《Mr Carlos Huo, She's Your Wife》


 Chapter 1 Ending A Marriage

    Chapter 1 Ending A Marriage


    "Here''s the divorce agreement, Philip. I''ve already signed it. Please give it to Carlos Huo."


    It was difficult for Debbie Nian to work up the nerve to hand the agreement that would end her marriage


    to Philip Zhuo, the Huo family''s steward.


    Sighing in resignation, Philip Zhuo went over the document and noticed uses that made him frown.


    He looked at the girl sharply and bellowed,"Debbie!" Incredulous, he asked,"Do you realize how stupid


    this is? I can understand if you want to divorce Mr. Huo. After all, you haven''t seen the man for the past


    three years. But why aren''t you asking for any money?"


    At 20, Debbie Nian was an undergraduate. Her father died while she didn''t know who her mother was.


    In Philip Zhuo''s opinion, she shouldn''t want a divorce, let alone get out of the marriage without any


    money.


    Debbie Nian scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. She was well aware that Philip Zhuo


    always treated her as a daughter, so she had no ns to keep anything from him. "I... I want to drop


    out of school," she stammered.


    "What? Why do you suddenly want to leave school? What happened? Are you being bullied?" The


    steward''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    "No, no, no! You''re overreacting, Philip. You already know, I-I don''t like studying. So, I don''t want to


    waste my time in university," she exined.


    The excuse of dropping out of school wasme but the only one that came to mind quickly to stall him


    off. But she was not telling anyone the real reason for wanting a divorce.


    She was silent for a while, as several thoughts ran through her mind. ''Tomorrow is my 21st birthday


    and third wedding anniversary.


    I''m still young. I don''t want this hollow marriage to stand in the way of pursuing true love.


    I''ve never even seen Carlos Huo in person. My father arranged this marriage. How can anyone live like


    this?'' she thought desperately.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Sensing that the girl was not about to share anything else, Philip Zhuo conceded,"It appears you''ve


    made up your mind, so I will..." He waited for her to say something. "I''ll hand the divorce papers to Mr.


    Huo tomorrow," the steward said with a deep sigh when she didn''t respond.


    "Thank you so much, Philip!" She let out a huge sigh of relief before giving the man a sweet smile.


    But Philip Zhuo could not help himself as he stared at the young girl. "Debbie, Mr. Huo is a good man. I


    believe you are a perfect match, so I do hope you will think this through carefully and reconsider. If you


    change your mind, you may call me anytime," he said sincerely.


    Of all he said, two words stood out that made Debbie Nian cringe. ''Perfect match? He didn''t even show


    up at the wedding! The man was at a dinner reception for a foreign president at that time. And the


    photograph on our marriage certificate was Photoshopped.


    In thest three years, I haven''t evenid eyes on him. So, what is Philip saying that we are a perfect


    match?'' Debbie Nian couldn''t control the sarcastic thoughts in her head.


    Finallying to her senses, the youngdy took a deep breath before speaking again. She had


    intended to say,"I''ve made up my mind," but as a sign of respect for Philip Zhuo who was truly


    concerned for her, she uttered,"Okay."


    Thinking that she might have a change of heart, Philip Zhuo waited until the next afternoon to inform


    Carlos Huo about the divorce papers. But to his disappointment, she didn''t call him. Slowly, he brought


    out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Mr. Huo, I have a document that needs your signature," he


    said respectfully.


    "What document is that?" came the cold reply. He noted a hint of impatience in Carlos Huo''s voice.


    After hesitating briefly, the steward answered,"A divorce agreement."


    Then the pen in his hand froze as Carlos Huo let the words sink in. He closed his eyes and rubbed his


    brows thoughtfully.


    It quickly dawned on him as he thought, ''Oh, I have a wife. If Philip didn''t call me now, I wouldn''t even


    remember that I am married and have a wife.''


    "Just put the papers in my study. I''ll be back in Y City in a couple of days," Carlos Huo said coolly.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," Philip Zhuo acknowledged, and then hung up.


    Meanwhile, at the Blue Night Bar in Y City, the bar was dimly lit but packed with people.


    Young men and women flocked to the establishment, that was among the very popr in town.


    Inside Room 501 was a table littered with beer, wine, champagne and a variety of snacks.


    The room was the venue for a birthday party. The celebrant was Debbie Nian, who turned 21 that day.


    Nicknamed "Tomboy" by her ssmates, Debbie Nian now wore a pinkce dress. This was one of the


    very few asions that she donned something feminine instead of her usual attire of jeans and shirts.


    Several of the female guests whipped out their phones to have a selfie with Debbie Nian.


    After everyone had their fill of taking photos, the celebrant started to have fun by drinking with her


    ssmates. Stacked in one corner of the room were the many presents Debbie Nian received from


    friends and ssmates.


    A slightly tipsy Jared Han broke out in a song, with his arm slung around another boy''s shoulders. "I


    knew you were trouble when you walked in..." he warbled.


    His voice was so grating that many of the girls covered their ears and groaned.


    "Hey, Jared! Stop that singing. Let''s just y games that won''t bust anybody''s eardrums." It was Kasie


    Zheng, one of Debbie Nian''s roommates, who called out to Jared Han.


    She was a cheerful girl, full of confidence, who always got people''s attention.


    Her suggestion had everyone in the room turning silent. The boys and girls in the room turned to look


    at Kasie Zheng, waiting for her instructions.


    She was a known party animal, and was popr among the ssmates.


    Looking at everyone with mischief in her eyes, Kasie Zheng said,"Let''s y Truth or Dare!" A cunning


    smile crossed her lips as guests balked at the suggestion.


    Several of them cast a scornful nce at the girl. "Kasie, that game sucks!" This time, Jared Han, a


    rich second generation, got back at Kasie Zheng. He rolled his eyes in disgust because he thought it


    was a boring game.


    Kasie Zheng stared at Jared Han defiantly and continued,"Today is Debbie''s 21st birthday, so we''ll


    make the game more exciting!" She shed an evil smile that made some of the guests ufortable.


    Since all people at the party were students, many were still pure and innocent. They were familiar with


    the game; the consequences for the dares were usually singing the high notes in Mariah Carey''s


    ''Loving You'', carrying the heaviest guy around the room, or singing a duet with the opposite sex.


    But Kasie Zheng had something else in mind for Debbie Nian. The celebrant''s cheeks were already


    crimson from too much champagne and wine. As the first round started, Kasie Zheng winked at the


    others, who quickly caught on what she was nning.


    "The loser in this round has to go out the door, turn right, and then kiss the first person of the opposite


    sex they run into on the lips. If he or she opts to skip this consequence, there is an alternative. He or


    she has to drink ten sses of wine," Kasie Zheng dered.


    Everyone became excited about the game. They were all eager to find out who the first loser would be.


    This time Jared Han snorted in disgust but said nothing. He knew there was already collusion.


    After ying Rock-Paper-Scissors, everyone turned to look at the celebrant, who was dumbfounded.


    Debbie Nian stared at her hand, which formed the scissors symbol, and then nced at the others who


    held out Rocks. Her eyes widened, and her jaw ckened.


    "I hate you, Kasie Zheng!" she screamed. Remembering the consequence, the birthday girl felt like


    crying. She was already drunk, and couldn''t afford ten more sses of wine.


    Mustering her courage, she took several deep breaths before opening the door.


    Following instructions, she turned right.


    Standing in the hallway was a man dressed in a crisp white shirt, ck cks, and ck leather shoes.


    He looked to be in his mid-20s and stood around 180 cm tall. His face was all angles and nes, from


    his forehead, cheeks to his jawline. His looks were the type that would stand out in a crowd.


    His eyes, however, were so cold that Debbie Nian couldn''t help but shiver when he nced at her.


    "Wow, he is one handsome dude! Tomboy, hurry up! We''re watching you," Kasie Zheng said in a loud


    whisper. Debbie Nian stood frozen for a moment. She was busy thinking, ''He looks somewhat familiar.


    Where have I met him before?''


    But Kasie Zheng''s voice broke into her thoughts, so she took a deep breath and plucked up more


    courage.


    Still there was this niggling thought, ''I think I''ve met him before. Never mind! I''d better make this quick.''


    Bravely, she walked up to the man, gave him a sweet smile and stood on tiptoe. His cologne wafted


    through her nose.


    Carlos Huo was looking for a quiet ce to make a phone call when he was stopped by a girl in the


    hallway.


    He frowned in annoyance as Debbie Nian approached him.


    Something clicked in his mind. ''Why does she look so familiar? Her eyes...'' Carlos Huo thought, trying


    to recall the face.


    As he pondered who the girl was, Debbie Nian nted a soft kiss on his lips and caught him off-guard.

 Chapter 2 The Elusive Carlos

    Chapter 2 The Elusive Carlos


    After nting a kiss on Carlos'' lips, Debbie immediately withdrew, fled the hallway and ran straight


    back to the room.


    "Debbie!" Kasie shrieked as she shut the door. "You were awesome, girl!" she said proudly, pping


    the celebrant on the back. Panting after her escape, Debbie heaved a sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, Carlos'' face darkened after the surprise kiss. He stood rooted to the spot but saw the girl


    disappear inside Room 501. The man was about to ask his bodyguards to haul Debbie out of the room


    and throw her into the sea when his phone rang.


    Annoyed over the interruption, he answered the call. After listening for a few seconds, he snapped,


    "Okay. I''ll be right there." He pressed the button to end the call and then nced at Room 501. He


    inhaled sharply to control his fury. There was an emergency in hispany, which needed immediate


    attention.


    "Count your lucky stars today, woman. You better pray I never see you again. You won''t get away the


    next time you provoke me," Carlos muttered as he turned to leave.


    Inside Room 501, Debbie rubbed her red cheeks and felt them burning in embarrassment. It was the


    most insane thing she had ever done in her life. Heart pounding, her mind was a jumble of thoughts.


    ''Oh my God! That was my first kiss, and I don''t even know who he was!


    Could that have been cheating on my husband?


    Oh never mind! I''ve already signed the divorce agreement.


    And it''s okay even if Carlos isn''t willing to sign it. Legally, a couple who''s been separated for more than


    two years is deemed to be automatically divorced anyway.


    I haven''t seen him in the three years we''ve been married. So maybe legally, I''m no longer his wife. That


    means I was not cheating on him.


    Besides, it was just a kiss...'' Debbie forgot everyone around her.


    Suddenly Kasie yelled, "My goodness!" All her ssmates jumped at her outburst.


    "What is wrong with you, Kasie? You scared me to death!" Kristina Lin, who was about to drink wine,


    spilled the liquid and was patting her chest to calm down.


    Excitedly, Kasie stepped up to Debbie, who was still lost in thought, and shook her shoulders.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Do you know who that man is?" she demanded. The object of Debbie''s prank was a man every


    woman dreamed of. He was young, handsome, rich, and powerful, and he owned arge multinational


    group. People called him Mr. Huo as a sign of respect.


    "So, who is he?" Debbie demanded while grabbing a ss of champagne and taking a big gulp.


    "Carlos Huo!" Kasie yelled the name as she looked at the celebrant''s face. The name was supposed to


    say everything about who the man was, so she wanted to be sure Debbie heard it right.


    The champagne sputtered out of the girl''s mouth the moment Kasie said Carlos'' name. Debbie began


    coughing violently, unaware that she had spat the liquid on her roommate''s face. Instead of getting mad


    after being showered by champagne on the face, Kasie was stunned.


    Even Jared was bbergasted when he heard the name. "Mr. Huo? Tomboy, I think you''re screwed," he


    said. Jared was the son of the general manager of a financepany in Y City, and Carlos'' name


    struck his ears like a roar of thunder.


    The familiar name also made Kristina Lin scream. "Debbie, you kissed Mr. Huo! Ohhh. Let me kiss you


    because it''s like kissing him indirectly," she teased her friend.


    Grabbing a handful of tissues, Debbie proceeded to clean her friend''s face but was too shocked to


    apologize.


    When Kristina Lin came forward, Debbie hurled the tissues towards the table and ran away as fast as


    she could.


    Suddenly, she remembered something. "Kasie, did you call my name when I was in the hallway?" she


    asked. She shuddered at the thought. ''Damn it! What if he remembers my name?''


    Spunky Kasie snatched more tissues to dry her face and answered in an angry voice, "Yes, I did. Is


    that what has you excited? Yes, it must''ve been thrilling to kiss Mr. Huo, but you were only overacting,


    right?" She cursed Debbie quietly, ''You brat!


    Oh my God! My face! And my hair! There is champagne everywhere!'' Patting Kasie''s arm as much to


    console as to apologize, Debbie suddenly said, "You guys have fun. I need to leave now."


    As soon as she said the words, the birthday celebrant left hurriedly. Everyone watched her receding


    figure with a stunned expression.


    All her friends were thinking the same thing. What was she going to do, catch up with Mr. Huo? She


    was out of her mind! They all heard that many women had been after Carlos. And to get rid of these


    women, he would ask his men to peel off their clothes and toss them out on the street. He might do that


    to their friend, so they all had the same idea to stop Debbie from going to Carlos.


    Many of her friends ran out of the room hoping to prevent Debbie from whatever she nned on doing.


    But the girl was nowhere to be found.


    As soon as Debbie stepped out of the bar, she hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to bring her to the


    vi where she was staying.


    ''I hope Carlos did not recognize me and won''te to the vi tonight. Otherwise, he may think I


    regretted asking for a divorce, and kissed him to get his attention.''


    Leaning against the back of the seat, Debbie kept thinking about what happened.


    After they got the marriage certificate three years ago, Carlos assigned Philip to take care of her food,


    clothing, and anything she needed.


    But not once had she seen the man she married.


    On the one hand, he was busy with work and spent most of his time overseas to take care of business.


    On the other hand, even when he was in Y City, Carlos stayed in another vi. They had different


    friends and acquaintances. As a result, they had never met each other, not even once, in those three


    years.


    As for the marriage certificate, her father kept it with him when he was still alive. But just before his


    death, he had given it to Carlos in his fear that Debbie would divorce her husband.


    So, it wasn''t until now that Debbie knew what her Carlos looked like.


    Sitting up, she suddenly remembered something and pped her forehead. ''Oh, I remember seeing


    him once, '' the young woman thought. She had gone to his office to visit a couple of times. But every


    time, it was Carlos'' assistant who received her, precluding any opportunity to get a glimpse of her


    husband. Thest time she went to thepany, Debbie didn''t introduce herself, so guards prevented


    her from entering the building. At that time, Carlos had juste back from an overseas trip. And while


    standing outside, she saw her husband getting out of the car from a distance.


    Unfortunately, she was too far to get a good look at him. And it was a long time ago. Even when she


    knew his name, she never found any photo of Carlos on the Inte. He kept a very low profile, never


    granting interviews with the media and not allowing anyone to post his picture online.


    There was one time though when Carlos'' picture was published. In that photo, it was said that he was


    holding the hand of an actress. But before Debbie could get a glimpse of the photo, it had been


    deleted.


    Now, she finally saw her husband''s face.


    And she even got to kiss him! If he had signed the divorce papers, technically, he would be her ex-


    husband.


    While Carlos was known not tock women forpany, he hated the female species who took the


    initiative to get close to him.


    So that was one more reason for Debbie to be agitated. ''Oh my God! I am screwed. I truly hope he


    didn''t recognize me, '' she kept praying silently.


    When she arrived at the vi, she heaved a deep sigh of relief when she noted no light was on.


    "Maybe he didn''t hear Kasie call my name, and didn''t even recognize me. Thank God for that!" she


    muttered.


    Tapping her still blushing face, she threw herself on the living room couch and recalled everything that


    happened tonight. "If he recognized me, he would no doubt dislike me. But maybe, that''s better. Then


    he''d sign the divorce agreement without hesitation," she mumbled.


    Debbie was a junior student in ss 22 of Finance Department of School of Economics and


    Management in Y City University.


    There were more than 50 enrolled in her ss. Forty of them passed through the college entrance


    exam, while the rest went through the back door.


    Y City University was among the Top 3 local universities. Even Carlos graduated from this institution.


    There was a long line of people wanting to enroll in the university. Debbie was one of them and got in


    through the back door.


    Marc Dou, an old professor, stood on the tform in front of his ss. He pushed his sses up his


    nose and took a deep breath while staring at his students, most of whom were sleepy.


    Suddenly, there was a loud bang! The professor threw a book on his desk. The sound brought many


    students back to their senses, and they quickly sat up.


    But one of them, a girl in a white leisure coat, who sat in thest row, was still asleep on her desk.


    Fuming with rage, Marc Dou roared, "Debbie Nian!" He might be old with grey, grizzly hair, but his voice


    was still booming. In the silence that ensued, you could hear a pin drop.


    But neither the noise nor the silence made any difference to Debbie, who was still sound asleep.


    Everyone was staring at her as she remained in dreand.

 Chapter 3 The Hard-Headed Professor

    Chapter 3 The Hard-Headed Professor


    "Debbie! Debbie!" a light voice kept calling out to Debbie as she was dozing off. Refusing to wake up,


    Debbie felt a constant tug at her sleeve. The more she ignored it, the stronger the voice and the


    tugging went. This got Debbie to give up and she finally woke up.


    Though it was clear that she was still half asleep, Debbie groggily turned her head towards Kristina.


    "Kristina¡­ you better have a good reason for waking me up¡­"


    What Debbie saw as Kristina''s response was a finger pointing somewhere. Debbie''s eyes followed


    where Kristina pointed and she saw an absolutely exasperated Marc on stage.


    Just witnessing Marc''s protracted face was simr to being sshed on the face with ice cold water in


    Debbie''s opinion. ''Oh, crap!'' Scrambling to get herself back together, Debbie shook her head violently


    and then sat upright.


    Marc, who was the professor that stood in front, was considered to be one of the remarkably hard-


    headed professors in their university. Taking the subject book out from her bag, Debbie then opened


    the book at the proper page and sent an icy re to whoever daredugh.


    Almost immediately, Debbie''s ssmates turned their attentions back to the front, feigning that they


    didn''t realize what was happening. Once the situation was sorted out, their professor Marc had


    returned to teaching.


    ''Oh God, he looks so angry¡­'' Debbie buried her hands through her hair in regret. ''I''m definitely going


    to fail his exams¡­''


    No one in the room attempted to taunt Debbie. Everyone in the room as well as the whole university


    knew that Debbie possessed a cryptic background.


    Besides, Debbie was still a rowdy student as she constantly shed with others, doused herself in


    alcohol, and cut sses. In short, she had done things that were deemed uneptable by the


    university.


    Within Y City University, it was stated in the student handbook that students were neither allowed to


    dye their hair of any color, paint their nails, nor wear extravagant jewelry to the campus.


    However, Debbie didn''t care as she possessed long lc dyed hair and bright red nails. The professors


    in the university were too terrified to tell her off about it.


    It was surprising that Debbie hadn''t found herself expelled from the university. The reason for that was


    that she came from a family with power.


    "Debbie Nian," Marc called out coldly,"please exin to me what finance is." The professor knew well


    of Debbie''s background. Someone with the name of Emmett Zhong, who was Carlos'' assistant, had


    something to do with Marc''s assignment in the university. Even Carlos himself was a former student of


    Marc''s. As a responsible teacher, Marc knew that he had to intervene as he wouldn''t allow his students,


    Debbie in particr, to submit to her vices.


    Feigning to look at the book, Debbie then sent a kick to the seat in front of her. Seated across her was


    none other than the ss monitor and straight A student, Dixon Shu.


    With that as a signal, Dixon Shu knew what Debbie meant and he quickly flipped the pages of the book


    to where the answer was written and slid it to his left side for her to see.


    A smile of satisfaction was etched on Debbie''s profile as the book was made visible to her eyes. Many


    stole nces towards Debbie and all could agree that she looked stunning.


    She possessed features a girl would kill for, such as perfect fair skin, a pair of round, innocent eyes, a


    beautifully shaped nose, and soft, red lips.


    Although Debbie''s face was bare and free of make up, her profile still remained ethereal. Not to


    mention, her pair of long, slender legs were a treat for all boys to see.


    If only her academic performance were better, she would perfectly fit the title of ''Miss University.''


    ''Alright, let''s see here¡­'' Debbie stood up and blinked as she began to read from Dixon Shu''s book.


    "Finance is a broad term that describes two rted activities: the study of how money is managed


    and..."


    As the professor, Marc saw right through Debbie''s trick, this got him outraged. "Enough!" Marc''s voice


    thundered across the room, making the whole ss frightened.


    The students could see how their professor was desperately keeping his anger in check.


    Everyone was frightened and glued to their seats, all except for Debbie who shed Marc a smile and


    asked,"Professor Dou, is my answer wrong?"


    With that, Marc started to turn red in anger and Debbie couldn''t help but regret whatever she did and


    started to beg for forgiveness. "Professor Dou, please don''t get mad at me. I''ll memorize the answer by


    heart before the ss ends!" Debbie promised. Even she had people whom she feared and this


    professor was one of them as she knew Carlos was one of Marc''s former students.


    The color red then started to leave Marc''s profile as he calmed down upon hearing Debbie''s words. In


    Marc''s opinion, Debbie was a clever girl. If she just put her mind into studying, she could very well be


    an intelligent, straight A student. But, as a professor, Marc could not further tolerate Debbie''s insolent


    actions. ''You don''t like studying? Fine! You failed many exams? Fine!'' Marc then sent Debbie a re.


    ''But you''re not allowed to fail in my ss!'' he swore to himself.


    "If you dare to sleep in my ss again, Jared Han, Kristina Lin, and Kasie Zheng, the three of them will


    go stand under the g!" Marc dered. "Do you understand?!" The three whose names were


    mentioned groaned in disbelief upon their professor''s statement.


    ''Why are we the ones suffering when Debbiemits mistakes¡­'' they all thought in chorus.


    The reason why Marc made this decision was that he knew Debbie was loyal to her friends. The


    intention of hurting others for her own personal gains was far beyond Debbie. This was one of the


    advantages Marc saw with Debbie''s attitude.


    Casting a burning re towards their professor Marc, Debbie cursed in the depths of her mind, ''Why?!


    You cunning little piece of...''


    Lifting her head up, Debbie then responded in confidence,"Got it, Professor Dou. You''ll never see me


    doze off in your ss ever again." Sitting herself back down in her seat, Debbie then picked up her pen


    and started to write on the notebook she had. A look of satisfaction was present on Marc''s face as he


    thought she was taking notes while in reality, she was just doodling.


    When the bell rang, Marc said his final words before collecting his things and then eventually left the


    room.


    sses were officially dismissed.


    The moment Marc left, several boys and girls gathered around Debbie and started to state their


    comints regarding their professor.


    "Hey, Tomboy. What''s up with Professor Dou?" Jared asked. The look of frustration was written all over


    Jared''s face. ''Why the heck did he choose to deal with us instead of Debbie? He''s a strange man, '' he


    thought to himself.


    Measuring 210 centimeters in height, Jared was one of the students blessed with height and


    considered to be the tallest in the whole university. To add, Jared was one of Debbie''s closest friends


    and he was a generous guy.


    "Debbie, please don''t sleep in Professor Dou''s ss again¡­" Kristina whined as she held onto


    Debbie''s arm tightly and acted in a charming manner. "I''m begging you¡­" Kristina, Debbie'' another


    friend, possessed long, curly hair and a petite body, yet oozing with charm.


    "Debbie, as Miss Room 3301, I can''t afford to lose face in public like that, alright?" said Kasie, who


    proimed herself as the most beautiful girl in the dormitory.


    Currently, Debbie''s spirits were low because of the whole divorce matter and the kiss between her and


    Carlos. The noise that surrounded Debbie started to irritate her. Taking the book in hand, she then


    mmed it against the desk and the crisp sound of the book hitting the table reverberated throughout


    the whole room, sending everyone into a state of shock.


    Everyone in that room knew that if they looked back, they''d be frozen as they felt Debbie''s cold gaze


    lingering around them. They all zipped their mouths shut.


    Feeling the tension growing heavy in the air, Kasie then spoke up in hope of alleviating the tension.


    "Hey, I just remembered. There''s a grand promotion in the Shining International za today! Do you


    guys want toe?"


    Standing and snaking her way towards Kasie, Debbie shed a dazzling smile and said,"Me!"


    ''Probably just because of the lipstick she''s always wanted to have¡­'' Kasie rolled her eyes yfully.


    As close friends, Kasie and Debbie knew each other like the back of their hands.


    Debbie usually engaged in fights and doused herself in alcohol; it was a surprising trait for her to be so


    interested in lipsticks. Never did she bother about the clothes she wore as she would dress casually.


    However, her interest of collecting a kaleidoscope of lipsticks was unstoppable.


    At the Shining International za


    The group all gathered up and they had finally arrived at the Shining International za. Inside the said


    za contained so much beauty as it had so much to offer.


    The Shining International za consisted of seven buildings, named after the stars that made up the


    constetion of the Big Dipper.


    The names of the buildings were Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Akaid.


    At the peak of each building, there were several lights and when night fell, the lights were lit and if you


    possessed a bird''s eye view, the lights formed the constetion of the Big Dipper. Indeed, it was a


    breathtaking spectacle.


    The domestic lighting designs had been designed to resemble the diamond studded skies, giving you a


    feeling that you were walking through the sea of stars. It would not be surprising for several people to


    fall in love with such a za wrapped around a unique concept with the Big Dipper. Thus, being a


    famous dating spot wherein you''d see people of all ages take their loved ones out for a get together or


    a date to gaze closely into the stars. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 4 Olga Mi

    Chapter 4 Olga Mi


    In a cosmetics and skin care shop located inside the Merak Building, three girls named Debbie, Kasie,


    and Kristina were frolicking inside the mall as they held each other''s hands. Meanwhile the two boys,


    Jared and Dixon, followed behind them with a dozen of shopping bags in their hands. They were


    absolutely drained out.


    Seeing how the three girls were still so full of energy, one of the guys, Jared in particr, started to


    comin, "How in the world are you all not tired? You all didn''t seem so energetic in long-distance


    running before! Dixon and I are tired. Can''t we just sit down and rest?"


    One of the girls turned to Jared and approached him; it was none other than Kristina. "Oh,e on


    Jared! How could you say that? You''re tall, even!" Kristina said as she took some bags from Jared to


    lessen the load he had carried.


    "Look! Look!" Debbie pointed at the shop just in front of them. "That''s our final stop!"


    "Thank the Lord above! I''m saved!" Jared eximed.


    Taking out her brand new purse, Kasie then shed a smile. "I''ll treat you guys to lunch."


    Perking up at a thought that Jared then only remembered, he responded jubntly, "Great! I''ll make


    sure to indulge myself!"


    One of the buildings in the Shining International za, the Alioth Building, consisted of several posh


    and luxurious restaurants and on the fifth floor, there resided one of the most highly regarded


    restaurant in Y City. Clearly, Jared knew where he wanted to go.


    "You can eat whatever you want except..." Kasie then cast a scornful nce towards Jared and added,


    "...the Fifth floor, you hear?"


    On the fifth floor of the Alioth Building, all rooms were VIP booths which required minimum charge.


    Whatever dish you desired, there would be a professional cook. You could watch as the cook prepared


    the dish right in front of your eyes. If you were lucky enough, you might just even be served by a


    Michelin three-star cook.


    With such a premise for a restaurant, people could only dream of feasting at the delectable dishes


    served on the Fifth floor. Although, due to the cost, only a selected few could afford to dine in such


    luxury.


    The moment Kasie finished uttering her statement, Jared turned white, as if his soul had left his body,


    and repeated what Kasie said in monotony, "You can eat whatever you want except for the fifth floor¡­"


    Everyone was amused by Jared''s reaction. Patting his shoulder, Debbie then pointed over to a couch


    nearby and offered, "Why don''t you and Dixon sit down over there and rest? Lipstick picking takes a


    while."


    The three girls then began to select their preferred cosmetics. One saledy saw Debbie holding a


    lipstick set, so she approached her with a friendly smile and said, "Miss, that product is one of the


    bestsellers! There''s only one left, so if you really like it, then I suggest you grab thisst one!"


    "No way!" Debbie said in disbelief. "Only one left?!"


    Turning the tag over to see the price, Debbie then saw how much the lipstick set she held in her hand


    cost. It cost $129, 999. Upon learning about its price, she started to have second thoughts.


    Sitting on the couch and taking a rest, Jared looked around and saw Debbie looking at the lipstick set


    she held in her hand. He then spoke aloud. "Hey, Tomboy! Why''re you hesitating?! You ride a car worth


    millions to school every day! Buying that lipstick set wouldn''t hurt you! If you want it, just buy it!"


    Hearing what Jared said clearly, Debbie sighed before responding, "The car isn''t mine." No matter how


    expensive the car was, it had nothing to do with Debbie at all. All of the riches she had now were all


    thanks to her husband. There was nothing she could possibly unt.


    At that moment, the people in the area all turned their heads and this struck odd for Debbie.


    ''What''s going on? What''re they looking at?'' Doing the same as the others, Debbie turned her head


    towards the direction where everyone else had their eyes fixed and what she saw startled her.


    Several people were approaching and the man in the center was wearing a ck tailored suit that


    entuated his statuesque body. The dark brown leather shoes he wore contrasted the gleaming


    marble floor.


    The man possessed dark eyes so deep and stern that no one dared to look him in the eye.


    ''Oh my God¡­'' Debbie gasped. ''It''s him! It''s Carlos!'' The man that arrived in the venue and caught


    everyone''s attention in a fraction of a second was none other than Carlos, Debbie''s husband. Well, ex-


    husband in a couple of days. And standing right beside Carlos was someone who matched his status.


    There stood a finedy who was blessed with a gorgeous face and a slim figure.


    Unlike the other men who were full of wealth and power, Carlos seldom linked himself with a woman.


    Thus, this drew a lot of questions, especially to Debbie. ''He''s actually shopping with a girl...'' she


    thought to herself. ''Is this woman his girlfriend?''


    As if sensing Debbie''s gaze on him, Carlos turned to look at her. Heart skipping a beat, Debbie lowered


    her head and feigned that she was obsessed with the lipstick set.


    Eyes shut, Debbie chanted in desperation, ''Please let him not see me! Please let him not see me!''


    Only then did something hit Debbie, and she opened her eyes in realization. ''Wait. He doesn''t even


    know me!''


    With confidence, Debbie then fully lifted her head up and turned to Kasie. "Hey, Kasie. Do you think I


    should buy this?"


    However, Kasie''s attention was not focused on Debbie at all. Taking Debbie''s arm and shaking it


    violently, Kasie cried in excitement, "Debbie! This must be fate! You met Mr. Huo again!" Turning to


    Debbie, Kasie then asked, her eyes sparkling, "Do you think he still remembers you?"


    Walking up to them was Kristina who also threw Debbie a question. "Debbie, who''s the girl beside Mr.


    Huo?"


    ''How the hell do you think I''d know?!'' Debbie cried to herself.


    "Hey, Tomboy." Jared then came in the picture as well. "Do you think Mr. Huo''s here for you?"


    ''Where in the world did you even get that idea?!'' Debbie retorted in silence.


    Spotting her friend Kasie practically drooling at Carlos, Debbie called her attention. "Hey! Kasie Zheng!


    You''re drooling!"


    Before Kasie could even say anything to her defense, a girl''s voice cut in, "I don''t think you should buy


    it. The real question is, can you even afford it?"


    Turning her head to find where the voice came from, Debbie then saw it belonged to the girl that stood


    beside Carlos. ''Do I even know her?'' Debbie thought to herself, puzzled.


    ''Hell, why is she even talking to me?''


    The woman who held Carlos by his arm went by the name of Olga Mi. She had dark brown, curly locks,


    her lips were dyed in deep red, and her nails were painted with a shade of brown. Breaking away from


    Carlos, Olga Mi then approached Debbie and took the lipstick set away from Debbie''s grasp as she


    faced the saledy. With a pompous smile on her face, she said, "I''ll take this. Pack it for me."


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    After uttering those words, Olga Mi turned to Debbie and eyed her from head to toe.


    A smile of mockery was now present on Olga Mi''s face.


    ''She''s just a university student pretending to be so pure and innocent. Why did Carlos steal a few


    nces at her? Yeah, sure she''s pretty but, this girl is clearly no match for me!'' O Mi proudly said to


    herself as she wore a smug smile.


    Seeing that smile on Olga Mi''s face instantly blew up Debbie''s fuse. "Why did you look at me like that?


    How did you know I can''t afford it?" Debbie started, uttering her words quickly. "Yes, sure. You''re


    dressed in designer clothing from head to toe, but so what? What else do you have?" Doing the same


    as what Olga Mi had done to her, Debbie eyed her from head to toe and rolled her eyes. "I don''t see a


    pretty face nor a perfect body."


    From a pompous expression, Olga Mi red at Debbie sourly as she clenched her fists in anger. "Poor


    people like you shouldn''t even be allowed to step foot in this mall! I mean, look at your feeble taste in


    fashion! You shouldn''t be allowed to enter such a posh ce!"


    "Oh? I shouldn''t be allowed to enter?" Debbie repeated in mockery. "And who are you exactly to say


    that, hmm?" Boldly taking steps forward to the woman named Olga Mi, Debbie continued to taunt her


    as she leaned forward and wore a sarcastic smile.


    "Hey there, Auntie. Do you need any help? You must be in your forties, aren''t you? Look at your olive


    colored dress! That''s definitely the color we young, fresh girls don''t wear!" Nheless, Debbie''s


    words did not just only offend Olga Mi, but also Carlos indirectly. But why? It was because the dress


    that Debbie had ridiculed was selected none other than Carlos himself. When Carlos and Olga Mi had


    been at the clothing department center a moment ago, he had just casually pointed to the dress and


    paid for it. This clearly implied that Debbie just called Carlos out for his mediocre taste in fashion.


    The dress itself was not bad but it fit the 27-year-old Olga Mi poorly.


    It was a bodycon dress and those kinds of dresses were made for women who were blessed with the


    body shape of an hourss.


    However, Olga Mi''s body resembled a rectangle, her body was absent of curves. The bodycon dress


    worked against her body as it highlighted her shorings: a t chest and a non-existent ass.


    Never did Olga Mi experience such mockery as she was treated like a princess in the Mi family and all


    treated her with utmost respect. Thus, it''d only be natural for Olga Mi to be seething in anger.


    With the unbearable humiliation, Olga Mi quickly ran to Carlos'' side and pleaded for his help. Mustering


    the most heartbroken voice she could ever make, she imed, "Mr. Huo! Did you hear what that girl


    said? She said I''m old and she just basically called your taste mediocre! Unforgivable!"

 Chapter 5 The Grand Plan

    Chapter 5 The Grand n


    Taking a closer look at the woman named Debbie, Carlos finally recognized her and his eyes dted.


    That was the girl who had kissed him at the bar!


    Tilting to eye Olga, Carlos only then realized that Debbie did have a point. The dress did look dark and


    old-fashioned. When Carlos was selecting clothes for Olga just a while ago, it''d be more urate to


    say that Carlos just pointed at whatever his eyes saw first. When she put it on, he didn''t even bat an


    eye. Thus, he was clueless about how she even looked.


    Upon taking a closer look at Olga, Carlos had to admit that Debbie was right, Olga''s body shape didn''t


    showcase the dress to its full potential. Lips curving up ever so slightly, Carlos was amused, though in


    a fraction of a second, his profile was devoid of expression.


    The moment Olgained to Carlos, everyone in the store eyed him, as if telling him to defend


    Olga, yet Carlos'' lips remained sealed.


    Feeling defamed, Olga remained still.


    However, her ego wouldn''t settle for it. Once again, she pouted her lips, in the hope of saying more, but


    the moment she looked up to meet Carlos'' eyes, she was frozen, intimidated by his frigid expression.


    Standing behind Carlos was none other than his assistant Emmett. The said male eyed Debbie as well,


    his brows furrowed together pondering, ''Have I seen that girl before?'' Suddenly, it dawned upon him.


    Quickly, he approached Carlos and said in a faint voice, "Mr. Huo, that girl is your---" Right before


    Emmett could say the most vital word of all, he was interrupted by a loud voice which he knew


    belonged to Debbie.


    "Hey! I almost didn''t see you there!" Debbie eximed, maneuvering her way towards Emmett. "It''s


    you! How''ve you been?!"


    Unable to even respond, Emmett was taken by the arm and dragged aside by Debbie.


    ''Oh my God! This guy was the one who helped me apply for the marriage certificate with Carlos!''


    Debbie told herself. ''Dad always used me to open up doors for Carlos as we always made sure to visit


    him and this guy right here was the man who always received us!''


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Debbie wore a face full of grit, thinking, ''I can''t let Carlos know who I am. I mean, I kissed himst time


    and now, we saw each other again! He may as well believe that I did that all on purpose to just grab his


    attention!''


    "Mr---" Emmett wanted to address her as Mrs. Huo, but once again, was interrupted.


    "Miss? Don''t you remember me? It''s me!" Debbie remarked rather excitedly. Puzzled, Emmett turned to


    Debbie. "Miss? I was going to---" "Hey! Dude!" Debbie threw a yful punch onto Emmett''s chest,


    quickly changing the subject. "Don''t be so formal around me! That''s so weird!" Emmett was absolutely


    stunned as he was dragged further away from Carlos. There were so many questions running inside


    his mind and he knew himself that they wouldn''t be answered.


    With enough distance away from Carlos to prevent him hearing, Debbie''s expression then grew wary.


    "Mrs. Huo, why''re you doing this?" Emmett asked. "Mr. Huo hasn''t seen you before. Therefore, I have


    to introduce you to him."


    Hearing Emmett''s statement made Debbie want tough.


    ''Yeah, we''ve been married for three years, but my husband over there didn''t even recognize me!''


    Debbie scoffed internally.


    ''If it weren''t for that damn marriage certificate, I''d still be single and there would also be no way I would


    recognize the CEO of some international group!''


    Pulling Emmett closer to her, Debbie then whispered, "Look, there''s no need to introduce me. Why?


    I''ve already signed the divorce papers and asked Philip to hand them over to Mr. Huo. So yeah, there''s


    really no reason for Mr. Huo to know me."


    "Divorce papers?" Emmett repeated, appalled. "You intend to divorce Mr. Huo?" In shock, Emmett took


    a few steps back and looked at Debbie, starting to ponder, ''If I''m right, Mrs. Huo is seven years


    younger than Mr. Huo. Wouldn''t girls like her kill to be a rich and handsome man''s wife?''


    ncing towards Carlos for a brief moment and then back to Debbie, Emmett still couldn''t wrap his


    mind around why Debbie would file for a divorce, ''Is there something wrong with her? Mr. Huo is


    handsome, rich, and powerful, yet why would she want to divorce him?''


    Beaming awkwardly, Debbie responded, "Yes, I want to divorce Mr. Huo. Also, I hope you can just keep


    my identity a secret from him, so that there wouldn''t be any more trouble."


    Stunned and shell-shocked, Emmett was at a loss for words. There seemed to be more questions in


    his mind than there had been before.


    Retracting from his own line of thoughts, Emmett walked back to Carlos while thetter had just


    purchased the lipstick set for Olga.


    There was no doubt that Carlos would be suspicious of Emmett. Shifting his nce towards Debbie,


    Carlos then found her throwing herself into Jared''s arms.


    A smile seething with contempt was present throughout Carlos'' profile. ''What a harlot!'' he thought.


    A fragment of Carlos'' memory yed itself in his mind. He had been kissed by Debbie whom he had


    just nowbelled as a harlot. Face turning dark, he snapped his head towards his assistant Emmett,


    andmanded, "Throw her out of this mall! This girl is forbidden to step in this mall from now on! I


    don''t care what your rtionship with her is. Do I make myself clear?!"


    Mistakes and failures shouldn''t be repeated and that was what Carlos intended to do as he wouldn''t


    miss this opportunity and let Debbie off once again.


    It wasn''t the first time Emmett had seen Carlos'' furious look, but this time it seemed different. Following


    where Carlos'' gaze was falling, Emmett finally understood why.


    In their sight, a young girl was clinging to a young boy''s arm, acting all pettishly charming. It was


    Debbie and Jared, and once again, Jared was dragged into one of Debbie''s shenanigans. "Jared,


    honey. I want those lipsticks, too." Debbie''s tone was considerably higher than her default voice.


    Turning her gaze towards Olga, Debbie then pointed at her, looked up to Jared and pouted, "I mean,


    look at that auntie over there! Her boyfriend just bought her a lipstick set!" Taking hold of Jared''s hand


    into hers, Debbie smiled sweetly and continued, "Why don''t you do the same for me?"


    This was Debbie''s first time to act so whimsical towards someone, let alone it had to be her friend,


    Jared. This was obviously the first andst time she was ever to do this in her entire lifetime.


    cing a hand on his chest in shock, Jared eyed Debbie oddly and asked, "Hey! Tomboy, what''s up


    with you? Don''t scare me!" All of Debbie''s friends were astounded by the act she was putting on.


    ''I-Is this the real Debbie? T-There''s no way she would do that! She has been reced by an impostor!''


    With shock getting the best of everyone, they all just continued to look at Jared and Debbie.


    "Jared, darling, please¡­" Debbie''s eyes fluttered. "You know I love lipsticks. Why don''t you buy some


    for me, too?" Underneath this whole act, Debbie felt as if she were beating herself up. asionally


    stealing nces towards Carlos, she grew more and more irritated.


    ''Why the hell isn''t he leaving?! Doesn''t he know how hard this is to do on my end!? Ugh, whatever!


    Let''s see this through, Debbie Nian! For your freedom!''


    Clenching her hands into balls of fists, Debbie was full of determination. ''If Carlos learns that I am his


    wife one day, he''ll definitely think I have an affair with another man!'' Debbie had a smug look on her


    face. ''And with that, he''ll think of me as a slut and immediately divorce me! A win-win situation for the


    both of us!'' That was now Debbie''s grand n and there was no way she could afford to let that fail.


    Dragging her out from her thoughts was Jared, who groaned in resignation and eximed, "Okay!


    Okay! I''ll get you whatever you want, but just please..." Jared''s voice softened in despair. "Please just


    stop acting like this¡­" Absolutely no way did Jared take Debbie''s show seriously and he considered


    searching up for someone to wipe out this particr memory of his. Striding his way towards the


    lipstick disy, Jared grabbed all of the lipsticks he saw and handed them all over to the saledy.


    The saledy was stunned at the amount of lipsticks Jared held in his hands. ''H-His hands are


    shaking!'' she thought. "Didn''t you hear me?" Jared remarked. "I want all of these, now!"


    The saledy took whatever Jared had in his hands and hurried off to the counter. A heavy sigh


    escaped from his lips, as Jared pinched the bridge of his nose and thought, ''I''m definitely going to get


    her brain checked.''


    Only one person in that area knew what was going on and it was Emmett. ''She''s clearly doing it on


    purpose¡­'' However, he had something more pressing to handle at the moment which was to heed his


    boss, Carlos'' order of sending Debbie out. Wasn''t Debbie his wife? There was no way Emmett could do


    such a thing.


    Upon recovering from the humiliation she had received earlier, Olga turned to Emmett and asked


    sternly, "Emmett, why aren''t you following Mr. Huo''s orders?" ''Clearly, Carlos is doing that to please


    me, '' Olga uttered to herself rather confidently.


