was pregnant! She was really pregnant! ra couldn''t tell what she was feeling right now! ra thought, how do I tell Horace the Good News? How would he react if he knew she was pregnant with his child? The other side. In the CEO''s office, Solrace. On the phone, Isaac had just finished briefing Horace on his work, and then something hit him, "Mr. Kirnd," he said, "I saw Madam go to the hospital just now, and she went there alone. I was worried that there might be something wrong with her health, so I just wanted to let you know." Horace stiffened. Hospital? Was ra sick? Almost in a daze, he told his secretary that all meetings and interviews were canceled, rolled in his wheelchair, and told Isaac, "Isaac, we''re going to the hospital." Isaac''s eyes widened. He couldn''t believe it. The workaholic Mr. Kirnd, would postpone all his meetings just because his wife was in the hospital? Shocked as he was, he hurried after him. In the car, Horace had impatiently asked Isaac to call the hospital to find out what was wrong with ra. But the results were amazing. "Congrattions, Mr. Kirnd, Congrattions!" He looked very happy. "Mrs. Kirnd did indeed go to Hospital. When I asked the nurses, they said that she went to the gynecology department for a medical examination. Moreover, she was indeed pregnant!" Isaac couldn''t hear anything from the backseat, just the sound of cars whistling in the street. He turned to Horace, speaking in a worried tone. "Sir..." But when he turned his head, he was stunned. Horace was in his wheelchair with a look on his face that Isaac had never seen before. There was a shock, there was a little helplessness in his eyes, but moreover, ecstasy! He and ra were having children of their own? He''s going to be a father! N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. It was the first time Isaac had seen Horace loses hisposure after working with him for so many years. He couldn''t help but ask, "Mr. Kirnd, are we still going to the hospital? Mrs. Kirnd seemed to have gone home." "No," Horace said. "Let''s go home." ... At home, ra was still trying to figure out how to tell Horace that she was pregnant, and she thought about it and decided to wait until Horace got home tonight to surprise him! ra made dinner because it would take a while for Horace toe back, but she didn''t expect Horace toe back so soon. She looked at the clock. He came back early today. ra ran up to him and said, "Horace, I have good news for you..." Before she could finish, did not expect Horace to suddenly pull her onto his wheelchair and hold her tightly. He whispered in ra''s ear, "ra, this is the best present I''ve ever received." Listening to his confusing words, ra didn''t quite follow. Horace chuckled and added, "It looks like the supplements are working!" "You knew?" ra said. Horace nodded. ra was contented to see Horace being so ecstatic. They went to the dinner table together, and ra, in order to share the good news with Horace, had asked the maid to leave early, leaving them alone in the house. Horace looked at the food on the table and frowned. "You made this?" "Yeah." "You''re pregnant. Don''t do this," Horace said, taking ra''s hand and frowning. "Get some rest." ra was amused, thinking Horace was a bit overreacting. When they finished eating, ra stood up to do the dishes. She didn''t expect Horace to grip her hand. "I''ll do it. You go get some rest." With that, he got up from his wheelchair and went in to wash the dishes. ra''s eyes bulged. That''s overreacting, right? She wanted to say she could do the dishes, but when she saw Horace''s serious face, she couldn''t say anything. She could only listen to Horace in the kitchen. After washing the dishes, ra prepared to go upstairs to rest. However, Horace stopped her and carried her up the stairs. "Be careful. I''ll carry you up." ra was in a real funk right now. "Horace, I''m just pregnant, not sick. This is too much." Horace was stubborn. "I want to do this." ra looked at Horace''s eyes the domineering, didn''t want to say much, in fact, she felt warm. When she got to the bedroom, ra was about to take a shower, but Horace followed her into the bathroom and whispered, "Let me help you." "You''reing with me? Oh, my God." ra waspletely stunned. Horace ignored her, sat ra down in the bathroom, held a towel in his hand, and began to rub her back. ra felt a little touched and said, "Horace, you don''t have to be so careful with me. I''m fine." "No." Horace was still stubborn but carefully rubbed her back, in a very gentle action. Horace, apparently not a very good caregiver, gave ra a bath, but after a while, his white shirt was soaking wet. ra couldn''t help frowning, "Horace, you really don''t need to help me shower, you go, hiss..." Before ra could finish her sentence, Horace''s hand slid across her inner thigh, giving her a shiver. Horace looked at her suddenly red face and chuckled. "Why, ra, what''s on your mind?" ra''s face was even redder. She gritted her teeth and changed the subject in a low voice. "No, I just saw your shirt was wet. I was afraid it would make you ufortable." "Oh?" Horace raised his eyebrows. His usually cold face looked a little evil now. "So, do you want me to take it off? Do you want me to shower with you?" "No, it''s not!" ra wanted to bite her tongue off. Whatever she said would be misinterpreted by Horace. Fortunately, she didn''t say anything and just kept quiet, under Horace''s care. After some time, ra watched as Horace wiped her down. Finally, she couldn''t help but whisper, "Horace, do you really like children?" Horace nced at ra and whispered, "I like it because it''s our baby." ra''s heart skipped a beat and she couldn''t help smiling. She reached out and covered her belly with indescribable satisfaction. Good, there was a little life, from now on, in addition to her mother and Horace, she would have another family in this world, and it was her flesh and blood, they were connected to each other. Chapter 184 Unexpected Visitor Chapter 184 Unexpected Visitor When a daughter was pregnant, she immediately thought of how difficult it was for her mother to give birth to her. So, the next Sunday morning, ra went to Helena and told her that she was pregnant. Ever since she was a little girl, Helena said to ra, "You''ll understand it when you have kids of your own." Now, she really had her own children, she truly understood how great and proud it was to be a mother. ra saw a maternal supplies store, she couldn''t help but stop walking, looking at the shop window inside the disy of small clothes, and small shoes, they were especially cute. She and Horace''s baby would be so beautiful, or handsome, that they would knock a lot of people off their feet. ra smiled as she made her way to Helena''s small apartment. But before she could take out her key, the door opened on its own. An unexpected visitor came out of the door. The visitor turned out to be Logan Hutchinson, Laura''s brother. Helena now was in good health, she had been able to get out of bed, she was smiling toe out to see Logan out, just happened to see ra. Logan saw ra, he paused but soon calmed down, and said hello, "Hello, ra." "Why are you here, Logan?" ra waspletely speechless with shock. Why would Logane to their house? Does he know Mom? Helena was also surprised that the two of them knew each other. "ra, do you know each other?" Before ra could exin, Logan said to Helena, "Aunt Helena, you don''t have to see me off. I will Helena seemed very fond of Logan and said with a smile, "Logan, you are very thoughtful. Thank you foring to see me. If it were someone else, I would have been a stranger long ago." "Aunt Helena, I won''t do that to you." Logan nced at ra and said, "Since you still have another visitor, I won''t bother you anymore. Goodbye." "All Right, Logan. You''re always wee. I''ll cook for you next time." What''s going on? Mother and Logan seem to have a deep affection for each other. ra was stunned. Logan made a courtesy farewell to ra and left. After Logan left, ra entered the door. She saw that Helena had brought out the best tea in the house to serve Logan. It was no wonder that someone of Logan''s status would bring out the best tea in the house even if Helena was not close to him. ra asked her mother, "Mom, how do you know Logan. You two seem quite close." Helena prepared some refreshments for ra and brought them over to sit down. She said, "This is your favorite dessert. I made it myself. Try It." "Mom, I''m asking you, how did you two know each other?" Helena smiled and said, "I worked as a nanny for the Hutchinson family for a few years, taking care of Logan, so I know him very well. When Logan was young, he was even more beautiful. I would love to hold him all the time. He also liked to hang out with me. He always called me Aunt Helena and he was very well-behaved." ra could imagine Logan when he was a child. He must be extremely cute. She wondered if her child with Horace would also be very beautiful. Based on Horace''s looks, he would definitely be. She would also ask Helena to help take care of the child when the time came. ra just remembered why she was here, she almost forgot it because of Logan''s distraction. ra smiled and said mysteriously to Helena, "Mom, Mom, I came here today because I have good news for you." "What?" "I''m pregnant." "Really? That''s so great!" Helena was very happy to hear this, she hasn''t been this happy for a long time now. Ever since ra married Horace, she had been worried that she would not be happy with her life. Now it seemed that her worries were misced. Seeing ra''s happy Smile, Helena''s heart finally rxed. She was grateful to God for his blessings. When Helena asked ra about her pregnancy, she said, "You''re going to lose your appetite in a few Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. days. You''re going to have morning sickness." ra felt her stomach churning and she felt nauseous. Helena smiled, "It''s hard for women to get pregnant. When I was pregnant with you, I threw up every day. I threw up all the time. I lost a lot of weight. Then he stopped vomiting and started eating more. I became heavy and walked slowly with an ugly belly. Nine full monthster, I gave birth to you." ra listened with interest and asked, "Mom, when you gave birth to me, did it hurt? Did it hurt a lot?" "Giving birth is not painless. You came out through a natural birth, I thought I have to go through this and bring you to this world safely." Helena recalled the past, although her body was torn by the pain when ra was born, her first cry rang; she cried, for her life, all the suffering was worth it. ra once again felt the greatness of maternal love and the hardship of Helena''s life. ra thought about how Helena had worked a lot of jobs in her life, sales, insurance, home improvement, selling newspapers, sewing... doing a lot of different kinds of work, all of which were very hard. It was not easy for Helena to do all this menial work and had to be looked down upon, to raise her, to put her through college. Thinking of this, ra felt like crying. Helena was thinking about the old days, too, "It''s not easy raising you," she said. "I don''t have the skills or the money. I have to work for other people to earn money. Now that I think about it, the Hutchinson family was kind to me. At least the working environment is good." ra thought of something and suddenly asked Helena, "By the way, Mom, since you are a nanny in the Hutchinson family, ording to Logan''s age, you must have known Laura at that time, right?" Laura Hutchinson! How could Helena not know her? "Mom? Do you know her?" ra saw a flicker in Helena''s eyes. Helena lowered her eyes, pulled her hair behind her ear, and said, "Of course, I know her." Sure enough. ra pressed, "What was Laura like?" Helena said in a low voice, "Of course, she was a good girl. She came from a good family. How could she not be good?" That''s true. If Laura was not outstanding, how could Horace not be able to forget her, how could Logan not coddle her like that. ra was a fool to ask such a question. Instead, Helena asked ra, "Why are you asking about Laura all of a sudden?" "Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just asking." ra didn''t want to tell her that Laura was gone. Maybe she already knew, but ra didn''t want to cause her mother any more grief. ra bid her mother goodbye. As she went out into the corner, she spotted a slender figure. Chapter 185 The Hutchinsons Hit a Bad Patch Chapter 185 The Hutchinson''s Hit a Bad Patch Standing beside his Land Rover, Logan looked up and said to ra, "Get in the car, I''ll take you back." She shouldn''t have gotten too close to Horace''s enemy, but for some reason, ra didn''t hate Logan. She even had a feeling of indescribable closeness for him, so she agreed. She also had a lot of questions about Logan, she would like to know something, and perhaps Logan can answer that. Thinking of this, she nodded, Logan quickly opened the door like a gentleman, and let ra sit in. After sitting down, Logan quickly started the car. On the way, Logan said, "ra, I didn''t expect that you are Aunt Helena''s daughter." ra nodded and said, "Yeah, I didn''t think my mom would know you either." "I guess we have something inmon." Logan gave ra a meaningful look. He found that ra''s profile was more beautiful than her front. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Logan turned to look at the road ahead, the red light, and the car stopped. Logan suddenly said, "When I was young, Aunt Helena treated me very well and loved me very much. Unfortunately... It was cut short. I didn''t expect to see her again today." "I heard from my mom, and she told me a lot of things that happened when you were young." "That I was naughty?" ra replied, "No, my mother said you were very well-behaved, and smart, she liked you a lot and Laura too." ra thought Logan would talk about Laura''s past, but he didn''t. Logan seemed to be more interested in ra and asked, "Where were you when Aunt Helens was working as a nanny at our house? Why didn''t I see you once?" "At the Middleton''s," ra exined. "My mother said you didn''t like outsiders, so she sent me to the Middleton''s." "Sorry." "Why?" "If it weren''t for us, you probably wouldn''t be living at the Middleton''s House," Logan told her earnestly. "I know a lot about the Middleton, and I don''t think they would be very nice to you." "You were just a kid, anyway, it''s all over now." ra was starting to get over it, "After all, Horace gave them hell for what my stepmother did, so I don''t hate them anymore." The conversation was fine without mentioning Horace, but once she did, Logan turned into an alerted panther immediately. Logan said stiffly, "Who can tell if Horace is doing it for you or for something else? Don''t be so naive. Think of him so perfect. He''s a hypocrite!" ra didn''t like anyone badmouthing Horace in front of her, not one word. ra frowned. "Logan, don''t get so excited when you mention Horace, okay? Do you really know the whole incident back then? Maybe it''s not what you think." "You are always so protective of Horace every time. Stupid girl!" Logan said mercilessly. "I''ve never seen such a stubborn woman like you. Stupid! You''re so stupid!" ra thought it would be pointless to talk about it any longer. She could only calm her tone, "Logan, let me off the car. I can walk back home." Logan sensed the tension in the car. ra must have misunderstood him. But in fact, he was not against her. Logan said, "Please don''t take me wrong. I do not hate you. I only dislike Horace." ra was embarrassed and said, "You may have misunderstood Horace. Didn''t the Hutchinson family look into it?" Logan was silent for a moment, and ra didn''t ask any more questions. Suddenly, Logan said, "At that time, the Hutchinson family was also in a difficult time and didn''t have much energy to investigate the matter." ra was surprised that the Hutchinson family of the big three would have a hard time? Logan didn''t borate on the difficult times of the Hutchinson family, which he probably found difficult to talk about. ra returned to the magazine publishingpany. She didn''t know why she cared about Logan''s words so much, she wanted to get to the bottom of this. ra remembered that Stephanie had been at the magazine publishingpany for the longest, and perhaps she can shed some light on the Hutchinson family''s past. Stephanie recalled, and then looked through her old notebooks to answer ra''s questions. Stephanie said, "Ten years ago, the Hutchinson family was facing an unprecedented business crisis. Severalrge foreign conglomerates had suppressed the Hutchinson family group and were about to be swallowed up by other city conglomerates. The Hutchinson family group was almost at the end of its tether and was at stake." Stephanie added, "As I recall, it was quite a big deal because the three Stratmont families were all connected. The crisis had also rmed people from the Jakovich and Kirnd families, but they have not stepped in to save them. They have been waiting and watching." ra interjected, "Why aren''t they helping the Hutchinson family? I thought they were friends." "That''s right. They would havee to the rescue. However, that year, the world economy was in crisis, and the two families were having a hard time as well. Therefore, they could only wait and see. They didn''t want the Hutchinson''s business to be acquired." ra listened carefully to the story. Stephanie added, "It''s not over yet." "Anything else?" ra asked. "It''s not directly rted to thepany being crushed," Stephanie said. "But Laura was kidnapped and disappeared at that very moment. What do you think the Hutchinson family was doing?" So behind the original kidnapping case, there were so many other factors. ra thought. Stephanie said, "Because Laura and Horace..." She hesitated, not knowing whether to tell ra about the kidnapping. ra said, "Stephanie, it''s okay. I heard about the kidnapping from Horace." Stephanie was relieved, she continued, "Luckily Kirnd was there to help. Although Laura died in the fire, the Hutchinson family was unexpectedly helped by the Kirnd in the kidnapping case and was able to pull through. Otherwise, the Hutchinson family would be lost now." Yeah. The Hutchinson family had been dismissed as a thing of the past. But ra has a hunch that the Hutchinson family''seback was just around the corner, as long as Logan did it well. ra said, "It must be because of Russell." She thought Grandpa Russell must have been a legend in business. But Stephanie shook her head and dismissed ra''s idea. "You''re wrong, ra," Stephanie said. "It wasn''t Russell. He was too sick to save the Hutchinson family back then, when Horace had been kidnapped." "So..." Stephanie continued, "It''s Sean Kirnd, Horace''s older brother." Chapter 186 Darrens Grievance Chapter 186 Darren''s Grievance ra froze. It was Sean who lent a helping hand? ra was very surprised. She didn''t know much about him, but from Sean''s viciousness, she didn''t think he would do anything that wouldn''t benefit him. She couldn''t help but ask, "Are Sean and Logan on good terms?" "I don''t know about that," Stephanie said, closing her notepad. "They must have known each other for a long time." At this point, ra did not have time to think about the weirdness of it all. She suddenly felt a spasm in her stomach, which made her sick and she wanted to vomit. Stephanie panicked and shouted, "ra, what is wrong with you? You look terrible!" ra covered her mouth, waved at her, ran to the bathroom, and threw up. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Sarah ran up to her in a panic and asked what was wrong. Stephanie said, "I don''t know, she looked like she was going to throw up." "Throw up?" Sarah''s mind was so sharp that she shouted to Stephanie, "She might be pregnant!" Everyone in the office exploded at the mention of pregnancy. People who worked in Magazine publishingpany were super sensitive, and super gossip as well, this might be the problem with their profession, not to mention ra''s current identity. ra puked for a while and felt better. She had been having a lot of nausea and vomiting a lottely. It must be the morning sickness period. She was overjoyed to think of it. ra washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror as if she had lost some weight. However, this does not affect her mood as a mother. She returned to the office to find everyone looking at her and grinning from ear to ear. What the hell is going on here? ra asked, "Are you... happy about anything?" Sarah came over, took a bow, and said, "ra, Congrattions! Are you pregnant?" It was because of her. Busted! ra, a little embarrassed, replied, "Well... I''m... I''m pregnant." Sarah hugged her excitedly as if she were pregnant herself. Sarah shook ra and said, "ra, you''re so wonderful! You''re a mother now! Mr. Kirnd is going to be a father!" Stephanie quickly stopped Sarah and said, "You have to let her go. She can''t move that much, especially in the first few months. It''s very unstable. You''re going to break her!" Oh! Sarah''s face paled and she quickly let go of ra. ra smiled, "It''s all right, Sarah, I can still take your hug." Everyone went up to congratte ra and told her to take it easy and not to overwork herself. Diane was surprised that ra was pregnant, which meant her position was more secure in Solrace. She regretted what she had done before. It was not worth the trouble to offend Mrs. Kirnd. Diane hurried forward,plimented her, and said, "Well, Congrattions, ra, you''re a lucky girl." Sarah and Stephanie rolled their eyes at Diane''s change of attitude. "Diane," Sarah said bluntly, "You''ve changed your mind so fast. You''ve always been against ra. Why do you regret it now?" "You talk too much!" Diane said to ra with a smile and a re at Sarah, "Don''t pay attention to this little girl. I''ve misunderstood you in the past. I''m sorry. You shouldn''t be angry with me. We''re still colleagues. We''re good friends." ra stiffened, smiled, and said, "I won''t take it to heart. We''re all colleagues. I thank you for your blessings." ra saw that everyone was being nice to her and suddenly felt emotional. After they found out about her identity as Mrs. Kirnd, their rtionship gradually grew closer. They were so polite and intimate with each other, and no one was pointing fingers at her behind her back anymore. No one was calling her dirty or using her of being a mistress anymore. People are very realistic. During thismotion in the office, Darren suddenly appeared with a cold face. His face was grim, and everyone fell silent. Darren said to ra, "Come to the office. I have something to say." As soon as they saw it, Darren''s expression was strange. Everyone quickly shut up and retreated to their seats. ra had no choice but to follow Darren in. Sarah and Diane, were all looking over, specting what he would say to ra, and always thinking. Darren always looked at ra strangely, sometimes as if he had a big problem with her, sometimes as if she was special to him. Darren asked ra to sit down. After all, she was pregnant. However, in his heart, he was unable to ept this fact. Darren hesitated. "They were saying you were pregnant. Is that true?" "It''s true." "ra, do you really want to spend the rest of your life with Horace?" Darren said in a low voice. He couldn''t help but get heated. "You can''t have this child. Think about what you and your mother have been through. Do you want to make the same mistake again?" Darren''s words were so severe that ra froze, and then her face turned cold. She was pregnant, but what did it have to do with the twists and turns of her past? Horace wasn''t Glenn Middleton. He wouldn''t do that to her. It was ridiculous topare the two of them. ra said coldly, "Darren, I''m not going to be like my mother, and Horace is not Glenn Middleton." Darren''s heart felt like it was being pricked by a needle, and she was so protective of that person. ra added, "Darren, I want you to bless me and Horace." She knew that he had always been prejudiced against Horace. Thest time he arranged for her to interview Logan, because he wanted Logan to tell her what kind of person Horace was so that she would leave Horace. But Darren was wrong. She was already in love with Horace. "I won''t bless you, ever!" Darren roared. "ra, you know I love you! You married another man, and now you are having a child. How can I not be sad?" Darren continued to ra, "Do you know how sad I was today when I found out you were pregnant? ra, I can''t get you out of my mind. I can''t get us out of my mind..." You can''t go back in time, neither can you save a hopeless rtionship. What is gone it''s gone. There is no point arguing about it anymore. ra said, "Darren, just forget about me. You can''t live in the past. You have a long life ahead of you. Our rtionship was over the moment you left. We''ll never be together again." Did she just say never? Darren was wordless. If he hadn''t abandoned ra but instead had trusted her, this wouldn''t have happened... Who could he me? ra was right... Chapter 187 Go Public with the Pregnancy Chapter 187 Go Public with the Pregnancy Unlike what ra had guessed, Darren wanted to convince her personally. Instead of arranging her assignments ra felt it was unnecessary to stay any longer. "I''ll go if there is nothing else." Darren was depressed, finding their rtionship hade to an end. "ra, do you really have no feelings for me at all? I don''t believe." ra admitted that she had once loved him very much. However, she had seen it as a beautiful, loving memory after experiencing so many things. Horace was the only one in her life since now. "Remember that Ashlee is also pregnant. You should love her and your child well. Darren, we can''t go back anymore." "We can! It''s never toote! If you''re willing to return to me, I will start again. To leave here together and go abroad. I can leave everything here behind!" ra let out a sigh. Why was Darren so obsessed with her? Although Ashlee was not wless and benign, she was sincere and infatuated with Darren. He should cherish her. ra was about to persuade him when there was a sudden knock. It was Diane. Seeing they seemed angry, Diane dared not say much for fear of them identally getting mad with her. She was cautious, "Sir, the manuscript of the interview with Logan and his antique exhibition is edited. Please check the typeset and sign it if everything is okay." Darren took it with a sullen face and looked at it briefly, which was generally eptable. Logan was already enough to attract the readers'' attention, and any other pictures would be a "Very well, that''s it." He signed and handed it to Diane. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Diane smiled, squinted at ra, and then went out. She pondered that they both seemed exasperated and unhappy. She had heard their conversations vaguely outside the door, which didn''t sound like a work-rted matter. Before, Ashlee had asked her to keep an eye on ra. Now, Diane thought of the night when she saw Darren forcibly kissing ra,bined with ra''s pregnancy¡­ She felt there must be more behind the story. "Should I inform Ashlee? Is there something wrong with ra''s baby?" After considering it for a while, she decided not to meddle in it. It was unworthy to risk it. With this in mind, Diane returned to her work as if nothing had just happened. Darren continued the conversation with ra. "I asked you to interview Logan because I wanted you to see how hypocritical, selfish and heartless Horace was. He abandoned Laura, who was fascinated with him and fled alone to stay alive, causing Laura to die in a fire. Such a man does not deserve you to give so much for him!" "That''s enough! Darren!" ra was furious, "Now that you mentioned it, I just remembered. How could you do this? You knew that Logan was biased against Horace, so you deliberately asked me to interview him. When did you be so dishonest?" Why did all the people have to target Horace? What exactly did he do wrong? ra felt bad for Horace, thinking about how difficult it had been for Horace for so many years. ra could understand all too well what it was like to be misunderstood. "Darren, I love Horace and will be with him for the rest of my life. No matter what you say or anyone thinks of him, he is the best in my heart. Drop your illusions." After saying that, ra pulled open the door and went out. Darren heard the sound of his heart breaking. Sitting and looking out, he was depressed as the bleak scenery. A leaf fell, which made Darren even sadder. ra was like the leaf that had left him on such an autumn day. He still remembered that ra always liked children and would bring him along to volunteer at the orphanage. The children there were all poor but understanding and cute. ra got along well with them; they all loved her and praised her for being beautiful and gentle. ra exined that they were just as pitiful as herself, having nobody to care for and love. But again, she was much happier than them because she had Darren and her mother, so she wanted to help them. Darren remembered that ra''s smiling face was bright and beautiful. She glowed like an angel when the sun shone on her,ughing and running happily with the children. ra also told him that her biggest dream was to have her own children, start her own family and give them the best upbringing that she never had. He was thinking of telling her his true identity and marrying her once he graduated since she wanted a But who would have thought that fate would have a way? Darren stopped recalling, looking sad. Everything was so beautiful back then, but he didn''t expect they did have a child, not theirs. ra had been distracted after leaving the office, and she immediately packed her things and went home. Horace arranged a car because of her pregnancy, which she epted since it was inappropriate for her to take the subway. He hadn''t been home when she reached, so she sat on the sofa while the door rang. ra hurriedly opened the door. "Horace! You''re back." Seeing the person outside, she couldn''t help but freeze. The person was not Horace, but a very unexpected one. It was the grandfather, Russell. Chapter 188 Seans Guard Chapter 188 Sean''s Guard Russell didn''te alone, followed by many servants carrying many tonic products. Russell looked at ra, noticing her belly, "You finally did it! Good for you! These supplements are perfect for pregnant women. Just take it. You are the greatest in our family." ra was happy that Russell was here and hurriedly invited him into the house, serving. Seeing this, Russell hurriedly said, "Sweetie, don''t be bothered. You have to take care of your baby. Or you can resign and focus on being Mrs. Kirnd at home." ra felt that except for her stomach troubles, everything was fine, and she was not prepared to quit her job. It took her much effort to work in the press these years, so she was reluctant. "Grandpa, don''t worry. I have a n." "Fine, it''s up to you, as long as you''re happy." Russell was exalted when he heard that ra was pregnant. He loved Horace the most and naturally loved his child very much. ra recently felt that Russell had be more amiable. Although he was old, he was authoritative enough, respected by everyone. Unlike Horace, it was clear how much of a ruler Russell was in the business world back then. But now, he was a gracious older man. Russell looked at ra preparing some snacks and couldn''t resist asking, "It is said that a mother''s intuition is the strongest when ites to the gender of the baby. Do you have any idea?" She really didn''t think about this question. Both were good. Her confused look resulted in that this was her first pregnancy, so Russell was patient. "Do you like sour food recently? When your grandmother was pregnant, she threw up hard and loved to eat sour food. The sourer, the better. She ate several baskets of lemon." Lemons? ra''s mouth recoiled when she thought about it. "No, I just keep throwing uptely but have no special vors to food." "It''s normal. Don''t be nervous. You looked not as good as it used to be, so you must rx and rest well." Yes. ra also felt that she was haggard recently, her appetite was terrible, and she had lost a lot of weight. "Even if it''s a little girl, I will love her well and train her as the sessor of the Kirnd family. She will be sent to study abroad and attend a good first-ss school. You should not worry too much. It is not good for the child either." ra''s expression changed when she heard these words. She didn''t expect Russell to think so highly of her child and even say he wanted it to be the sessor. After all, Sean and Darren also would have babies soon. She didn''t expect that Russell would be so biased. If Sean would be furious if he knew what Russell had in mind. ra frowned and asked in a low voice, "Grandpa is so partial to Horace, will Sean¡­." When ites to the current situation of the Kirnd family, Russell suddenly sighed, "Sean has a great guard to Horace, as if Horace is his nemesis. He was like this when he was a child and never N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. changed. Unfortunate. Although Horace is now the glorious son of the Kirnd family and the president of Solrace, he doesn''t even have a share in his ownpany. It''s a shame for me as a grandfather." ra was shocked. Under Horace''s leadership, Solrace performed better in consecutive years. "How is it possible? Horace is also a part of the family. He''s supposed to get a share." "Of course, he should. I have thought of transferring him some of my shares, but Sean has been putting pressure on the board of directors so that they dare not make any rash moves. They have also been acted by Sean. A bunch of losers. So the board didn''t agree, and Horace''s shares have been left hanging." "Sean is holding all of the shares?" Russell nodded and sneered, "Yes, fortunately, you are pregnant, so Horace finally has a reason to be able to receive shares. That''s why I hope you two get married and have babies. The Kirnd family can be without Sean but cannot be without Horace." ra''s eyes flickered for a moment. Perhaps Sean''s guard to Horace came from Russell''s tant partiality. She couldn''t meddle in it. "Grandpa, you''re so kind to Horace." "Horace is the most like me. I love him more. Besides, he is kind. His impassiveness was because of the ident ten years ago. He was very kind and talkative when he was a child. Now that I''m old, I can''t control that much, so Horace is really aggrieved." It was apparent that he did not only like Horace but also loved this grandson. As ra listened, she couldn''t help but ponder. Sean was sinister and insatiable to hold so many shares but still had been guarding against Horace, kidnapping and framing him. He was too terrible. ra felt sad for Horace, he was loved by his grandfather, but the rest of his family saw him as an enemy. He didn''t get what he deserved but built up such arge group from nothing. Not only did he have to struggle for his career, but he also had to pretend to be crippled in public, which was painful and tiring. Russell talked to ra a lot more about family matters. After a long while, he got up. "I''m relieved to see that you''re fine. Take good care of yourself. I will go." ra wanted to put on her coat to see Russell off, but he stopped her. "Go back. I''m okay." Soon after Russell left, someone rang the doorbell again. ra thought that Russell had forgotten something and hurried to open the door. However, she couldn''t help but freeze again when she saw the person outside. Chapter 189 Ashlees Provocation Chapter 189 Ashlee''s Provocation Surprisingly, it was Ashlee. She held her head high, "What? Am I a demon? See how scared you are. You don''t invite me in?" ra could not guess her intention. How dare shee? Nothing good would happen for her toe uninvited. "What are you doing here?" "Why can''t I be here? I came to visit my sister." Ashlee naturally walked in on her own and sat down on the sofa. Seeing that there were still cups and saucers on the table, she thought someone hade here. Ashlee acted as if she was the mistress. "Isn''t there even a cup of tea for a guest? Do you know any manners? You rude girl." ra had to close the door and walk over to Ashlee. "Well, what do you want to do?" Ashlee suddenly snickered, "Who is looking for you? I''m here to see Mr. Kirnd. You''d better mind your own business. Pour the tea! " As expected, Ashlee dared toe here because of Horace. Otherwise, how else would she have the guts to do so? ra was impatient. "You''d better hurry up and leave. Horace isn''t here." "Not here?" Ashlee found the room was quiet, but she still had no intention of leaving, "Fine, I''ll just wait for him." After saying that, she sat down on the sofa and touched the leather, saying sarcastically, "It is not bad. Handmade in Italy? You''ve really be a phoenix now." ra wanted to drive her away, but she gave up when she thought of Ashlee as Horace''s lifesaver, in case she would see it as a handle. Ashlee looked around at the house. Although this residence was not as big as her vi, it was luxuriously decorated. As for the crystal chandelier in the living room, she could tell from the glossiness at a nce that each bead was high- grade crystal. Her jealousy could not even be concealed. How could ra, the illegitimate daughter, have the right to live in such a lovely ce? ra brewed a new pot of hot tea and poured a cup for Ashlee. Ashlee squinted at her, raised her head and said, "Seeing how you pour the tea, you look like a nanny''s kid, very professional. Haha." "Please." ra was toozy to argue with her. Out of the host''s courtesy, she served her some more snacks, all dried fruits that were good for pregnant women, which Horace bought. She actually pitied Ashlee, whose mother was forced to suffer abroad, and she could not get Darren''s heart. So, Ashlee had to torment her because she had nothing left. Staring at ra''s belly, Ashlee sneered, "I heard you are pregnant? Is it really Horace''s? Or any men else?" "Can''t you behave yourself?" ra could not bear it any longer, "You can''t say anything about my child. Concern about your own child." "Hmph! Who are you to lecture me!" Ashlee snickered, "Yes, you''re pregnant, really. Hope you have this blessing to keep it." ra''s face immediately turned pale. Ashlee had gone too far. She still didn''t know to restrain herself despite her repeated concessions. How dare she curses the Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. child in her belly to her face! ra was furious, "Don''t be so cocky! You cursed my child. You can''t even let go of a little birth?" "Don''t shout at me!" Ashlee naturally did not give in. "It''s my tongue. I can say whatever I want! In the first ce, Helena should never have given birth to such a sinful you, who''s good at nothing but stealing my father and my man! I hate you so much!" As a pregnant woman, Ashlee was too hical. ra was mad but ignored her for getting angry was unsuitable for pregnant women. ra remembered the first time she saw Ashlee in her childhood. She thought she was born beautiful and cute, wearing expensive clothes, as if she were a little princess. At first, ra was fond of her and thought that she finally had a little sister. However, unexpectedly, it was her own sister who hated and hurt her the most. She was such an unforgivable sister. Seeing that ra did not refute, Ashlee was bored, but her eyes flickered when she saw ra''s belly, you climb, the harder you fall! I''m telling you, I''m still the winner in the end! I''m Horace''s savior, a guest of your family. If you mistreat me, I''ll tell Horace, who loves me with all his heart." ra thought of the image of Horace treating Ashlee with all kinds of obedience. She was upset about it. Ashlee continued, "Don''t be too proud just because you are pregnant now. The more you hope, the greater the disappointment." ra felt Ashlee had her tongue in her cheek, making her uneasy. She couldn''t help but frown, "You are also pregnant. Aren''t you afraid of retribution for being harsh? Why should our children have to bear our grudge?" "Grudge?" Ashlee''s voice sharpened directly, "ra, listen carefully. We are doomed to have a grudge and emotional debt that we can''t escape. My mother can''t do anything to you currently. However, I will take it back from you. And your mother, Helena, she made my mother shed so many tears! So, I hate you so much that I wish you are all dead, including your children!" "Ashlee!" ra intended to kick her out immediately. "If you''re here to amuse me, please leave now. This is my home!" "I won''t leave! I won''t!" Ashlee snapped, looking scornful and spiteful, "I''m telling you, I want to see Horace, not you! Horace will invite me back if I go now, and then he''ll ask why you drive me away! Because I''m his lifesaver, you hear me? I''m his lifesaver!" Chapter 190 Horaces Limit Chapter 190 Horace''s Limit ra suddenly felt a wave of dizziness invade her head. She was afraid to affect her baby if she continued debating with Ashlee. Just let her make a scene here alone. "Then you can wait here, excuse me." ra went back to the bedroom. "Hey, what''s the matter with you! Is this how you treat your lifesaver? I guarantee that your future will be more painful!" Ashlee''s voice came from behind, and she was smug. ra suddenly had a bad feeling that something was about to happen. However, although Ashlee saved Horace, what else could she do? Seeing ra hiding back in the bedroom, Ashlee felt she had won. Still, the feeling of victory had not fermented to the highest level, so she wouldn''t give up. Ashlee was bold enough to walk around ra''s house. Seeing the furnishings were expensive and many orphaned items, she couldn''t help but feel envious. Besides, the configurations were all the current top designs and masterpieces. The house had the most advanced appliances and many intelligent voice-activated products. It seemed that they livedfortably in this hypermodern space. "Why can she, this bitch, enjoy such a luxurious life? Why can she have Horace''s heart? She is so cunning." It was a pity that ra''s adversary was her, Ashlee, so she would be tortured hard rather than live a good life continuously. Ashlee deliberately acted as if she was thirsty and shouted, "I''m so thirsty. ra, pour me some tea." "Didn''t you just drink it?" ra said from the bedroom, "You''re thirsty so soon." Ashlee screamed, "We are both pregnant. Don''t you know that pregnant women are easily thirsty?" ra changed the green tea to fruit tea since she knew it. However, as a result, Ashlee did not know how to appreciate her. ra was disappointed. She came out and poured tea again. Ashlee took the cup, and suddenly her hand shook, knocking the hot tea to the ground and almost spilling it on ra''s body. "What the hell!" ra subconsciously covered her stomach. Ashlee said sternly, "You almost burned me! You''re so sinister! You want to harm my baby, don''t you? You were jealous of me, jealous that I was pregnant with Darren''s baby, jealous that Horace let me go and stayed with me in the hospital. So you wanted to ssh me with hot water? You are evil! Let me tell you, you''ll be the first to suffer if anything happens to my baby!" "Don''t be unreasonable. It''s obvious that you did it on purpose." ra was angry. She would have lost her patience with her long ago if she was not Horace''s lifesaver. "On purpose?" Ashlee was fierce. "I''ll show you what it means to be deliberate!" Ashlee violently raised her hand to hit ra''s face. Seeing that Ashlee''s p was about to fall, the door opened. Horace and Isaac appeared. They were surprised to see Ashlee''s raised hand. Ashlee quickly put her hand back to fix her hair, then smiled, "Hello, Mr. Kirnd." Horace looked at Ashlee sullenly, "What are you doing here?" Ashlee gave a bitter smile, " I was waiting for you. " Seeing ra''s unhappy face, Horace guessed they had definitely quarreled. He sneered, but the chill in his eyes had revealed his displeasure. He saw three cups on the table and suddenly felt weird, "ra, has anyone elsee today?" ra lowered her head and replied, "It''s grandpa. He came by and sent some tonic over." "Grandpa?" Horace was stunned. He didn''t expect that not only was Russell happy at ra''s pregnancy, he even came to see her personally and sent her nutritious food. It was evident that he had admitted ra. Hearing this, Ashlee was jealous. She had been pregnant earlier than ra, but Russell had only given her a briefpliment and that was it, not to mention visiting her personally. "You are so excellent, ra. Russell treats you differently. It seems like the house will shake down now that you''re pregnant." Only then did Horace drop his gaze on Ashlee, and his face even darkened, "What exactly did you "I have something to tell you, and Ie to see my good sister," Ashlee spoke with a fake smile. ra suddenly felt funny. Ashlee, however, was thick-skinned, "ra, pour me another cup of tea. Don''t spill it this time." ra frowned. Of course, she didn''t want to make tea for her, but since she was Horace''s lifesaver, she didn''t want Horace to feel embarrassed, so she bent down and prepared. But at that moment, Horace suddenly stopped her action. ra was confused, and only then did she look up at Horace. The anger hid under his tranquility as if it was about to burst out at any moment. Everyone in the room could feel that he was furious. Isaac quickly mediated. "Leave it to me. How dare you let ra pour you tea? You don''t deserve it." Ashlee didn''t dare to be angry. "Is that how you take care of me? Horace, you are too protective of your wife. Just a cup of tea. Why are you so nervous? You should know to repay others'' kindness. An ungrateful person will be looked down on. Don''t you think so?" C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Isaac was mad, "Watch your manners." "Get lost! There is no ce for you to speak here!" Ashlee had no mercy, "Who the hell do you think you are, assistant!" Isaac was too awkward to refute. Thest trace of patience in Horace''s eyes faded away. "Ashlee." Horace said coldly, "I''m asking you onest time, what are you doing here, exactly? If it''s to bother my wife, then I''m sorry, you''re not wee here." Chapter 191 Horaces Limit (2) Chapter 191 Horace''s Limit (2) Horace lowered his voice which sounded scarier with hostility in his eyes. Ashlee was intimidated but could only vent her anger toward ra for the sake of decency, and said, "ra, how dare you turn against me! You think you can make all troubles go away by breaking off with the Middleton family? Listen, you have our dad''s blood and you''ll have it for life!" Ashlee turned her head to Horace and said, "Mr. Kirnd, I meant well to see my sister today. I heard that she is pregnant so I just came to see her." Ashlee thought she could smooth things over by saying this so Horace would be polite to her. Unexpectedly, Horace just sneered and said in an extremely cold voice, "Ashlee, don''t push it. You saved me and not ra. I''ll pay you back but you can''t give her a hard time." Horace''s voice was scarily cold which frightened Ashlee. But soon she scoffed, "Mr. Kirnd, don''t forget who had saved you in the first ce. Now you''re talking to me in such an attitude?" Ashlee sat on the sofa and crossed her arms, thinking confidently that Mr. Kirnd would bear her disrespect based on the fact that she had saved him after those words, and said, "Don''t you want to pay me back? Didn''t you say you guys are a couple and will handle all things together? Now what? Back out? I''m here as a guest, howe I can''t ask your wife to pour me a cup of tea? Now she''s pregnant and condescending? She''s still a bastard..." "Ashlee!" Horace interrupted coldly before Ashlee could finish her words. She was taken aback, looking up to him and meeting his scarily cold eyes. "Get out!" Horace uttered two words and he obviously didn''t bother to say more at all. Ashlee was totally stunned. "What do you mean by that?" she jumped to her feet and said, "How could you do this to your lifesaver..." "I don''t care if you saved my life," Horace interrupted again, "as long as you offend my wife, I won''t forgive you." Horace said gloomily while coldly staring at Ashlee, which made her feel like in a dungeon with shock. Horace was a humane person in Ashlee''s mind so she wanted to give ra a hard time based on this. But now... Did Ashlee underestimate how much ra meant to him? "No, Horace is still useful. I can''t push it too far and let him go." At this thought, Ashlee changed her attitude instantly and touched her belly as if nothing happened. "I''m sorry, I''ve been pregnant for so long, and it is natural to get so emotional and throw tantrums. You are so generous and forgiving, you''ll forgive me, right? After all, you are pregnant, too." Ashlee emphasized her pregnancy again like others didn''t know they were all pregnant. And ra also froze hearing that Horace stood up for her. She knew how much he cared about the person who saved him ten years ago so she had already prepared to put up with Ashlee''s insult no matter how aggrieved she felt. She didn''t expect that Horace would stand up for her. ra felt so warm and happy that she didn''t even care about Ashlee''s provocation, and just said with a cold nce, "If you still remember you''re pregnant, why don''t you just say what you want, fix this and then go back to get some rest?" Ashlee grimaced and sneered, "I want to talk to Mr. Kirnd privately." ra didn''t want to cause any trouble as the anger appeared in Horace''s face again, and said, "Well, I''ll go rest." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ra went back to her room without bothering to take a look at Ashlee as she said it. Thest touch of tenderness in Horace''s face disappeared as ra left, staring at Ashlee in disgust, "What do you want?" "I''m having money problems. I need money," Ashlee said with no shame. "Money again?" Isaacined. She was so insatiable as Horace had already given her a lot of money. "What? I can''t ask for more?" Ashlee said sourly, "I saved you through all those hardships. Now I''m in trouble, and you want to throw me under the bus? Sure, you could leave your first love in the fire, not to mention a stranger who met you once and saved you out of kindness." Horace''s face turned cold and said, "How much do you want?" "At least 30 million." Horace didn''t want to check Ashlee''s greedy face again. "Isaac, send her out," Horace turned his wheelchair against her and said, "I''ll transfer the money to your ount." Ashlee had got what she wanted and was ready to leave with a satisfied grin. Horace''s cold voice came behind her when she reached the door, "If youe to disturb my wife again, I''ll make you pay." Ashlee staggered and almost fell, secretly frightened by his move and tone. Darren was rtively soft and easy to maniptepared to Horace. Having something on him would be hard enough. Luckily Ashlee could still get much for being Horace''s lifesaver as long as she didn''t take things too far or offend ra Thinking about that, Ashlee once again strode out the door with her head held high. "Isaac," Horace whispered after Ashlee left. "Yes, sir." "Transfer 40 million to her ount." "Mr. Kirnd!" Isaac looked at Horace anxiously, "You just give her money like that? It''s simply daylight robbery!" "It''s nothing if I can return the favor with money," Horace said. "Ashlee is so mean. Is she really the kind girl who saved you?" Isaac couldn''t resist interrupting. "Maybe the time has changed her kindness. Or it is what she actually is, and she just happened to be softhearted that day and saved me." Horace''s face had a look of ck, "But no matter what, she''s the only one who might be the girl." "I..." Isaac still tried to say something for Horace''s sake. But Horace had rolled his wheelchair and said, "Now, leave." "Yes, sir." Isaac didn''t say anything more and left. In the cab, Ashlee looked at the notification of transfer from the bank on her phone with a satisfied smile. She knew it was the right choice to turn to Horace. Ashlee raised her head and said to the driver, "Take me to Windhunt Hospital." The driver replied while frowning, "That is really far, Miss. There''s a hospital nearby." "No, I''m going to Windhunt Hospital." Ashlee''s face turned livid. Chapter 192 The Little Girl from 10 Years Ago Chapter 192 The Little Girl from 10 Years Ago Ten years ago. It was a cool night in autumn, right beneath the deserted mountain. A slender man, Horace, staggered onwards out of the warehouse with blood flowing down all over. He was barely hanging on as his body got too weak. The wound on his leg bled and turned increasingly numb as he moved so quickly. He knew he wouldn''t be able to keep his leg if it kept bleeding like this. But he had to run and find Laura. He had searched everywhere and had shouted himself hoarse but there was still no sign of Laura. He finally fell into the grass after running out of strength. He felt desperate. No one woulde to this creepy ce in the middle of the night, not to mention save him. He lost a lot of weight as he hadn''t eaten or drunk for a whole day and it wouldn''t take much for an ordinary man to pick him up. He raised his head to the sky inplete darkness. He thought he would be buried here. "Maybe Laura is waiting for me in heaven, I might as well die with her. I''m just sorry for grandpa and my family." Thinking about that, Horace gave himself up and closed his eyes, waiting to die alone. "Hey! Are you okay? Wake up." Horace felt the little and tender hands pping on his face in unconsciousness. He, who was shattered, suddenly raised his hands and grabbed them. He slowly opened his dehydrated eyes and dimly saw a little girl with two ponytails looking at him anxiously in a red princess dress. "Hey, you woke up." Seeing his eyes open, the girl pped joyfully and smiled with her eyes narrowed. It was not long before she started to scream. In the moonlight, there were several obvious blood stains on her red princess dress. She soon saw the wound on his leg following the trace of blood. "Oh dear! So much blood! What happened?" The girl took a look around vigntly, and whispered in his ear, "Are there bad guys after you?" Feeling her warm breath, Horace looked at the girl surprisingly as he didn''t expect that she would trust him as the good guy. Then he replied instinctively while looking straight into her eyes, "Yes." "Don''t worry," she patted her chest and promised him, "now you have me. I''ll take you out of here and won''t let them hurt you again!" Horace somehow really regainedposure, staring at this clumsy little girl in front of him. Although he was dehydrated and lighter than before, it was still hard to carry for a girl his age. She struggled to carry him unsteadily.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. He was so heavy for her that they almost fell, but she finally pulled it off and walked forward. It was a long way which made Horace feel like it was endless. He still thought he would die here. But this girl wouldn''t stop talking while carrying him every time he tried to close his eyes. "Don''t fall asleep! How about I tell you a story or sing a song?" "Do you wanna build a snowman..." "You are so annoying." Horace couldn''t take it anymore and said weakly. It seemed that she couldn''t hear him, tirelessly amusing him and keeping him up for fear that he would die in sleep. While saying that, Horace thought about keeping this little girl after he found his grandpa and others; or if she left, he would find her and make it up to her no matter what it takes. "What''s your name?" Horace asked abruptly. "My name?" she looked around at him but suddenly the headlights before them caught their eyes before she started to talk. The girl immediately got excited. "There''s a car! Great! You''ll be fine!" Horace''s memory after that got a little fuzzy since he was so weak. But he knew he was taken to the hospital in that car and his grandpa thanked the driver with money. When he woke up, Horace asked the driver about the little girl who was carrying him, only to find out that she left at once and went back home after apanying him to the hospital. Horace couldn''t find her since then. Inside the vi, Horace sat on the balcony and thought about things that happened a decade ago. Until his thoughts were interrupted by Isaac''s text, "40 million has been transferred to Ashlee''s ount." Horace lost his interest in reminiscence at the thought of Ashlee. He had been having nightmares every day for ten years, dreaming about the day when he was kidnapped a decade ago. Those despair and fear kept lingering in his head. But the voice always rang clear in the worst part of the nightmare, "Wake up. Hey, wake up." Looking for this girl had be a habit for him for ten years. He even wanted her more than finding the man behind the kidnapping and he didn''t know if it was for returning the favor or something else. Horace just knew that girl was his only hope in endless nightmares, like a ray of light in the darkness which meant something special to him. But now, things had turned out to be quite ironic. He did feel disappointed knowing that girl was Ashlee. But nothing could possibly have prepared Horace for the fact that this girl he had been looking for ended up being disgusting right now. "Horace?" ra''s voice suddenly came behind Horace when he was thinking. He turned around and saw her just getting out of the shower. Seeing her rosy cheeks, the problems he was thinking about vanished all at once. Horace smiled and stopped thinking. After all, Ashlee had nothing to do with him. He now didn''t need the memory from ten years ago to get rid of nightmares. Because he had someone more important to him. ... The next day, on the weekend. ra decided to see her mother Helena as she didn''t have to work today and Horace had meetings at work. But she saw someone unexpected when she came to her mother''s apartment with supplements and fruits. ra''s face turned cold when she saw the man, and her mother beside looking even more displeased. "What are you doing here?" Her tone hinted anger. Chapter 193 Fake Pregnancy Chapter 193 Fake Pregnancy It was Glenn. Seeing ra, Glenn smiled kindly, "ra, you came!" "What exactly are you doing here?" ra said impatiently, "Who told you toe?" "Hey, don''t be upset. You are pregnant!" Glenn sat her down. "You knew?" ra said with an impassive expression as she had always hated to talk to someone like Glenn who was not important to her. He was like a total stranger to her except for his rtionship with her mother and the fact that they were rted. "Sure!" Glenn poured a cup of tea for ra, "Of course, I knew! How could you not tell me this good news!" "So what?" ra didn''t even bother to say anything more, "Are you done? Now get out." "ra, how could you say this to me? I''m your father," Glenn said with rage on his face. And then he thought, he couldn''t talk to her like this as he was afraid of her husband Horace, and said with a better attitude, "Sorry ra, I was just too excited. I didn''t mean to." ra just felt hurt seeing his change of attitude. "Well." Glenn cleared his throat and continued, "The thing is, Valerie is not around. I thought I could take your mom to my ce and take care of her since she has been better. And Horace doesn''t have to pay for a maid anymore. After all, we are family, I can take better care of your mother, don''t you think?" "No way!" ra turned his "kindness" down without hesitation. Who knew what he was up to. "Mom is fine here, and she has nothing to do with you. You might as well think about how to take care of Ashlee. She was your baby daughter, after all, and I was nothing." "ra, how could you say that!" Glenn didn''t expect she would turn him down so firmly, and the words he had prepared went nothing. ra asked him, "Now you mention it, you just let Valerie suffer in a foreign country and that''s it?" Glenn turned around and sniffed, "I never liked her. You knew I''ve always loved your mother. Being with Valerie at that time was just to take advantage of her family. And now they are broke, I don''t have to count on them anymore. I want to be with your mother." Helena was inplete disappointment hearing this, staring at him in disbelief. ra always knew her father was heartless, but not like this. ra wished she could get rid of her blood and be done with this scumbag. "You have no heart," she jeered. Glenn begged to differ, "What''s wrong? You don''t appreciate me doing that? How dare you say this to me?" "Get out of here!" ra pointed at the door and didn''t want to say anything more. Glenn was also furious, "ra, no matter how much you hate me, I''m still your father!" "I don''t care if you are my father. Mom and I don''t want to see you. Get out!" ra got a little emotional. Glenn was afraid of Horace and didn''t want to argue with ra, so he left sullenly. Seeing he left, ra thought of her childhood with sadness and hated her father''s cowardice and viiny. Glenn didn''t dare to stand up for her when he knew Valerie was giving ra a hard time when she was a kid. He just stood by, did nothing indiscriminately, and sometimes he even abused her together with Valerie. ra might still have been abused by them today and lived a dreadful life if it weren''t for Horace. Helena standing nearby shed tears at this. raforted her mother for a long time and went back home when she was asleep. Horace was still at work when ra came home. Seeing the text from Horace that he was going to workte, ra ate something and chatted with her bestie Sammy while lying on the bed. Sammy and ra went to college together and she also worked at Stratmont. Sammy was the only one who trusted ra when she got set up and was isted by everyone at college. Sammy sent a text to check ra''s schedule tomorrow. ra thought for a moment and replied "nothing yet". Then Sammy asked her to hang out at her ce. ra thought it was a long time since thest time they met and she did need to get away, so she agreed. ra arrived when Sammy was ying with her daughter. The kid was just one year old. Sammy''s daughter said to ra when she walked in with a delightful voice, "Hello." "Oh, hi!" ra was ted by this "hello", and the grief from yesterday just disappeared. She patted this little kid on the head and gave her candy from the bag. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Thank you." The kid went over and continued to y as she said it. "ra, it''s been a long time." Sammy gained some weight after getting married and having a daughter, but she looked happy. ra looked at Sammy with emotions, "It''s been years, I didn''t expect it to be that quick. Look at your daughter!" "So do you!" Sammy said with augh, "You married Horace! Why didn''t you tell me?!" They chatted for a while. Sammy really cared about ra and she couldn''t help asking after a moment''s hesitation, "By the way, did he know about you..." ra smiled a little, "Yes." "He is forgiving," Sammy was genuinely happy for ra, "Of course, a good man won''t mind about that." raughed, "It''s not that he doesn''t mind. But, um, he was that exact man!" ra told every detail about that thing. "Oh my god!" Sammy was astonished, "You are so meant to be!" "I never saw thating. And we''ve been through a lot this year. Sometimes it just happens, quite amazing." ra gently touched her belly, "And now we are going to have a baby." "You are pregnant?" Sammy looked at her surprisingly. Indeed, what happened to ra was too much, tooplicated, too strange, and it was hard for anyone to handle it. "Yeah, for over a month." "Hey!" Sammy said, "My husband is a gynecologist, I''ll have him check it out for you." "That''d be great!" ra said with joy. Sammy''s husband, a good guy in normal clothes and wearing sses, came home after a long moment. It looked like he loved Sammy very much, which wasforting for ra. Sammy told her husband about ra and he said "OK" without even thinking. "How do you feeltely?" Sammy''s husband asked ra before checking. "I feel well," ra thought for a while, "but I get nauseous pretty bad." "Nauseous?" Sammy''s husband looked at ra surprisingly, "It couldn''t be! You''ve been pregnant for only one month. Let me see if you have problems with your stomach. That would be bad." Sammy''s husband checked as he said it, and soon his face changed. Chapter 194 Horrible News Chapter 194 Horrible News "What is it?" Sammy nervously asked as she saw her husband''s face change. ra looked worried, her heart racing. "You..." Sammy''s husband nced up at ra, and the words just wouldn''te out of his mouth. "You are not pregnant." "How''s that possible?" Sammy and ra were stunned. "I''ve doing physical checkups at Kirnd Hospital." ra mumbled. But Sammy''s husband wouldn''t lie, so... ra suddenly realized. It was the hospital. ra was not in the mood for dinner after this, she said goodbye to Sammy and her husband in a rush and took a cab outside by the street to the hospital in the neighbor city. She was, indeed, not pregnant after checking. ra walked out of the hospital absent-minded with the report in her hand, thinking about what the doctor just said. In fact, she did not have a baby. Herte period and nausea due to her hurt stomach were all because of a kind of medication she took identally. So someone did this to let people think ra was pregnant and then bribed the staff in Kirnd Hospital to give her the fake pregnancy report. ra suddenly felt guilty at the thought of Russell''s care, and Horace and others'' joy. Sitting at the subway station, ra scrolled through the contacts on her phone over and over and finally called Horace after thinking for a while. Horace was working in his office when the phone rang, and he instantly picked it up seeing it was from ra. "Hi, honey!" "Horace." ra said in a broken voice on the other side of the phone, which made Horace startled instantaneously. "What happened?" he asked quickly. "Sorry, I''m sorry..." ra sobbed, "I''m not pregnant. I let you all down." Horace was dumbfounded. Not pregnant? Feeling a little down, but soon he left this behind. Because his heart broke hearing her crying. "Where are you?" Horace said, "I''lle for you." ra hung up as she said the name of the hospital. It started to rain and rained more heavily just like her crying eyes and bad mood. She couldn''t go home as she didn''t bring an umbre and she didn''t want to. Sitting at the subway station while being dead inside, she didn''t even realize she was all soaked. Thinking about the joy of the people around her, ra felt embarrassed and growingly guilty. All of a sudden, she was held up to a warm chest, which made her feel better in coldness. ra turned around and saw the angry yet loving eyes of Horace. She thought he was angry about her not being pregnant, so she apologized while curling up in his embrace, "Sorry, I''m sorry..." Horace felt worse seeing her like this. "Babe, it''s not your fault. Don''t be hard on yourself." Horace held her tightly on his legs. "But they were so happy, I must have let them down..." ra said with a weakening voice. Feeling that something was wrong, Horace checked her head with his hand and found that it was burning. Horace told Isaac to bring them home as soon as possible and call the family doctor over as he was worried sick. Horace watched ra take the medicine and then tucked her in bed. After that, he called Isaac and said gloomily, "Go find out what happened about the fake pregnancy." ... ra woke up the next evening. Horace got her upright and helped her with the medicine. ra started to me herself again with her head down. "Sorry, Horace, I''m not pregnant. I let everyone down." Horace sat over to the bedside, held her with the quilt, and whispered, "Honey, it''s not your fault. Stop ming yourself. This is fate." ra was still upset but nodded anyway as what he said did make sense. "Don''t worry, I''ll figure this out," Horace promised ra while looking at her. "But grandpa..." ra couldn''t stop ming herself, thinking that their grandpa in his sixties was supposed to enjoy happiness instead of disappointment. "Listen, this was not your fault." Horace frowned and made her look at himself by turning her head, "We can reason with him. He''ll know it was not your fault after I figure this out, and he won''t me you." He kissed the tears on her face away and then kissed on her lips, so tenderly like she was the most delicate treasure in this world. Feeling his love, ra finally calmed down and fell asleep again while breathing gently. Horace put her down, tucked her in, and rolled over to the living room. Isaac had finished the investigation and came back. "Mr. Kirnd." "How''s it going?" Horace asked coldly. "I''ve figured it out. I asked those who worked for our family and Kirnd hospital, and they said it was Ashlee and Sean. They changed the supplements Sir Russell gave Mrs. Kirnd to make it look like she was pregnant. But those medications are toxic. She could no longer be pregnant with prolonged consumption. They also paid the hospital to give her the fake pregnancy report." Hearing the investigation result, Horace was furious and loathed the cruelty of Ashlee and Sean. "Good." Horace''s anger was so raw that he even lookedposed with his index finger patting on the arm of the wheelchair, "Isaac." "Yes, sir." "Go get Ashlee to the warehouse, I''ll make her pay." Looking at Horace''s cold face, Isaac instantly got the idea that he was really angry this time and wouldn''t spare her for the old time''s sake. Ashlee didn''t expect to be caught and be left in the basement. She was a little dreadful, thinking who would have the gut to take her right now, until... Isaac pushed Horace in the wheelchair from the door, step by step, getting closer and clearer, like a demon walking towards her silently. Ashlee somehow started to panic, but she knew she couldn''t panic and show her softness without knowing what happened. "Horace, why did you have me here?" she struggled, "Is that how you treat your lifesaver?"C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. Horace didn''t bother to answer and asked with the wheelchair pulling over in front of her, "Did you do something to my wife''s pregnancy?" Chapter 195 Dragged You to The Hospital Chapter 195 Dragged You to The Hospital Ashlee panicked, but soon she changed her attitude, "I did it, so what? I fake her pregnancy and n to make her infertile. But you can''t do anything to me because I''ve saved your life." Looking at him arrogantly, Ashlee had always liked the feeling that they hated her but there was nothing they could do. Revenge gave her such a pleasant feeling. Horace sneered, "Don''t think you can do anything just because you once saved my life. I told you, I''ll pay you back if you don''te near ra." Horace said this seriously, scowling at her. And she felt like there was nowhere to hide. Ashlee was suddenly frightened, staring back at him, "What do you want?" "Isaac," Horace called Isaac, "lock her up first." Four giant men immediately pinned her down to the ground. Horace turned around and said to her with a creepy smile, "Ashlee, you did save me, I''ll pay back for that. But I won''t spare you if you do something to my wife. You just stay here and rest. I''lle back and settle this between us after I get the more important thing done." "Horace, you can''t do this!" Ashlee totally panicked, "I saved your life. How could you do this to me? You''ll go to hell!" She was just talking nonsense only to call him back. "Come back, Horace. You can''t do this." Ashlee struggled to call him back but was pinned down by four giant men, "Darren and Sean won''t let you off the hook if you did this." Horace stayed silent until he left. Seeing his leaving, Ashlee had never felt that scared before. No one could save her from Horace. Besides, he hadn''t done anything yet because she was his lifesaver. But what if he found out... Ashlee couldn''t dare to think anymore, curling up with her arms around her knees while shaking, and mumbled, "Darren..." While at Sean''s office. His assistant Roger Mullins suddenly rushed in without knocking. "Mr. Kirnd, something''s wrong!" "What?" Sean frowned. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Some of our subsidiaries suffered a sharp fall in their stock prices and they even hit limit down. Some of them were taken over maliciously by Solrace after the fall." Sean''s face changed instantly. What was Horace doing? Sean sent people to handle it right away, which turned out to be useless. It was in vain. "How could this happen?" Sean fell into the chair, looking at the falling stock on theputer screen like the world was also going to fall. The phone on the desk rang crisply, which sounded annoying and sarcastic to him now. Sean picked the phone up and saw that it was from Horace, which made him more furious than he already was, and he almost smashed it and threw it out of the window. Horace''sposed voice came from the other side of the phone as he hit the button, "Bro, that was from me. How do you like that?" "Horace!" Sean was so angry that he yelled in rage to the phone. "Why did you do this? What do you want?" "Simple." Horace sounded peacefullypared to Sean''s rage, "You''ve done something to me before, as your brother, I should return the favor, right?" Sean was shocked, wondering if Horace knew about ra. But Sean struggled to calm himself, "Horace, did you do this to be against me for real?" Sean still had confidence that Horace was afraid of him, or otherwise, he would have fought for the shares of their family business a long time ago. Apparently, Sean was wrong. Horace sneered at the phone, "Don''t think I was afraid of you for I didn''t make the move. I just didn''t care to do it then. But if you do something to ra again, I''ll take everything from you." Horace hung up and left Sean alone staring at the phone. Sean smashed it angrily. Growing up, Horace was always the better one and Russell liked him more. No matter what Sean did he would always get nothing. But things were different when it came to Horace. Horace would always get the best just because he was the little one. But actually, Horace got everything and Sean got nothing no matter good or bad. Sean was even called "mean" while standing around and watching. That was why Sean nned that car ident and the kidnapping which left Horace disabled. Sean thought he would beat his annoying brother by that. But Horace was still the better one in others'' eyes when he came back. While Sean was still nobody, worthless. He admitted that Horace was surely better than him, but he just couldn''t ept the fact that everyone preferred Horace instead of himself. So he definitely would not let Horace win this time. ... ra woke up and got a call from Darren. She picked it up and heard the anxious voice on the phone while wondering why he would call. "ra, did Horace purchase my father''spany on purpose? What happened? Was he crazy? After all, we are family. How could he do this?" She was shocked at what he said. ra tried to calm him down with several words and hung up as she didn''t know how to exin. She checked Twitter on her phone and found out that Sean''spany and subsidiaries went broke all at once like there was an invisible hand grabbing him by the throat. Horace just returned at this moment. He walked into the room with medicine in his hand. ra grabbed the phone and asked when he was helping her with the medicine, "Did you do this?" Horace said "yes" without denying it. Peacefully and frankly, he wasn''t afraid of anything. "Why?" ra was confused. "It was Sean and Ashlee who nned your fake pregnancy." ra froze. Ashlee again! No wonder she mentioned the pregnancy before like she was up to something. "How about Ashlee?" ra asked. "I locked her up. It''s up to you what we''ll do to her." ra looked at Horace in surprise, "I thought you were going to return the favor." "If she tries to hurt you," Horace said seriously, "then I can be an ingrate." ra was so moved and thought for a moment while staring at Horace. "Forget it, just lock her up for now. After all, she did save you." Horace told ra to rest as she was still weak. Things were done with Sean, and now it was Ashlee''s turn. Horace came to the basement in the wheelchair and heard Ashlee screaming before he entered. "You bastard! Did you forget how I dragged you all the way to the hospital?" Chapter 196 Ive Been Looking for You for Ten Years Chapter 196 I''ve Been Looking for You for Ten Years Horace was startled, he suddenly changed his face and rolled over in front of her, "What did you say? You dragged me?" Ashlee was so frightened by his sudden approach that she fell to the ground. She felt nervous but didn''t want to back down, "What? You wanted to deny that?" Horace grabbed her chin and red at her impatiently, "Repeat what exactly happened that day!" "I...I..." Ashlee mumbled and didn''t make eye contact with him with her head down, "I don''t remember." Horace sensed something was wrong, grabbing her. "You better not mess with me, or I''ll bury you alive." Ashlee got scared but she couldn''t give in to this situation. "I really don''t remember." Horace shook her chin away and left. Out of the basement, Isaac asked about what happened, and Horace said, "That little girl carried me not dragged me. I guess Ashlee was not her. Isaac, go look into it carefully." "Yes, sir." ra went back to work after a few days of recovery. Sarah and those saw her and sidled up to ask, "ra, how''s the baby?" ra replied with sadness in her eyes, "It''s gone." They thought she had a miscarriage as Horace asked for days off on such short notice, looking at her Darren came out and saw ra was sorting out files by herself as others went out for lunch at noon. "C, how have you been?" Darren asked after hesitating for a while. ra didn''t bother to answer and didn''t even take a nce at him. Seeing this, he tentatively asked more. "C, do you know where Ashlee is? Do you know why Horace has her? And do you know why he did that to my father..." ra got annoyed by him and replied with anger, "Just ask your father!" Darren was dumbfounded. He linked things together and wondered if it had something to do with her baby. Darren called his father right away, "Dad, did you do something to ra''s baby?" "I did it, so what?" Sean answered impatiently on the phone. Darren said furiously, "You promised you''ll leave her alone!" "She did it to herself. She shouldn''t have taken Horace''s side!" Sean got more annoyed than he already was and hung up. Darren hung up, feeling bad. He felt that not only he and ra could not be lovers but they started to turn against each other. At the CEO''s office of Solrace. Isaac walked in hurriedly with a strange look on his face, and he said in a low voice, "Mr. Kirnd, I''m sorry." Horace raised his eyebrows and said, "What?" "I investigated thoroughly about the girl who saved you ten years ago when you were kidnapped. Ashlee was in summer camp, so she couldn''t be the one." Isaac felt ashamed, "I got carried away when I found the dress and I forgot to confirm forward. It was my mistake." Horace was not surprised at all and was relieved as he had been holding doubts. Luckily, it wasn''t her. But who else would it be? Ashlee was the only one who bought the dress in the entire Stratmont. If it wasn''t her, then who else? Did she loan her dress to another girl? Or the dress was not even a genuine one? Horace felt that everything had to start over. ra called when Horace was telling Isaac to continue investigating. She said that she wanted to see her mother and she hoped Horace would apany her as she didn''t know how to exin about the baby. Horace agreed quickly and let Isaac drive him home to pick ra up and then headed towards Helena''s apartment. ra told her mother shortly about the baby in the end, including the fake pregnancy and how Horace retaliated. Helena thought about her miserable past and cried in sadness and disappointment seeing her daughter living aplicated life. She said, "How many times have I told you that things areplicated in rich families. You can easily be buried alive with your disposition." Helena turned her head to Horace and reprimanded, "Mr. Kirnd, I trusted you with my daughter because I believed that you''ll be responsible for her and take good care of her. But if you can''t protect her, please let her go." "Mom!" ra tried to stop her mother. She thought her mother was saying too much and it wasn''t all Horace''s fault. But Horace apologized sincerely to Helena, "Ms. Selman, it truly was my fault. I didn''t see thating to her. I owe her." "Horace..." Seeing his nice attitude, Helena stared at him and said nothing more. "Horace, why don''t you take a rest in the next room and I''ll chat with mom." ra threw him off intentionally as she didn''t want her mom to scold him anymore. Horace went to the study and left this room for them. Helena usually lived alone but there was plenty of stuff in the study. Horace looked around and saw a pile of albums in the corner. The one on the top caught his attention. He opened it and found that these were all photos of ra when she was a kid. He got nothing else to do and he found it cute, so he continued to take a look. But suddenly he saw a photo which made him gasp. ... ra wasforting her mother and emphasizing how good Horace was to her, which made Helena feel better. ra went upstairs to the study after that and noticed the strange expression on Horace''s face. "What''s wrong?" ra felt weird because he was just holding the album of her childhood, which was nothing. Horace picked up a photo and asked, "Is that you?" ra checked it and said, "Yes." There was a glint in Horace''s eyes. He stood up from the wheelchair and held her into his arms. ra felt his unusually strong hug in bewilderment, "Horace, what''s wrong?" Horace didn''t answer but held her for a long time before letting go of her, and whispered while staring Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. at her, "ra, I''ve been looking for you for ten years." Chapter 197 Under One Condition Chapter 197 Under One Condition Puzzled, ra frowned. "What ten years? What are you talking about? Have you mistaken me for someone else?" "Absolutely no," Horace said quietly, "I recognized you the minute I saw the picture. I''m one hundred percent sure that''s you." But ra was still confused, so Horace continued to exin patiently, "Ten year ago, the suburb in Stratmont, think harder." Sitting on hisp, ra tried to recollect the memories before she finally remembered something and looked at him in shock, "That was you! You were the teenage boy!" As it turned out, ra had been already brought to the Middletons back then. It happened one day when Ashlee had gone to some summer camp, and Mr. and Ms. Middleton were at work. She was alone at home, so she secretly put on Ashlee''s red dress and went out to y. No one would care about her anyway. She was afraid to go downtown, so she went to a familiar suburb, where she came across a teenage boy with blood all over him. That was Horace. Never had seen anything like that before, she was terrified, but goaded by a sense of righteousness, her little body generated an infinite power. ra carried him all the way to a hospital. It was then ra identally tore Ashlee''s dress. Fearing that she would get caught wearing that clothe, ra soon hurried home after she had left Horace at the hospital. The dress was tainted with blood, which she hoped to get off by hand-washing it. But she ended up tearing the dress. She stealthily put it back and had never talked about it to anyone. As time went by, ra had forgot about the incident all together. Until Horace brought it up. Horace tenderly kissed ra and whispered to her ear, "I''m so d that it was you who saved me. Our destined encounter happened earlier than two years ago." ra blushed, amazed by how wondrous and beautiful fate was. Horace''s heart was melting as he looked down and saw her rosy cheeks. How great. The little girl who had saved him was still how he remembered her to be. Kind, and determined, nothing like Ashlee. His face fell as he thought of Ashlee. Horace had mistakenly thought of Ashlee as the girl who had saved him, so he had kept refraining himself from avenging what she had done to ra and let ra deal with her instead. But since he had known the truth, he wouldn''t have to feel indebted to her and rein in his hatred anymore. He decided to pay her back himself. ra asked, "What are you going to do?" "You might steel clear of this," Horace said. ra didn''t want to get involved anyway. The next morning day after she had a good sleep at home, she woke up and received a phone call from Glenn, who snarled on the phone, "ra Selman, do you want to ruin my family?" ra frowned. "What''s going on?" "You are the one to ask. Just check the news." ra found out from the trends on twitter that the Middletons was officially broke, leaving Glenn hundreds of millions in debt, all because of Solrace. Glenn shouted at ra, "You are such a traitor. You colluded with that Kirnd and destroyed us, what do you want? Even though yourst name isn''t Middleton, you are still my daughter and has half of my blood. You father and sister are suffering, and your mother is sick. Not only did you not care, you have inflicted more troubles on us. What''s your scheme? Son of a bitch, bastard, traitor..." As every word came out ever harsher, ra was exasperated with her hands starting to shake. Meanwhile, Horace who had been at the bathroom freshening up before he came out and heard Glenn yelling on the phone. He took on a cold look and then grabbed it from ra, hanging up on him. "Why would you do that?" ra raised her head and asked Horace, "Why did you suppress Mind Inc again?" "To take revenge for you, not just over this time, but what the family have owed you and your mother over thest twenty years." "What did you do to Ashlee?" "I''m sending her to a military camp in Africa," answered Horace without any hesitation. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ra was stunned and then she soon realized what would have happened to a beautiful woman in a camp. She thought it would be an appalling thing to do. A tinge of pity shed across her face, while Horace said, "Step out of this thing. I''ll take care of it. ra hesitated for a while before she nodded with a fatigued look. re was not an angel or some moral crusader. Ashlee had more than once preyed on her, so she had no desire to stick up for her anymore. Everybody had their karmic debt. If Ashlee hadn''t hadmitted so many sins against ra, she wouldn''t havee to that ce. During the talk, some chaotic noises were hearding from downstairs. A help rushed upstairs, saying that Sean and Darren hade over. Horace told ra to rest at the bedroom while he himself went downstairs. ra was still so worried that she came to the top of the stair and saw that Sean and Darren''s face were red from the fight with Horace. They wanted Horace to spare Ashlee. She was a woman after all. Besides, she''s pregnant with a Kirnd baby, so they would not, in any way, watched her being shipped off to Africa. Especially Sean, who was being really remorseful. He was merciless, but he wouldn''t do anything at the expense of family. The only reason he had asked Ashlee to set ra up was because he had thought that Horace would never hurt her for the sake of her having been his lifesaver. However, ra was his bottom line, and Horace would stop at nothing to teach those who had hurt her a lesson. Besides, Ashlee wasn''t the one who had saved his life at all. "Can''t you just let it go this time, Horace," said Sean, clenching his teeth, "All things aside, we are family." "Uncle Horace, please let her off, and I owe you one for this," Darren pleaded, "No matter how mad you are at Ashlee, please spare her for the baby''s sake." "No way!" Horace, however, wouldn''t relent at all. "She should have seen thising when she did that to ra." Sean and Darren were in despair. They knew how cruelly determined he could be once he''s set on something, and once he said he wouldn''t let her off, she''s going to hell. Then it was imaginable that her child would be... ra, who was listening to the conversation upstairs, suddenly had an idea. Just when the father and son had lost their hope, she slowly came downstairs and said, "Horace could let her off, but on one condition." Chapter 198 Board Meeting Chapter 198 Board Meeting The three looked at her in amazement, surprised to hear that she would agree to let her off. "What condition?" asked Sean quickly. "You will have to give Horace half of yourpany''s stakes," said ra emphatically. ra remembered that Russell had told her it had been the result of Sean''s plot that Horace didn''t own any shares of thepany, so she thought of the idea to benefit Horace. "No way ever!" Sean blurted out instinctively. "Then don''t even think about Ashlee and her baby will be fine," ra responded with the same determination. Sean''s face soon turned pale. Meanwhile, Horace was also surprised to hear the requirement. He had never expected ra to know any of those stuff, and he was also surprised that she would have done that for him. Sean and Darren hesitated for some time before they finally said reluctantly, "Fine, I agree, Horace, let go of Ashlee." After all, Ashlee''s baby was more important to them than anything else. But Horace ignored them and turned to ra with his eyebrows knitted, "Ashlee has done those horrible things to you, and deserves punishment, so you won''t have to let her off the hook because of me." ra smiled and said, "I''m fine. I just really want to do something for you." Horace relented. Ashlee was saved, but thepany was gone and ra soon learned that Glenn fled abroad because of debt. The next day, Russell came to visit them the first time since her fake pregnancy. Russell showed his concern about ra''s health, without mentioning a single word about the pregnancy. The nicer Russell was, the guiltier ra felt. ra sat across him and kept apologizing to him. "I''m so sorry... I disappointed you." "Sweetie," Russell said to ra with a loving tone, "This is not your fault. I already knew everything and what Ashlee and Sean had done. Hell, I had no idea Sean, that jerk, would have done such thing. He''s a shame of the family." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. To stop her from feeling sad, he changed the topic and talked about the shares instead. He looked at ra appreciatively. "Thank you, I felt so much relieved now." ra looked more energetic thinking of that, and said, "It''s useless to keep her around anyway, now that they want her, then I thought I would just sell her for something, to make Sean and Darren feel indebted and appreciate, and then get some stocks back. It would also make it more convincing for Horace to hold the stakes." "Good kid," Russell said to her with a touched look, "You are too kind and always nice to others. You always think about others, what about yourself?" "Me?" ra froze for two seconds, and thenughed. "What is there to think about?" "You aren''t worried that Ashlee will take revenge?" Russell shook his head. "Anyway, be careful." Russell soon left. When he''s gone, ra mused over what he had said. Afraid of Ashlee? And her revenge? So what? As long as she had Horace, that would be enough. The incident was pretty much over, and since Sean, Darren and Ashlee had stopped making trouble for ra, she had been living a peaceful life. Horace had made her rest at home for a couple of days and as a journalist, the only way for ra to kill time was to check twitter. While she was scrolling down the feeds, she posted something mncholy, "I used to think I had it, but it turned out be a bubble." When she was to log off, she saw a direct message sent to her ount. It was from the ount "Back2Past", which had posted something about Laura before. Why would it send her a private message? ra clicked it open. "Don''t be sad. Anything which doesn''t belong to you will end up going away. No need to get obsessed with it." ra replied, "OK, thanks." Back2Past: "Not at all, I just feel like saying that to you." ra said, "Thanks for yourforting. I''ll get myself back together again." ra guessed it was a girl, and when she thought about thement on herst post, she couldn''t help but ask, "Are you a girl? How do you know about Horace and his ex-girlfriend?" Unfortunately, the conversation ended at that question. It seemed to evade that question deliberately without any reply. ra felt it was a little weird but it seemed to have been offline, so she stopped questioning. She thought she''d wait until she''s online again next time. ra was so curious about who she could be. Meanwhile, at the board meeting of Kirnd Group. Sean and Darren had been such a underdog in front of ra. The position they were bound to get had just gone within a blink. All of his subsidiaries were on the verge of bankruptcy, so he had to hold a emergency board meeting to secure the market and the morale. It was probably a signal of some iing actions taken by Horace, The idea made Sean feel sick, as if Horace was some kind of venomous snake lurking in the grass, having disguised himself, lurking in the dark. And once he got tired, Horace would give him a lethal attack. Sean felt chills from his sweaty back at the thought of that. He felt like walking on the eggshell and he was restive. The foreboding did make sense. When Sean was excitedly giving his speech, the door of the meeting room was opened. There came Isaac pushing Horace in. Sean was startled, and then furious. This man wouldn''t even give him a window to draw a breath? In order to conceal his agitation inside so he wouldn''t seem weak to the board, he gave the table a p and quickly rose to his feet, sneered, "What are you doing here in our meeting, Horace? You should behave yourself better! Even though you''re a member of the Kirnds, it doesn''t mean that you can just walk in and out here as the president of anotherpany, and steal our confidential information." The members who were on Sean''s side nodded approvingly and expressed their support. Sean felt greatly relieved as he saw the board taking his side, waiting to see Horace make a fool of himself. Isaac couldn''t take it anymore. Were those fossils blind? They would rather support the more controble Sean than the more Isaac was indignant while Horace seemed impassive, saying, "I''ve got half of thepany''s stakes, and that wouldn''t qualify me to join the meeting?" The words sent the board paling. Horace ignored them, wheeled himself next to Sean, nced at the proposal Sean had just been presenting, and sniffed, "Mr. Kirnd''s proposal sounds perfect, but...totally unfeasible." Chapter 199 Sean Kirkland Is Doomed Chapter 199 Sean Kirnd Is Doomed Isaac wheeled Horace before the big screen. Horace picked up the infrared pen, turned around and circled some of the paragraphs. "This... this... and this..." "They may sound perfect, and are supposed to drag down thepetitors and uplift ourselves." "But, I don''t know whether it''s because they were drawn hastily or made out of emergency, it doesn''t take counter measures into ount. It''s just a temporary response to thepetitor." "The way I see it, the proposal is more of an idealized house-ying game than a emergency temporary resolution." "If Mr. Kirnd''s proposals are always like this, I don''t see the point you keeping thispany." Despite Horace''s aggression, Sean had to swallow his anger. But Horace wouldn''t seem to let him off that easily. "Oh, no," Horace said with a half-smile. His following words almost destroyed Sean''sst bit of mental defense, "If I remember it right, thepany itself does seem to be heading for a shut-downtely." "You..." Without any hesitation or worries, Horace continued to say, "Mr. Kirnd, yourpany profits and share price have both been plummeting, and even worse, some of the subsidiaries have been devalued to a point where it''ll be a gimme for me to take over." After hearing his speech, those who meant to argue with himpsed into dead silence. Indeed, every single word he had said was true and beyond question. If only Horace had been as easy to manipte as Sean... The board werementing inside... In that case, theirpany would have gone to a higher level with Horace''s shrewdness and prudence. It''s such a shame that he represented Solrace, which meant that he could only be a rival. When Horace was leaving, they were all so intimidated by themanding man that no one dared to say another word. And that was bound to be a delight for some and misery for the others. Sean returned to his office when the meeting was over. It added to his fury when he saw therge pile of files on the desk pending his signature. He threw his arm around, with the files and the mugs fallen all over the floor, and the secretary outside the door was terrified. Later, Ashlee came for a visit. She was homeless after she had been set free, so she was staying at Darren''s. She had heard that Horace had been to Sean''spany, and she was so worried that she came over. "What are you doing here!" Sean said furiously. "I''m here to see how is everything going." "Going? Everything is running down to hell!" Sean lost it and yelled, "It''s all because of your stupid n! It''s all because of what you have done, he was able to barge in a board meeting!" "If not for the baby, how on earth would have given over the shares to save you?" "You stupid woman, you just can''t so anything right! How dare youe here to see me?" With the words got harsher, so did her hatred against ra. All of a sudden, she came up with a new scheme. "Rx," said Ashlee, trying to soothe his feelings, "I''ve got a new idea, which will definitely give a heavy blow to Horace and ra. Listen to me..." She got close to his ear and whispered the new idea to him. With his look mellowing, Sean agreed with reluctance, saying, "Fine, I will believe you for the veryst time. Don''t you screw up again." Meanwhile, Horace hade to his new office in Kirnd Group, well-equipped, as if he would stay here for a long time. stair came over andy back on the sofa, looking at Horace who was seated on a chair. "Hey, aren''t you afraid that Sean''s gonna pay you back for what you have done today?" "How long do you think I''ve been hiding myself?" Horace questioned him back with a suddenly serious face. stair thought for a while and said, "Almost yen years." "Yeah, almost ten years," Horace sighed, "It''s time toe back." The words gave stair a creepy feeling inside. Looking at Horace''s face, he quietly thought that Sean was going to be a dead man. ... Meanwhile, after all the time resting at home, ra felt physically and mentally ready for work. She told Horace that and canceled the rest of the leave with Darren. The next morning, Isaac was asked by Horace to walk ra to the front door of herpany before he left, and then ra took the lift upstairs alone. "Morning, ra, how are feeling?" asked the receptionist, who was surprised to see her. "I''m feeling much better now. I think I''m better off sitting at the office, so I''m back." ra answered smilingly, and swiped in. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "ra!" Sarah spotted ra right away and eximed. Everybody''s attention was drawn by her away from theirputer and work to the door. "Hi, everyone, I''m back." ra felt like a money watched by people in a zoom, with all those eyes on her. She looked rather abashed. After that nce at her, people soon focused back on their work r. Except the sarcastic Diane "Oh, Mrs. Kirnd ising back to work. How degrading for you to work for our smallpany. Why don''t you stay at home and be a housewife?" "At least I love my job, and I want to be back to my job," retorted ra bluntly. "That''spelling. I almost believe you! Why don''t you get the interview for us?" said Diane provokingly. She believed that the new interview would be assigned to nobody but her. ra then began to realize how unusually hard people had been working. But what kept them so busy? There had been no big news recently and it should be an off season for interviews. ra turned around and asked Sarah as she was thinking. "What have you been up to? As if she had been wound up, Sarah suddenly began to go on and on keeping her up with the situation. "Well, well, it''s just the perfect time for you toe back. Do you know ine? That very famous designer. She has juste back to the country." ra had focused her time and energy on messing with Ashlee, so she hadn''t noticed any of that at all! ra tried to search the memory in her head, but then she said with frustration, "Sorry, I haven''t had time to keep up with the news, so, I had no idea who you are talking about." "No, that''s OK, don''t worry about it," Sarah said with a surge of excitement, "I''m telling you, ra, this ine is amazing." Chapter 200 The Elusive Elaine Chapter 200 The Elusive ine "She''s literally the most talented designer in the human history. She fought her way onto the international arena and has got so many big designer awards. Oh, and I heard that she''s an absolute beauty, prettier than the most beautiful actress." Sarah was always thrilled about gossips. "But she is always mysterious, and no entertainment media or news journalists have ever interviewed her, or even taken any picture of her! But our magazine is really reviving from hitting the rock bottom! ine said that she would agree to take one interview. This is a once-in-a -lifetime opportunity, so our "Look!" Sarah pointed at Darren''s office, "Mr. Kirnd is also working hard to get the opportunity!" While the entire office was having a heated discussion about how they could interview ine, Darren suddenly came out. "Quiet, everybody, I''ve got some news." Everyone stopped their discussion and looked at Darren eagerly. The office fell into dead silence. Darren gave a mild cough and said, "The good news is ine agreed to ept our interview." Everybody cheered in rapture as they heard him. Then halfway through their excitement, they began to think who was the lucky one to do the interview with ine. Diane raised her chin proudly, and looked at Darren as if seeing a bright future ahead of her. "And the person who is going to do the interview," Darren suddenly changed the subject and said, looking around the office before stopping at ra, "is ra." With such a p in her face, Diane felt restive and humiliated. It was supposed to her job! Why?! Howe the opportunity just fell on ra as soon as she came back? "Mr. Kirnd! I object!" Diane said loftily, and everybody looked at her. "There''s no room for objection. This is an order and decided arrangement. Unless you want to drag the wholepany down with your perversity," Darren reprimanded her harshly. Daring not and unable to retort, she pursed her lips and red at ra, with obstinacy, grievance and hatred in her eyes. ra felt chills sent down her back by some eyesight, as she turned her head around, Diane had recovered her countenance. The whole office sighed with a tinge of dissatisfaction and confusion as they heard the arrangement. Why did ra get to do the interview? In terms of professionalism and qualification, she was supposed to be at the bottom of the list. Was it because of her background as the wife of Solrace''s president? At the thought of that, everybody looked at ra with jealousy and disdain. But for the sake of her background, they congratted her in a lukewarm manner, "That''s so great, ra, and we''re all counting on you." "Congrattions, ra." Sarah was sincerely happy for ra. As Sarah saw it, she preferred ra to be chosen for that interview with ine other than any of those hypocrites. "Thank you," ra appeared grateful but was all the more confused. What was Darren trying to do by assigning the job to her? "Why? Why do you do that?" ra followed right after him the minute he stepped into his office. She frowned, "Darren, is this part of your n to mess with me again?" It''s not that she deliberately looked at him in a bad way, but that based on his history, every time he had asked her to interview some big figure, he had done it for some sordid purpose. "What?" Darren couldn''t follow her until she saw her defensive little face. He found it ridiculous and pathetic. Had he descended to a point where ra got suspicious of whatever he did or he said? He knew that he was to me for how had be with each other. It was all because of the pain he had inflicted on her. Anyway, he needed to exin. "You got me wrong," Darren exin to her with a bitter smile, "It''s ine who wants you to do the interview." Darren even showed her the text record between he and ine, afraid that she wouldn''t believe. ra took over the phone and checked the record and felt embarrassed that she had misunderstood him. "I''m sorry. I apologize." "That''s fine," said Darren, "To be honest, I don''t even know why ine would ask you to interview her. She asked me if you worked for our magazine, and I said yes, then she agreed immediately. I feel something''s kind of weird. Be careful." Actually, Darren himself had no idea why ine did that. But thepany had not been going very well, so it would be the best chance for them to move on and he can''t stand to lose it. Whatever the reason could be, ra had to take the interview. What''s more, the magazine would look worse in the future if they crossed ine. "OK then." ra knew that she would have to do the interview. But she just really didn''t understand why ine would ask her to do the interview in particr, given that she didn''t even know her at all. That ine wanted ra to interview her was known by the entire office, though Darren didn''t say that in public. People were confused. What had ra done to make the elusive ine want an interview with her? After all, not everyone was able to see things in perspective, so there were always some sarcastic noises. But for sure, there were also some sycophants. "Good for Ms. Kirnd, so resourceful." The other one echoed, "Yeah, that''s not something nobody like us can ever pull off!" ra had no clue what ine''s motive could be, but she was doing it anyway. This was her obligation and responsibility. So she decided to spend three days preparing for it. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. In order to get the job well done, she did some research on the mysterious ine on the inte. She had to admit that Sarah was right, she was indeed as mysterious as Sarah had described. Chapter 201 Youll Know It Soon Chapter 201 You''ll Know It Soon There was neither a photo nor the real name, but only several pages of ine''s resume that was filled with her outstanding experiences. She graduated from a famous university with an advanced diploma. All of her experiences made her a synonym for Excellence. Moreover, during the current years after her graduation from a design college abroad, she had participated in different designpetitions and had won countless prizes. Apart from that, ording to some hearsays, ine was young and beautiful. Such hearsays made ine much more mysterious to the public and also made people like ra more curious about her. ra began to look forward to the interview three dayster. When ra went back home after work, she noticed that the person named Back2Past had been Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. sending messages to her. ra: Are you still there? Back2Past: Yes. ra: Can''t you just tell me who you are? Back2Past: No, I can''t. ra: Why? Back2Past: Because now is not the perfect time for me to uncover myself. ra: I think that we are acquainted. Why can''t you just tell me? Back2Past: You''ll know it soon. I am going to log off. Remember, you should cherish what you have now. ra: What do you mean? Back2Past: I only mean that I think you are happy now. ra: So? There was no response anymore. For several days, ra had chatted with Back2Past in the same style. ra found it bizarre that Back2Past would always give her the same answer, "you would know it soon", whenever she asked something. Such an answer was quite simr to the mysterious action of giving her a candy and then informing her that there was a surprise approaching without telling any concrete details. She always found that what Back2Past said was rather strange, which made her unable to guess its real intention hidden behind those words. ra felt that this Back2Past was living near her or monitoring her since it knew everything about her. This person must be someone she knew. Yet, she could not figure its true identity out even with all her wits. This mysterious ount not only confused her, but also gave her goosebumps and made her feel that something bad was going to happen. She felt as bad as she was going to lose something important and she could not keep it however hard she had tried. Who was this person? ra mumbled. At that moment, the light in the hallway was lit as Horace took off his shoes and put on slippers. "Wee home, Horace!" ra looked out from the kitchen and slightly wiped the water on her hands with her apron. ra proffered a te of cabbage and said, "We can have our meal soon. Go wash your hands and we can have soupter." ra did not prepare too many dishes for dinner since there were only she and Horace at home. The maid was not there that day, so she just prepared one vegetable dish and one meat dish for their dinner. Although Horace was not a picky eater, ra still wanted to provide some fresh food for him. After dinner, Back2Past again urred to her when she was washing dishes. Horace might know him. After the washing, ra took out her phone and opened her friend list on Twitter. She clicked on the personal-information page of Back2Past and showed it to Horace tentatively. "Well, Horace, do you know him?" ra ventured. Horace took her phone and carefully checked on Back2Past''s photo page andment page on Twitter, to ra''s disappointment, shook his head. "No, I don''t know this person," giving aforting pat on her shoulder, Horace answered. Actually, ra had seen thating because Back2Past posted nothing online except for those messages to ra. No one could tell who this mysterious person was only from its profile photo and brief self-introduction. Even ra could not think of anyone that might fit this identity after their conversation, not to mention Horace. When ra was taking a bath that night, she identally dropped her phone, which caused the water to seep into it. ra wiped her phone anxiously and tried to reboot it, but she failed. "Horace!" ra cried. "ra, what happened?" Horace responded, curious about why she would need him when taking a shower. ra turned off the tap, dried her body, put on her pajamas and walked out with her poor phone which could not be rebooted. Toweling her wet hair, she handed her phone to Horace and said, "Some water got into it and now I can''t reboot it. Can you fix it for me?" Horace pulled her into his arms and made her sit on his legs and said gently in a doting tone, "You little clumsy pumpkin." After a careful check, Horace shook his head and said, "No, I can''t." Realizing that Horace would drive her to work the next morning and it might not be a big deal even if she couldn''t use her phone for only half a day, ra decided to have her phone repaired after work tomorrow. However, things could go wrong when it''s least expected. The next morning, when ra had just arrived at her office, she found that all her colleagues looked bizarre. "Good morning, everyone!" No one answered her morning greeting. ra realized that everyone was looking at her with a strange expression. Sarah came over with a mysterious look andforted secretly, "ra, don''t be sad. After all, a child is not the most important thing; love is." "What?" ra was puzzled by Sarah''s words. After all, it had been quite a long time since ra found that she was actually not pregnant. Why would everybody suddenlyfort her about this after such a long time? At that moment, Diane Kirby showed up and sneered with a sarcastic look, "ra, how dare you? Who is the biological father of your dead baby? The editor-in-chief or someone else? Well, maybe even you yourself don''t know who he is." ra was startled and shocked by Diane''s words. She wondered why she would defame her in such a way when there had not been any conflicts between them. At that moment, Darren showed up after he noticed the noise outside his office. "Be quiet! It is work time now! Concentrate on your work." Darren did quiet the crowd down but did not stop them from observing ra. Everybody was gossiping in so low a voice that ra could only feel their attitude but not hear any word clearly. "How dare shee to work? If I were her, I would definitely hide myself when there is such a huge scandal about me." "She looked tired. It might be that she again flirted with Mr. Kirnd this morning in order to prevent him from leaving her, ugh¡­" "Poor people must have their own sins." "I thought she was a good girl at the very beginning. It was unexpected that she was so indiscreet." "Well, cats hide their ws." "I hope that she can realize her mistakes and try to be a good girl in the future." Chapter 202 An Errant Wife Chapter 202 An Errant Wife Darren squarely stared at the gossiping crowd. In order to help ra get rid of them, he slightly coughed and said, "ra,e into my office now." "I''ming," anxious to figure out what had happened, ra knew that only Darren could tell her everything. After she entered his office, Darren was convinced that she was troubled by what had happened that morning when he noticed that she looked tired. Feeling sorry, he asked with a great concern, "ra, are you OK? I didn''t know that the truth could be like that. It is unexpected that Uncle Horace would¡­ "Well, of course, I believe you. Yet you know, their words make some sense. It is indeed¡­It is hard to say. Now since the baby died, it doesn''t matter anymore. Forget the past and I believe that uncle Horace will understand and forgive you." Pondering for a few seconds, Darren added, "What''s more, I am so sorry that Ashlee has caused you so much trouble. I apologize for her. Yet, after all, she is your biological sister, so I hope that you can forgive her." "Darren, what are you talking about?" Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ra became more puzzled at his words. "Wait," ra interrupted, "Darren, what are you talking about? "What''s wrong with you guys today? What happened? I can''t understand you at all!" "What? ra, don''t you know what happened?" Darren stared at her in shock. "What happened?" ra asked, puzzled. Was there anything about her everyone knew but her? "Didn''t you check the news this morning?" Darren was also puzzled. Usually, ra would take a look at the news on Twitter every morning, so she must know the news. Was it possible that she was pretending that she knew nothing? Pondering for one second, Darren shook his head and dismissed this guess. "I didn''t. Water seeped into my phone when I was taking a bath yesterday and it broke down. I can''t reboot it and I''ll have it repaired today after work. What happened?" "That''s why you know nothing about it." At her words, Darren finally made everything clear. ra knew nothing about what had happened only because she did not read the news on Twitter after her phone broke down. Maybe it would be better for her to stay in the dark since she would definitely be unhappy if she knew the news. Although with such a concern, Darren believed that she should know it and he could not keep her from it. Darren took out his phone and, after he clicked on the news, handed it to ra. ra took the phone. She knitted her brows after she read the news ¨C now she understood why everyone would look at her and evenfort her in such a bizarre way. EXCLUSIVE Betrayed by ERRANT wife: Horace Kirnd, the CEO of Solrace Corporation, disabled and infertile, was cuckolded! It was said on Twitter that morning that, Horace was infertile because of his disability and it was hard for him to have his own baby. How boring those gossips were! Although Horace was always seen in his wheelchair, his fake disability could not prove his infertility at all. Apart from this rumor, the following ones were more unbearable. It was said that the most important and bizarre point of the whole infertility case was that ra was once pregnant. No one knew that ra''s previous pregnancy was not real and was actually a rumor made up and spread by Ashlee. Therefore, ording to their own guesses, everyone began to believe that ra was once pregnant and her abortion happened unfortunatelyter. It was quite natural that everyone would think that ra betrayed Horace and had a baby with another man when they rted these several pieces of information together. That was why people would believe that ra once had a baby with another man and became an errant wife. Countless people posted theirments about the news, cursing on her and showing sympathy for Horace. OneMileDream: My poor Horace! ra Selman doesn''t deserve his love! She doesn''t cherish it and she even dared to betray him! babyeats: BITCH! Unscrupulous! How dare you betray Mr. Kirnd and do those terrible things! Go2Bedbed: A shameless WHORE! An errant wife! She knows nothing about how to cherish! IAMGOODBABE: Don''t be a dog in the manger! If you don''t love him, leave him! How could you betray him! You''d better leave him now and let me be with him! BITCH! FFFisher: Whore! How debaunched! She must have had sex with countless men! Even though Mr. Kirnd is disabled, he is much better than that ugly old man! SlimeStone: She was my college ssmate and she was always a bitch when she was a student. She is more than notorious! ... More and more people added theirments with the most malicious words and in the most cursing tone. ra became furious at thesements. She turned to look at Darren and asked, "Oh my goodness! How could they defame him in such a way! Darren, do you know who released the news?" Darren shook his head and said, "I don''t know. This is a website famous for its privacy protection. All the information sources are kept as secrets and no one could pry into any personal information of the news writers. I once investigated and even tried to hack into it, but I failed. I can''t figure out anything." Darren indeed wanted to help ra after reading those maliciousments. Yet¡­ An idea suddenly urred to Darren. "ra," he asked, "Is uncle Horace really infertile? How do you¡­" Before Darren finished his question, he was interrupted sharply by ra. "Bullshit! It is not real!" ra red at him, with rage ming in her eyes. ra suddenly understood what Horace had suffered from for all these years. He had been beingughed at and bullied by the rumors. However, in order to protect his beloved ones and take revenge on those who once maligned him, he had, alone, been squarely facing and bravely tolerating all those rumors and undergoing unbearable pains for ten years. ra suddenly wanted to be with Horace immediately to hug him andfort him. She wanted to offer herfort. He must have been very tired for all these years. She could not wait any longer! She wanted to be with him right away! She did not want to talk with Darren anymore since she knew that however hard she tried to exin, no one would believe her and Horace. Chapter 203 Mutual Trust Chapter 203 Mutual Trust "I want to ask for a leave and I will be back tomorrow." Caught by rage, ra immediately asked for a leave and rushed out of Darren''s office. The whole GLAM was again boiled by gossips as long as ra ran out of the CEO office. "Look at her. She is angry." "Well, maybe it is because our Editor-in-chief can''t help her, lollllll." ra cast a re at them, which quieted them down but failed to stop them from observing her in a bizarre and gossiping expression. ra could not stand their looks anymore, so she had to leave GLAM immediately. She finally decided that she should go to Solrace Corporation right now as soon as possible and, together with Horace, find out the news writer and spreader. She called a taxi as soon as she left GLAM. Unsurprisingly, she caught everyone''s attention when she arrived at Solrace. She believed that they must have read the news or they wouldn''t stare at her in such strange looks. "Look, she''s here, our Mrs. Kirnd. She came here in such a hurry. Maybe the news was true." "Maybe. After all, Mr. Kirnd is indeed disabled. Yet, all in all, we can''t tell." "It was said that she was once pregnant. Who was the biological father? I remember that Mr. Kirnd was excited about that news. Well, it shouldn''t be¡­" "We can''t tell. You know, cats always hide their ws." "Shush! Here shees. She will hear us." People were crowding together, gossiping in a low voice. They would cast looks at her from time to time but seemed to be afraid that she would hear what they were talking about. ra had neither time nor mood for these people and their gossips. She took the private lift specially designed for Horace and arrived at the CEO office. Horace, Horace. She wanted to be with him and leave all the other stuff behind. Even Horace''s secretary who was sitting outside the office did not greet her but let her in directly. However, all in all, at that moment, ra did not care about her greeting. Seeing that ra entered the office in such a hurry, the secretary thought about the news and believed that ra was there to exin her sins to Mr. Kirnd. How poor Mr. Kirnd was! Although Horace was disabled, he was such a wonderful man that he was not only kind to ra, but also kind to all his staff. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. He was so excited about ra''s pregnancy that he had even taken off his poker face and put on a bright smile for a long time. Now he must be sad about the news. Thinking about the news, the secretary stared at ra with more disgust in her eyes. Horace was reading business documents when ra entered the office. Seeing that Horace was concentrating on his work, ra was suddenly relieved from her anxiety. She now believed that what they needed was never other people''s trust but always their mutual trust. Horace seemed to feel the arrival of ra. He looked up and found her standing by the door. Noticing that ra was breathless, Horace, in shock, drove his wheelchair towards her and held her hands, "Why did youe here in such a hurry?" "Did you know about the news?" not sure about whether he knew the news or not, ra ventured. "You mean the news about us?" His answer made ra realize that he had already heard the news. However, how could he stay calm while she herself came there anxiously in such a hurry? "Yes! They said that¡­" Horace''s calm made ra feel sorry for him. How could those people defame him in such a way when they did not even know him? He was never disabled! He was only pretending to be disabled and, of course, he was never infertile. Horace gave her a briskugh, which showed that he did not care about the news at all. He stood up from the wheelchair, led ra to sit on the sofa and began tofort her, "Well, forget those people and the news. Do you know how to rify the rumor effectively?" Puzzled, ra looked up at him. What did he mean? Had he already figured out the solution? "How? Tell me!" ra asked anxiously. She did not care about those gossips about her anymore, but she hated those nonsenses defaming Horace. Horace had already suffered a lot from pretending to be disabled for all these years, and she could not stand those malicious gossips maligning him anymore. Horace got closer to ra, gently pushed her hair back, dotingly rubbed her face and looked at her with profound love in his eyes. Although ra was anxious about the news, Horace''s touch and look made her blush. "You''ve figured out the solution, right? What''s that?" ra asked haltingly. She felt that her heart was beating more and more wildly as he looked at her in such an intent way. Noticing that ra was shy and blushing, Horace felt that his love for her was going to overflow from his mouth. A gentle kiss fell on ra''s lips and a tight hug wrapped her waist. He led her to lie down on the sofa and covered her with his whole body. "That is, you get pregnant now," after whispering this to ra, Horace started another deep kiss. His hands gently touched every part of her body and helped her take off her clothes. From lips to neck, the kiss moved slowly to cover every inch of her body. Horace''s kiss was so unexpected that she tried to stop him by pushing him away. She turned her head around and cast a look at the door and said, "Don''t. We are in your office now and we can''t have sex here." "It doesn''t matter. The office is soundproofed enough. Concentrate." Horace then gave a small bite on ra''s neck, which seemed to warn her to concentrate and stop thinking about other stuff. "Ha¡­" Horace''s bite activated all of her nerves and cells, which made her toes crooked, and she gave a purr. ra Sleman''s purr was so flirting that the desire in Horace''s eyes began to me more wildly. He gave her another kiss and, in the meantime, took the remote control on the table to turn off the light and draw the curtain skillfully. ra was gradually absorbed in Horace''s kiss and touch. She stopped pushing him away but put her arms around his neck and began to move her body ording to his needs. Clothes were scattered on the floor. Love filled the air. ra''s was relieved from her anxiety by his love and gradually calmed down. Indeed, he was right. Gossips never mattered and their mutual trust was strong and forever. They did not need to care about what other people were saying. Having faith in their mutual trust, ra hugged him more tightly. Chapter 204 A Good Show Chapter 204 A Good Show Their sex ended in his hug on the sofa. At that moment, ra was extremely blushed and did not want to be seen at all. It was quite unexpected that she would have sex with him in his office. It would be more than embarrassing if other people knew. Noticing that ra buried her face in his chest and refused to look up, Horace understood that she was shy. However, he still wanted to tease her. He said, "Well, don''t be shy. You did perfectly just now. You¡­" "Horace, no, stop that! Don''t!" ra interrupted and covered his mouth with her hands, stopping him from saying more words. At the very beginning, she thought that Horace was a gentleman, so it was quite unexpected that he would tease her when and after having sex. However, such a "bad" Horace was so tempting to her her since she knew that she was the only one who could see and own his "badness". ra''s shyness and blushed cheeks made Horace as happy as there was a sun inside his body, wrapping him with warmth andfort. He kissed her hands and looked at her smilingly with love in his eyes. His kiss was so deep that even the deepest part of her heart could feel his tender lips, which gave her goosebumps. Then, she looked down coyly and nearly sank her head to her chest. Horace knew that she would be angry if he continued to tease her, so hepsed into silence and enjoyed the hug smilingly. After a while, ra calmed herself down and suddenly remembered the reason why she was there. She looked up seriously at him and asked, "Do you know anything about the news?" Horace was not anxious about the news at all, so she believed that he must know something about it. Horace hesitated for a while whether to tell her the truth. He did not want her to be troubled or hurt by the gossips and hoped that she could always be happy. Yet, he knew that, as the heroine involved, she had the right to know the truth. What''s more, knowing the truth could also help her be careful about those who would malign her. After taking every factor into ount, noticing the curiosity and seriousness in ra''s eyes, Horace decided to tell her, "I think that I know who the mastermind is." "You do? Who did that? Who spreads the rumors?" at the words, ra was excited. She was really curious about who had maligned them. Horace looked at ra dotingly and smilingly. He enjoyed her anxiety for him. The more she worried about him, the more important he was to her. Instead of telling her his guess directly, he asked, "Who do you think will defame us in such a way?" ra thought about it for a while¡ªdid Horace mean that the mastermind had defamed them more than once? So was he talking about¡­? Although she did not want to believe her guess, she still ventured, "Are you talking about Ashlee and Sean?" "Maybe. I can''t think of anyone else with such a motive to hurt us," Horace sneered.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Maybe they thought that they had hidden their motive well enough from him. Yet, they had underestimated him¡ª he could find out everything he wanted to know. Last time, he let them off and forgave them. Yet, they did not stop their tricks and still wanted to take revenge. Therefore, this time, he would definitely not forgive them! He could not stand their bullying him and ra anymore. Horace'' positive response to her guess made the fury inside her erupt. Ashlee and Sean again? Why would they hurt them again and again? What were they up to? Sean was Horace'' brother and Ashlee was her sister. Why would they do such terrible things to their family? Did they really care about nothing but only interest? Realizing that ra was angry, Horace tightly held her hands andforted, "Actually, I know that they won''t give their revenge up. ording to Sean''s personality, he will never let us off and will try his best to take revenge on me. Yet, I am fully prepared to fight back now. They won''t hurt us. Don''t worry." "Are you really fully prepared?" ra asked. Although Horace said that he was prepared, she was still worried about him since she loved him so much and now there were traps waiting for him. Horace wanted to keep her guessing his n. A faint shade of cunning shining in his eyes, he asked, "Don''t you want to take revenge on Ashlee? She has treated you badly before." It took her several seconds to understand what he meant. It was the first time that she had ever seen Horace with such an expression¡ª unlike a serious leader, he goggled his eyes like a naughty boy, hoping to y some tricks on others. Puzzled, she asked, "Didn''t we promise Sean to forgive Ashlee?" "Well, we can forgive her if she is pregnant since, after all, her baby is also named Kirnd. Moreover, even if Darren was not the biological father, I wouldn''t hurt the baby. However, what if she isn''t pregnant at all?" What? Ashlee was not pregnant? How could that be possible? How about Darren¡­ ra was shocked by Horace'' words. She did not dare to believe it. "Do you mean that Ashlee fakes her pregnancy?" ra, after a few seconds, finally understood him. She blurted out, "Really? It can''t be! Are you sure about that?" ra was so shocked that she totally went nk. "Isaac has done the investigation." Horace looked at ra with a smile, "It is real." ra knew that Isaac was reliable, so it must be real if Horace was sure about that. It was quite unexpected that Ashlee would dare to fake her pregnancy. Horace was amused by her shocked goggled eyes and chuckled. She looked more than cute with such an expression. He rubbed her nose in a doting manner and whispered, "Come on. Let''s enjoy a good show." Chapter 205 Failure of the Trickery Chapter 205 Failure of the Trickery "A good show? What''s that?" ra was puzzled by his words¡ªhe might have designed a n secretly. Horace noticed the confusion on ra''s face. He gently stroke her hair and said, "Don''t worry. Those who once hurt you, I will make them pay for it." Feeling the serious and profound love in Horace''s eyes, ra blushed. She gave him a solid hug and then nestled against his chest. "You have been so good to me," ra said in a low voice. Eyes red, she was grateful that she could have a chance to be with him, "Thank you." "I am the one who should say thank you," tenderness flickering in eyes, Horace lowered his head and gently stared at her. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. ra was confused, "What do you thank me for?" Thank you for your arrival in my life. Horace did not say it out. Since the kidnap case ten years ago, nkness had filled his life. He once thought that he would never be able to care about and love someone else again and his life in the future would only be as cold as ice. Yet, the arrival of ra colored and warmed his life like a beam of sunshine, which convinced him that he was still able to love and be loved. How could he not be grateful to her? Horace did not express his feelings and left a gentle kiss between her eyebrows. He lowered his head to look at her and said, "Let''s go." Then, they came out of the office together with ra pushing the wheelchair. The secretary outside the office rolled her eyes upward with disdain at the appearance of ra. Then, realizing her attitude, Horace cast a cold re at the secretary, which made her lower her head immediately with fear. "If you treat Mrs. Kirnd in such a way again, you''ll be fired," Horace gave his warning before he got in the lift. "Yes, sir! I will behave myself! Please forgive me, Mrs. Kirnd!" shivering, the secretary apologized. "It''s fine. Never mind," ra replied. Horace drove ra to a restaurant. The greeters offered their warmest greeting as soon as they saw ra and Horace get out of the car. "Mr. Kirnd, Mrs. Kirnd, are you here for lunch? There are rooms for couple upstairs," the greeter, noticing the wheelchair, added, "Do you need help? I will find someone for you right now." Then, he reached out for Horace''s wheelchair. "No, thanks. I can do it myself," ra turned a little around to dodge the greeter''s hand. Seeing that the greeter treated these two people so well, other customers sighed¡ª the greeter did not show them such a broad smile when they arrived. Yet, the ushered did not care about what the other customers thought at all. Of course, Horace was the most important since if he was pleased, the restaurant could earn double or even triple, which could, in turn, double or even treble the greeter''s sries. Therefore, how could he not show the broadest smile to him? "No thanks. We will sit on the first floor for a while," Horace answered in a casual tone. "Got it. Please," the greeter weed them in with a bow. ra and Horace went into the restaurant. Actually, she was quite confused about his purpose of going there since they seldom dine there and, moreover, it was not the time for lunch yet. However, to be honest, she felt a bit hungry already. It might be because she had over-exercised herself just now. When thinking about what they had done in the office, ra blushed again. When Horace looked up and saw her flushed cheeks, a faint smirk crossed Horace''s face as if what they had done had also urred to him. Horace asked ra to push him to a table close to a corner which was quiet and concealed since there was a screen around them. "Horace, what are we here for?" "You''ll know it soon," Horace leaned his body to one side to look over the screen, mysterious darkness filling his eyes. ra paused for a few seconds and then looked over the screen in the same direction. She became angry when she saw the people sitting on the other side of the screen. She saw Sean, Darren and Ashlee sitting there having lunch. ra nearly sprung to her feet and went to question them why they yed those tricks on them. She could not understand why they would hurt their family members. Horace stopped her instantly and said, "Don''t worry. They''ll fight against each other soon." "What?" ra was confused. However, out of her trust in Horace, she stopped and waited for his instruction. Horace led her to sit down and said, "We''ll wait and see." Realizing that Horace was confident about his n, she cast another despising look at those three people and then sat down quietly, waiting for the show. On the other side of the screen, Darren was obviously unhappy about having lunch with Ashlee and his father. Whereas, Ashlee was quite happy about the food and she was trying her best to please them. "Sir, have a try on this. It is delicious," Ashlee picked some dishes for Sean and said, "Darren, help yourself to try it." Ashlee was quite happy that day, and her happiness was intensified whenever she thought about the negative gossips andments towards ra on Twitter, which also improved her appetite. Yet, Sean was calm. Sean and Ashlee were imagining how embarrassed Horace would be after the news. Darren asked worriedly, "Don''t you think that we have treated ra too badly?" "You foolish boy!" Sean scolded, "How would you seed with such cowardness?" Darren wanted to refute, but he gave up after thinking about it for two seconds. He knew that he could not change their opinions however hard he tried, so he had to protect ra on his own. ra and Horace were at such a concealed vintage point on the other side of the screen that they could observe the three but not be seen by them. Suddenly, someone called Darren. "Darren''s speaking. What happened?" Darren instantly changed his expression after he listened for a while, "What? Are you sure? That''s impossible! Are you sure about what you have found out?" After a while, rage began to me in his eyes, "Fine, got it." Noticing his anger, Ashlee tightly took Darren by his arm. Although she was worried that something terrible might have happened, she still smiled, "Darren, what happened?" Darren hung up the call and suddenly turned around to face Ashlee. He red at her with red eyes and questioned her furiously, "Ashlee, why did you lie to me?" Chapter 206 The Miserable Ashlee Chapter 206 The Miserable Ashlee Sean stopped Darren immediately, "Darren, calm down! Behave yourself and tell us what happened calmly! Don''t be rude! Ashlee is pregnant!" Then he turned around to Ashlee and said, "Are you all right, Ashlee? Don''t be afraid. Is everything all right with you?" Of course, what he cared about was definitely not Ashlee, but the baby she was carrying. "Yeah, I am fine," in a panic, Ashlee sensed that something terrible must have happened, which made her begin to shiver. "What happened?" Sean scolded Darren. The call was from the hospital. The hospital staff said that the doctor who was in charge of Ashlee''s pregnancy quit the job and there came a new doctor to take care of her. Yet the new doctor discovered that Ashlee was actually not pregnant. After pondering this case for a long time, out of the sense of responsibility, the director of the hospital decided to tell Darren the truth. Nothing could prove her pregnancy except for those fake documents. Darren red at Ashlee and gnashed out, "Ashlee, tell me the truth! You are not pregnant, right?" Ashlee turned pale. She calmed herself down and said, "Darren, what are you talking about? You''ve apanied me to the hospital for pregnancy check-ups several times, haven''t you?" Ashlee stared at Darren imploringly, hoping that he was just joking. "Even now I know the truth, you still lie to me! Your ''friend'' Doctor Lewis has already quit his job and there is no one in the hospital to help you anymore! Why can''t you just be honest to me! Should I show you the evidence? Ashlee, you are such an excellent liar that you keep all of us in the dark! Aren''t you ashamed of yourself or guilty when I call you every day for the baby?" "No! No!" She wanted to refute and defend herself, but the evidence prevented her. She was furious and frustrated. Damn that Doctor Lewis! How could he quit his job without telling me after receiving arge sum of money from me! It was he who made me so miserable now! Anger and fear were intertwined in Ashlee''s chest. She burst out of tears as she was scared by the coldness in Darren''s eyes. She was so afraid that she would lose him, the man whom she had tried very hard to be with. Ashlee tightly held his hands, crying out loud. "Darren, please forgive me! I don''t mean to do that! I lied to you only because I love you so much! I can''t live without you!" "Fuck off!" Darren red at Ashlee, trying to get rid of her hands. Yet, he failed because she gripped him as tightly as a drowning person was holding a floating wood. "You wanted to break up with mest time! But I don''t want to and I can''t break up with you! I love you so much! I lied to you only because I want to be with you! I can''t live without you! I know you hate me and dislike what I have done, but I have no other choice since I love you so much! Please! I beg you! Don''t break up with me!" At the very beginning, Ashlee indeed wanted to have a baby, so she drugged Darren and made him have sex with her. Yet, unfortunately, she was not pregnant. After their sex in the hotel, Darren became careful and cautious, so she could not find another chance to have sex with him anymore. Ashlee once believed that she still had time to fulfill her scheme. However,st time, Darren wanted to break up with her. She once believed that Darren would forgive her and drop the idea of breaking up with her if she implored poorly, and it was unexpected that he decided to break up with her decisively without any hesitation. She went nk under such great anxiety, so she faked her pregnancy in order to be with him. She knew so well that Darren would stay with her and forgive all her sins for the baby''s sake since the baby was innocent. He would marry her and be responsible for her so that the baby could have aplete family. Ashlee was once convinced that she could have had more sex with Darren until she was really pregnant as long as he was with her, and then, with her efforts, he would gradually fall in love with her. Sean was furious too. He was willing to give up his share of stock only because he believed that she was pregnant. Yet, she lied to everyone. As a man who thought extremely highly of power, he would never give up his valuable share had it not Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. been for a higher status within the headquarters and wining Russell Kirnd''s trust so that he could have all Russell''s power after he had his own grandson. That is to say, now that Ashlee was not pregnant, he not only lost everything he had, but also missed the chance to get what he wanted. He now became a total failure because of this foolish woman. When Sean thought about his lost share, rage began to me in his heart. Crack! Sean highly raised his hand and heavily pped Ashlee, which fell her to the ground, blood slowly bleeding out from her mouth. "Sir, sir, I am sorry. I shouldn''t lie to you. But please trust me one more time. I will have a baby soon! Please, I beg you to make Darren forgive me! I can''t live without him! Please!" Ashlee seemed to forget the pain. She got up, kneeled down in front of Sean, and tightly held his legs in her hands. She looked up with a swollen face, tears, mingled with blood, running down her cheeks. "Fuck off!" Sean cried and gave a heavy kick to Ashlee''s chest. "Oh!" Ashlee groaned and fell to the ground again. "Dad! Let''s go. What a shame!" Darren cast a look at Ashlee and began to feel sorry for her. Yet his sorry was reced by coldness and rage when he realized that, had it not been for her malicious tricks, he would have married and lived a happy life with ra, and would never undergo the pain and torture that had troubled him for all these years. Both Sean and Darren were attacked by anger and did not want to talk with Ashlee any longer. They left the restaurant in a hurry, leaving her alone behind. "Darren! Mr. Kirnd! Don''t leave me alone! Please! I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! Please don''t go! Darren! Don''t leave me! I love you so much!" Ashlee bawled on the floor. She felt that she was going to die when she knew that Darren would forever leave her. Chapter 207 Elaine Chapter 207 ine Ashlee was sitting alone in the restaurant watching them leaving, crying uncontrobly, and the other people in the restaurant watched with curiosity. ra had very mixed feelings as she watched Ashlee, the little princess of the Middleton family, who had been bullying and abusing her since she was a child. Ashlee was so proud that she would have never expected that one day she would be so embarrassed and hopeless as she was today. However, she really couldn''t sympathize with Ashlee. "Ashlee, are you suffering now? Did you know my pain and despair two years ago were no less than yours? Your current fate was determined the moment you decided to do that to me. What have I done wrong? My reputation was destroyed overnight, and people talked about me as I walked by. Have you ever thought about that? Darren, who I loved so much at the time, left me. Do you know how desperate I was and how painful I was?" she thought to herself. If it weren''t for her mother who needed her, she would never have survived it all. As ra thought of this, the corners of her mouth taunted. Fortunately, the man two years ago was Horace, and fortunately, she met him again and married him. Thinking of this, ra couldn''t help but look up at Horace. Horace turned his head to her and said, "Just wait and watch, this is just the beginning. The show has just begun. As for my good brother, I will definitely make him pay." "I know." ra nodded, secretly shocked that Horace was thoughtful and revengeful. She was really d that she was now Horace''s wife, and she was on the same team as him. "Okay, after watching the show, it''s time for us to eat." Horace still had a calm expression on his face, as if nothing had happened. He rang the bell to call for the waiter. The waiter came soon. Horace ordered a few dishes and whispered, "Could you please clean up the floor? I''m afraid the guests would not be able to enjoy their meals with this weird woman crying and yelling here." The waiter was stunned for a moment and quickly replied, "Okay, Mr. Kirnd. Consider it done." Ashlee was soon dragged away, and when she left, she was still crying hysterically, the grace and pride she had before all gone. ra couldn''t tell what it felt like to watch her like this. She originally thought that he would get revenge by destroying her family business, but she did not expect that Horace used such a method to directly take away what Ashlee cared about the most. ra believed that she would rather choose to die. ra finished the meal in aplicated mood and felt very tired afterward, so she went home with Horace. ... The next day, ra came to thepany, and after some preparations, she went to interview the designer, ine. ine had her own studio. It was located in a small alley in the city center. It was not CBD, also expensive. The decoration of this ce was very elegant, low-key but with taste. There were not many people in the studio. After ra entered, she was taken directly to the reception room. After waiting for a moment, she heard an elegant and crisp voice, "Miss Selman, I''m sorry to keep you waiting." ra turned around and saw a beautiful woman walking in. Seeing ine herself, ra realized that the descriptions on the Inte,pared to a real person, are not only not exaggerated, but also did not depict one-tenth of her beauty. She had never seen such a woman before. She was beautiful and handsome at the same time. She N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. was glowing with elegance and nobility, so poised and graceful. She really carried herself well. ine just stood there, leaning against the wall, with her head lowered, her hair