    ''I must be different from other women in Carlos'' eyes! Ah, I''m truly blessed!''


    "B-But sir..." Emmett hesitated, but he knew he had to say it. "She''s your---" Meeting Emmett''s eyes


    was a re clearly dyed with murderous intent if ever he continued his statement.


    Immediately, Emmettmanded the bodyguards that lingered behind him, "Get them out!"


    Finally, the moment Debbie had been waiting for arrived. Right after Emmett had given hismand,


    Debbie raised her hand up, preventing the bodyguards doing what they were tasked to do and said,


    "No need for that. We''ll show ourselves out."


    Now approaching the exit, Debbie turned to Jared who was about to pay for the lipsticks at the counter,


    and said, "Hey, no need for the lipsticks. Let''s get going." Almost immediately, Jared reeled back the


    credit card he was about to hand over to the saledy. Collecting the lipsticks from the counter, he


    made it a point to ce them back at the disy booth. Once he was done, Debbie and her friends


    exited the store.


    As Carlos watched Debbie''s figure recede into the distance, a look of grimace and suspicion was


    present on his profile. ''Something feels off¡­'' he thought.


    Casting a scornful nce upon Debbie''s figure, Olga then turned to Carlos and beamed charmingly.


    Clinging to his arm once again, she suggested in a pleasant voice, "Mr. Huo, how about we have


    dinner on the fifth floor of the Alioth Building? Surely after that detestable scenario, you must be


    famished."


    "Alright," Carlos responded indifferently, "let''s get going."


    Shaking off the spections he had inside his mind, Emmett cleared the way and escorted his boss out


    of the store.


    At the exit of the Merak Building, Debbie abruptly turned heel and looked at Jared asking, "Hey, I


    remember you wanting to have lunch on the fifth floor of the Alioth Building. Am I right?"


    "Tomboy, are you seriously pulling my leg right now?" Jared sighed. "To be very honest with you, I''ve


    spent all of my money on mobile games, so there''s no way I can afford to buy you dinner on---"


    "Ah!" Debbie pped her hands together and smiled. "Then, why don''t I treat you guys to lunch


    instead?"

 Chapter 6 Who Do You Think You Are

    Chapter 6 Who Do You Think You Are


    The eyes surrounding Debbie widened like tes. Wanting to add more fuel to the fire, Jared leaned


    against Dixon who stood behind him. Feigning a terrified voice, he ced a hand over his mouth, "Oh


    my¡­ Doctor¡­ Is Tomboy¡­ Is she going crazy?"


    Who would have thought that being a well-rounded brilliant student came with disadvantages? Dixon


    still couldn''t wrap his mind around it. Often, Jared loved to banter with Dixon and call him ''doctor.''


    Though, this time Dixon''s concern fell with Jared''s statement as Dixon did also agree that Debbie was


    acting quite odd today.


    On the other hand, Kasie waspletely calm and collected at the situation unfolding. Kicking Jared


    on his foot, Kasie eyed him and scolded, "Hey, Debbie''s still a girl. Girls are supposed to be spoiled


    and it is normal for us to act spoiled, so get used to it." Shifting her gaze to everyone in the room, Kasie


    continued, "Besides, Tomboy uses a million dor car to go to ces. I''d say that having dinner on the


    fifth floor of the Alioth Building is something normal for her to do, so why do you have such surprised


    looks on your faces?"


    Only then did Jared realize Kasie had made apelling point. Standing up from his spot and


    straightening out his clothes, Jared then began, "Sure, she may be able to afford the ce but you


    know, the fifth floor of the Alioth Building requires reservations. We can''t just barge in there! Besides,


    it''s also lunch time already! Even if we were allowed to step in, I''m sure there''d be no tables avable


    for us."


    Never did Jared intend to belittle Debbie, he merely disclosed the truth.


    Every time Jared''s father needed to entertain and wee distinguished clients on the fifth floor of the


    Alioth Building, he made sure to file a reservation at least one week, sometimes even three months


    prior to the client''s arrival.


    While the rest were indulging themselves in chatter, Debbie looked preupied. Even before she had


    met Carlos, the title of Mrs. Huo had never meant anything to her. Until now. The moment when Debbie


    saw Carlos with another woman in public, it made her uneasy. To add, he seemed to spend money


    lavishly on that woman as well.


    It came to Debbie''s attention that the lipstick set Carlos had bought the woman was worth a hundred


    thirty thousand. The othermodities in the bags Emmett had carried probably cost tens or hundreds


    of thousand each.


    Not once being petty nor frugal with Debbie, Carlos had always given her a hefty amount for her


    monthly allowance, though, she insisted she only take a portion as she was still a student and there


    was no such need for her to carry such a huge amount of money with her. The rest of the money was


    then deposited by Philip and from there, Debbie never inquired about anything else afterwards.


    It never hit Debbie to indulge herself into buying such expensivemodities such as a lipstick set.


    However, Carlos had bought that lipstick set for the woman with him as soon as the woman uttered that


    she wanted it. Considering this, why should she, his wife, be frugal at every angle of her life just to save


    a penny?


    On another thought, since a divorce was about to split the two, why didn''t she enjoy the life of Mrs. Huo


    when she still could?


    ncing towards her group of friends who were still absorbed in going to the fifth floor of the Alioth


    Building, Debbie thought that all of them deserved a delectable meal.


    ''A little lunch for all of them wouldn''t hurt, '' Debbie chuckled to herself. ''It''s decided. They''re all getting


    lunch.''


    Taking out her phone from her pocket, Debbie then dialed Philip''s number and pressed the phone


    against her ear to talk.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    A minute after, the call between Debbie and Philip ended. Turning to her friends as she ced her


    phone back in her pocket, she cleared her throat deliberately which seeded in catching everyone''s


    attention. All eyes were now on her and they all looked at her curiously.


    "Well, why''re all of you just standing there?" Debbie asked as she turned her heel, already talking


    towards the exit. "We have to get going."


    All looked at one another, then to Debbie. One spoke up in response. It was Kristina. Wondering


    cautiously, Kristina asked, "Where exactly are we going?"


    Turning her head to face Kristina and the crowd, Debbie answered with a grin on her profile, "To the


    fifth floor of the Alioth Building, of course. Wouldn''t you like to have an exquisite lunch there?"


    On the fifth floor of the Alioth Building, Debbie was patiently waiting for their private booth to be


    confirmed.


    When the elevator doors opened, Debbie''s attention fell to the man stepping off of the elevator. The


    said man was hard to miss as the man had an aura oozing with intimidation and arrogance. The man''s


    presence waspletely overbearing.


    ''Damn¡­ It''s him again¡­'' Debbie ced a hand against her chest, bitter. Before her proposal for a


    divorce, it took her more than once in a blue moon to be able to meet such a man of power. Although,


    ever since Debbie had inquired Philip to hand Carlos the divorce papers, it was as if the universe had


    made it so much easier to meet. This was, perhaps, their third meeting already.


    Mind going haywire with the possibility of this man purposely creating such coincidences, Debbie


    thought that this was maybe his effort to save their marriage.


    "Who let these people here?!" Carlos'' voice boomed in anger. "Throw them out!"


    With a voice that strong, Debbie snapped out from her trail of thoughts and her attention fell onto the


    situation beginning to unfold.


    The floor manager was as pale as a sheet of paper. He took a deep breath and answered, "Mr. Huo,


    these are Philip''s guests."


    Upon hearing Philip''s name uttered, Carlos sent a cold nce unto the college students. "Emmett, they


    can all stay except her."


    Emmett knew exactly whom Carlos was referring to.


    Someone was desperate to keep herughter in check and it was none other than Olga. It amused her


    when she heard of Carlos'' impassive order. ''He must love me so much that he''d do this for me, '' she


    thought to herself as she looked at Carlos dreamily. ''He''s the best.''


    ''Why is Mr. Huo treating Mrs. Huo this way?'' Emmett pondered upon himself. ''Why does he despise


    her so much?''


    These kinds of thoughts continued to consume Emmett, now in a stand-still.


    With a minute about to pass, Carlos noticed that Emmett still did not do his task. It was then, as if the


    word ''patience'' had never existed within Carlos. A grim look was cast towards Emmett''s direction. It


    belonged to none other than Carlos. "So, you can''t even handle such a small task?"


    "N-No, Mr. Huo. It''s not like that at all." Emmett grew flustered. "S-She''s¡­"


    Aware of what Emmett was about to utter from his lips, Debbie winked at him, sincerely hoping that he


    wouldn''t reveal her identity.


    Yet, Debbie was caught in action as Carlos saw a glimpse of her gestures and, in his eyes, it seemed,


    as if, she was making sheep''s eyes towards Emmett. ''Huh, so she is involved with Emmett, too, ''


    Carlos sneered inwardly. He shifted his gaze towards Emmett, his tone somber and full of warning.


    "Emmett, looks can be deceptive. Some people may portray an angel on the outside but, on the inside,


    a demon covered in filth resides within them. If I were to be such a person, I would be too ashamed to


    even breathe and willingly jump off this building."


    Those remarks didn''t help Emmett gain rity at all as confusion continued to strike him down.


    ''Why is Mr. Huo holding such a grudge towards a young girl?'' Emmett kept asking himself, ''And why


    would he make such hostile remarks in public about her?'' As far as Emmett knew, Carlos made it clear


    that he never entertained the idea of building connections with women.


    Someone knew whom that snide remark Carlos made was aimed at. It was none other than Debbie


    and it just further fueled her rage.


    None of the people who had attempted to cross her had benefited from their acts. There was absolutely


    no way Debbie would let them win. The blood rushed to her head. She spat in a taunting manner, "Oh,


    grow up, Carlos Huo! Why do you have to act like a child? That kiss was a mere ident." Taking


    steps closer, Debbie continued, "You''ve already thrown me out once and here you are, about to do it.


    Again. Why are you acting as if you own this ce, huh? Who do you exactly think you are?"


    There was truth to Debbie''s words. Although Debbie had kissed Carlos, it was ultimately still her loss


    as that was her first kiss. Yeah, Carlos was her husband. What of it? None of that bothered Debbie at


    all. Having lost something as precious as a first kiss infuriated her. Women cared for these details, after


    all.


    Kristina and Jared tugged at Debbie''s sleeves, preventing Debbie from speaking further. "Whoa, slow


    down there, Tomboy. Chill. Mr. Huo''s a man of power. We shouldn''t mess with him," Jared whispered in


    Debbie''s ear, hoping to knock some sense into her.


    Still, what Carlos had done was unforgivable. Despite being a man of power, no one, absolutely no one


    had the liberty to degrade a person like that. There was no way Debbie was taking the verbal abuse


    silently. "Since you say I am a filthy woman, then that kiss would definitely have fouled you." Debbie


    eyed Carlos, her tone full of intent on mocking him. "So, if I should die, are you willing to die with me,


    Mr. Almighty?"


    Technically, they were still married. If they were just a normal couple, that would''ve sounded romantic


    and wooed a lot of people.


    The whole venue fell in utter silence upon Debbie''s snide remarks on Carlos.


    The crowd had started to talk among themselves. "Who''d even dare to try and kiss Carlos Huo?!


    Rather, who in the right mind would even ask him to go die right in front of his face?! "


    As the scene continued to unfold, the floor manager wanted to take things into his own hands despite


    knowing that Debbie might get him to lose his job. As the floor manager saw Emmett unmoving, he


    threw this idea away.


    Emmett knew Carlos better than him after all.


    Kiss. When that four-letter word left Debbie''s lips, Olga clenched her jaw as she red at Debbie in


    resentment. If only Olga could, she''d strip Debbie from her clothing and have her fed to the sharks. If it


    weren''t for Olga''s grandfather, she wouldn''t have been able to stand beside Carlos.


    ''Even I haven''t kissed him!'' Olga thought to herself, screaming in frustration as she did so. ''Just asking


    to link arms with Carlos would use so much of my courage and yet this girl! This girl kissed him!''


    Finally, Emmett failed to contain his emotions and covered his face with both his hands, utterly


    speechless. Could Debbie be more ignorant? Shining International za indeed belonged to Mr. Huo


    and while the divorce still hadn''t gone through, Carlos and Debbie were still to be considered a married


    couple. Legally speaking, whatever Carlos owned, Debbie owned it, too.


    Kasie had eyed Carlos with the widest grin on her face since the moment her eyes fell on Carlos. Heart


    pounding in excitement, her body grew in heat. God, she knew she was looking at a meal and it was


    just waiting to be devoured. Snapping her out from her indecent thoughts was Debbie''sst remark.


    Clearing her throat, Kasie then raised her point, rather hesitantly as well. "Hey Tomboy, Shining


    International za is actually owned by Mr. Huo, you know?"


    The second Kasie had uttered her statement, Debbie''s jaw dropped, thunderstruck. Collecting herself


    after what seemed to be forever, Debbie found her words,pletely appalled. "C-Could you run that


    by me again?"

 Chapter 7 I Dont Want To Be Mrs. Huo

    Chapter 7 I Don''t Want To Be Mrs. Huo


    An obnoxious sneer crept up to Olga''s profile as sheughed at Debbie. "What an ignorant girl! Tell you


    what! The entire Shining International za is Mr. Huo''s!"


    Turning to nce towards Kasie, Debbie stared at her nkly while Kasie closed her eyes and lowered


    her head, heavily sighing.


    ''Debbie, I don''t even know how I''m going to help you this time¡­ You''ve clearly insulted Mr. Huo so


    many times¡­'' Lifting her head up to look at Debbie, Kasie shook her head. ''I''m afraid I can''t help you


    out this time¡­ even if I decide to put my life on the line¡­''


    Debbie nced around the whole venue. Her eyes then took in the opulent view around her.


    Everything dazzled in riches; from antique paintings, precious artifacts, to state of the art furniture.


    ''Doesn''t that mean I technically own this ce as well?'' A wide smirk took up Debbie''s profile.


    Then she roared withughter.


    All eyes were on Debbie as if she were a lunatic that had just escaped from a hospital. The crowd


    came to an agreement that there was definitely something wrong with her.


    Only Emmett knew the reason why Debbie had started to act that way.


    ''So, you''ve finally realized that you''re also a boss of this za?'' The amount of wealth the Shining


    International za would bring would have made some people go crazy with ecstasy. However, Debbie


    didn''t let that thought get the best of her.


    Upon seeing Debbie like that, Jared felt as if Debbie''s body had been taken over by some evil spirit.


    Stepping in once again, he bent down, swept her body up from the floor and began to carry her upon


    his shoulder.


    With her head upside down, Debbie began to observe that the floor had started to turn rickety and in a


    few minutes, her head started to spin. Only then did she fully grasp what was really happening. She


    immediately yelled in disapproval, "Hey! Jared! What the hell are you doing?!" Ignoring Debbie''s


    statements, Jared continued to carry her. "Put me down! I can''t let that pig speak ill of me like that!" she


    eximed. If Jared wasn''t going to put her down, Debbie knew she could still win by having thest


    word. ''You got to do this, Debbie!'' she said to herself in determination.


    ''You got to say everything to his hideous face! Frighten him by pushing through the divorce! Suggest it


    to him if he prefers to go to the Civil Affairs Department right now to get it done immediately! Say it!''


    Wearing a smile full of chutzpah, Debbie lifted her head up and pointed at Carlos, holding him in utter


    contempt. "Now, you listen here Car-- Mph?!"


    Kasie ced her hand over Debbie''s mouth to stop her words being further spilled, in case she added


    fuel to the fire. shing Carlos a smile, Kasie humbly apologized, "We are terribly, terribly sorry, Mr.


    Huo. Our friend here''s a bit crazy today. We''ll be taking our leave. Again, we''re absolutely sorry for the


    ruckus our friend has made."


    All the others did the same and apologized. So did Kristina and Dixon, which got Debbie fuming. "We''re


    deeply sorry for such a scene, Mr. Huo. We''ll be taking our leave."


    They then took the elevator and left the venue. With Jared still carrying Debbie on his shoulder, they


    received awkward nces as they made their way down to the underground parking lot. Reaching


    Jared''s Mercedes car, Debbie was finally put down to her feet. Only then did Jared finally manage to


    breathe. "We¡­ we ought to take Tomboy to a mental hospital¡­" Jared panted. Exhaustion was


    present on his body as he had to carry Debbie to prevent her from doing anything that could get them


    into further trouble. "We should¡­ try to contact the president of that hospital¡­" Jared continued amidst


    catching his breath, "and say we have a special case that needs to be attended to immediately." With


    Jared''s body finally giving up, he let himself fall onto the concrete floor and sit down to catch his breath.


    Silence dawned upon the group as all eyes pitied Jared as he did the hard work of carrying Debbie all


    the way down to the parking lot.


    When everyone thought that Debbie wouldn''t do anything else, they were wrong. The dizzy Debbie


    pushed herself off of the car and held the exhausted Jared against his cor. Debbie raised her hand


    up, intending to p him. "I''ll send you to a mental hospital!"


    Before Debbie''s hand couldnd and strike Jared across his cheek, Kasie tightly gripped it. "No,


    Debbie. This time, Jared''s right. You do need to be sent to a mental hospital. There''s definitely


    something up with you." Taking her hand back from Kasie''s grip, Debbie also released Jared from her


    grasp. Kasie continued, "You do know who you were talking to, right? That was Mr. Huo, for Christ''s


    sake!" Right after Kasie had finished her statement, she then ced her hands together and mumbled,


    as if chanting to the spirits, "Please don''t let Mr. Huo kill us. Please don''t let Mr. Huo kill us."


    Leaning against the car, Debbie ced her right hand on her forehead in irritation. "I''m going home. I''ll


    cut school this afternoon."


    "You''re cutting school again?" Dixon sent Debbie a re of disapproval. They had been ssmates for


    quite a long time and it frustrated Dixon to find out that Debbie remained unchanged, uninfluenced.


    Even after so many years, she still despised studying. It hurt Dixon as he hoped he had an influence


    towards Debbie as Dixon followed the saying that goes: "With the good, we be good."


    Opening the door of the Mercedes, Debbie threw herself into the driver''s seat. "Yes, Dixon," she


    responded. "Again." There was no trace of embarrassment or remorse in her tone. "Hey Ja---" She


    shook her head. ''No, wait¡­ Jared''s car cost more than Kasie''s¡­ I should just borrow hers instead.''


    Leaning her head out of the car, Debbie called to Kasie, "Hey Kasie! I''m going to have to borrow your


    car this afternoon."


    Taking out her car keys, Kasie headed over to Debbie but, before handing the keys over, she had


    concern all over her face when she looked at Debbie. "Tomboy, are you sure you''re okay?"


    ''How could I tell my friends that Carlos is my husband? Hell, they won''t believe me," Debbie thought to


    herself. ''It might even further convince my friends to send me to a mental hospital and say I''ve finally


    snapped.''


    Nodding her head, Debbie answered Kasie in reassurance, "I''m fine. The heat just got to my head.


    Also, don''t worry. Mr. Huo won''t make trouble for us." All Debbie wanted to do right now was head


    straight home and talk to Carlos face to face regarding their divorce.


    Taking out her phone, Debbie then typed down Carlos'' number and started topose a text


    message. "Carlos, I want a divorce! You only have one day left before youe back and settle the


    matter!"


    Reading through the message again, Debbie thought it came on too arrogant. ''What if he goes after my


    friends? I mean, I already pushed his buttons¡­ Yeah¡­ I should change it.'' Taking a deep breath,


    Debbie then started topose another message. "Mr. Huo, please don''t make trouble for my friends.


    I am sorry for what happened today. I''ll divorce you as soon as possible. If you are free today, why


    don''t we head to the Civil Affairs Department and file the divorce--"


    Pausing as she typed, Debbie thought to herself, ''Why am I apologizing? It''s not my fault. Also, I''m


    pissed at him, too.'' Staring at her phone long and hard, conflicted about what message to send, Debbie


    eventually gave up on this idea and decided to just call Phillip once again.


    "Hello Philip. Yes. Could I ask for Emmett''s phone number?" she asked over the phone. As Emmett


    was Carlos'' assistant, he must know something. Once Philip had mailed Emmett''s digits over to


    Debbie, she proceeded to call him.


    When Emmett received Debbie''s call, he was in the middle of driving Olga home as his boss, Carlos,


    had instructed. He answered the call through his earpiece. "Hello?"


    "Hello Emmett. This is Debbie."


    Hearing this, Emmett nced at Olga who was sitting in the passenger''s seat. He cleared his throat


    and greeted, "Hi, Mrs. Huo."


    Sure enough, Emmett''s greeting immediately caught Olga''s attention.


    "I won''t be--- No, I don''t want to be Mrs. Huo anymore, so I''d like for you to stop addressing me as


    that," Debbie responded.


    "Um, about that¡­" Emmett started. "Since the divorce isn''t decided yet, ording to courtesy, I should


    keep addressing you as Mrs. Huo."


    The line fell silent for a brief moment until Debbie groaned, "Fine. But, hey, can I ask you something?


    Mr. Huo''s not irritated with my friends, is he? Did he order you to get rid of me or any of my friends?"


    Recalling what his boss Carlos had told him before they left, Emmett then responded, "No. Mr. Huo just


    asked me to send Miss Mi home." And investigate her.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    It struck Emmett strange. Normally, if Carlos abhorred someone so much, he would immediately ask


    Emmett to get rid of them. But, with Debbie, he only asked him to investigate her.


    Did Carlos find Debbie charming? Was Carlos attracted?


    All men couldn''t resist a beautiful woman after all. It was difficult for women to look good even without


    make up and so far, Debbie seeded without even trying. It would only be natural if Carlos fancied


    her.


    Upon hearing Emmett''s answer, Debbie sighed heavily. "Could you send me hispany address?"


    To save Emmett from some trouble, Debbie decided to take things into her hands and search for Carlos


    on her own and have a decent talk with him about the matter.


    Following Debbie''s orders, Emmett sent her the information she needed. "When I reach thepany,


    just feign you don''t know me. It''d be bad for me if Carlos drags you into our problem." Debbie pleaded,


    "Okay?" That man seemed petty. How tolerant could Carlos be since he had just held a strong grudge


    against Debbie for just one measly kiss? It was difficult to fathom how he would react if he learned that


    Emmett had known who Debbie really was this whole time.


    "Um¡­" Emmett was hesitant to agree. The other side of the call had expected that Emmett was to act


    that way with her request.


    "Emmett, if you turn me down, I won''t get divorced¡­" Debbie started, "and one day, I''ll have to tell Mr.


    Huo that it was your idea to hide my identity from him."


    "Mrs. Huo---"


    "I''m sorry, Emmett. I have no choice," Debbie added. "Let me treat you to a nice dinner next time,


    okay?" If Emmett were to help Debbie pursue her personal endeavors, she would be eternally grateful.


    But, it didn''t exactly sit well with Emmett to be threatened by a girl. Sighing, Emmett resigned to


    Debbie''s request.


    ''What a lovely, yet spunky girl, '' Emmett thought to himself. ''Surely such a girl should be the cold boss''


    type.'' In order to make sure that his boss, Carlos, wouldn''t lose such a unique girl, Emmett decided he


    should do something to help.


    While the whole conversation continued, it was as if Emmett had forgotten that Olga was also in the


    vehicle. Dying to know who ''Mrs. Huo'' was, Olga couldn''t remain still in her seat. The moment the call


    ended, Olga immediately shot Emmett a question, "Emmett, was that Mrs. Huo?" she asked, intending


    to conceal her urgency as she feigned a tone of ignorance. However, Emmett knew that wasn''t the


    case at all as Olga was obviously agitated. When Emmett only responded with silence, Olga egged him


    on with her questions. "Who is she? Tell me her name."

 Chapter 8 I’m Coming Back

    Chapter 8 I¡¯m Coming Back


    Switching off the earpiece, Emmett responded, his tone serious, "I''m sorry, Miss Mi. This is Mr. Huo''s


    personal affair. It''s not my ce to talk about it. If you are interested about it, you may ask Mr. Huo


    yourself."


    Ask Mr. Huo? One could only wish to have the nerve to ask about such things. "I see. Alright," Olga


    said in a deadpan tone. "I''ll take note of that." Smiling bitterly, she turned to look at the car window,


    obviously fuming at Emmett''s response and attitude. Even if she did possess the nerve to ask, it''d just


    be ridiculous to inquire about a man''s wife. Not to mention, that wasn''t just any man, it was Mr. Huo.


    The very next day, Emmett arrived at Carlos'' office with a few sheets of paper in hand that contained all


    the information he could gather regarding Debbie which was: an application form from her university


    and a simple profile.


    The said profile only ranged with basic information such as age, university, and hobbies. cing them


    on Carlos'' desk, Emmett took a few steps back and waited for his boss'' response.


    Picking up the papers from the desk, Carlos skimmed them and what surprised Emmett was Carlos


    suddenly tossed them up in the air. He looked at Emmett in frustration, his voice booming throughout


    his office. "Is this all that you''re capable of? Have I been too good to you recently?"


    Such a sullen tone sent Emmett''s heart pounding fiercely. Keeping himself calm andposed,


    Emmett bent down to pick up the papers and took the chance to take a deep breath. Once he did, he


    responded, "Mr. Huo, this girl is an enigma. This is all the information I could gather so far." A lie


    escaped Emmett''s lips. In reality, he had shredded the rest of the papers and disposed of it.


    "Get lost!" Carlosmanded. "Now!"


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Giving onest nce at the papers which Carlos had swept off his desk, Emmett fled


    his boss'' office as quickly as possible.


    When his office doors had reached a full close, Carlos'' eyes fell to the image on the application form. In


    that image he saw, Debbie was free from any trace of makeup. Catching his attention


    once more was Debbie''s pair of round, glistening eyes. Strange to say, Carlos felt as if Debbie''s eyes


    were speaking to him.


    Then, that displeasing memory crossed his mind again. That memory of how Debbie had kissed him.


    Instantly, he felt offended all over again. Rubbing his brows, he picked up a file from his desk and


    mmed it against Debbie''s application form.


    The image of Debbie was instantly covered up and out of Carlos'' view, in which he felt he had hit


    Debbie across the face. Now, he felt better.


    While Carlos eased himself once again into his seat to rx, a certain piece of information struck him


    once again. Sitting up from his seat, he gravely pondered, ''Herst name¡­ Nian¡­ Only a few people


    in Y City have thatst name. What''s her rtionship with the Nian family?''


    Disrupting Carlos from his trail of thought was none other than the phone ringing on his desk. Sighing,


    he picked up the call.


    It was autumn and the maple leaves along Maple Road in Debbie''s university were taking on the color


    of scarlet. Walking along the now red leaf path, Debbie was with low spirits, not in the mood to


    appreciate the beauty of the season while the two people by her side, Jared and Kasie, were happily


    frolicking against the fallen leaves.


    Two days had already passed and still, Debbie failed to muster up the courage to head to Carlos'' office


    and speak with him regarding their divorce. Not one word hade from him. During the previous


    evening, Philip had informed her that Carlos hadn''t attended to the matter yet, which bothered her


    immensely.


    s! All of this had sprung from that one text she received a long time ago.


    "Debbie, I''ming back."


    The man that she had given her heart to told her that he had sessfully graduated overseas and was


    returning to the country to take over his father''s position.


    Though, as Debbie thought about it now, what part of it concerned her?


    It was the man that had told her to forget about him. That time, she had grown so vexed that she ended


    up agreeing to marry Carlos whom, she hadn''t met even once back then.


    Now, he told her out of the blue that he was returning. It irritated Debbie as she couldn''t help but be


    fixated on the reason why he had even told her about his return in the first ce? This information was


    useless for her as she didn''t even want to know. Mind drowned in heaps of questions, Debbie disliked


    the feeling. "Argh! This is so annoying!"


    All eyes fell onto her curiously as she had suddenly yelled out her frustration in the open.


    "Debbie, what did I ever do to you?" a small voice responded. "What made you say I''m annoying?"


    Then a yelp was heard. "Ah!" A girl copsed on the ground in front of Debbie.


    Stopping in her tracks, Debbie decided to take a closer look at the girl and the moment she did, she


    rolled her eyes in disgust.


    ''What the hell? This hypocritical, maniptive bitch again?'' Debbie cursed internally. ''The hell does she


    want now?''


    Sprawling on the ground was Jail Mu. Well, Jail wasn''t her real name as it was Gail Mu. Though,


    Debbie preferred to call her ''Jail'' as she thought it suited her better. No clue as to how Gail had actually


    fallen, Debbie looked at her with utter contempt. In a long, white dress, hair tumbling down to her waist;Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    a perfect image of what a pure, innocent, and delicate girl would be. Who could possibly be a better


    master of disguise than Gail Mu?


    "Beat it!" Debbie hissed. "Get out of my way!" Just the mere sight of Gail Mu churned her stomach.


    Wasting her breath on her wasn''t Debbie''s thing. Rather, she didn''t even want to breathe the same air


    as her. ''The hell?'' Debbie thought to herself. ''We didn''t even bump into each other! Oh, is this bitch


    really nning to mess with me right now?''


    However, Gail Mu''s eyes reddened. The boys that formed a crowd around the scene and expected a


    catfight already felt sorry for Gail Mu.


    They all cast angry looks towards Debbie, but kept themselves silent. No one in the whole Economics


    and Management School was stupid enough to dare even ce a finger upon Debbie.


    "Debbie, you knocked me over and you didn''t even have the decency to apologize?" Gail Mu feigned


    tears. "You even told me to beat it! How can you be such a bully!" A boy who incidentally saw the sight


    understood immediately what was urring and just couldn''t stand the thought of being unable to do


    anything. He walked over and offered a hand to help Gail Mu to her feet.


    Smiling against her tears, Gail Mu thanked the boy. His face simr to the color of the leaves in this


    season, he fled away from the scene.


    "You freak!" Debbie eximed, pointing towards Gail Mu. "Go to a hospital and have your brain


    checked!" Attempting to walk away from the situation only to be blocked by Gail Mu once again clearly


    started to set Debbie off.


    Leaning forward ever so slightly towards Debbie, Gail Mu spoke to her in an arrogant tone. "Since you


    hate me so much, why don''t we have a bet, hmm?" Eyes turning dark, she continued, "If I lose, I''ll


    make sure to never cross paths with you ever again. How does that sound?" Wearing a pitiful


    expression and lowering her voice, Gail Mu easily deceived the crowd by making them think that she


    was apologizing to Debbie.


    That was not what was happening.


    "Is there even a brain in that skull of yours?" Debbie questioned. "Why would I take such a bet? Show


    up wherever you like. I don''t own the school. Rather, I don''t really give a damn. What are you saying


    that you won''t even go home? Oh please, give me a break." "Of course I will. I''ll start making myself


    disappear the moment you head home," Gail responded brashly.


    "How about it, Debbie Nian?"


    "Bullshit!" Debbie eximed. "I have no time for this! Move and go away now or else you''ll regret it!"


    Sensing Debbie''s foul mood, Gail Mu knew she had to settle the matter quicker. Instantlying up


    with a new idea, Gail Mu began again, "I know you hate me and you know yourself I hate you more.


    So, why don''t we just run a marathon and bet on it?" Throwing her arm to the side, Gail Mu continued


    to provoke Debbie. "I mean, you are good at running or are you?"


    Psychological tactics always worked like a charm on Debbie and Gail Mu knew that very well.


    "Half marathon?" Debbie scoffed. "No problem!" ''I always do well in running. I''m obviously going to win,


    '' she thought to herself. ''Ah, maybe it isn''t so bad after all, not having to see Jail Mu forever¡­ Also, it''s


    a good channel to let out my frustration, too.'' Without even thinking, she epted Gail Mu''s


    proposition, allotting no time for Jared to even stop her.


    Nheless, what Debbie did not know was that a former silver medalist athlete was going to take part


    in the race as well. How exactly was she going to fare against a professional athlete?


    ncing at Gail Mu, Debbie asked, "What would you get if you win?"


    Stifling her smile, Gail Mu took another step towards Debbie. "If I win¡­"


    Back in the dormitory, after securing the fees for the half marathon she had agreed on with Gail Mu,


    Debbie threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in a pillow. ''Ugh! How could I let my anger get


    the best of me and get swayed by Jail Mu''s bait?!'' she scolded herself as she gritted her teeth.


    ''I should have known better than that! That bitch just showed up all of a sudden, so obviously there


    must be a reason why she''s doing this! And, if she had devised a scheme, she''s obviously prepared!


    Ugh!'' Violently shifting positions around her own bed in frustration, Debbie then stopped and looked at


    the ceiling, her expression full of conviction. ''Fine, you want to y that way, Jail Mu? Then I''ll be d


    to y!''


    On another note, she really needed to keep her head cool next time.


    The second after she had signed up for the half marathon, Debbie learned that if she failed to ce


    first at the race, she would have to chase Gus Lu, another man blessed with wealth as he was the


    second son of the boss of the Lu Group.


    No one on the campus obviously missed the signs. The signs that Gus Lu was gay. With how he


    carried himself, how could anyone have missed them? Certainly, Gail Mu was attempting to humiliate


    Debbie.


    And if Debbie lost, her second choice was to lock up one of the most powerful people in the university,


    their very own principal, Curtis Lu, in his very own office.

 Chapter 9 Three Choices

    Chapter 9 Three Choices


    Either of the choices offered was bad. Thus, Debbie chose neither. Among all the principals in their


    university, Curtis Lu, the elder son of the Lu family, took charge of all things regarding management.


    Pissing off a principal was thest thing she wanted.


    Nheless¡­ Debbie clicked her tongue. Compared to the principals of other universities who were in


    their fifties, their principal, Curtis, was really appealing.


    Being only thirty, Curtis had already been working as one of the principals of the university for two


    years. That went with the fact that he had gained plenty of admirers. How wouldn''t you fall for someone


    with such charming looks and sterpetency?


    If Debbie were to be in opposition towards Curtis, her list of arch-enemies would lengthen and she


    didn''t want that.


    Furthermore, he was one of Carlos'' confidants and just like him, Curtis was also part of the four


    wealthiest families in Y City.


    Messing with any person who had contact or rtions with Carlos meant trouble for her.


    Comfortingly, Jared and her other friends had signed up for the half marathon, too.


    It lightened her heart to know that she wouldn''t be alone throughout the whole race.


    Speaking of 13.1 miles, Debbie turned sour. ''Oh God, why did I let my anger get the best of me¡­''


    Debbie sighed deeply. ''I feel like I''m going to die and I''m sure I will.''


    Then, what Gail had said to her echoed inside her mind. ''You know, there''s always another way if you


    don''t want to race. You can just shout "Carlos, I love you!" ten times, and then I''ll let you off, '' Gail had


    told her.


    Groaning, Debbie presumed that this had to be one of Gail''s dirty tricks she hade up with after she


    had learned about Carlos'' burning hatred for women. A sadistic n, indeed.


    Carefully deliberating upon the three choices Gail had given her, she ended up choosing one.


    Finally came the day of the race, and the skies took on a shade of grey. Wearing the marathon shirt


    along with her friends, Debbie was warming up before the event started.


    When she and her friends saw a former silver medalist of the full marathon appear on the track, their


    mouths gaped. They were screwed. "This is bad. This is really, really bad," all chorused in anxiety. "Jail


    Mu!" Debbie gritted her teeth, "I''ll remember this!"


    "That bitch!" Jared cursed, agitated. "How dare she y us like this! I''ll let her know who exactly she''s


    dealing with!"


    Silence dawned upon Debbie as she was furious at Gail, but mostly herself. If anger had not gotten the


    best of her, none of this would be happening. Not just falling for Gail''s rotten scheme, she ended up


    also dragging her friends into it.


    Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Debbie saw Kasie beaming. "Hey, just don''t push yourself, alright? If


    you can''t go on, stop. We can always just go for the second option to lock up the principal. It''s no big


    deal."


    This time, Kasie weighed Debbie''s options herself. The first was definitely ruled out. There was no way


    Debbie would chase after Gus. ''As for the third¡­'' Kasie shook her head in disapproval. ''No. With what


    happened at the mall? I don''t think it''d even be a good idea to consider.'' The best option was to keep


    Debbie away from Carlos. With two out of three crossed out, only the one regarding Curtis remained.


    But, dealing with Curtis wasn''t any easier. "What kinds of stupid choices are these?!" Kasie stated


    angrily. "This should be considered harassment!"


    Embracing Kasie, Debbie remarked, "Don''t worry. I''ve won other races, though the distances weren''t


    so long. I''m sure I can make it this time. Besides, it''s also my first time running a half marathon, so why


    don''t I make the most of it?" The humiliation of Debbie was Gail''s goal, but sadly that would never


    happen.


    "Besides," Debbie continued as she released Kasie, "Jail Mu is thest person I''d never want to lose


    to."


    "Tomboy, no matter what everyone else says, you''re my hero!" Kristina dered. "I have faith in you!"


    The number of trophies Debbie had won really blew her mind.


    yfully blowing Kristina a kiss, Debbie confidently grinned. "I have faith in myself, too. Now, let''s get


    to our positions and win this thing!" "Yeah!"


    The group stuck together and stayed in their assigned positions. Having finalized their line up, only


    then did they take easy. Everyone knew that having an effective line-up might alleviate the difficulty of


    attaining victory.


    More than six thousand runners had signed up for this half marathon and there were five hundred


    volunteers. Acquaintances of the runners participating in this half marathon from nearby universities


    hade to cheer and support for them.


    Various fans had appeared at the venue as well -- fans of the former Olympic winner, some superstars,


    and the silver medalist of the full marathon. Either side of the track at the starting line was taken over


    by a sea of peopleing over to cheer.


    Officially starting off the event, a host entered and gave the opening remarks. "To all guests, runners,


    referees at the venue, good morning. On this beautiful day, we all gather here in the New District of Y


    City¡­"


    The host droned on with his speech and Debbie grew drowsy. Next, the deafening sound of the whistle


    reverberated throughout the track; all shot forward and dashed. Waves of cheers rang in the air; all


    supported their own favorite. Unexpectedly, there were people who were rooting for Debbie.


    "Go! Debbie! Go!"


    "You can do it, Debbie!"


    Upon hearing her name being chanted, Debbie turned to see ten-odd ssmates of hers had turned up


    to support her.


    "Woah, look at our ssmates today!" Jared said in awe. "They''re doing amazing!"


    "Sure they are," Kristina replied as she nced at Dixon. "Clearly, you and the ss monitor had given


    them orders. Who''d dare not heed your orders?"


    There was no need to lie. The two of them did request people toe and cheer.


    "Ugh,e on Kristina!" Jared bleated. "Would it kill you to keep it a secret?"


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Elevated by the gesture, Debbie patted both Jared and Dixon on their backs. "Thanks, guys. I''ll do my


    best. I won''t let you guys down."


    "Tomboy, don''t pressure yourself," Dixon voiced his concern. "Even if you lose, we''ll be right there for


    you whether you select saying ''I like you'' to Gus or locking Mr. Lu in his office." Considering the


    unpleasant events that urred between her and Carlos, Dixon didn''t think Debbie would consider the


    third choice.


    "Alright. I''ll keep that in mind," Debbiemented. "You guys better live up to your words as you''ll be


    with me when I say ''I like you'' to Gus!" Having such good-hearted friends are hard toe by and


    Debbie felt incredibly lucky to have them by her side.


    "Right on, Tomboy!" Kasie interjected with a grin. "Take both of them with you and maybe Gus will find


    one of them handsome and he''ll forget all about you!"


    That triggered the girls'' titter. Meanwhile, Dixon and Jared rushed over to Kasie and raised their fists


    high. A scream escaped from Kasie''s lips. Distracted, they failed to hear that the gun was fired. All


    runners already got a head-start.


    The first one to act was Kristina. Then all followed suit after. "Run!" Kristina burst out. "We''re already


    behind!"


    cing first within their group was Kasie. Closing in behind her was Jared.


    "What came over to you to feed Debbie such a feeble idea, Kasie?" Jared huffed. "You better run


    faster, because you''ll be dead meat if I catch up!"


    "Hey. We just started." Debbie pulled Jared''s shirt. "Slow down. You''d be tired in few moments if you


    keep this up." Winning doesn''t just rely on sheer luck; you have to consider strategy as well. As a


    person who loved sports, Debbie knew that starting with a full sprint was a terrible idea.


    Half an hour transpired. The runners that had previously had so much energy now had close to none.


    Most weren''t even running, but walking.


    Inside the VIP lounge of the university, a haughty man smoked a cigarette as he spectated the live


    broadcast of the half marathon in front of a wide screen television.


    "Design Collection for Y City Half Marathon Event from the Star of Y City Design Contest, including the


    designs for the poster, the eco-friendly bag, and the official mascot. Mr. Huo, are all of these okay?"


    Tristan Zheng, one of Carlos'' assistants, inquired afterpleting his report. Being the biggest sponsor


    of the event, Carlos remained impassive, with his lips pressed.

 Chapter 10 The Award Ceremony

    Chapter 10 The Award Ceremony


    While standing with his head courteously tilted down, Tristan waited for an answer, but not a peep was


    heard from his boss even after a long moment.


    When he raised his head in confusion to check what was going on, he noticed that the cigarette in his


    boss'' hand had mostly burned into ash. What remained in his grip was the cigarette butt, but Carlos


    had yet to realize it. His eyes were glued on the screen. Out of curiosity, Tristan turned his head


    towards the TV; a girl was taking the lead of the marathon.


    The youngdy wore a green T-shirt and sneakers sponsored by Carlos''pany, ZL Group. Although


    her T-shirt was soaking wet from all the running, her pace was steady. Her face, on the other hand, was


    as red as a ripe apple. It was so adorable. One careful nce, and a person would be tempted to give


    it a little pinch. At least, that was what Tristan felt as he found himself watching and silently cheering for


    the athlete.


    "Repeat your report. From the top," Carlos suddenly demanded, giving Tristan quite a start. When


    Tristan turned around to reiterate his report, his boss had already averted his gaze from the screen.


    Once again, his head was buried in a file, his eyes hidden from view, as though he was never


    distracted.


    After some time, the one-time silver medalist managed to surpass Debbie. But this did not faze her,


    and 1 hour and 10 minutester since the beginning, Debbie was ahead of everyone again. Everyone


    witnessed how much effort she put into each calcted step as she advanced forward. The whole


    venue was boiling with enthusiasm from every side.


    As she gained momentum, some students from the Economics and Management School apuded


    her in excitement, shouting, "Well done, Debbie!" "Keep it going! You''re almost there!" they yelled


    approvingly. Even the students who could not see everything clearly from a distance had joined in the


    cheering when they heard that Debbie was taking the lead again. Everything else was drowned out by


    the shouts, which came in waves, one louder than another. It went without saying that as much as she


    showed no signs of slowing down, neither did their screams of encouragement.


    Ten more minutester, only three passes were left before they hit the finish line. All of a sudden,


    surprised exmations came from the crowd. Amidst a mixture of reactions, some students shouted


    Dixon''s name.


    When Debbie turned back, short of breath, she found that her friends, Jared and the rest, were


    nowhere to be seen. She realized that they had pulled out of the race. On the other hand, Dixon, who


    had been in the sixth ce, had tripped for some reason. As he tried to get to his feet, it proved to be


    more difficult than he had thought and he failed.


    Seeing this, Debbie hesitated for a second. Despite being several meters away from him -- the distance


    growing with each step she took, she let out a low growl and then spun back towards him, sending the


    audience into a hysterical fit of amazement.


    The moment she made the call in that split second, the former silver medalist took the lead again in her


    stead.


    "Tom..." panted Dixon, sensing her return. "Tomboy. Don''te... don''t...e back for me..." But


    before he could string a few more words together, Debbie was already standing before him with an


    extended hand. Looking up with a pair of apologetic eyes, Dixon fell silent, his jaw ck.


    With a quick nce past Debbie''s figure, he saw that the silver medalist was still finishing the race and


    it brought his focus back. If not for him, he had to keep going for Debbie who had risked what was


    possibly already a sure win for her. Resignedly, Dixon took her hand and got up.


    However, his injury seemed to be worse than he had thought. As soon as he stood up, the throb in his


    legs made him almost fall to his knees. Debbie was quick to catch him.


    "Tomboy, listen to me," he said between gasps. "My legs hurt." He shook his head, feeling defeated.


    "I... I can''t go on. But you can still go. Run. Just ignore me."


    Looking at the scratches on his knees, Debbie encouraged him. "Doctor, it''s just a couple of scratches.


    You can do it. Just let me help you."


    They had been friends for years. And in those years, he never failed to be there for her when she got


    into trouble with the teachers. This time, however, he was the one who needed help. And like a true


    friend, she was not about to abandon him.


    With Debbie''s stubborn insistence, Dixon clenched his teeth, and started running again. It did not hurt


    as much, though, as Debbie supported him the entire time for the rest of the race.


    As their resilience was seen by everyone at the venue, the students screamed at the top of their lungs,


    "Monitor! Tomboy! You''re awesome!"


    And somehow, a resounding voice stood out from the rest in the crowd. "Debbie, I love you!" It was


    received with a lot of giggling, and a few good-natured shaking heads, for it came from a girl.


    Despite being at a disadvantage, Debbie and Dixon gradually overtook some runners in front of them.


    Eventually, when they reached the finish line, Debbie came third, while Dixon was fourth.


    Although she did note first, her decision to go back and help an injured friend engraved Runner


    #961''spassion in the hearts of everyone at the venue. Due to a decision that she made in split


    second, Debbie became a star -- a hero.


    The man in the VIP lounge saw everything that happened in the race. Although he did not show it, the


    incident appeared to affect him in some way.


    The beloved female athlete was swarmed by a dozen boys. Out of tion, they carried her effortlessly


    with their hands, tossed her in the air, and caught her. They repeated this a few more times, and


    although she was helpless and exhausted, it brought a genuine smile on her face.


    Carlos sneered at the sight of it. ''Look at her, '' he thought in annoyance. ''Seducing those innocent


    boys. How flirty can she be?''


    After the race, Debbie retreated to her dorm, and weed her bed with open arms. A lot had


    happened, but the day was not over yet.


    The closing ceremony of the half marathon was going to take ce in a matter of hours, including an


    awarding for winners. What was more, the special guest to award the medals was the CEO of the ZL


    Group, Carlos.


    Upon hearing Carlos'' name, she bounced up like a spring. "What?!" Debbie could not help but shout


    out loud in disbelief. ''Carlos?'' she thought angrily. ''Seriously! Why is he everywhere?'' The youngdy


    brooded in her bed, obliviously biting her lip while deep in thought.


    Casting her a sympathetic look, Kasie said, "I have to say, Debbie. Mr. Huo and you seem to have a


    special connection. It''s like wherever you go, he appears to be there as well!" Debbie sighed. ''A special


    connection?'' She could not help but snort. ''He and I are, after all, legally bound together, '' she thought


    to herself.


    "Now I''m worried that it might get ugly between the two of you at the award ceremony," Kasie was


    saying, as Debbie got out of her thoughts and looked at her. "I won''t sh with him at the ceremony,"


    assured Debbie. "Just that... well, who''d have thought that he''ll be awarding the medals?" Huffing in a


    grumpy manner, she added, "Since I wasn''t going to be the winner, I should have just let someone else


    take the third ce. At least then I wouldn''t have to see his face."


    Granted, third ce was not bad. But as long as she did not ce first, a part of her still felt that it was


    a loss nheless. She was justpetitive that way. Anding third meant she had lost her bet


    with Gail. Blowing at her new polished nails, Kristina chimed in, "Actually, Debbie. I envy you. How


    lucky you are to get to run into Mr. Huo so many times! He''s so handsome, so rich. He''s just


    everything. It''s like fate." Then, the dreamy look which had been present on her face a moment ago,


    disappeared. It was reced by a pout as she continued, "But when I think of how badly things ended


    every time you two saw each other, ugh, I''d rather not have such fate. Just like that, I don''t envy you


    anymore." ''Only Debbie is bold enough to mess with Mr. Huo.


    Is her background more powerful than Mr. Huo''s?


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    There''s no way that''s possible.'' Shaking her head, Kristina chased that thought away from her mind. In


    Y City, no one had dared to mess with Carlos except Debbie.


    Sluggishly clutching a cushion, Kasie asked, "Tomboy, Mr. Huo is actually very handsome. I just don''t


    understand why you''re not attracted to him." She then tilted her head in a curious way, and asked,


    "Why do you two hate each other so much?"


    The smile on Debbie''s face faltered. The first time she hadid eyes on him, she was indeed attracted


    to his good looks. There was no doubt that the man was handsome. Butter on, every time they saw


    each other, he managed to make it easy for her to dislike him. Why? Every time they met, he would run


    his mouth off, and his sarcasm would get on her nerves. Also, why on earth did he have to make such


    a fuss out of a kiss? When it came to kissing, should it not be the woman who was at a loss? She


    thought that as a man, he should not be so narrow-minded. On the other hand, he thought that as a


    woman, she should be more refined and less flirtatious.


    In a way, it appeared that they had gotten off on the wrong foot. Yet both seemed to be too stubborn to


    admit their ws.


    "I don''t understand," Debbie whined. "Why is he everywhere? Why does he even show up at the award


    ceremony of a marathon?" She rolled her eyes. "Does he not have to work somewhere? Isn''t he some


    CEO of a multinational group? Shouldn''t he have somepany-rted things to attend to? Why does


    he have the time to dilly-dally around?" After her rantings, Debbie folded her arms in anger and red


    at nothing in particr.


    "Debbie, ZL Group is the biggest sponsor of this marathon," Kasie told her. "They sponsored the


    clothes, sneakers, and the prizes. As the boss of ZL Group, of course, it''s only natural that Mr. Huo is


    invited to the ceremony."


    "Also, ZL Group is keen on sport. They have sponsored a lot of sports meetings," Kristina added. "It''s


    not surprising at all to see ZL Group at a marathon event." Even though Debbie believed them, she


    was still surprised by the fact that they knew so much.


    Both girls were often up to date on news regarding Carlos. In fact, most girls were. He was, after all,


    the richest bachelor in Y City. Only Debbie seemed to be repulsed by him at the moment, and given


    their status situation, the irony was not lost on her.


    At the award ceremony, Debbie calmly stood on the third-ce tform. When the crowd started to


    scream, she looked around, and saw Carlosing into sight.


    Wearing a suit and brand-new ck leather shoes, the man got onto the stage at a steady pace.


    The autumn sun cast a golden hue on everything. In the sunlight, with his distinguished aura and


    elegant demeanor, he looked even more gorgeous than was usual. Every single woman off stage kept


    screaming in excitement. To her chagrin, even Debbie could not take her eyes off him for a while.


    If things stayed this way, if they did not argue at all, he would be so perfect. Unobtainable, dashing, and


    influential. No wonder so many women were crazy about him.


    When he drew closer, the host''s eyes glistened with enthusiasm. "Now, let''s wee Mr. Huo," she


    announced, her voice trembling from the sheer thrill of being near him, "who we are lucky to have here


    with us. He will now be awarding the medal for the gold medalist."


    One by one, the man presented the medals. When it came to the bronze medalist, Carlos inched


    towards Debbie, apanied by the host. His face remained nonchnt as though he had never met


    the woman before. When he stood in front of her, she lifted her head to face him. Bearing in mind that


    everyone''s eyes were now on them, a smile crept on her lips, but there was no joy in her eyes.

 Chapter 11 Carlos Huo, I Love You

    Chapter 11 Carlos Huo, I Love You


    Carlos and Debbie shared cold nces towards one another. Btedly, he passed the trophy and the


    prize on to her. ording to the program, he would take the hand of the prizewinner and give it a firm


    shake.


    When Debbie had taken the trophy and the prize with her left hand, she offered the other for him to


    shake. Carlos looked at her little hand for barely a second, and then rejected it.


    He looked at Debbie and mentioned with a low voice, "Your hands are filthy."


    Those four words alone were enough to offend her.


    Thankfully, not a soul heard them. The crowd had eyes on Carlos as he was a dignitary. Everyone was


    stupefied as they spotted him decline to shake Debbie''s hand. They all spected on it.


    ''If it were only him and me here, I''d drag him to the Civil Affairs Department to get the divorce certificate


    and beat the hell out of him!'' Debbie clenched her fists indignantly. Anger made itself evident on her


    face. She despised the man so much.


    With hundreds and thousands of eyes that watched them, she could only swallow the utter humiliation.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Amidst the whole duration of the awarding, Carlos had his back facing against the camera, so only the


    ones on stage saw what he had done.


    How Debbie wished she could throw the trophy and the prize into the trash bin. The mere thought that


    it had been infected by Carlos'' germs disgusted her. Again, she could only do this in her imagination.


    Event officially done, Debbie and her friends returned to the university.


    Setting foot in the entrance, they were stopped by Gail, who asked Debbie to keep her end of the deal.


    Intending for the second option which was to lock Curtis in his office, Debbie recalled what the


    disrespectful Carlos had done. ''If he happens to see me confess my love to him, he''d probably get so


    pissed! Oh my God, I actually kind of want to see how he''d react to it now!'' she thought to herself in


    glee.


    Momentarily mulling over her decision, Debbie wore a cunning smile and walked her way to one of the


    groves located in the university with her friends tagging along.


    Fortunately, it was a weekend and there were few students on the campus. The grove was covered in


    silence. Debbie turned to her friends and gestured for them to wait until she finished. Then she went


    deep into the grove and found an old tree. Standing across the tree, she mustered the loudest voice


    she could and yelled, "Carlos Huo, I love you. Carlos Huo, I love you..."


    The agreement was for her to repeat it ten times; Debbie did just that.


    At the tenth, she screamed, causing the birds that rested in the tree to take to the air.


    Effortlessly aplishing the task, Debbie patted herself against her chest to calm down. What she


    didn''t expect was for a man to appear behind the tree and when she recognized who he was, she was


    bbergasted.


    The man was Curtis! ''Oh my God¡­'' Debbie became pale. ''Why is Mr. Lu here?!'' she wondered to


    herself. Flustered, Debbie started to sweat.


    ''Holy crap! This is so humiliating! He might tell Carlos about this! I-I have to make a run for it!'' Burying


    her face in her hands, Debbie pivoted and then sprinted to depart from the grove.


    "Tomboy, where are you going?" Dixon asked, muddled. "Do you have a bear chasing you?"


    Approaching a halt, Debbie stopped upon sighting Dixon. She swiveled, her eyes scanning the area.


    No signs of Curtis were found. ''I guess he failed to recognize me, '' Debbie thought and sighed in relief.


    ''Although, I already saw him before. I think it was back in the Dean''s office.''


    As Debbie was aware of Curtis'' rtionship with Carlos, her mind spiraled downwards with her


    thoughts. ''But, what if he recognized me and then tells Carlos about it? Wait, I''m Carlos'' wife and it is


    perfectly normal for a wife to speak of her love about her husband!'' Relief washed over her as she


    mused over the thought. As she passed Gail, she wore a smug grin, absolutely proud of what she had


    done.


    Gawking at Debbie''s waning figure in that manner stirred confusion inside Gail''s mind.


    ''Why''s she so happy? Doesn''t she know that Mr. Huo hates women who try to court him?'' That


    confusion ultimately mutated into annoyance. ''Smile all you can, Debbie Nian, for you are screwed


    once Mr. Huo watches this.''


    Drawing her phone out, she then sent the video she had captured over to an individual.


    Back in the dormitory, Debbie had an eerie feeling that remained inside her. Unable to exactly pinpoint


    what it was, she felt stumped.


    She unknowingly discovered herself looking at the half marathon event that had happened. As if an


    entity had taken over her body, she instantly searched up for the list of participants at the half


    marathon. Then, it hit her.


    ''That bitch''s name isn''t even on the list!'' she screamed in silence. ''She nned all of this through! She


    knew the former silver medalist would attend the game so she lured me in and humiliated me on


    purpose!''


    Searching for an object to vent her anger out on, she grabbed a pillow and mmed it against the wall.


    ''You better start sleeping with one eye open, Jail Mu!'' she cursed inwardly.


    Meanwhile, in the ZL Group


    A spacious conference room was fully upied. It was thetest electronics productunch event, and


    all reporters had their equipment set up to capture the event in its entirety.


    The general popce knew that products from the ZL Group would always set the trend.


    The facilitators of the event then arrived at the conference room. They consisted of Carlos and several


    other senior executives. All cameras were aimed at the seniors. It was protocol for all reporters that


    photographs or videos where Carlos could be seen were forbidden. Otherwise, he''d resort to forcing


    them to delete the photo, and in extreme cases, suing them.


    Only when Carlos and the senior executives took their seats did the others do the same. The general


    manager gave an opening speech before giving the floor to the vice-general manager on introducing


    their newest products.


    All ears were on the vice-general manager''s speech.


    The speech was finished, and the next in order was to showcase their newest products with a projector.


    The projector was then switched on by remote control by the vice-general manager. However, no


    product appeared. Instead, there was a girl yelling in front of a tree. Hearing that familiar voice instantly


    made Carlos'' brows wrinkle together.


    "Carlos Huo, I love you. Carlos Huo, I love you..."


    This was uncalled for. No one saw iting. All eyes widened like tes in shock, their jaws dropping


    to the ground.


    Carlos'' face turned grim at the ident. Merely hearing her voice had him feel revolted. ''This girl


    again? She''s just everywhere right now, isn''t she?''


    They did not just have the employees of the ZL Group and reporters as their audience; rather they had


    the whole world watching.


    Each and every person in that conference room shifted their sights to Carlos, anticipating his response.


    Carlos'' assistant, Emmett was there and witnessed the whole scene unfold. He too got to put a name


    on the woman. ''Isn''t that Mrs. Huo?''


    Even in an unforeseen predicament, Carlos remainedposed, expressionless. All the more did the


    people look up to him in admiration. ''Nothing fazes him! No wonder he sessfully runs arge group!''


    Exhibiting the same trait simr to Carlos was the vice-general manager, as he came to a realization


    that someone must''ve tampered with his sh disk.


    Assessing if the product information was still stored in the sh disk, he heard Carlos'' voice,


    "Continue."


    Right after the detestable video of Debbie professing her so-called love had ended, the screen correctly


    disyed the products.


    In terse consideration, Carlos took out his phone and dialed someone''s number. "Curtis, do you know


    of a student called Debbie Nian?" Carlos asked. Then he frowned and wondered, ''Why does this name


    sound so familiar?''


    "What about her?" Curtis asked in reply.


    "I want you to expel her!" Carlos demanded. "Now!" There was certainly no other woman that managed


    to hit every nerve in his body. Retribution must be imparted. Asking for bloodshed was too far, hence


    Carlos asked for her to be expelled.


    Reporters proceeded to erase all traces of photos and videos they had managed to take, for they


    couldn''t afford to enrage Carlos. Despite all of that, the entire world practically saw Debbie. The


    viewers definitely had already captured the whole thing on their phones. As theunch pressed on,


    Debbie''s information was uncovered for the entire world to learn about.

 Chapter 12 The Whole World Knows

    Chapter 12 The Whole World Knows


    It was 9 o''clock in the morning and Debbie was sound asleep in the multimedia ssroom. Little did


    she know that a lot of students had piled outside the ssroom in the doorway. Soon, she began to stir


    awake due to the mor of the crowd.


    With her head still lying on the desk, her eyes slowly opened, and the students came into her view.


    They were pointing at her, with disdain written all over their faces. It took the oblivious youngdy a few


    seconds to clear her mind, before she finallyprehended what they were whispering from afar.


    "Is she Debbie Nian? Shame on her!"


    "She made an ass of our university, that one! She''s just a tomboy. How dare she try to seduce Mr.


    Huo!"


    "Exactly! She brought shame to our university! How can she just sleep after what she''s done?!"


    BANG!


    All the gossiping was interrupted by a loud thud. When they followed the direction of the sound, they


    saw Jared standing up and shooting them a fierce re. The crowd scattered away in a panic.


    As much as they disliked Debbie, after the rumor got out, no one dared to y with fire by pissing off


    Jared. Everyone knew that the guy came from a wealthy family, and was with a bad temper to boot. No


    one would wish to be on the receiving end of Jared''s wrath.


    Except for, well, two boys who stayed by the door. As they seemed to originate from affluent families


    themselves, Jared''s outburst had very little effect on them. With an unattractive sneer, one of them


    named Benton Shao spoke to Debbie in a loud voice. "I heard you love Mr. Huo! Is that true or what?"


    Sitting upright in her seat, Debbie got up so fast that she experienced some mild vertigo. ''What? Whom


    do I love? Mr. Huo?'' she thought, clearly confused with the situation. From a look of bewilderment,


    Debbie''s facial expression turned dark. A crease formed between her eyebrows as she finally realized


    the boy''s allegation. Taking a deep breath, she put on her best menacing look.


    "Says who?" she asked, and rolled her eyes at them. ''I swear if I find out who it is, '' she thought


    indignantly, ''I will beat the shit out of that guy!'' Strangely enough, her question only threw the two boys


    into a fit ofughter. "What''s so damn funny?" she demanded.


    "Hahaha! Don''t you know?" the fat one named Erick Zhang asked, sharing a look with hispanion.


    "You''re famous now! The whole world knows that you love Mr. Huo!"


    "That''s right!" said Benton Shao with a buzz cut, nodding as he smirked at her. "The whole world heard


    you when you shouted, ''Carlos Huo, I love you!'' in the grove!" And as Benton Shao attempted to mimic


    her, his voice turned shrill and whiny. It was nothing like how Debbie truly sounded, but then again, his


    intentions were clearly less about re-enacting in a realistic way and more about taunting her.


    Dumbfounded, Debbie was at a loss for words. While it was true that she had yelled those words in the


    grove, there was no one else there who could have heard her. So why, all of a sudden, did everyone


    know about that? ''No! Wait a minute, '' she thought, still seated as she racked her mind for any clues or


    ideas.


    During that time, she recalled that there was a man behind the tree... Curtis! Curtis was there.


    She frowned. Was he the one who spread it around? ''It had to be him, '' she considered, ring with


    pursed lips as the two boys seemed to enjoy watching her boil in anger. Lowering her head a bit, she


    swore under her breath.


    Turning to the two boys, she shouted aggressively, "Shut up the both of you!" And when they did not


    stopughing, Debbie shoved her table in outrage. The legs of the desk made a shrieking sound


    against the floor as it was pushed forward. "I mean it! Fuck off!"


    Being scolded by a girl did not bode well for the two angry boys. It was the first time that they had been


    told off by a girl in such an unruly manner. Once or twice, they had heard in the past that Debbie was


    not someone to be bullied or disturbed. In hindsight, they should have known better than to assume


    that it was just a joke.


    Benton Shao shared a look with Erick Zhang who stood at 5''5" and weighed 105 kg. Then at the same


    time, they stepped into the ssroom, and walked towards Debbie. When Benton Shao got close, he


    picked up Debbie''s book from the desk that had been shoved earlier, and threw it on the floor casually.


    The ends of his lips went up to form a dangerous smirk.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as things appeared like it was about to escte in the ssroom, most of Debbie''s


    ssmates quickly fled the area. For a moment, the two boys assumed it was because of them.


    On the contrary, it was because they saw the look on Debbie''s face: she was about to teach them a


    very hard lesson. ''Damn it! Are they idiots? How dare they provoke Tomboy! We''d better run away as


    soon as possible. Otherwise, we''re going to get caught up in the fight too, '' they all thought.


    So in less than a minute, the ssroom cleared out like there was a zombie outbreak, leaving the two


    boys, Debbie, and her friends.


    Calm and collected, unlike her disposition a few minutes ago, Debbie leaned back in her chair and


    stared at the two boys with a sweet smile. The two boys widened their eyes. One smile from her


    disarmed thempletely, and they almost forgot why they were there in the first ce. They thought


    she looked so pretty, and began to wonder why they had not noticed it sooner.


    While the two boys were busy drooling over Debbie''s bewitching face, the youngdy suddenly bent


    over to get the book on the floor, and smashed it against the face of the boy who had dropped it a while


    ago.


    Keeling over, Benton Shao cried in pain. "Bitch, how dare... Ow!" he wailed. Before he was able to


    finish his sentence, a fist came in contact with his face. There was no doubt that the punch was going


    to leave a very big, fat ck-eye.


    Before anyone could retaliate, Jared withdrew his fist and blew on his fingers. He sat back, and looked


    at the two boys incredulously. "Are you guys idiots? What''s gotten into your small brains that you''re


    provoking our Debbie? You are courting death, I''m telling you," he said in an indifferent tone, folding his


    arms.


    Meanwhile, a thermos was chucked towards Erick Zhang. "Ouch!" he cried in pain, covering his head.


    "You! Just wait and watch!" Benton Shao threatened, and took out his phone with his shaking hands.


    After dialing a number, he put the phone against his ear. "Bro, I''m being bullied in the multimedia


    ssroom on the third floor. Bring more guys, ande quickly!"


    These rich kids did not care about the school regtions one bit. All they wanted was to pick a fight,


    and frankly, Debbie could not care less.


    ''What a pointless fight, disturbing my sleep, '' thought the exhausted youngdy. Grabbing the desk


    towards her seat, she reimed the same position that she had been in before her nap was


    interrupted, and murmured, "Wake me up when they''re here."


    Her outright disregard for their attempt to intimidate her only enraged them further.


    Gently, Jared tapped on her shoulder and said, "Hey, don''t sleep just yet. Let''s beat these two first."


    Recently, he had been hanging around Debbie more often, and as a result, he had been getting into


    fewer fights with others. It did not ur to him until then that he was so bored, so he was thrilled that


    he could beat these guys up.


    Sighing, Debbie stood up, and with azy stretch, she kicked the chair towards Benton Shao who was


    the nearest one.


    As the boy cried in pain, Jared failed to hide the amusement in his eyes. It did not even require a lot of


    effort to take care of the entitled brat. As it was, the boy already appeared to have lost before the fight


    even began. He bent down to rub the sore spots on his legs where the chair had hit him, groaning.


    Meanwhile, Erick Zhang walked towards Kasie. It was she who had hit him with a thermos before, and


    he wanted to teach the girl a lesson. While standing beside Kasie, Dixon and Kristina cast a scornful


    nce at Erick Zhang. Was he really going to attack Kasie when it was three against one? "Boy,e


    here. Let me teach you how to fight!" Kristina said as she tied up her long curly hair with an stic


    band. She crossed her arms before her chest, waiting for him toe over.


    The atmosphere became tense in the ssroom. The two boys could not help but shiver as there were


    five of them, and their backup had not arrived yet. What had they gotten themselves into?


    Although there were five of them, however, Dixon was a straight-A student who did not like to handle


    things with a pair of fists. So as per usual, he stood by the door to keep watch.


    Before the reinforcements could make it to the ssroom, the two boys were already beaten to a pulp.


    Getting up from the floor, Benton Shao covered his swollen head, and pointed at Debbie, yelling, "Beat


    that bitch up! She bea---"


    Before he could finish his sentence, a man''s voice came from outside the ssroom, "What is going on


    in here?" Everyone''s attention was directed to the man standing in the doorway, and when they


    realized who it was, they only had one thing on their mind: "Uh-oh."


    Since Dixon got terribly absorbed in watching the fight, he had failed to notice the man''s appearance in


    front of him and did not get to warn his friends. Behind the man, a lot of people gathered in the hallway.


    The tall and thin figure entered the ssroom with slow, deliberate steps. It was Curtis, their principal.


    A refined schr, well-mannered, and generally affable -- it was disquieting to receive a reproachful


    look from the man.


    Sure enough, all the involved students ended up in the principal''s office. Even the ones who had


    arrived at the scene as reinforcements, but did not get the chance to throw a single punch, were called


    in.


    With that, at least a dozen of them stood in a row before Curtis, their heads bowed down.


    They were no stranger to Curtis'' identity. Aware that the man was from the Lu family, they did not dare


    to offend him, or even utter a word to him. Nevertheless, they were called to the office for one purpose,


    and that was for Curtis to find out how the fight began. No one wanted to be the first to squeal. For this


    reason, all of them stared at the floor, the ceiling -- anywhere, but into the principal''s eyes.


    "Tell me what happened," Curtis said. Being 30 years of age, he was more mature than the boys in


    front of him. His voice was low -- and in some of the youngdies'' opinions, attractive.


    When Benton Shao attempted to open his mouth and say something, he was immediately stopped by


    Debbie''s murderous look.


    The boy grumbled. ''I guess you knew how to fight, huh?'' he thought while frowning. ''I''ll hire a skilled


    fighter to beat you up someday! Let''s see what you can do then, '' he swore to himself.


    With a keen eye, Curtis, of course, noticed the exchange between Debbie and the boy. As the young


    lady had her head down, she had no way of knowing that his eyes were particrly fixed on her.


    ''Debbie Nian? Whom does she resemble in character? Maybe she has developed such an attitude


    because of the long absence of her mother, '' Curtis thought to himself, and sighed.


    Pushing the sses up against his nose with an index finger, he asked the names of everyone in front


    of him, and typed them on hisputer. Then, he sent an email to the dean.


    Something did catch the students'' attention, though: he did not even turn to Debbie and ask for her


    name. Everyone, including Debbie, was perplexed by it, and only then did they look at Curtis with


    wondering eyes. Did the principal know her?

 Chapter 13 An Amiable Principal

    Chapter 13 An Amiable Principal


    That day was a rather challenging one for the university principal who was tapping his fingers on his


    desk, lost in thought. However, it was not only Curtis whose mind was bombarded with questions. The


    students also had questions that needed to be answered such as how Debbie and the principal knew


    each other and whether they were closely rted.


    Rumors had it that the girl with a strong personality had an even stronger background; so strong that


    the Lu family would bend over to cover up the feisty student''s mistakes.


    ''Is this girl''s reputation so strong that even Mr. Lu doesn''t dare to offend her?'' the students continued to


    contemte.


    Suspicion was filling up the principal''s office.


    This was when the principal finally came to a verdict. Curtis stood up from where he was seated and


    picked up a notice of criticism before releasing an official statement. "I''ve checked and verified the


    surveince tape of the ssroom incident. I have also seen with my own eyes that Benton Shao ad


    Erick Zhang started the fight. A notice of criticism will now be printed in the campus newspaper so that


    it will be circted all over the university. On the other hand, Jared Han and the other students involved


    have to sprint tenps around the racetrack as a form of punishment; consider it a consequence of


    your childish behaviors. As for you, Dixon Shu, though you didn''t engage in the fight, you will be


    watching over your fellow ssmates. When they are done serving their sentence in the field,e


    and inform me."


    After saying all his orders in just one go, the head of the university kept his silence.


    Just as Curtis thought he had made himself clear, Benton could not help butin, "Mr. Lu, it''s not


    fair! Look at my face, it''s all bruised and swollen. All of this trouble is just because of Debbie Nian. Are


    you not going to punish her?" The bloke pointed at Debbie who barely moved an inch.


    The stubborn boy couldn''t believe that the principal had no intention of punishing the girl who had


    beaten him up so good. If it weren''t for Curtis'' influential family, he would have thrown a fit and flipped


    the table that was right in front of him just to express how infuriated he was.


    Debbie was just as perplexed as the boy she had beaten up. She questioned the judgement of their


    principal, suspecting that maybe Curtis knew about her.


    Not taking any more of the chaos in the order of his school, Curtis shed a re at Benton and


    tantly said, "Get out of my office. Debbie Nian stays."


    Although the principal soundedpletely calm andposed, the boy, along with his lemmings, did


    not dare to disobey.


    They immediately did as the intimidating man said and left, but Jared and his friends were yet to follow


    them to the door.


    They did not want to leave Debbie alone with the man. The girl''s friends were worried that the principal


    would pin the whole situation on her. With Debbie''s safety in mind, Jared pulled her behind him, faced


    the man behind the desk and defended, "Mr. Lu, Debbie didn''t want to stir up conflict in the first ce. I


    was the one who asked her to fight. Please, don''t punish her. Let me take the consequences for my


    own mess."


    Curtis smirked, impressed with the ability of the student before him to take responsibility. "I''ve heard


    you guys are good friends," the principal pointed out, "and it seems evidently true."


    Jared nodded proudly and said, "Of course. We are the best of friends, and I''ll do anything for my friend


    -- even if it means taking the me."


    The boy protecting Debbie had known her for the longest time; it was impossible for him to feel


    estranged towards her since they had met more than a couple of years back.


    However, the principal always knew that this was the case -- he did his homework and had done


    extensive research on Debbie''s family background, not excluding her friends and how their lives were


    lived. After all, he would not fall short of investigating even her friends; there was a lot he could tell


    about the mysterious ferocious girl just from knowing her friends.


    "Don''t worry. I won''t punish her. I just need to ask her some questions. Kindly leave us," the authority


    patiently said.


    Jared, being left with no choice but to trust who stood in a higher position than him, decided to obey


    Curtis. He examined both parties intensely as he was leaving with his friends. The truth was, even he


    wondered when Debbie and Curtis became closely knitted since his friend never really mentioned it to


    him.


    Little did they know that the girl did not actually know the man who sat with the higher-ups of the


    university. All she knew was that the principal knew Carlos.


    Once they were both left alone together in the room, the fearless student decided to take initiative. "Are


    you going to tell me that you told Carlos about, uh¡­ the thing¡­ I said those words in the grove¡­"


    Debbie did not have any other idea as to why Curtis asked her to stay.


    Curtis ignored her question and freed his hand of the paper he was holding. He eventually motioned at


    the chair before him and offered Debbie to sit.


    She had no choice but to sumb to her principal''s offer. She sat as she was asked to and was


    surprised to see that someone who was of authority was pouring her a ss of cold water.


    She immediately tensed up, took the ss and put it on the desk before deciding to say something to


    break the ice. "Mr. Lu, could you please tell me what you n to do? You''re beginning to freak me out


    with all this curtsy."


    Debbie had gotten herself into a lot of trouble before and whenever she was asked to see the dean, the


    teachers always shot her looks of pure judgement.


    She found it strange that the principal did not exhibit any of the things her former educators had lived


    up to making her feel. Indeed, she was not used to how Curtis was treating her.


    He looked at her and gave her a friendly smile. "Yes, I heard what you said in the grove, but I didn''t tell


    Carlos about it. In other news, he already asked his secretary to look into who disyed the video


    during theunch event."


    ''What video?'' Debbie thought to herself. ''What is this man talking about? Whatunch event?'' Debbie


    was getting confused.


    Curtis limited his words and asked her to check the headlines of the news. He asked her to stay for


    more than just a reason; he had more agendas to fulfill with the girl. He finally cleared his throat and


    began, "Carlos asked me to drive you out of the university premises. Do you know him? Have you ever


    offended him?"


    The one who was overseeing the university had more things to oversee, after all. Being as sharp as he


    was, the man recollected that at that particr moment, he was watching theunch event live which


    took ce several minutes before the ident. That was when he had received Carlos'' call.


    The circumstances suggested that Carlos knew Debbie way before the event.


    "I''ve only met him a couple times before, but mostly during unpleasant encounters¡­" the girl


    responded, putting a certain sense of trust on the authority of her school''s principal. She answered


    honestly despite the doubts she had building up inside of her.


    Upon hearing what she had to say, Curtis finally realized why Carlos was so enraged at her. He knew


    that she was not the best at behaving which may have caused Carlos a lot of trouble.


    Finally, the principal looked the student in the eyes. Out of genuine concern, he told her, "Don''t worry.


    You may now head back to your regr sses. As for Carlos'' request, let me deal with it. You don''t


    need to bother yourself about it. If youe across Carlos again, remember that it is best to stay away.


    If you have feelings for him, you must toughen up and lose them. He''s dangerous and he''s not the kind


    of man that you should get involved with, much less provoke. Do you understand the things that I''m


    telling you?"


    With her mouth opened in awe, Debbie looked at the man before her and wondered how long he had


    known her and why he was being so nice to her. She thought, ''I caused a rumble, but instead of


    punishing me, he took care of me and protected me from that hoodlum Carlos.''


    The feisty girl began to feelfort, knowing that the principal concerned himself with her as if he were


    her parent. She began to feel like she was being treated like his own daughter and though she could


    not understand where his worry for her wasing from, she appreciated it.


    As she was ordered to, Debbie went back to ss and immediately inquired her phone for the headline


    news that Curtis had told her to check out. It was then that she realized what had happened.


    The person behind the conflict was her cousin, Gail Mu. When Debbie learned about her rtive''s


    betrayal, she swore to herself that the next time her cousin provoked her again, she would not let it


    pass.


    Meanwhile, at the ZL Group Headquarters, inside the CEO''s office, Carlos was chucking a cigarette he


    just finished smoking into the ash tray to sign a document. Without paying attention to anything else, he


    kept his head low and asked, "Have you found out who was behind all this?"


    Tristan, who did not have much of a choice but to be honest, answered, "The vice-general manager


    called. His sh drive was infiltrated by a hacker when he mounted it into a device. The hacker wasT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    stealthy and swift enough to slip the video into the files but we still have no leads on who the hacker


    could be."


    "Hacker?" Carlos scoffed. ''It must be that girl again!'' the CEO thought to himself in utter ferocity,


    causing him to form a dent for a smile on his face.


    Frustrated, Carlos threw his pen out and impatiently demanded to be left alone.


    "Of course, Mr. Huo," Tristan said. "But before I leave, I would just like to remind you that the Lu


    Group''s anniversary party will be held tomorrow evening. Will you---"


    Before the assistant could finish his sentence, Carlos interrupted and said, "I will be there."


    "Who will be your partner?" the assistant asked.


    Thest thing Carlos wanted was to concern himself with such trivial problems; he was not particr


    about details and hated it whenever he had to hesitate before he could figure them out. Women was


    one of those things he could never understand. However, he knew he had to say something. "How


    about that woman named¡­ I wanna say Olivia Mi?" the corporate executive owner said with


    uncertainty.


    "Olga Mi," Tristan corrected.


    "Alright, her." The stone-cold man nodded indifferently.


    "Understood. I will now take my leave." The convenient secretary bowed.


    Once he was left alone, the CEO noticed his phone beep. He had just received a text message. The


    text seemed to be from a private, unidentified number. Carlos picked up his phone and unlocked it to


    find a mysterious mail that said, "Hello, Mr. Huo. You may not remember me, but I remember you. I am


    your legal wife. I will be very much grateful to you if you could take time off your busy schedule to sign


    the divorce papers I have tendered myself. Thank you very much!"


    After a brief moment of consideration, Carlos scoffed and replied, "I''ll discuss it with you face to face


    tomorrow."

 Chapter 14 You Look Like A Girl!

    Chapter 14 You Look Like A Girl!


    There was a time in Carlos'' life when his so-called wife was absent, but this particr moment in his


    life was no longer that time. The woman he had married immediately replied to his text message


    saying, "There is no need for us to meet, Mr. Huo. I''m very busy and I don''t have the time. Don''t get me


    wrong; I don''t need a single penny from you, so I don''t think you need to discuss anything more with


    me. Please, sign the divorce agreement as soon as possible."


    Carlos allowed himself tough at the silly situation he found himself in. ''Interesting that my wife


    doesn''t want my money. She just really wants to go her separate way, '' he thought to himself. If the still-


    married man remembered it right, his wife was at her early twenties and was still a college student. In


    his view, girls the age of his wife would only bother themselves with material things that only money


    could buy such as designer clothing and bags.


    ''Her father, Artie Nian, passed away long ago. Why would she choose to divorce me now?'' the man


    thought to himself.


    He could not help but remember Debbie, the girl who had kissed him in the bar that night. He had


    asked some of his men to investigate the 21-year-old girl. ''Debbie is so young yet she is already so


    good at seducing men. She and my wife are both at their early twenties. Could it be that my nominal


    wife is having an affair with someone else?" he wondered to himself and realized he did not have to


    guess -- he could just ask his wife himself.


    "Are you going to divorce me for some other guy?" Carlos typed on his device, sending the text to the


    young girl.


    If that was truly the case, he could sign the divorce agreement now. He was never really a man who


    dawdled. The only reason why he had not signed the agreement was because he felt very guilty for


    being so neglecting and he wanted topensate for his absence in their marriage during these years.


    After all, he had been busy working in the past three years and had never paid any attention to her.


    The marriage existed only as a contract both parties agreed to.


    However, it seemed that his wife did not want the title of Mrs. Huo at all. She had kept a low profile all


    these years and only a few men who worked for Carlos knew that she was his wife.


    He silently waited in suspense for Debbie''s reply which now took about a few minutes. When he


    received the text, he began to understand why she had taken so long to reply; her text was a long and


    detailed narrative that said, "Yes, I have feelings for another guy. But, rest assured, I have not done


    inappropriate things. I have kept an arm''s length from him. Could you please sign the agreement soon


    so that it would no longer have to be this way and so I can pursue my own happiness? Thank you."


    The text surprised Carlos as he was not expecting his assumptions to be correct.


    The truth was, she was lying. Yes, she had had a thing for a boy, but it was ages ago. She had already


    moved on.


    She only said this to her husband because she wanted him to sign the agreement as soon as possible.


    She did not think a sessful man like him would just allow his wife to love someone else.


    At this point, she was getting really annoyed and started thinking to herself what a slow man her


    husband was. ''Why can''t he just pick up that pen and get it over with?'' she thought. ''He acts as if he


    has a thing for me, and it''s ridiculous!''


    The girl perceived herself as a reasonable and considerate person. Her husband had been spotted with


    an actress once before, and then caught shopping with a so-called celebrity. If she really had feelings


    for her husband, her heart would have been shattered to pieces. But to this day she felt nothing but


    apathy.


    She just couldn''t understand why Carlos just couldn''t sign the agreement.


    This time, however, Carlos agreed on one condition. "I will sign the papers as you wish, but you have to


    tell my grandpa about it first. If he says it''s alright, then I will tender the divorce papers immediately."


    The man sent the text to the young girl and thought, ''This marriage was arranged by grandpa, so I can''t


    divorce her without his permission.''


    When Debbie received the text, she found herself caught up in confusion. ''His grandpa? Who in the


    world is this man''s grandpa?'' she wondered. ''I don''t even know who his grandpa is. How am I


    supposed to tell him about my divorce?'' Debbie scratched her head in frustration. When her father was


    still alive to make all the arrangements, he had simply handed her a contract of marriage one day and


    said, "You won''t regret marrying him." Then the clueless girl had no other choice but to marry Carlos.


    She had no idea that such arrangements were made by her spouse''s grandpa. How was she supposed


    to know?


    "He''s your grandpa. You should be the one to persuade him!


    Why would you pin this task on me? Your grandpa must be a stubborn old man and you want me to be


    the puppet that bears all of his wrath. You brat!"


    Debbie replied to Carlos'' text with her lips pouted. ''This man is so annoying, just like Jail Mu! I hate


    them both, '' she reflected.


    Carlos was amused by the text his feisty wife had sent him. ''She''s such a short-tempered girl. After all,


    she''s still young and I need to be more inclusive, '' he thought. ''s! No one has dared to speak to me


    like this before.'' Carlos shook his head with resignation. ''Wait! There''s another girl who would speak to


    me like this -- Debbie Nian.''


    The man had also begun to be irritated, just as the woman had had a few moments ago. He had


    bothered himself with Debbie way too many times today.


    "My grandpa is in New York. You may find him now," he replied impatiently.


    "What the fuck?" Debbie eximed.


    She was fuming when she raised her hand in an attempt to throw her phone. Luckily, she quickly


    changed her mind and threw it onto her bed.


    After collecting herself and calming down, she picked up her phone and finally replied to her annoying


    husband''s text. "Carlos Huo, you have the balls to treat me this way! I''m going to New York tomorrow. If


    your grandpa doesn''t say yes, I will stay there until he budges!"


    "Do as you wish," the man replied quickly.


    He then chucked his phone away, like Debbie had done. He did not tell his grandpa himself because he


    had promised that old man that he would not divorce his wife. If she wanted to divorce him so badly,


    she should be the one responsible for persuading his grandpa. He thought it was a pretty fair trade and


    did not understand why his wife went all ballistic.


    ''She''s so naive! And so willfully stupid!'' Carlos thought.


    After reading her husband''s reply, Debbie was infuriated. She tried so hard to pacify herself. "Debbie


    Nian, calm down! He is your husband and it was you who agreed to marry him in the first ce! Calm


    down¡­ Calm down¡­" she told herself.


    The girl grew more frustrated upon realizing she still had to takerge strides to get her useless


    husband to sign the divorce papers. She couldn''t just fly to New York to persuade his stupid spouse''s


    grandpa.


    She moaned and groaned the whole day when Jared finally snapped. He covered his ears in


    frustration. "What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid Tomboy? Just tell me! Are you going through


    the changes of life early?" the boy eximed.


    Debbie looked at him with a sad look and murmured, "I''m so upset." She kept asking herself over and


    over again why Carlos wouldn''t just sign the papers.


    "What are you so upset for? Just tell us and we''ll hear you out. We promise we''re here to help you!"


    Jared assured the struggling girl. Kristina and Kasie seconded the motion and nodded immediately


    after Jared had made his statement.


    The troubled girl shook her head with resignation and thought, ''How can I tell you about that? If I tell


    you guys Carlos is my husband and that I want to divorce him, you would all think I''m crazy!''


    With this in mind, Debbie shed a bitter smile. She didn''t even have the marriage of certificate as


    proof in her hands. She could not show her friends any evidence that she was Mrs. Huo. They might


    even send her to the mental hospital to have her brain checked for anything funny.


    After all, Carlos still seemed to be distant towards people like her. ''Damn!'' Debbie thought. ''What the


    hell am I supposed to do now?''


    "How about you think about this instead? I was invited to a dinner party this evening. Do you want to


    come with me?" Jared offered. Earlier that day, his father had asked him to go to the dinner party on his


    behalf. He had originally nned not to follow his father''s order, but he thought that if Debbie wanted to


    go to the party or ever so needed to, he could take her to the party.


    Out of options, the problematic girl nodded indifferently. She had not been traveling for a long time and


    maybe the uing dinner party would make her feel better.


    Kasie had to go to her friend''s birthday party while Kristina had her own family dinner to attend to;


    Dixon was busy preparing for the entrance exams for the postgraduate school, so only Debbie and


    Jared were avable to attend the evening party.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The considerate boy took Debbie shopping so that they could get her an evening dress. He picked a


    red dress for her that would match her red lipstick.