casually draped over her shoulders. The golden light of the afterglow gave her a mild and soft touch. Simple and neutral, she was wearing a white mid-sleeve top and ck wide-leg trousers. It seemed that no one could exin this outfit better than her. It matched her attributes as a designer. When people looked at her, they would feel that she was the way she was supposed to be, one of a kind. Even in that retro-style trousers, ine still exuded nobility and elegance. Combining with ine''s long and excellent resume, ra believed that whoever had married a woman like her probably saved the in his previous life. ra thought that if she were a man, she would definitely fall in love with a woman like ine. Any beautiful woman would lose their shine standing in front of ine. ra also felt that ine seemed a little familiar. She always felt that she had seen ine somewhere, but how could she have seen a beautiful woman like ine without being impressed? She must have thought too much. ra thought to herself. ra couldn''t bear to step forward to disturb her, but ine had obviously seen her. ra stepped forward and said, "You must be ine, I''m ra Selman, and I am here today for the interview." ine kindly shook hands with ra, "I''ve known your name for a long time, and I''m honored to have you here." "The honor is mine." After a few polite words, the two of them sat down at the coffee table in the reception room. In front of ra, there was a crystal teacup filled with steamy hot Jasmine. ra took out a notebook from her bag, spread it out, turned to the page of her notes, and began to ask questions. "How do you feel about winning the grand prize in this event?" "What are your criteria for choosing a future life partner?" "Are you satisfied with your current life?" ... ine answered her kindly without any impatience. ra thought that ine was so perfect. Beautiful and talented, and she even had such a nice personality. She had been with so many arrogant people before. Finally, ra took out the camera from her bag and was about to take pictures of her, but she was stopped by ine. "Sorry, I don''t take photos." "May I ask why?" confused, ra still put the camera back in her bag. After all, she had to respect the request of the interviewee. "Because it''s not the right time yet," ine gave an equivocal answer with a smile. ra looked at ine and found that something was buried deep in her smiling eyes, something dangerous. ra''s heart froze inexplicably. She felt that this woman was not what she seemed to be, and something about her was about to invade her life and destroy all the happiness she had for now. Chapter 208 The Perfume Chapter 208 The Perfume ra had a feeling that ine meant something else. Reluctantly smiling, ra didn''t ask any more questions noted in her notebook. She had an instinct that something about this woman was about to go out of her control. But still, ra couldn''t help but ask herst question, "Why do you want me here for this interview?" ine looked at ra and smiled as if she already knew that ra would ask such a question. There was an inexplicable shine in her eyes, and she answered ra''s question very frankly. "I''m a little curious about the President of Solrace, and I happened to know that you are his wife," ine said. "Oh, yeah," ra replied. ra looked at her inexplicable smile, a bad premonition shed in her heart, and she thought, "Is she one of Horace''s crazy admirers?" ine was so beautiful and so talented, if she really wanted to be with Horace, then she would definitely not be able topete with her! "ra, what are you thinking? Even if you don''t have confidence in yourself, don''t you still believe in Horace''s love for you?" she thought to herself. But looking at ine''s frank face, it seemed that she just admired Horace for who he was at work. He was very charming and attractive and thus attracted many female fans. But that was not a reason for her, his wife, to misunderstand him for having an affair with his admirers. "How is your rtionship with him?" ine asked when ra was thinking about it. "Well. It''s a marriage based on mutual trust and love. That is all I can tell you. "ra pursed her lips and said, with the happy smile of a woman in love. "That''s nice," ine''s eyes shed with undetectable sadness, "I''ve heard about the ra Fund founded by Solrace. He must love you so much." "Yeah." ra replied, "ine, you are so beautiful and you are such a nice person. You''ll definitely have someone who loves you and treats you well." ine looked up at ra and felt that the smile on ra''s face was too bright for her to watch. She smiled and said softly, "I have someone I love deeply, and he treats me very well." "Who is this mysterious Mr. Right?" ra asked as she had never heard that ine had a boyfriend. She was aroused by a strong curiosity. "We are temporarily separated now. But I know that he must have me in his heart. Because we are irreceable to each other. Miss Selman, do you think I''m delusional?" ine looked at ra as she spoke, with a charming smile on her face, but an inexplicable hint of undertone shed in her eyes. "Well, I believe that for a beautiful woman like you, ine, that gentleman must still love you deeply." ra was really curious about what kind of man would win ine''s heart. But since ine was not ready to share that information with the public, she stopped asking. "To be honest, I envy you for your happiness." ine looked at the inexplicable expression on ra''s face, and continued, "I believe that many women in the world feel the same." "Yeah," ra smiled. "Everyone will meet their destined someone." "Oh, I don''t believe that''s true. Not everyone can grasp their own happiness like you." ine continued. "If something belongs to you, you will have it eventually, because it is your fate to have it," ra said. ine smiled, looked at ra, and replied, "I hope so. Thank you." Before ra left, ine handed her a beautifully packaged gift box. C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. ra opened it and it was a bottle of exquisite perfume. Although there was no logo on it, it seemed that it was very expensive. ra was ttered and declined, "No, this is too valuable a gift for the first meet. ine, I really can''t have it." ine smiled and said, "I like you. It feels nice talking to you. Please take it." ine curled up her lips slightly, "I just want to be friends with you. Of course, if you have no interest in that, I understand." ra thought about it, and she liked her too, so she took the gift. "I''m d you would like to be my friend," ine said. "It''s an honor for me to have a friend like you. Please call me ra." "The honor is mine, ra." ine said. "So, would you mind if I ask you for your private phone number. Maybe someday we could go out together for a cup of coffee." "Of course!" ine and ra exchanged mobile phone numbers. After the interview, the driver sent ra home directly. When she got home, ra took out the bottle of perfume from her bag. She examined the packaging thoroughly but had no clue at all, so she simply sprayed a little on her neck. The fragrance was pretty good. ine really had good taste. This perfume was not aggressive at all, and it had a longsting low note, which was to her liking. As evening approached, ra searched the Inte for recipes and decided to show off her skills and make Horace a nice dinner. While doing thest dish, Horace came back. "You''re back." ra leaned out of the kitchen and looked at Horace and greeted him. Horace looked at ra wearing an apron and holding a spoon in her hand and smiled. It''s a good feeling for him. He was no longer alone. Someone was here waiting for him and cooking him meals. Thinking about it, Horace walked into the kitchen, gave ra a hug from behind, buried his face in ra''s neck, and took a deep breath. Within two seconds, Horace suddenly changed his expression and pushed ra away. "Ah! What are you doing?" ra was taken aback and looked at Horace inexplicably. "What''s the smell?" Horace asked with a frown. "It''s¡­ a new perfume," ra replied, having no idea what he was talking about. ra looked at Horace''s serious face, and her heart started to beat really fast. Horace''s face changed, and he asked seriously, "Why are you wearing a different perfume today?" ra replied, "I went to an interview today, and someone gave it to me. I thought I might try it on. What''s wrong?" "Which brand is it?" Horace continued to ask, his eyes turned to the dishes on the table, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Chapter 209 Kidnapped Chapter 209 Kidnapped "I don''t know. You know I am not specialized in cosmetics." ra tilted her head and nced at Horace strangely, pursed her lips, and replied. "Well." Horace tried his best to restrain his restless emotions. He didn''t want ra to find anything unusual. "I don''t like the smell. Could you please wash it off?" ra frowned, feeling that Horace''s reaction today was abnormal, but she didn''t say anything. She kept her silence and headed to the bathroom. After ra left, Horace pressed the center of his eyebrows with his hand. It seemed that he was lost in thought. ra went to the bathroom and take a shower. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, thinking of Horace and what he had just done to her. She could not exin her feelings right now. Horace had never treated her like this and had always been gentle and considerate. What happened today? What''s wrong with the perfume ine gave her? Why did Horace have such an unexpected reaction? A series of questions weighed on ra''s mind, making her feel like she was about to lose her mind. She wanted to ask Horace, but she thought that she might never get an answer. After washing her face with cold water, ra stopped herself from thinking nonsense. Anyway, what she should know will always be known in the end. She did not want to hurt his feelings and their rtionship by overacting. After leaving the bathroom, ra went to the bedroom to change into pajamas, but she didn''t see Horace when she came out. "Horace, where are you?" she called for him but heard no reply. Not being able to find Horace, ra was a little flustered and went to the balcony to take a look, and unexpectedly found that Horace was alone there, staring at the front nkly, caught up in his own thoughts. Looking at Horace, ra''s uneasiness also increased a little bit at the same time. She always felt that something she didn''t know was happening that would disrupt her and Horace''s current life. After hesitating for a while, ra stepped forward and stood in front of Horace. Holding his hand, she asked, "What happened? Your hands are so cold. You could get sick out here in the wind." Horace finally pulled himself out of his thought. He looked at ra''s warm smile in front of him and said, "Nothing happened, just something tricky in thepany." ra didn''t believe it. How could things in thepany make him look like this? He had always been "Horace, could you tell me what''s wrong? Today, you..." ra was interrupted by Horace before she could finish her words, "It''s really nothing. Let''s have dinner and see if your cooking skills have improved¡­" Seeing Horace regaining his previous expression, ra did not continue to ask any more questions. In the next few days, ra''s life returned to its previous pace. She was not a public figure after all, and the public''s attention on her soon evaporated, and she was happy about that. What was strange was that since thest time she saw Ashlee in the restaurant, there had not been any news about her at all in the past few days. Where had she been? This was so uncharacteristic of her. ording to her personality, she should havee to the office to make a scene with Darren. But ra didn''t have too much mind to think about affairs about her. She was d Ashlee was not around to cause trouble for her. After getting off work, ra was waiting for the car on the side of the road, when she turned around inadvertently, she met a man in the eye. The man hurriedly turned his head to the other side, then entered the cafe next to him. ra felt a little strange, as she always felt that she had seen him somewhere else. In the past few days, she had been feeling that someone was stalking her. Could the stalker be this man? But ra told herself not to think too much because she had no solid evidence. She did not know him at all and it was probably just a coincidence. At this time, her taxi arrived, and ra put aside all of that and got inside the car. The next day, when ra woke up, she saw that Horace had been up for a while and he was fixing his tie in front of the mirror. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. "Why did you get up so early today?" ra was a little puzzled. Horace usually got up with her and then took her to work. Horace found that ra was awake, so he went to the bed and sat down, and said, "The Company called me and there is something urgent today, so I need to be there earlier. I''m so sorry that I would not be able to send you to work. Do you think you can call a taxi?" "Just go ahead. I''ll be fine." "Thank you, baby. Just take another nap." After leaving a kiss on ra''s forehead, Horace left in a hurry. ra slept for another hour, got up, and went out after breakfast. As soon as she left her doorstep, she saw a taxi slowly driving by. This was a high-end residential area and taxis are rarely seen here. ra thought she was so lucky today. She stopped the taxi, got inside, and said, "Mister, could you please go to the subway station?" But as the car was driving, ra suddenly felt that something was wrong. He was not driving in the direction of the subway! "Could you please check if we are going in the right direction?" However, the driver didn''t answer her, just drove straight ahead. ra finally realized the danger at this time. "Stop the car! Let me get off!" But the driver remained silent. ra wanted to open the car door and jump out, but the driver had thought of this so he had locked the doors and windows just as she got inside. ra panicked. She leaned forward to grab the steering wheel. She did not want to be abducted like this! The driver impatiently took out a stick from one side and knocked ra''s head. Amidst the severe pain, rapletely lost consciousness. ... When she woke up, the only thing she could feel was pain. The wound on her head seemed to have stopped bleeding, but it was still painful. At the same time, her wrists and ankles were also tied together. Before she could thoroughly check out the injuries on her body, ra began to look around, wondering where she was. It seemed to be a terrace of a tattered and abandoned building. Without thinking about why she was brought here, ra struggled to untie the rope. She needed to leave before something horrible happened to her. At this time, the door of the rooftop was suddenly opened. Seeing the person walking in, ra stopped struggling and shouted out in fury, "What do you want from me again?" Chapter 210 Madness of A Woman Chapter 210 Madness of A Woman "What do I want? Look what you have done to me, my dear sister! I want revenge. I want you dead." It was Ashlee who came in, and it was she who hired some mob member to take her here. Ashlee lookedpletely different. Her hair was messy, and her clothes were wrinkled and with stains. She was far from that debutante she used to be. ra tried hard to stabilize her mind and said to Ashlee, "Don''t say such silly words, Ashlee. Just let me go. Horace would know about this and do you think you can walk away by doing this to me? Let me go and we can pretend that nothing happened." When Ashlee heard ra''s words, sheughed wildly, as if she heard something funny. Afterughing for a while, Ashlee stopped and looked at ra with hatred, "Would you let me go if you were in my ce? I am not afraid of him anymore. Do you know why? Because I have nothing now, thanks to you! If not for you, my mother would not have been sent abroad, and my father''spany would not have closed down! And Darren, he doesn''t want me anymore... Because of you, Darren, he doesn''t want me anymore! " "Darren and I broke up a long time ago, and what is between you two has nothing to do with me," ra argued and defended herself because she found what Ashlee said about Darren was really ridiculous. "Nothing to do with you? It''s your fault that Darren likes you! How could Darren abandon me if it was not for you?" Ashlee''s eyes were bloodshot and she yelled, "I have nothing now, without my parents, without Darren, I cannot find any reason to live anymore¡­" Ashlee''s eyes went dark, and she slowly walked to the edge of the rooftop. Seeing that Ashlee was so close to the edge as if she was about to jump, ra hurriedly tried to stop her, "What are you doing? Don''t do stupid things, Ashlee!" Although Ashlee hurt her so many times, she was rted to her after all, and ra could never watch her kill herself. Hearing ra''s voice, Ashlee seemed to remember something. She turned around and stared at ra, and said viciously, "How could I forget you! If it wasn''t for you, how could I have been like this! Rest assured, sister, I''m not gonna die, not until you die with me as well!" she said and walked towards her. Looking at Ashlee who was approaching her, ra stepped back, but she was not able to escape from the ropes. Ashlee pulled ra up from the ground and dragged her to the edge of the rooftop. "Let''s die together!" Ashlee''s eyes were full of madness. Some people inadvertently looked towards the roof and noticed them. "Hey, look, there are two people on the roof!" A man pointed to the rooftop and said to hispanion. "People? Are you sure? What the heck are they doing up there. It''s really dangerous!" his friend looked in the direction the man pointed and yelled, "Are they going to jump off the building?" "Call the police, hurry up and call the police!" The man said and took out his mobile phone, "Hello, police station? Someone is on the roof now. It seems that they''re about to jump off the building. Come over quick! " As the man called the police, more and more people noticed Ashlee and ra on the rooftop. Soon, a bunch of people gathered under. "Look at how young they are! What will their parents do if they die? I wonder what happened to them! How could they just abandon everything they have and die?" "It doesn''t seem like they are going to jump off the building. One girl is pulling another." "You mean it is a murder? Why haven''t the policee yet?" "That girl looks so familiar. It seems that I have seen her somewhere." At this time, a girl next to her eximed, "Isn''t that Horace Kirnd''s wife ra? Is she really her?" When the surrounding people heard this, all sorts of discussion immediately burst out. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Horace Kirnd, the CEO of Solrace? And his wife is up there?" "Seems to be." "Hurry up and call the media, this is big news." ... It didn''t take one minute for the major media reporters toe. Originally, everyone paid more attention to the news of ra and Horace. Of course, they had to report it as soon as possible when ra was abducted and was about to push off a building. At the same time, the news of ra was overwhelming on Twitter. All kinds of rumors appeared that involved cheating, kidnapping, and conspiracies... At this time, Isaac rushed into Horace''s office, and as soon as he entered the door, he shouted, "Young master, bad news! Mrs. Kirnd is in danger now!" "What did you say?" Horace abruptly sat up from his chair, and the documents were scattered on the floor. Walking quickly to Isaac, Horace asked anxiously, "What happened to ra? What''s going on?" "Thedy seemed to have been kidnapped by Ashlee this morning. Now they were both on top of a building!" Isaac immediately told Horace of the news he saw. When Horace heard the words, he immediately walked out the door. Isaac hurriedly stopped Horace and pushed the wheelchair beside him, "Sir, you can''t let the outside world know that your leg is not injured." "No time for that now." Horace bypassed Isaac and strode towards the door. "Sir, you..." Isaac wanted to stop Horace, but Horace had already gone out and gone downstairs. Isaac knew the thing about his legs were also serious, so he kept him close with the wheelchair in his arms. Horace clenched his fists in the elevator. Ashlee, don''t you dare to hurt ra. If anything happens to her, I''ll definitely make you regret being born into this world! He thought to himself. On the other side, the police quickly came to the rooftop where ra and Ashlee were. "Listen to me, don''t do this! Come over here! It''s very dangerous over there. Think about your family. This would break their heart!" A policewoman cautiouslyforted Ashlee and hoped that her emotions would stabilize. Unexpectedly, when Ashlee heard the police''s words, she became even more emotional. "Family? I don''t have any family anymore! I''m the only one left in this world. Mom is gone, and Darren doesn''t want me anymore! I have nothing! Nothing! " After saying those words, Ashlee grabbed ra''s hand even harder, and continued to drag her to the edge, "You left me with nothing! You took everything from me! And you must die today!" Chapter 211 I Want to See Darren Chapter 211 I Want to See Darren "I''ve never taken anything from you, ever! You have been loved by your parents since you were a child. You had beautiful dresses and all kinds of toys, but I had nothing. You were happy, weren''t you? So please, Ashlee, let me go." ra said in a trembling voice, "I will ask Horace to help you and your family, you''ll still be the youngdy of the Middleton family. You can get your happiness back." She was standing on the edge of the rooftop at this moment, as long as Ashlee exerts force, the two of them would fall together. Although her whole body was trembling with fear, she still tried her best to "Yes, I had everything since I was a child, and everything was better than you! But what about now? "Unexpectedly, these words provoked Ashlee, and she got even more excited, "Now I have nothing, but you''ve be a Kirnd, and you are envied by every woman! Why! You don''t even deserve that!" After Ashlee finished speaking, she tried hard to push ra off the roof. Half of ra''s body was pushed outside the edge, and everyone screamed in fright. When Horace arrived, he just saw the scene where ra was about to be pushed down, and suddenly felt that his heartbeat stopped. He started running to the rooftop, followed by Isaac with the wheelchair on his shoulder. When he was about to reach thest step towards the rooftop, Isaac stopped Horace, who was about to go crazy. "Young Master, you can''t just appear in front of the public like this. It''s not the right time yet. You''ve been holding back for so many years, you can''t just let the secret reveal now." Horace heard his words, thought for a moment, then he sat in the wheelchair, and let Isaac push him to the rooftop. After arriving on the rooftop, Horace saw ra''s current situation more clearly. He saw that most of her body was outside. Fortunately, there was a hoop on the roof, and ra held the hoop tightly, so she was not fallen down yet. However, it was obvious that ra couldn''t hold on anymore. Her arms and hands were trembling. Horace only felt that his heart was being squeezed, and he felt like he was about to suffocate. His face turned pale with fright, and his body trembled slightly. Horace had never been so afraid. He was afraid that ra would fall like this and leave him all alone in the world. He did not know how to live his life without her. This helplessness was worse than when Laura was lost in the fire ten years ago. At that time, he was just anxious, and med himself for all the sufferings she had endured. But now his heart was ridden with fear. He cannot lose ra! Nor was she allowed to leave him! Horace pushed the wheelchair forward and shouted to Ashlee, "Don''t be impulsive! As long as you let ra go, I''ll promise you everything." Ashlee heard Horace''s voice, turned her head, and started yelling "It''s all on you! It''s you who ruined everything I have! I hate you!" Horace said, "You are right, I ruined everything in your life and it was all my fault. It has nothing to do with ra! If you let her go, I promise that I will re-invest in the Middleton Group, and I will help your family regain its previous status. And as for your mother, I''ll get her back immediately. I can promise you anything you want, as long as you let ra go." C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org. "Do you really meant it?" Ashlee was a little moved when she heard Horace''s words. If her family could be restored, if her mother coulde back to her, then her happy old life would be back. At that time, Darren would also return to her side, right? "Of course it''s true, I always do what I say. Everyone is watching. They can all be our witnesses. So, what do you say?" Horace saw that Ashlee had been shaken, and he felt a little bit relieved and assured. "I want to see Darren. I want to see him now!" "Okay, I''ll call him immediately and ask him toe over. Please just don''t move. It''s quite dangerous now." After Horace finished speaking, he took out his mobile phone and called Darren. "Have you seen the news? Come here right away, immediately!" As soon as Darren answered the phone, he heard Horace''s anxious voice, and he asked suspiciously, "What''s the matter? What happened?" Darren felt a little unwell today, so he didn''t go to the office. He had no clue about what happened between ra and Ashlee. "Ashlee has kidnapped ra and wants to jump off the building with her. Now that Ashlee wants to see you,e here quickly!" Horace didn''t have the time or the mood to exin the details to him, so he spoke loudly into the phone. Darren was also shocked when he heard this, but he also knew that now was not the time to ask questions. After saying "I''ll be there soon" to Horace, he hung up the phone and hurried out of the house. Darren raced all the way and finally arrived at the scene 20 minutester. After seeing with his own eyes, Darren was also frightened, for fear that ra would fall. He still liked ra until now. It was his fault for not believing her and breaking up with her two years ago. After knowing the truth, he had been ming himself and lived with regrets. Darrenughed at himself in his heart. It seemed that he could only bring harm to ra. "Ashlee, let ra go, ande home with me, okay?" Darren gently persuaded Ashlee out of this craziness. "Darren, promise me that we will be together forever! Promise me that you will marry me and love me! When we get married, I will love you all my life, and you will only love me all my life, okay?" Ashlee looked at Darren and begged, "Darren, you don''t know how much I love you! I fell in love with you from the first time I saw you. But then, this woman was the only one in your eyes. She did not deserve your love! She was the daughter of a mistress. Only I can be worthy of you! Darren, I can do everything for you! As long as I can get you, I will do whatever it takes. I am the only one in this world who loves you the most! " She confessed her love for Darren in tears. Everything she did was for him, for their future happiness, how could Darren not understand? Hearing Ashlee''s confession, Darren hesitated a little. He looked at ra, who was obviously about to fall, gritted his teeth, and said, "Okay, I promise you, we get married. We will be together forever! I''ll marry you." "Really, Darren? Promise?" Ashlee said happily after hearing Darren''s assurance. "Yes, I promise you, as long as you let ra go." Hearing Darren''sst sentence, Ashlee''s face changed instantly. She cried whileughing, "You''re lying! You just want to save ra. Liar! All you care about is this bitch. I knew you never wanted to marry me!" Chapter 212 The Close Call Chapter 212 The Close Call Darren didn''t speak. Ashlee''s heart was full of despair. "What''s so good about her? You all love her so much and you all want to help her. Are you all blind? Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Well, if so, let me bring her to hell with me today. I want you all to live in regrets and pain for the rest of your lives." As she was speaking, she was about to jump down with ra together. "Stop!" Horace panicked and shouted when he saw that ra had only two fingers pulling the iron ring. He secretly resented that Darren was such a bad actor. He turned to Ashlee and said, "Ashlee, I will rece ra." When everyone heard the words, they looked at Horace in shock, unable to believe what they had just heard. "Young Master!" When Isaac heard Horace''s words, he hurriedly wanted to stop him. Although he was also very worried about the safety of the youngdy, it was not feasible for Horace to exchange with ra. What if Horace was in danger? He could not allow Horace to risk his life. Horace nced at Isaac and told him to stop saying anything. "What did you say?" Ashlee couldn''t believe what she heard and stopped her actions. "Yes, I''m here in exchange for ra. Think about it, I''m the president of Solrace and a Kirnd. I''m much useful than ra. If you hold me, hostage, you can ask the Kirnd family and Solrace anything you want. Trust me, they won''t refuse you for anything." "Besides, as you said just now, you hate me, and I took everything from you. I sent your mother away. All of that has nothing to do with ra." While talking, Horace slowly approached Ashlee, pushing his wheelchair. Seeing that Ashlee''s emotions were no longer so excited, Horace then said to Ashlee softly, "I''ll rece ra, and then you can retaliate against me any way you want, and even throw me downstairs. Can''t you see that I''m a disabled man and I have no ability to resist you?" Hearing Horace''s words, Ashlee, who was in a state of shock, didn''t even notice that Horace was slowly approaching him, and now he was less than two steps away from her. Horace''s words shocked not only Ashlee but also ra. She never thought that she was so important in Horace''s heart. At this moment, she felt more than ever that Horace loved her so much more than his life. To be able to meet such a man was the best luck she had in her life. "You love her so much that you even want to trade your own life for her?" Ashlee whispered when she heard Horace''s words. "Haha..." Ashleeughed frantically again, "But why? You all love her so much, but she is a bastard! She does not even have my family name!" Ashlee suddenly stretched out her hands and grabbed ra by the neck, and shouted, "Do you want to save her? You wanna die for her? She must die today! If you never have a chance to see him, I want you to live in pain for the rest of your life." After Ashlee finished shouting, she turned to look at Darren with frantic eyes, but they were no longer with love, but with a strong hatred, "Everything I do is for you, but what about you? All you have in your heart is this bitch. Darren, if you love her, then I have to kill her, and I want you to live the rest of your life in remorse." After saying this, Ashlee took ra''s arm and was about to jump down with her. "No!" Darren shouted anxiously when he saw Ashlee''s movements. The surrounding police also swarmed up, trying to catch the two who were about to fall. At this moment, as she was not paying attention, Horace had been very close to them already. He stood up and ran towards ra. He grasped her arm and pulled her back into his arms. By the time they fell back on the floor of the roof, Ashlee had already fallen down. She had been dragged around by Ashlee and strangled by her neck. After regaining her freedom, she could not help coughing violently. "Are you alright? Is there any injury?" Horace quickly untied the rope for ra, held her in his arms, and checked for bruises. He was afraid that she got hurt and the injuries could not be seen. "...I''m fine." ra looked at Horace and replied. While they were talking, the people around him were in great astonishment. They couldn''t believe what they had just seen. Who was the man that pulled ra over just now? Horace? Wasn''t he disabled in both legs? But obviously, he was running! Everyone has the same question in their hearts, but for a moment they don''t know how to react to this, and there was a strange silence. ra and Horace also noticed the abnormality around them. Seeing that everyone was looking at Horace''s legs, ra got worried, "Horace, your legs..." After looking around, Horace lowered his head andforted her by saying, "Don''t think about it, as long as you''re fine, nothing else matters." Hearing Horace''s gentle words at this moment, ra, who had survived this madness, felt that her heart was full of joy, but... ra looked at the edge of the rooftop. Ashlee was her sister. Although she almost killed ra, ra still felt the pain to watch her die. She remembered the first time she saw Ashlee. Ashlee was in a pretty dress and her eyes were full of disgust and disdain, and she looked like a princess in front of her maid. Ashlee framed her again and again, and almost killed her in the end, but still, they had the same father. Her remorse upon her death. It was horrible to see her own blood die such a horrible death in front of her. She could not hold this anymore and she fainted. "ra, wake up!" Seeing that she had passed out, Horace anxiously called her name. But ra''s eyes were still tightly closed, and there was no sign of waking up. At this time, Horace couldn''t pay attention to anything else now. He picked up ra and walked downstairs, "Isaac, get the car and we are going to the hospital." "Yes," Isaac replied. Horace no longer tried to hide his good legs. He was such a thoughtful man. He must have his own ns. When Horace and rapletely disappeared from people''s sight, the crowd around them finally started talking. "Horace is not disabled at all! When did his legs heal?" "It''s incredible! But why was he still in a wheelchair just now? Apparently, he could run like a normal human being." "Was he in the wheelchair for some kind of a weird fetish? OMG, I really don''t understand the world of the rich!" Chapter 213 Aftermath Chapter 213 Aftermath Almost all the media were present at the scene to report the abduction, but unexpectedly they had all broadcasted Horace walking! This was even more exciting than the abduction case itself, and of course, Horace would not be able to get off of it easily. For a time, major social media were full of reports and videos about this incident. In just half a day, the fact that Horace was not disabled spread throughout the city. When ra woke up, it was already midnight. After looking around, she realized that she was in the hospital. Looking sideways, she saw that Horace was already asleep beside her bed. It''s just that he didn''t seem to have a sound sleep. His eyebrows were frowning, and the corners of his mouth were also downwards. He was tired but he was not rxed at all even in his sleep. ra raised her hand, trying to smoothen his furrowed brows, but her body was still numb from the She was afraid of waking up Horace, so she kept still. "ra, ra..." Horace seemed to be having a nightmare and kept mumbling her name in a low voice. He must have Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. been frightened by what happened during the day. "It''s alright. I''m here." raforted Horace in a low voice, raised a hand, and stroked his head gently. Maybe it was because her movements were a little stiff, Horace woke up. As their eyes met, they both discovered worry and fear in each other''s eyes. The horrible incident just now had made them both exhausted. Looking at each other for a moment, Horace hugged ra in his arms. He almost pressed her into his chest, as he was so afraid of losing her. "Horace, could you loosen your grip a bit?" But instead, Horace tightened his arms. "Horace, it hurts." It wasn''t until ra cried out in pain that Horace finally slowly loosened his grape. The two hugged each other in silence. ra felt that Horace''s body trembled slightly. "Horace, what''s the matter with you?" ra asked, a little puzzled. After a long time, ra heard Horace whispering, "ra, promise me that you will never leave me in the future!" Seeing Horace''s eyes, ra couldn''t help but feel a pain in her heart. Those eyes were full of worry and affection for her, and it seemed that he was begging her for an affirmative answer. Unable to restrain herself, ra kissed Horace''s eyes, "Okay, I promise." As soon as ra''s lips left Horace''s eyes, his lips covered hers. Different from what was in the past, Horace''s kiss was a little impatient this time, as if he wanted to gobble her up and put her on the tip of his heart. It seemed that only in that way, could he protect her from any hostility in this world. But ra did not feel ufortable at all, but tried her best to respond to him¡­ After the kiss, the mood of the two of them stabilized a lot. ra remembered that previously, Horace left his wheelchair and ran to save her. She looked at Horace and asked worriedly, "now all of them have known that your legs are fine! What can we do now? It''s all because of me..." Thinking of this, ra couldn''t help but me herself. If it wasn''t for saving her, Horace would not have exposed his secrets to the public. Sean would know this secret soon, and he would definitelye up with something eviler to deal with Horace. Horace seemed to know what ra was thinking. He held her in his arms and said, "It''s alright, I''ve nned to disclose this for a while, and it''s about time now. I''m ready for what''sing next. Don''t you worry about me?" "So, what are you going to do now?" asked ra. "I''m going to hold a press conference tomorrow to exin the cause and effect of this incident to everyone." "Then shall I go with you?" ra hoped that she could apany Horace to face these things together. "No, your body is still weak, and it is not suitable for you to appear in front of the public. I can handle that by myself." Horace knew ra''s intentions, but he didn''t want her to face these messy things, she only needed to live a good life under his protection. "I am fine now, really. I was just a bit startled from it, but not physically harmed." ra exined anxiously. "Be a good girl and rest. There will be a live broadcast tomorrow and you can watch it here in the hospital." Seeing the persistence in Horace''s eyes, ra finallypromised. "Okay." ra nodded. She didn''t want him to worry either. She decided to do what he wanted. The next morning, after having breakfast with ra, Horace went to the office to arrange the press conference. When colleagues from the magazine office heard that ra was hospitalized, they all came to see her. "ra, are you alright? Are you injured?" As soon as Sarah entered the ward, she asked ra incessantly, her face full of worry. "Sarah! ra needs to rest. Could you please be a little bit quiet?" Stephanie stopped Sarah from being such a loudspeaker. She really did not want to disturb ra. "Sarah, we''re not in a musical festival." Some other colleagues also joked. Sarah''s face blushed and she spoke to ra in a hushed voice, "Sorry, am I too loud?" "Of course not, don''t worry, I''m fine. "ra was in a good mood. She was happy to see theming to visit today. "ra, we misunderstood you a few days ago. We shouldn''t say that to you. Don''t take it to your heart." one of her Colleagues apologized to ra with a blushing face. She badmouthed her by saying ra was cheating behind Horace''s back. "Please forget about that. Now everyone knows that Mr. Kirnd is perfectly healthy, and the rumors have all been disproved. They all envy you for having a good husband." Sarah said. After hearing Sarah''s words, ra was a little puzzled, "Everyone knows? What the heck is going on?" "Don''t you know? It''s trending now on Twitter." Sarah took out her phone and showed it to ra. ra took the mobile phone and swiped, and found that most of the local hot topics were about Horace. Chapter 214 Never Forget, Never Forgive Chapter 214 Never Forget, Never Forgive ra clicked one link at random and found that it was full ofments from Horace''s fangirls. My God! Horace doesn''t even have a disability! Now he is even more perfect! I feel sorry for Mrs. Kirnd¡­ but can I say I really get obsessed with her man? Do I still have a chance to marry him in my next life? There are even messages from males: Unbelievable! Hey Horace, could you please leave us some chicks? It looks like they''ve all be your fans! ra was very d when she saw people''sments because everything was clear now and people knew the truth. "By the way, ra, isn''t Mr. Kirnd going to hold a press conference today? I heard that it is life. I think it''s about time now." ra looked at the clock on the wall and found that there was only half an hour left before the press conference started. "Well, it''ll start in half an hour." "Do you want us to be here with you? "Sarah asked. When ra said yes, she picked up the remote control, turned on the TV in the ward, and tuned the channel to the live broadcast. "Hey, look, it''s started!" Sarah shouted excitedly. "Sarah! Watch out for your volume! You act as if he was your husband!" they found her so funny being so excited like that. "How can I find a man like Horace? I did not save the world just like ra did in herst life!" Sarah retorted. When ra heard Sarah''s words, she shook her head and smiled. After a few jokes with each other, everyone began to concentrate on the press conference. Horace was wearing a gray suit, and he finally was standing in front of the public. The media had never seen him like this, and they were all stunned by how handsome he looked this way. He also made the people in front of the TV stunned. "ra, lucky you!" Sarah said to ra with a wink. ra''s face blushed. She had never seen Horace like this on Television. Indeed, he was handsome, and indeed she was so lucky. Under the spotlight, Horace took a seat under the protection of his bodyguards, and in front of him was a desktop microphone. "The reason why this press conference is held today is to give you an exnation for a series of incidents that happened to me and my wife recently. First of all, everyone has been curious about my life experience. I had no intention to hide it, but I believe that a person''s achievements should be separated from his family background. But now, my good intentions have brought about unwanted attention. So I believe now that is my duty and responsibility to make it clear. Yes, I am from the Kirnd family. I am the second grandson of Russell Kirnd..." "Since you are from such a distinguished family, why did you pretend to be disabled for so many years?" A reporter from the audience asked. "Is it convenient for you to exin why? Everyone wants to know." "Is this rted to the fire ten years ago?" The reporters in the audience kept asking Horace why he concealed the truth. They knew there was something juicy behind it. Considering the characteristic of Horace, the reporters were being very discreet, waiting for someone else to start. Since one of them started asking, others at the press conference suddenly became agitated, throwing one question after another at Horace. Horace didn''t get angry when he heard this spection. He said, "I am not disabled. My legs are fine. But I hide the truth for my own reasons. I am afraid that this is very personal and thus is not to be shared here today. I hope you will understand." Although Horace didn''t say anything, the audience were all experienced reporters, and they sensed something fishy in his words. Presumably, this was about the inheritance of family property, but all they could do was specte. They dared not to say that out loud in the public. Seeing that everyone was no longer sticking to that, Horace continued, "Since we are here today, I would like to rify that rumors about my wife were all false charges.it is clear now that Ashlee Middleton had set that up. She was the one that conspired all of that. I have submitted the relevant evidence to the police station, and presumably, the authorities will prove ra''s innocence soon." "And..." Horace seemed to have thought of something and suddenly smiled, "We have always had a good rtionship and our marriage life has been very harmonious. The previous pregnancy incident was a nder. My wife is not pregnant. But we are trying. That''s all I want to tell you today, and finally, N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. thank you foring." Horace bowed politely, refused the rest of the interview, and stepped off the stage. In the ward, ra blushed when she heard Horace''s words. "Oh, ra, happy to know that your married life is very harmonious, and you are trying¡­." Stephanie looked at ra''s blushing and couldn''t help teasing. "Come on guys! Stop!" Hearing Stephanie''s words, ra was so embarrassed that she threw a pillow at her. "Yeah, we''ll stop. But I guess he would never stop trying!" Everyone burst intoughter when they saw ra''s reaction. After the press conference, videos of Horace at this press conference kept trending, and the click rate was incredibly high. Horace was so protective of his wife! They are so in love! He is one out of a million! I wish I could meet a man like him! I don''t want to be single anymore! ... By the time Horace came back, it was already night, ra had already finished dinner in the hospital and was going to sleep. Horace didn''t go to sleep on the escort bed next to him. He squeezed into her bed to snuggle with her. ra thought of what Horace said at the press conference today, and said amusedly, "Sean should be mad by now, right? Now everyone suspects that he framed you for the sake of property inheritance. Today I heard from a colleague at the magazine that hispany''s stock has plummeted all the way down." "Of course." Horace replied softly, and the next second his eyes shed, "But he deserves it." Noticing the obvious resentment in Horace''s tone, ra couldn''t help asking, "Do you really hate Sean this much?" Sean was his eldest brother. She still could not fully understand the hatred they had for each other "It''s not just what he did to you. I can''t forgive what he did to me ten years ago." "What do you mean?!" ra asked in shock after hearing Horace''s words. Could it be that the fire ten years ago really had something to do with Sean? Chapter 215 Who Was the One Behind? Chapter 215 Who Was the One Behind? Horace said coldly, "There were in that case that I never understood. After the kidnappers got the money, they could have escaped quietly, but why did they set a fire to burn me to death in the end? What good would it bring for them to make a scene? I have been secretly investigating. After years of research, I am basically certain that Sean was the mastermind behind it. The people who kidnapped me didn''t want money at all, they wanted my life. Ransom was just a cover-up. But he didn''t expect that the fire didn''t kill me, and I escaped. " Horace couldn''t help clenching his fists. The scene of his escape from the fire ten years ago was still vivid in his mind, and he swore that he would make them pay the price. ra saw Horace who was full of a vicious aura and didn''t know what to say tofort him. It''s been so long. But when it came to the fire, Horace still could not calm down. It was conceivable how much pain it had brought to him. ra gently opened Horace''s tightly clenched fist and held his hand with her own, hoping to give him somefort. Having felt her worries for him, Horace took a few deep breaths, calmed down, and said softly, "It''s all right. They can''t hurt me now." Seeing Horace in such pain, ra felt an indescribable sadness in her heart, followed by anger. She could never think that it would be Sean who manufactured the kidnapping. She knew that Sean and Horace had always been at loggerheads with each other, but she did not expect Sean to be such a monster. "Why did him..." Before she could finish her sentence, she realized that it must be for the family property. Grandpa never hid his love and preference for Horace. It was estimated that Horace was also the most Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. suitable heir in Grandpa''s heart. If Sean wanted to be the head of the Group, the most straightforward way was to make Horace disappear. "Was it because of him that you used a wheelchair the whole time?" ra asked. "Well, although I felt something was wrong at the time, I was too young to protect myself. I could only pretend that my legs were disabled so that Sean could postpone his ns against me. The reason I went to the United States was to grow my own power without causing his suspicion. Only when I have enough strength topete with him can I find out the truth and let them pay. Now that Solrace was on the right track, I''m no longer who I used to be. It''s time to make this public. Even if Sean still wants to y the game, I couldpete with him now. " ra silently listened to Horace''s story, and his endurance and perseverance of the past ten years. Horace had never told her about this before, and when she sometimes asked him out of curiosity, he always changed the subject and was reluctant to talk about it. Now that he was willing to share his past with her¡­ does it mean that he had finally opened his heart to her and was willing to let her into his heart? Hugging on this small bed, slowly they both fell asleep... That night, in the narrow bed in the hospital, the two of them slept like babies. The next morning, he went to work very early because thepany still had some things to deal with. ra called Helena, her mother. Since she was hospitalized, she had not called Helena yet. She must be worried sick about this craziness. "ra, are you alright? Are you injured?" As soon as Helena answered the phone, she asked ra anxiously, "What''s the matter with you, my child? How could you not call me after what you had been through? " As she spoke, Helena started crying. Hearing Helena''s cry, ra panicked, "Mom, don''t cry, I''m fine, I''m not hurt at all, don''t worry!" "Really? But you were taken so high up there and dragged around. I saw the news!" Helena didn''t believe her words. "I''m really fine..." raforted Helena, who had been crying too hard for her on the phone. After reassuring her that she was okay, Helena''s mood stabilized. As soon as she hung up the phone, ra heard a knock on the door. Putting down her phone, she walked over and opened the door of the ward. When she saw the face at the door, ra was stunned for a moment. Why was she here? "ra, are you okay?" ine asked with concern as soon as she saw ra. "I''m alright. But I never expected you toe, to be honest¡­" ra quickly let ine in with a smile. She and ine had only met once. She really didn''t expect ine to visit her. "I''m worried about you. I was terrified when I saw the news on the Inte, lest something happen to you¡­. Now that I see you''re fine, I''m relieved. This is a gift for you. "As she spoke, ine handed ra the flower she had been holding in her hand. "Thank you, it''s very beautiful." ra took the flowers, but she also found it a bit strange, because ine gave her a bunch of blue roses. Lilies and narcissus weremonly seen in a ward, but blue siren? Not so much. ra thought to herself, maybe it was ine''s taste, as unique as she was. "Where is your husband? Why are you alone here?" ine looked around and asked. "He had something to do in thepany this morning," ra replied with a smile. "You are so lucky, dear. Horace is good-looking and sessful, and he treats you well. You should chain him up by your side, or I am afraid someone would steal him from you." "..." Hearing ine''s words, ra didn''t know how to react for a while. Then she answered, "I trust him." "Really?" she said with a smile. For some reason, ra always felt that ine''s tone was indicative of something. Chapter 216 I Dont Like It Chapter 216 I Don''t Like It "Yeah," ra nodded, "Well, where did you get this outfit, it''s pretty." ra didn''t want to talk about it anymore, so she started topliment ine''s outfit. They chatted a while about fashion and skincare. Then ine said she needed to go, and she would visit ra again when she was free. When Horace came home, he saw the blue roses brought by ine on the bedside table. He suddenly looked weird and kept staring at the roses. "What?" ra found it strange. "Never mind. The roses just don''t fit in the ward. Who brought you this?" Horace asked. "It was ine. Do you remember her? I interviewed her several days ago, and she visited me in the morning¡­" "Throw it away." Horace interrupted her. "What, why?" "I don''t like it." Without more words, Horace turned around and went into the bathroom. ra was perplexed. Even if he didn''t like it, she didn''t want to throw it away. What happened to Horace? Did he run into some trouble at work? "If he doesn''t see it, he won''t be mad, right?" after all, it was a gift, she shouldn''t throw it away. ra ced the bunch of flowers in the corner. The other day, after Horace went to word, another unexpected visitor came. It was Darren. Darren was weary-looking. He had always paid attention to his appearance. But now he was in a wrinkled suit, with messy hair and ck eyes. He definitely hadn''t had a good rest for days. "This is for you." Darren bought a bouquet of lilies on the way here. As he remembered, she loved lilies. "Thanks." ra took it and put on the side table. Hesitated, she asked, "How''s¡­ how''s Ashlee''s funeral?" "It''s all set, the funeral will soon take ce." Ashlee''s parents weren''t around, and she only had few real friends to help. Therefore, Darren had been busy preparing the funeral. "Darren, her funeral has to depend on you. After all, she is my sister. Though I can''t forgive her, I want her to die peacefully. And¡­" ra continued after a moment of silence, "And she really loved you." "Yes, even if you haven''t mentioned it, I''ll do it anyway. ra, Ie here to tell you, I¡­" Darren hesitated to talk. "What?" asked ra. "ra, I want to tell you that I''ll give you up and bless you and Horace." He looked into her eyes and said seriously. "I used to think that there was no love between you and him, and you were only together because you had to. I always thought that I was the one who loved you most and should be with you all my life. But when Ashlee kidnapped you, I found that I was wrong. I didn''t expect that Horace would be willing to exchange his life for your safety. At that moment, I knew that he loved you so much." "I kept asking myself these days if I could do better. But I didn''t know. ra, I couldn''t outdo him. Maybe he''s more qualified to, or capable of, taking care of you. You deserve to be happy." When he''s done, Darren waited for her reply. "Well, you too." ra said gently. She couldn''t deny that she was touched after hearing his words. Though she was in love with Horace right now, she had to admit that she and Darren were once in love too. She hoped he could be happy. "Can I give you onest hug?" Darren asked cautiously. But he soon remembered that this might embarrass her, he then said, "no, I just..." Before he finished the words, ra came forward and gently hugged him. She then let him go and said, "Darren, be happy, promise me." "I will." Darren smiled and nodded, "I need to go and help with the funeral." "OK, I''ll see you off." They went out together. When ra went back and collected water to drink, she saw the blue roses that she put in the corner. "Why doesn''t he like it? It''s pretty." ra shook her head, put the flower in a vase, and ce it on the side table. As soon as she put it down, she heard someone knocking on the door again. She was so popr recently. ra was stunned when he opened the door and saw who was there. Why are they all unexpected visitors? It was Logan Hutchinson. "Why are you here?" "Of course, I came to visit the patient." smiled Logan. Seeing ra''s puzzled look, Logan exined, "I went to see Aunt Helena yesterday, I heard that you were injured and hospitalized. Aunt Helena was very worried about you, but she couldn''te. She asked me to see if you were OK." Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Was she alright?" ra was worried about her health. "She was doing OK. You shouldn''t worry about it. Are you OK?" "I''m fine, thanks to Horace." ra said. But Logan turned grim when he heard Horace''s name. "Horace?" Logan sneered, "I thought at least he had lost his legs. However, it turned out that he had lost nothing. Only Laura was left in the fire, dead." ra frowned at Logan''s pungentment. "Logan, we don''t know what happened then. He is not like that. I suggest that you be careful of what you''re trying to say. We don''t know the truth yet." Chapter 217 Shopping Chapter 217 Shopping Logan ignored what she said. In his opinion, she was just arguing for him. Logan still wanted to talk, but he froze when he saw something. ra noticed his change. Logan was staring at the blue roses on the table. "What?" ra didn''t know why he zoned out. "That''s Laura''s favorite flower." Logan said, painfully. What? Blue rose was Laura''s favorite flower? ra recalled Horace''s response yesterday and felt somehow upset. Was he thinking of Laura then? He asked her to drop the flowers because of Laura? It was because he didn''t want recall his old memories? Logan was originally discontented with the fact that Horace pretended to be disabled. Now see the blue roses, he was rather depressed. He soon left after exchanging a few words with ra. Having been visited by Darren and Logan, ra felt a little tired. She lied down and wanted to have a rest. But when she thought that Horace acted weird yesterday because of Laura, she felt disturbed and failed to fall asleep. Maybe it was because that she was too exhausted, she managed to fell asleep after a while. It was already 3pm when she woke up. As soon as she got up, she heard fast footsteps in the corridor. Someone said loudly, "Which one is it? Why haven''t we arrived yet?" It was grandpa! ra recognized the familiar voice. She soon threw on a coat and opened the door. Russell Kirnd was there with a bunch of doctors. "Grandpa, I''m here!" ra said. Russell cried, "Don''t you move! Aren''t you injured? You shouldn''t get down, go to the bed." ra cringed, "No, Grandpa, it''s not as bad as they say. I''m totally fine." Then she helped him into the room and sat down on the sofa. "Really?" he asked, suspiciously. "It''s true. I''m in perfectly good condition, as you can tell." ra said with resignation. What was going on outside? Why did everyonee to visit her? Russell looked up and down at her. He was reassured when seeing that she was OK. "You''d better do a full work-up to make sure that there isn''t any after effect. By the way, I also want to know when I can have a grandson." ra blushed. She felt awkward when there were still many doctors present. But she also wondered why she wasn''t pregnant yet, since she had been married to Horace for months. In fact, ra also wanted to have a baby as possible. She always felt that her life would bepleted with a baby. So she said yes to the physical examination. It took three doctors half an hour to finish the examination. "The result wille out in a few days. "a doctor said. Then he bowed to Russell and left. After everyone left, ra said, "Grandpa, I need you to do me a favor." "OK, what do you want me to do? Just say it. I''ll do my best to help you." Russell said without hesitation. "Thank you, grandpa. I would like to ask you to investigate the kidnapping ten years ago. I always feel that there must be something that we don''t know." "Why do you say that?" Russell also turned serious. "Grandpa, you watch Horace grow up, and you know more about him than anyone. Do you really think he will escape without Laura? I don''t believe it. So, I want you to dig into the truth. I don''t want to see Horace overwhelmed by self-me. I want to help him go out of the shadow." Having heard her words, Russel also signed, "I can see that Horace never let go of it. Don''t worry, leave it to me, and I''ll look into it." ¡­ After staying in the hospital for two days, Horace finally made sure that she was fine and agreed ra to leave the hospital. ra felt that she was almost isted. The air was fresh and the sun was bright outside. It was really pleasant. She felt so happy and posted on social media. "I finally get out of the hospital. Freeeedoooom!" Soon someone called her up. ra looked at the caller ID, ine? Why did she call her? "Hello, ine? What''s up?" "No biggie. I just saw your post. I want to ask you out to go shopping together. Do you have time?" Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ine said. "Well, of course. Where shall we meet?" ra was really bored these days and wanted to hang out. She agreed to ine''s invitation without hesitation. Soon, they decided when and where to meet. They arrived at thergest department store in the city. "ra, do you like this dress?" ine held a white dress and asked, "I think this dress suits you very well." ra looked at the dress. It was a simply-tailored dress equipped with a quite retro but fashionable belt. But there was a V cut on the back, so it was a bit sexy. "This one? I don''t usually wear this kind of clothes. It shouldn''t suit me." ra usually preferred more casual ones. She rarely wore this kind of white dress. "Will you try it on? I think it will look good on you." ine pushed ra to the fitting room. ra resigned, "OK, I''ll try it on." Chapter 218 It Doesnt Suit You Chapter 218 It Doesn''t Suit You When ra got changed, ine ttered, "ra, you look gorgeous in it. It''s tailored for you. You must buy it!" "Really?" ra found it a little weird. It wasn''t her style and looked strange on her. "Of course. I''m a professional designer. Don''t you believe me? I pick out more items for you. Try it on. Let me see if it fits you." ine gave her several more clothes, and they all looked simr to that one piece. ine urged her to try it on. "Well, ok." ra didn''t want to cast a chill over her. After ra went to the fitting room, ine put on a crooked smile. ra tried it on one by one. ine said each one of them was perfect and asked her to buy them all. Otherwise, she would buy them for her. Finally, ra bought all the clothes she had just tried. Then ine took her to buy the cosmetic products. "No, ine, it''s not necessary. I only wear light makeup. I don''t need to buy so many cosmetics." ra stopped ine who showed great interest in the makeup counter. "ra, the crave for beauty is written in women''s genes. You should dress yourself up." ine dragged her arms froward, "Besides, your husband is Horace. Do you know how many pretty young chicks want to hit on him? Aren''t you afraid?" ra found it amusing. If Horace only valued appearance, he wouldn''t choose her to be his wife. But she was somehow convinced. It was true that women always wanted to dress up for the one they loved. Under ine''s strong rmendation, ra bought many cosmetics that she wouldn''t usually buy. ine also put a makeup on ra. After it was done, ine looked at ra in the mirror and said, "It''s very beautiful. I know I have good taste. This makeup fits you very much. You should dress up like today, I''m sure Horace will fall for you." ine turned to the shopping assistant and asked, "Am I right?" "Well, thisdy is already beautiful enough, but she looks even prettier in makeup." smiled the assistant. Having shopped for the whole afternoon, ra said goodbye to ine and went home with loads of shopping bags. When she went back, Horace hadn''t got home yet. ra thought for a while, and decided to change into that white dress. With the belt hung loosely at the waist, her waist seemed even more slender. ra let down her shoulder-length hair, so her back was partly hidden and partly visible. She looked pure and sassy at the same time. The makeup on her face also matched this look. Although she looked different than usual, ra had to admit that she was hotter this way. ra blushed and took a deep breath. She went downstairs, with anticipation and delight. When it turned 6:30, ra started to feel impatient. Why haven''t Horacee home? He usuallye back before 6. As soon as she took out her phone, ra heard the door open. "Why did youe home sote today?" asked ra. Horace was changing his shoes. Heughed when he heard the question, "There''s ast-minute meeting today. You miss me?" "In your dreams." ra smiled and took over his suit. Horace froze when he looked up. The smile also died on her lips. He looked at her in shock. "What''s wrong?" ra was confused at his response. Horace soon recovered from surprise. "You bought new clothes today?" "Yes," Somehow, ra felt a little nervous. "I went out with ine today. I saw this dress and bought it. Isn''t it cute?" Horace paused then said, "It''s too gaudy, it doesn''t suit you. I think you should change." ra grunted assent and went upstairs disappointedly. After changing into her usual outfit, ra stared at the white one piece. She deliberately changed into this dress and waited for him toe back. Her heart sank when she thought of it. She was down in the mouth. ra took several deep breaths and cursed herself for being fragile. She covered her eyes and forced the tears back. In the middle of the night, when ra came back from the bathroom, she heard Horace calling "Laura". She turned around to look at him. He was still asleep, with his eyebrows frowned and the veins on his temple throbbing. He must have had a nightmare. Laura? Is it Laura? He had a dream about her? Hearing Laura''s name out of his mouth and recalling his cold reaction today, ra finally burst into tears. She turned her back against Horace and bit her index finger. Soon the pillowcase got damp with her Content held by N?velDrama.Org. tears. ¡­ When she woke up in the morning, Horace had gone. Maybe it was because she cried so hardst night, she had a heavy sleep and didn''t even know when he got up. When ra washed up, she saw in the mirror that her sore eyes were swollen. "How should I go out?" ra looked at his swollen eyes and said regretfully. She took out two ice bags andpressed them against her eyes, which made her feel better. When she was about to get changed, she saw the clothes that she bought yesterday hanging in the closet. Then she recalled what he said yesterday. "It''s too gaudy. It doesn''t suit you." Chapter 219 The Video of Laura Chapter 219 The Video of Laura Was it up to him to decide what I should wear and what not? I didn''t buy it for him. Angrily, ra changed into one of the clothes she just bought yesterday and put on a simr makeup. Then she went to work. Today''s work was to cover an auction in Stratmont. Sarah and Luis would go with her. ra went to many auctions with Horace after they got married. She was already quite familiar with the process. They took several photos of the auction, noted down some of the most popr lots, and interviewed a few buyers. Then they nned to go back to sort out today''s material. When they were about to leave, ra saw someone familiar. She hesitated a bit and said to Sarah and Luis, "You can go first. I see someone I know and I want to say hello." "OK, take care." Sarah and Luis left soon. "Logan!" Logan heard someone call his name. He turned around and saw ra. He was dumbfounded when he saw her. Logan kept staring at her and didn''t speak. ra felt weird, "What''s wrong?" "Hmm?" Logan came to realize that he was being quite impolite. He smiled and exined, "Nothing special. Your dress is cute. I never saw you dress like this." "Yeah, I just want to try new style. Do you want to buy anything here?" ra started the conversation quite randomly. "Actually, Ie here to make more friends in business. Youe here to work?" Logan thought the only reason she was here was working. "Well, yes. I need to go back to work. See you." "OK, see ya." Logan said. Seeing her walk away, Logan couldn''t hold back his grief anymore. He whispered woefully, "Laura¡­" ¡­ ra went back to the office. "ra, you came back so quickly," Sarah said, "I thought it would take you longer." "He was merely an acquaintance." ra noticed that Sarah kept looking at her. "Why are you staring at me? I noticed it since the auction." ra found it amusing. Sarah smiled, "You noticed it? Well, I thought I kept it low-key." "You looked different and prettier today, so I couldn''t help staring at you." "Right, ra, your outfit and makeup today are very different from usual. But you do look more stunning and more attractive. Women really need to dress up. " Stephanie nced at ra and joined them in the conversation. "Really?" asked ra doubtfully. Horace said that it didn''t fit her yesterday, and made her believe that she looked nasty in it. "Really! You look really cute. Believe me!" Sarah kept nodding to show that she meant it rather than just tter her. "Well, good to know. Thank you." Hearing Sarah say this, ra was happy. After all, everyone wanted to look good. "Big news, big news, check Twitter!" Dave, a newer, yelled and rushed into the office. He trotted all the way to his desk and turned on hisputer. "What news? What''s it about?" Everyone was intrigued and gathered around his desk. "Someone posted a video of Solrace''s CEO and his ex-girlfriend. It now went viral." Dave said, clicking open the video. As soon as everyone heard that it was about Horace, they became curious and stared into the ra was ufortable when she heard that the video featured Horace and Laura, but she couldn''t ovee her curiosity. In the video, Horace was celebrating Laura''s birthday. A girl was making a wish in the video, with her eyes closed and fingers crossed. There was a three- The girl was in a white off-the-shoulder dress. Embellished with diamonds, the dress reflected the candle light, which made the girl look like she was dazzling. Her long and thick hair hung long on the shoulder and breast, making her elegant corbone partly visible. She got ivory skin, slender eyebrows, streamlined nose and pink smiling lips. Standing there, she looked like an angle. The boy next to her was none other than Horace.Content held by N?velDrama.Org. Horace looked different in the video. He was much younger and more cheerful. He was singing a birthday song to Laura. His eyes were full of affection. After making a wish, Laura opened her eyes, blew out the candles and looked at Horace. Horace also smiled at her and patted on her head. "Happy Birthday." he said. Laura stood on tiptoe and kissed his forehead quickly. Then she bowed her head and dared not look at him again. Horace didn''t see iting and froze. People around them began to shout, "Kiss, kiss..." Horace was a bit embarrassed when he heard people''s cry. But he still pulled Laura closer and nted a kiss on her forehead. People were even more boisterous¡­ Though it was only a one-minute-long video, but every could feel the deep love between the two. Chapter 220 Inferiority Complex Chapter 220 Inferiority Complex After watching the video, ra didn''t know how to describe her feeling. Although Horace never held it out on her, but seeing her husband so close to another girl still made her ufortable. "Wow, Horace''s ex is so pretty. What a pity that she died unexpectedly! Otherwise, they would be perfect together." A colleague sighed. The person beside her poked her arm, and quickly nced at ra. She soon realized she should hadn''t said it. How could she say that Horace and his ex was a good match in front of his wife? She apologized to ra, embarrassedly, "Sorry, ra. I didn''t mean it¡­ What I mean is¡­ is¡­" The girl hesitated for a while and didn''t know how to exin to ra that she didn''t bear any malice. "It''s okay. The past is the past. I don''t care." ra forced a smile. As soon as she said it, Diane threw a sarcasm on her. "Oh, really? ra, you really don''t care?" "Diane, what do you mean? It''s just Horace''s ex. Does it have anything to do with ra? Who doesn''t have an ex? Stop being jealous." Sarah retorted. She always disliked Diane. She thought Diane was only a mean woman whose only talent was ttering and gossiping. "It doesn''t have anything to do with her? Huh!" Diane looked up and down at ra and sneered, "if it has nothing to do with her, why does she copy Laura''s style?" Everyone turned to ra. ra''s outfit was quite different today. Her clothes, even including her outfit, was somehow simr to Laura''s in the video. People started to question if ra was a copycat. As Horace''s wife, she tried to copy his ex''s style, which meant that¡­ It felt like a lightbulb moment for all. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "ra, do you feel inferior to Horace''s beautiful ex? Why? Are you afraid that Horace may get bored of you? That''s why copy Laura''s style, because you want to keep Horace''s heart." Diane said rudely, "I used to think that Horace loves you so much... Well, well, well!" Diane hypocritically shook her head and stared her down. ra felt extremely embarrassed, but she couldn''t refute. Even herself felt that her dress today was very simr to Laura''s. Judging from Logan''s appearance, ra knew that Laura must be very good-looking. But ra was still constantly amazed by her beauty. Compared to Laura, she wasn''t outstanding nor pretty. Plus, she was an illegitimate daughter. It was obvious that Laura was the best match for Horace not only in terms of appearance but also family background. The gap between her and Laura was huge. Now she started to question if Horace really liked her? Although other colleagues, except Diane, didn''t say much, ra knew they were deep down excited. She felt like a copycat. People allughed at her, while she still acted like a clown. Grabbing her bag, ra almost ran out of the office. She came home, dazed and confused. Horace was in thepany, and the maid also asked for leave. She was the only one in the big house. She copsed into the sofa. ra wrapped herself with a nket. Then she sat there still and stared into the nk. After a long while, ra took out her phone and opened twitter. Twitter went crazy over the video. The first few trends were all about Horace, Laura and ra herself. ra watched the video over and over again. Though her heart fell into pieces, she couldn''t take her eyes off it. She scrolled down and saw people''sments. "Is it Horace''s ex? She''s so cute!" "Wow, she is in total contrast to Horace''s present wife. His taste has changed a lot. Is he on a light diet now after the feast?" "She is the perfect match for Horace! ra is only a gold digger. She is out of Horace''s league!" "ra Selman should leave Horace. Like thisment if you agree!" ¡­ Almost all of thements she saw said that she wasn''t good enough for Horace. It seemed that only people like Laura, who was talented and good-looking, deserved to be with him. ra didn''t want to see it anymore and log out. The moment she exited she saw a familiar avatar. She hurriedly opened the twitter again. ra confirmed it again that she read it right. The poster was Back2Past! Who was this Back2Past? why did this person have a video of Horace and Laura? Seemed like this video was filmed secretly, so this person must be on the spot that time. Was Back2Past their friend? Why did this person pay so much attention to her? Angry and perplexed, she DMed Back2Past. "Who the hell are you? Why did you post this video?" Soon, he replied to her. "The game has begun. It''s about time for things to return to their owners." "What do you mean? Who the hell are you!" "You''ll know soon. Don''t worry." Then Back2Past disappeared. No matter how hard she tried, the ount didn''t reply. ra angrily smashed the phone onto the sofa. She felt as if she was under someone''s surveince. He knew her well, but she was like a fool. This feeling made her uneasy and restless, as if she was about to lose something. Chapter 221 Is It Because of Laura? Chapter 221 Is It Because of Laura? The sound of the coded lock of the door came from outside. ra knew that it was Horace who had She didn''t go up to him with a smile and said, "You''re back." as usual. She bit her lower lip and still sat on the sofa, her body trembling slightly. When Horace opened the door, he saw that the light in the room was off, so he thought there was no one in the house. He turned on the light and went to the living room, only to find ra sitting on the sofa with her knees bent. "What''s wrong?" Horace obviously noticed that ra seemed to be in a very low mood today. However, ra didn''t look at him or answer him. She lowered her head as if she didn''t hear his words. Thinking that maybe it was because something went wrong with her at work, Horace, who was about to Before he could say anything tofort her, Horace frowned. "Why are you still wearing this kind of clothes? This style is really not suitable for you. Try something else when you''re shopping next time/" Hearing Horace''s words, the anger and grievance in ra''s heart finally could not be suppressed. The tears that she had been holding back all this time finally fell down her cheeks and then on the sofa. Suddenly, there was a water stain on the leather sofa. ra turned her head to look at Horace. Her eyes were full of anger and stubbornness as if there was a fire burning in them. "Not suitable for me?" Suppressing her voice, ra said with rare sarcasm, "Who do you think is suitable? Laura?" Hearing Laura''s name, Horace''s eyes flickered slightly. He did not answer ra''s question. Instead, he asked, "What happened to you today?" As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, trying to wipe away ra''s tears. "Are those clothes what Laura likes?" Pushing Horace''s hand away, ra suddenly stood up from the sofa and looked emotionally. "That''s why you said it''s not suitable for me!" "What''s going on?" Horace couldn''t understand why ra was suddenly so emotional. He was also a bit irritated and couldn''t help but be serious. "You still like Laura, don''t you?" ra stared into Horace''s eyes and asked. Hearing this, Horace''s eyes dimmed. After a moment of silence, he looked seriously into ra''s eyes. "That was past. You are the one I love now." "Then why don''t you like me wearing clothes like this? Isn''t it because I look like her in this way?" It turned out that it was because of the clothes. Horace patiently coaxed ra. "If you like to wear those clothes, I won''t say anything more in the future. That''s all my fault, okay?" Hearing Horace''s words, ra was angry instead of pleased. "Horace, do you think I''m talking about clothes? You didn''t forget Laura at all. You always have her in your heart, don''t you?" Seeing that ra was a little persistent, Horace pursed his lips tightly and stared at ra. He did not say anything more. Horace had never seen such a rude and unreasonable ra. In his impression, she had always been gentle and considerate, so he did not know how to deal with her for a while. Moreover, Horace was usually such a proud person. It was the first time in his life that someone had pointed at his nose and questioned him in such a way. It was also under the circumstances that he thought he was right. His self-esteem did not allow him to yield again and again. Following Horace''s silence, the surroundings descended into suffocating silence. Hum...Hum... At this moment, his phone vibrated. Horace nced at his phone. It was Isaac. He walked over and picked up his phone. His voice was terrifyingly low. "What''s the matter?" "Mr. Kirnd, there has been a malicious acquisition case in our foreign branchpany. Now the person in charge of it wants to invite you toe over and discuss the countermeasures," Isaac said anxiously on the other side of the phone. He did not notice that Horace was in a bad mood. After a moment of silence, Horace said to the phone, "Okay,e and pick me up now." Maybe it was better for them to be separated for a while, so they could both calm down. After hanging up the phone, Horace looked at ra, who was still staring at him angrily. After a pause, he said, "There is something wrong with the foreignpany now. I need to deal with it." After a long time, Horace did not hear any response from ra. He opened his mouth and tried to say something several times. In the end, he kept silent and turned to walk to the bedroom. After packing up some of his necessities, Horace went downstairs, picked up his coat that he had just taken off, and walked to the door. When he changed his shoes, opened the door, and was about to go out, Horace turned around and looked at ra for a moment. His expression was unclear, and there seemed to be helplessness in his eyes. "ra, Laura is dead." After saying this, Horace left the house. "So, it''s you who''s with me now, and it''s also you who''ll stay with me for the rest of my life. You''re my everything, and Laura is just my past." "ra, don''t you understand these things?" Horace didn''t say those words out loud. Hearing what Horace said before leaving, ra squatted on the ground and burst into tears with her hands around her knees. "That''s right. Laura is dead. How can Ipete with a dead woman?" She thought. ra knew that she was being unreasonable today. Horace had never concealed anything about him and Laura from her. Laura had even gotten into trouble because of Horace. She shouldn''t have done this. However, the frequency of Laura''s appearance in their lives recently was too high. With the perfume, the flowers and the clothes Laura liked, the overwhelming news on the Inte, and Horace''s attitude toward these things, ra felt that she was about to be driven crazy. She carelessly took off her clothes and threw them into the trash can on the side. ra rushed into the bathroom and turned on the tap. Ignoring the coldness of the water, she rubbed her face hard, hoping to wash away all the traces of Laura and her tears. After taking a shower, ra was dressed in pajamas and curled up on the bed alone. Looking at the empty bedroom, she couldn''t help but bury her face between her legs and burst into tears again. She didn''t know how she fell asleep. The next morning, ra was woken up by a phone call. Without looking at the caller ID, she answered the phone directly. "Hey." After saying this, ra realized that her voice was extremely hoarse. "ra, is that you?" The person on the other side of the phone seemed to be a little uncertain when he heard the voice. "Um, grandpa, it''s me. What''s wrong?" Hearing that it was Russell''s voice, ra hurriedly sat up and took the phone away. After a few coughs, she took the phone and responded. "Are you sick? Why do you sound so hoarse?" "No, Grandpa. I''m fine. Don''t worry." "It''s good that you''re fine. Young people need to take good care of their bodies. Don''t you understand?" Russell was still worried and reminded her. "About the thing, you asked me to investigatest time, there is a result now. I''m afraid I can''t make it Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. clear on the phone. Come to my ce. I want to talk to you face to face." Russell''s voice sounded quite serious. Chapter 222 Theres a Third Person Chapter 222 There''s a Third Person Hearing that there was a clue about Horace''s kidnapping case, ra was very anxious. "Okay, grandpa, I''ll be there soon." After hanging up the phone, ra forced herself to get up, quickly tidied up, and went to the Kirnd''s old house. In the study. "Sit down. Look at this first." Russell handed ra a file bag. She hurriedly took out the file inside and began to read it carefully. After she finished reading it, shock and disbelief had already written all over her face. It turned out that in the fire scene that year, in addition to the traces of Horace''s departure, there was also evidence of another person''s departure. However, there were only Horace and Laura at the fire scene at that time. Laura was dead and Horace escaped. Who was the other person? "Grandpa, what''s going on?" She looked at Russell in confusion. "How could there be another person leaving?" ncing at ra, Russell replied, "In fact, there was an explosion in the fire at that time. Laura''s body had long been destroyed and could not be identified. It was difficult to do a DNAparison identification. In the end, ording to the remaining hair found at the scene, it was confirmed that the body at that time was Laura. "So, it''s very likely that Laura wasn''t the one who died at that time." Russell''s eyes became sharp. If that was the case, then what happened ten years ago was definitely not a simple abduction. There must be other secrets. He snorted. When he found out who dared to frame his grandson like this, he would make them suffer. Hearing Russell''s words, ra was shocked. She wanted to say something, but she really didn''t know what to say. For a moment, she couldn''t digest what her grandfather said. Could it be that... Laura wasn''t dead? It was impossible. If she hadn''t died, why hadn''t she appeared for such a long time? Why did everyone think that she had died in the fire? However, what if she really didn''t die? ra immediately thought of this. If she was really still alive, would shee back to look for Horace? At that time, what would Horace do and what would she do? "This matter is not clear yet, and everything now is just spection." Looking at the somewhat absent- minded ra, Russell could probably guess what she was thinking. "Don''t think too much. I will get someone to continue the investigation..." ra, who was lost in her thoughts, did not hear what Russell said next, nor did she know how she left the Kirnd house. On the way, the more she thought about it, the more confused she felt. She wanted to call Horace to talk about it. She took out her mobile phone and found Horace''s number, but she didn''t call him for a long time. Thinking that she had just quarreled with Horace yesterday, ra hesitated a few times and finally turned off the phone. After a while, ra took out his mobile phone and dialed a number. Apart from him, ra couldn''t think of anyone else who could discuss this matter. "ra? What''s the matter?" Logan was a little surprised when he received ra''s call. "Where are you now? I have something to tell you." "I''m in thepany now. What''s the matter? Is it very important?" Hearing the seriousness in ra''s tone, Logan became serious. "Let''s talk about it when we meet. I''ll find you now." "Do you know where mypany is? Do you want me to pick you up?" "No, I know the ce. You can wait for me at the cafe downstairs thepany. See youter." After hanging up the phone, ra immediately rushed to Logan''spany. When she arrived, Logan was already waiting for her in the cafe. After ra sat down, Logan smiled and said, "I don''t know your taste, so I ordered Blue Mountain for you. Do you like it?" "Sure, thank you." ra also smiled at Logan. She picked up the coffee in front of her and took a sip. The slightly bitter taste made her uneasy heart calm down a little, and her thoughts gradually calmed down. "Why do you want to see me?" Logan knew that there had to be something important. Otherwise, ra wouldn''t be looking for him. After a brief moment of silence, ra told Logan about the information she had obtained from Russell. Hearing ra''s words, Logan couldn''t believe it and didn''t speak for a long time. "Tell me, could it be that your sister didn''t die and escaped?" After thinking for a moment, ra finally looked at Logan and asked. "But, if Laura is still alive, why hasn''t shee to me for so many years? After all, I am her only rtive in the world." Logan couldn''t understand. Was Laura really alive? Then why didn''t shee to find him? ra didn''t understand either. Then, the two of them didn''t say anything else and sank into their own thoughts. After a long silence, ra heard Logan''s somewhat absent-minded murmur. "Laura''s death anniversary ising soon..." ra raised her head and looked at Logan. The person on the other side was full of undisguised sadness, which made people want to go forward and give him aforting hug. After sitting in silence for a while, ra said goodbye to Logan and returned home. When she went back to look at the empty vi, she felt very upset. After sitting on the sofa for a while, ra went upstairs and found a small suitcase. After simply packing up a few pieces of her clothes, she took the suitcase and left the vi. When she arrived at the small apartment where her mother lived, ra stood in front of the door and rang the doorbell. The one who opened the door was the nanny who helped to take care of her mother. "ra? What a surprise." The nanny felt a little strange when she saw that ra was carrying a suitcase. "This is..." Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "I''m here to see mom." While speaking, ra pulled her suitcase into the door. "Give it to me." The nanny quickly took the suitcase in her hand, and ra smiled at her gratefully. After turning around, ra did not see her mother in the living room. The nanny pointed in the direction of the bedroom. ra nodded knowingly and looked at the door of the bedroom. Helena was resting. "How''s my mom doing recently?" ra asked the nanny in a low voice, afraid that she would wake Helena up. Hearing ra''s question, the nanny shook her head and sighed. Seeing this, ra immediately became a little anxious. "Is there anything wrong with my mother''s health?" "Your mother has been absent-minded from time to time these days, and she doesn''t sleep well. She sat on the sofa in the middle of the night yesterday. I asked her what happened, but she didn''t say anything. "Moreover, she hasn''t been eating much in the past two days. When she got up this morning, she had a small bowl of porridge. No matter how hard I tried to persuade her, she didn''t listen. She only said that she didn''t have the appetite. Well, she justy down and rested for a while." Hearing the nanny''s words, ra looked at the door of the bedroom with worry. Chapter 223 Moms Unusualness Chapter 223 Mom''s Unusualness At about four o''clock in the afternoon, Helena finally woke up. Seeing ra move in and live with her, she was also a little confused. "You moved in. What about Horace?" "He''s not at home on a business trip, so I just want to apany you." She didn''t want to tell her mother about her and Horace, so she just prevaricated. "Mom, how''s your health recently? I heard from your nanny that you haven''t been eating muchtely." "It''s okay. I know my own body. I''m fine." Helena smiled and touched ra''s head. "It''s nice that you''re here. I miss you too. You can just stay for a few more days." "Yes." ra replied and hugged Helena. She really wanted to hug her mother and cry, telling her all her grievances and sadness, but she couldn''t and didn''t want her mother to worry. "Mom, I missed you too." "My sweetheart," Helena said with a smile, but she suddenly thought of something. She held ra in her arms and was a little absent-minded. After staying in Helena''s apartment for a few days, she talked andughed with her mother every day, which made ra feel much better. That night, ra was in a daze, holding her mobile phone in her room. He was wondering if she should call Horace or send a text message to him. However, she felt that she was not in the wrong about this matter. Since he had not called her, why should she call him? It was as if she did something wrong. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed that there was nothing wrong with Horace. Just as she was struggling with what to do, she suddenly heard a loud thumping from the bathroom. ra was shocked. She put down her phone and ran to the bathroom. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Helena lying on the ground with a painful look. She covered her head with her hand, and blood kept flowing out between her fingers. There was also some blood on the corner of the table. She must have fallen down identally when she was going to the toilet, and her head just bumped onto the corner of the table. "Mom, how are you? Are you all right..." ra hurriedly ran over to help Helena up. Her voice sounded like she was about to cry. Helena was in so much pain that she couldn''t speak. Her facial features were tightly knitted together. Looking at Helena''s painful face, ra felt at a loss. In a panic, she could only cover the bleeding part of her head with a towel, and then quickly called 120 and sent her to the nearest hospital. In the ambnce, ra held her mother''s hand anxiously, for fear that something would happen to her. She wanted to find a doctor in the hospital to arrange treatment for her mother immediately, but she didn''t know any doctors in this hospital. At this time, the first person she thought of was Horace. She took out her phone and dialed Horace''s number. ra anxiously waited for Horace to answer the phone. "The number you dialed can''t be connected for the time being. Please callter." She called him several times in a row, but ra didn''t get through to Horace''s number. He couldn''t get through to Horace''s phone, and he didn''t know any people in the hospital. ra didn''t know what to do at this time. That''s right, Logan! It suddenly urred to her that given Logan''s status, he must have someone he knew in the hospital. Although he didn''t want to cause any trouble for Logan, there was really no other way in this situation. "Hey, ra, what''s wrong? It''s sote at night." When Logan''s clear voice sounded, ra felt an inexplicable warmth, and her heart finally calmed down a little. After her tensed nerves rxed a little, she could no longer hold back her tears. "Logan, my mom... My mom identally fell down just now, and her head hit the corner of the table. Now it''s bleeding. Can you help me contact the hospital..." ra was talking between sobs. When Logan heard that Helena was injured, he hurriedly sat up from the bed, put on his clothes, and rushed out of the door. "Don''t worry. Where are you now? I''ll be right there!" ra didn''t dare to dy and hurriedly reported her position. "We are on our way to the Pine Valley Medical Center. We''ll arrive soon." "Okay, don''t worry. Take good care of Aunt Helena first. I''ll call the hospital and arrange it now." Logan had already run to the garage and was starting the car. "Thank you, Logan." After thanking Logan, ra hung up the phone. Holding Helena''s hand, ra kept praying in her heart, "Mom, you must be safe." When they arrived at the hospital, there was already a doctor waiting at the door. Helena was quickly pushed into the emergency rescue room, and Logan also arrived. "Is Aunt... Helena ok?" Logan ran all the way to the hospital, panting. ra shook her head, and her tears could not help falling again. "I don''t know. I..." Logan patted ra on the back. "Don''t worry. Everything will be fine." Loganforted her. ra cried and nodded. The operating room''s lights were always on. ra looked at the closed door of the operating room restlessly. The door of the operating room suddenly opened a crack. A nurse came out in a hurry and asked anxiously, "Who is the patient''s family?" "Here! I''m her daughter." Hearing this, ra immediately stepped forward. "The patient is in an urgent situation and needs to be injected with blood. But the HP of the blood bank is insufficient now. Which one of you is the same as the patient''s blood type?" "I''m her daughter. You can use my blood." ra hurriedly rolled up her sleeves. "Do you know which blood type you are?" "I don''t know..." ra hated herself so much that he had never checked her blood type. "Okay, go and get ready with me immediately." The nurse hurried to the emergency room with ra, and Logan followed her. However, after the blood type-examination results came out, ra was told that her blood type was A, while Helena has type-O blood. The blood type did not match, so doctors could not let her inject blood into Helena. ra was stunned at that time. "It''s impossible. How could I have A-type blood?" She clearly remembered that Glenn Middleton was Type O, and her mother was also Type O. So how was that possible? But now she had no time to think about it. Maybe she remembered wrongly. "Then what should we do now?" Hearing that she couldn''t give Helena blood, ra lost her mind for a while. "I''m a Type O." Logan was delighted when he heard that Helena was also a Type O. He hurried forward and said, "I can give Aunt Helena blood." Looking at Logan gratefully, ra finally smiled. "Really? Logan, thank you." Logan patted ra''s shoulder infort, and then followed the nurse to do the relevant preparations before the blood transfusion. After waiting anxiously for about two hours, the lights in the operating room finally went out. The moment the door opened, ra immediately ran to the doctor and asked about his mother''s situation anxiously. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "The operation is very sessful. The patient is fine and wille out soon," the doctor said wearily as he took off his mask. "Thank you, doctor, thank you..." ra kept thanking the doctor, and her heart, which had been hanging for a whole night, finally settled down. Chapter 224 Lauras Death Anniversary Chapter 224 Laura''s Death Anniversary The next morning, Helena finally woke up. "Mom, you''re awake." Seeing Helena wake up, ra was both happy and worried. "How do you feel? Does the wound still hurt?" "I''m fine. I made you worry." Helena, who had just woken up, was still a little weak, and she spoke by breath. Looking at the nervous ra, Helena patted her hand with some difficulty. She felt a little guilty. She had no way to help her daughter. All these years, she had always been a burden to her and made her worry. She even lost her own happiness in marriage. In fact, in the past few days, how could Helena not see it? ra kept talking about Horace. Every time she mentioned Horace, ra just said a few perfunctory words and then quickly changed the topic. It was obvious that she had a conflict with Horace. Thinking of the reason why ra and Horace got married, Helena only felt that she owed this child too much. In the next few days, ra had been taking care of Helena in the hospital. ra found that since the operation, Helena seemed to be in a trance every once in a while, as if she had something on her mind. But every time she asked, Helena only said that she was fine, which made ra more worried about her. On this day, when Logan came to visit Helena, he found that she would throw a nce at him from time to time. Her eyes were full of struggle and sadness, as if she wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. Logan was a little confused. "Aunt Helena, do you have something to say to me?" he asked tentatively. Hearing Logan''s question, Helena fell silent. After a long silence, she nced at ra, not knowing whether she should ask or not. ra was a little confused by her gaze. What was wrong? Was her mom going to say something to Logan? Would she say it in front of her? "Laura... is her death anniversarying soon?" Helena struggled for a long time, but in the end, she hesitated to say it out loud. Hearing Helena''s question, Logan lowered his eyes. "Yes, it''s the day after tomorrow." There was a trace of sadness on his face. "I want to see Laura. Is it okay?" Helena asked cautiously, with a hint of pleading in her tone. At this moment, ra was taken aback. Why did her mom remember the date of Laura''s death? But then it urred to her that her mom used to work in the Hutchinson family, maybe she had taken care of Laura too. Hearing that Helena wanted to pay her respects to Laura, Logan was touched. "Of course, Aunt Helena. If Laura knew that you were going to see her, she would definitely be very happy." It seemed that in this world, other than him, there were people who were still thinking about Laura. Then he remembered that Helena had just had an operation. Logan was a little worried and asked, "Aunt Helena, you just finished the operation. Are you sure you can move? Don''t push yourself too hard." "Fine, I''m fine with it," Helena said anxiously as if she was afraid that Logan would go back on his word. "Cough cough... cough cough..." N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. She spoke in such a hurry that she choked. Helena began to cough violently. ra hurried forward to help her pat on her back. Seeing her coughing so hard, ra couldn''t help but worry. "Mom, you haven''t recovered yet, so don''t go. What if..." But before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Helena. "I''m really fine!" she seemed quite excited and coughed even harder. Seeing this, ra didn''t dare to say anything more. She was afraid that she would be more excited and that it would be bad if she pulled open the wound. Seeing that Helena had not fully recovered after the operation and was in a hurry to visit Laura''s grave, ra felt very upset. It seemed that the reason why her mother had been out of her mind these days was Laura. When she was kidnapped and hospitalized by Ashlee Middleton, Helena had never visited her. Although she did not want to let her run around at that time because she was afraid that she would be in poor health, she felt a little upset when she saw how anxious Helena was for Laura. Even Helena, who had only taken care of Laura for a short while, grew to like Laura so much, ra could imagine how outstanding Laura was. Thinking of this, ra recalled the scene in the video she saw that day. Laura smiled and closed her eyes to make a wish. That''s right. Who wouldn''t like such a beautiful angel? What''s more, it was Horace, who grew up with Laura. How could he forget her... Seeing that Helena insisted on going, although ra was not veryfortable in her heart, she could only allow her in the end. "Okay, but I want to go with you. If you go alone, I won''t be at ease." "Don''t worry, I''ll arrange for a doctor toe with us." Logan didn''t expect Helena to have such deep feelings for Laura. Hearing that both of them had agreed, a smile appeared on Helena''s face. ra quickly helped her lie down and rest. Two dayster, ra apanied Helena to visit Laura''s grave. Logan drove to the hospital early in the morning and took them to the cemetery where Laura was. The cemetery was very quiet. There were rows of lush white trees on both sides of the road. From time to time, the crisp cries of birds could be heard, but it did not make people rxed. On the contrary, they felt more depressed. Laura''s grave was further inside the graveyard. They got out of the car and walked for a while before arriving at the destination. ra gently ced the white roses that she had bought on the tombstone. On the photo, Laura was smiling like a flower, which caused a stirring of emotions in ra''s chest. She took two steps back and looked back. Helena had already burst into tears. ra walked over and took out a handkerchief to wipe Helena''s tears. Soon, her handkerchief was all soaked. Looking at Helena, who was crying so hard that she couldn''t control herself, ra didn''t know how to While ra was staring at Laura''s photo in a daze, a group of reporters suddenly rushed over from all directions and quickly surrounded her. One by one, the microphones were aimed at her like guns and cannons. "Mrs. Kirnd, may I ask why you are here to visit Laura''s grave? Does Mr. Kirnd know you are here?" "Excuse me, did the video that went viral on the Inte affect your rtionship?" "Mrs. Kirnd, may I ask how you think of Laura Hutchinson..." "Mrs. Kirnd, what kind of mentality do you have toe here? Horace and Laura used to love each other so much. Aren''t you jealous?" "Excuse me..." Chapter 225 Unexpected Guests Chapter 225 Unexpected Guests The crazy shing cameras and one question after another caught ra, who was still immersed in her thoughts, unprepared. How could there be so many reporters here? "I..." ra didn''t know what to say. Although she often interviewed others, it was the first time that she was asked by reporters like this. She only felt that her head was nk, her heart seemed to stop beating, and her body was trembling slightly. Seeing that ra had been silent, how could those reporters who had been waiting for a long time let her go so easily? They knew that today was the anniversary of Laura''s death, but they had been waiting in the cemetery for a long time. Originally, they just wanted to take a few photos of Laura''s tombstone. Before thest heat of the video incident heat dissipated, they tried to add more news to their magazine. However, they did not expect that God would be willing to help them find out that ra hade to pay respects to Laura. This time, their magazine sales had not only increased a little but also doubled! At that time, they would be meritorious officials, and the promotion and sry would not be a problem. They had already thought of the title for the news story¡ª "Horace''s new wife paying respects to his ex-girlfriend, WHY?" "A love contest between life and death!" "Horace can''t forget his old love. His wife showed up on the anniversary of his ex''s death!" ... In short, the title should be the more powerful the better, the more eye-catching the better. No matter what ra said today, as long as she spoke, no, even if she didn''t say a word, they could find a way to draw the attention of the public to the direction they wanted. "Mrs. Kirnd, could you please answer our questions?" "Mrs. Kirnd, what do you want to say? Everyone is curious!" "That''s right, Mrs. Kirnd. Don''t you have any thoughts about thest video?" ... The reporters became more and more tightly surrounded. Soon, ra was squeezed to the point that she couldn''t even stand straight. Her body swayed with the surging of the reporters around her. She tied-up hair had loosened, and her high heels had been rubbed off. There was a sharp pang on her feet, and she didn''t know how many times she had been stepped on... "Get out of the way, get out of the way!" Logan shouted and pushed away the reporters around ra. It took him a lot of effort to get to ra''s side. Logan held ra in his arms and looked coldly at the reporters around him. "Today is the anniversary of Laura''s death. ra just came to worship her. She has no other purpose and has received my permission before." "Then may I ask, Mr. Hutchinson, why did you agree to let your sister''s boyfriend''s wife pay her respects?" Hearing Logan''s exnation, a reporter quickly handed the microphone to Logan, his face full of excitement. "Aren''t you afraid that Miss Hutchinson would be sad when she sees her? After all, they are rivals in love." The other reporters also hurriedly aimed the microphone at Logan, waiting for his response. "Which newspaper are you from?" Logan''s expression was as cold as icy water. "Do you want me to visit your magazine?" Hearing Logan''s words, the noisy reporter slowly quieted down and looked at each other, not daring to ask anything more. Although the Hutchinson family was not as influential as before, a lean camel was bigger than a horse. It was more than enough to deal with a small magazine like theirs. "Today is the death anniversary of my sister." Logan''s voice was obviously angry as he nced at the people around him. "I don''t want her to be disturbed. Please leave as soon as possible!" Although they didn''t achieve their goal, those reporters didn''t want to bring trouble themselves. They didn''t want to lose their job because they couldn''t make any achievements. No matter how unwilling they were, they could only leave at this time. "Are you okay?" Logan looked at ra and asked worriedly. In front of him, ra''s hair was messy, and her clothes were wrinkled. Her feet without shoes were full of shoe prints. Some parts of his skin had been trampled, and blood mixed with dust was flowing down... Shaking her head, ra forced a smile and said, "Thank you." N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. The two of them, who had just let out a sigh of relief, suddenly heard a reporter who was about to leave shouting, "Horace!" ra suddenly raised her head and looked in the direction of the voice. She opened her eyes wide in disbelief. Tears rolled in her eyes and were about to fall. He was wearing an iron-gray suit and a ck windbreaker on the outside. He was thin but tall. Although he looked a little tired, he could not hide his outstanding facial features. He could attract everyone''s attention just by standing there, which made people couldn''t help looking at him. Who else could it be if it wasn''t Horace? Looking at Horace, who was standing not far away, ra couldn''t help but feel sad. He was not there when he was crying in the quilt because of grievance and jealousy; he was not there when she wanted to discuss it with him after she heard that Laura might not have died, she did not know what to do; he was not there when Helena came to the hospital because of injury, and she was anxious and did not know what to do. Now, on the anniversary of Laura''s death, he came back in a hurry. Did this mean that in Horace''s heart, she, ra, could notpare with Laura? That''s right. raughed at herself in her heart. How could shepare with Laura? However, when Horace looked at ra and Logan, his eyes were full of anger. He clenched his fists tightly and stared at the hand on ra''s waist with a gloomy face. Previously, he wanted to protect ra from being pushed down. After that, ra''s foot was injured again, so Logan had been half holding ra. At this moment, his hand was on ra''s waist. The moment he saw Horace, the anger in Logan''s heart instantly rose. Unexpectedly, Horace dared toe to Laura''s grave! If it weren''t for him, how could Laura lose her life at such a young age? Although at this moment, when the reporters saw the scene of Horace and Logan ring at each other, their eyes were filled with the light of gossip, no one dared toe forward and ask questions. Other than the cold aura emanating from Horace at this moment, the low pressure around him could freeze people to death. The two identities¡ªthe Kirnd''s Second Young Master and the CEO of Solrace¡ªwere enough to intimidate the reporters. Different from Logan, who was barely able to keep his family business running, Horace Kirnd was like the sun at its peak. Even if they were given a hundred times the courage, they would not dare to offend him. Horace and Logan, whose eyes were zing with fire, ra who bit her lips and looked at Horace with tears in her eyes, and the reporters, who did not dare to go forward and were reluctant to leave¡ª the atmosphere was weirdly awkward. At this time, a woman appeared in everyone''s sight. "Oh my god!" Seeing the sudden appearance of the woman, the people present couldn''t help eximing. Chapter 226 Ten Years Had Passed Chapter 226 Ten Years Had Passed The knee-length white gauze dress perfectly outlined the woman''s waist. She wore a pair of pink high heels, which made her legs look even more delicate and bright. She held a palm-sized silver handbag in her hand, and her short hair gently stuck to both sides of her cheeks. The jewelry all over her body was only a thin diamond ne on her neck, which was slightly shining, which made her neck look more slender and charming. She was indescribably noble and elegant. The woman''s facial features were even more exquisite and incredible. Her eyebrows were spotlessly ck, and her lips were red. The most beautiful words were not enough to describe her face that nobody would forget once they had seen it. Some reporters couldn''t help raising the cameras in their hands, wanting to record the woman''s every move. Then, more reporters joined in. Suddenly, the cameras kept shing in front of the woman. The whole scene looked like a super star entering on stage. However, the woman did not panic at all. She continued to walk toward them with a smile. Noticing that the reporters were starting to stir again, ra looked away from Horace and turned her head to see what had happened. After seeing the person who came, ra was a little confused. ine? Why would shee? Moreover, ra found that today''s ine was very different from usual. Usually, ine would dress like a chic businessdy with exquisite makeup and a smart hair-cut, which showedpetence and ambition. Today, she was wearing a gorgeous girl-style dress, which was very simr to the dress she had chosen for ra in the mall. Besides, she was only wearing light nude makeup. She looked like an 18- year-old girl. When she saw her just now, ra almost didn''t recognize her. Although the style was different, it could not be denied that the feeling of ine was still so amazing. ra even felt that today''s dress was more suitable for her temperament of ine herself, which made her look particrly clean and pure. However, as she looked at the ine that was walking toward her, she always felt that there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity. This kind of ine was very much like a person, but she couldn''t figure out who it was exactly for a moment. Feeling that Logan''s hand loosened, ra was a little unsteady. She quickly stepped on the ground with her injured foot to prevent herself from falling down. "Hiss." A wave of intense pain rang through the air. ra couldn''t help but suck in a breath of cold air. ra looked at Logan in confusion. She noticed that Logan''s face was full of shock. He opened his mouth slightly and stared nkly at the walking ine. She did not know whether he was happy or sad. He turned his head to look at Horace and saw that he was also looking at ine with a shocked expression. His eyes were wide open and filled with disbelief. It was rare for him to change his poker face. Helena rubbed her red and swollen eyes, and her lips moved slightly. Nobody knew what she was whispering, and ra couldn''t hear it clearly either. She just vaguely seemed to hear the words "impossible" and "how could this be?" She didn''t know why they had this kind of reaction when they saw ine. Although ine was very beautiful, the reaction of the three of them was too strange. ra felt that she was the only one who was most familiar with ine, so she should havee forward to greet her. Enduring the pain, she stuffed her swollen feet into the high-heeled shoes and limped to her side of ine. "ine, why are you here?" ra stepped forward and asked. She thought to herself, "Does ine know Laura as well? Is she also here to pay her respects?" Unexpectedly, the usually enthusiastic ine didn''t seem to notice her. She walked past her and continued to walk forward. Her gaze didn''t fall on her for even a moment. For a moment, ra didn''t know what to do. It was not appropriate for her to stand still or turn around and call out to ine. Her face was flushed red, and she hated that she couldn''t find a hole to hide in at this moment. Just when ra stood there awkwardly and didn''t understand why there was such a big change in her attitude toward her today, a sentence came from behind her, which made her immediately freeze on the spot. "Brother, Horace, I''mte. I''m sorry for making you all wait for me for ten years." He walked up to Horace and Logan and said in a soft voice. Brother? Hearing the way he addressed Logan, ra''s breathing became rapid. Who was she?! Why did she call Logan brother? "Laura..." Staring at the woman in front of him, Logan was a little absent-minded. Gradually, there was ecstasy in Logan''s eyes. He took a step forward and stepped in front of ine. He reached out his hand to hold her shoulder, but hesitated and did not dare to touch the woman in front of him. After a while, his hand finally fell, and the real touch made Logan''s eyes slightly warm. "Are, are you Laura?" Logan''s trembling voice showed how excited he was. "Laura, is it you? You didn''t die?" Logan wanted to believe it but couldn''t believe it. He repeatedly asked the woman in front of him, hoping that she could give him an answer, but he was afraid to hear her answer. "Brother, I''m sorry, I..." ine looked at Logan with tears in her eyes. For a moment, she couldn''t say any words. Hearing the woman in front of him call him "Brother", Logan could no longer hold back his excitement and hugged her. "Laura!" He pushed the woman in his arms away a little. Logan looked at the woman''s face with joy. "Is it real? It''s really you! Laura..." "I''m sorry, brother, I''m sorry... I made you worry for so long." Tears flowed down Laura''s beautiful face. "It''s okay, as long as youe back..." Logan was not in the mood to think about what was going on. He hugged Laura tightly. He only knew that his sister was not dead, and his Laura was back. It turned out that it was really her. Seeing this scene, ra could not hide the shock in her heart. Her grandfather''s spection at that time was right. Laura was really not dead. In the blink of an eye, he turned to look at Horace. ra noticed that Horace was also looking at Laura Content held by N?velDrama.Org. in a daze. From the moment Laura appeared, his eyes had never left her. Upon hearing her conversation with Logan and confirming that she was Laura, Horace''s eyes were filled with joy. Laura was still alive, so Horace must be very happy. ra looked at Horace and thought to herself. Her hands could not help but tremble slightly. She clenched her hands tightly and dug her nails into her palms. However, ra did not seem to feel any pain. At this moment, the surrounding reporters also came to their senses and rushed in the direction of Laura crazily. What kind of luck did they have today? They actually managed to catch up with such an explosive piece of news! He had no time to worry about the power of the Hutchinson''s and Horace. The reporters threw out questions to Laura one after another. What big news! A woman came back to life. If they did not interview them on such a big piece of news, would they be worthy of their identity as a tabloid reporter? Chapter 227 Reborn from The Dead Chapter 227 Reborn from The Dead "Are you really Miss Laura Hutchinson?" "Miss Hutchinson, what exactly happened to the kidnapping case back then? How did you manage to escape?" "Since you''re still alive, Miss Cheng, why haven''t you appeared for so many years? Why do you make everyone misunderstand that you''ve passed away? "May I know where you have been these years..." ... The noise seemed to rush out of the sky, and the scene suddenly fell into chaos. Sooner orter, Horace walked toward Laura before the reporters rushed over. At this moment, he was protecting Laura with Logan, afraid that she would be hurt by the people around her. Watching Horace try his best to push away the reporters while hugging Laura with concern and worry, ra lowered her head and looked at her feet. Fear rose from the bottom of her heart. She bit her lips tightly to prevent herself from shivering. Seeing that Horace and Logan were protecting Laura, they did not even have the chance to interview her, however, their thoughts turned and they ran toward ra after they saw her. "Mrs. Kirnd, do you know that Miss Laura is still alive?" "Mrs. Kirnd, why didn''t youe with Mr. Kirnd before?" "Did you know that Horace woulde to pay his respects to Laura? Does this mean that there is indeed something wrong with your rtionship with your husband..." ... More and more reporters ran over to ra''s side. While asking questions, they pushed ra towards Horace and the others. They wanted to take photos of the four of them. Even if they did not respond, these photos were enough to attract everyone''s attention. Soon, ra, Horace, Logan and Laura were surrounded. Seeing the chaos at the scene, the few people Logan brought along to help with the arrangement recovered from the shock that Laura had brought them. They hurried to walk forward to stop the reporters. They formed a circle and protected Horace and the other three. They moved slowly in the direction of the car and finally arrived at the side of it. "Young Master,dies, please go. Leave this to us." After several people helped them get in the car, they lined up, trying to stop the reporters who were about to rush up. But after all, they were outnumbered. The reporters soon surrounded them and kept hitting the windows. The car couldn''t be driven at all. "Young Master, what should we do now?" The driver had never dealt with such a situation. He turned around and looked anxiously at Logan. Logan couldn''t think of a solution at the moment. He couldn''t rush out. If he bumped into someone, it would only make the situation worse. Looking at the fanatical faces outside the car window, Horace''s eyes shed with a hint of haze. He motioned for the driver to get out of the way and Horace himself sat in the driver''s seat. Seeing that there were fewer people behind the car in the rearview mirror, Horace suddenly turned back, stepped on the clutch, and the car rushed forward. The reporters didn''t expect that the car would dash forward directly, and they ran to both sides in fear. For them, the news was very important; it was rted to their career and sry, but they couldn''t risk their lives either. Seeing the reporters who had been blocking the car with their lives just now scatter away, Horace''s mouth curved into a sneer, and then the car quickly disappeared from everyone''s sight. At the Hutchinson''s house. Horace, ra, Logan, and Laura were sitting in the living room. No one spoke for a long time. After serving them tea, the servant left the room and disturbed them no more. Logan wanted to ask where Laura had been all these years and why she hadn''te to find her brother. However, after ten years, so many things had happened, that he didn''t know where to start. "Laura, what happened that year? Why did you disappear when I woke up?" In the end, it was Horace who spoke first. Now, he had already calmed down from the shock and asked Laura directly. "I..." Perhaps Horace''s impassive tone sounded like he was questioning her, or maybe Laura didn''t Content held by N?velDrama.Org. know how to exin herself. After saying a single word, Laura lowered her head and stopped speaking. Her expression couldn''t be seen clearly. "Laura, what''s going on?" Logan was a little anxious when he saw Laura lowering her head and saying nothing. He was eager to know what the beginning and end of this matter were. "Where have you been these years? Why didn''t youe back to me?" Laura did not answer Logan''s question. Instead, she raised her head and looked at Horace. Her eyes were filled with nervousness and anticipation. "Horace, do you believe me?" "What exactly happened back then?" Horace asked in reply. Laura looked away in disappointment when she did not hear Horace''s reply. "Actually, I''m not very clear about what happened ten years ago. At that time, something happened to me..." Laura told him about what had happened little by little. It turned out that on the day when the warehouse was on fire 10 years ago, a cleaner happened to be working in that area. Spotting the mes not far away, he quickly ran over to see what was going on. When he reached the ce, he found that the warehouse was on fire. His first reaction was to find someone to put out the fire. However, through the fire, he seemed to have seen a vague figure in the warehouse. At that time, the fire was not very big, so the cleaner rushed in to have a look. What if there was really someone? That was a human life! Sure enough, when he went in, he saw a young man and a woman tied up with ropes and lying unconscious on the ground. He had no time to think about what was going on. It was more important to save them. He went forward to untie the ropes for them and dragged the girl out first. After putting the girl in a safe ce, he hurried back to save the boy. As soon as he ran to the door of the warehouse before he could enter, the door of the warehouse was burned down in front of him. Frightened by the door in front of him, he hurriedly stepped back a few steps. Looking at the zing fire in front of him, he struggled in his heart for a while. In the end, he did not dare to take the risk to save the boy but first sent the girl to the hospital. "When I woke up, I found myself in the hospital, but I couldn''t remember anything. I didn''t know who I was, nor did I know why I was in the hospital. The nurse in the hospital told me that it was a cleaner in his 40s who sent me to the hospital. The cleaner told me everything." After that, Laura looked at Horace sincerely, as if she was afraid that he would not believe her words. However, Horace stared at the teacup in front of him with an unfathomable expression. No one knew what he was thinking, but he did not look at her. Chapter 228 Ten Years of experience Chapter 228 Ten Years of experience "Then where have you been for the past years? Do you still remember who I am now?" Logan hurriedly pulled her body back when he heard that Laura had lost her memory. He looked at her and asked, afraid that she would forget her brother. "Brother." Laura didn''t know whether tough or cry. "If I''ve forgotten who you are, why would Ie back to find you?" Logan did not realize that he had asked such a stupid question. When he heard that Laura still remembered him, he let out a sigh of relief. "What happened after that? Where did you go?" "After I was discharged from the hospital, I didn''t know where I should go. I didn''t have money, so I had to find a restaurant to apply for a job. They saw me as a fit, so they let me have an internship first." "One time when the dishes were served, I identally spilled the soup on a male guest. The guest thought I was..." Laura paused and did not continue, but everyone understood what she meant. Logan''s face became even colder. "Then he started to feel me up. I was so angry that I picked up the water on the table and sshed it on him. He saw that I was tough, so he stopped touching me, but he insisted on the restaurant firing me. Seeing this scene, a couple, who were eating in the restaurant, stood up and spoke for me. But in the end, I was fired. The couple was very dissatisfied with the restaurant''s way of doing things, but they had no choice but tofort me. During the conversation, they knew my situation and felt sorry for me. They said that their only daughter had just passed away by ident. Since I couldn''t remember my family and had no one to rely on, they wanted to recognize me as their goddaughter and live with them in the future. I didn''t know what to do, so I promised them. Later, I moved abroad with them and lived there all these years." Logan''s heart ached when he heard about Laura''s experiences over the years. As the daughter of the Hutchinson''s, she should have been doted on by him. "Laura, you''ve suffered too much these years." Laura smiled at Logan. "Over the years, foster parents have devoted their feelings for their daughter to me. They''ve treated me very well. Brother, you don''t have to worry." Afterforting Logan, Laura continued, "A few months ago, when I was traveling with a few friends, I identally fell down and hit my head on a stone. I fainted on the spot." "When I woke up, I suddenly found that I had a lot of memories of the past. Only then did I know who I was, and then I immediately came back from abroad to find you." "It''s just..." ncing at Horace, Laura lowered her eyes again and said in a low voice, "I just didn''t expect that..." Although Laura didn''t finish her sentence, who wouldn''t understand what she wanted to say? She just didn''t expect that Horace was already married. Seeing the sorrow, helplessness, and someints in Laura''s eyes when she looked at him, Horace''s heart was moved. After a moment of silence, Horace said to Laura, "It''s good that you''re fine." However, his expression was indifferent, as if he was treating a friend that he hadn''t seen for many years, not his former lover. Laura''s heart ached when she saw that Horace had only said this sentence and had not shown much concern for her. Could it be that he had forgotten her and fallen in love with ra just like the rumors had said? Laura forced herself to put away her inner emotions. She stood up and walked to ra, who sat down on the sofa beside her. Laura gave an embarrassed smile. "ra, I didn''t mean to hide it from you. When I heard that Horace was getting married, I was really curious about his wife, so when your editor-in-chief said that he wanted to interview me, I asked you to do that." "After chatting with you, I found that you are a good person. I really treat you as a good friend and a good sister. I am afraid that after I tell you my identity, you will no longer be willing to be with me. I don''t want to lose you as a friend." "ra, I like you very much. I also feel that you and Horace are a perfect match. If Horace likes you, I''ll wish you and Horace a happy life, from the bottom of my heart." Taking ra''s hand, Laura said cautiously, "So, could you please not me me?" Seeing Laura exining to herself with guilt and care, ra didn''t know how to respond for a moment. She could only say, "No, how could I me you?" "I knew you''re the best." Laura smiled happily and took a step toward ra. "I was right about you." "Ouch." ra gasped. Just now, when Laura was leaning towards her, she identally kicked on the wound on her foot. A sharp pang came from her foot, making her frown. "What''s wrong?" Laura was a little surprised when she looked down at ra''s feet. "How did this happen?" "I''m fine." ra shook her head with a forced smile. In fact, she was going to die of pain. After such a long time, her feet had been swollen, and she wore high heels in the morning. The situation was so urgent just now, that she couldn''t walk barefoot. She could only put her injured foot into her shoes. Now her whole foot was itchy and painful. Only then did Horace notice that ra''s foot was injured. Frowning, he hurriedly walked up to ra. Horace squatted down, gently lifted ra''s ankle, and carefully helped her remove the high heels on her feet. In contrast to the gentle movements in his hands, Horace''s face was currently filled with seriousness, as well as a trace of self-me that was not noticed. After calling out to the servants outside, Horace instructed them to bring a basin of hot water and a towel over. Having wrung out towel that had been soaked in hot water, Horace carefully used it to wipe the mud and blood on ra''s feet. When he saw that ra''s leg had be more than twice as swollen as usual, and there were traces of blood on it, Horace couldn''t help but feel angry. Those reports! After wiping it clean, Horace took out a dry towel and wrapped it around ra''s feet. He stood up and N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. turned to Logan and Laura, saying, "We''ll go first." After that, Horace leaned over, picked ra up into a bridal carry and took her out of the door. Watching Horace treat ra''s wound so gently, he left with ra in his arms without looking back. He didn''t even look at her. Laura''s face turned cold and she pinched her palm hard with her fingertips. "Laura." Seeing that Laura''s eyes were filled with unwillingness and resentment, Logan said somewhat worriedly, "Horace is already married." Chapter 229 Lets Have a Talk Chapter 229 Let''s Have a Talk Upon hearing Logan''s words, the corners of Laura''s mouth curled into a mocking smile. "Brother, I miss you so much..." She turned around and hugged Logan tightly. Laura acted like a spoiled child just like before, just like she had never left for so many years. After returning home, Horace put ra on the sofa, then turned around, walked into the room, and took out a medicine box. Horace took over the alcohol with a cotton stick and carefully disinfected ra''s wound. "Err." The alcohol rubbed against her wound, and ra felt as if she had been bitten by a bee. She couldn''t help but pull back her foot. He used a little strength to fix ra''s ankle. Horace looked up at her and said, "Almost there, don''t move. Can''t let the wound be infected." His tone was gentle, and his eyes were full of love and worries. Looking down at Horace, who was treating her wound, ra thought of the scene in the cemetery where he protected Laura in his arms. She did not know whether she should be happy or sad. After wrapping the wound with bandages, Horace closed the first aid kit and ced it on the tea table beside him. He got up and sat down beside ra. "ra, let''s have a talk." Horace stared at ra seriously. "There are some things that I want to make clear to you. I..." "I''m thirsty. I want to drink some water." ra suddenly interrupted Horace. After that, she wanted to get up and go to the kitchen. "I''ll get it. Don''t move." Having stopped ra who was about to get up, Horace went to the kitchen to pick up a cup of warm water for her. Taking the cup, ra looked down at the water in the cup and drank it little by little. "ra, we..." After seeing ra slowly finish a ss of water, Horace spoke again. However, ra interrupted him again. "Horace, I want to take a shower first. I was surrounded by them just now and was covered in sweat. It''s ufortable." Horace looked at ra suspiciously and replied, "Okay, it''s not convenient for you to take a shower. I''ll help you." "There''s no need!" ra quickly refused. "I... I''ll be careful myself. Don''t worry, I''ll be fine." N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. "Let''s go." Ignoring ra''s words, Horace bent down and wanted to pick her up. "You don''t have to help me," Pulling down Horace''s outstretched hands, ra looked at him with a firm attitude. "I can do it myself." "I''ll carry you to the bathroom." Seeing that ra insisted, Horace had no choice but to agree. "Okay." After carrying ra to the bathroom, Horace moved a bench over with his feet and let ra sit on it. "Can you really do it yourself?" He was really worried about her being alone, so he confirmed it again. "Yes." ra lowered her head in response. After adjusting the temperature to the proper temperature, she turned around and left the bathroom. After seeing the bathroom door close, ra breathed a sigh of relief. His stiff body also rxed. He looked at his feet wrapped in bandages in a daze, and there was no movement for a long time. Closing the bathroom door, Horace looked in the direction of the bathroom with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Just like that, the two of them were separated by a door, thinking about their own matters. After taking a shower with difficulty, ra found that there was no change of clothes in the bathroom, so he had to wrap herself in a bath towel. After changing into her pajamas in the bedroom, she had just turned around after closing the wardrobe when she saw Horace standing behind her. She lowered her head and avoided Horace''s eyes. ra only felt that her heart was beating very fast. In the end, he couldn''t avoid what was supposed toe. "ra, listen to me..." "Horace, I''m tired. Shall we go to sleep?" ra bypassed Horace and wanted to walk to the bed. She knew what he wanted to say. She didn''t want to hear him talk about that thing. He gently grabbed ra''s arm and trapped her between himself and the wardrobe. He raised his hand to caress ra''s cheek, and his tone was full of helplessness. "ra, what are you afraid of?" "What are you afraid of?" ra was also asking herself what she was afraid of. The scene where Horace tried his best to protect Laura, the scene of him in a daze when he saw she was wearing clothes simr to Laura''s, the scene where Horace told her with a cold face that he did not like the blue roses and wanted her to throw the flowers away and the scene that Horace smiled and said happy birthday to Laura... All the past memories shed through ra''s mind. How could she not be afraid of these things? Horace still couldn''t forget Laura. If Laura''s death could cause such a huge impact on Horace, then what about the Laura now, alive and gorgeous? Thinking of this, ra felt that her heart was aching so much that she couldn''t help but shed tears. How long could she and Horace hold on? When would they be separated? ra lowered her head and did not speak. In a short while,rge tears fell to the ground. He reached out and raised ra''s head, which had been lowered. Horace saw that her eyes were red and tears kept flowing down, quickly wetting her face. With a light sigh, Horace gently wiped ra''s tears with his thumb. "Are you upset about Laura?" Hearing Horace''s direct question, ra didn''t know how to answer. Of course, she cared. Laura was someone that Horace used to love. In the past ten years, Horace had never forgotten her. A ne, a pen... every single thing that she left behind was so important to Horace. Now that she was back alive, how could he not care? But could she tell this to Horace? If she told him that she didn''t want Laura toe back and disturb their lives, what would Horace think of her? He would definitely think that she was a vicious woman. How could she have such a vicious thought towards a person who had escaped from death? Shaking her head gently, ra''s tears dropped even more. She had no way to deceive herself and Horace. Nodding her head hard, ra cried so hard that her words were intermittent. "Will you... leave me because of... Laura?" She sobbed. "My silly girl." Horace''s heart ached as he hugged ra tightly. "Don''t worry. Laura''s existence won''t affect our rtionship. To me, she''s already the past." "Then... you just said that you wanted to talk to me. About what? Don''t you want to talk about Laura?" ra asked, not believing Horace''s words. "No, I want to talk to you about our previous quarrel." Looking at ra''s tearful face, he felt distressed and somehow felt a little cute. ra, who was so openly jealous, really made him feel... Well, there was a kind of happiness that could not be described. Chapter 230 You Are the One I Love Now Chapter 230 You Are the One I Love Now "Quarrel?" ra didn''t understand what Horace meant. Was he going to talk about it now? "Well, at that time, I wanted to give each other some time and space so that we could calm down first, so I agreed to go abroad for a meeting. But I regretted it as soon as I got on the ne. How could I leave you alone at home? "I should''ve been there for you. ra, I admit that when I saw you wearing those clothes, I would think of Laura. Because of this, I don''t like you to wear clothes that are not suitable for you at all." "Laura is already in the past for me. I don''t want her shadow to appear in the lives of the two of us. What I like is the original ra, and I don''t like you because you have someone''s shadow on you. ra, do you understand these things?" Hearing Horace''s exnation, ra was moved. She hated herself for not believing in Horace at that time. How could she doubt Horace''s feelings for him just because of a few words of others? "I''m sorry... Horace... I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to quarrel with you at that time... I''m... I..." ra apologized incoherently. "It''s okay. You don''t have to say it. I understand." ra''s tears dropped even more when she heard Horace''s words offort. She was caught up in an unreasoning emotion at that time. She started a quarrel with Horace just because of some unimportant words. Looking at ra, who couldn''t stop crying, Horace sighed softly and kissed her eyes tenderly, wiping away her tears. Feeling that Horace''s kiss fell gently on her eyes like a feather, ra unconsciously wrapped her arms around Horace''s waist. As the kiss went on, those bitter tears flowed through Horace''s lips into his heart. There was a slight pain in his heart, but it made his heart softer. Finally, Horace kissed ra''s lips. His slightly cold tongue slid into her mouth, forcefully exploring every corner, a bit greedily taking in the scent that belonged to her. Horace released his longing for ra these past few days to his heart''s content. Unlike her usual shyness, ra also responded to Horace with great enthusiasm, as if she was about to pour all the grievances and fear she had recently suffered into this kiss. As the heat of love increased, the two of them became more and more intimate, and they wanted to rub each other into their bodies. Horace''s hand passed through ra''s pajamas and rubbed her waist again and again. Then he slowly raised his hand and covered her soft breasts... The slight coldnessing from Horace''s hands made ra couldn''t help but moan and hug him more tightly... He reluctantly left ra''s lips and chuckled. ra looked at Horace with blurred eyes, as if she didn''t understand why he suddenly stopped. "ra," Horace whispered into her ear. "I haven''t taken a shower yet, and your foot is injured." When he said thest sentence, there was obvious annoyance in his tone. Hearing Horace''s words, ra felt that her head exploded in an instant, and her consciousness suddenly became much clearer. She had taken the initiative just now... ra felt that her face was about to burn. He steadied his body, which had be a little weak because of her feelings just now, and pushed Horace away. "Go and take a shower!" "Oh." Horace''s eyes were filled with a mocking smile. "You''re in such a hurry? Do you want to take a shower with me?" "Horace! You..." Every time she saw Horace like this, ra didn''t know how to deal with it. He looked so sedate outside, but why did he treat her like a hooligan when he went home? "Alright, I''m going to take a shower." Seeing how embarrassed ra was, Horace stopped teasing her. He bent down and carried her to the bed. He then left a kiss on ra''s forehead before turning around and leaving the bedroom with a smile. Just as he walked to the door, Horace turned around and said to ra, "Madam, please wait patiently. I will be back soon." "..." ra really had no way to deal with a Horace like this. "Arrrrgh." Seeing that Horace had left the bedroom, ra pulled the pillow to one side, buried her head in it, and shouted softly. At first, she wanted to be angry with him, but how could she... When she thought of how enthusiastic she was just now, ra didn''t know how to face Horaceter. He would definitelyugh at her in his heart. Lying on the bed, ra was thinking about how Horace wouldugh at her in the future. She was so shy that her face was red. At this time, ra was a happy little woman. She was no longer afraid that Horace would leave her because of Laura. After thinking about it for a while, the shyness disappeared. It was really boring for her to be alone. ra took the mobile phone to the side and opened Twitter. As soon as she opened Twitter, she saw Laura''s name all over the screen. "The daughter of the Hutchinson''s is resurrected from the dead" "Who will Horace fall in love with in the end? " "After ten years of meeting" ... Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She clicked on a trend randomly and slowly browse the feed. She realized that the photos of her, Laura, Horace, Logan in the cemetery were everywhere. In the photos, Laura was dressed in a white dress and had a faint smile on her face. She was indescribably beautiful. There were also a lot of influencers who put ra and Laura''s photos together and wrote articles about it. Theypared ra with Laura in all aspects. "Thepetition between the ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend, the ex''s victory" "The reason behind the sudden change of Horace''s vision" "The return of Laura Hutchinson, and the loss of ra''s status..." And below the posts were the tons ofments. "ra and Laura stood together. Was that the real-life version of the ugly duckling and the swan?" "Horace''s ex-girlfriend looks like this. How can he still look at ra''s face every day? Doesn''t he want to throw up?" "That''s right. If a richdy like Laura were to be with Horace, I would have nothing to say. But ra...my heart hurts. Mr. Kirnd, you can''t do this to me." "Damn it, if Laura hadn''t been like that back then, there wouldn''t have been anything to do with ra. I''m jealous, why didn''t I meet Horace? Although I don''t think I''m as good as Laura, I''m still much better than ra." "Do you think that if Horace and ra act like this, can they be considered to be a bunch of wildflowers stuck in the golden soil?" ... After seeing this, ra was so angry that her whole body was trembling. These people would hide behind theputers and use the keyboard to hurt people. What happened between her and Horace was none of their business. Did they really have nothing to do? She threw the phone aside angrily, and she was sulking. Chapter 231 Lauras Kindness Chapter 231 Laura''s Kindness After taking a few deep breaths, ra told herself, "Horace said that Laura is just someone he loved in the past and he loves you now. You should believe his words and don''t be swayed by others'' words. Have you forgotten what happenedst time?" ra gradually suppressed the unease and anger in her heart. Looking at the phone that she had just thrown over the bed, ra crawled over with difficulty, picked up the phone, and wanted to turn it off, trying to avoid seeing those nonsense again. As soon as she picked up the phone, she saw a picture that Horace hugging Laura and kissing her forehead lightly with a smile carrying the title of "Second Young Master of the Kirnd family spends a lot of money and celebrates his girlfriend''s birthday romantically". ra read the news. It turned out that on Laura''s birthday, Horace specially booked a restaurant for her. All the roads to the restaurant were covered with rose petals that day, and pink and bright red rose bouquets could be seen everywhere on the dining table and window sill, and a huge red heart was specially ced in the main hall of the restaurant with 999 roses. This photo was taken in front of this heart-shaped rose pattern. At that time, it was a sensation for a while, and it was on the entertainment news but she didn''t know who brought it up this day. Looking at his undisguised affection for Laura in the photo, ra felt that their smiles were so dazzling and her heart was aching like being pierced by a needle and the pain came one after another. Had he really forgotten her? Was it possible that her existence really would not affect their lives as he said? She tried to convince herself to believe his words but she couldn''t give herself a certain answer. ra spent the next few days resting at home. Because of her foot injury, Horace didn''t allow her to go to work again and he asked for a short leave from the magazine. Their life seemed to have returned to their previous calm. Woke up together, washed up together, ate together, and then they went to work. In the night, she cooked his favorite meals at home and waited for him toe back. Horace never mentioned Laura to her and ra naturally wouldn''t take the initiative to mention it. They just acted as if this person had never appeared in their lives. However, ra always felt a little uneasy in her heart. Had things finallye to an end? One day, she received a call from Laura and she was a little overwhelmed. Looking at the shing phone, she didn''t know whether to answer the call. "Hello." ra''s finger finally slid to the answer button. "ra, it''s me." Laura''s sweet voice came over the phone, "I want to go shopping today, do you have time to go with me?" "I..." ra didn''t want to go but she couldn''t find an excuse. Besides, she was not good at lying to people. Or she could say her feet are still aching and she could not go shopping. "By the way, how is your foot? If you''re not well, I''ll go to your house to check on you, okay?" Laura said. "It''s okay, my feet are already healed." The home belonged to them and ra didn''t want Laura to "Okay, you must have been bored these days. Come out and talk with me." Laura on the other side of the phone warmly invited her. "Well... OK." Why couldn''t she learn to refuse? "Okay, I''ll send you the addresster. See youter, bye." Laura hung up the phone. Then ra remembered the clothes Laura picked for herself when she was shopping with her who was still going by the name "ine"st time; the blue enchantress she brought to her when she came to the hospital to visit her; and the perfume she gave to her the first time when they were doing an interviewing together¡­ It seems that every quarrel and conflict between them was caused by Laura, so this time, is she simply asking herself to go shopping? Is there any other purpose? She could not make sure what Laura wanted to do so she reminded herself to be careful when they meet. It''s not she is a bad person, but after so many things, her intuition told her that she could no longer trust Laura. ra got dressed and went out. She took a taxi there. As soon as she got off the car, she saw Laura sitting in the open-air cafe at a nce. "ra, this way." Laura waved to her from a distance. Walking to the opposite side of her and sitting down, ra felt a little embarrassed. After going through the previous incident in the cemetery, she didn''t know how to face her. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Laura was calm and she chatted with her with a smile, "Why did youe here by taxi, didn''t Horace bring you here?" "He was at work." ra felt a little ufortable when she heard Laura mention him as soon as she opened her mouth. "Well," Laura nodded knowingly, "then he should arrange someone to send you off. How can he let you "It''s okay, I oftene out for news. where will we goter?" ra quickly changed the subject. Laura also seemed to realize that when she mentioned Horace, ra''s face was not very good. She asked directly, "ra, are you concerned about our past?" Hearing her direct question, ra hesitated and didn''t know how to answer. Seeing that ra didn''t speak, Laura swore and assured, "Don''t worry, I''ll never be a mistress. Since you are married, I won''t intervene." "Besides, I am nice and beautiful. I can choose whoever I like in the future." Laura made a joke. "So don''t worry, although we had a deep rtionship, I will not intervene in your marriage. I won''t be so rude." "Nice to hear that. It''s best if you think so." Seeing her sincere look, ra wondered if she had misunderstood her before. "You will definitely meet better people in the future." "Thank you." Laura smiled, "Okay, let''s not talk about him, we''re going to have a good time today. Where do you want to go, is there any ce you want to go?" "You''re the boss." "Is that so?" Laura thought for a while, "How about the shopping mall where Horace used to go with me?" Chapter 232 Go Shopping Chapter 232 Go Shopping ra''s face that had just eased a little now turned serious again. What did Laura mean? Laura didn''t seem to notice that ra, who was beside her, had turned cold. She continued, "Horace used to worry that I would be bored at home and that I would go out alone, so he often went shopping with me." "By the way, ra, where do you guys often go? Will you take me with youter? I haven''te back for so many years and I almost forget what this city looks like." Hearing her words, ra''s eyes shed with disappointment and she replied casually, "Horace is very busy. He has a lot of things to deal with on business and we rarelye out." "What? He doesn''te out with you?" Laura looked surprised, "He actually treats you like this. He used to make time to spend with his girlfriend but now he doesn''t have time to spend with his wife? What''s more important than you? But don''t worry, I''ll teach him a lessonter." Laura looked indignant, her tone was full of schadenfreude, and she looked at ra with ridicule. Even if ra was a fool, she would know what she meant by this point. She did not invite herself to go shopping but to show off the deep affection between them in the past. "No need, he treats me very well." Still not good at quarreling openly, ra replied calmly to her with a cold tone. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. "Really?" Laura looked at ra suspiciously and asked strangely, obviously not believing what she said. "You don''t have to deceive yourself. Although he treats me... But don''t worry, I won''t step in between you two." ra was about to go mad. What did Horace do to her? Was Laura suggesting that Horace still had feelings for her? ra was really exhausted today. She shouldn''t havee out. She found herself such an idiot that she had trusted Laura again. ra wanted to storm away, but her personality did not allow her to do such a thing. Just when she was thinking of an excuse to leave, she received a text message from her phone in her bag. She took out the phone and looked at it. It was a text message from the mobile customer service notifying her that her credit bnce was insufficient. After thinking about it, ra said to Laura, "I just received a notice from the magazine that I need to go back and deal with an emergency, so I''ll go first." After speaking, ra picked up her bag and stood up, ready to leave. "Don''t," Laura saw ra leave, stood up, and took two steps, grabbing her arm. "We finally have some time to hang out together. What is so urgent? How about I call your editor-in-chief and ask him to give you a day off? I think he would do me this favor." ra broke from her hands and stood there. She didn''t know what to do for a while. "Then, let me call my colleague first." ra hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked two steps away, pretending to call her colleague. Looking at her back not far away, Laura sneered with contempt. Such a clumsy lie, this woman is really stupid. She didn''t know what Horace sees her in the first ce. After several minutes, ra came back, "Let''s go." "Well, good." Laura smiled and took ra''s arm and walked forward. ra was a little bit against her intimate behavior and her body stiffened a bit, but she couldn''t shake off her hand directly. She twitched her arm slightly, but Laura held it tighter instead. Laura looked at ra with a bright smile on her face. And those who didn''t know would think they were best friends. ra could only let it be. After arriving at the mall, Laura didn''t keep instigating ra to buy clothes likest time, she tried one after another by herself and bought a lot of clothes inrge and small bags. Laura had been trying on clothes and she asked ra to help her carry her bag and the clothes she had already bought. ra followed her with her hands full, just like her maid. When she came to a new store, Laura took a fancy to a light blue off-shoulder dress and went to the fitting room to try it on. ra was really too tired, so she sat in the rest area and waited for her. When she changed clothes and came out, she turned around and looked at herself in the fitting mirror with satisfaction. "Miss, the color of this dress suits you very well and it also shows off your figure. You are so beautiful wearing it." The shop assistant next to Laura praised her sweetly. "Well," Laura also liked this dress very much and the smile on her face deepened when she heard the Looking at the fitting mirror, again and again, she squinted at ra who was sitting on the sofa in the resting ce. Following her sight, the shop assistant thought that Laura was afraid that they would not be able to carry it. As soon as the two youngdies entered the door, she saw that the youngdy in the resting ce had her hands full and there was no room for new things. "Miss, don''t worry, we can deliver to your home, just leave your addresster. We can also help you send the clothes you bought before back together." The shop assistant said thoughtfully. Laura refused, "No need, I like this dress very much. I''ll wear it when I go back. I don''t want to wait for you to deliver it." "Miss, we could be very fast. We can help you arrange the delivery now. When you get home, you should be able to get it." The shop assistant exined to her with a smile. Unexpectedly, Laura straightened her face, "I said no." The shop assistant didn''t seem to have thought that her thoughtful actions would arouse the disgust of the guests, "I''m sorry, miss, I see." "Bring another piece of the same clothes over here," Laura instructed the shop assistant impatiently. The shop assistant was a little puzzled by her request. Generally, no customer would buy two of the same couture dresses. Still, the shop assistant took another piece ording to her. After all, customers are their gods, and she wished she could buy two so that her bonus this month would raise a little more. Taking the clothes handed by the shop assistant with both hands, Laura walked toward ra. Chapter 233 A Comparison Chapter 233 A Comparison "ra, what do you think?" Laura pointed to her clothes. "Well, you look good in it, it suits you very well," ra replied. "Then why don''t you try it on too? I think this dress suits you very well. How about buying the same outfit for the two of us? I''ve wanted to have a sister who dresses like me since I was a child." Laura handed the clothes to ra. "Me?" ra didn''t understand what Laura wanted to do. She shook her head and refused, "I don''t think this dress would suit me." "You wouldn''t know that." Laura pulled ra and pushed her to the fitting room, "Go and have a try first." Being forcibly pushed into the fitting room by Laura, ra had to change into the dress she handed to her. "Wow, you look so beautiful in it, much better than me." As soon as she came out, Laura praised her in an exaggerated tone. "I always feel that the waist design of this dress is a bit high for me, but for your height, it is just right!" "Really?" Looking at Laura in the dressing mirror, ra doubted her words. This dress made her slender waist more charming and the hollowed-out buds in the middle revealed the most beautiful arc of her waist, making people unable to take their eyes off her. Not suitable? Content held by N?velDrama.Org. In contrast, ra was standing with her not looking so good. "Well, you are prettier than me in this." Laura said it again with certainty and turned to look at the shop assistant aside and asked, "What do you think?" The shop assistant smiled awkwardly when she heard the question, not knowing what to say. She could only say to herself, in terms of appearance or figure, that this youngdy was not as beautiful as the one at the beginning. Of course, this was forparison. Thetter was also very beautiful but the style and color of this dress are not very suitable for her. She was not as good-looking in this dress as thedy just now. But with a weird, and nondescript feeling. Although they also hope to sell as many clothes as possible. Even if she said that going against their heart, thatdy would not actually believe it. Seeing that the shop assistant just smiled awkwardly and didn''t answer, ra understood what she meant and her face suddenly turned red. When ra looked at them in the dressing mirror, she waspletely overshadowed by her light, especially when they were wearing the same clothes, it seemed that she was not as good as her in every way. "Hey, I''m asking you, why don''t you talk?" It seemed like Laura wasining the shop assistant but she was not. She even gave her a thumb up in her heart. The shop assistant looked at her nkly just now, but she had a bright mind. This silence suited her very well. Seeing her smug look, ra understood why Laura insisted on her trying on this dress. Laura wanted to see her make a fool of herself. "I don''t like this dress. I''ll change it." After saying that, ra went directly into the changing room. After changing her clothes, ra looked at the blue dress and went angry. Was it fun to y a little trick like this? Was it fun? But when she thought of how she was standing with Laura in the same clothes just now, her anger turned into grievance and inferiority. Making herself aware of the gap between them, was this the purpose of her asking herself out? If this was the case, ra had to admit that she seeded. In her heart, she thought that she was inferior to Laura. Sulking in the changing room for a while, ra walked out of the store without saying a word to Laura. Even a rabbit will bite when it is cornered. Now that she knew Laura''s purpose, it would be better to y it cool and walk away. Laura didn''t care about her attitude; she had got what she wanted anyway. Laura pointed to the clothes she had just changed and said to the shop assistant, "Wrap this up for me, and I won''t change this one on my body. I''ll pay the billter." "Okay, please wait a moment." With a polite reply, the shop assistant said nothing more, turned around, and walked to the counter with the clothes. "Wait," Laura pointed to therge and small bags that ra put in the resting ce, "Wrap those up and delivered them directly to my houseter. I will give you the address now." "Okay." The shop assistant took out the paper and pen from the pocket of her overalls and handed them to Laura and replied respectfully. After watching it for so long, she probably understood what was going on. No wonder thisdy was unhappy when she said she could deliver to her door just now, she was trying to embarrass thedy who left just now. Although she has a bad impression of this beautiful youngdy, it is none of her business, and she can''t say much, she should do her job well. When ra returned home, Horace had alreadye back from getting off work and was sitting on the sofa in the living room watching the evening news. "Didn''t I forbid you to go out?" Horace took her hand and let her sit beside him, "Your feet are not "My feet are fine." Hearing Horace''s concerned tone, ra felt warmed and her bad mood improved a lot. "Where did you go today, why do you look unhappy?" Seeing the faint anger on her face, Horace touched her hair and asked curiously. "I went shopping with Laura today." ra lowered her head. She didn''t want to mention her name in front of Horace, but she didn''t want to lie. Hearing that ra said that she went out with Laura and thinking of her unhappy face when she came back just now, Horace guessed that there was some unpleasantness between them and it was probably rted to him. Horace did not know whether to tell her about something. If he said it, he was afraid that she would be as angry asst time; if he didn''t say it, he was afraid that she would be angrier when she found out. Without hearing his words, ra raised her head and looked at Horace a little nervously, only to find an embarrassed expression on his face. "What''s the matter? Is there anything you want to tell me?" ra asked. "Well," Horace paused and looked at ra worriedly, "I still think it''s better to talk to you about it, but please don''t get angry." Chapter 234 The Collaboration Chapter 234 The Coboration "Why would I get angry?" ra looked at him in a puzzle. "It''s about Laura." Horace hesitated and said to her. Hearing Laura''s nameing out of Horace''s mouth, ra only felt her heart tighten and her eyes were full of unease when she looked at Horace. "What''s with her?" Holding her hand tightly, Horace said, "Ourpany had a design for ine before, I never met ine at that time, and I didn''t know she was Laura, so I epted this coboration. When the contract was signed at that time, the other party asked to discuss the design proposal directly with the CEO of Solrace. I thought that the designer made this request to ensure the quality of her design, so I agreed without much thought. Now that the contract has been signed, there is no turning back. So maybe in the next period, Laura and I will have some intersections in work. But ra, I was afraid that you would be angry when you found out. I even wanted to hide it from you, but I thought again, it''s not a big deal, it''s better to talk to you." Hearing his words, ra didn''t speak for a long time. She trusted him. If he wanted to do something with Laura, he wouldn''t tell her about it. Besides, Horace is not such a yboy. But when she was shopping with Laura today, Laura''s attitude let her know that she had not forgotten Horace in her heart. It is very possible that Laura still likes him and wants to be with him again. "Can''t you withdraw the contract?" After a long silence, ra asked. She did not want them to work together. Hearing ra''s words, Horace was a bit shocked. ra had never asked him about thepany''s affairs and she always paid attention to integrity. He did not expect she asked him to withdraw the contract this time. It seemed that Laura''s appearance had a great impact on her. Horace patiently exined to her, "If the contract is broken, ording to the contract, thepany will agree. This design will have a great impact on thepany''s performance in the next year. ine''s previous design n was outstanding among thepetitors, so we chose her. This design n was finally determined by all the members of the board of directors through variousyers of selection, and I can''t deny it alone. But ra, this is just a job, I won''t be back with her again. Can you trust me?" Horace asked ra softly. ra couldn''t say anything more. She knew that her request for him to break the contract was indeed too much. "So, when will you start working together?" "There''ll be a meeting tomorrow to discuss the details of the design." "Oh, I see." After saying this in a low voice, ra stopped talking. Seeing she was obviously unhappy, Horace didn''t know what to say tofort her, so he pulled her into his arms and patted her on the back lightly. ra also knew his helplessness, but she didn''t understand why Laura kept appearing in their lives. That night, ra tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Turning her head to look at Horace, who was already asleep, ra wanted to touch his face, but she was afraid of waking him up, so she withdrew her hand and just looked at him quietly. Horace was by her side and she could touch him as soon as she reached out her hand. But would he always be by her side? Thinking of how bad she looked when they were standing together today, ra felt a deep sense of crisis in her heart. She could not beat Laura in any aspect. Could she really keep Horace? The next day, Horace got up early and went to work and it was time for ra to go back to the magazine as well. Horace helped her to ask for a week''s leave from the magazine because of her foot injury. Now that a week had passed and her feet are almost healed, it was time to go to work. But thinking that Horace and Laura would meet, talk, and discuss ns together today, ra felt a lot of unease. She was in a trance and she had no intention to work at all. So she called Darren and wanted to take another day off. A few days ago, the topic of Laura''s "resurrection from the dead" was so hot on the Inte that Darren guessed that she was in a bad mood. What''s more, Horace called a few days ago to say that she was injured, so he agreed instantly. "Have a good rest. You don''t have to rush to work. Don''t take the news online seriously. It''s all in the past. Besides, I think you are much better than Laura and I believe Horace feels the same way, so don''t worry." Darrenforted ra. "Well, I know, thank you, Darren." At this time, his affirmation made ra feel very warm. "I''ll go back to work tomorrow, that''s all, um, okay, bye." Darren asked her to take care of herself and hung up on the phone. Sitting on the sofa and turning on the TV, she kept changing the channel with the remote control, but ra found that she couldn''t watch any program. After turning off the TV, she turned around and Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. walked into Horace''s study. Since she couldn''t watch TV, maybe a few books were good. If she didn''t do anything, she really couldn''t control her thoughts. After finding a few magazines in the study, ra sat in front of the desk and flipped through them. But she really couldn''t read. The words were dangling in front of her eyes but she didn''t know what was written. So, she put down the magazine, closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths, telling herself to trust Horace. Horace said that he didn''t have anything with Laura... Then she opened her eyes and continued to read the magazine in front of her. At this moment, the door of the study suddenly opened and ra saw the housekeeper walk in. "What''s wrong?" Horace was afraid that the housekeeper would identally mess up the documents he had sorted out when cleaning, so he always cleaned the study by himself. What is she doing here at this time? "Mrs. Kirnd, You''re here. That''s why I didn''t see you in the living room just now." The housekeeper said with a smile, "Master Horace called just now and said that he forgot to bring a document on the desk. He asked me to send it to him." Chapter 235 Trapped in the Elevator Chapter 235 Trapped in the Elevator Hearing this, ra rummaged around on the desk and found a red folder next to theputer, "Is this it?" She picked up the folder and handed it to the housekeeper. "It should be. Master said it''s right next to theputer and it''s a red folder." "Then I''ll send it to him. He said he was waiting for the meeting." After saying that, the housekeeper turned around and left the study in a hurry. "Hey, wait a minute!" ra called to the housekeeper who had just left the study door, "I''ll take it to him. I''m familiar with hispany. I can be faster." "Okay." Thinking that she was indeed not familiar with Horace''spany, the housekeeper said, "Please hurry. He was very anxious on the phone just now." "Well, ok, I''m leaving." With a promise, ra ran to the bedroom, put on a coat, and hurried out of the house. ra took a taxi and soon arrived at Horace''spany. "Horace forgot to bring the documents. I''m here to bring them to him." ra briefly exined the situation to the receptionist of thepany. "Okay, that''s the CEO''s special elevator, you can just go up that elevator." The receptionist recognized his wife, pointed to the elevator beside him, and immediately let her go up. "The CEO''s ex-girlfriend just went up and the CEO''s wife rushed over. What''s going on here?" Looking at ra who was waiting for the elevator, the receptionist and her colleague beside her were gossiping. "To send documents?" The colleague heard what ra said just now. "Are you dumb? Do you believe that? She is obviously here to catch them in the act." The receptionist excited, "The ex and the wife, wow, that''s really something!" They thought they were speaking very quietly but they were so excited to see such a scene that they raised the volume unconsciously. ra was standing not far from them and naturally heard what they said. She tightened her hand holding the document. Was Laura here now? The elevator opened and she walked in anxiously. Looking at the constantly changing floor numbers, ra became more and more nervous. She didn''t know how to exin her appearance if she saw them together. She was really worried that they were together, so she had to deliver the documents personally. In this way, it really looked like that. Would Horace think that she didn''t believe him? What if he got angry? ra was imagining things in the elevator. She finally got to Horace''s office, but she didn''t see Horace, only Isaac. "ra, why are you here?" Seeing rae in, Isaac hurriedly got up. "To bring the documents. He left them at home." Handing the documents to Isaac, ra asked, "Where''s Horace?" "Master Horace is having a meeting in the conference room and I wille up after the meeting." Isaac flipped through the documents and confirmed, "Please sit down and wait for a while. I will send the documents first." "Well, okay." ra breathed a sigh of relief without seeing Horace and Laura being together. As soon as he walked to the door, Isaac received a call. "What did you say?" His face changed greatly after he answered the phone. And he yelled at the phone in a panic, "Hurry up and notify the people in the maintenance department toe over! Hurry!" Isaac hung up the phone and strode forward. "What''s wrong?" ra hurriedly chased after him, stopped him, and asked. It seemed that he just remembered that ra was also here. He turned around and said to her anxiously, "Master Horace has an ident!" "What happened?" ra grabbed him and asked nervously when she heard that Horace was in trouble. Isaac calmed down immediately and said quickly, "Master Horace and the others are about toe up after the meeting. But the elevator they were taking suddenly broke down. Now Master Horace and Laura are trapped in the elevator." "How could it be?" Hearing his words, ra immediately remembered the news about elevator crashes. She has interviewed this kind of news, knowing that if the situation is not good, it will be life- threatening. Horace was in trouble. "What should I do now?" ra became more and more flustered. "I''ve already asked the people from the maintenance department to go there. Don''t panic. Maybe it''s just a small problem. He''ll be fine." Realizing that ra might have been scared by his overly anxious tone, Isaacforted her, "Let''s go over and take a look at them." "Okay." ra hurriedly followed him downstairs. When they arrived, the maintenance staff had already gotten there. "What''s going on?" Isaac asked anxiously, pulling the maintenance staff. "Isaac, don''t worry, it''s not a big problem. The elevator''s leveling sensor failed and other safety switches were triggered. The elevator stopped in an emergency and got stuck between the two floors." The maintenance staff exined the current situation, "We have already taken measures and there is no danger, but it may take a little longer." "How long?" "About 3 hours." "What?" ra, who was beside him, couldn''t help worrying when she heard that it would take so long, "Will something bad happen?" "The air in the elevator is enough for two people to breathe. There should be no problem. We will shorten the rescue time as soon as possible. Don''t be too anxious." ra and Isaac were a little relieved when they heard that the maintenance staff reassured them that they would be fine. Content held by N?velDrama.Org. However, she still felt a little ufortable when she thought that Horace and Laura were alone and they had to stay together for 3 hours in the elevator. "Trust him¡­" ra waited anxiously beside the elevator while reminding herself over and over again to trust Horace. In the elevator, Horace and Laura were both silent to each other. When the elevator suddenly stopped just now, Laura panicked. She was afraid that something would happen to her. While Horace calmly made an emergency call and exined the situation in the elevator to the maintenance staff outside. The maintenance staff told them some precautions and they told them that the situation was not bad. There would be no danger and they shoulde out safely soon. Chapter 236 Laura Faints Chapter 236 Laura Faints In the elevator, after hanging up the phone, Horace turned his head to Laura and said, "Don''t worry. We can be out soon." Then Horace stopped talking and stood quietly waiting for help. Hearing this, Laura got gradually relieved. Looking at Horace, Laura thought to herself, "This is my chance to win Horace''s heart back." Since thest time Laura met Horace at the cemetery, Laura had tried to have dinner with Horace. But Horace refused with various excuses. If Laura hadn''t demanded in the contract that Horace should discuss the designs and ns in person with her, she could never have seen him. In Laura''s mind, Horace, who thought she had been dead for many years, should have been very happy when he saw her. Nheless, he gave her the cold shoulder. Laura didn''t think that Horace had forgotten about her. Otherwise, Horace would not have been so protective of Laura at the cemetery. Besides, he even bought the pen that was once given to her at an astronomical price. No matter what, Laura wanted Horace all to herself! As for ra, Laura would make ra willingly leave Horace as soon as possible. "Horace, how are you going these years?" Horace remained silent, so Laura had to break the silence herself. "It''s good." After saying so, Horace kept silent. "Horace, are you angry with my not contacting you these years?" "It''s said that you suffer from memory loss." Horace frowned and gave Laura a puzzled look. "Oh, yes." Laura was a little anxious. "Otherwise, I would''vee to you long ago." Horace nodded and didn''t say anything. Horace kept ignoring Laura, which made Laura''s eyes full of resentment. It seemed that Horace didn''t like Laura anymore, but Laura refused to admit it. Nheless, Horace was so indifferent that she was momentarily lost for words. Both Horace and Laura fell silent, and Laura found it super awkward. After a long time, Horace couldn''t help but ask, "How''s your life abroad all these years?" Horace didn''t like Laura at all. In his mind, now that he married ra, he should keep his distance from Laura. Nevertheless, contemting what had happened back then, Horace thought Laura was just a victim. Thinking of this, Horace stopped being so indifferent to her. Hearing Horace''s question, Laura finally gave a smile. Laura was happy that Horace did not forget her. From where she stood, having not seen her for ten years, Horace must have no idea how to talk with her, so he seemed a little cold. Back then, Horace was cold to anybody but Laura. "Not bad. The family that I live with were pretty nice to me and almost treated me as one of their family members, so I''ve had a rtively good life over the years, but..." Laura hesitated and stopped. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "What''s wrong?" Seeing Laura''s hesitant look, Horace asked. "It''s not a big deal. I was severely injured in the fire, so it leaves a lot of seque with me." With a smile, Laura continued, "Thus, I didn''t feel well and had to be hospitalized from time to time." When Laura joked about her own health, Horace felt quite sorry for her. In Horace''s memory, Laura used to hate hospitalization. When sick, she had even refused to take the medicine unless Horace went to great lengths to coax her. But now, ording to Laura, she was used to hospitalization. Although Laura insisted that everything was fine, she must have suffered a lot with an new family abroad. Then Horace started a conversation with Laura in the elevator. In fact, it was Laura who kept speaking while Horace just listened quietly. Laura talked about what had happened to her these years abroad and asked what was going on with Horace at times. Although Horace remained expressionless, he was not so cold as before and he would even reply to Laura. A few momentster, Laura''s face turned pale. She covered her chest with one hand, gasping for air. "Are you okay?" Seeing Laura''s look, Horace hurriedly supported her. With eyes closed, Laura breathed sharply, unable to say anything. Horace helped Laura slowly sit against the elevator wall and gently stroke her back so that she could breathe easily. After a while, Laura recovered a bit and looked much better. "How are you going now?" Horace asked with concern. When Laura opened her eyes, she saw Horace''s worried look. She gave a weak smile. "I''m fine. I inhaled too much smoke in the fire, so I have heart and respiratory problems. It doesn''t matter." "Just stop talking and get some rest. We''ll be out soon." After that, Horace stood up and called the maintenance staff with the phone in the elevator. "How long is it on earth going to take?" As soon as it was connected, the maintenance staff heard Horace''s exasperated voice. "Mr. Kirnd, please wait for a moment. We are doing our best." Not knowing why Mr. Kirnd, who had been calm just now, became so impatient, the maintenance staff continued, "It will be done in half an hour at most." "Hurry up. I have a patient here. She is in danger now." Horace nced back at Laura and found that she still wore an ufortable look. "As soon as you can!" "Yes, sir." The maintenance staff responded in a flurry, speeding up the repairs. After hanging up the phone, Horace squatted beside Laura and continued to pat her back, hoping to relieve her pain... "It''s okay!" All the maintenance staff heaved a long sigh of relief. They wiped the sweat from their foreheads and hurriedly opened the elevator door. Seeing that the door was finally opened, ra rushed to it at once, praying that Horace was fine. Before ra could see clearly what happened in the elevator, a man rushed past her. The next second, ra saw nothing but a handbag in the elevator. "Call an ambnce!" Hearing Horace''s voice, ra turned her head, only to see that Horace, carrying Laura, who was in aa, strode towards the corner of the stairs. Chapter 237 Being Ignored Chapter 237 Being Ignored Horace left the elevator with Laura in his arms without even ncing at ra, which greatly upset ra. Considering that Laura passed out, ra could understand why Horace cared about Laura. Horace was kind, so he wouldn''t turn his back on anyone in need. Thinking of this, ra felt a little better and quickly ran to follow Horace. However, hardly had ra got downstairs when she saw Horace leave in the ambnce. When ra was wondering how to get to the hospital, she saw Isaac, who had just driven out of the parking lot. "Isaac!" ra ran towards Isaac and shouted at him. Hearing ra''s voice, Isaac hurriedly turned the car around, stopped next to ra, poked his head out, and asked, "What''s wrong, Mrs. Kirnd?" "Do you know which hospital Horace and Laura went to? Can you drive me there?" ra asked anxiously. "I''m also going over there now, so just get in." After ra got into the car, Isaac raced all the way to the hospital. Scared by the speed, ra''s face paled and she felt a bit sick. Nheless, she was in a hurry to get N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. to the hospital, so she forced herself not to vomit and didn''t say anything. Very soon, they arrived at the hospital. After getting off, ra felt rather sick and almost fell to the ground. Seeing this, Isaac quickly held ra. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Kirnd. I was in a hurry just now." "It doesn''t matter." ra forced a smile. With Isaac''s help, ra rested for a while before stepping toward the hospital. Entering the hospital and asking a nurse, ra was told that Laura was in the operating room for surgery. ording to the nurse, ra quickly found where the operating room was. Horace was sitting on a chair outside the operating room. Seeing ra running over, Horace got up and helped her. After ra could breathe well, Horace looked at her and asked with a frown, "What are you running so fast for? Why do you look so bad?" "I..." ra did not know how to exin her anxiety. She didn''t even know why she rushed here so urgently. "How is Laura doing?" ra changed the topic. Helping ra sit on the chair, Horace sat beside her. "After surviving the fire, Laura keeps having heart and respiratory problems. We were trapped in the elevator for a long time. She had difficulty breathing due to oxygen deprivation and finally fainted." "Then is she in any danger?" ra asked nervously. Laura loved Horace, and ra was not very fond of what Laura did. Nevertheless, Laura hoped nothing would go wrong with Laura. "She said she was used to that, so it shouldn''t be life-threatening." Horace was not sure. Both Horace and ra stopped talking and quietly waited for the end of the operation. "By the way, did you tell Logan about this?" It struck ra that Logan was now Laura''s only family member and that they should quickly ask him to be here. "Yes," Horace nodded. "I have asked Isaac to do that, so Logan should be on the way..." Before Horace could finish his words, he saw Logan hurrying here. "Here hees," Horace turned his head to ra and spoke. "How is Laura now?" As soon as Logan arrived, he asked. "She''s still in the operating room." Horace gave Logan a reassuring look. "Don''t worry. She''ll be fine." Hearing Horace''s words, Logan heaved a sigh of relief. Laura was his only family member now and he didn''t want to lose her. "Horace, thank you for bringing Laura here." Logan looked at Horace gratefully. "And I''m sorry for misjudging you." Only when Laura talked about the fire did Logan realize that he had misjudged Horace. Horace hadn''t left Laura alone in the fire. Logan had been cold and even said something harsh to Horace since that ident; now he felt guilty for Horace. "It''s all right," Horace gave a rare smile. He was happy that they could finally clear this up. "It was reasonable for you to think that way." Patting Horace''s shoulder, Logan no longer said anything but looked up nervously at the closed door of the operating room. ra couldn''t feel their hostility towards each other anymore. Instead, she found they were back to be brothers. After waiting for a while, the door of the operating room finally opened and Laura was wheeled out on the bed. Seeing this, Logan hurried to the doctor and asked about the specifics. "Don''t worry. There''s nothing seriously wrong with the patient. She''ll wake up soon." Hearing this, ra, Logan, and Horace were relieved. After thanking the doctor, ra followed the nurse to a ward. Laura was still in aa. "There''s something I need to do in thepany, so I''ll go." Now that Laura was fine and Logan was also there, Horace decided to go back. "Okay. Just go where you are needed." Logan knew that many things were waiting for Horace to deal with. With a nod to Logan, Horace turned to ra and reached out to her, "Let''s go." Hesitating for a moment, ra said, "You go first. Anyway, I''ve taken the day off, so I don''t have anything to do. I want to stay here and wait for Laura to wake up." "Okay," after thinking for a moment, Horace agreed, "call me when you want to go backter. I''ll ask Isaac to pick you up." "No problem." ra was touched by Horace again. He was always so thoughtful. After another nce at Laura, Horace left the ward. Watching Horace getting out of the ward, ra turned around and met Logan''s gaze. "What''s wrong?" ra was a bit confused about the look in Logan''s eyes. "Nothing," Logan smiled. "You are really generous. Laura is Horace''s ex-girlfriend and I did not expect you could get along with her well and care about her so much." Hearing Logan''s words, ra gave a bitter smile. She was being forgiving because she had no choice. ra didn''t want to be unreasonable and throw a fit. That could do nothing but annoy Horace. "Laura has said that she is not going to worm her way into me and Horace, so we are still friends. As a friend, I do care about her." Logan fell silent after hearing ra''s words. A whileter, he whispered, "No matter what, you''d better keep an eye on your husband." "What do you mean?" ra got nervous and wondered why Logan said this to her. With a sigh, Logan hesitantly said, "Laura and Horace had great affection towards each other. A man always attaches great importance to his first love, so you''d better be careful. It is for your good." Chapter 238 Logans Reminder Chapter 238 Logan''s Reminder ra didn''t expect Logan to say these words to her. Laura was his sister, but he reminded ra to be careful of Laura. It seemed that Logan was really for ra''s good. Although Logan was Laura''s brother, ra found they were super different. Thinking of what Laura said to her, ra felt that Laura was too shrewd, and she did not like her. But for Logan, ra always felt a kinship to him. Therefore, ra was very moved by Logan''s words. Half an hourter, Laura remained unconscious, and ra began to consider whether to go. Logan read what she was thinking from her look. "ra, Laura is not in danger now, and I can look after her by myself, so you can go back now." ra was a little embarrassed. After all, she had offered to stay with Laura, but now she wanted to leave. However, on second thought, ra realized Laura might be annoyed after waking up and seeing her. "Well, then I''ll go. Take care of yourself." Without saying anything else, ra left the hospital. When ra returned home, Horace had returned from work. "I told you to call Isaac to pick you up. Why did youe back yourself?" Horace specially told Isaac about that, but ra came back without telling them. "It doesn''t matter. I saw a cab the moment I got out." "Well," Horace changed the topic. "How is Laura?" Horace''s words reminded ra of how anxious Horace was when he carried Laura to the hospital this afternoon and that she was ignored. Thinking of this, ra felt very aggrieved. However, seeing Horace''s calm face, ra didn''t express her frustration. "I''m not sure. She wasn''t awake when I got back." "I see." After that, Horace did not ask any more questions. The next day, ra got up and went to the magazine early in the morning. ra was a little embarrassed for taking so many days off. "Hello, everyone. It''s been so long." After greeting everyone with a smile, ra got no response. Besides, they all looked at ra meaningfully andpassionately. "What''s wrong?" ra was a bit puzzled, wondering whether she missed any big news when she was not here. Everyone remained silent and went on with their work. With a confused look, ra returned to her seat, sat down, and looked around the others. Everyone was peeking at ra, but they all hurriedly looked away and pretended to be busy when meeting ra''s gaze. ra got more puzzled. She got up, walked to Sarah, and pulled her quietly to the pantry. "ra..." Sarah looked at ra worriedly, held ra''s hand, and said with firm eyes, "ra, you do not have to be worried. I don''t think Horace would do that. " "What are you talking about?" ra was confused by Sarah''s words, "What''s wrong with Horace? Sarah, you all look so strange. What the hell happened?" "ra, you might well be present at that time." Sarah was also baffled. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. "What are you talking about?" "Laura is alive, and you were in the cemetery back then, right?" With a wry smirk lifting a corner of her lips, ra finally figured out what Sarah was talking about. ra didn''t expect the big news the others were talking about was concerned with herself. Laura''sing back was a trending topic on the Inte, so it was almost known to anyone. "ra, don''t believe thements on the Inte. Those are too subjective." Sarah continued to He won''t abandon you." Even Sarah thought ra was inferior to Laura. Thinking of this, raughed to herself. Instead of cheering ra up, what Sarah said put ra in a worse mood. Only then did Sarah realize that she made a mistake. "ra, I didn''t mean it..." Sarah got anxious and tried to exin. "It''s okay. I know what you mean. Just get back to work." Patting Sarah''s back, ra signaled that she was not angry. "Well, ra, I am definitely on your side." Sarah clenched her fists and said with a firm look. Amused by Sarah''s serious look, ra pulled Sarah back to her seat. "Long time no see, Mrs. Kirnd." As soon as ra sat down, she heard Diane Kirby''s malicious voice. ra didn''t think she had offended Diane. However, Diane always said something sarcastic to ra. Without paying attention to Diane, ra pretended she didn''t hear what Diane said. "I probably can''t call you ''Mrs. Kirnd'' a few weeks or monthster." ra remained silent, which fueled Diane''s arrogance. Diane sneered, "Now that Laura came back, you will be divorced soon. And you''ll be driven out of the Kirnd family, ra." "What do you mean?" ra couldn''t bear to hear this anymore. She stood up and questioned Diane. "ra, you are still daydreaming." Greatly pleased by ra''s angry look, Diane snorted, "Laura is back and she is such a beauty. Horace won''t love you anymore." The idea that ra would be abandoned made Diane feel super good. Diane thought to herself, "ra, Horace is the president of Solrace. You don''t deserve him at all. However arrogant you were, a great humiliation is around the corner. Now that Laura is back, Horace will soon divorce you!" "How dare you!" ra wanted to refute Diane, but she got nothing for that. Logan''s words began to echo in ra''s mind, "A man always attaches great importance to his first love." Seeing that ra had no words for this, Diane rolled her eyes and turned back to her seat. "Even if you married into the purple, you won''t change who you really are." Diane''s words amused many people present. They all couldn''t help butugh out loud, gloating over ra. Even those who used to stand with ra were now looking at her with sympathy. They also thought ra would be divorced by Horace. Tired of the others'' eyes, ra picked up her handbag and left the magazine without asking Darren for time off. After leaving the magazine, ra came to the small apartment where Helena was. On the one hand, ra had not seen Helena for a long time; on the other hand, she did need Helena''sfort. Chapter 239 Laura Is Popular Everywhere Chapter 239 Laura Is Popr Everywhere Just as ra reached the door, Helena''sughter came from inside the door. Helena was in a good mood, with which ra was very happy. Helena hadn''t been so delighted for a long time, so there must be something good. Helena rang the doorbell, and then Helena opened the door with a wide smile. "Mom, what makes you so happy?" ra asked with a smile. "ra!" Seeing ra, Helena grinned awkwardly. "Come on in." After saying that, Helena made way for ra into the house. "Mom, why don''t you bid me wee?" ra momentarily could not understand Helena''s expression change, so she jokingly asked. "What are you talking about?" Helena gave ra an annoyed look. ra was amused. ra thought Helena was very cute, and then she walked into the house with her arm around Helena''s shoulder. The next second, ra froze. Laura was sitting on the sofa. ra didn''t know why Laura was here. "Laura, this is ra. You should know her." Helena held ra''s hand and introduced her to Laura. After that, Helena turned to look at ra and said, "ra, this is Laura, Logan''s sister. You might well have seen her before." ra smiled awkwardly, not knowing how she should greet Laura. Laura, however, came forward and wrapped an arm around ra''s. "ra and I have known each other for a long time, Aunt Helena, you don''t need to introduce us." "Really? That''s great!" Helena was happy that Laura and ra could get along well with each other. "You both must have dinner here tonight, and I''ll cook for you right now." "Hooray! Aunt Helena, I have loved your cooking since I was a child. I really missed what you made these years." "It''s my pleasure. Just tell me whatever you want to eat, and I will make it all for you." Helena was very pleased with Laura''s words. After Laura told Helena what she wanted to eat, Helena happily went into the kitchen. ra was upset that Helena didn''t ask her what she wanted to eat. Considering that Laura was a guest, ra thought it was reasonable for Helena to be so hospitable to Laura. After Helena went into the kitchen, Laura let go of ra''s arm, sat on the sofa, and began to drink coffee, paying no attention to ra. ra felt very embarrassed, not knowing what to say. They both kept silent. After a while, Laura got up and went into the kitchen as well. "Aunt Helena, I''m here to help." "That''s great. Put on this apron in case you get your clothes dirty," Helena said in a happy voice. ra, sitting in the living room, could hearughtering from the kitchen. Tears began to well up in her eyes. ra felt as if she was a guest here while Laura was Helena''s daughter. After a long time, the meal was finally ready. After everyone was seated, Helena asked Laura to enjoy the meal. "Laura, you have to try this. I remember it was your favorite when you were a kid." Helena kept on putting more food in Laura''s bowl. "Well, thank you, Aunt Helena." Laura then said, "It''s so yummy. It tastes the same as it was when I was a kid." "Really?" Helena was excited after hearing it. "Then you must try this one." Helena kept on serving Laura food butpletely ignored ra, which almost made ra cry. Helena, as Laura''s mother, was nicer to Laura than to ra, which was what ra couldn''t ept. ra drooped her head and tried her best not to shed tears. Nheless, Helena and Laura were talking happily with each other, as if neither of them realized that ra was upset. ra had a hard time finishing this. After doing the dishes, ra couldn''t bear to see Helena''s wide smile at Laura. Thus, ra made an excuse that she had something else to do and offered to leave. Hearing ra''s words, Laura said, "What a coincidence! I also have something else to do, so I should go with ra." "Wish you could stay here a bit longer." Helena said unwillingly, "Come visit me whenever you like, Laura." "Of course, Aunt Helena. I miss your cooking so much." Laura smiled and gave Helena a hug. "That''s great," Helena was amused. "Then just go where you are needed. I''m looking forward to seeing you again." "Okay, Mom. Take care of yourself. See you." After saying goodbye to Helena, ra followed Laura downstairs. "ra, where are you going? I can give you a ride," Getting downstairs, Laura asked. "No, thanks. I can take a taxi back." ra refused because she didn''t want to spend any more time N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. with Laura. "It''s not safe for you to take a taxi alone. Let me give you a ride." With that, Laura held ra''s arm and headed toward her car. ra thought it was impolite to refuse again, so she got into Laura''s car. "How do you feel now?" ra asked when realizing that Laura was just discharged from the hospital. "I''m fine. I''m almost used to this," Laura said indifferently. "ra, is it okay with you?" "What do you mean?" ra was confused by Laura''s words. After ncing at ra, Laura said, "Horace carried me to the hospital." ra didn''t know how to answer this question. Obviously, she couldn''t say she was not happy with that. "You fainted, so it is of course normal for Horace to do that." "Well, it''s best if you think so." Lauraughed, "Horace is your husband, so I''m afraid you''ll be jealous." "In the elevator, Horace was so worried about me that even his face turned pale with fear. He didn''t want me to be in danger, so he carried me and hurried to the hospital as the elevator doors opened. Therefore, he ignored how you feel, but please don''t get angry with him." Laura smiled and nced at ra, "Although Horace cares about me as much as before, we are just friends now. Hence, don''t worry. I won''t fight with you for him." Seemingly, Laura was exining to ra what happened yesterday, but ra could tell that Laura was showing off. Even if Laura imed that she would fight with ra for Horace, ra could read between the lines. Laura was showing off that Horace still loved her and that ra was no match for her. Chapter 240 A Test Chapter 240 A Test Ignoring what Laura said, ra reminded herself that she must be wary of Laura from now on. However, ra had no idea what she could do. ra felt she was getting mentally far away from Horace. "I''m nearly home, so just leave me here." ra didn''t want to spend any more time with Laura, so she asked Laura to stop the car, even if she didn''t know where they were now. Laura did not say anything more and left after ra got out of the car. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Looking at ra in the left-wing mirror, Laura narrowed her eyes with contempt and disdain. ra remained silent whatever Laura said, so Laura thought ra was indeed a pushover. Laura became more confident to defeat ra. The next day, ra received a call from Russell and was told to have dinner with him. ra hadn''t seen Russell for a long time, so she agreed without hesitation. After work, ra went to a restaurant to meet Russell. "ra, I''ve heard about Laura. Are you alright?" Russell cut to the chase after ra sat down opposite him. He was afraid that ra would be bothered. "It''s okay." ra was touched by Russell''s worried look and thought Russell was almost the only one who cared about her. "Grandpa, you don''t have to worry about me. I''m fine and I can deal with that myself." Hearing ra''s words, Russell looked at ra even more worriedly. He wanted to say something but stopped. ra realized Russell wanted to say something important rather than onlyfort her. "Grandpa, do you have something to share with me? Is it about Laura?" ra asked with a serious look. Hearing this, Russell nodded. "You asked me to investigate the kidnapping ten years ago, and my people do find something new about it." ra turned upset when hearing this. "Grandpa, now that Laura is back and she has told us what happened ten years ago, you can ask your people to stop. Thank you for what you did these days." Russell, however, shook his head. "I''ve read Laura''s exnation in the newspaper, but it is different from what my people said." "Then what on earth happened?" ra asked anxiously. She did not expect what Russell''s people found to be different from what Laura said. "I purposely had someone look into the cleaner, ording to Laura, who saved them. However, some said that the cleaner was ying cards with some people instead of cleaning there that day." "Then, Grandpa, do you mean Laura is lying?" Hearing Russell''s words, ra was both a little shocked and puzzled. "But why does she lie?" "I''m not very sure because we haven''t seen the whole picture." Russell couldn''t figure this out either. "But ra, I''ve never liked Laura. I have thought she was too shrewd since she was a child. Then you''d better be careful when you get along with her." "Well, I see, grandpa." ra seriously answered. After finishing the meal and leaving the restaurant, ra found it increasingly strange on the way home. ording to Russell, there was no doubt that it was Laura who lied. What she said in the Hutchinson family couldn''t hold water at all. But why did Laura lie? If the cleaner hadn''t saved her, how could she have escaped from the fire? Haunted by these questions, ra called Laura and offered to talk with her, wanting to ask about these questions face to face. Hearing ra''s request, Laura agreed without any hesitation. "Then see you at the cafe that we saw when shopping." After that, ra hung up the phone and went to the cafe in confusion. When ra arrived, Laura had not yete. ra ordered a cup of coffee for herself and slowly drank it, trying to get her thoughts together. If ra cut to the chase, Laura would definitely deny she was lying. Then ra needed to find a way to prove Laura was lying and to get the truth out of her. When ra was deep in thought, she was woken up by the gasps around her. Looking up around, ra found that everyone was whispering and looking towards the door with amazement. Following those people''s gaze, ra saw that Laura was walking this way. Laura was dressed in a light blue embroidered shirt, a ck leather skirt, and a pair of white strappy heels. Laura looked elegant, innocent, and beautiful, nearly attracting the attention of all people in the cafe. Nheless, ra was not in the mood to appreciate Laura''s appearance and clothes, ovee by the question why Laura lied. Russell never lied to ra, so Laura was the one who didn''t tell the truth. Then what had happened back then? "ra, what made you want me to have coffee with you?" Under men''s fascinated gaze and women''s jealous gaze, Laura walked opposite ra and sat down. ra made an excuse. "Nothing serious. I happened to be avable and I don''t want to be alone." ra continued, "I''m sorry to disturb you." "It doesn''t matter. I''m also avable now." After saying so with a smile, Laura ordered a cup of cappino from the waiter. "Laura, do you remember what the cleaner who saved you looked like?" ra asked Laura casually. Hearing this, Laura got alert, "Why do you ask me this?" "Logan mentioned this to me and said he wanted to give all his proper thanks to that cleaner, but he couldn''t find him." ra thought it was a reasonable excuse. "I work at a magazine, so he wanted me to do him a favor. But I don''t know anything about that cleaner, so I hope you can tell me what he is like so that I can find him as soon as possible." Chapter 241 Laura Gets Hurt Chapter 241 Laura Gets Hurt "I see." Laura asked thoughtfully, "But why did my brother never tell me about it?" "It''s probably because he hasn''t had a chance to talk to you yet." After making another excuse, ra continued, "Please describe to me what the cleaner looks like and what can distinguish him from the others? I''ll call my boss and propose putting an ad in the magazine looking for the cleaner." After ra finished, she kept staring at Laura, observing Laura''s expression. If what Laura said was true, she should remember the cleaner. After all, ording to what Laura said, she suffered memory loss. Thus, she should have remembered the cleaner, who was the first person she saw after waking up. "I don''t know," Laura looked away and said nervously, "When I woke up, that cleaner had already gone. It was a nurse who told me that it was a cleaner who brought me to the hospital." "But this is different from what you said in the Hutchinson''s. You said you saw the cleaner when you woke up." ra found something wrong with Laura''s words. "Really? Did I say that?" Laura became a little nervous. "You must have misheard me. I didn''t say I''d seen the cleaner." "Then how did you know that he untied the ropes on your and Horace''s wrists? ording to you, the cleaner even told you that he failed to save Horace because the mes spread too fast." ra was almost certain that Laura''s previous exnation was a lie. "I..." Laura was dumbfounded. She stammered but didn''t know what to say. Finally, Laura''s face darkened. "ra, what exactly do you want to do?" "Laura, you are lying." ra raised her voice. "It was not the cleaner who saved you from the fire. You must tell me what clearly happened back then. How on earth did you escape?" "Yes, I lied to you." Now that ra found out the truth, Laura didn''t bother to pretend anymore. She admitted, "I left by myself." Although ra had guessed, she was startled by Laura''s words. "Now that you woke first, why did you leave alone rather than wake up Horace? Did you want him to burn up in a fire?" "I don''t have to exin this to you." Many people were attracted by ra''s voice and looked toward Laura and her. Seeing this, Laura stood up, took her handbag, and wanted to leave here. "Stop!" ra grabbed Laura. "You can''t go! Tell us exactly what happened back then." After bailing on ra, Laura said impatiently, "I''ve had enough of you. It has nothing to do with you. If you don''t want to get into trouble, you''d better stay away from this." Laura was not guilty at all. Instead, she began to threaten ra arrogantly, which greatly irritated ra. "I''ll tell Horace all about it. And he will teach you a lesson!" N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Laura was amused. Sheughed out loud and said indifferently, "ra, are you threatening me? Just tell this to Horace, but I don''t think he''ll believe you." Noticing that more and more people were attracted, Laura was not eager to leave anymore. She sat down with a sneer at ra. "ra, do you think Horace really likes you? You don''t deserve him at all. Do you know how we spent the three hours in the elevator?" Laura pretended to be shy. "Horace said he still loved me and that he''ll divorce you eventually. Horace is mine, and I will definitely marry him. You are no match for me at all." "Laura, you are going too far!" ra was irritated by what Laura said, subconsciously banged on the table. "I won''t buy whatever you say..." Before ra could finish her words, Laura leaned back and fell to the ground with the chair. Besides, when Laura fell down, she hooked a table''s leg with her toes. The next second, the table tilted and all the coffee cups on it crashed onto the floor. When Laura fell to the ground, her face hit right on some debris, which left a few bleeding wounds on her face. ra froze when seeing this. She did not expect Laura to fall down due to her banging on the table. "My face! My face is bleeding!" Before ra could calm down, Laura screamed in shock. Laura covered the wounds on her face with one hand and pointed at ra with the other, shouting, "ra, how vicious you are! You tried to disfigure me!" Laura said as tears, mixed with blood, trickled down her pretty face. Some people hurried to help Laura up, and the others called an ambnce at once. When Laura arrived here, everyone was attracted to her appearance, elegance, and nobility. Such a beauty could always distinguish herself from the others. But now, Laura was lying awkwardly on the ground. Her clothes were stained with coffee and even her face was broken. Everyone seeing this couldn''t help worrying about Laura. From where these people stood, ra was more malicious than a witch. "What the hell did you do? Whatever happens, you can''t disfigure thisdy." A man took the lead to scold ra. As soon as this man finished his words, another man echoed, "Can''t agree more. You''re vicious! Are you trying to disfigure thisdy? You are overwhelmed by jealousy. You women are always envious!" "You can''t say that! Not all women are as vicious as her." A woman stepped forward and gave ra a push. ordingly, ra lost her bnce, stumbled, and fell to the ground. Instead of helping ra up, everyone looked at her in fury. Chapter 242 Being Smeared Chapter 242 Being Smeared "You are such a shame for us women to do such things." Thedy who did the push also looked condescendingly at ra, who fell to the ground, with a face of righteous indignation, "You got this look from your parents, even if you think you look ugly, you can''t ruin other people''s faces. Your face is not as pretty as thisdy''s, but your heart is even uglier." "That''s right," the man who echoed just now was a little ashamed, "I was too angry just now. Excuse me for my words,dies." "It''s okay, it''s okay, she asked for it." "Yes, we all know you didn''t mean that." "What this woman did is really unforgivable..." ¡­ There was an uproar in the crowd and everybody started using ra. Struggling to get up from the ground, ra found that her palm was scratched, and it was now glowing with blood. Yet she didn''t have time to pay attention to her wounds. ra immediately exined to the people around her, "I didn''t push her, it''s not what you think..." "We''ve all seen it, stop your excuses!" "Do you think we''re blind? Everyone saw you push this youngdy." "Are you trying to say that this youngdy fell down and cut her own face by herself? Come on! What a ridiculous excuse!" "You dare not admit it?" ¡­ Apparently, no one believed ra. The crowd held Laura firmly behind them as if ra woulde forward and hit Laura at any moment. ra felt indefensible. "The ambnce ising!" Just as everyone was about to carry out a new round of reprimands on ra, the sound of ambnces came from afar. People had no time to pay attention to ra for now. They carefully helped Laura to the ambnce. ra knew that exnations were useless. Laura looked badly injured, so ra wanted to get into an ambnce and go to the hospital with her. "What''s wrong with you?" ra was pushed aside just as she approached the ambnce, "You''ve hurt her already, and now you want to y more filthy tricks on her in the hospital? Would you ever stop?" "I didn''t, I just want to check if she is alright." ra was aggrieved. Laura was injured, but people shouldn''t use her of being the attacker just like that. "Stop lying! It''s all your fault, stop acting as if you care about her. Listen, you should instead go to the police station." The man then reached out to ra as if he wanted to catch her. Seeing that the ambnce had already driven away, ra had no intention of continuing to exin. She grabbed a taxi and headed to the hospital. She hadn''t asked what had happened that year. These things are rted to Horace''s life, so she must find out. Moreover, she felt that Laura had fallen on purpose. ra must prove her innocence. Arriving at the hospital, ra found that Logan and Horace were there too. "Horace!" Seeing Horace, ra felt much relieved. She immediately told Horace what Russell had found. "Today Laura has admitted that she was not rescued by a cleaner, but escaped the fire herself." ra couldn''t wait to tell Horace everything she knew. She couldn''t understand why Laura didn''t save Horace since she could escape on her own. Horace was clever, ra was sure he would figure it out. Horace had a cold face since he saw ra. After hearing ra''s words, he looked even angrier. "If Laura had left on her own, why had she disappeared for so many years?" Horace stared at ra and asked, "Why is the rope on my body untied?" "I haven''t investigated this yet," ra thought that for a moment, Horace might not believe what she said, "but Laura did admit it herself when she..." "Enough!" Horace interrupted ra impatiently. "Horace, what''s wrong with you?" Sensing Horace''s coldness, ra was a little puzzled, "Why are you talking to me like that?" Horace looked at ra disappointedly. He took out his phone, opened a video, and handed it to her. "Watch it yourself." ra was shocked. It was a video of what happened to her and Laura at the caf¨¦ this afternoon. In the video, ra was talking to Laura in a very angry and exciting way, but Laura looked calm and innocent. In the end, ra pped the table angrily, and Laura fell to the ground, her face scratched. The video was taken from afar, so there was no sound, but it captured everything clear, except when Laura fell to the ground. It looked as if ra had deliberately pushed Laura to hurt her. Someone in the caf¨¦ must have recognized ra and Laura and filmed the video and posted it online. "Horace, listen to me, it''s not true." Afraid that Horace would also misunderstand herself, ra anxiously exined what had happened in the afternoon, "I didn''t push her, she fell down by herself." "ra, do you think I''ll believe you?" Horace looked disappointed. He didn''t expect ra to deny it in such a dumb way. "Do you hate Laura that much? You''ve hurt her, and now you''re ndering her again." "nder?" ra couldn''t believe what she heard. She took two steps back slightly. From a little distance, ra looked at Horace, her eyes filled with shock. She was sad, on the verge of copsing. She thought Horace believed in her, so the first thing she did when she saw him wasn''t exining but tell him Russell''s words. Horace didn''t believe Laura had escaped the fire on her own, ra understood it. After all, she didn''t believe it either until she heard Laura admit it herself. It was bizarre. Yet ra did not expect that Horace would believe what people on the inte said, that she hurt Laura on purpose, instead of her. In Horace''s heart, was she a malicious woman who would deliberately disfigure someone out of jealousy?N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Chapter 243 Being Untrusted Chapter 243 Being Untrusted "Do you believe them and think I deliberately hurt Laura?" ra''s eyes had turned red. Horace didn''t speak. But ra knew his attitude in this silence. Horace didn''t believe her! raughed self-deprecatingly and turned away. She didn''t want to exin anymore. The instant she turned around, ra lost control of her tears. She felt aggrieved and angry. The kidnapping that happened ten years ago had nothing to do with ra. Because of Horace, she had been pestering Laura, asking questions. However, now, no one believed her, not even Horace. ra suddenly felt that all she had done was pointless. Seeing that ra was leaving, Horace grabbed her by the hand. When ra turned around, Horace found her in tears. ra stubbornly looked away, which made Horace heartache. "ra, I didn''t say you hurt Laura on purpose. But you''ve been weirdtely, is it because of Laura? Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Horace said softly, "There''s nothing going on between me and Laura. You are unlike yourself because of her. Don''t." "Unlike me?" Getting rid of Horace''s hand, ra met Horace''s gaze and said self-deprecatingly, "So what am I like in your heart now? A malicious woman? Or a jealous wife?" "ra!" Horace sounded a little angry. He stepped forward and grabbed ra. "Do you have to argue with me? You know I didn''t mean that. Stop being dramatic, please." "Dramatic?" ra was speechless hearing that. Did Horace think it was all her fault? "Enough, I don''t want to talk to you anymore!" ra calmed herself down a little and then broke free of Horace''s grip, and walked outside the hospital, saying, "I need some peace." Horace looked at ra''s back. He didn''t stop her from leaving this time, for he knew that it would only make things worse. He didn''t want to argue with ra. Walking out of the hospital, ra saw Helena rushing over. "Mom, what are you doing here?" ra hurried forward. She was surprised to see Helena. Yet Helena pped her just as she went over. ra was stunned, not knowing what to do for a moment Feeling the pain in her face, ra gradually came back to her senses. With one hand covering her face, ra slowly looked back at Helena in disbelief, crying, "Mom, why?" Helena cried even harder. Her hand that pped ra was trembling. She pointed at ra and asked angrily, "Why? Tell me, how can you hurt Laura''s face because of jealousy?" ra realized that Helena hade to see Laura. She pped her for Laura, without even asking what happened. Why did Helena p her daughter without asking what was going on? "Mom, I didn''t hurt Laura, trust me! I''ll tell you what happened..." ra exined anxiously to Helena. "Stop lying, I watched the video online. It clearly showed that you pushed Laura. Helena didn''t listen to ra''s exnation at all. She grabbed ra and walked inside the hospital, "Go! Apologize to Laura and ask for her forgiveness!" Right now!" "No, I didn''t do anything wrong!" ra stood still stubbornly. She would never apologize to Laura. "Are you trying to piss me off?" Helena coughed. At the same time, she pulled ra harder, "You have to apologize to Laura today!" Seeing Helena coughing, ra was worried. She stopped struggling and was dragged into Laura''s hospital room by Helena. Logan and Horace were there. Laura was resting. The wounds on her face had been bandaged. Seeing Helena pull ra in, Laura hurriedly sat up from the bed, "Aunt Helena?" "Don''t move, don''t move!" Helena rushed forward and stopped Laura from getting up. Looking at Laura, whose face was covered in bandages, Helena''s eyes were full of sorry. "Are you okay?" "I am fine." Taking Helena''s hand, Laura replied, "It doesn''t hurt, don''t worry." "Howe?" Helena''s tears flowed again. "I''m sorry, Laura, it''s all ra''s bad, I''ve scolded her, please forgive her, she will apologize to you now." Helena then turned around and said angrily to ra, "Apologize to Laura!" "Mom!" Seeing Helena siding with Laura, ra shouted, "I didn''t push her, her injury has nothing to do with me, trust me!" Seeing that ra not only refused to apologize, but also kept making excuses, Helena pointed at ra furiously, and couldn''t speak a word. "Aunt Helena, please don''t be angry." Laura stroked Helena''s back, "I''m sure ra didn''t mean it. She might be a little bit out of control seeing me and Horace being close." With that, Laura looked at ra and said earnestly, "ra, it was urgentst time, that was why Horace took me to the hospital. Please, don''t misunderstand. I came back only because I remembered what had happened. I would never get between you and Horace. You can rest assured." "Laura, stop acting victim!" Laura seemed to be interceding for ra. But every word she said implied that ra had deliberately hurt her out of jealousy. ra couldn''t suppress her anger. "You know what happened today. You know how you got hurt. You confessed to me that you escaped the fire by yourself. But now, in front of everyone, you dare not admit it?" Hearing ra''s words, Helena gave her another p, Chapter 244 Abandoned by Everyone Chapter 244 Abandoned by Everyone "You refused to apologize to Laura. And now, you are even ndering her. How did I educate you!" Being pped twice in a row by Helena, ra copsed. Her tears fell like rain. "Mom, who is your daughter? Me or Laura?" After shouting this to Helena, ra ran out of the ward crying. At the end of the corridor, ra stopped. She was exhausted. She sat slowly against the wall, buried her face in between her knees, crying bitterly. Laura framed her. But neither her mother nor husband, whom she thought to be the closest to her in the world, believed her. They all sided with Laura and med her. Helena had never beaten her, but today she beat her twice for Laura. Laura''s jeer, people''s pointing at her, Horace and Helena''s yelling at her... all shed through ra''s mind. She felt suffocated. She wanted to scream. ra felt so alone. No one trusted her in the world. Laura was beautiful, but ra couldn''t feel her beauty. Now, all ra wanted was to reveal Laura''s hypocrisy and let everyone see her ugly heart. But how? ra was immersed in her sorrow. She couldn''t stop crying. At this moment, she felt someone crouching down in front of her. She opened her tear-filled eyes and looked up. It seemed to be Logan. Seeing that ra''s crying eyes were swollen and her snot was flowing, Logan felt sorry. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to ra. ra looked at Logan angrily without taking the handkerchief. Logan sighed, and then reached out, wanting to wipe ra''s tears. "Go away!" ra shook Logan''s hand away and roared in a hoarse voice, "Stop acting." Picking up the handkerchief that had fallen aside, Logan handed it to ra again, "Wipe your tears first." "What does it have to do with you?" Thinking that Logan was Laura''s older brother, ra couldn''t suppress her anger, "Horace and my mom don''t trust me. No one in the world does, your sister won. So, stop!" "I trust you." Logan looked at her and said softly. "You?" Hearing Logan''s words, ra froze for a moment. Logan believed her? "Yes," Logan looked at ra and repeated his word without hesitation. "I trust you." "Why?" ra was puzzled. Finally, someone trusted her, but it was thest person she had ever thought of. "You trust me instead of your sister?" Hearing ra''s question, Logan was a little embarrassed. Indeed, few people in the world would trust other people than their family. Logan hesitated a little and then said bitterly, "I watched Laura grow up. I know her very well. She''ll never give up on what she wants." ra was still confused. Seeing that, Logan sat next to her and continued, "When Laura was in kindergarten, one day a little girl in her ss brought a doll. It was very beautiful. Laura liked it. So, she asked the little girl if she could give her the doll. The little girl also liked the doll very much, so she refused." "Later, when Laura was ying with the little girl, she suddenly came to the teacher in tears. There were several scratches on her arms, she said that the little girl attacked her." Laura was crying badly, so the teacher called me and the girl''s parents to the kindergarten. When I arrived at school, Laura hugged me and cried, saying that she liked the doll so much that she wanted N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. to hug it secretly, but the little girl saw it and hurt her." The girl had been quietly saying that she hadn''t hit Laura, but she was probably frightened by Laura''s cries and the blood on her arms, so she didn''t defend herself very much. As a result, the girl''s parents believed that their daughter had indeed hurt Laura. They coaxed Laura apologetically and gave her the doll. Only then did Laura stop crying." "Later, the teacher went to check the surveince video, because she couldn''t figure out why would the usually quiet girl suddenly attacked. Unexpectedly, she saw that when the two were ying, Laura suddenly scratched herself, and then ran to her in tears." "Thinking that they were kids and that the matter had been resolved, the teacher didn''t mention it again. However, she called me over, told me about the truth, and asked me to educate Laura well." After saying that, Logan looked at ra with some embarrassment. He assumed that this time, Laura probably did the same thing to make Horace not believe ra. Hearing Logan''s words, ra had mixed feelings. She didn''t expect Laura to be so scheming at such a young age. "So, you mean that Laura won''t give up on Horace since she likes him so much and that she was lying when she said she won''t get between me and Horace?" Logan nodded, "I guess so. That''s why I warned you to be careful." ra looked at Logan and asked, "I said that Laura left the fire by herself ten years ago, do you believe me on that too?" "Yes, I do." Logan nodded. He hesitated again and then said, "However, I don''t think Laura left Horace there on purpose. She must''ve been scared. And she didn''t have the strength to take Horace out. After that, she was probably afraid that we would me her, so she said that someone had saved her." Laura was Logan''s sister after all. He didn''t want to think of her as a bad person. Chapter 245 I Trust You Chapter 245 I Trust You Hear that Logan trusted her. ra was moved. At the same time, she felt kind of sad. Horace and Helena chose to trust the people online instead of her. On the contrary, Laura''s brother chose to trust her. How ironic! "Why do you trust me?" ra asked, "Aren''t you afraid that I hurt your sister on purpose?" "Maybe it''s because I know Laura too well." Logan smiled bitterly and looked at ra, "And, for some reason, I feel close to you. I feel like trusting you. Besides, after knowing you for so long, I''m sure you wouldn''t do that kind of thing." "Thank you, Logan." ra looked at Logan seriously. From thest time when Helena was hospitalized to helping her block the reporters in the cemetery, and to this unconditional trust time, it seemed that every time ra was in trouble, Logan showed up in time to help. "It''s fine." Amused by ra''s serious expression, Logan stroked her hair dotingly. In fact, this kind of action is a bit inappropriate between friends, but ra didn''t feel offended. Instead, she felt warm as if Logan was her family. She gave a warm smile to Logan as well. At this moment, the sound of footsteps came. ra looked up, seeing Horace approaching, she immediately stopped smiling. She pursed her lips, refusing to look at Horace. ra was arguing with him angrily, but now she was smiling earnestly at Logan. Seeing that, Horace''s expression turned bad. Horace walked to ra and reached out to her, "Get up. Let''s go home." ra ignored Horace and propped herself on the ground with one hand and the wall with the other, standing up slowly. She had been sitting for so long that she couldn''t feel her legs. The moment she got up, she stumbled. Logan quickly caught ra. ra''s back was now against Logan''s chest. It looked like she had fallen into his arms on purpose. Logan''s hands were wrapped around ra''s shoulders. The air around Horace instantly turned cold. He bent down and picked up ra from Logan''s arms, then turned around and walked down the hallway. ra struggled to get down from Horace''s arms. But Horace''s strength was so great that she couldn''t break free at all. She could only re at Horace, snapping, "Put me down!" Horace carried her out of the hospital and ignored her anger. Isaac had been standing by the car and waited, seeing Horacee out with ra in his arms, he went around to the back of the car and opened the rear door. Horace put ra in the back seat of the car and sat down beside her. "Go home," Horace ordered emotionlessly. ra turned her head out the window as soon as she got in the car, refusing to look at Horace. Feeling the anger of the two, Isaac did not speak. He dared not. In silence, he quickly drove towards the vi. As soon as they arrived home, ra got out of the car and walked directly into the vi. Horace got out of the car quickly and followed behind ra. ra went directly to the bedroom on the second floor. Entering the bedroom, ra immediately closed the door. She wanted to lock it, but Horace didn''t give her the chance. He pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Horacee in, ra turned to the closet, grabbed a set of clothes, and walked to the door. Horace stopped ra as she passed by. "ra, we need to talk." "There''s nothing to talk about." ra bypassed Horace. "Get out of the way, I''m going to take a shower." Pulling on ra, Horace wrapped his arms around her arms, "ra, please don''t be mad. Let''s talk about Laura." Hearing Horace mention Laura''s name, ra''s long-suppressed anger erupted instantly, she yelled at Horace, "I said there is nothing to talk about! You don''t believe me anyway. I''m going to take a shower, let me go!" "ra, calm down. Sit and let''s talk. Don''t let your emotion take control." "No! I don''t want to talk. Get away, I''m going to take a shower!" "Fine," Horace was also getting impatient, "You want to take a shower? Me too!" Then, He pulled ra to the bathroom. "Horace! What the hell do you want!" Somewhat broken, ra shook away Horace''s hand and cried out. Horace grabbed ra and threw her onto the bed and then leaned over to kiss her tearful eyes. "Let go of me!" ra was full of shame and anger. She desperately struggled under Horace, "Let go! Didn''t you hear me? Horace, you basta¡­" Her curse words were interrupted by Horace, who was pressing onto her body and kissing her fiercely, giving her no chance to speak. Horace''s tongue swept aggressively into ra''s mouth. Looking at ra, who was struggling, Horace thought of the way she smiled at Logan in the hospital. How could she smile like that at other men? upied by jealousy, Horace kissed harder. His hand reached into ra''s clothes, moving on her back... Exhausted, ra gradually gave up struggling, allowing Horace to do whatever he wanted. The behaviors that stood for intimate now made her feel humiliated. Tears fell down her cheeks. Unaware of ra''s abnormality, Horace kissed all the way downward, leaving red marks one after another on ra''s body. Horace raised ra''s hands above her head and inadvertently found her hand scratched. Horace stopped all movements for an instant. He saw that ra''s left palm was bleeding. ra''s hand was scratched by the ground when she was knocked down by the crowd in the caf¨¦. It had crusted, but after the struggle just now, it started to bleed again.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 246 If He Truly Loves You Chapter 246 If He Truly Loves You The blood brought Horace back to his senses. He got up and looked at ra below. Her clothes had almost been torn off. Her body was full of hickeys. Her face was swollen because of Helena''s ps and was now full of tears. Her closed eyes were trembling. Her tears fell from time to time... Horace clenched his hand tightly, scolding himself silently. Why didn''t he notice there were so many wounds on ra''s body! He''d been so rude to her just now... Getting up from ra''s body, Horace hurried to get the medical kit. After Horace left, ra slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred. Was it finally over? She ra felt pain all over her body as she struggled to sit up from the bed. Getting out of bed and picking up the clothes that Horace had thrown on the floor, ra walked to the bathroom absentmindedly. Turning on the shower, the warm water drenched her body, and ra felt a touch of warmth. The hot water washed away her tears and wounds, ra crouched on the ground and cried, she didn''t know how she and Horace be like this. They were so in love before. Horace returned with the medical kit, but ra was not in the bedroom. He got anxious, but then heard the sound of watering from the bathroom. Carrying the medical kit, he walked to the bathroom door anxiously. When he was about to push the door in, he heard ra''s sobbing that she tried to suppress, mixing with the sound of water. He slowly withdrew his hand, and stood nkly outside the bathroom door, wondering if he should go in. Horace was heartbroken hearing ra''s sobs. He knew that ra definitely wouldn''t want to see him. So, he slowly returned to the bedroom, took out the medicine, and put them on the bedstand, making sure that ra could easily see them. Then, he went to the guest room. ra came out of the bathroom. She was relieved not to see Horace in the bedroom. She didn''t know how to face Horace now. She didn''t want to see him for the time being. Weakly walking to the edge of the bed and sitting down, ra saw the medicine and bandages that Horace had ced on the bedstand. ra didn''t pick them up. She looked at the things and lost her mind for a long time. The next day, ra got up early. She didn''t see Horace when she went downstairs for breakfast, not knowing if he had left or was still sleeping. But it was better not to see him, otherwise, it would be too embarrassing. Not in the mood for breakfast, ra hurried to work after having a ss of milk. People at the office all looked at her with contempt. ra guessed that it was because of yesterday''s video. Knowing that it was useless to exin, ra ignored the judging eyes. She went to her ce and sat down. People believed what they saw, as Horace and Helena did, but seeing was not always believing. ra ignored them, yet they didn''t stop judging. The people in the office discussed what happened yesterday. Their voices were loud as if they were deliberately making ra hear them. "How could she do such a thing? Isn''t she always pretending to be kind and gentle?" Content held by N?velDrama.Org. "Who knows? It''s just on the surface." "I think she''s too scared. She probably knew that she won''t be Mrs. Kirnd for long, so she wanted to get rid of the threat as soon as possible." "Yes, if I were Horace, I would choose Laura too. But, holy crap! How did shee up with the idea of destroying Laura''s face!" "Yeah, I bet she didn''t expect to be filmed and posted online. Now the whole world knows what kind of person she is. Horace will definitely abandon her." People nced at ra from time to time while discussing, lest ra not know that she was the subject. ra clutched the pen in her hand, her eyes filled with grievance. She wasn''t as scheming as Laura, but one day, she would throw the evidence in front of people to shut their mouths, to show them how despicable the person they were defending now was, . "Have you done gossiping in the work hours? Continue if anyone wants to get fired." Having heard the noises through the office door, Darren came out and shouted. Seeing Darren angry, everyone fell silent. Darren turned to ra and said, "ra,e with me." ra followed Darren to his office although she didn''t know what was going on. She didn''t want to face the people outside. Darren asked ra to take a seat and then sat down opposite her. "ra, are you okay?" Darren asked ra gently. ra didn''t know what to say. Words like "I''m fine" was against her will. "ra, I heard about what happened online. And I''m sure you wouldn''t have done such a thing, there must have been misunderstandings, right?" Darren asked softly. "Thank you, Darren." Hearing that someone else besides Logan chose to trust her, ra was moved. "Thank you for trusting me." "Of course, I will do." Darren took it for granted, and then asked cautiously, "But, does Horace trust you?" Hearing this, ra bowed her head and did not speak. Darren could guess the answer. The video was so clear, and Horace used to like Laura so much, so he probably didn''t trust ra. "ra, I watched Horace and Laura being together, they were deeply in love. Now that Laura is back, it''s normal for Horace to hesitate a little. Darren stood up and walked over to ra, crouched down, and took her hand. "But, ra, if Horace loves you, he will trust you. And if he doubts you, he must be still in love with Laura." Chapter 247 She Is "Back2Past" Chapter 247 She Is "Back2Past" ra tried to take back her hand, but Darren grabbed it tighter. He looked a little excited as he said, "ra, now that Ashlee is gone, let''s get back together, I would never doubt you like before, I..." "Darren " ra raised her voice to interrupt Darren. At the same time, she got rid of Darren''s hand and stood up. For a moment the atmosphere got a little awkward. Seeing that ra was angry, Darren came back to his senses. He shouldn''t have proposed that now ra had just experienced such a thing. "ra, I''m sorry, I was too hasty. If you don''t like it, I won''t propose such things again." Looking at Darren, who was apologizing, ra felt that he had changed a lot. Darren would never have spoken to her like that before. Since Darren had apologized, ra stopped being angry. Sitting down again, ra shifted the subject and asked, "When is Ashlee''s funeral?" "This Sunday." Darren''s heart was relieved to see that ra was no longer angry. It seemed that he had to take it slowly. "Will you attend the funeral?" "Yes," ra nodded, "she''s my sister after all." "Okay, I''ll arrange it." "Thank you." ra looked at Darren gratefully. He had been arranging Ashlee''s funerals these days, it must have been a lot of work. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. "Don''t mention it. It''s my duty." Darren''s eyes were filled with affection. Realizing that there was something wrong with the atmosphere between the two of them now, ra quickly looked away, "I need to go back to work now." After nodding slightly at Darren, ra hurried out of Darren''s office. Watching ra leave, Darren had a confident smile on his face. "ra, I will make youe back to me. I thought Horace was right for you, but now it seems I was wrong." Darren murmured. As soon as she returned to her desk and sat down, ra noticed anothermotion around her. These people would never stop. Thinking that everyone was going to continue to taunt her, ra looked up, a little annoyed, but unexpectedly, she saw Laura walking towards her. Laura was in a pink dress and a pair of red high heels. The wound on her face was almost healed. What was she here for! ra was alert. Whatever for, it won''t be anything good. "Oh my God, is that Laura?" "She''s even more beautiful than on the screen. It''s such a pity, that wound on her face! What if it leaves a scar?" The person red at ra fiercely after saying that, couldn''t forgive her for hurting such a beautiful woman. "But she looks more mysterious now, no? I now understand why ra did that. I won''t be confident facing such an enemy in love either." "What does Laurae to ra for? im Horace?" "I suppose. But she has the right..." Listening to the discussion of the people around her, ra couldn''t help but sneer in her heart. Was everyone deceived by Laura''s seemingly weak appearance? "What are you doing here?" Seeing Laura walk up to her, ra asked in a cold voice. Looking around at all the people around, Laura smiled and said, "Are you sure you want to talk here?" ra stood up and walked straight to the pantry. She didn''t want to act in front of those people for free either. At the pantry, ra looked at Laura who had followed, and asked, "Now we can talk, what do you want?" Laura spun around the pantry for a moment before slowly saying, "You work here? It doesn''t look good. Wouldn''t Horace feel ashamed of you?" "It''s none of your business." "What if I say it is?" Laura looked at ra aggressively. "What the hell do you want?" ra asked sharply. She didn''t want to talk nonsense. Seeing ra''s angry expression, Laura smiled triumphantly, "I came here to check the result of my work, of course." Laura looked at ra yfully and said, "I told you that people won''t believe you, they will only believe me. I''m not wrong, right?" "ra, you are innocent, but no one in the world believes you, how does that feel? To be honest, I feel sorry for you. Even your husband and mother chose not to believe you. How pathetic you are!" "Did youe here to say these things?" ra asked as calmly as possible. "Yeah, I came here to tell you that. Also, people here would pay more attention to you after my visit, no? Laura stared at ra grimly, "I just want you to be expelled everywhere, as a punishment for stealing things from me." Looking at Laura''s arrogant posture, ra wanted to go straight up and p her, but she told herself over and over again that she couldn''t get angry. ra knew that Laura hade here to trigger her. If she failed to control herself, people would judge her even more. Holding back her anger, ra said coldly, "Are you done? If so, you can leave." Unexpectedly, ra was not enraged as she wasst time. Laura snorted coldly and whispered in ra''s ear, "I''ll take back whatever belongs to be, not a doubt." After saying that, Laura got up slightly and looked at ra in defiance Laura''s words sounded very familiar. ra felt she had seen them somewhere. After thinking for a moment, ra remembered that "Back2Past" had said the same thing, that "Things should also return to their owners." "You''re ''Back2Past ''!" ra pointed at Laura and asked in disbelief. "You finally knew." Laura scoffed, "ra, are you really na?ve, or just stupid?" Chapter 248 Ashlees Funeral Chapter 248 Ashlee''s Funeral "So you sent the birthday video too "ra didn''t expect that Laura had been paying attention to her since then. Hearing this, Laura became more aggressive. "Who would it be otherwise? ra, you are too stupid. I didn''t even have the desire to fool you anymore." After saying that, Laura left proudly. ra was left alone in the pantry. It took her a while toe back to herself. She couldn''t believe that Laura was "Back2Past". Laura was right, she was too stupid to find it only now. She couldn''t me others for being tricked. ra worked the entire day under unfriendly eyes. After work, she felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. When she reached home, Horace hadn''t returned yet. She forced herself not to think about Laura and had a bath, which made her feel better. Then, she felt hungry. She smiled bitterly when she realized that she didn''t eat the entire day. The servant asked for a leave that day. ra got changed, and went downstairs, preparing to cook. In the middle of the stair, she saw Horace enter the vi. Looking at each other, they both felt rather awkward. ra stood there, hesitating about whether to go back to her bedroom or go down to the kitchen. After pondering for a few seconds, she chose thetter. But she didn''t speak to Horace. Being ignored, Horace stood still at the door. After a moment, he entered the door and went to the study. He turned on theputer, wanting to continue his work. But ra''s cold eyes kept popping up in his head. He couldn''t focus. Thinking that he couldn''t get along with ra like this forever, he got up and went downstairs. At the door of the kitchen, Horace saw ra cook spaghetti. Hesitating for a while, he asked, "Baby, I am kind of hungry, can you cook some for me too?" ra had seen Horace at the door, but since he didn''t speak and she didn''t know what he wanted, so she pretended that she didn''t see him. Hearing Horace''s request, ra thought to herself, "I knew it." The servant was not home. Horace, growing up as a rich kid, didn''t know how to cook. He would be starving. So, she had prepared food for two people before he asked. Even though they were at a cold war, she wouldn''t let him starve. But she didn''t answer Horace, because she didn''t want to give in. Being ignored, Horace felt kind of awkward. Yet he didn''t know how to give in. So, after standing there embarrassed for a moment, he went back to his study. Sitting at the desk in the study, Horace felt regret. He should have asked one more time, maybe ra would answer. Now, he had no reason to spark a conversation again. Seeing Horace leave, ra felt pleased. She bet it was the first time that Horace had been ignored for something like eating. Thinking of his embarrassed expression, ra smirked. Just as Horace was upset in the study, he heard someone knock on the door, and then ra''s voice came. "The food is ready, get down and eat." Horace got up happily. But when he opened the door, he found that ra had reached downstairs. He followed ra to the table and sat down, starting to eat somewhat absent-mindedly. He looked at ra several times, wanting to say something. But ra was focused on eating. He didn''t know how to start. "Horace." Just as Horace was thinking of how to break the silence, ra spoke. "Yes?" Horace felt joyful. He put down his fork and looked at ra seriously. ra didn''t raise her head. Stirring her spaghetti with her fork, she said, "Do you have time to attend Ashlee''s funeral with me? It''s on Sunday." ra wasn''t sure if she wanted Horace to go with her. They were in a cold war now, and she didn''t want to give in so easily. But she didn''t know how to deal with Glenn Middleton; after all, the copse of Mind Inc and Ashlee''s death had something to do with her. With Horace, she would be much more at ease. Hearing ra''s question, Horace hesitated. ra invited him to attend Ashlee''s funeral with her. It was a good opportunity for them to reconcile, but he couldn''t go there. Not hearing an answer, ra looked up at Horace but saw his embarrassed face. ra understood that with the rtionship between Horace and Mind Inc, it might result in some unfavorable news online if he went there. "Forget it, I''ll go by myself." "No, ra." Afraid that ra misunderstood, Horace exined, "It''s not that I don''t want to go, but on Sunday I''m going to discuss some details with Laura about the design. This meeting is very important. It is rted to the oue of the project and thepany''s achievements in the second half of the year, so I can''t be absent. I''ll ask Isaac to send you there, okay?"Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Hearing Horace''s words, ra clenched her fork. Laura again! Horace was still going to work with Laura! Maybe Horace regarded Laura as a work partner and a regr friend, but Laura definitely didn''t think the same. Thinking of what Laura had said today, ra didn''t want Horace to see her again. But she knew Horace wouldn''t believe her even if she told him Laura''s words. Moreover, she and Horace had quarreled too many times these days for Laura, and she didn''t want to argue over the same issue. "Okay, I see." ra lowered her head and replied. "ra, believe me." Thinking that ra was still doubting his rtionship with Laura, Horace reached up and lifted ra''s chin, looked into her eyes, and said, "Laura and I are just working partners, we..." "I know." ra interrupted Horace, not wanting to continue discussing Laura. Horace also understood What ra meant. He stopped mentioning Laura. Silence once again pervaded the dinner table. After a while, ra asked again, "Ashlee''s funeral is around the corner, can you let Valerie Bet