    When Debbie saw the dress, her face twitched in difort. It was backless and she didn''t think it


    would suit her.


    "You''re still my best friend, right? But don''t you know me at all? This dress? For me? Seriously?"


    Debbie asked Jared. She did not wear the dress and instead cast a burning nce that would send


    Jared right into a guilt trip.


    But, Jared had more evil intentions. "The guests this evening are all gonna be sessful


    businessmen. You should dress up so that if you develop a crush on someone, you can take him home


    and..." he exined with a goofy grin on his face. "Ouch!" A sudden scream spilled out of his mouth as


    Debbie kicked his leg hard before he could even finish his perverted sentence.


    She withdrew her leg, took the dress from the saledy and entered the fitting room to put it on.


    ''Fine! I''ll wear this dress, '' she thought with determination. ''After all, I''m a pretty girl.''


    After a few minutes, Debbie got out of the fitting room wearing the dress Jared had picked out for her.


    Jared''s jaws dropped when he saw what his best friend looked like. "Tomboy¡­ No, no, no¡­ Miss Nian!


    You look like a girl!" Jared eximed in delight.


    "Are you out of your mind? I am a girl and I''ve always been a girl!" Debbie retorted louder, waving her


    fist around to threaten him. The red dress embraced her form, falling perfectly on the ground. It was no


    secret that she looked so stunning that any man could fall head over heels for her.

 Chapter 15 Pretending To Be Pure

    Chapter 15 Pretending To Be Pure


    Seeing that the girl before him was now a changed woman, Jared took out his phone and


    photographed the rare beauty that was in front of him. He shed a cunning smile as he was nning


    to post her photos in his WeChat moments. After all, his best friend only looked this decent once in a


    blue moon, so he felt the need to document this moment.


    "You look stunning! Tomboy, if I didn''t know who you truly are, I would court you and ask you to be my


    girlfriend. The only thing is¡­ you need to wear a thicker bra. Add some padding, maybe. Your chest is


    so obviously t." After teasing Debbie, Jared chuckled.


    Upon hearing his insult, Debbie fumed. She raised her leg in another attempt to kick her annoying


    friend, but a cold voice stopped her. "Since when is everyone allowed to enter the Spirit?"


    The manager and the saledies walked towards Carlos to greet him. They were all dumbfounded by


    his words. ''What could Mr. Huo be talking about? Who is he referring to?'' they thought to themselves.


    Debbie knew that voice and did not have to turn around to confirm who it was; it was her husband,


    Carlos.


    She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and prep herself. ''He''s trying to provoke you on


    purpose, Debbie. Just ignore him, '' she told herself in her mind.


    She withdrew her leg and told Jared, "I want to change into another dress. This one is way too


    revealing for me." Indeed, the dress was revealing for a person like her. It was a backless dress that


    was only hanging on her shoulders with two bow knots.


    Before Jared was able to say something, Carlos'' sarcastic voice made its way again. "Really? You call


    this dress too revealing? Are you from ancient China? Stop pretending to be so conservative and


    pure!"


    Little did Carlos know that his words would give himself a p in the face some day.


    After saying that, he let go of Olga, signaled her to select a dress and sat on the couch.


    Olga nced at Debbie contemptuously and then proceeded to the VIP clothing area with a saledy,


    marching as proud as a peacock.


    Holding the hemlines of her dress in her grips, Debbie walked up to Carlos with a burning look and


    said, "Are you out of your mind? Why are youing after me like a mad dog? I was framed to make


    the love confession. I didn''t mean it at all. If you think I''m in love with you, then it''s time to stop


    dreaming! I would never fall in love with a mean person like you!"


    She went over the confession this time as she needed to make it clear that she didn''t love him.


    Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to negotiate the divorceter.


    Carlos'' face soured at her words. The manager wondered if it was right for her to drag the young girl


    out of the store for Carlos'' sake, but before she could decide on that, Jared grabbed Debbie''s arm and


    dragged her out off the premises of trouble.


    He did not dare to offend Carlos again.


    "From now on, this girl is banned from this shop!" Carlos eximed, the echoes of his voice following


    Debbie.


    This made Debbie more furious than ever. She could not bear to have her name on the same marriage


    certificate as this man anymore. She freed her arm from Jared''s grip and turned around to challenge


    Carlos.


    "Carlos Huo, I''m telling you..." Before the feisty girl could finish her sentence, her mouth was covered


    by Jared''s big palm. Dragging her over to the counter, Jared chucked a bank card over the top. "We''ll


    have this dress," he told the cashier.


    "Miss, aren''t you going to have your make up done here?" the cashier asked. The luxurious shop also


    provided services on top of their products. After all, this was how rich people lived.


    Jared once again grabbed Debbie''s arm tightly whilst shaking his head and saying, "No, thanks.


    Please, be quick. We''re in a hurry."


    The boy was determined to get his best friend out of the store because he knew that she would


    definitely start a fight with Carlos.


    He could not allow his beloved friend to offend such a powerful man; she would pay for it forever.


    When they got all they paid for, Jared led Debbie into his Mercedes-Benz.


    He let go of her hand, locked the door, and gasped for air. "Open the door! I''m telling you, I am going to


    divorce that bastard now! Why am I so unfortunate to have to be married to Carlos Huo! Help me,


    God!"


    Realizing what she had just thought out loud, Debbie stopped her tantrum. Silence filled the car; it was


    so quiet that if a needle were to be dropped, they would hear it. Jared stared nkly at her in shock of


    what he just heard.


    She suddenly realized that even if she wanted her best friend to believe her, she would not be able to,


    as she had no possession of concrete evidences. All the girl was able to do was lean against the back


    of the seat and heave a heavy sigh. "It''s the truth¡­ I''ve been married for three years and my husband


    is that stupid, arrogant guy inside that shop. But, we only got married for the contract. I''ve been


    meaning to divorce him, but he¡­"


    Before she could finish, her friend interrupted and said, "Tomboy, stop. You don''t need to exin. Don''t


    worry, I understand." Jared nced at the poor delusional girl.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Debbie was pumped thinking that Jared believed her. "Jared, I didn''t intend to keep it from you guys.


    After all..."


    "Alright, alright. We''re going to the mental hospital now. I will take you to the best doctor in the best


    hospital. Oh, no, I''ll take you straight to the director of the hospital." Jared held her hand in pity. "Don''t


    worry. Even if it''s incurable, I will never give up on you." Taking out his phone, Jared opened a


    navigation application to input their destination -- the mental hospital.


    Debbie furiously snatched his phone to stop him and was rendered speechless for a while. She knew it!


    She knew nobody would believe her if she told them that she was Carlos Huo''s wife.


    Finally, she opened her mouth and said, "Never mind. Let''s go to the dinner party now."


    Jared cast a few more looks of disbelief before asking her, "Are you alright?" ''Is her disease


    regressing?'' he thought.


    "Yes, I am totally fine,"


    she helplessly answered with profound resignation.


    The anniversary party of the Lu Group was held on a cruiser named "The Ocean", which could carry up


    to thousands of people. The cruiser was docked at a wharf to the east of Y City.


    The cruiser was worth a billion dors and the greatest and biggest corporations would always prefer to


    hold their parties there.


    Getting out of the car, Debbie stared at the cruiser which was emitting pretty warm lights like fireflies


    hovering over the ocean. She tried to twist her messy hair into a bun.


    However, her hair was too silky to be tied up and fell down several times until she was finally irritated.


    She pouted andined, "I wanted to cut my hair shortst time, but Kristina intervened and


    stopped me. I''m so jealous of girls with short hair."


    Jared smiled as he took out a grey suit and put it on. Then, he took the rubber band in Debbie''s hand.


    He raised her chin with his hand and looked at her. "Since you are unable to tie your hair up, just leave


    it be. You look nice either way."


    Although Debbie was boyish, she always paid much attention to her hair which was shining and


    smooth.


    She used expensive shampoos and conditioners to take care of her hair; it was what made her so eye-


    catching.


    As for her skin, it was not perfect. Fortunately, her skin was pale which made her look like a glowing fair


    maiden.


    The evening dress would not go with her hairstyle, but her pretty face made up for all that was lost.


    "Hey, don''t you have many lipstick shades? Why don''t you put some on?" Jared suggested. He


    believed that she would look more stunning with some make up on.


    Debbie selected a shade from her purse; she chose the one that matched the color of her dress


    perfectly. She painted over her lips and gave her trustee best friend a smile.


    "Great! You look nice," Jared said, thankful to see such a pretty face. "Now, let''s get going." The escort


    to the muse threw her purse over to the back seat of his car and took out a pair of high heels which he


    had bought for his best friend along the way.


    After Debbie had slipped into her shoes, Jared extended his arm as an invitation.


    In return, she generously epted the invitation and held his arm as they boarded the cruiser which


    was luxuriously furnished.


    Many guests had already made their way. Debbie did not always have the opportunity toe to such


    parties, so she barely knew anyone.


    The only person she knew took her to the area where they served food and then he left her alone to


    scout some women he fancied.

 Chapter 16 The Wine

    Chapter 16 The Wine


    Seating herself at a table at the corner of the cabin, Debbie sighted the dark, velvety skies studded with


    diamonds. Apanied by the sounds of waves crashing upon the surface of the water as she dined


    upon exquisite snacks, her mood lifted. A gust of the cold, sea breeze blew and kissed her skin. As


    much as she loved the sensation, Debbie stood up and proceeded to put the window to a tight shut.


    They all had exited the clothing store with haste, failing to notice that her wrap had been left behind.


    Fortunately, there was heating in the cabins. Otherwise, she had to think of surviving a possible


    frostbite.


    Only apanied by her shadow, Debbie waited and waited, indulging herself with delicious food. Not


    once did it bother her that the party hadn''t started. Dealing with boredom was simple.


    Reveling in eating snacks, Debbie felt her throat grow torrid. She went to fetch herself a beverage and


    overheard a conversation regarding the Lu family. Apparently, they were looking forward to the arrival


    of an esteemed guest, without whose presence, the party would never start nor the boat sail.


    Silence shattered. All women shuffled to the door in furor, but the same couldn''t be applied to Debbie


    as she remained seated and eyeballed the scene.


    All the women seemed to belong in well-heeled families. A big thrill was apparent on everyone''s face,


    but their refinement kept them from shrieking.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    Within half a minute, Debbie finally knew the source of their excitement.


    The food section was stationed higher than the others, enabling her to have a view of themotion at


    the door clearly. It was him. None other than her husband. The richest bachelor in Y City, they referred


    to him as, since few people in the city knew about their marriage.


    The revered guest the Lu family and all the others had been waiting for had finally shown his face. In


    the moment Carlos showed up, the boat blew its horns, departing to sail the sea. The festivities


    Despite possessing such a rowdy personality, Debbie knew when to steer out of trouble.


    It was never her wish to instigate conflict with Carlos, especially in public. But, the petty man himself


    had been testing her patience. Just like that, Debbie avoided him like a gue.


    Carlos and his date graced the floor by having the first dance. All had eyes on the two, dreamily sighing


    as they took in the view except for Debbie as she sneered. The woman was unforgettable for her as


    she had insulted her at the mall just a few days ago.


    And there was another couple. ''Wait¡­'' Debbie observed the couple closely. ''Is that the principal?


    Curtis Lu?'' Briskly shaking her head, Debbie debated if she was seeing right, especially with the


    amount of food and beverages she had consumed.


    Realization struck her mind. She folded her arms. ''Duh, it''s a party thrown by his family. Of course, he''d


    be here.'' In a chocte brown dress, Curtis'' date looked chic and stunning.


    First dance over, ps and cheers echoed throughout the cabin. Even Debbie herself pped, but


    solely for Curtis and his date.


    The crowd dispersed to seize their favorite activities. People gathered here and there while some


    remained in the cabin or on the deck. They drank, cheered, spoke, andughed merrily. All seemed


    happy.


    However, wise people could see that most people just shared shallow, meaningless things to one


    another. Sure they could exchange greetings, be polite, sing and dance, as well as share drinks. But,


    all of this had no substance because none of them would share their genuine thoughts.


    As for Debbie''s friend Jared who she hade with, she saw him seed in picking up two girls and


    flirt with them.


    A short sigh escaped her lips after she had shaken her head. Hunger sated, Debbie decided to stroll


    around the deck and savor the view nature offered.


    The deck was rather crowded. When the wind gusted, she felt the cold sting her skin. It was frigid


    outside.


    Heading for the cabin with the intentions of borrowing Jared''s jacket, she came to a full stop when she


    saw how intimate he and one of the girls he had flirted with were as he leaned forward for a kiss.


    Unable to press on with her own intentions, Debbie turned back.


    Leaning against the rails, gazing at the sea, she snickered, ''Jared is a guy after all. I shouldn''t be so


    surprised. Men are considered to be powerless in front of alluring women.''


    An unweing thought perturbed her. ''If I looked ugly¡­ would Jared still want to be my friend?''


    "Debbie?" a gentle voice called out, breaking her line of thought.


    Tucking a lock of her hair behind her ears, she turned towards the voice. It was Curtis. "Good evening,


    Mr. Lu," she greeted politely as he had been with her.


    Acting tough or authoritative never worked on Debbie. So far, she was fond of the way Curtis taught


    others, which was soft and gradual, just like his personality.


    Eyes falling upon Debbie''s exposed skin, Curtis sighed as he took off his zer and draped it on her


    shoulder.


    "It''s cold out here. Why didn''t you stay inside?" he asked.


    Warmth filled Debbie''s body when she heard Curtis'' earnest concern. "I ate way too much, so I came


    out here to make the food settle down my stomach for a bit." epting his gesture was something


    Debbie needed at the moment as she had been freezing in the cool sea breeze.


    "Oh, I see." Curtis looked amused at Debbie''s response. "Did youe here with Jared?"


    "Yes."


    "Thatd''s a yer," he said as he rested his arms on the rails, looking out to the vast sea. "He left you


    as soon as he saw that pretty girl."


    "It''s fine. He''s single." Debbie tittered. "He has the right to be happy and date whoever he wants."


    The subject then changed. "Come. I want you to meet someone."


    "Eh? Who?" Debbie was lost at Curtis'' words. Why would he want to introduce someone to her? Did he


    treat everyone so nicely? Or was it just her?


    Instead of offering a response, Curtis stretched out his hand, embodying chivalry. There was not much


    of a choice. In resignation, Debbie agreed and followed him back to the cabin.


    Inside the Food Section


    There were three people Curtis had led Debbie to: Carlos, Olga, and that woman who had shared a


    dance with Curtis. The sight of the first two made her stomach churn.


    ''Carlos? Are you kidding me?''


    While Curtis had greeted the three urbanely, his friend Carlos cast sharp res that could be mistaken


    for daggers. Every second was torment. Anger welled up inside Debbie''s body, taking shape of a bomb


    that was ticking, ready to explode. Without a word, she turned to leave, but Curtis outstretched his


    hand and prevented her from progressing. "Debbie, this is Carlos Huo, my good buddy. This is Olga Mi,


    his date. And this is my girlfriend, Colleen Song." Adjusting his nce to Colleen Song, he smiled.


    "Colleen, this is Debbie Nian."


    Put on the spot, Debbie inwardly sighed before turning around to face Colleen Song. Ignoring the other


    two, she sauntered to her and beamed. "Hi, Colleen. It''s nice to meet you." Numerous questions


    rushed into her mind. In no way were Debbie and Curtis close, so why did he want her to meet his


    girlfriend? To add, they had never even talked except at school before. Nothing made sense.


    Tenderly taking Debbie''s hand, Colleen Song smiled delicately. "Hi, Debbie. I''ve heard so much about


    you. You are so beautiful." Unknowing how to react to thepliments thrown unto her, Debbie turned


    tight lipped and just focused on Colleen Song''s voice, which was soft and mellow.


    "We''re friends now, so if you ever need anything, just ask, okay?"


    Never did Debbie expect to be ttered to this extent. Both girls had smiles, sharing the tender moment


    until a voice shattered it into nothingness. "Colleen, you must remember, not anyone can be a friend.


    You need to open your eyes and don''t be fooled by the surface as a putrid soul may lie within."


    Both Colleen Song and Curtis looked at Carlos, aghast. Curtis had anticipated that they might not be


    pleased to see each other, but this was belligerent.


    Even with Carlos'' contempt against women, he had never uttered degrading words to any woman as


    there was no need to. When a woman came on too strong and stuck against him like gum underneath


    a shoe, a simple sentence uttered from his lips could bring forth hell.


    ''What''s this all about? Is this because of what Debbie said in the video?'' Curtis pondered to himself,


    trying to understand the situation.


    While Debbie tried to remain herposure and avoid trouble, that man decided to pour fuel to the


    fire. The bomb exploded. ''Enough is enough!''


    Snatching the wine ss from Olga''s hand, barren of hesitancy, Debbie threw the wine in Carlos'' face.


    "Debbie!" Curtis was a tadte from preventing a scene.


    Gasps filled the air as they saw Carlos soaked in wine. Uncontroble chatter ensued, speaking ill of


    Debbie.


    "Oh my God!" "Goodness! What has gotten into that woman?!" "What audacity she has to disgrace Mr.


    Huo''s face with wine!"


    "She''s out of her mind!"


    "Just wait and see. She is as good as dead!"


    "There''s no way Mr. Huo''s taking this lightly."

 Chapter 17 Feed Her To The Sharks

    Chapter 17 Feed Her To The Sharks


    Unfortunately for Debbie, Carlos managed to dodge her aim with ease. Not a single drop of wine fell on


    him. Usually, that alone was enough to forgive and forget. But not for Carlos.


    After he had straightened his suit, he cursed her in an icy cold voice, "You bloody woman!"


    "Carlos," Curtis chimed in instantly before things could get out of hand, "it was an ident." ncing


    at Debbie, Curtis discreetly motioned for her to agree.


    But she merely snorted, and threw Carlos an overt taunting look. Without batting an eye, she dered,


    "No, Mr. Lu. As a matter of fact, I did it on purpose." As soon as the words left her mouth, a pair of


    burning eyes met her equally intimidating gaze.


    If one listened carefully, the sound of angry mes crackling could almost be heard in the silence which


    was fraught with tension.


    "Security!" Carlos shouted without looking away.


    A few secondster, several guards came running to his aid. "What can we do for you, Mr. Huo?" they


    asked promptly.


    Through clenched teeth, hemanded, "Feed this woman to the sharks. Anyone who so much as


    attempts to save her bes an enemy of mine!" His intimidation worked. Because now, no one


    dared to rescue Debbie from what was about to happen.


    The youngdy, however, did not even flinch. Giving back Curtis his jacket, she took off her high heels


    and braced herself for a fight. "Don''t you dare!" she warned the security guards who were moving


    towards her.


    More people turned their attention to the conflict. From afar, Jared, who was already tipsy at that point,


    suddenly heard Debbie''s loud voice. He sprang up from his stool and dashed towards the crowd,


    abandoning the two girls who were with him.


    When he arrived at the scene, Debbie was already in the middle of a fight with the guards. As the


    onlookers were interested to see the oue, they did not vacate the premises, and simply kept their


    distance by taking a few steps back every now and then.


    On the side, Curtis tried to talk Carlos out of his irrational decision, but thetter remained impervious


    to the principal''s appeal. It had always been that way with him. Once Carlos made up his mind, no one


    could sway him. Not even his best friend.


    When Warren Lu, Curtis'' father, thought there were people causing trouble on the cruiser, he decided


    to send some professional bodyguards over.


    Determined, Debbie was able to knock down seven security guards and three bodyguards before


    finally being subdued. It took three bodyguards just to restrain her on the floor. Although no one could


    say it out loud, it was quite an embarrassing sight to see.


    Nevertheless, it was enough to snap Jared out of his trance. The moment he tried toe to her aid,


    he was stopped by two other bodyguards. In his condition, he did not have the maximum capacity to


    fight back. It did not mean, however, that he would make it easy for them to detain him. "Let go of me! I


    have to help her!" Jared said, struggling out of their grip. "Get out of my way! Otherwise, I''ll kill you! Did


    you hear me? I''ll kill all of..."


    His voice trailed off as soon as he noticed Carlos staring at him.


    Closing his mouth, Jared watched the bodyguards drag Debbie out of the cabin. Like a flock of sheep,


    the crowd followed them.


    Clearly, they were enjoying the show. No one could care less how serious the whole matter was


    bing.


    After all, the star of the show was the influential Mr. Huo. And now, he intended to have someone fed to


    the sharks. How often could one see that happen? Was it not exciting?


    Unlike the others, Curtis did not follow them. Before he walked out of the cabin, he whispered


    something to a few bodyguards. And when he passed by Jared, he gave him aforting look, as if to


    say, "Take it easy," before running off to implement his n.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Curtis tried to calm Jared down, thetter still wrenched himself free from the hold of the two


    bodyguards. Without giving them a chance to grab him again, he ran out of the cabin. As soon as he


    reached the deck, all he heard was loud exmations from the onlookers.


    "My goodness! She''s really going to be thrown into the ocean!"


    "Woah, Mr. Huo is so terrifying! How did the poor girl end up offending such a man?"


    "Hmph! Whatever she''s done, she probably deserved what''sing to her! Stupid woman! Even if Mr.


    Huo does throw her into the ocean, nobody is going to stand up to him!"


    "Ah, my God! They''re about to drop her!" Amidst the mixed reactions, Jared sought thedy who had


    caused such a turmoil.


    To his horror, he found Debbie with half of her body falling off the cruiser. Jared brushed past the


    onlookers and rushed towards her, shouting, "Release her! Carlos Huo, for Pete''s sake, send your


    dogs away and let her go! This is too much! Ugh!" Just as he was about to approach Debbie, two


    bodyguards held him by shoulders. Out of the blue, one of them punched him hard in the stomach. It


    was so painful to a point where Jared could not utter another word for a while.


    As he fell to his knees, he did not see what happened next with his own eyes. All he heard was a


    distinctive scream, and he knew he had failed to stop the inevitable from happening. Water flew in


    every direction as Debbie was thrown into the cold sea.


    Aghast, Jared lifted his head with an ashen face. As though in denial, he looked around first. His friend


    was really nowhere to be seen on the deck.


    ''No! No!'' he thought while panic crossed his face. ''Tomboy! Debbie!''


    The initial shock gave him a burst of energy as he struggled to free himself. The moment he wriggled


    away from the bodyguards, he dashed to the rails and shouted to the ocean, "Debbie!" He squinted his


    eyes in the dark. "Debbie!" Nothing. No response. Neither could he see her as far as his eyes could


    reach. "Why are you all standing around, you idiots! Do something!" he yelled at the bystanders.


    The sea was as ck as the sky. Soon, it appeared serene once again. Deep and vast like an


    enormous sleeping beast, it only took several seconds to swallow a person.


    Weakened by the horrific incident, Jared punched the rails in anger. He hated himself for not knowing


    how to swim. "Tomboy, I''m so sorry. I..."


    Some women screaming in shock brought him out of his own thoughts. Something was floating in the


    sea. "Look! Is that Debbie Nian?" someone in the crowd eximed, pointing somewhere in the water.


    "Aye, it''s really her! Look! She''s held onto the boat!"


    "Turns out she can actually swim!"


    When Jared looked around, he saw some faces in the crowd looking relieved to find out that Debbie


    could swim.


    Within a minute, Debbie clutched the rails and appeared before everyone, drenched from head to toe.


    As soon as her feet touched the deck, she spun back and spat a mouthful of water. It tasted salty. It


    had notpletely sunk in yet that a moment ago, she could have died. After gasping a few times, she


    still could not breathe normally.


    Her eyes swept the crowd. Soon, she spotted Carlos, who was holding a ss of wine not far from her.


    The man looked at her with indifferent eyes, as though what she had just experienced was of little


    importance.


    She turned her head and spat more water. All good etiquette forgotten, she wiped her mouth with the


    back of her hand. There was no room for elegance when everything she wore was soaking wet.


    Except for her high heels. They were long gone. Barefoot, she began to walk on the deck.


    Lifting her soggy dress, she wore an expressionless look while pushing away Jared as he tried to hug


    her. Something did not feel right as she walked straight to Carlos.


    Everyone on board held their breath. They wondered and waited in anticipation. What was Debbie


    going to do?


    Handing the wine ss to the waiter who was beside him, Carlos stared at the woman approaching


    him. His hands were deep in his pockets while his face showed no signs of worry. He raised an


    eyebrow at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    ''Debbie Nian.


    The more I utter your name, the more it feels familiar, '' he thought to himself.


    "Ah! Crazy! The woman must be crazy!" remarked a man in the crowd.


    "This is suicidal! Someone ought to stop her!"


    "She''s so dead! How dare she treat my dream man that way!" eximed a woman.


    Although everyone was certain that Debbie was up to something dangerous, nothing had prepared


    them for what the youngdy did next.


    As Debbie drew closer to Carlos, she ran towards him and locked his neck with her arms like a ko


    clinging to a tree. Before anyone else could shake off their awe, she kissed him on the lips. When


    Jared realized what was happening, his eyes widened to the size of two tes.


    "What?" A bystander voiced his thoughts out loud. "Kissing? This woman is just getting bolder and


    bolder."


    Anger became visible in Carlos'' eyes. Even with the dim light, Debbie could clearly see it. It was just


    what she wanted to happen. From the moment her life was no longer in peril, she was enveloped with


    the desire to see him filled with rage!


    However, when the shock and anger began to wane, Carlos brought her closer to him and held her in


    his arms. The kisssted a long time. Longer than Debbie predicted. What was actually happening was


    far from what she had imagined. Her lips were purple because of the cold.


    Carlos bent a little to carry her in his arms. Without so much as an exnation, he strode towards the


    lounge of the cabin.


    It was as though the whole world quieted down. Nothing but the soft waves could be heard.


    The people on the deck exchanged puzzled looks, yet nobody said a word. Some were too scared to


    voice out their thoughts; others felt like it was a dream, while the rest were too furious to speak.


    In the third category, among them was Olga.


    Meanwhile, in the lounge, Carlos kicked a door open and carried the woman into the room.


    In his arms, Debbie was too stunned to speak. Had she gone too far? The man seemed too dazed to


    pay attention to her facial expression. He kept the lights off. After putting her down on the floor, he


    kicked the door shut.


    Now that they were alone atst, he approached her and did what he felt like doing ever since the kiss


    on the deck.


    Her hands pressed behind her back, Debbie was trapped between him and the door whilst he explored


    her body. She could not move.


    "Carlos..." she observed. But it fell on deaf ears. She wanted to say, "Let go of me," but she never got


    the chance.

 Chapter 18 Kneed

    Chapter 18 Kneed


    "Let go of me!" Finally, Debbie was able to speak.


    With a sneer, Carlos stopped what he was doing and pressed his head against hers. "You are too


    young to be doing this. Are you this desperate for money? How much is one night?"


    Money was the least of his problems. Even if he stopped working at that very moment, he would still


    have enough money to spend for the next 300 years.


    For a moment, fire spewed out of her eyes. Clenching her fists tightly, she took deep breaths to refrain


    from losing control. She forced a smile. It was a faint one, and in an instant, it was gone. With her


    disheveled hair and her ragged breathing, Carlos found it enticingly beautiful.


    "100 million," she said through gritted teeth. The light in his eyes grew colder. "Are you kidding me?


    You?"


    Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would have to spend a dime, let alone a million, just


    to sleep with the woman he so despised.


    Ironically, some timeter, when the time came that he did want to sleep with her, she would not even


    so much as spare him a nce. He just did not know that yet. He was, possibly for the first time,


    caught in such an odd dilemma.


    Debbie smiled wanly. "Mr. Huo, hear me out," she said.


    But he shook his head once. "I''m done with talking. Let me see if you''re worth it," he countered.


    Whatever it was that she wanted to say, Carlos already knew that it was not worth hearing. Thus, he


    was not stupid enough to let another word escape her mouth.


    ''Damn!'' Debbie cursed internally. ''You evil man!''


    Trying to maintain her smile, Debbie wrapped her arms around his neck. In the dark, their bodies


    appeared to fit perfectly like a puzzle as she pulled his body close to hers. The air in the room was so


    tempting. For a moment, Carlos seemed to be consumed with lust again. With her lips dangerously


    closing the gap between them, Debbie had him right where she wanted. Suddenly, she lifted a leg and


    kneed him in the groin.


    Groaning, Carlos closed his eyes in pain and bent down on the floor beside her.


    This time, the glint of happiness in Debbie''s eyes was genuine. ''Did you really want to take advantage


    of me? Hah! Not going to happen, '' she thought. "Mr. Huo," she remarked, "I was trying to tell you that,


    even if you were to give me a hundred million..." She paused, and then shed a scornful look. "...I


    would not sleep with you." Debbie fixed her wet dress casually. Then, she looked down at the man, and


    said, "See ya."


    When she turned to leave, however, Carlos grabbed her by the arm, his pale face filled with pain. With


    a raised eyebrow, she shoved his hand away, opened the door, and disappeared from his sight.


    At the moment, thedy with a smug face might feel great about what she had just done. But in the


    future, if and when she would meet Carlos again, she might as well escape as fast as she could. Why?


    Because he was not going to forgive her without a payback.


    Not far from the room, Curtis, Colleen, and Jared were biding their time with some security guards. If


    Debbie had stayed inside any longer, Curtis would have had to break in to get her. Fortunately, just as


    he was about to make a move, thedy in question emerged from the room.


    "Debbie!" Curtis called.


    "Tomboy," Jared said, relieved. He advanced towards her, and pulled her into his arms. "Thank God,


    you came out. We were going to break the door open!" Then, it dawned on him. He examined her


    carefully, and asked, "Did Carlos hurt you?"


    "No," she answered casually. ''If only you guys knew that he''s the one who''s hurting right now, '' she


    thought, gloating inwardly.


    Suppressing a smirk never felt more difficult for Debbie than that particr moment. She cleared her


    throat, and nced at everyone.


    They were simply relieved to hear her reply. So much so, no one noticed she was stifling augh.


    After taking one look at Debbie, Colleen took her into the lounge to change her clothes. Once the


    young university student was all cleaned up, Colleen and Curtis escorted Jared and her off the cruiser.


    They felt it was necessary in case they found themselves in trouble again.


    "Have a good rest when you''re back. I''ll talk to Carloster," Curtis informed her. Although he did not


    know what transpired in the room while they were alone, he was certain about one thing. After what


    Debbie did at the party, Carlos would not just forget it, and it would cost her.


    "Thank you, Mr. Lu, and Colleen. I''m sorry I ruined your party," Debbie apologized. It was not until then


    that she started to feel terrible for ruining the Lu Group''s party. Once again, she fell prey to Carlos''


    insensitive words which led her to react irrationally. Now she realized that she should have just ignored


    him.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll take care of it," Curtis dered genuinely. "Now, go back and have some rest."


    "Thank you, Mr. Lu. Good night," Debbie replied, giving a rueful smile.


    As soon as they got in, the Mercedes slowly drove away. When the car was no longer within sight,


    Colleen interlocked arms with Curtis, and asked, "Curtis, why didn''t you just tell her the truth?"


    The memory of an utterly confused Debbie yed in his mind. He could not help but find it funny. "It''s


    not the time yet," he answered.


    Shrugging, Colleen replied grudgingly, "Fine."


    With her hand in his, they went back to the party.


    Muchter, when Curtis found Carlos, thetter was having a smoke in the dim room while staring at


    the dark sky through the window. Despite noticing Curtis step in, the man neither moved nor spoke.


    "Carlos, she is young. Don''t be mad at her."


    The man''s silence was the only response he got, because, secretly, Carlos was still in a lot of pain. By


    the looks of it, Carlos surmised that Debbie had not shared the most recent stunt that she had pulled


    on him.


    After a pregnant pause, Carlos began, "I''m not mad at her. Not even a little."


    Poor Curtis. He did not even sense the sarcasm in his tone. The man nodded in relief. Turning to look


    outside once more, Carlos took another drag on his cigarette.


    The ZL Group was more than efficient with the investigation. Within two short days, Gail''s actions were


    discovered.


    As a result, she was expelled, with no chance of returning again. In addition, because of the high-


    reaching influence of the Economics and Management School of Y City University, no other school


    would ever admit any students who were expelled from it. This meant that the days of Gail as a


    university student was officially over.


    The incident was quite sensational in the university. Debbie, however, was not as surprised as the


    others. Making a video and ying it at theunch of the new products by ZL Group sounded pretty


    much like Gail''s style.


    The foolish girl brought it all on herself when she tried to ruin Debbie''s life.


    However, as much as Debbie wanted to see the girl punished for her actions, she thought of her aunt


    and uncle-inw who were likely devastated by the news. With a helpless sigh, she decided to pay


    them a visit and console them.


    When she did enter the house, however, it was just as she had assumed. Sebastian Mu, Gail''s father,


    was in a huge fit of fury. "Look at what you''ve done! How did I have such a dumb daughter as you?" he


    bellowed. "Thanks to you, not only is your future ruined, but now you''ve put mypany in jeopardy as


    well! It''s bad enough that you constantly pick on Debbie. But this time, you chose to mess with Mr.


    Huo!"


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    One of the housemaids brought Debbie into the living room. Due to everyone being caught up in the


    moment, no one noticed her presence. On the couch, Gail was weeping with her face covered with her


    hands. Beside the distraught girl was her mother, Lucinda Nian. Gaunt and miserable, Debbie''s aunt


    had her head propped in one hand. The long green overcoat made her look paler than usual.


    After letting out a sigh, Debbie called Sebastian Mu lightly, "Uncle."


    The older man stopped berating his daughter upon hearing her voice. In a matter of seconds, his facial


    expression turned from anger to guilt when he saw Debbie. "Oh, Debbie, how long have you been


    here?"


    At the same time, Lucinda Nian woke up from her thoughts. Eyes growing wide with recognition as she


    turned to look, the mature woman got to her feet and walked to her niece. She took her hand into her


    own lovingly, looked at Debbie up and down, and asked her out of concern, "Debbie, how are you? Did


    Mr. Huo..."


    Even though Lucinda Nian did not finish her question, Debbie already knew what her aunt really


    wanted to ask. Both her confession of love to Carlos as well as what happened on the cruiser had


    reached the ears of practically everyone in the upper-ss world.


    Shaking her head in response, Debbie was about to say something when Gail cut in, "Why are you


    here? Did youe to mock me? You know what?! Get out! You''re not wee here!"


    "Gail Mu, shut up!" Sebastian Mu yelled, boiling with anger. Being spoiled had made his daughter


    be such a disrespectful and ungrateful girl. Deep down, he felt like he was to me for having


    enabled her bad behavior to go on neglected for too long.


    The stern expression on her father''s face caused Gail to lean back, her head lowered timidly, but the


    look she shot at Debbie was as resentful as ever.


    ''It was her fault that Mr. Huo was furious at me and got me expelled. Why do I have to sit around and


    watch her grovel for my parents'' attention?'' Gail thought to herself.


    By now, Debbie was used to Gail''s irrationality. So, she ignored the death re that was boring holes


    into her face and walked over to Sebastian Mu. Tugging at his sleeve, she began, "Uncle, don''t be


    mad. I''m actually here because I was worried about Auntie and you."


    Truthfully, Debbie was more concerned about his health. Ever since she was little, she knew about


    Sebastian Mu''s high blood pressure and myocardial infarction.


    Looking a little worn out, Sebastian Mu sat back on the couch and let out a long sigh. ''When will Gail


    ever be a good girl like Debbie?'' he thought. If his daughter could even be half as good as his niece,


    that would make such a huge difference.


    While Sebastian Mu appreciated Debbie''s concern, Gail did not like being further painted as a bad


    daughter. "Debbie, save your hypocritical ttery! They are my parents!" she yelled, standing up with


    clenched fists.


    "Your dad is dead and your mom abandoned you... Ah!"


    The moment Gail''s harsh words had left her mouth, she was struck with a stinging p in the face.

 Chapter 19 To New York

    Chapter 19 To New York


    A crisp sound reverberated around the room. It was Lucinda''s hand that had pped Gail across the


    cheek whilst Debbie stood there, expressionless.


    Venting her anger didn''t seem to satiate Lucinda''s anger. Picking up a feather duster, she swung it


    towards Gail.


    "Augh! Mom!" As the duster hit her back, Gail screamed in agony.


    How revealing it was that she had acted weak, helpless, and innocent in front of her schoolmates! Now,


    her true colors showed that she was mean and willful.


    Watching everything happen right before him, Sebastian rubbed his temples with resignation and never


    interfered with his wife educating their daughter.


    Looking at her aunt who had always favored her, Debbie was moved. Her heart ached when she saw


    Lucinda disappointed and heart-broken. ''Never mind, '' she thought. ''Gail has already been punished.''


    Seeing Lucinda raise the duster again, Debbie stepped in and prevented her from going further. "Aunt,


    you''ve already hit Gail. I think she knows what she did wrong now."


    "Debbie, stay out of this. You''ve pleaded for her so many times since you were little! Look at her, she


    never learned!"


    Being the principal of a kindergarten, Lucinda was nice and able to control her temper, although her


    elder daughter Gail often drove her crazy.


    The younger daughter, Sasha Mu, had behaved better than Gail and even got along with Debbie.


    In the Tea Room


    Gail had been sent upstairs to apply some ice on her face. Sebastian went to the Tea Room, took out a


    tin of ck tea and began to wash the tea leaves.


    Sitting next to Lucinda, Debbie took out her phone and sent Carlos a message. "You let Gail off easily


    just this once and I''ll go to New York and talk with your grandfather about our divorce."


    Receiving no reply from him, she assumed that Carlos was busy.


    All three chatted sparsely until Sebastian received a call and had to leave to head to hispany.


    After Sebastian had left, Debbie looked into the cup and recalled what Gail had said to her moments


    ago. "Aunt, who''s my mother? Why did my father refuse to tell me anything about her even on his


    deathbed?" she asked lightly. When her father was knocking on heaven''s door, he made sure to marry


    his daughter to a stranger instead of letting her search for her mother.


    The expression Lucinda wore changed abruptly at the topic. She ced the teacup on the table with so


    much force that half of the tea spilled, soaking the tea board. "Don''t ask about her. That woman is


    heartless. Forget about her," Lucinda answered in a gloomy tone.


    It was only days after Debbie had been born that her mother had abandoned her and her father, Artie.


    The dramatic reaction Lucinda had made got Debbie sewing her lips tightly.


    When Debbie was about to leave, Lucinda asked her in a low voice, "Haven''t you met him yet?"


    Debbie knew her aunt was referring to Carlos.


    The thing was, her aunt knew she had married someone. But she never knew who it was.


    Unwillingly, Debbie answered in honesty, "Yes, I have. But, I want a divorce. I''m young and I don''t want


    to be trapped in a nominal marriage."


    Surprised by her response, Lucinda nodded. "Alright. It''s up to you. Whatever decision you make, I''m


    with you."


    "Thank you, Aunt."


    Out of the Mu family, Debbie unexpectedly saw a kennel on the roadside, making her face darken. That


    kennel was the main reason she despised Gail so much.


    Half a day had passed, but Carlos hadn''t returned her message yet.


    Butter that day, she saw Gail on the campus, which meant she was back to school. It also meant it


    was time for Debbie to go to New York.


    T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Due to the timely treatment, Gail''s face wasn''t as swollen as earlier. With the help of makeup, one


    could hardly tell her face went through such damage.


    Eyeing Debbie gloatingly, Gail spat, "You thought being Curtis'' pet could get you a free pass huh?


    Guess what? Curtis listens to Mr. Huo."


    Earlier, when her parents were having a conversation in their house, Gail had overheard that Carlos


    had agreed to allow her to go back to school.


    She didn''t understand, though, why a person who had gotten her expelled was willing to help her back


    to school.


    ''Maybe it''s because¡­


    I''m pretty and he has a crush on me? And when he knew that it was me who got expelled, he tried to


    make it right?''


    With this in mind, Gail couldn''t keep herughter in check.


    Everyone wished to have even a small connection with Carlos and whoever did was treated highly,


    simr to humans praising a god.


    Hands buried in the pockets of her coat, Debbie cast Gail a scornful look and snarled, "Go away, you


    psycho!" ''Mr. Lu wasn''t part of it anyway, '' she sneered internally.


    "Debbie Nian, I''m telling you, it was Mr. Huo who asked the school to take me back. It was Mr. Huo,


    you hear me? The one who you confessed your love to and turned you down. Remember?" Gail


    bbered like a twit.


    ''Of course I remember him cause he''s my husband, you idiot!'' Debbie cursed inwardly.


    Gail was getting better and better at twisting the facts and making up her own stories, Debbie found.


    "You know better than anyone why I confessed my love to Carlos. Also, where did you get the idea that


    he turned me down, hmm?" she retorted.


    "W-What? You mean he didn''t turn you down?" Gail said, dismayed by Debbie''s remarks. "Are you


    telling me that you slept with him?" she asked, starting tough again. "Well, isn''t this amusing? Debbie


    Nian, please go look at yourself in a mirror. You''d be mistaken for a man! You expect me to believe that


    Mr. Huo likes you? Oh please, you might''ve had a better chance convincing me that pigs can fly!"


    Knowing this was a waste of time, Debbie remembered that she had booked herself a flight to New


    York and had to make haste packing up her things back at the dorm. She also needed to go to the vi


    before heading for the airport. No way did she want to miss her flight.


    Not satisfied with how Debbie had reacted, Gail shouted, "Artie''s dead, Debbie! You lost your backing,


    so why the hell are you so proud, huh? Is it because of Jared and Curtis? You think they have your


    back now? I''m not scared. They''re just two men! Just wait and see! I''ll marry someone richer and more


    powerful than your damn husband!"


    Gail mentioning her father''s name made Debbie look upward and gaze at the blue sky. Taking a deep


    breath, she finally responded, "No need for that. You''ve already lost."


    Indeed, that was a fact. Because in Y City, even in the entire H Country, who couldpare to Carlos


    in terms of wealth and power?


    Nothing but best intentions in mind, her father had married her off to the best man, but sadly, it didn''t


    work out between them.


    "Hey, what do you mean?"


    Gail rushed forward to grab Debbie. "Don''t you dare go without clearing that up!"


    A fist greeted her in response. "One more step and your face is mush."


    Knowing that Debbie possessed an extensive knowledge of martial arts, Gail stepped back to keep


    herself out of Debbie''s reach.


    "I wonder what kind of pervert would actually like you. No wonder you''ve been single your whole life!


    You''ll be an old maid forever!" she dered furiously.


    "Do I really need a man to live my life?" Debbie retorted.


    The moment she got on the ne, a new rumor started circting around the campus which imed


    that Debbie was a lesbian. Again, her name became the hottest word on the forum of the Economics


    and Management School.


    In New York


    Before exiting the waiting area at the airport, she called Emmett to inquire about Carlos'' grandfather''s


    address.


    To her surprise, she received an address of a hospital. "Hospital? Why is he in the hospital? What''s


    wrong?" she asked in confusion.

 Chapter 20 Did She Meet Her Match

    Chapter 20 Did She Meet Her Match


    At the other end of the line, Emmett paused a little to think. "Mrs. Huo, where are you?" He asked


    instead of answering her question. ''Has she really gone to New York?'' he thought to himself, a crease


    on his forehead.


    Trapped in his own musings, he heard Debbie say, "I''m in New York. I just got off the ne."


    Her voice trembled correspondingly, and then she added, "It''s freezing cold out here." What she said


    was no exaggeration, and Emmett was more than aware.


    Back home, the climate was weing with the soft breeze of Autumn. In New York, however, the


    temperature had dropped to several degrees below zero. The youngdy did not sound like she had


    any idea until she was there.


    Emmett''s mouth was agape in shock for a bit. He had not expected her to push through with going to


    New York by herself. "Mrs. Huo, please find somece where you can have a cup of coffee first. In the


    meantime, I''ll arrange a car for you right away." Despite the grave possibility of a divorce, as long as it


    was not finalized yet, Debbie still had every right to enjoy all the respect and proper treatment as


    Carlos'' wife. That was clear to Emmett, and so he insisted on being of assistance to the youngdy.


    Although she wanted to refuse, it was snowing heavily outside and she did not exactly have a better


    n in mind. After giving it some careful thought, she turned to the side and entered the nearest coffee


    bar that caught her eyes.


    Just as Emmett kept true to his word, a car picked Debbie up to drive her to the hospital where the old


    man she was supposed to see was currently confined.


    Upon entering the ICU ward, Debbie eyed the old man lying in bed, with all kinds of tubes and


    apparatuses inserted into his skinny and frail body.


    The mere sight of the man''s condition nearly broke her heart. "What happened?" Debbie asked in a


    soft whisper, turning to the driver who had brought her to the hospital from the airport.


    "Mr. Huo''s grandfather has been in poor health for years," the driver began, his chauffeur cap in his


    hand. "He has been in aa for over three years now. Ever since he got seriously ill, the man has not


    awakened from it."


    Looking at the motionless old man once again, Debbie could not help but feel every kind of sadness.


    ''Poor man, '' she thought to herself.


    At his age, instead of suffering alone in an ICU ward, he was supposed to be surrounded by his


    children and their respective families.


    Although he appeared to be receiving every possible means offort, it was still different than to be


    resting in his own home. She then sent a text message to Carlos. "Why did you not tell me about your


    grandfather''s condition?" If she had known about it, she might not havee to New York. The primary


    reason for her flying over had been to ask for an answer, but to her surprise, the old man could not


    even speak.


    Nevertheless, since Carlos and she were still married, strictly speaking, the old man was also her


    grandfather byw. Perhaps, it was a good thing that she hade to see him after all. Otherwise, she


    would never have guessed about his current situation. Turning to the driver, she asked, "Who''s taking


    care of Mr. Huo''s grandfather?"


    "Professionals, I hear. He''s provided with around-the-clock care," the driver exined, squinting as


    though he were trying to recall. "Mr. Huo and his parents oftene to check on him as well."


    After asking a few more questions, Debbie left the hospital. While waiting outside for the car, she


    stretched out her right hand to catch some snowkes until her hand went numb with the cold.


    Thanks to Emmett making arrangements while she was at the hospital, Debbie could stay at a ce


    which Carlos owned in New York. At least, just until she returned back home. It was not until she


    walked into the room that she learned the vi was where Carlos lived whenever he came to New York.


    A few personal items could be found neatly propped in their respective ces, some suits in the closet


    being one of the things which she noticed.


    Although Emmett was thoughtful in his actions, it was a pity that Carlos and Debbie were not meant to


    be together.


    Having flown for more than ten hours, after which she had headed directly to the hospital, it was no


    wonder that she felt the exhaustion oveing her. By the time she sat on the bed, she did not want to


    move a single muscle anymore.


    However, when it dawned on her that this was not her own bedroom, but Carlos'', and that she would


    be sleeping in his bed, she mustered what was left of her energy and dragged herself into the


    bathroom. As soon as she finished taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, she plopped onto


    the bed and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.


    On the other side of the world, Carlos was still at work in the ZL Group.


    He was putting aside some finished files, when he saw the text message from Debbie. "You didn''t ask,"


    he replied.


    When he had received her message about letting Gail off easily the day before, he had been at a loss


    for words. Despite thedy being the one who was asking for a divorce, her message felt as though he


    was the one who wanted to get out of their marriage. More importantly, where had she gotten the nerve


    to propose terms and conditions?


    After sending the message, Carlos turned to Emmett and asked in a t tone, "How''s everything with


    her in New York?"


    ''Her? New York?'' For a moment, Emmett was confused as his thoughts were preupied with his work


    responsibilities. ''Oh, right, '' he thought suddenly. It finally urred to him whom Carlos was asking


    about. "After her visit to the hospital, Mrs. Huo went to the vi on Mountain Avenue. Right now, she is


    likely resting in the vi."


    Without lifting his eyes from the files before him, Carlos asked again, "When is sheing back?"


    "I didn''t ask. Mrs. Huo hasn''t booked a return ticket yet," Emmett answered.


    The man intertwined his fingers on the desk, and looked at him once more. "Postpone everything


    tomorrow on my schedule," Carlos said. "Book a ticket to New York for me." There were a few things


    he had to do anyway. One, he wanted to pay his grandfather a visit. And two, he preferred to talk with


    his wife about their divorce in person. ''It was better not to dy either of those matters, '' he thought to


    himself.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Initially, Debbie had nned to have some fun in New York before flying back home. Butter on, she


    had received a message from Gail out of the blue. It was regarding Lucinda; she had gotten into an


    ident.


    As soon as she read it, she called Sebastian to check on her aunt''s situation. Her uncle did not sound


    too distressed. "It''s not that bad," he said in aforting voice. But despite Sebastian''s reassurance,


    she was still worried. After the phone call, she quickly packed her things and went to the airport.


    The moment she got on the homeward bound ne, Carlos'' ne justnded in New York. But due to


    a curious twist of fate, they missed their chances of having their first meeting as a married couple,


    ironically to discuss their divorce.


    Six dayster, Carlos came back from New York as well, but he did not have any time to rest. A


    meeting with an important client had been scheduled at Orchid Private Club. As soon as he got off the


    ne, he had to head straight to the venue if he wanted to arrive on time.


    The night fell. A Bentley sped past along the road.


    Due to the evening rush hour, they were stuck in a traffic jam that extended all the way to the


    intersection. The car wasn''t going anywhere anytime soon. Carlos rolled down the car window and lit a


    cigarette. Tired, he took a drag on the cigarette to elevate his spirits.


    While his car was not moving, Carlos saw a bunch of people fighting in ane. Seven men had


    cornered a woman against a wall. Something about the scenario felt oddly familiar.


    When he saw who the woman was, Carlos coughed out a mouthful of smoke which hid the look in his


    eyes.


    The conflict amongst the eight people did notst long. When one of the seven men raised a hand, the


    youngdy deftly kicked him who was going to strike her.


    Emmett, who was bing uneasy in the car, worried that his boss might get impatient andsh out


    on him. He fidgeted in his spot and his eyes wandered around in the streets as well. His eyes widened


    when he saw themotion.


    In a surprised voice, he eximed, "Mr. Huo! Isn''t that..." The shock made him stutter. "Isn''t that Mrs. --


    I mean, Debbie Nian?" Once Emmett was certain that it was indeed Debbie, he could not believe his


    eyes. The woman was fighting alone against one, two, three... seven men. Debbie was in a fight


    against seven men!Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    While stubbing out the cigarette, Carlos exhaled thest mouthful of smoke, and demanded, "Shut up!"


    No one needed to tell him who thedy was. Even from afar, he had quickly recognized that it was


    Debbie in another brawl. ''Does she have nothing else better to do?'' he thought, scowling.


    Emmett opened the door and was about to get out of the car when he heard his boss'' cold voice. "If


    you get out of this car," Carlos began, "don''t bother getting in again."


    Frozen, Emmett stopped himself just in time. His mind was reeling. Under the firm gaze of his boss, the


    conflicted man could only utter, "But..." Even though his hesitance was clear, Carlos did not respond.


    He was not worried about the woman''s well-being. If he remembered correctly, she had kicked the


    asses of nine well-trained security guards during the Lu family''s party before.


    Lighting a second cigarette, Carlos turned to Emmett. "Start walking to the club. I''m going to park the


    car somewhere first," he said indifferently. "Tell the client I''m on the way."


    The club was not too far from where they were. If they continued the rest of the trip by car, they would


    need to make a detour. On foot, however, the distance would be shorter.


    While gripping the door tightly, Emmett was confused by his boss'' sudden change of heart. Whatever


    Carlos was up to, Emmett did not have the courage to disobey his orders. Bouncing out of the car, he


    closed the door and briskly made his way towards the Orchid Private Club.


    In thene, Debbie was panting with her hands on her knees. The hooligans whom she was fighting


    with had run away.


    The only reason she went there was to use the bathroom. How unfortunate of her that she ended up


    running into those losers! This neighborhood belonged to Orchid Private Club. Generally, it was quite


    safe over here. That was why Kristina had chosen to sing in this neck of the woods.


    Hence, Debbie presumed those hooligans must have taken someone''s money and were working for


    someone. s, she had let them get away. Now she had no leads as to who had hired them.


    Then, as Debbie stood up straight in a calm manner, steady yet heavy footsteps could be heard from


    behind her. Even after a fierce fight and somewhat exhausted, her entire body was on full alert again.


    When she felt that the person was within close range, she shed her hands swiftly towards him.


    But before she could touch the person, he moved behind her at the same moment she had turned


    around.


    Struck with surprise, Debbie narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She had studied martial arts for ten years.


    Through a single move, she could tell that the person behind her -- whomever he might be, was a


    professional.


    Whether it was the security guards on the cruiser or the hooligans she had just dealt with, this man


    could easily handle them with one hand.


    On the other hand, she had exerted most of her strength with both hands. Even worse, she had not


    even seen his face yet. Was he a friend or a foe? And if he was thetter, did she just meet her match?

 Chapter 21 Carlos Flirting With Debbie

    Chapter 21 Carlos Flirting With Debbie


    Debbie distanced herself from the man quickly. When she turned around to see who the man was, he


    leaped behind her again. It was beginning to frustrate her, but the man''s game had only just begun.


    The same routine was repeated a couple more times, and finally, Debbie could no longer hold back her


    annoyance. She shouted, "Are you here to fight or are you just making fun of me?! Be a man and fight


    with me, face to face!"


    The amused man failed to suppress a snort.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Upon hearing him, Debbie was so shocked that she felt goosebumps on her arms. ''Not Carlos Huo


    again!'' she thought andmented.


    Just as her shoulders sagged, indicating that she had dropped her guard, a familiar figure appeared in


    front of her from behind. Deep inside, she had wished for her suspicion to be wrong.


    The disdain hanging on his face stung Debbie. Ignoring the fact that she was no match for him in Kung


    Fu, she clenched her fists and challenged him, "Fight me or leave!" But that only threw him in a fit of


    laughter. "Stopughing like an idiot!" she demanded.


    Resting both hands in his pockets, Carlos said casually, "Fight you? You''re too weak to fight me."


    Too naive for her own good, Debbie fell for another one of his attempts to provoke her. Without another


    word, she raised her fist and swung it towards his face.


    Effortlessly, Carlos dodged the punch, and continued, "My, my! How rude of you! At this rate, no man


    will want to have you as a girlfriend."


    But she was no longer listening. Debbie tried her best to attack Carlos but her efforts were futile. "That


    is none of your business!" she yelled, fuming with madness.


    "Even if you were the only man in the world, you''d never have me!" she snapped back.


    "Really?" he asked, amused. His eyes darkened whilst he was mulling over her words. "I see..." he


    said, nodding slightly. "So you want me to have you." With that, he gave her a suggestive grin which


    quickly turned her face red.


    ''Not only is he a bastard, but he''s also a womanizer!


    Ugh! How I wish I could just beat him up!'' she thought while ring at him.


    When she was about to attack him again, the phone in his pocket began to ring. It was probably


    Emmett looking for him. Ignoring his ringing phone, Carlos grabbed her fist with his palm and pushed


    her against the wall. With a dangerous smile in ce on his face, he leaned close to her.


    As he used his free hand to reach into his pocket and dismiss the call, the other one continued to grab


    her wrist above her head. While she was still trapped against her wishes, he had his right knee


    between her legs and his upper body pressed against her. No matter how much Debbie tried, she was


    unable to move at all.


    He lowered his head, and now his face was mere inches away from hers. Thedy whose heart just


    skipped a beat could feel his heavy breathing. It elicited a ticklish sensation within her which she did


    not appreciate. As her other hand was free from his grip, her first instinct was to scratch the ticklish


    sensation on her neck away, but it was also immediately pulled up above her head by his.


    No amount of wriggling away worked against his strength. She was rendered speechless.


    "Right now, I have a score to settle with you," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Thest time we were this


    close, you kneed me in the crotch. What if that stunt of yours made me impotent? No erection anymore


    whatsoever." He paused before continuing, "You''ll have to take responsibility for it."


    By some stroke of unfortunate luck, Emmett ended up arriving just in time to hear and be shocked by


    what his boss said. The client who Carlos was supposed to meet this evening, was getting impatient in


    the club. Emmett tried to call Carlos a couple of times, but he did not answer. Emmett quickly began to


    worry. Therefore, he went out of the club to search for his boss.


    For a long time, he had sought for Carlos in nearby streets, thinking that perhaps his boss had been


    caught up with finding a parking space. But then, he had suddenly remembered Debbie. Although it


    was a long shot, he went back to where they had found her in hopes of finding his boss.


    To his surprise, his boss was indeed with the youngdy... flirting. Watching them from a distance felt


    surreal. ''Wow, '' Emmett thought deeply, ''I didn''t expect him to be so risque with Debbie.


    And to think that he has no idea that she''s actually his wife. How astonishing it is that he might really


    have a thing for her! Regardless whether she is Mrs. Huo or not, it seems that they are destined to be


    together.''


    Much to Debbie''s displeasure, she blushed in embarrassment. If she was being honest, no one had


    ever flirted with her like this in the past. Carlos was the first one, and now she was at a loss for words.


    The man was indeed a womanizer, she thought, and somehow she felt upset about it. Taking a deep


    breath, she threatened, "Let go of me. Otherwise, I''ll cry out for help!"


    "Whatever makes you happy," Carlos answered indifferently. Just when Debbie was about to scream at


    the top of her lungs, she spotted Emmett who was standing not so far away.


    ''Finally, someone who can save me from this hell!'' Debbie thought gleefully, and then she called out to


    him, "Emmett,e here and help me! Your boss is in heat!"


    Startled, Emmett did not know what to do when he was suddenly dragged into the mess. So he did


    what first came to his mind and made a run for it, yelling, "I saw nothing!" Thest thing he wanted to


    do was get on the wrong side of his boss. It was why he could not disobey his orders to go ahead and


    walk to the club a while ago, and it was still the same reason why he did not have the courage to stand


    up to Carlos when Debbie asked for his help.


    Moreover, this was a family matter. As an outsider, he did not think that it was his ce to interfere.


    ''Mrs. Huo, I''m sorry you''ll have to take care of yourself!'' Emmett thought ruefully, and then he fled.


    "Hey, Emmett!" Debbie yelled after the man, but he quickly disappeared from view. Even with a public


    toilet near the alley where they were currently situated, no one else seemed to have passed by them.


    That only meant there was no oneing to save her.


    Cursing under her breath, Debbie finally looked the overpowering man in the eye.


    ''Damn it! What else can I do? I guess for now... I should just admit my defeat, '' she thought. So she


    tried her best to hold back her anger and put on a fake smile. "Mr. Huo, a generous man like you would


    forgive me, right?" Debbie said in a coy voice. "After all, I''m just a weak girl."


    With a raised eyebrow and a sarcastic smile, Carlos eyed her from head to toe and answered, "You? A


    weak girl?" He let out a derisiveugh. "Are you kidding me?"


    ''On the outside, she can barely be counted as a girl, '' Carlos thought, his eyes lingering on her body.


    ''She doesn''t even have a big chest! As for her ass... it is not that hot either.'' Despite his observations,


    though, Carlos shed an evil smile and came up with an impulsive idea.


    Releasing one of her arms, he slid his hand behind her and pinched her ass. Debbie stood in silence,


    her mouth agape at Carlos'' boldness. What just happened? After what felt like decades, the youngdy


    finally gathered her thoughts. ''Carlos Huo!'' Debbie yelled in her mind.


    ''How dare you take advantage of me! I swear... I will kill you!'' Even after using her full strength which


    was boosted with anger, Debbie was disappointed to find out that she still could not free her arm from


    his grip. Flustered, she said through gritted teeth, "You jerk!"


    The smile on his face slowly waned. He curled his lips while letting go of her. Adjusting his suit, he


    became poker-faced again. "Stay away from me from now on!" he demanded coldly, and turned away.


    ''I''m a married man. I shouldn''t have flirted with another girl, '' he thought grimly, wiping his mouth as


    though he was disgusted with himself.


    When Debbie eventually met up with Kristina, still visibly angry, thetter had already sung several


    songs. Only a few people had stopped to listen to her, and most passers-by just cast a nce at her


    before walking away. It was a tough stint, trying to get people''s attention. But singing was Kristina''s


    passion and she would do anything to gain a loyal audience.


    When she saw Debbie return after having disappeared for about half an hour, Kristina let out a sigh of


    relief; she was grateful that Debbie apanied her.


    After the song was finished, only one person put 5 dors in the box in front of them. The twodies


    shared an unsatisfied look.


    Actually, Kristina was a good singer. After all, the reason why Debbie and she became close was that


    they both loved singing.


    Although Debbie had a better voice, she had never been trained before. As a result of herck of


    practice, Debbie was therefore not as skilled in singing as she wanted to be.


    Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief. It was time for her to focus and forget about her annoying husband.


    Picking up the guitar, she began to sing, "I was doubling over. The load on my shoulders was a weight I


    carried with me every day..."


    In the Orchid Private Club, a waiter pushed the door of a private booth and held it open for Carlos.


    Right behind him, Emmett followed suit. The man was sweating nervously. They were already running


    late, and it was not like they had a good reason.


    The client was throwing a tantrum as it was ten minutes past the agreed time of their meeting. On


    seeing Carlos, however, he immediately put on a ttering smile and greeted, "Mr. Huo, you are finally


    here."


    The man reached out to shake hands with Carlos, but thetter merely threw a cold look at his hand,


    walked past him, and sat on the couch. When the man saw Carlos'' infamous arrogance firsthand, his


    face turned sour. But he did not say anything to show his true feelings.


    He approached Carlos and offered, "Mr. Huo, allow me to pour you a ss of wine."


    Before he could do anything, Emmett reached out to hold the bottle and said, "Sorry, Mr. Li. Mr. Huo


    has delicate digestion and cannot drink alcohol."


    Embarrassment was written all over the man''s face. It was Carlos who took the initiative to seek


    partnership with him. But why was he acting so arrogant as if he were the boss?

 Chapter 22 Carlos Knew The Truth

    Chapter 22 Carlos Knew The Truth


    Emitting arrogance, Carlos refused to grab the drink. Marvin Li, however, didn''t dare to force him,


    feeling his menacing aura. He could only force an awkward smile and gave him the contract he had


    prepared.


    While Carlos was reading the contract, his brows furrowed. After a couple of minutes, he stood up and


    threw the contract on the table. "I won''t sign the contract," he said coldly.


    After hearing this, Marvin Li got anxious and argued in an instant, "Mr. Huo, as per ourst


    conversation, you agreed to..."


    However, even before he could continue, Carlos interrupted him in an icy tone, "Marvin Li, do you think


    I''m that stupid? The content of this contract is clear to me. Did you really think that I would fall into your


    trap?"


    Surprised by Carlos'' words, he started having cold sweat.


    With a pale face, Marvin Li thought to himself, ''Did he find out the trap hidden in the uses? How''s


    that even possible?''


    Without a word, Carlos walked towards the door. In an instant, Emmett pulled the door open for him.


    Looking at Carlos'' back as he took his leave, Marvin Li eximed, "Mr. Huo, please wait. This is only a


    misunderstanding!" He tried to follow behind Carlos in an attempt to make him stay. On the other hand,


    Carlos ignored his plea and left without looking back. He went to the underground park and stopped


    halfway as he heard an alluring sound. Immediately, he changed his direction and walked towards the


    entrance of the club.


    Under a big tree, about several hundred meters away from the Orchid Private Club, a girl was seen


    singing a beautiful, sad song. "Just onest dance, before we say goodbye..." her song continued


    ying.


    When Emmett recognized the singer, he widened his eyes to tes, his jaw ck. ''Since when did


    Mrs. Huo start to make a living as a street singer?'' he thought.


    When Marvin Li noticed that Carlos seemed to be interested in the female singer, he thought he had a


    chance to fawn on him. He took out a thick wad of notes from his briefcase and threw it into the iron


    box in front of Debbie.


    After seeing the amount of money he just threw, Debbie stopped singing, shocked by the impressive


    amount of thousands of dors.


    Everyone looked at Marvin Li, who put on a proud smile and demanded in an arrogant tone, "Sing a


    song for our Mr. Huo. If you can make him smile, I''ll give you more money."


    Hearing his words made her fuming mad. The fat man''s words came as an insult for her.


    Casting a quick burning re at her so-called husband, she immediately straightened herself and


    shed a sweet smile. "Sure, I''ll be d to offer Mr. Huo a song. I hope you enjoy it."


    On the other hand, in the gathered crowd, some recognized Carlos and couldn''t help but go berserk


    over his handsome face.


    Noticing Debbie''s beaming eyes, Carlos suddenly felt bad over Marvin Li''s groundless request. He then


    uttered, "No need to¡­"


    Even before he could turn her down, she started strumming her guitar and singing a song.


    Skipping the first part of the song, she immediately went to the climax and hit the notes.


    Her song went, "I pray your brakes go out running down a hill. I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill


    and knocks you in the head like I''d like to. I pray your birthdayes and nobody calls. I pray you are


    flying high when your engine stalls. I pray all your dreams nevere true..."


    Hearing the end of her song, the crowd became silent and stole nces at the handsome man, waiting


    to see his response.


    Surprised, Marvin Li hadn''t expected Debbie to sing such a song. He was so scared, thinking he had


    done a stupid thing. ''Damn bitch! What is she singing? Oh man! I''m screwed!'' he thought, wiping the


    cold sweat off his forehead.


    Without giving a care nor caring to stop, Debbie continued singing her song for Carlos. She didn''t mind


    irritating the man in front of her. At the same time, Carlos lowered his head and rubbed his arching


    brow. Her song came as a surprise. Without raising his head, he pointed to Debbie and demanded,


    "Since she can swim, you, Emmett Zhong, dig a whole and bury her alive!"


    Carlos felt his heart beating so fast. Not because he was ttered, but because his anger was slowly


    filling the brim of his patience. His gut feeling was telling him that if he didn''t kill this girl now, he would


    someday die of anger because of her.


    Carlos'' words made the crowd surprised. "What? Bury her alive?" were the words heard from the


    crowd. Everyone was startled from his sudden reply.


    If it were somebody else who had said those words, everybody would think that it was a joke. However,


    it was Carlos speaking and he was known as a man of his word. Noticing a group of strong, terrifying


    bodyguards heading towards Carlos, the crowd immediately dispersed in an uproar.


    Emmett panicked, not knowing what to do. ''I guess I should tell him the truth now before things get


    worse. Otherwise, he will definitely regret his decision today, '' he thought to himself and made a


    decision.


    Leaning towards his ears, Emmett whispered to his boss, "Mr. Huo, this girl, whom you just asked us to


    bury, is Debbie Nian!"


    His words confused Carlos. He looked at Emmett as if looking at an idiot. ''What is wrong with him?


    He''s been acting really weird recently, '' Carlos thought. ''Do I not know her name? Do I need him to


    remind me of that?''


    Debbie realized that Carlos'' words weren''t a joke. She immediately packed her guitar and pulled


    Kristina''s wrist, who was still standing there. She decided to run away as fast as she could. Before she


    took her leave, she grabbed the money in her iron box.


    Hearing Emmett revealing her real identity to Carlos, she immediately went ahead.


    As the group of bodyguards slowly approached them, Emmett cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Huo,


    you wife''s name is also Debbie Nian."


    "What does it have to do with---" Carlos said and halted. Even before he could utter the words "my


    wife", his face changed from one expression to another.


    The man who just nned to bury Debbie seemed to be trapped in a daze after learning about her


    identity.


    Carlo''s facial expression changed from indifferent to stunned, then shocked. Never had Emmett seen


    so many expressions on his boss'' face before. He was both amused and frightened, knowing Carlos


    would not spare him this time.


    Suddenly, Debbie stopped after a few strides. Since her identity had already been revealed, she


    released Kristina''s wrist, turned around and went back to Carlos. With a fierce face, she said, "I


    dumped you, Carlos Huo. Remember to sign the divorce agreement!" She then turned her back and


    continued walking with Kristina.


    With a shaking hand, Carlos pointed to Debbie''s retreating figure. His face couldn''t be painted. He was


    too angry to utter even a single word.


    The girl who he had called a slut and ordered to be buried alive was his wife? This thought kept on


    ying on his puzzled mind. Because of this, for quite some time, Carlos remained in a daze. He still


    couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    Until finally, he came back to his senses. Immediately, he could only think of kicking Emmett as hard as


    he could on his leg.


    Emmett wailed mournfully. He had known it! He had known this would alle to no good end for him.


    "What were you doing? Why didn''t you say so earlier?" Carlos eximed in anger. After saying that, he


    trotted towards his Bentley.


    As he got inside, he quickly pressed on the elerator and left that ce.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    When the car approached Emmett, he reduced the speed, rolled down the car window and ordered,


    "You better go to a construction site and carry bricks tomorrow! I don''t want to see your face in the


    coming year!"


    With a mixture of anger and disbelief, he sped up and left Emmett behind.


    Hearing his boss'' words, Emmett suddenly forgot the excruciating pain on his leg. Watching the guitar


    container and iron box left by Debbie and Kristina, he was at a loss whether tough or to cry.


    Meanwhile, Debbie and Kristina stopped and sat on a bench at the roadside after running a long way.


    They gasped for breaths, unable to talk.


    Kristina had been startled by Carlos'' presence and hadn''t heard what Emmett had told him. There were


    only three words that kept on repeating in her mind -- "bury her alive!"


    The very thought made Kristina tremble with fear. She grabbed Debbie''s hand and stammered,


    "Tomboy, hurry... Take the money... Take the money and run as far as you can. I do not wish to see you


    buried alive!" Her innocence made Debbie puzzled whether tough or get worried. All along, Kristina


    knew Debbie had offended Carlos several times. She also knew that he would, by no means, let her go


    that easily.


    ''Since he now knows who I am, I am positive that he will sign the divorce papers soon. He won''t have


    to bury me alive anymore, '' Debbie thought. ''Otherwise, how will he be able to divorce me if I am


    nowhere to be found?''


    Without taking into consideration how easy it would be for Carlos, she didn''t realize that he would no


    longer need to divorce her if she were buried alive. Automatically, he would be single again in that


    case.


    "He won''t do that. Rest assured. He is not a mean man," she assured Kristina. Patting her hand in an


    attempt tofort her friend, Debbie wondered what could happen after today''s incident.


    Thinking about this and Carlo''s cold eyes, she couldn''t help but shiver in fear.


    Time went by as they continued to rest. Finally, they decided to go back to the dormitory and hailed a


    taxi. Just as Debbie was about to get in, her phone rang. It was from Philip.

 Chapter 23 Moving In

    Chapter 23 Moving In


    "Hello, Philip," Debbie greeted on the phone. "What? Now?" Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Okay, got


    it. I''ll be there as soon as I can." After hanging up the call, she took a much needed deep breath. Ever


    since she had given Philip the divorce papers, she had been staying in the dorm. There was no reason


    for her to live in the vi anymore.


    Yet a moment ago, she had received Philip''s call and he had asked her to go back there. Unaware of


    the purpose behind his request, she became a bit worried.


    "Kristina," Debbie began, turning to look at her, "I''m sorry you have to go back to school alone. I need


    to go back home."


    "What?" Kristina asked in confusion. "Is there something wrong?" Concern was written all over her


    face. As much as Debbie wanted to share the truth, she felt it would be better to keep this to herself.


    Shaking her head, Debbie answered, "No. Don''t worry. I''ll see you tomorrow."


    "All right then," Kristina said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Goodbye!"


    A bit grateful that she did not have to answer any more questions, Debbie waited for her friend to get


    into the taxi they had just hailed and leave before she hailed another one for herself. While heading to


    the East City Vi, she was in a rather nervous state. ''Did Carlos already agree to sign the divorce


    papers?'' she thought. If he did, Debbie wondered why she still had to make the trip back there. Upon


    reaching her destination, she paid the fare and got out of the taxi.


    Then, she stood on the spot while the taxi drove away, and stared at the vi lit with more lights than


    she could count. Her eyes were filled with worry.


    Usually, there were only three people including her in the vi. Apanying her were the servant and


    the steward who were Julie Liu and Philip respectively. It was past ten o''clock in the evening now.


    Neither Julie Liu nor Philip would typically stay overnight in the vi, yet it seemed like there were still


    people at home. There was only one exnation for Philip to stay sote -- Carlos was at home.


    The youngdy took a deep breath, opened the entrance door gently, and sneaked into the living room.


    There was no point in dying her arrival.


    Philip''s voice could be vaguely heard, and as she peered into the room, two men came into view.


    With a domineering aura, Carlos was sitting on the couch. The man did not appear like he was in a


    good mood. While staying hidden, Debbie considered walking out of the house, but her feet did not


    move and she had her eyes fixed on Carlos.


    His eyes were shut while he was listening to Philip''s report regarding her personal information and


    recent activities.


    "She ranked thest in high school," Philip said, carefully observing his boss'' reaction. "And she failed


    the college entrance exam. As per your request, I''ve arranged her application to study in the Finance


    Department of Economics and Management School of Y City University. She is currently a junior


    student..."


    Noticing Debbie in the doorway, Philip gave her a sympathetic look. Carlos, on the other hand, did not


    even open his eyes. It was as though he hadn''t heard the door open earlier. Deep in thought, the


    seemingly unaware man tapped the wooden armrest of the couch.


    "What did she do in the university?" Carlos interrupted Philip''s report, his voice low and attractive at the


    same time. sping her hands together, Debbie quietly begged Philip not to throw her under the bus.


    The doe-eyeddy waited for him to make a choice. After having spent three years serving her, Philip


    believed that she was a good girl, and so he hesitated to answer the man in front of him.


    "Continue!" Carlos demanded. His voice was so cold and authoritative that it made the other two


    people in the room shudder at the same time.


    The steward shook his head in defeat, as though he were saying, "Kid, I can''t help you this time. Only


    God can help you now." Then, to Debbie''s horror, Philip began recounting everything she had done in


    the past three years.


    If Carlos were not there, Debbie would give the steward a sarcastic thumbs-up and praise him by


    saying, "You''d definitely make a sessful spy if it were in the wartime."


    "The dean of the university called me the other day. She was informed by someone that Mrs. Huo had


    formed a gang. She had gang fights, and..." After a short pause, he added, "...and smashed a teacher''s


    desk."


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    When Debbie heard that someone had dared to tell the dean what she had done, the first person that


    came to her mind was her cousin, Gail.


    The memory of her own actions made her break out in a cold sweat. Biting her lower lip, she began to


    justify herself and thought, ''Yes, I did smash the teacher''s desk. But it wasn''t my fault.


    Wait a minute!'' Thedy folded her arms upon realizing something. ''What''s Carlos doing right now?''


    she thought furiously. ''He''s my husband! Why is he acting like my father all of a sudden? Debbie, don''t


    be afraid of him!''


    But before she could speak up, Carlos'' authoritative voice echoed in the living room. "Enough! Clean a


    room for me," he instructed Philip. Finally, he opened his eyes and directly stared at the figure standing


    in the entrance.


    ''Is Mr. Huo going to live here?'' Philip wondered to himself. ''But even if he wants to live here, why does


    he not choose to stay in the same room with Mrs. Huo?''


    Despite his burning questions, Philip did not dare to ask Carlos. "Yes, Mr. Huo," he said promptly, and


    went to the second floor so he could clean the biggest bedroom for his boss.


    When Debbie noticed Carlos'' cold re, her heart skipped a beat. Like a child, she gripped her shirt


    tightly and lowered her head to avoid looking Carlos in the eye.


    ''This is really weird, '' she thought. ''I was not afraid of him before, but is he suddenly so scary now?''


    Contrary to her belief, Carlos was a sophisticated businessman who had dealt with various people


    multiple times in the past. The man was used to intimidating people, and at times, he did not even need


    to utter a single word. No wonder the youngdy was scared to death.


    "Come!" Trapped in a trance, Debbie immediately obeyed his order without hesitation. Then, she


    stopped three meters away from him.


    ''What should I do? Is he mad at me after knowing what I''ve done? Will he sign the divorce papers


    now? Or will he ask his men to bury me again? Should I run away now? I don''t want to die...'' A myriad


    of thoughts flooded her mind.


    Casting an indifferent nce at the girl whose face was as pale as a corpse, Carlos managed to look


    expressionless despite his amusement.


    ''I thought you weren''t afraid of anything. You''ve provoked me so many times. You even sang a song to


    curse me. Why do you not dare to raise your head now?'' he thought.


    "I''ll move in from today on. I forbid you to live in the dorm. You are to stay here once again," Carlos said


    coldly. His next words made her eyes widen. "I''ll drive you to the university every morning."


    It was like Debbie had been thrown into a vat of ice water.


    ''I won''t have any freedom in the future! I need to do something about this!'' she thought defiantly, raising


    her head as she prepared to state her arguments.


    Before she could speak, however, Carlos opened his mouth first. "Do you not agree?" The fury in her


    eyes made the man be sterner, his voice as cold as ice.


    ''I can let go of her past deeds, '' he thought, ''because I didn''t know she is my wife back then.'' The


    corner of his mouth twitched. ''But it''s a different case now. I won''t let her live like this anymore. Bad


    grades? No problem. I will teach her myself. Acting like a tomboy? Fine! I''ll teach her how to be a soft


    girl!'' he swore to himself.


    Meanwhile, Debbie could not help but tremble on seeing his cold eyes.


    ''Oh man! I can see it now. He is Carlos Huo, the rich and powerful Mr. President! Killing a person like


    me is as easy as killing an ant!'' she thought, her eyes glistening with fear.


    The man was waiting for her to respond.


    ''Calm down, Debbie Nian! You can''t afford to offend him, '' Debbie consoled herself.


    Shaking her head, she did not say a word. Even though she did not agree with his decision, she did not


    have the courage to say it out. As for the divorce, she did not dare to mention it either. Even though he


    did not spell it out for her, his current demands made it clear already.


    Without a shred of doubt, Debbie knew that the man had no intention of divorcing her.


    Stealing a nce at the man in front of her, she shuddered again. ''It''s only the start of autumn, but why


    do I feel so cold? I''m freezing!


    I wanted to divorce him because of my freedom. I want to pursue my happiness. And I could not have


    my happiness while I am in this marriage. But it seems that I have made a stupid move. I lifted a rock


    only to drop it on my own feet. I thought he hated me. It''s not like I didn''t notice his annoyance every


    time we met. So why? Why does he not want to divorce me? Why?!'' she shouted in her mind.


    When Debbie did not seem like she was going to say anything, Carlos stood up from the couch and


    went up the stairs. As soon as he entered his bedroom, Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief and wiped


    the cold sweat off her forehead.


    Finally, in control of her emotions again, she gathered her thoughts and tried to understand his


    demands. ''He will drive me to school every day?'' she thought, frowning. ''What the hell? What should I


    do now?'' Throwing herself on the couch, Debbie tried to figure out a way to deal with the present


    situation.


    After lying down properly, she took out her phone from her pocket and searched for information about


    her dear husband. But when she typed ''Carlos Huo'' in the search bar, no rted information came up


    at all.


    In such a society with an advanced informationwork, how did Carlos keep his information a secret


    from the public? It was a mystery which bothered Debbie.


    As the saying went, "Know your enemy, know yourself." She wanted to learn more about her husband,


    but with her online search ending in vain, she was stuck.


    Should she just talk to him instead? But as soon as the thought appeared in Debbie''s mind, she quickly


    dismissed it. The man did not know how to listen to her. It would be just another futile attempt. Sighing,


    the youngdy continued to ponder.

 Chapter 24 Driving To University

    Chapter 24 Driving To University


    ''I''ve been so stupid! I should''ve inquired Philip about Carlos more before. If I did, I wouldn''t have had


    the audacity to cross him. s! It''s toote now. What else can I do?'' Debbie thought, beating herself


    up over her ignorance.


    Now that she was seeing things in a different light, she really regretted having sung the song that


    evening to offend him.


    ''Debbie Nian, why did you have to provoke him again and again?


    You lifted a rock only to drop it on your own feet!'' she berated herself. pping a palm on her forehead


    in resentment, she then stood up. Tomorrow morning was going to be tough for her. When she went to


    the second floor, she stole a nce at the closed door of Carlos'' bedroom. As soon as she was certain


    that it was not going to burst open at any minute, she sneaked into hers and closed the door as gently


    as possible.


    All night long, she tossed around in her bed. Her worries did not leave her alone at all.


    The next morning, she got up half an hour earlier than usual. After readying herself, she went down the


    stairs with dark circles around her eyes. All she wanted was to leave the house without being noticed


    by Carlos.


    The previous evening, she had made up her mind. Since she could not divorce him right now, she just


    had to keep herself away from him as much as possible. It was her only solution until she could make


    the man sign the divorce papers. If she had to face him, she decided she would not provoke him again.


    After all, safety was now her first priority.


    When she reached the first floor, however, she saw the very same man she meant to avoid in the


    dining room. Without even looking at her, Carlos ate his breakfast. It was a bit strange seeing him in a


    ck shirt instead of his usual business attire.


    "Debbie,e eat," Julie said in a cheerful voice as she went to the kitchen. Before the servant could


    reappear with Debbie''s breakfast, the youngdy was already running to the entrance door.


    "No need for that, Julie," she shouted hastily. "I''m in a hurry!" ''When did he get up? I didn''t even hear


    him make any sound, '' she thought to herself.


    "Stop!" came a cold voice from behind her back. Almost as if onmand, Debbie paused from


    changing her shoes. Her breath hitched when she heard him.


    "Um..." she stammered, turning around.


    Until that moment, something never urred to Debbie. What was she supposed to call him? ''Boss?''


    Debbie thought. ''Sounds like I''m an employee of his. Honey? That would be disgusting!'' She


    scrunched her nose in revulsion. "Sir," she said formally, trying to make an excuse,"I have something


    urgent to finish. So I''ll be leaving now."


    ''Well, actually I can call him Uncle. He''s so strict with me that he reminds me of my father. But, '' Debbie


    thought, still trapped in her own musings, ''if I really call him Uncle, he will surely get irritated.''


    The youngdy refrained from voicing out her thoughts, for if she did, it would throw out her entire n


    of not getting on the wrong side of her husband.


    But upon hearing Debbie call him ''Sir'', Carlos could not help but furrow his brows while saying nothing


    for a while. Gracefully, he wiped his lips with a napkin, and said,"I''ll drive you to the university after you


    have breakfast."


    He then opened hisptop, burying himself with his work. Once again, his walls were up.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Although Debbie wanted to turn him down, she decided against speaking up. The youngdy could


    already imagine how he would react if she insisted on going to the university on her own. She did not


    want to be frozen to death by his cold re. Nor did she want to be thrown into the sea or buried alive.


    Well, not again.


    In a slow and cautious manner, Debbie walked over to the expensive mahogany dining table and sat as


    far away from him as possible.


    There was no question about how good Julie was at cooking. But Debbie simply had no appetite at all.


    His presence made it difficult for her to enjoy her meal. While putting food into her mouth, she kept


    stealing nces at Carlos every now and then. It was like she was not anticipating the slightest sound


    coming from her to annoy him. By the time she finished her breakfast, her forehead was wet with


    sweat.


    Thedy stared at her hands under the table. A stomachache this morning did not seem out of the


    question.


    When Carlos noticed that she was done, he stood up, picked up his briefcase from the couch, and


    headed towards the entrance.


    Sighing with profound resignation, Debbie grabbed her backpack and followed after him.


    When she got out of the house, there was a ck car parked right before her. Something about the


    vehicle appeared to be very striking, but she could not quite point a finger at it. Through the car


    window, she saw that Carlos was sitting in the back seat. Groaning, she did not approach the car at


    once. Where should she sit? Next to him in the back seat?


    The mere prospect of being close to him sent shivers down her spine. ''No, '' she thought stubbornly, ''I


    do not want to die out of fright! Hm... but maybe I can sit in the passenger seat.'' The youngdy was


    too focused on staying away from Carlos to notice he was running out of patience.


    "I have no time to wait for you," he stated from inside the car. The harshness in his voice brought


    Debbie back to her senses. Darting towards the car, she opened the door of the passenger seat. To her


    disappointment, however, it was already upied by Carlos'' belongings.


    Left with no choice, she could only shut the door and sit behind with him. As Carlos was sitting on the


    left, she took the right side.


    Neither of them spoke another word while the car moved slowly. Casting a nce at Debbie from the


    car window, Philip noticed the girl lean against the car door, averting Carlos as if he were the gue.


    Sighing, he thought, ''Debbie used to be a cheerful and lively girl. Now that she''s in front of Mr. Huo, she


    looks so cautious and reserved. She must be frightened of him.''


    Twenty minutester, a ck luxurious car stopped along the entrance of the Economics and


    Management School of Y City University.


    Seeing luxurious cars at the university was not anything out of the ordinary as many of the students


    came from wealthy families.


    In fact, many students often took delight in parading their high status. However, the car that was parked


    in the entrance of the university was worth at least tens of millions of dors. Who could own such an


    extravagant set of wheels? It was for this reason that it caught several people''s attention.


    "Thank you, sir. Goodbye!" Debbie said hastily. As soon as the words left her mouth, she pushed the


    door open and ran as fast as she could. It looked soical, as though she were being chased by


    some fierce animal.


    The moment the youngdy emerged from the car, students in every direction began to gossip. Their


    curiosity was satiated by her appearance, but now they had more questions.


    "She usually rides a BMW. And now, she has a new car?" "This car is several times more expensive


    than her BMW!"


    Suddenly, people were sharing their theories with one another. Although some students had families


    who could afford these luxury cars, there were many pretty girls in the university who were mistresses


    of rich men.


    That theory would have satisfied them, but that did not just make sense because it was Debbie. It was


    difficult to believe that she would ever be someone''s mistress.


    Indeed, she had a pretty face. But the youngdy did not act like a girl at all! No one could believe that


    there would be a rich man who would like to have a tomboy as his mistress.


    "Tomboy!" Jared eximed as he rubbed his eyes. "Am I dreaming?" Apparently, he was among the


    students who saw Debbie getting out of the ck car. At first, his interest was innocent enough. It was


    a really nice car.


    All he knew was that Debbie came from a rich family and that her usual ride to school was a BMW


    which already cost millions of dors. So Jared''s curiosity was not about whether Debbie''s family could


    afford it. More likely, he was curious about the type of man who would spend so much money on a car.


    It made him wonder who her father was, as he had not heard of a rich man whose surname was Nian.


    Simultaneously, he realized that Debbie had rarely spoken about her father. Now more than ever he


    wanted to get to know the man with extravagant taste in cars. The car named Emperor was ZL Group''s


    latest product, worth about tens of millions of dors.


    ''Wait!'' Jared thought suddenly. ''As far as I recall, there are only two Emperor cars in Y City. And one of


    them belongs to... Mr. Huo.


    No... Debbie and Mr. Huo?''


    Jared did not even notice that he was casting a dirty look at his friend who was wearing white trousers


    and a grey coat. Upon examining her in a tactless manner, he concluded that she did not look like she


    had slept with Carlos the previous night. His suspicion was so obvious to Debbie that she did not even


    need to be a mind reader.


    Pak! Once she stood beside her dirty-minded friend, she pped her hand on his back. The man


    yelped in pain, and rubbed his sore back.


    The disapproving look on her face was enough to make him pause while looking too silly for his own


    good. Scowling at him, Debbie rolled her eyes in disbelief. How could Jared even think that she was a


    mistress? Why on earth would she even sleep with someone for money?


    ''Well, '' Debbie thought to herself, ''if sleeping with Mr. Huo means he would be kinder to me, I just might


    consider it.''


    Because of her insistence on avoiding annoying her husband, the frightening and cold Mr. Huo, she did


    not stop to consider that using a different car might attract unwanted attention. Clenching her teeth, she


    quickly thought of a usible cover-up.


    "Don''t take it the wrong way," she began to tell him. "The car belongs to my family. Don''t you know that


    Ie from a rich and powerful family?" By the end of her exnation, she tried to sound as proud as


    she could, which immediately convinced Jared.


    Shaking off all his reckless thoughts, Jared proceeded to the ssroom with her. Every so often, she


    would catch him giving her an apologetic look. ''What was I thinking? How''s it even possible for Tomboy


    to be someone''s mistress!'' Jared scolded himself in his mind.


    Regardless of whether Debbie convinced him or not, the story of her riding an Emperor car to the


    university still spread like wildfire across the entire campus.


    As though she did not unwittingly draw enough attention to herself on her own, she became even more


    famous now.


    In the ssroom, Debbie was leaning on her desk and pondering about Carlos'' and her marriage. For


    a while, she almost forgot about it. And when she did remember, she made sure that it did not affect


    her normal life.


    With the newplications that she was forced to deal with, it was going to be more difficult now than


    before.


    Making sure no one was looking, she allowed herself to seethe in secret. Her anger was not directed to


    anyone else, but herself. ''I thought I was brave enough, '' she thought. ''But the moment I was in front of


    him, I got cold feet and didn''t know what to say! I didn''t even dare to mention the whole divorce thing.


    What a coward I was!''


    Frustrated, Debbie buried her head under her arms. If Carlos was unwilling to divorce her, was she


    going to have a stressful life from now on?


    ''I seduced Jared and made eyes at Emmett in front of Carlos on purpose. Everyone knows he hates


    that type of woman, so he should have been enraged by it!


    He should have signed the divorce papersst night. But why did he not do it? Oh God! I just cannot


    understand that man.''


    While Debbie was internally caught up in her dilemma, Kasie''s voice rang in her ears and brought her


    back to earth. "Hey guys," the cheerfuldy said,"tomorrow is Kristina''s birthday. We''re going to have a


    party in a bar tomorrow night. If you''reing with us, please go to Dixon to enter your


    name."

 Chapter 25 Not A Real Boy

    Chapter 25 Not A Real Boy


    Whenever there was an uing party or event, Dixon would be in charge of the head count of the


    people who were going to participate. After all, he was very meticulous about everything -- it was a job


    for a perfectionist.


    So, at the mention of Kristina''s birthday, he had already asked who was going toe and take part in


    the asion. Debbie, who was one of Kristina''s good friends, sat up straight as if she was going to


    make an announcement. "Kristina, you''ll be twenty years old, isn''t that right?" she inquired, making


    sure she was not mistaken even though she knew she couldn''t be wrong. She knew the celebrant


    better than anybody else ever did.


    Kristina took Debbie''s arm and gently ced her cheek against her shoulder. "Yes, that''s right. I can''t


    wait to celebrate my birthday. It''s gonna be grand!" she eximed in excitement.


    It was fortunate that nothing that would harm Debbie had happenedst night. Otherwise, the celebrant


    would have paid no mind to her birthday and would show no interest in celebrating it.


    However, this did not mean that she did not have a hunch that something bad could have happened


    the night before. She was wondering how Debbie had managed to escape Carlos'' wrath. But, she


    knew she had better set it aside and just ask her friend in some private timeter.


    Kristina and Debbie were already having their own mini celebration while holding each other''s hands in


    excitement when Kasie, who looked into a vanity mirror to fix her hair, rolled her eyes and snickered,


    "You should stay away from that tomboy, Kristina. You make it seem like she''s your boyfriend. Just


    thinking about it gives me goosebumps."


    Kristina, who actually genuinely loved the friendship she had with Debbie, cast Kasie a challenging look


    and snapped back, "You talk as if you didn''t use to pester her like I do." She stroked her long, curly hair


    and thought, ''I should dye my hair like Debbie''s. The colors look great on her. I''m sure it would look


    more vivid under the sun.'' Shepared her hair to her friend''s.


    Debbie put her arm around her friend''s shoulders like a boy would and argued in her defense, "Ladies,


    please do not quarrel over me. There''s more to go around. What''s our next ss? Let''s get to it."


    "You really are meandering mindlessly, huh? There''s no more ss. We need to get lunch," Kasie


    reminded her in a very sarcastic tone. With resignation, she shoved her mirror and books inside her


    bag and went ahead to the cafeteria.


    Debbie checked the time and found that Kasie was right. It was almost twelve o''clock. "Okay," she said,


    "let''s go get our lunch then." She grabbed her bag and stood up from her seat. She led the way and the


    others followed.


    The group was leaving the ssroom when a boy who was sitting in the first row raised his head. The


    boy named Gregory Song intensely observed Debbie''s retreating figure, his eyes full of affection.


    He thought, ''May I take part in the party as well, Debbie?''


    Another boy approached Gregory Song. "Aren''t you going to have lunch?" the curious boy asked.


    Gregory Song immediately broke his contact with the group and packed his stuff confirming, "Yes, I''m


    coming with you." He shed a friendly smile and left the ssroom along with his friend.


    The day had passed and it was already time for Kristina''s twentieth birthday party. Debbie and Kassie


    went to the mall and shopped. After buying their dear friend a few gifts, they went to the club venue that


    Kristina had reserved for the party.


    There were more than a dozen students in the private booth. Some of them were even unfamiliar to


    Debbie.


    But, soon after befriending each one, they all became close to the point that they could y Truth or


    Dare with each other.


    "Whoever loses this round has to make out with the opposite sex for a minute!" Kasie announced. The


    boys, who were surrounded with beautiful girls, apuded this appeal.


    However, the girls blushed scarlet with shyness since some of them had never kissed a boy before.


    They agreed reluctantly with a tinge of excitement for new experiences. Unfortunately, Kristina was the


    loser. "I quit!" the celebrant yelled and ran towards the door, trying to escape the situation that she was


    in.


    But, before she could make her exit, a few students had already guarded and blocked the door. "Nice


    try, birthday girl, but you must now choose a boy to kiss!" Kasie dictated.


    With her face looking like a tomato, Kristina looked around and then pointed to a corner.


    Everyone averted their gaze to where the birthday girl was pointing and burst intoughter when they


    found out that Kristina actually picked Debbie.


    "Seriously? Kristina Lin, you always call me tomboy, but we both know I''m not a real boy! Get a hold of


    yourself," Debbie eximed,ughing over the matter herself. She was already a bit buzzed from the


    alcohol she had drunk and her cheeks were glowing with excitement. She looked quite appealing and


    attractive in that very moment.


    The birthday girl stomped her feet like a spoiled brat and pounced on her friend yelling, "Debbie, honey,


    why don''t you give in to me?"


    Debbie shrieked and dodged Kristina''s kiss. "Hey, that doesn''t count!" Dixonined as he pulled


    Kristina away from Debbie.


    When the celebrant turned to him, she suddenly had an idea. "Since you say that it doesn''t count, then


    why don''t you be the one to kiss me instead?" Before he could react, Kristina pulled him closer and


    kissed him on the lips. His eyes grew wider in shock.


    "Whoa!" the students cheered. They began to whistle, not expecting the birthday celebrant to be so


    spontaneous and brave.


    The affectionate kiss crowned the party fun. The minute the two people shared kissing was starting to


    feel like a year when Kristina let go of Dixon and concluded it calmly like nothing unusual had


    happened.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    They both wiped their lips with their faces red as they could suddenly feel chemistry developing


    between them.


    "How did that feel, monitor? Were her lips soft and sweet?" Debbie asked. She gave him a teasing


    smile.


    Dixon nced at Kasie who had proposed the game, and said under his breath, "This was my first


    kiss!"


    Kristina rolled her eyes at the perfectionist''s remark and retorted, "It was my first kiss, too!" She tried


    not to lose her calm.


    When Debbie noticed that the two were still blushing, she suggested, "Since you gave each other your


    first kisses, why don''t you try to start dating from this day forward? It couldn''t hurt to try."


    The crowd began to echo her idea. Jared even gave a loud whistle and yelled, "Be a man and do it!


    Make Kristina your girlfriend, you coward!"


    "Do it, Dixon!" the crowd seconded. "Come on!" they shouted, urging him on.


    Everyone was excited to see how everything would unfold.


    The birthday celebrant covered her hot cheeks and sat back in her seat. "Don''t make fun of us, you


    guys! It''s my birthday, so you should all listen to me!"


    Kasie shook her head and said, "Yes, birthday girl, you''re right! Saying yes to Dixon is a great idea!


    Besides, isn''t this something we could call ''two happy events taking ce one after the other?''" It was


    their tradition to make fun of the birthday celebrant. They could all clearly recall that thest time, it was


    Debbie they had made fun of.


    Everyone burst intoughter at Kasie''s statement.


    The whole evening was pleasant and fun. Everyone had their fill of excitement and everyone had


    already shared their bounty. When the party came to a close, Debbie was already ckout drunk since


    she had downed the alcohol bottle after bottle; she drank more than she had ever done.


    She stood up from the couch and immediately staggered. Luckily, she was able to keep herself from


    falling and one of her ssmates helped her up her feet.


    Not only was Debbie drunk -- almost everyone was intoxicated. Jared shook his head and got even


    dizzier. "Who''s still sober? Please," he asked in a drunk voice, "take Debbie back to her house."


    A boy in the corner stood up with flushed cheeks and immediately volunteered. He was not drunk -- he


    was just shy. He finally had a chance to be with the girl of his dreams alone.


    "I didn''t drink too much, so I''ll be the one to take her back," Gregory Song announced. He put his ss


    on the table and walked towards the drunk girl.


    Jared was a little surprised and taken aback that it was Gregory Song who took the initiative, but he


    immediately dismissed his suspicion and told the volunteer, "She lives in the East City Vi." Among all


    her ssmates, Debbie only had four friends who knew her address: Jared, Kasie, Kristina, and Dixon.


    Upon hearing that she lived in the East City Vi, Gregory Song paused. He felt mixed emotions


    flooding him from within.


    The ce where Debbie lived was a vi where only the richest and most powerful people of Y City


    resided.


    He had started to wonder why the girl of his dreams lived somewhere so luxurious. ''What kind of family


    is she from?'' he thought to himself.


    Finally, he picked Debbie up and proceeded to the door. He hailed a taxi and gently ced the girl


    inside before getting in himself.


    ''What a silly girl! How bold she is to be this drunk! What if someone nned to take advantage of her


    state?'' the boy thought.


    He stared at her while she was leaning against him with her cheeks colored in crimson. It was as


    though she had blush on. His heart skipped a beat when he saw such a beautiful sight.


    He had been her high school ssmate for three years, but he had never talked to her before. She was


    exactly his type -- her cheerful spirit and bubbly character had made himpletely fall in love with


    her.


    After they had taken the college entrance exam, he had thought that she would select the College of


    Music, if not the Institute of Physical Education. After all, she excelled at both fields. She was gifted and


    she had no idea how many people she could attract with these attributes.


    Gregory Song, however, saw himself without talent in both. The only thing he could do for the girl he


    loved was cheer her on with everyone else whenever she ran in long-distance races. Indeed, that was


    his only idea of loving her; from a long, long distance.

 Chapter 26 Brother

    Chapter 26 Brother


    When Gregory knew that Debbie had applied to the Economics and Management School, he felt


    thrilled. He couldn''t contain his excitement. The thought of going to the same school and being in the


    same ss with her again made his day.


    During their freshmen and sophomore years, they hadn''t been in the same ss. Luckily, the Gods


    heard and granted his plea; they became ssmates again.


    Suddenly, a memory shed into his mind. Despite being one of the terrible students, with terrible


    grades, Debbie remained excellent in his eyes. She may be a bad student, but for him, she was


    admirable in all other things. Thinking about this, he had always thought that she was too good for him,


    and he had never been confident enough to strike a conversation with her. He thought he was


    incapable andcking in many ways.


    Even then, the same thought lingered in his mind. With this, he decided to keep his admiration to


    himself until he became sessful enough to finally confess. These thoughts yed in his mind as he


    asionally nced at her sleeping face.


    Half an hourter, they arrived at East City Vi. The taxi was hailed by the guards at the entrance and


    Gregory didn''t know what to do. They didn''t let them through until they saw Debbie who was sleeping in


    the back seat.


    Frantic, he said, "Debbie, wake up. Which way should we go?" Reaching out to her, he tried to wake


    her up by shaking her shoulders. "Debbie?" he continued.


    Drunk, Debbie couldn''t utter a single word, nor hear anything he just said. After a long while, with not a


    single response from her, Gregory told the taxi driver to wait. Opening the door and pulling her out of


    the taxi, he carried her and walked towards the vi she lived in. His eyes continuously wandered, as


    he was in awe of what he was seeing.


    The night was gettingte and the sky became darker. The nightplemented the extravagance each


    vi gave off. It was perfectly clear what kind of people lived in the area, he thought, people who were


    far different from him.


    Knowing this, he lowered his head to look at Debbie. ''Many people worked so hard in their whole lives


    but couldn''t afford such vis. Yet, she lives here? Who exactly is she?" he wondered.


    Even then, she had been surrounded by rumors in school. However, he had never believed in any of


    them. Rumors such as Debbie was a mistress, that she was a lesbian, none of these he chose to


    believe. For him, they were nothing but nonsense. Clouded with these thoughts, he didn''t notice that


    they had already reached their destination.


    As they reached her vi''s porch, he tried to carry her near the door. Even before he could reach the


    doorbell, a limo came into a halt with shing signals.


    Immediately, a distinguished-looking man in a white shirt got out of the car from the back seat, casting


    him cold looks.


    ''Who is this arrogant man?'' he thought, furrowing his brows. ''Does he know Debbie? What is his


    rtionship with her?'' More questions popped into Gregory''s head.


    Without taking a second nce, the man continued to head towards the vi. Gregory examined him


    up and down, trying to figure out who he was. The man looked familiar, he thought, but his face didn''t


    ring a bell. His alluring posture gave him a feeling that he was someone he shouldn''t associate with.


    On the other hand, the man walked straight towards the vi. As he was about to get in, Gregory called


    out hastily, "Hello, mister." Puzzled, Carlos turned his head and looked into the young man''s eyes, not


    uttering a single word.


    "Good evening, mister. I know this might sound forwards, but what is your rtionship with Debbie?" he


    asked, gathering all his courage. Thinking that he could be her brother, he asked politely. Little did he


    know his real rtionship with Debbie.


    Carlos'' eyes widened when he heard her name. It was only until then did he notice that the girl


    wrapped in his arms was his wife, Debbie.


    Stunned from the stated she was in, "What happened to her?" he asked as he walked his way towards


    Gregory and Debbie. As Carlos moved towards them, immediately, Gregory felt the intimidating and


    arrogant aura pressing towards him. It was an aura that only older, mature men possessed. The way


    he walked looked even prominent for Gregory.


    ''He seems concerned for her, '' he thought. ''I must be right. He must be Debbie''s brother.'' Carlos


    reached out his hand to pull her towards him. Obediently, Gregory understood and handed her to him


    and said, "One of our ssmates threw a birthday part. She must''ve drunk more than she could


    handle." "Why drink more than you could handle?" Carlos said, pulling Debbie towards him. Now that


    the man was near, Gregory took a close look at him and knew that he was someone well-off.


    As he pulled her in, a strong stench filled his nose. Carlos winced in disgust from both Debbie''s smell


    and the sight of her wasted state.


    "Are you her ssmate?" he suddenly asked in a deep tone, furrowing his brows.


    Politely, Gregory nodded and answered with a smile, "Yes I am. I should''ve taken good care of her."


    After saying this, he looked around and noticed the night getting darker. "Well, brother, I should better


    take my leave. Have a good night then."


    ''Brother? Who is he referring to? Me?'' Carlos raised one of his brows. No longer bothering by what he


    meant, he returned a nod to the young man and carried Debbie towards the vi.


    As soon as he stepped inside, Debbie, who was in his arms, started to be restless. Her cheeks


    were crimson red, and the scent of alcohol dominated over her. At this sight, Carlos'' face ckened


    with anger. He despised her current state. He wanted to throw her to the sofa but considered carrying


    her upstairs instead. He went all out and carried her to her room.


    The hue of Debbie''s bedroom was sky blue. All her furniture was colored and tainted with sky blue. Her


    round bed, dressing table, closet, desk and even her bed sheet were in sky blue color. Most


    importantly, the room smelled like Debbie. Slowly, he ced her in her bed and intended to leave the


    drunk be.


    As he turned around, he felt a hand grasping on his. In her drunken state, she reached out to him and


    held his hand by her own will -- something she wouldn''t do when sober.


    "Water. I am thirsty," she murmured, wriggling her body in bed restlessly. "Give me some water¡­


    water¡­" she continued.


    Looking at her indifferently, he took back his hand from her grip and left the room. "Why did you drink if


    you knew you would end up like that?" he said, walking out of the room.


    When he came back, Debbie was already on the floor, curling on the carpet by the bed. In his eyes,


    she became more hideous.


    Gibbering, "Water... thirsty... water..." she repeated tirelessly. Turning and rolling around, he bet she


    would not even remember a single thing she was doing then. With brows knitted, he ced the ss of


    water on the nightstand and walked towards her. As he was about to pick her up and carry her into his


    arms, he thought, ''Just how much did she drink?''


    ''As a student, how could she get herself so drunk? I was right to decide to discipline her after all, '''' he


    added. Finally, he carried her into his arms.


    With her arms around his neck, she pressed her head against his chest, pushing her body nearer to


    his. Gradually, his breathing became ragged. He couldn''t understand why his heart was beating fast


    with their current state. Without minding too much, he put her back on the bed.


    With his body leaning towards her as he slowly let her go, her hands remained locked around his neck.


    Suddenly, she pulled him down on the bed.


    As much as he was surprised, his face remained firm and indifferent. Trying to suppress his fast-


    beating heart, he stared at the tipsy girl beside him, whose eyes were closed. Her long eyshes, rosy


    lips, crimson cheeks -- everything on her pretty face looked tempting for him.


    However, he knew his own limits. Out of the blue, Debbie struggled to sit up. That night, she was never


    a quiet girl and continued to do things that surprised him. As she tried to sit up, her bnce came off.


    Not only did she fail, but also dragged Carlos even closer -- close enough for her to feel his breath.


    Coincidentally, their lips touched.


    At that instant, the air became awkward. Suddenly, he could no longer smell the stench from her. The


    tempting scent emitted from her body slowly filled his nose. The light in his eyes dimmed and the scene


    where he had kissed her came flooding back in his head.


    Back then, he had hesitated to sleep with her because they had no rtionship. Now that she was his


    wife, it was only natural for them to spend the night together. With this thought, he lowered his head


    and pressed his lips on hers. The courage he had tried so hard to stop himself from doing such a thing


    was no longer there. He could only think of how tempting the girl beside him was; he couldn''t control


    his desire for her.


    As she wriggled and moaned from his every touch, it made him more aroused. He got more and more


    excited, but then she suddenly stopped and became quiet. Lifting his head, he opened his eyes to look


    into hers, and to his disappointment, she was already fast asleep.


    Frustrated, he let out a deep sigh. He was still feeling hot and his face was burning up. ''How could she


    just fall asleep in that state?'' he thought. After a while, his face turned livid. ''This bloody woman must


    have done it purposely, '' he continued.


    Time passed, and it was Saturday the next day. Morning came, and luckily, there was no school.


    Knowing this, Debbie didn''t leave her bed until noon and waited for the rm to set off. As the rm


    rang, she slowly woke up and turned it off. Feeling lightheaded, she rubbed her throbbing temples.


    Suddenly, her phone rang. She fumbled in her bag to look for it and finally found her phone after a


    while. "Hello?" she answered. Without looking at the caller ID, she continued, "Hello? Who''s this


    please?"


    It was Jared. "Tomboy, were you still asleep? It''s 12 o''clock already," he said.


    Since Debbie was never in a good mood the moment she woke up, he started to wonder if he should


    hang up.


    "12 o''clock? Oh, it''s still so early," she replied. "Then, I should go back to sleep." Even then, she wasn''t


    sober yet. Her voice sounded coarse.


    Jared felt speechless at her words. "Tomboy, it''s noon, okay?" he reminded her.


    ''Noon?'' She looked outside. The sun was shining high in the sky. ''Fine. But, what does it have to do


    with me?'' she thought.


    The beaming light from the sun blinded her eyes. Suddenly, memories ofst night hit her. Recalling


    how drunk she had beenst night, she wondered how she had managed toe home safe and


    sound. "How did I get homest night?" she asked over the phone. The diverse possibilities of the


    answer to that question almost woke her up from her dizziness. She looked around swiftly to make sure


    she was in her own room. When she got a positive answer from the familiar furnishings, she could only


    let out a sigh of relief.


    "Gregory sent you home. Don''t you remember?" Jared replied. "I remember him saying that he ran into


    your brother and handed you over to him," he continued. "Tomboy, since when do you have a brother?


    Howe I didn''t know that?" Jared asked in an intrigued tone.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ''Brother? What brother?'' she thought. ''I, myself, don''t even know that I have one, '' she continued, lost


    in the words she had just heard. Suddenly, a wild guess popped into her mind. ''Wait. Could it be


    Carlos?'' Her mind started ying pictures of what could''ve happened. ''Could it really be him? Did


    Gregory meet him?'' she continued frantically.


    Thinking of the huge possibility, Debbie sat up on the bed. ''Did Carlos know that I was drunk? Did that


    scumbag take advantage of me?''


    In an instant, she lifted the covers and looked at herself. "Oh, thank God!" she eximed when she


    found that she was still wearing yesterday''s clothes. Things from the night before were only a blur in


    her head.


    "Tomboy?" Jared asked. "Yoohoo! Debbie? Why aren''t you talking? Are you there?" Worried, he looked


    over the phone and saw that the call was still connected. ''Howe she is not answering? Could it be


    that she fell asleep again?'' Jared continued to wonder, not knowing the facts fromst night.

 Chapter 27 Headquarters Of ZL Group

    Chapter 27 Headquarters Of ZL Group


    "Yeah, I''m here," Debbie replied on the phone. The worrieddy was too distracted to pay attention to


    her conversation with Jared. All she wanted to know was whether she would be berated by Carlos for


    getting drunk. Would he punish her for it? The man, after all, had been poking his nose in everything


    these days.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Lifting the covers off her, Debbie jumped out of the bed, and said, "I''m sorry, Jar. I have to go. Talk to


    youter." Then she hung up the phone without waiting for Jared to reply, running to the bathroom with


    her head feeling as though it were being split in half.


    ''What should I do next? Revolt? Apologize?'' Debbie pondered in the tub.


    If she revolted, would she end up being buried alive? That did not sound tempting at all. So... what if


    she apologized instead? Would that authoritative aristocrat be merciful? Did he even know how to


    forgive people?


    Thedy continued to mull over the idea, and considered giving it a try. What was there to lose?


    Apologizing certainly felt like the easier choice. If it worked, she would no longer have to look over her


    shoulder anymore.


    Having made up her mind, she finished her bath quickly and went downstairs.


    Julie, who was considering going upstairs to wake her up, was d to see hering down. With a


    pleased look, the servant asked Debbie to take a seat while she brought out her lunch.


    At the dining table, just as she was about to take a bite of her food, an idea suddenly came to her mind.


    ''How about I cook dinner for him tonight and take it to his office myself? Maybe he''ll be so touched by


    the gesture that he won''t have any choice but to forgive me!


    Hmm...'' Grinning, the girl gripped her spoon tightly, and thought to herself, ''That''s brilliant, Deb!''


    The idea just made more sense to her. Come to think of it, Debbie''s current priority was not the divorce,


    but to avoid cutting her life short due to her aristocrat husband.


    Now that it was clear to her, she contemted how to appease her angry husband. It was time to put


    the n into action. Or so she thought.


    The more she thought about it, however, the more challenges crossed her mind. ''Umm...'' Debbie


    thought, frowning a bit. ''The thing is...'' Looking down on herp in embarrassment, she closed her eyes


    and bit her lip. Cooking seemed like a great idea until she realized a small hup which could


    completely influence the results. How could she overlook the key to her n? That, in order to feed


    Carlos food delicious enough to make him forget his name, the first thing she needed to know... was


    how to cook. Luckily, she just thought of the best teacher anyone could ask for.


    For a moment, the inexperienced chef-for-a-day hesitated while standing in a corner. Watching Julie in


    her element in the kitchen, Debbie realized how fortunate she was to have someone help her


    aplish her goal. At the same time, everything felt unfamiliar, and yet exciting, to her.


    The whole afternoon, sounds of nging and banging kepting from the kitchen. Sizzling oil flew in


    every direction. Up until that point, Julie never imagined that pans, tes, anddles could be so noisy.


    It was as though a war were taking ce in the kitchen.


    By the time it was half past five in the afternoon, the noise in the kitchen finally quieted down. To Julie''s


    relief, the house appeared to be at peace once again.


    Watching Debbie put the food into a meal box, Julie could not help but wipe beads of sweat off her


    forehead as she prayed, ''Please, let it not be poisonous. Please...''


    When Debbie was done with packing everything, she wore a triumphant look. ''That wasn''t so hard now,


    was it?'' she thought proudly.


    The girl put her hands on her hips and took a deep breath. It was time for the final step of her foolproof


    n. Next stop: the headquarters of ZL Group.


    Situated in the busiest area of the city, ZL Group''s astonishing 88-floor main office building towered into


    the sky, linked with the neighboring 66-floor skyscraper by ten-odd aerial arch bridges.


    Apart from ZL Group, more than one thousandpanies from all parts of the world were based there


    as well.


    Debbie had passed by the building so many times, which was one of thendmarks of Y City. Even so,


    had it not been for Emmett sharing thepany address with her, she would not have remembered


    that it was where Carlos worked.


    As far as she knew, ZL Group had businesses in many industries such as high-technology, real estate,


    cosmetics, clothing, and entertainment.


    As the boss of such a colossal group, despite his age, Carlos was highly respected. His sess and


    competence spoke for itself.


    Somewhat in awe, Debbie could only imagine the pressure and responsibilities that came with his


    work.


    When she entered the building while holding the meal box, she ran into some people who had finished


    their work and were on their way out.


    The youngdy wore a white shirt underneath her coat, partnered with a pair of jeans and white


    sneakers while her purple hair was in a bun. A single nce at her was all it took to guess that she was


    a college student. Her young and vigorous vibe even convinced some onlookers that she might still be


    in high school.


    Such a lovely girl did not often frequent their building, and hence, she was hard to miss. As more and


    more people stepped out of their offices, some of them began to wonder whom the girl was visiting


    there.


    "Excuse me, miss, how can I help you?" Rhonda Wang, who was a secretary, asked at the front desk


    when she noticed that Debbie was looking around like a lost child. The more mature woman warily


    sized her up and down.


    "I''m here for Carlos Huo," Debbie answered nonchntly. As soon as that name came out of her


    mouth, everyone who was within earshot turned to gaze at her in bewilderment.


    ''Who is this girl? What''s the nature of her rtionship with Boss? Nobody has dared to call him by his


    full name, '' Rhonda Wang wondered. Wherever Carlos was concerned, people addressed him as


    respectfully as they could. Therefore, it was always either Mr. Huo or Sir... never Carlos Huo.


    "Are you a fan of Mr. Huo''s?" Rhonda Wang asked, her chin raised. There was a hint of contempt in


    her smile. Before the young university student could reply, she spoke again. "I''m sorry. Mr. Huo is very


    busy. I''m afraid he does not have time to meet fans today."


    Tens, sometimes even hundreds of people, came to see the influential man every day. But as their


    boss'' status was beyond average people''s dreams, not everyone was fortunate enough to be graced


    with his presence. ''And certainly, not a university student like this girl, '' Rhonda Wang thought to


    herself.


    "I''m not his fan," Debbie was quick to answer. "I''m his... family." Few people were aware that she was


    married to Carlos. And with divorce on the table at any given moment, she did not see the point in


    having to disclose that information.


    This time, Rhonda Wang burst intoughter. Sarcasm and scorn were written all over her face, and she


    did not even bother to conceal them. "Young girl, it''s wrong to lie. Mr. Huo''s family is in the U.S. taking


    care of thepany over there. Everybody knows it." The secretary sneered, and continued, "Next


    time youe up with a lie, be prepared."


    After deriding Debbie, the older woman cast an impatient nce at her and waved her hand as though


    she were telling her to leave.


    Debbie could not help but narrow her eyes at the woman. "I''m not lying," she said. "Why don''t you just


    call him if you don''t believe?" The contempt on Rhonda Wang''s face provoked Debbie, and she was


    not about to let it go. She thought, ''Is everyone here so judgmental?"


    Crossing her arms over her chest, Rhonda Wang stared at Debbie coldly and questioned, "Family? If


    you truly are Mr. Huo''s family, why don''t you give him a call?"


    Despite Debbie''s insistence, the secretary still did not believe her. She was, therefore, left with no


    choice but to find another way to convince Rhonda Wang. Gritting her teeth, Debbie dialed Philip''s


    number.


    The secretary''s expression shifted as she watched Debbie with a raised eyebrow. ''Oh, she''s really


    calling someone, '' Rhonda Wang thought to herself. ''I wonder who it is. She better not be pulling my


    leg or else.''


    As soon as Philip answered her call, Debbie said, "Philip, I''m at Carlos''pany right now, but there is


    this olddy who wouldn''t let me go upstairs." Without having to look at Rhonda Wang, she could


    anticipate how twisted her face was at that moment when she heard Debbie call her "olddy". ''Serves


    her right, '' Debbie thought. This was her sweet revenge for Rhonda Wang looking down on her.


    The moment Debbie hung up the phone, the shocked secretary bawled, "Whom did you call olddy?


    I''m under thirty. You really need to work on your people skills, little girl!" A brazen glint appeared in her


    eyes. "You might be under thirty," Debbie agreed, nodding mockingly, "but the way you talk to people


    make you sound like you''re over forty." ''Maybe you are lucky to work in such a bigpany, but it


    doesn''t make you better than anyone else. Someone has to tell you that. It might as well be me, ''


    Debbie thought as she watched Rhonda Wang sputter an incoherent response.


    Blinking furiously, Rhonda Wang sneered, "Didn''t you call someone? Well, nothing has happened so


    far. From where I stand, no one cares." The moment she finished talking, however, the phone on the


    front desk rang. Her heart started racing nervously; her face turned as pale as a ghost. ''Does she really


    know Mr. Huo?'' she thought.


    Scared stiff that the call might be from Carlos, she trotted to the front desk at once. When she saw the


    caller ID, she almost stumbled backward. Her heart jumped to her mouth; it was from the CEO''s office.


    Throwing a nce at Debbie, she gulped upon seeing the youngdy''s triumphant look. It seemed she


    might have messed with the wrong person.


    "Hi, Mr. Huo," she greeted, managing a nervous smile.


    "Send her up," Carlos uttered, his voice as icy cold as ever. Although it was brief, Rhonda Wang felt a


    little dizzy. Her legs went numb and she could no longer move from her spot. To prevent herself from


    falling, she had to cling to the desk hastily.


    ''Oh my goodness! Mr. Huo has called the reception himself. He rarely does that! I''m screwed, '' the


    secretary wailed inwardly. "Yes, sir," she responded, controlling her voice from being shrill. Her hands


    trembled as she hung up the phone. So nervous she was, that she had to ce the phone several


    times before doing it right. Then, she took a deep breath. The woman who seemed like she was having


    a panic attack repeated a breathing exercise which she knew could calm her nerves. In this industry,


    there was hardly room for mistakes. Yet it seemed like she might have justmitted a grave one.


    Although Debbie was standing near the front desk, it took Rhonda Wang more than ten seconds to


    walk to her. Her shaking legs betrayed her calm facade, but Debbie refrained from voicing out her


    observation. "Hello, Miss. Pleasee with me," Rhonda Wang said in a respectful manner. All of a


    sudden, the atmosphere seemed to change and everything was more cheerful than it had been a few


    moments ago. This shift in her behavior did not go unnoticed by Debbie, but she let the secretary


    drown in her anxieties for a bit more and did not offer anything else but a small nod.


    ''Crap! Am I going to lose my job?'' Rhonda Wang thought as she led Debbie to the elevator. While


    waiting for the elevator, she stole a nce at the mysterious youngdy who appeared to be tranquil.


    "Um," Rhonda Wang began, "I''m so sorry. I didn''t know who you are. Please---"


    "You don''t need to exin. I understand. So many peoplee here every day asking to see Mr. Huo,"


    Debbie interrupted her, a smile ying on her lips. The secretary seemed to have learned her lesson


    so Debbie decided to stop torturing the woman with her silence. It was not her fault, after all, that she


    did not know her. What simply irked Debbie was that the older woman should not have looked down on


    people she had never met before.


    Her reply surprised Rhonda Wang. When people who had the luxury of meeting Carlos were offended


    by those beneath them, they often resorted to dishing out harsher treatments. The secretary looked at


    Debbie and thought, ''Has she forgiven me so easily?''


    "I''m really sorry. I won''t do that again," Rhonda Wang still apologized. For two years, she had been


    working as a secretary at the front desk for ZL Group. During this long arduous period, she had learned


    how to deal with problems.

 Chapter 28 The Apologetic Meal

    Chapter 28 The Apologetic Meal


    After carefully considering her reaction earlier, Debbie realized that she did not mean to give the


    secretary a hard time. So when Carlos'' employee apologized to her like her life might have depended


    on her forgiveness, she simply nodded and said, "It''s okay. Which floor is his office on?" Then, she


    shrugged, and added, "I can go there myself." Her tone was much friendlier than earlier. It was enough


    to reassure Rhonda that the mysterious youngdy had no intentions of having her fired from her job.


    She shook her head and insisted, "No, Miss. I was instructed by Mr. Huo himself that I needed to


    apany you upstairs." At ZL Group, the CEO''s requests were orders that no employee dared to


    defy. In simple terms, whatever Carlos wanted, he would get it one way or another.


    Sensing the nervous tone in Rhonda''s voice, Debbie could tell that she was afraid of Carlos too. That


    was a piece of information which did not surprise her at all.


    The man wore a stern expression most of the time. It would be more of a surprise if someone imed


    the opposite and that Carlos could not hurt a fly.


    In Debbie''s opinion, most people feared Carlos like Jared and she did. Both of them, for the record,


    were usually hell-raisers. In front of Carlos, however, they would quickly be as timid as mice.


    The secretary seemed determined to do her job, so Debbie nodded and followed her to the 66th floor.


    As much as it was spacious, the whole floor was rather quiet. Perhaps it had something to do with the


    fact that it was time for many employees to clock out, but Debbie sure felt like the ce was as silent


    as a graveyard at midnight. Next to the CEO''s office was a small area consisting of several desks, and


    on the door was a clear sign which read, "Office of the CEO''s Secretaries".


    Unlike her presumptions earlier, five people were still working in the office, and through the ss, she


    could see a sixth seat which was vacant at the moment. It took Debbie a lot of effort not to exim her


    awe. Carlos, the CEO of ZL Group, had six secretaries! Then it urred to her that, as the boss of


    such a hugepany, Carlos probably had tons of work to handle every day. It was only appropriate


    that he needed so many secretaries.


    A man wearing sses got out of his chair, and walked to them when he saw Rhonda with ady he


    had yet to meet. "Hi, Rhonda. This is...?" Although he could not put his finger on it, the man thought


    Debbie looked rather familiar.


    For someone who appeared to be in his twenties, he looked like a model student at university. With a


    smile lingering on his face, it was difficult to see him as anything else but a nice person.


    Shooting Debbie an awkward look, Rhonda turned to the man and replied courteously, "Tristan, this


    lady is here for Mr. Huo."


    In spite of Rhonda''s efforts to introduce thedy, Tristan was too distracted by Debbie''s bewitching


    smile to pay attention. But soon enough, he was back to being professional. "Hello, miss. Nice to meet


    you. Please, follow me," he said, politely gesturing with his hand towards the CEO''s office. Offering a


    small smile, Debbie followed Tristan while Rhonda stayed behind. The youngdy could tell that the


    older woman was relieved to pass her over to Tristan.


    Upon reaching the door, the male secretary knocked on the door lightly. "Come in," came Carlos'' deep,


    cold voice.


    Instinctively, Debbie clutched the meal box close to her. Of all the times when she could lose her nerve,


    it just had to be at a point when she was halfway through the final step of her n.


    Would he be displeased to see her? There was a chance where Carlos would get so angry that he


    might grab the divorce papers and sign them at once. Then again, he could be in such a good mood


    that he might dly agree to let her out of the marriage.


    Her mind, a little all over the ce, was filled with so many questions as she walked into Carlos'' office.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    The office was at least 300 square meters, decorated from the furniture to its walls in shades of ck,


    white, and gray.


    A state-of-the-art, high-tech desk was ced by the window. In front of it, were a white sofa and a ss


    table. Against a wall was a wine cab and on the opposite side was a bookshelf with a water


    dispenser next to it. In spite of its enormous space, the ce looked clean and simple with its


    minimalist style.


    On the left side was an indoor golf court. Some famous paintings and calligraphy were hung on the


    wall. Meanwhile, on the right side was the CEO''s private lounge.


    When Carlos raised his head from what he had been working on, he saw the girl at the door. A faint


    light flickered in his eyes at the sight of her.


    Putting down the pen, he stared at Debbie who was looking around curiously. The youngdy''s


    attention was on everything else in the room but him.


    When she felt his eyes on her, she paused from her subtle exploration of the room and withdrew her


    gaze from its decoration. After hearing Tristan close the door behind her, she took a few steps towards


    him.


    During that short moment, she tried to calm herself down. Once she did, she remarked, "Um, Carlos


    Huo." Immediately, she remembered Rhonda''s and everyone else''s reactions earlier and corrected


    herself, "Oh, I''m sorry. I mean, Sir. I''m sorry to interrupt you. It''s just that... er, I made this at home. I''d


    like it if you could have a taste."


    Carlos raised an eyebrow in disbelief. What was she up to? Was this her way of apologizing? After


    their previous encounters, he had the impression that she was a very stubborn, feisty girl. She did not


    seem like the type to back down from a fight. Certainly not from him. So why was she apologizing to


    him all of a sudden? Was it all just some borate trick?


    And... well, could the girl even cook? All the questions that lingered in his mind as she stood before


    Carlos made him remember something from the past. The day they had registered for marriage, Carlos


    recalled, he had told Philip that the girl did not have to do anything, and that as his wife, she was to be


    treated like a queen.


    There was no pressure for Debbie to learn household chores or anything that required putting her


    hands to work. If that had been the case these past few years, then why did she feel the need to learn


    how to cook? Was it one of her hobbies? Because Philip had never mentioned it in his reports.


    For a long moment, Carlos did not say anything in response. His silence made thedy very nervous.


    ''What the hell does this mean?'' she thought frantically.


    ''Is he angry? Does he not want me to show up here?''


    The possibility of herst thought made her feel a bit embarrassed. Regardless, she opened the


    thermal meal box anyway, and said, "As soon as you try everything, I will leave right away."


    But Carlos wasn''tpletely listening any more. The moment she opened the box, a burnt smell filled


    the room -- and hence, Carlos caught a whiff of it.


    Wincing, Carlos thought, ''What was that? Did she even check if it was edible?''


    Debbie caught the man''s expression. ''A frown? Why is he frowning? He has not even tasted it yet. Was


    it because it does not look good?''


    She sped her hands together and began to exin, "It may look awful but it tastes good." ''She''s


    right, '' Carlos thought. ''It does look awful.'' "Julie had tasted it and she said the same. It''s really good.


    You should have a try," Debbie persisted. For tonight''s mission, she did not even eat the dishes herself


    so there would be plenty for him.


    Disregarding the mildly horrified look on his face, Debbie took the chopsticks out from the meal box and


    handed them to him.


    Initially, he was hesitant to ept them, but the expectant look on her face made him decide not to


    disappoint her.


    Once he did, Debbie started to introduce the dishes excitedly. "This is Dongpo tofu. Well, this is um...


    Why is it ck? Um, it''s supposed to be red braised pork." She looked at the burnt dish and giggled at


    Carlos, embarrassed.


    "This one," she went on, pointing at another dish, "is supposed to be stewed pork ball in brown sauce.


    Howe it''s ck too?" Her voice trailed off as she examined her cooking. The food did not seem to


    have looked that way earlier. Not to her anyway.


    Due to Carlos'' taste in food, his extensive experience with different cuisine prepared by brilliant chefs


    across the world... Debbie''s dishes did not appeal to him at all. They looked so hideous that he did not


    have to taste them to know that the taste would not be good.


    "Oh, oh, I know this one. These are boiled shrimps. They didn''t be ck," she eximed


    excitedly. ''Of course, these wouldn''t be ck. All you needed to do was throw them in a pot and boil


    them, '' Carlos thought to himself.


    His hand holding the chopsticks felt like it had been tied to a stone; it was too heavy to lift. But Debbie


    prattled on. "Carlos Huo, this is the first time I have cooked. I-I came here to apologize. Last night..."


    She lowered her head. The look in the man''s eyes dimmed. Her next words somehow made him feel


    relieved like a thorn had been removed from his heart.


    "I shouldn''t have gotten drunk. I won''t cause you any more trouble in the future. Will you forgive me?"


    She widened her innocent eyes, putting on another expectant look while staring at Carlos. The man


    remained silent the entire time she talked.


    Finally, he nodded. Her eyes were filled with surprise and joy. Somehow, seeing her so happy made


    him feel happy too. At the moment, there were no words to exin the logic behind the connection.


    Simply put, the youngdy''s delight lightened up the mood in the room, and he was more than fine with


    it.


    "You haven''t taken a bite yet," she suddenly said. Uh-oh. He had thought that she had forgotten about


    the dishes. Quite frankly, he had nearly forgotten about them himself.


    Among all the dishes, the shrimps were the only one that seemed like they would not give him a


    stomachache. So he decided to pick up a shrimp.


    But before his chopsticks could lift one from the meal box, she put her hand on the chopsticks and said,


    "Shrimps need peeling. Peeling is rather time-consuming. Better leave this one forst. Try the other


    dishes first."


    Carlos'' face darkened. Dropping the shrimp and picking up a lump of red braised pork, he put it into his


    mouth, and slowly chewed.


    His face froze -- and as much as he tried to refrain from doing so, he still ended up spitting it out into


    the bin.


    ''Gosh! She calls that thing red braised pork?'' the shocked CEO thought. ''What was that taste? Hard to


    say. It was bitter, salty and... just weird.''


    After wiping his mouth with a clean tissue, he grabbed the ss of water on his desk and gulped it all


    down. The taste was still stuck in his mouth.


    Puzzled, the naive youngdy watched his reaction. "Is it that bad?" she asked genuinely.


    Looking into her innocent eyes, Carlos said coldly, "Are you really here to apologize? Because I think


    you are really here to provoke me." His first suspicion earlier was right. The youngdy standing before


    him was the same girl he had to deal with in the past, be it on the cruiser or in the club, or any other


    time. She was the same as she had always been. How gullible of him to briefly believe that she was


    ever there to make amends for her mistakes!

 Chapter 29 Burnt

    Chapter 29 Burnt


    Debbie''s heart was hammering while she anxiously stammered to exin herself, "That''s not true. My


    apology is sincere. I''m really sorry for offending you..."


    Ever since Carlos moved back into the vi, he was not the mean, old womanizer he used to be; he


    was a changed man. He acted like a responsible adult and paid full attention to Debbie''s daily needs.


    Debbie reminded herself all the time to stop being so headstrong with him. Perhaps if she made more


    of an effort to get along with him, he would get off her back.


    Carlos interrupted her impatiently. "Enough. Now go away. You are forbidden to go into the kitchen ever


    again." When he finished talking, he produced a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mouth


    gracefully.


    ''But why?'' Debbie wondered. By now, she already knew better than to anger him again. "Got it. I''m


    sorry for disturbing your work." Debbie expelled her curiosity and answered like a good girl.


    After picking up the meal box, Debbie made her way to the door. Before stepping out of the office, she


    looked back and asked, "Um, Carlos Huo, could you sign the divorce papers?"


    "So, that''s what all this was about." Just as he had anticipated, she was up to something. ''I knew she


    wouldn''t just turn into this friendly, polite girl for no reason, '' he sneered inwardly.


    Now that Carlos had seen through her facade, Debbie decided toe out with the truth. "Yes, it is. I


    just want the divorce. Why else did you think I did all of this?" In truth, Debbie had been grateful to


    Carlos before they had a falling-out. After all, he had financially supported her for three years.


    Unfortunately, their recent unpleasant encounters had left a terrible impression on her. All the gratitude


    she had for him had evaporated.


    "I told you to ask my grandfather''s permission, if you want a divorce. I''ll sign the papers as long as he


    says it''s okay."


    Carlos'' reply infuriated Debbie so much that she dashed towards his desk. But eventually, she


    clenched her fists to stop her temper from ring. "How can aatose patient give consent to


    anything?" she eximed.


    "That''s not my problem. Now get out!"


    he warned with a stern look on his face. Rendered speechless, Debbie turned around and walked out


    of the room.


    Carlos was filled withplex emotions even after she had closed the door behind her. Wisps of


    burning smell lingered the air and drifted into his nose.


    Feeling restless, he got up and opened the windows to let the smell out. With a cigarette in one hand,


    he sent for Tristan. "I want a detailed report on Debbie Nian''s background. Don''t leave out anything,"


    Carlos ordered.


    "Debbie Nian?" Tristan was puzzled.


    Carlos cast a cold nce at him before he took out a marriage certificate from the drawer and tossed it


    on the desk.


    Tristan picked it up to have a closer look. When he saw the photos and the names written on the side,


    all of a sudden, the puzzled expression on his face turned into an open mouthed gasp. ''So, the girl Mr.


    Huo was staring at on TV the day of the marathon and the girl who has just walked out of here is Mrs.


    Huo?''


    Tristan felt overwhelmed by curiosity.


    After leaving Carlos'' office, Debbie got inside the BMW waiting for her in front of the office building. She


    sat in the backseat, unable to get a word out, looking dejected. Matan Wen, her driver, who was a


    veteran in his fifties, smiled at her through the rear-view mirror. "Debbie, did Mr. Huo eat the dinner you


    cooked for him?"


    Debbie shook her head in disappointment and put the meal box aside after closing the door.


    Matan Wen tried tofort her. "Perhaps he had already eaten dinner before you came," he said.


    Debbie didn''t respond. Then she recalled how Carlos had reacted after he had tasted her food. She


    turned her sights towards the meal box, pensively wondering what made him react like that. A few


    momentster, she opened the box, picked up a bit of braised pork and put it in her mouth.


    However, as soon as the food touched her tongue, she spat it out into a tissue, almost immediately.


    Matan Wen chuckled when he understood why Carlos didn''t eat her food, as he watched what the girl,


    who was the same age as his daughter, was doing in the backseat.


    ''Gosh! What is this thing? Did I really cook this?'' Debbie couldn''t believe how bad the food tasted.


    Dismayed, she stared at the burnt meat in the box and finally understood why Carlos had thought that


    she had gone to his office just to further provoke him.


    As if it weren''t bad enough, he might have thought she was trying to poison him. Debbie thought about


    how excited and nervous she had been because it was the first time she had cooked a meal for


    someone. She remembered the pain she had felt when drops of sizzling oil sprinkled onto her hands.


    Now it seemed like it had been a total waste of time.


    It was past 10 p.m.


    After Carlos hade back to the vi from work, he rubbed his stressed temples to rx himself. At


    the entrance, he changed into his slippers in the dim light and went upstairs.


    "Carlos Huo," a quiet voice suddenly came from the kitchen.


    Startled, he widened his eyes with fright. When he saw who it was, Carlos knitted his eyebrows as if he


    had just received some bad news.


    "Dear God, what are you doing here at this hour? Why aren''t you asleep?" he scolded. Debbie sensed


    anger in his tone, but she didn''t know why he was angry. ''What did I do wrong now? Did I frighten him?''


    With that in her mind, she stifled herughter and put on a sulky face beforeing out of the kitchen


    with a ss of hot milk in her hand. Debbie had anticipated that Carlos would be back soon, so she


    hade downstairs to heat up a ss of milk for him. Coincidentally, he came back just as soon as


    the milk was ready.


    "Carlos Huo, this is for you." She handed him the ss of milk with an innocent look on her face.


    He nced at her, feeling a dull ache in his head. "Why didn''t you switch the lights on?" ''She came


    downstairs to heat up milk for me? Could it be poisonous?''


    "I did. I just turned the light off before you walked in," she answered defensively.


    With another doubtful look at her, he thought, ''She isn''t reckless enough to poison me." Then he took


    the ss of milk from her hands and gulped it down.


    "Wait..." she suddenly uttered.


    Before Debbie could even finish her sentence, Carlos rushed to the bin and spat the milk out. Debbie


    reached out and took the ss from his hand nervously.


    What she meant to tell Carlos was that the milk was too hot, but by the time she could say anything, he


    had already gulped it down.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos strode to the dining table with a ck face, and pulled out some tissues to wipe his mouth.


    Debbie tried so hard to stifle herughter that her cheeks became as red as cherries. "You! Go to


    sleep!" Carlosmanded her.


    Debbie opened her mouth, hoping to mention the divorce, but after considering his bad mood, she


    finally decided that it might not be a good time to talk about that topic. Pursing her lips tight, she put the


    ss of milk on the dining table and went to her room meekly.


    Carlos stared at the ss of milk and then shifted his eyes towards her as she made herself scarce.


    After he calmed his nerves he followed up the stairs as well.


    As soon as she got into her bedroom, Debbie burst into wildughter. It was an innocent mistake, but it


    felt good to see the man suffer a bit.


    As the night deepened, Debbie turned and rolled about in bed restlessly. Multiple thoughts cascaded


    like a waterfall in her head.


    ''What do I have to do to get a divorce?


    I have tried to be defiant and failed. I have tried to please him and that didn''t work out either. That man


    is such a piece of work, '' she thought.


    The sound of the door shutting lightly came to her ears from the next room. She looked at the clock to


    check the time. It was 1 a.m.


    ''Does he always work so hard? What if I buy him a nice present tomorrow? Maybe he will be pleased


    and sign the divorce papers.''


    Debbie was convinced that it was a good idea. She invited Kristina and Kasie to shop with her the next


    day through WeChat and finally fell asleep.


    At 7 a.m. the next morning, Carlos was sitting at the dining table by himself, as usual. Julie served


    breakfast, and assuming she wasn''t needed at the table anymore, she turned to leave him alone in the


    dining room.


    "Julie," he called.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," Julie responded.


    "Did she... cook dinner on her own yesterday?" he asked.

 Chapter 30 The Present

    Chapter 30 The Present


    Julie didn''t understand what Carlos meant at first. But soon, she remembered what had happened in


    the kitchen the day before. ''Did Debbie really take the meal to Mr. Huo''s office? Why is he asking about


    the dinner? Was he displeased by it?'' she wondered pensively.


    Afraid of the possibility that Carlos was angry at Debbie, Julie replied at once, "Mr. Huo, to make sure


    that the dishes tasted good, Debbie cooked every dish several times. She even suffered a few minor


    burns because of the hot, boiling oil."


    Julie felt that even though the dishes tasted awful, Debbie had worked hard on them; it was her good


    intentions that counted.


    ''Got burnt? Was her apology sincere?'' The anger in his eyes disappeared as soon as he heard Julie''s


    words.


    "Noted." Carlos nodded and started eating his breakfast.


    The stress marks on his face softened. Julie breathed out a sigh of relief and headed back to the


    kitchen.


    After lunch, Debbie got dressed and left the vi.


    Debbie, Kasie, and Kristina wandered around to pick out a present for Carlos. They walked out of


    Dubhe Building and went straight to Merak Building, arm in arm.


    "Tomboy, what exactly do you have in mind?" They had been to a few shops for fashionable men''s


    wear, trendy shoes, and expensive watches, but nothing piqued Debbie''s interest. If she kept


    wandering around, refusing to buy anything, Kristina would start suspecting that Debbie was wandering


    around for hot guys instead of a present.


    In fact, the real problem was money. Debbie had been saving up, but her savings were far from enough


    to afford a decent present for Carlos. "Let''s look a little longer," she said.


    Kasie leaned on Kristina listlessly, rolling her eyes. "Debbie, my sweet, sweet Debbie, we have been


    wandering around for two hours now and you haven''t bought anything." All the while, she and Kristina,


    on the other hand, carried a couple of bags each. Some were clothes, but the rest were mostly


    cosmetics.


    "He is so rich, he doesn''t need anything. What am I supposed to buy him?" Debbie was in a dilemma.


    "Is it his birthday?" Kristina asked. Debbie had told them she was shopping for a present for a friend,


    but they knew she was hiding something from them.


    "Nope," Debbie answered.


    Kristina rolled her eyes at her. "Since it''s not his birthday, why do you suddenly want to give him a


    present?"


    Debbie returned her a stare, but she wasn''t going to answer her question. She was too embarrassed to


    tell them that the present was for Carlos and it was an apologetic present for offending him earlier. "Spit


    it out," the other girls demanded and stretched their arms towards her to give her the bags. Debbie took


    the bags sullenly.


    Kasie instantly felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her and she felt much happier because


    of it. "Debbie, seriously, it doesn''t matter how much the present is worth. It is the thought that counts,"


    she remarked.


    Debbie considered it for a moment and replied, "That sounds about right. I know what I should get him


    now."


    She handed the bags back to her friends and started walking back.


    "Hey, Debbie. What kind of friend are you?" Kristina yelled as she ran after her angrily.


    While the two girls walked farther and farther away, Kasie lowered her head with disappointment.


    Although she was very tired, she quickened her pace and followed them since she didn''t want to be left


    behind.


    Debbie remembered an embroidered box she had spotted lying in a showcase earlier, the contents of


    which had caught her attention. Before long, she walked back into the store that sold suits.


    "Wee to Enjoy!" the shop assistant greeted warmly as soon as the customers stepped in.


    Debbie smiled at her and pointed at the embroidered box in the showcase. "I''d like to have a look at


    that one, please."


    The woman fetched the box without hesitation and handed it to Debbie. "There is a brooch and a cor


    pin inside this box. Both are made of sapphire. Miss, are you looking for a present for your boyfriend?


    You have keen eyes. Every item in the box is uniquely designed and specially made to order."


    When she heard the word ''sapphire'', Debbie''s eyes went straight towards the price tag. One hundred


    and eighty-eight thousand!


    Her entire savings were just less than two hundred thousand.


    Debbie was hesitant. She thought about it for a long time before she finally pressed her lips and made


    up her mind. However, just as she was looking around to search for the shop assistant, she heard a


    familiar voice from behind her. "Wrap up the essories I just looked at."


    ''Jail Mu? Son of a gun!'' Debbie felt as if she had found a dead fly in her soup. She ignored Gail, and


    turned around to walk towards the cashier''s desk with the embroidered box in her hand. Much to her


    surprise, the shop assistant stopped her in her tracks.


    "I''m sorry miss, but the otherdy has already agreed to purchase this," she said to Debbie


    apologetically.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ''What? Jail Mu wants the same thing as me? Since when does she have such good taste?'' Debbie


    mused, annoyed.


    Gail noticed the embroidered box in Debbie''s hand. Having just realized what had happened, she


    sneered and said, "Debbie, luck is not on your side today. I saw that box first." In truth, Gail had no


    intentions of spending money on the items in the store, but now that she had the chance to snatch


    something from Debbie, the price didn''t matter at all.


    Just at that moment, Kasie and Kristina arrived at the scene. As soon as they saw Debbie, they started


    comining.


    "Tomboy, why did you run so fast? The present wasn''t going to fly away," Kasie said, as she gasped for


    air.


    "That''s right. Look. My fingers are all red from carrying these bags, and you didn''t even help me."


    Kristina held out her hands in front of Debbie for her to look.


    Debbie ignored her friends and focused on Gail instead. "I saw it, too. And I like it. Ask the shop


    assistant to bring you another one."


    Only then did Kasie and Kristina notice Gail who was a self-proimed ''it'' girl at school.


    Finding herself in an awkward predicament, the shop assistant felt embarrassed. "I''m sorry,dies. All


    our products are limited editions. This is the only set that''s avable." All their products were exquisite.


    Apart from the shirts, which they had doubles of in their inventory, all other products were single items.


    Upon hearing the shop assistant''s words, Debbie said nothing and went straight to the cashier''s desk.


    "Be quick," she said to the cashier, handing her the bank card.


    Gail rushed towards the cashier''s desk and put her hand on the box. "Debbie, I saw it first. Why don''t


    you just pick another one?" She spoke in a fake coy voice, but her eyes were staring at Debbie


    resentfully.


    Kristina felt goosebumps all over her body. "Hey, Gail. Can''t you just speak normally? I''ve got


    goosebumps here," she shouted.


    The other shop assistants all beganughing at Kristina''s joke. Gail cast her a fiery re. "Kristina, this


    is none of your business. Keep your nose out of this," she retorted.


    Kristina curled up her lips and turned her head away. Not only was Gail a self-proimed "it" girl, she


    was also a snitch. Kristina never took a fancy to talking with her, so she sat down to rest and didn''t


    want to say another word to Gail.


    Debbie pped Gail''s hand away and pushed her aside. "Why didn''t you buy it earlier? Now I have my


    eyes on it," she dered unequivocally.


    Gail was alone; while on her opposing side, there were three of them. Needless to say, the situation


    was not to her advantage. Gritting her teeth furiously, she took out her phone and called her boyfriend.


    After all, the mall was his turf!


    "Victor, pleasee to Enjoy Suit Shop on the third floor. Someone is bullying me," she urged coyly,


    with an extremely soft voice, which made Debbie cringe. It was a wonder how Gail managed to turn


    into such an innocent, weak girl in an instant.


    ''Hmph! Calling backup? No big deal. I don''t give a damn, '' Debbie thought to herself. "Settle the


    ount!" Debbie demanded and red at the cashier with an intense look on her face. However, the


    cashier was still hesitant. The name Victor rang a bell. She had heard it before. Was he the vice-


    general manager of the mall? She wasn''t sure about it. But if he was who she thought he was, how


    could she afford to offend him?

 Chapter 31 Who Bullied My Girlfriend

    Chapter 31 Who Bullied My Girlfriend


    When the cashier hesitated to take her card, Debbie lost her patience and snapped, "Didn''t you hear


    me? I said, take my card and give me the receipt!" The truth was, she felt bad that she had to direct her


    anger at the cashier as she knew why the woman behind the counter was unwilling to do her job; she


    must have known whom Gail had called.


    "Miss, I''m sorry, but could you please wait a minute? Thatdy¡­ she seemed to have called the vice-


    general manager of our mall," the cashier exined while looking back and forth between Debbie and


    Gail. She had no idea what was happening. All she knew was that she wanted to offend neither of the


    customers.


    ''Huh? The vice-general manager of Shining International za? What''s the big deal? My husband is


    the owner," she retorted in private.


    She walked towards Gail with an irritated expression and said in a sarcastic tone, "How many times


    have you been to the dean''s office? Did you think I was stupid? I know you were the one who snitched


    on me. If I could, I would tear that mask off your face, but I''m simply too busy to be bothered right now.


    We both know that does not mean I''m afraid of you. Fortunately for you, I had been in no mood to have


    open disputes with you regarding the matter, even though you kept stabbing me in the back. You won


    thest time. But if you think carrying on with that attitude is going to keep giving me losses, then you


    better get ready. I''m warning you, Gail Mu. If you dare provoke me one more time, I''ll make sure you''re


    on the losing end."


    Gail turned pale upon hearing Debbie''s threats. She knew that the feisty girl before her was not afraid


    of her at all -- if she had to be taken down, she would be. She shuddered at the thought that she was


    arguing with someone who was not afraid of anyone.


    "What kind of nonsense are you spewing now? I didn''t tell the dean anything!" Gail denied, hoping to


    escape Debbie''s wrath. That was her strategy; she would refuse any usations against her, knowing


    full well that Debbie had no concrete proof that she was the one who had told on her.


    However, the nervous look on her face had already given her away. Her voice had begun to tremble


    whenever she would try to exin herself. Debbie, who was already expecting Gail''s reaction, shed


    a mocking smile and silently cursed the bitch. "For the sake of your parents, I will not be beating you up


    today. Instead, for thest time, I''m going to tell you that this cor pin is mine, so you better choose


    another one. Otherwise, you know you''ll be walking out of here limp," Debbie warned her. She had her


    arms crossed before her chest, projecting a demeanor and gesture of someone who was fearless.


    Kristina and Kasie giggled behind Debbie because they knew that their friend was just bluffing. Debbie


    could be a little tetchy but she had a tender heart.


    Debbie would not really beat Gail up because the girl going against her was her aunt''s daughter -- they


    were in fact cousins by blood, so she was actually quite tolerant of her cousin; even after what Gail had


    done to Debbie, thetter had still begged Carlos not to get her cousin expelled.


    However, Gail did not share the same sentiment as her rtive. She got pissed off and yelled, "Who do


    you think you are? Don''t think that I don''t know your dirty little secret. The BMW you''re riding? It must


    be from your sugar daddy, huh? The guy must be old. I don''t think the cor pin will suit him." She


    made her voice louder than ever on purpose so that everyone could hear what she was on about.


    Rumor had it that Debbie had a sugar daddy, and almost all the students in the university believed it to


    be true.


    Gail believed that only a sessful businessman like her boyfriend deserved that pin they were


    arguing to purchase, and she would, by no means, give it up to Debbie.


    The people surrounding them all turned to look at Debbie with judgmental and condemning eyes.


    When Debbie noticed that everyone around her had chosen to trust her spoiled cousin''s statement, she


    heavily banged her palm on the counter, making a thump loud enough to silence the people chattering


    and murmuring about her.


    All of a sudden, Kasie rushed towards the rumor-mongering girl. She was fuming when she said


    through gritted teeth, "Do you think I don''t know what you''ve done to Debbie behind her back? How


    dare you make up stories to frame her? Are you appealing to death? Apologize to Debbie, now!"


    The girl before the enraged friend knew what Kasie was talking about. She had made up a story that


    Debbie was a lesbian.


    She was backed up in a corner and did not know what to do. Luckily for her, a man in a ck suit and


    leather shoes entered the shop.


    He was in his thirties and he looked very frail as he was thin as a stick. Nevertheless, he was Gail''s


    savior. ''Who is this guy? How is he rted to Gail?'' the trio thought to themselves in wonder.


    Gail''s eyes lit up when she saw the man. She gave him a pitiful look before throwing herself into his


    arms. "Victor, you''re finally here. I was scared to death."


    ''Scared to death? By me? Am I a rabid animal? It''s not like I really came after her, '' Debbie thought.


    The fierce girl rolled her eyes.


    The man, Victor Liu, patted his girl''s back and consoled her for a while.


    He then walked towards the saledies. "Who bullied my girlfriend?" he asked in a stern voice. The


    saledies, who were afraid of both parties, shook their heads immediately, pretending not to know in


    order to not get involved.


    When the trio realized that the man who had stood up for Gail was her boyfriend, they exchanged


    nces in shock and disbelief, for the man Gail was with was at least ten years older than her.


    Debbie covered her face, feeling embarrassed for her cousin. She did not expect her to be so


    shameless to the point of finding herself a sugar daddy.


    Her heart ached for her aunt and uncle; had they known about this, their hearts would break. She lost


    all will and drive to argue. All she could set her mind on now was telling her aunt about what she had


    found out when she met her next time. All she had to do now was pay the bill. She turned to the cashier


    and once again demanded that her item be packed for purchase.


    However, the cashier still remained silent and refused Debbie''s card -- the man was the vice-general of


    the mall, after all. She did not want to risk losing her job over such a petty quarrel.


    "Victor, I saw the pin first and wanted to buy it for you as a birthday gift. But by the time I had gotten out


    of thedy''s room, she already had it in possession." Gail pointed to her cousin and pouted her mouth.


    Victor Liu was ted at Gail''s words as he loved the expensive gift.


    Debbie cursed her own cousin inside her mind, ''Fuck you, Jail Mu!'' "Shame on you for being such a big


    liar. I saw it first! Besides, if you were the first one to see it, then why didn''t you buy it in the first ce?


    Admit it; you just want to mess with me!" the fuming girl said.


    It was not until then that Debbie caught the attention of Victor Liu. His eyes lit up when he saw her


    pretty face. A dirty smile began to form on his face. ''Damn it! If I had seen her first, then I wouldn''t have


    addressed Gail as my girlfriend, '' he thought to himself.


    "Miss, could you please let my girlfriend have the item? I will find you another nice pin. What do you


    think of it?" the man bargained while looking at Debbie from head to toe. He had never seen anyone so


    pure, and being a creep, he thought, ''She must be a virgin.''


    Upon seeing how disgusting the man was when he looked at her, Debbie almost threw up and turned


    his offer down without any hesitation. "No, I only want this one. No one in here can force me to give it


    up," Debbie rified.


    The two parties had run into a dead end. Victor Liu found that Gail was tearing up and then turned to


    Debbie to beg her, "Miss¡­"


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Before he could even finish his sentence, Debbie interrupted and eximed, "Pack that for me or I''ll


    sue the shit out of you and this store!" She gave the cashier a deadly re which caused the woman to


    finally reach out to take her card.


    Victor Liu had gone red from the anger caused by being disrespected by the young girl. "Don''t sell it to


    her! I''m the vice-general manager of the mall and you do as I say!"


    While what he said was true, he never really got to the top of his position without his father''s funding.


    Shining International za was under the ZL Group, and had done well. Thus, his father had spent a


    lot of money to make him the vice-general manager of the mall.


    Debbie gave the man a scornful gaze and mocked him, "Vice-general manager? So what? You think


    I''m buying it?" ''My husband is the CEO of the ZL Group! Have I ever shown off like that?'' the ferocious


    girl retorted inwardly.


    Victor Liu was absolutely livid about it and turned to the cashier demanding, "Pack the item for my


    girlfriend! She is going to take it. And do your job. Let her pay the bill."


    ''What the fuck? Is Gail really his girlfriend? He doesn''t even pay for her expenses!'' Kasie thought as


    she crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.


    "Yes, Mr. Liu," the cashier obeyed. She then set aside Debbie''s card and turned to Gail''s direction.


    Gail immediately took out her wallet to pay for the cor pin and the brooch, but before she could do


    that Debbie was already mad to the point that there was no turning back anymore.


    She snatched her cousin''s wallet and threw it out of the store.


    Gail looked at her cousin in utter disbelief. "Bitch, what did you just do? Why did you do that?"


    eximed the enraged girl.


    The wallet, which contained fortunes, attracted so much attention that a crowd began to form around it.

 Chapter 32 Tomboy What The Hell

    Chapter 32 Tomboy What The Hell


    "Are you seriously asking me why I threw your wallet out? You obviously wanted to snatch the cor pin


    that I wanted to buy! I''ve already had enough of your dirty little tricks. If you ever dare mess with me


    again, I swear you will get more than this! I''ll definitely beat you up!" Debbie said, shouting so loudly


    that her voice grabbed the attention of many mall-goers. After saying this, she shook her fist that made


    Gail''s face turn pale. Intimidated by her, she dodged Debbie''s eyes and ran out to pick up her wallet.


    When Victor saw his girlfriend getting bullied, he pointed to Debbie and threatened in a harsh voice, "If


    you dare bully my baby again, I will ask the guards to throw you out of the mall." Gail looked like a little


    girl helplessly picking up her wallet in front of the crowd.


    Despite hearing his threat, Debbie only rolled her eyes and said in a nonchnt tone, "Help yourself.


    Go ahead and do whatever you like." She had never been a push-over. She wasn''t afraid of anyone in


    this world.


    This attitude of hers made her able to walk through life as brave as she could despite everything she''d


    been through. But, wait! Out of all the people, there was one man she wouldn''t dare to offend -- Carlos.


    In the midst of her fierce stance, his face suddenly popped up in her mind. ''You want to threaten me?


    Okay! Just bring Carlos here, and then I''ll do as you say, '' she thought to herself.


    After some time, the crowd started to build up. Some mall-goers were already talking about the


    commotion that was happening, pointing to the store where Debbie was. Upon seeing Gail''s wallet


    flying out of the store, many were surprised. How could the security of a prestigious mall allow such a


    commotion to happen? And that very moment the wallet flew out, coincidentally, Carlos was there.


    Judging from the flying track of the wallet, he could easily tell that it was thrown out on purpose. He


    then saw a girl with red eyes, trying to stop her tears, running towards the wallet and picked it up.


    Surprised, the general manager of the mall, who was standing right beside Carlos, could only wipe his


    cold sweat off his forehead, realizing that something wrong was happening in the store. ''Why did this


    thing happen in such a crucial time?'' he thought to himself. "Mr. Huo, let''s go check what happened,"


    he said with utmost respect, trying to hide his embarrassment and fear of what woulde out from


    this incident.


    A few minutes before Debbie started themotion, Carlos had arrived at the mall to inspect it with no


    prior notification. That day, the mall''s senior executives hade as quickly as they could to meet him.


    Not a single soul in the management had known of Carlos'' arrival ahead of time, and for such a thing to


    happen, nobody knew how he would react.


    With such a messy sight, Carlos'' face grew darker and darker. This left the general manager in a cold


    sweat.


    Judging by the face of his boss, the general manager guessed Carlos didn''t hear his suggestion. All


    that time, his eyes were fixated on the store.


    Gail stood up after picking up her wallet; the next moment, a man was seen being pushed out of the


    store by a girl.


    With this, more and more passersby gathered and stopped by to look in the hallway, gossiping in low


    voices.


    After taking a nce at the man''s face and recognizing who he was, the general manager held his


    breath, his heart skipping a beat. ''Damn it! What has this good-for-nothing done this time?'' he cursed


    inwardly.


    Victor, who had been pushed out by Debbie, ran back into the store and grabbed her wrist shouting,


    "How dare youy your finger on me? This time, you are screwed!" His eyes were burning, his hand


    gripping harder on Debbie''s wrist.


    People who witnessed his violence thought that the girl would be at loss. However, Debbie didn''t even


    bat an eysh, fearless as she''d always been.


    Worried, Kasie and Kristina were about to help their friend, but Debbie signaled them to stop and


    lowered her head to look at the man''s hand. She could feel his grip getting harder, but it didn''t stop her


    from fighting back.


    Suddenly, she grabbed his arms and gave him an overarm throw effortlessly. She could bear Gail''s


    attitude towards her for she could never beat a girl. However, there was no way she couldn''t beat a


    man who dared to offend her.


    Seeing her attack, the crowd was in awe. Some even apuded her actions.


    "Ugh!" Victor cried in pain. His voice reverberated on the third floor. It was clear to everybody that he


    was truly in pain. "Ugh! Let go of me!" he repeated. As themotion continued, more and more


    people gathered around, blocking Carlos'' sight. Being able to take a short nce at the girl, he felt she


    looked familiar.


    ''Why is the girl so familiar?'' Carlos thought. ''Damn it!'' Suddenly, he realized who she was. After


    learning that it was Debbie, he immediately trotted towards the store, pushing people away in front of


    him.


    After seeing Carlos'' menacing yet prominent figure, the crowd stepped back and let him through. With


    his brows furrowed, the general manager and hispanions sighed inwardly, ''We are done.''


    Meanwhile, Debbie released Victor from her grip. She looked more arrogant than ever after what she


    had done. Victor remained silent. After a while, when the pain went off a bit, Gail helped him as he was


    struggling to stand straight. Furious, he cast a ferocious nce at Debbie and raised his arm, ready to


    give her a p.


    But as he was about to give her a hard smack, she blocked his arm and gave him a hard kick in the


    crotch. "Were you trying to p me? Who do you think you are?" Debbie eximed.


    Kasie and Kristina were in awe from their friend''s strength and bravery. "Tomboy, you''re awesome!"


    Kasie pped her hands and eximed in excitement. Debbie, on the other hand, acted like she didn''t


    hear her and continued to stare at Victor who was now curling in pain on the floor.


    Meanwhile, Kristina, who was also drooling over Debbie, said, "Tomboy, you''re so handsome! I love


    you so much!"


    Amidst their excitement, Carlos, who was inches away from the store, was not in a good mood.


    Hearing the man''s painful cry and his wife being called "Tomboy", he thought, ''Tomboy? What the hell?


    Just how could she be so fearless?''


    ''I''ve heard many of her friends calling her Tomboy. Is she not a girl? Why can''t she act like one even


    just for a single day?'' he cried in his mind. Contrary to her friends'' amazement, he felt a little


    disappointed about her not being woman-like.


    Intimidated by his strong aura, the crowd stepped further aside so that Carlos could see what


    happened and walk through.


    Seeing Victor lying on the floor, struck with pain and moaning, Carlos stared at him for a second and


    then nced at Debbie. Sparing him no mercy, Debbie was looking down at him, ready to give him


    another kick if he got up.


    Pained, "Damn bitch! I swear I''ll teach you a hard lesson today!" Victor said through gritted teeth as he


    finally struggled to his feet. Knowing what had really happened, many onlookers couldn''t help but


    giggle at his awkward position.


    This time, Gail didn''t dare toe and help her boyfriend. She was afraid that she would be beaten by


    her cousin.


    Meanwhile, Victor''s arrogance made Debbie want to teach him one good lesson. She raised her leg


    and kicked him in the abdomen. Again, he cried and crossed his hands over his belly. He almost fell


    back on the floor.


    Struggling to fight off the pain, he took several deep breaths, staggered towards Debbie and was about


    to p her in the face.


    However, his arm was blocked again -- this time, not by Debbie, but by a man behind him.


    It was not until then that Debbie paid attention to the man standing behind Victor. It took her a second


    to realize who he was. Suddenly, an icy shiver ran down her spine.


    ''What the fuck? Not again? Why is he everywhere?'' she shouted inside.


    With her eyes widened, she asked, "Why?" but could no longer continue. ''Is he shopping with another


    woman this time?'' she thought to herself.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ''Or maybe, just maybe, does he have a thing for me? Could he be stalking me?'' she wondered.


    Questions kept on popping up in her mind, as she tried to understand his presence.


    On the other hand, Victor, not knowing who was standing behind him, scolded him harshly. "Who the


    hell would try to stop¡­" But as soon as he turned his head, he shut his mouth, looking closely at the


    man''s cold eyes.


    ''He looks so intimidating! And his face looks familiar, '' he thought. ''I think I''ve seen him somewhere. Ah,


    I remember him! He''s Mr. Huo!'' he silently eximed.


    ''Howe he''s here? Does he know this bitch?'' The very thought brought Victor out in a cold sweat.


    Annoyed, Carlos shook him off. Victor was once again thrown onto the floor; he rolled about three


    meters before he finally stopped. Once again, everyone burst intoughter. They thought, ''How could a


    man be so entangled on such a funny scene?''


    However, several others didn''tugh; they were Debbie and the senior executives of the mall.


    Surprised by his presence, Kasie and Kristina wondered why Carlos was there. It seemed like they had


    forgotten that Debbie was in trouble with Carlos, and they were now drooling over his handsome face.


    "Uh..." Debbie was about to greet her husband, but she lost her words when she caught sight of his


    cold eyes. The once strong and fearless woman, who had just beaten up a man, now seemed to act


    like a little girl who was about to get scolded. She clenched her clothes and lowered her head, like an


    obedient wife.


    ''Oh no! Is he going to throw me out of the mall again?'' she thought. ''This time, I''m screwed. Just why is


    he here?''


    After staring at Debbie who was now acting so obedient, Carlos turned to look at a saledy and coldly


    asked, "What happened?" Dominated by his prominent, alluring figure, the saledy didn''t dare to utter


    a single word.


    Curious of the man who just appeared, Gail, who was standing not far away, widened her eyes upon


    seeing Carlos. ''The man is so handsome, '' she realized. ''I remember him. He didn''t even punish me for


    what I''ve done on hisunch event. He must have a thing for me, '' she thought, giggling a little.


    Amused by her own idea, she plucked up some courage and went up to him, feigning a soft and


    innocent voice. "Mr. Huo, I''m Gail Mu. I took a fancy to a cor pin in this store. Then, I went to the


    ladies'' room for a bit and when I came back, my ssmate already took it away. I told her that it was


    already reserved for me, but she didn''t listen. Mr. Liu, the vice-general manager, also persuaded her


    but it went in vain. Not only did she not listen to a word we said, she even beat Mr. Liu."


    ''What? She didn''t even mention that Victor is her boyfriend. Is she trying to pick Carlos up? What a


    slut!'' Debbie thought after hearing her words.


    Not giving a care to Gail''s words, Carlos didn''t even cast a single nce at her He just looked at


    Debbie and then stepped into the store asking, "Where''s the cor pin?"


    Immediately, a salesgirl held embroidered box in her cupped hands and passed it to him.


    Reaching his arm out, he took the box over, opened it and looked at the cor pin and the brooch. ''Why


    would Debbie want to buy a cor pin and a brooch? Could it be that she only wanted to stir up trouble


    for the girl?'' he thought, wondering why Debbie would go to such extremes for such things.

 Chapter 33 I Want To Apologize To You

    Chapter 33 I Want To Apologize To You


    "Mr. Huo, please let me handle this," said the general manager with a ttering smile on his face, as he


    sauntered closer. He knew better than to trouble a man like Carlos with such trivial matters. More


    importantly, if Carlos was to deal with the problem himself, the general manager and a few other senior


    executives might end up getting fired.


    Everyone heard how the general manager had addressed Carlos. ''Ah, so he is Mr. Huo!'' People stared


    at Carlos in awe and wonder.


    "Shining International za is under ZL Group, and the head of ZL Group is Mr. Huo. So that makes


    him Mr. Huo, the CEO of ZL Group."


    "Mr. Huo? He looks so handsome. I''m so excited! I''m so lucky to see him."


    "Hurry! Pinch me! Am I dreaming? Is that the real Mr. Huo standing in front of me?"


    The women among the onlookers began to cheer at the top of their lungs. All the while, Debbie had


    looked at them, ck-jawed, wondering why they weren''t intimidated by him.


    Before long, the security guards arrived and began to clear the site. They also set up a two-man


    blockade in front of the store to prevent others from entering.


    Only the people involved in the incident were left in the store. "Tomboy, that''s Mr. Huo! Wow, it must be


    fate that keeps bringing you two together time and time again," Kasie whispered in Debbie''s ear,


    excited. This time, Carlos didn''t ask his men to throw Debbie out of the mall. Was he starting to get


    used to her?


    Debbie was rendered speechless. She rolled her eyes and threatened, "Shut up!" ''Yes, I know he is Mr.


    Huo. I''m not deaf, nor am I blind.


    What a fake friend you are! Did you forget how this man treated me in the past?'' Debbie cast a scornful


    nce at Kasie.


    ''I wonder why she rolled her eyes at me?'' Kasie was confused at Debbie''s reaction.


    Meanwhile, Gail''s heart raced uncontrobly as she lost herself in her wishful thoughts. ''If Mr. Huo falls


    for me and marries me, I will be the most respected woman in Y City. No! In the whole world!


    Every woman will envy me then. I can do whatever I want.''


    Trying to calm herself down a bit, Gail walked up to Carlos in the most elegant way and looked at him


    with her innocent doe eyes.


    "Come in here!" Without even casting a nce at Gail, Carlos locked his eyes on his wife and asked


    her toe in.


    Debbie hesitated, shivering with fear, and then walked towards the man reluctantly.


    ''I can''t let Jail Mu frame me like that. I must do something. Wait, how did she act when her boyfriend


    was here?'' Debbie tried her best to retrace Gail''s actions.


    Then she took everyone by surprise with a few special moves of her own.


    She straightened herself up, got close to Carlos, and took his arm in hers before she said, in a soft


    voice she had never used before, "Mr. Huo, I was threatened by her." She pointed at Gail.


    Carlos peeked sideways at her arms around his and realized what she was going to do. ''She is going


    to use me, '' he mused.


    The bag in Kristina''s hand dropped on the floor as she murmured in utter disbelief, "Oh my God! Has


    Debbie gone mad?


    Is she trying to seduce Mr. Huo?"


    Carlos had threatened to bury Debbie alive the other night. How did they get so close now?


    Kasie gently yanked Kristina''s arm and asked in confusion, "Is she out of her mind? Mr. Huo was just


    starting to put their past disputes behind him, and now she is trying to stir up trouble again? Why is she


    holding his arm so tightly?"


    Gail stood there paralysed from the neck up, unable toprehend what had just urred. Burning


    rage hissed through her body when she noticed the intimacy between Carlos and Debbie. ''That dirty


    bitch! Why is she such a thorn in my side?'' she cursed inwardly.


    Disregarding everyone else around her, Debbie pouted her lips at Carlos andined, "Mr. Huo, I


    took a fancy to the cor pin and wanted to buy it for you as a gift, but when I was about to pay, that


    woman and her boyfriend stopped me." She yed the victim in such a pettishly charming manner that


    the people who knew her began to shiver.


    Her voice was soft, and to add more effect, she even stomped her feet gently, just as Gail had done


    before.


    As a matter of fact, she pulled off acting like an innocent girl quite well, and she appeared more natural


    than Gail. People who didn''t know her would easily think that she was just a helpless, little flower, who


    stole people''s hearts with her innocence.


    Carlos looked at her performance, his face deadpan, but he didn''t shake her arms off.


    Meanwhile, the general manager cowered in the corner, wishing he could bury his head in the sand


    somewhere. ''Who is this girl? What''s her rtionship with Mr. Huo? Why does every woman want to


    seduce him?'' he thought.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kasie and Kristina held each other as they were unable to stand on their own. They didn''t know why


    Debbie was acting like this. "Kasie, I guess we need to take Tomboy away from Mr. Huo and run away


    as far as possible. Look at his face! He must be so angry. What if he asks his men to throw her out


    again?" Kristina asked.


    Kasie patted her hand to calm her down and answered, "Don''t worry. Look, Mr. Huo didn''t shake her


    hands off. Maybe things are not as bad as what we think they are."


    Kristina finally calmed down a little. However, neither girl was able to figure out what Carlos was


    thinking, since he was just standing there poker-faced.


    ''I thought Mr. Huo and Debbie hated each other very much. Since when did they be so close?''


    both Kristina and Kasie thought.


    The general manager approached Debbie in an attempt to take her away from Carlos, as he assumed


    she was making him angry.


    "Miss, if you have any grievances, pleasee with me. We''ll try our best to meet your needs." He


    reached out his hand towards Debbie.


    However, before he could touch her, a man''s hand grabbed his wrist. Kristina and Kasie held each


    other more tightly to support themselves as they watched with great anticipation from the corner. They


    couldn''t believe their eyes.


    "Kristina, did you see that?" Kasie asked her friend. Her only concern now was the rtionship


    between Carlos and Debbie. She didn''t even have time to smoothen her messy hair.


    Of course Kristina saw Carlos protect Debbie from the general manager. Her eyes had been glued to


    them from the very beginning.


    Kristina nodded and asked, "Do you reckon they finally fell in love with each other after having been


    through so many fights?"


    The two girls looked at each other in awe. Then one nodded, but the other shook her head.


    "How''s that possible? I have seen lovers turn against each other, but I''ve never heard of enemies


    bing lovers." Kasie cast a scornful nce at Kristina, as she felt like she was overreacting.


    Then, they turned their heads back to watch the fun.


    The general manager withdrew his hand in embarrassment. He finally realized that there must be


    something between Carlos and the girl.


    Gail looked at Carlos in disbelief and wondered what their rtionship was. ''Debbie is a sneaky little


    bitch! Since when has she been with Mr. Huo?


    No wonder she was so boldst time when she said, "Who told you Mr. Huo turned me down?" So she


    is Mr. Huo''s mistress?


    That can''t be possible! There''s not even a chance in hell for someone like Mr. Huo to have a thing for a


    woman like Debbie!''


    Gail consoled herself in her mind.


    "Why don''t you go pay the bill?" Carlos passed the box to Debbie. She shed a wide, satisfied grin


    and walked over to the cashier''s desk.


    ''He took my side this time, '' she thought cheerfully.


    The people in the store all heard what Carlos said. They didn''t dare to disobey him. The cashier


    immediately put on a hospitable smile, and charged the item to Debbie''s bank card.


    Debbie felt like someone had squeezed the life out of her, as she nced at the invoice and put it


    inside her purse, nonchntly. With the box in her hand, she walked over to Carlos and gave him the


    gift.


    In a sweet and soothing voice, she said, "I want to apologize to you for what I''ve done in the past.


    Please forgive me." ''After he forgives me, maybe we can sit together and talk about our marriage in a


    calm manner, '' she thought.


    ''Ah, she wants to put our differences aside. So, that''s why she bought the cor pin for me.'' The


    thought ddened Carlos, and his satisfaction showed on his face. ''A sapphire cor pin? I''ve never


    tried this color before...''


    "Mr. Huo, I will be leaving with my friends now." Shortly after Debbie handed the gift to Carlos, she bid


    him farewell as she was afraid that he would make trouble with her again.

 Chapter 34 A Fight

    Chapter 34 A Fight


    Just after saying goodbye to Carlos, Debbie grabbed her two friends, who were still caught in a daze,


    and left the mall as quickly as they could.


    A foreboding darkness took over Carlos'' face, as he handed the gift to his secretary and swept his eyes


    over the crowd before he ordered the general manager, "Call the other senior executives. We need to


    have a meeting, now!"


    Carlos gave everyone shivers as he strode past them and proceeded to the conference room of the


    mall.


    The senior executives on the site palpitated with terror and thought, "A drastic management change will


    ensue."


    In a beverage shop named No. 99 Milk Tea, three girls were drinking their pudding milk tea in silence.


    After a big gulp, Kasie decided to speak up.


    "Tell us what was going on between you and Mr. Huo." She winked and shed a wicked grin at


    Debbie, who was so nervous that tiny beads of sweat started popping out of her forehead.


    Debbie knew they wouldn''t let her go easily if she didn''t tell them anything. After a brief consideration,


    she exined with a pitiful look, "All of this started from that kiss between Mr. Huo and me that night.


    He felt offended by me and because of that, I''ve had such a hard time these past few days. Kristina,


    you heard him the other night. He wanted to bury me alive. As if that weren''t bad enough, I identally


    bumped him with my carst night. What lousy luck, eh? Fortunately, he was not injured. Otherwise, I


    might have been dead by now."


    Fearing that they were going to see through her lies, she lowered her head and slowly sipped her milk


    tea through a straw.


    ''Sorry, Carlos. I lied to them about bumping you with my car. I had no other choice. If I told them the


    truth, they would react in the same way as Jared did and send me to a mental hospital.''


    Debbie sensed that the two girls were not fully convinced, so she continued, "s! I kissed him at the


    bar first. Then I offended him in Shining International za. Last night, I almost ran him over with my


    car. I had to apologize to him for the sake of my own safety. And do you think a verbal apology would


    suffice? Come on! He''s the richest man in Y City!"


    Still, the two girls looked unconvinced. "I don''t think the sapphire cor pin would work either. He is a


    man of wealth. I don''t think he would like the gift," Kristina retorted. Initially, Kristina thought that the


    cor pin, which cost nearly $200, 000, would make a great gift as it was expensive and extravagant.


    However, on second thought, when she remembered that Carlos was the richest bachelor in Y City,


    she realized that it wasn''t going to satisfy his taste.


    "Of course, it''s not going to work. I was afraid that he would reject the gift, so I ran away from the mall


    as fast as I could." Debbie wiped the sweat off her forehead. Why was it so hard to tell a lie?


    Why couldn''t they believe that Carlos was her husband?


    Kasie smoothed her hair and teased, "Tomboy, I believe what you''re saying is the truth. I don''t think a


    rich bachelor like Mr. Huo will fall for a tomboy like you. Look at you, you don''t even have big boobs or


    a juicy butt."


    Debbie mmed her palm on the desk and argued, "Hey, watch your tongue. I have a perfectly good


    figure." The topic had been sessfully changed, but Debbie still had a lingering fear at the back of


    her mind that she couldn''t shake off.


    Kasie and Kristina eyed their friend from head to toe and looked at each other before bursting into


    laughter.


    Debbie knew what theirughter meant. She raised her chest up and snorted withughter. ''I''ll ask


    Julie to make me nutritious dishes every day so that my boobs will grow big.''


    The three of them had hotpot that evening. After saying goodbye to her friends, Debbie went back to


    the vi.


    The weather was getting colder. She pulled her coat close and opened the gate of the vi.


    ''It''s only 9 p.m., and I don''t think Carlos would be back so soon, '' she thought.


    She hummed a song as she changed her shoes and walked up the stairs.


    "You are the one, and you knew it anyway. If I said I love you, would you say it back,... Aghhh!"


    A heartrending scream broke the silence.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Carlos looked at the girl in front of him, expressionless. Was he that scary?


    If Debbie hadn''t held onto the rails tightly, she would have rolled down the stairs.


    What was Carlos doing home at this hour? That was weird.


    "You need to go to the university early tomorrow morning. So don''t stay upte," Carlos said


    indifferently, as he cast a nce at her and walked down the stairs with an empty ss in his hand.


    Debbie nodded slowly, still feeling a bit shaken up. ''I better listen to him.''


    She took a deep breath to recollect herself, before she left for her bedroom and locked the door behind


    her.


    The next day, a girl with long hair and a white dress was reading a book on psychology in arge


    ssroom. A gentle smile was hanging on her lips. Her name was Gail. Although she seemed to be


    reading her book, her attention was focused on the conversation of the students behind her.


    "Hey, did you guys hear that? Debbie Nian, who has a strong family background, has been seen riding


    a luxurious car recently. The car is worth tens of millions of dors!"


    "Yes, I heard that. Does she have a sugar daddy?"


    "Are you kidding me? She doesn''t even dress like a girl at all. I think she''s a lesbian. I don''t think men


    would find her attractive. Look at our Gail, on the other hand. She is so pretty and elegant. She could


    be our Miss University!"mented a boy with pimples all over his face while giving Gail a ttering


    smile.


    Deep down in her heart, Gail was thrilled, but she managed to keep herself calm. "Debbie must be


    from a prominent family. I couldn''t hold a candle to her." Sarcasm was pouring out of her voice, but the


    others were unable to spot it.


    The boy was not convinced. "Gail, youe from an affluent family as well. What''s more, we don''t


    actually know Debbie''s family background. I guess she cooked up a story on her mysterious family


    background and spread it around herself." His voice was so loud that everyone in the ssroom heard


    it.


    Many students wanted to chime in with him, but when they saw the girl staring at the boy with a fierce


    look in her eyes, they all lowered their heads and pretended to read.


    However, Gail and the boy failed to notice this. "Don''t say it like that. My dad merely owns a small


    company," she said with a timid smile. Gail was pretending to be modest on purpose.


    Thinking of Gail''s family resources, the boy looked at her with eyes beaming with admiration. "Gail,


    your father is a CEO. But what about Debbie Nian? I heard that she is an orphan. Her father died a


    long time ago. Her mother abandoned her..."


    Bang! Before he could continue, the door of the ssroom was kicked open all of a sudden.


    When he saw who was standing at the door, he cowered in fear, face as pale as a ghost. ''When did


    Debbie Nian get here? Are we going to have the lesson with her ss? Did she hear what I said?''


    Standing behind Debbie, were several boys rubbing their fists, eager for a fight. This made the boy feel


    more frightened and intimidated.


    Debbie scowled at the boy as she was really irritated by hisments regarding her parents. She cast


    a short nce at the camera in the ssroom and gave Jared a wink. Jared immediately understood


    what she meant. As the tallest boy in the university, he grabbed a chair and covered the camera with a


    book.


    "Tomboy, I was wrong. Please forgive me!" The boy apologized to Debbie as he was soon surrounded


    by several boys with malicious smiles and a thirst for violence.


    ''Ha? Now you are apologizing to me? When you spoke ill of my parents, did you ever realize that I


    would be pissed?'' Debbie thought. As soon as she made a gesture with her hand, the boys threw him


    to the floor and started beating him.


    The boy cried in pain, but nobody in the ssroom dared toe forward to help him. On one hand,


    the boy deserved it, and on the other hand, they didn''t want to cross Debbie.


    Gail was gripped with fear when she saw what was happening. She turned to look at Debbie and


    wondered, ''Does she know that I went to the dean''s office yesterday to file aint against her?


    What a shameless hooligan! All she knows is how to bully others. Why hasn''t the dean or the principal


    kicked her out of the university yet? Bah!''


    Five minutester, Debbie left the ssroom with her hands in her pockets, followed by her


    companions.


    The boy staggered to his feet. His body swayed a bit while his face remained unscathed. His attackers


    made sure to hit him everywhere else except for his face.


    ''It hurts so much!'' He twitched in pain. As he watched Debbie walking away, he swore to himself that


    he would stay away from this hooligan as much as possible.

 Chapter 35 He Deserved It

    Chapter 35 He Deserved It


    In the ssroom, the students whispered amongst themselves and stole nces at the boy who had


    just been beaten up by Debbie and herpanions. Needless to say, they were jeering at him.


    Gail didn''t even cast a single nce at the boy despite the fact that he had spoken ill of Debbie to fawn


    on her. The boy was boiling with rage, but he could do nothing to vent his anger. He swore to himself


    that he would report the incident to the dean.


    In the afternoon, while the teacher was giving a lecture, Debbie rested her cheeks on her hands and


    thought, ''Is the boy going to tell the dean that I beat him up? If he does, I swear I''ll give him another


    hard lesson!''


    As soon as the bell rang, R. Kelly''s "I believe I can fly" was on the air. However, just after a few


    seconds, the song was interrupted by the broadcaster''s voice. "Debbie Nian of ss 22, please go to


    the dean''s office now. Debbie Nian of ss 22, please go to the dean''s office..." The broadcaster


    repeated it three times. Everyone in the university had heard it loud and clear.


    Although this was not the first time Debbie had been called into the dean''s office, she still felt a little


    embarrassed. She stood up from her chair and grabbed Dixon along with her to go to the dean''s office.


    The reason Debbie brought Dixon with her was that he was a straight-A student and was a favorite of


    most teachers. Every time Debbie was called to go to the dean''s office, she would bring him along, and


    with his interceding for her, the dean would let her go more easily.


    Debbie assumed that the dean wanted to see her this time was because of that boy she had beaten up


    this morning. However, since the camera in the ssroom had been covered during the whole process,


    she decided to simply deny that such a thing had ever happened.


    ''Dude, how dare you! I swear I''ll beat the shit out of you!''


    Debbie entered the dean''s office, her face expressionless. Having been in a simr situation countless


    times before took away the seriousness of it all. She yanked Dixon''s sleeve and dragged him in.


    To her surprise, the dean was bending over and pouring tea for a man sitting on the couch, as she


    flooded her face with a big grin. Debbie felt an icy shiver running down her spine at the sight of the


    man''s face.


    Immediately, she pushed Dixon out of the office. Considering the circumstances, she wouldn''t be able


    to protect herself, let alone protect her friend. She didn''t want to get Dixon in trouble for her selfish


    reasons.


    "Debbie, here you are!" The dean smiled at Debbie, who was about to leave with Dixon, and gestured


    her toe in.


    Out of curiosity, Dixon turned around to look back, when the man''s cold nce darted to the office door


    at the same time.


    The mere sight of the man''s icy re, had his legs quivering to the point where he thought he was


    going to fall to the floor.


    ''Why is Mr. Huo here? I better get away from here while I can!'' he thought and fled the office


    immediately.


    Debbie was also confused. ''Why is he here? I thought I was going to see Philip here, as usual. After all,


    the dean only has his number. When I figure out who called Carlos, I swear I am going to paint the


    walls with his blood. I won''t even spare the dean if I find out that she was behind this!''


    Debbie trembled with fear, her heart in her mouth, as she stood outside the door worrying.


    "Debbie?" The dean walked over to Debbie. Her voice so amiable. She had always been aware that


    Carlos was Debbie''s backer, so she didn''t dare to punish her, even though Debbie had vited the


    code of the school many times.


    She was surprised by the fact that an important man like Carlos made an effort toe here by


    himself.


    ''Wow! This is the first time I''ve met him in the flesh! If the principal and the vice-principals hadn''t been


    away on official business, they would have been here to receive Mr. Huo now.''


    Debbie gave the dean a wry smile. "Hi, we meet again, but I don''t want to get in," she whispered in the


    dean''s ear so that Carlos wouldn''t hear her.


    The dean looked surprised by her words. She didn''t know that a naughty girl like Debbie could be so


    afraid of Carlos.


    "Debbie Nian!" Came an impatient voice from inside the office, causing Debbie to jump to her feet.


    She approached the dean and whispered, "Who called him?"


    The dean was a little surprised by Debbie''s apprehensive behavior. Although the dean was in her early


    thirties and considerably young for her profession, she kept a strict disposition in front of the students.


    No one had ever dared to get close and talk to her so casually like Debbie did.


    Considering the fact that Carlos was Debbie''s guardian, she cast her thoughts about Debbie aside and


    decided not to mind that.


    "I called Philip. I didn''t expect Mr. Huo toe here either." Like Debbie, the dean spoke in a low voice


    as well.


    Without further ado, they entered the office together.


    Three of them sat face to face. Debbie looked at the dean; the dean looked at Carlos and he looked at


    Debbie.


    "Why did you fight that boy?" Carlos broke the silence.


    While pouting her lips, Debbie turned to stare out the window, and said indifferently, "He deserved it."


    Her voice was calm and collected.


    ''Seriously? That''s your answer?'' The dean was at a loss for words.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ''She is never going to change!'' All of a sudden, Carlos raised his voice and asserted, "Give me a better


    reason!" He held back his anger as he kept telling himself that she was still young and he needed to be


    more patient with her.


    The palpable atmosphere in the room made Debbie uneasy. However, instead of cowering with fear,


    she retorted, "He spoke ill of me behind my back, and when I caught him red-handed, I decided to


    teach him a good lesson."


    She boldly raised her head to meet the man''s eyes. She wore impudence on her face so proudly.


    However, her couragested only two seconds, and in the third, she looked away, because she didn''t


    want to be frozen to death by his cold eyes.


    "Debbie, you can turn to me if it happens again. I will discipline the likes of him," the dean chimed in to


    smooth things over when she saw Carlos'' long face.


    Debbie scoffed, "Come on! I''m not a three-year-old kid. We are adults and we can figure it out by


    ourselves."


    Lacking the proper words to voice her response, the dean turned to look at Carlos.


    "I''m taking her back home now." Carlos stood up and walked towards the door without looking back at


    the two women.


    Debbie clenched her fists tightly and resisted. She didn''t want to obey his orders, but no matter how


    unwilling she was, she had no choice but to follow him. Debbie and Carlos both sat in the backseat and


    remained silent all the way. The driver didn''t dare to utter a single word.


    Upon arriving at the destination, Carlos stepped into the house, and lit a cigarette before he made


    himselffortable on the couch.


    ''Smoking again? I saw him smoke many times. Is he a chain smoker?'' Debbie wondered. His


    handsome face became unclear behind the smoke, and she was unable to read his facial expression.


    After he finished his cigarette, neither he nor Debbie uttered a word.


    Soon after, he lit another cigarette and continued smoking again.


    Debbie was overwhelmed with anxious thoughts. ''Say something, okay? Whatever you want to do to


    me, just go ahead and say it! Don''t leave me in suspense!''


    After a brief pause, she broke the silence. "Mr. Huo, I''ll go and fetch some fruits for you." With a


    ttering smile, she eagerly looked at the man in front of her, waiting for his response.


    However, a few minutes passed, and he still hadn''t said anything. Disappointed, Debbie furrowed her


    eyebrows and walked towards the kitchen.


    She took out an avocado, some cherries and some grapes, and arranged them nicely on a te.


    Before long, she came out of the kitchen and ced the te on the table in front of him.


    "Um, please have some fruits." Debbie gave him a gentle smile and handed him a fruit fork.


    Yet, silence still lingered over the room like an impending doom. Carlos threw the cigarette butt into the


    ashtray and looked back at her,pletely ignoring the fact that she had been holding a fork in her


    hand for him.


    Carlos had always treated Debbie like a child instead of his wife. All he wanted was for her to be a


    good person with a proper education, but he had gotten in way over his head.


    Finally, she grew impatient of keeping her hand raised for such a long time. "Never mind!" She threw


    the fork back onto the te.

 Chapter 36 Rebellious

    Chapter 36 Rebellious


    ''What do I have to do to appease him? I have never fawned on anyone at university.


    However, I spent 188 thousand on a present for him just to make him happy. Why is he still so angry at


    me? Did I spend all that money for nothing? It seems to me that his attitude towards me hasn''t


    changed one bit. I can''t keep buying him presents to make him happy. It isn''t feasible, '' Debbie


    reflected.


    Carlos raised an eyebrow, and looked at the fork Debbie had thrown onto the fruit tray with an


    expressionless face. ''Finally she can''t take it anymore. I just want her to behave like an upstanding


    citizen of society. Is that too much to ask for?''


    "Go to your room. You are grounded for one week!" Carlos shifted his stern gaze towards her.


    ''Grounded for one week? You''ve got to be kidding me!'' Debbie''s eyes and her mouth were frozen wide


    open in an expression of stunned surprise. She would rather have him give her a tongueshing or a


    good flogging instead of keeping her confined at home.


    "I object!" She walked towards Carlos, pouting willfully.


    Object? The word was alien to Carlos'' ears. No one had ever dared to defy him before.


    Without hesitation, he cast a cold nce at the girl standing in front of him and said, "Denied."


    His tone sounded even colder than the expression on his face.


    For a moment, Debbie wanted to give up the fight. Judging by the look on his face, she thought it would


    be a cold day in hell before he would agree to withdraw his punishment.


    ''Be cool. Take a deep breath. Don''t be afraid. He is just some guy, a human, much like you, '' she


    comforted herself, trying to calm down.


    But the man was so intimidating and terrifying he reminded her of a demon from hell.


    "Carlos Huo, I don''t want to be grounded for one week. I will go crazy," Debbie protested.


    "If you keep acting this way, your teacher will go crazy," he returned tly without even looking at her.


    "Hey, old man, don''t you think you are being too strict? And why do you care so much about this? Why


    do you have to poke your nose into everything?"


    Carlos could feel the blood rushing to his head, as his face turned red with anger. She was not a child


    anymore. Why did she still behave like one? Her rebellious teenager days had been over a long time


    ago, but it seemed to him that she was still far from being an adult.


    Debbie was smart enough to tell that he was angry. "If you ground me, I will climb out of the windows


    and make a run for it," she went on.


    All of a sudden, Carlos stood up, towering over her like a tyrant.


    "You can give it a try, if you want to challenge me."


    Carlos ended the discussion there and then walked out of the vi.


    Challenge him? She wouldn''t dare. "Hey, where are you going? We are not done yet," Debbie shouted.


    She tried to run after him, but Philip stopped her.


    "Debbie, Mr. Huo said that you are not allowed to go outside for one week." Philip looked at Debbie,


    who was seething in anger, and felt sorry for her. ''Silly girl, '' he mused.


    When the Bugatti Veyron sped out of the vi, Debbie red at it hard as if she were trying to set the


    car on fire with the mes in her eyes. In the end, to make things less difficult for Philip, she went back


    to her room sullenly.


    Just after thirty minutes had passed, Debbie started pacing around her room restlessly. When she tried


    to find a way to sneak out using a rope, she heard strange noisesing from outside the window of


    her bedroom.


    When she looked outside, she found two men ondders installing an anti-theft window for her


    bedroom.


    Almost immediately, Debbie''s face went red with suppressed rage.


    ''Just because he is my husband doesn''t mean that he can restrict my freedom like this!


    Carlos, why are you so overbearing? Divorce! I want a divorce! I have to divorce you!''


    There was no denying the fact that she had taken financial support from Carlos. She had even asked


    Jared to help her find a job, so that she could pay him back once she was able to.


    When she thought of how Carlos had supported her and taken care of her in the past three years, her


    anger and resentment towards him gradually dissipated.


    After the marriage registration, Carlos had been providing her with nothing but the best in everything.


    Moreover, when her father was still alive, Carlos had helped him with important matters as well.


    While, she, on the other hand, had done nothing but provoke him, despite the fact that he was her


    husband. Instead of requiting his concerns, she had been trying to divorce him. It wouldn''t surprise her


    if Carlos was disappointed in her.


    Looking at the busy workers, she decided not to follow through with her escape ns.


    At 10 p.m., when Carlos got back to the vi from work, he didn''t stop to rest or go to bed. Instead, he


    went to his study and continued working from there.


    While he was meticulously going over some data, he heard a knock on the door. ''At thiste hour, it


    must be her. What does she want?'' he wondered.


    "Come in." With his permission, Debbie walked in cautiously with a ss of milk on a tray.


    Ashamed to look Carlos in the eye, Debbie kept her head low even after she had ced the ss of


    milk on the desk.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    "About what happened earlier... I''m sorry. I figured milk would help you sleep better. Good night," said


    Debbie, her head still lowered, before she hurried out of the study.


    ''Sorry?'' Carlos kept a skeptical attitude, shifting his eyes from the door to the milk. ''Is this another one


    of her tricks?''


    From that day on, Debbie brought a ss of milk to the study three nights in a row.


    On the fourth night, Carlos said to her, "I''ll take you to school tomorrow." Debbie was pleasantly


    surprised, and her eyes lit up with joy. Carlos let out a tiny smile from the corners of his mouth, when


    he saw how happy she was.


    The next morning, as soon as the ck limo came to a halt at the roadside, Debbie threw herself out of


    the car like a gust of wind and dashed towards the gate of the university.


    While sitting in the car, Carlos watched her disappear into the horizon with a smile on his face.


    ''She... is still very cute."


    In the multimedia English ss, the students were chattering in groups. When Debbie came in, a few of


    her ssmates crowded around her and bombarded her with questions. "Debbie, we haven''t seen you


    for days. Where have you been? Howe you didn''te to school? Did something happen? We


    were worried about you..." Sitting at her desk, Debbie watched her friends with one hand propped


    against her chin. "Guys. Rx. I told you on WeChat. I was busy."


    Jared, who was sitting opposite her, scrutinized her for a while and then asked, "Dixon said a very


    powerful man went to the dean''s office the other day. Confess. Who was he?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes at his nosiness and nced at Dixon who was too scared to speak. "A god-like


    man. Guess who it was."


    Her words attracted the contempt of some students because it wouldn''t take much time to figure out


    who it was, since there were only three god-like men in Y City. Carlos and his two friends: Curtis and


    Wesley Li.


    There was no way it could have been Carlos. Debbie''s friends knew full well that she didn''t see eye to


    eye with Carlos. It was a wonder how they hadn''t killed each other yet.


    Curtis didn''t fit Dixon''s description.


    It couldn''t be Wesley Li either. ording to the news, Wesley Li had been working undercover


    previously and then as amander. He hadn''t taken a break for months. Recently, he had cracked a


    major child trafficking case. Since then the army had granted him a two-week vacation, which he had


    been spending for a much needed rest in A Country.


    "Tomboy, it''s not fair that you and Dixon are keeping a secret from us. Besides, Dixon already knows


    about it. Why can''t we know? It''s not fair," Kristinained, leaning on Debbie''s shoulder.


    Seeing Kristina acting like that, Debbie said exaggeratedly, "Dixon, just tell her, or she will fall out with


    me out of jealousy."


    Baffled, Kristina looked at Debbie and retorted, "What? That''s crazy. There''s nothing going on between


    us. Why would I be jealous?"


    Dixon was confused and flustered. "Kristina, didn''t you agree to be my girlfriend the other night?" he


    asked.


    This was big news for them. The crowd hooted. All of a sudden, they had forgotten about Debbie.


    "No, I didn''t." Kristina blushed. She leaned on Debbie''s shoulder and interlocked arms with her.


    "Debbie, why haven''t you been to the dormtely? I missed you."

 Chapter 37 Away From Carlos, The Lecturer

    Chapter 37 Away From Carlos, The Lecturer


    The dormitory was the only ce Debbie used to go to if she couldn''t make it to the vi in the evening.


    However, Carlos had made it clear that she couldn''t live in the dorm anymore. So her friends would


    have to wait until she managed to change his mind.


    Debbie stroked Kristina''s hair lovingly and sighed with resignation. "Doll, I missed you too. But, I can''t


    stay in the dorm right now. You will have to wait a bit longer." Debbieforted Kristina and then


    nted a gentle kiss on her hand.


    "Debbie, no! You can''t turn into a lesbian. There are plenty of handsome guys in our ss. Don''t break


    their hearts like that," Dixon wailed upon seeing the two girls'' intimate interaction.


    Debbie cast him a stare and assured him with a lustful look on her face, "Rx. I won''t break the


    hearts of those pretty boys in our ss."


    The ss broke intoughter.


    Momentster when the bell rang, the crowd dispersed and everybody went back to their designated


    seats. Before long, Professor Marc stepped into the ssroom and


    deliberately cast a nce at Debbie who was sitting in the back of the ssroom. ''Not bad. She looks


    energetic today, '' he mused.


    "Now, the ss begins," the professor announced.


    These days, although Debbie was still absent-minded in ss, she didn''t cause as much trouble as she


    used to.


    When her name hadn''t been mentioned in the broadcast for a few days in a row, her schoolmates were


    surprised. After all, they had grown ustomed to hearing her name being called out every so often.


    Nheless, a leopard cannot change its spots.


    Just when her teachers and schoolmates thought that she was bing a good student, Debbie was


    once again called into the dean''s office


    because of cutting ss for a whole week.


    Contrary to her expectations, this time, the dean let her leave the office with only a warning.


    Before she could figure out why the dean had suddenly decided to show her mercy, her phone beeped.


    It was a notification from WeChat. However, when she opened the message to read the news from her


    university''s official ount, her jaw dropped to the floor. The message stated that Carlos Huo was


    going to be a part-time lecturer at the university.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Hey, Debbie, have you read the news? Carlos Huo ising to our school as a lecturer," Kasie said


    excitedly, swinging her phone in the air as she clutched at Debbie''s sleeve.


    Stunned, Debby stared straight at Kasie and nodded absent-mindedly.


    All of a sudden a sense of dread closed in. She didn''t know what she was dreading, but her instinct


    was telling her that something bad was going to happen.


    No! There was no way she would be his student. She had toe up with an excuse to ask for a


    leave, just until the duration of Carlos'' stay at her university.


    In the doorway of the principal''s office, Debbie stared at the brown door intensely. It seemed as if she


    were trying to bore a hole in it with her eyes. ''Why does a leave of more than two days require the


    principal''s consent?


    There was no need for such requests before.


    Should I simply cut the sses or go into the principal''s office and ask for his permission?'' Debbie was


    conflicted.


    Two minutester, she knocked on the door.


    Carlos was much scarier in person than Curtis. As a result, she decided that it would be easier to ask


    for permission for a leave from thetter than to suffer tormenting res from the former for cutting


    ss again.


    "Come in." Curtis had been waiting to hear from her ever since she had asked for a leave from her


    guidance counselor.


    "Mr. Lu," she greeted. Curtis had just made green tea, the fragrance of which filled the air in his office.


    "Grab a seat and have a taste of this Anji in tea Carlos gave me," he said, pointing at a seat across


    the table.


    ''Ughhhhhh... that Carlos again. Why do I have to hear his name everywhere?


    And does Mr. Lu treat everybody so nicely?''


    Debbie wondered as she walked inside. She didn''t n on staying for tea so she didn''t sit down. "Mr-"


    "Carlos said that someone had given him this tea as a gift. It is very hard to find this in the market. Do


    have a taste," Curtis insisted before she could say more.


    He poured


    some light sea green colored tea in a cup and ced it in front of her. Having no other choice, Debbie


    pulled up a chair and sat down.


    The first sip crept over her taste-buds and down her throat. The tea released such a rich, vorful


    aroma and tasted so wonderful


    that even a casual tea drinker like Debbie, fell in love with it instantly. She could finally understand why


    her principal had strongly rmended it.


    When she emptied her cup, Curtis was nice enough to refill it for her. "If you like it, you can take some


    with you."


    "No, thank you, Mr. Lu. I actually came here to ask you for a leave from school." She had to get it out


    before Curtis drove her crazy.


    Curtis looked at her and then smiled at her restless and impatient behavior. However, Debbie captured


    something strange in his eyes. ''What was that? A... doting look?'' She thought she was just imagining


    things. ''I must be mistaken.''


    "Carlos ising to our university to give lectures the day after tomorrow. He is a learned schr. You


    should attend his sses. Trust me, you will benefit from it. So, my advice for you is to stay at school


    unless there is something urgent that you need to attend to."


    He was so polite and gentle that Debbie felt it would be embarrassing to cause a scene.


    "I don''t want to attend his sses. I want a one-week leave," she said frankly.


    Curtis was about to refill his cup when her words registered in his mind and caused his hands to shake


    a little. "You want to stay away from school just to avoid Carlos? Is that it?"


    Debbie nodded.


    For the first time in his life, he found someone who hated Carlos so much. However, Curtis understood


    what she had meant. She sounded just like the Debbie Nian he knew all along.


    "Okay,"


    said Curtis. Debbie was baffled for a moment, shaking her head in disbelief. "O-Okay? You mean I


    have your consent?" she confirmed.


    Curtis raised his head and looked at her. "If I say no, will you attend his sses?"


    She was rendered wordless. At the same time, she realized how dangerous her principal was. She had


    underestimated his ability to read people''s minds.


    Ironically, she had already made up her mind about cutting school in case Curtis refused to give her his


    permission, even before she walked into his office.


    At ZL Group, Tristan walked into the CEO''s office with a file envelope in one hand. "Mr. Huo, here is the


    information you wanted."


    Carlos stopped whatever he was doing to open the envelope and then carefully went through what was


    in the file. There were five pieces of paper.


    "How did she meet Emmett?"


    "Before, when Mrs. Huo came here to see you, it was Emmett who received her. But that was it. There


    were no further contacts between them after that."


    Carlos lit a cigarette. "What is her rtionship with Jared Han?"


    His eyes then shifted to the column about her hobbies and weaknesses, which specifically aroused his


    curiosity. ''What? Afraid of 4D+ movies, snakes, darkness... It seems like she isn''t as tough as she


    looks. Just a little girl after all.'' Carlos chuckled when he read about her weaknesses.


    Tristan recalled how her friends had responded when he asked them about their rtionships with


    Debbie. "Dude. Good buddies." They had all given the same answer. Tristan was especially amused by


    that.


    "Okay. You may leave now."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    No sooner had Tristan turned around than he heard Carlos say, "I don''t want to see Emmett again in


    the next two years."


    Shocked to the bone, Tristan prayed for Emmett silently.


    Finally, it was Carlos'' first day as a lecturer at the Economics and Management School. He started his


    day earlier than usual. However, to his disappointment, even after he had exercised, showered and


    eaten his breakfast, he still didn''t see Debbie anywhere.


    "Philip, where is she?"


    Philip knew Carlos was referring to Debbie. "Mrs. Huo has asked for a one-week leave from school.


    She went to the airport early this morning," he answered calmly.

 Chapter 38 My Dear

    Chapter 38 My Dear


    "A one-week leave? Why am I just hearing about this now?"


    Philip lowered his head in silence,cking any exnation.


    "From now on, I want you to report her every move to me. Do you understand?" Carlos ordered sternly


    and took out his phone.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    "Where is she heading? And why?"


    "Um..." Philip hesitated for a second. "Mrs. Huo didn''t mention anything." ''Didn''t mention anything?


    I guess she is avoiding me, '' Carlos wondered. Without further dy, he called Tristan and said,


    "Inform the airport immediately that..."


    Within one hour, Debbie and her luggage showed up in the CEO''s office at ZL Group.


    As soon as she stepped into the office, she left her luggage against the wall, and hastened towards


    Carlos'' desk. "Mr. Huo, what''s this supposed to mean? Why did you do this? Don''t I have my own


    freedom anymore?"


    Carlos didn''t say a word until he had finished going through the papers in his hand. He raised his sights


    to her face and said, "Come to the university with me this afternoon."


    "No." Debbie refused him outright.


    Disappointed, Carlos got out of his chair and asserted, "Too bad, you don''t have a choice!"


    Debbie slumped in an armchair in shock. Stunned, and not to mention angered, she finally spoke again


    after a moment. "Since you are not so busy right now, let''s get to the matter we''ve been talking about


    without mincing our words. I''ve already signed the divorce papers. I really hope that you would do the


    same for me, for us, so that we can go our separate ways and carry on with our own lives." Ever since


    the idea of a divorce had popped into her head, it had always been there at the back of her mind.


    Moreover, Carlos had been interfering with her personal lifetely. Far from feeling like she had married


    a husband, in truth, she felt like she had found herself a father.


    As stubborn and proud as she was, Debbie had never ttered anyone to gain favor, buttely she had


    been trying very hard to please her husband. As if that weren''t bad enough, he wasn''t making it any


    easier for her. Instead of having to see him only in the mornings and the evenings at the vi, she


    would now have to put up with him in her school.


    Debbie just couldn''t catch a break with this man. It had to end today. She would much rathery her


    cards on the table and get it over with.


    Carlos walked around the desk to the sofa across her and sat down. "Divorce is not an option." He


    made himself very clear.


    "Why? I told you I don''t want your money. I don''t want anything from you. Why are you still refusing to


    sign the papers? What else do you want?" ''What''s wrong with this guy?'' By then, she was so angry she


    wanted to rush over, choke him, kick him in the head, and throw him in Arctic Ocean.


    Giving him no time to respond, she went on, "I know I''ve spent a lot of your money in the past three


    years. Don''t worry. I''ll pay every penny back as soon as I find a job."


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos sensed anger in her tone. When she finally finished speaking, he said, "I didn''t do right by you in


    the past three years. I neglected you. I won''t make the same mistake again in the future."


    ''Eh? Did he just apologize to me?'' Debbie didn''t see thating.


    "There is no need for an apology. Anyway, you don''t love me and I don''t love you either. A loveless


    marriage between two people is meaningless. Furthermore, ording to thew, married couples who


    stay apart for two years or more are automatically considered divorced. So if you still refuse to sign the


    divorce papers, I will have to sue you."


    Herst few sentences forced him to let out a chuckle. After all, this youngdy was too naive.


    ''Sue me? No problem. I can help her find the bestwyer in the city.


    But automatically divorced?'' Carlos felt obliged to correct her. "Listen. First of all, to be automatically


    divorced, the couple must be separated for two entire consecutive years. One year, nine months and


    ten days ago, I went back to the vi and slept next to you, but you were too sound asleep to know it."


    Being the gentleman that he was, Carlos had kept the lights off so she wouldn''t wake up and it was too


    dark to see anything anyway. Nothing had happened between the two of them that night. Besides, he


    had only stayed for two hours and then left for work again.


    Debbie''s eyes nearly popped out at his reply. ''Hell no! I didn''t even know a man was sleeping next to


    me?''


    Carlos took out a cigarette, but since Debbie was present, he didn''t light it. ying with the cigarette in


    his fingers, he continued, "Secondly, the separation must be caused by the falling apart of the couples''


    rtionship. In our case, I was working overseas. It doesn''t fit the requirements, my dear. Besides, a


    divorce must be consented by both parties. There is no such thing as an automatic divorce."


    Debbie was so puzzled her face fell faster than a corpse in cement boots. In that instant, her mouth


    hung with lips slightly parted and her eyes were as wide as they could stretch. She started wondering if


    she should hire awyer to see if Carlos was trying to fool her.


    "Thirdly." He suddenly stood up and moved towards her. Leaning over her with his hands on the arms


    of the chair, he pressed his face close to hers. Debbie was forced to lean back.


    ''Wh-What is he doing? Why is he so close? Is he trying to seduce me?'' Debbie thought nervously.


    All of a sudden, the air became thick with intensity.


    Sensing her tension, Carlos spoke again. "The court requires evidence of a separation, which I am


    unable to present. What about you, my dear?"


    ''Why does he keep calling me "my dear"?'' That form of address was starting to mess with Debbie''s


    head. "Y-Yes, I can," she stammered.


    "Oh really? Where? How?"


    Debbie scooted backwards in the armchair until there was no space left. "I... I can ask Julie and Philip


    to help me. They can provide evidence."


    "Do you think they will listen to you or me?"


    Debbie didn''t answer. Both of them knew very well what the answer to that question would be.


    Carlos was so close she could feel the man''s warm breath on her face. Her rosy cheeks blushed red


    and her heart started beating faster. The worse part was, she had lost the nerve to push him away.


    "Finally, let me tell you this..." With that, he pressed his lips to hers, sending her to a blissful trance.


    Fortunately for Debbie, the kiss didn''tst long. "During the separation, neither of the couple fulfils their


    marital duties. My dear, if you will allow me, I''d love to fulfil my duties to you as a husband." As soon as


    he finished hisst sentence, he stepped closer. When their faces were about to touch, Debbie shook


    her head in shame and said hurriedly, "No, no, no, no..."


    Out of the blue, Carlos pulled her up and took her in his arms. "Therefore, my dear, I think your best


    option is to stay married to me and stop letting your mind wander."


    By then, Debbie had already been bewitched. She looked at his gorgeous face and nodded her


    consent.


    His scent was intoxicating. The smell of his presence gave her a sense of security. And his lips... tasted


    like heaven!


    Satisfied by the spellbound look in her eyes, Carlos smiled.


    ''No! No! This isn''t right.'' Debbie suddenly pulled herself back to reality and shook her head to clear her


    mind. "Why don''t you want a divorce? You know it as well as I do that we don''t love each other," she


    asked.


    "Why?" Carlos ran his fingers gently through her smooth hair. "First of all, you need money to pull


    yourself through university and make your dreamse true. Secondly, I need a woman as an alibi to


    block all the other women out of my life. Andstly, my grandfather once said that he had our fortunes


    read. The fortune teller convinced him that our Eight-Characters and constetions matched perfectly.


    What are the odds of two people being so perfect for each other?"


    Debbie was at a loss for words. ''Eight-Characters and constetions? Seriously? He is so crafty and


    smooth-tongued he should be awyer, '' she mused.

 Chapter 39 The Punishment

    Chapter 39 The Punishment


    Sensing her skepticism, Carlos continued persuading her. "As I just said, in the past, the biggest


    problem in our marriage was me. You did nothing wrong. Please, allow me to make amends. If it still


    doesn''t work out between us, you can choose not to be with me then. But you can''t cheat on me. That''s


    my only request."


    Debbie swallowed and asked, "What if I... What if you find someone you like during this period?"


    The man cast her a hard look and continued, "I won''t give you a chance to like somebody else." Debbie


    had once told him that she had feelings for someone else, but now, Carlos realized that it was all a lie.


    It was just her strategy to make him consent to the divorce.


    At that moment, she felt thest bit hope go up in smoke.


    ''No. Something is off.'' But she couldn''t put her finger on what it was.


    Confused, she opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again. The words were frozen on


    her lips. The confused look on her delicate face and her rosy lips were too much for the man to resist.


    He lowered his head and gave her a second kiss.


    ''There it is! That''s what''s wrong.'' Debbie pushed him away. "Why do you keep kissing me?"


    The touch of his lips and his scent sent her into a heady trance. He must have been trying to seduce


    her.


    "What''s wrong with me kissing my wife?" Carlos looked at her in puzzlement.


    "Of course it''s wrong. After I kissed you, you threw me out of the mall, into the ocean, and even


    threatened to bury me alive!" Debbie reproached. Her anger boiled up inside at the thought of how he


    had treated her just because of a stupid kiss.


    ''Tut-tut, do all girls hold grudges and bring up old scores?'' Carlos thought sourly.


    "You should have told me you are my wife at the mall," he replied defensively. He was enamored of


    Debbie''s adorable and unique personality. If he had known that she was his wife, he would have never


    done any of those things.


    ''What? Is he trying to make it look like it was my fault?'' She rolled her eyes at him.


    "Look at what has happened ever since you found out that I am your wife. You''ve been interfering in my


    personal life. You treat me like your daughter. You kept me locked up in the vi for days."


    "You''ve been behaving badly at the university. I can''t turn a blind eye to that."


    Education was a top priority for Carlos. That was the one thing he would not waver from. The air


    around them had be toxic. They red at each other, eyes sparking with anger. "You are a nosy


    old man!"


    Old man? Carlos hated it when she called him that. His lips tightened into a thin line and his face


    darkened with dissatisfaction.


    He was only seven years older than her.


    Carlos'' eyes dimmed. He looked at Debbie sharply and took a step forward. Debbie took a step back,


    poised for defense. "I''m warning you. If youe any closer to me, I won''t hesitate to fight you!"


    "Fight me? Good! I can''t wait." He abruptly pushed her on the desk behind her and then leaned


    forward.


    They found their bodies in an awkward and yet erotic posture. Debbie could hardly move. She wriggled


    and tried to free her arms, but to no avail. "Let go of me," she demanded.


    "Go to the university with me this afternoon and attend my ss. Maybe you don''t want to, but you


    have no choice. No more cutting school, especially my sses. At half past three this afternoon, my


    first ss is International Finance. You know which ssroom it is. If I don''t see you there..." Carlos


    pinched her on the waist as a warning.


    Debbie uttered a yelp and blushed with embarrassment. "Do we have to talk like this? Can''t you let go


    of me first?"


    No one had ever treated her like this. This old, lustful man had been disrespectful to her several times


    now.


    He''d better mind his actions, or some day he might be a eunuch in his sleep.


    Helpless, she red at him with resentment as her cheeks puffed up. It seemed like the anger boiling


    up inside her was going to burst out at any moment. Fortunately, Carlos released her from his restraint.


    Soon, Tristan drove her back to East City Vi. After they had arrived, he made sure to give Debbie''s


    luggage to Julie before he left. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo said that you must attend his ss at half past


    three," Tristan reminded her before he took off.


    She clenched her fists, feeling immensely irritated. ''He wants me to show up to his ss? Well, guess


    what? I won''t.''


    At half past three, Carlos walked into the multimedia ssroom, which was packed with almost one


    thousand students present. He started with a small speech, during which he swept over his audience.


    When he was sure Debbie wasn''t there, his face clouded up.


    ''Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.'' Carlos realized that he had made a


    mistake. Before that moment, somewhere in his heart he had still believed that she wasn''t a bad


    person. However, now it seemed to him that he had given her too much credit.


    It was a little past 6 p.m. when Debbie was seen in a cafe. She was talking to Jared on WeChat when


    two bodyguards appeared in the shop.


    "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo asked us to pick you up," they said.


    Instead of responding to what they said, she continued talking on the phone.


    Puzzled, the bodyguards looked at each other, and then one of them said, "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo has


    given us strict orders to carry you home on our shoulders, if that''s what it takes."


    "Please, by all means, do what you must," Debbie countered casually.


    Perhaps Carlos had anticipated that things wouldn''t go smoothly with the bodyguards. One of the


    bodyguards took something out of his pocket and swung it before Debbie''s eyes. When Debbie caught


    sight of what it was, she saw two certificates, which stated that both bodyguards were ck belts in


    tae-kwon-do. One was a 7th dan and the other was a 8th dan.


    Debbie resignedly crammed thest bite of the desert into her mouth, stood up from her chair and


    followed the bodyguards out of the shop meekly.


    ''Son of a bitch! Where did Carlos find these tae kwon do masters?'' she cursed inwardly. Although she


    had practiced martial arts for ten years, when faced with those two bodyguards, she didn''t dare to pick


    a fight with them.


    Meanwhile, an Emperor was parked at the roadside. When she reached the car, Debbie opened the


    door and saw the man in the backseat. His eyes were shut tight, as if he was taking a nap,pletely


    unaware of the fact that she had opened the door.


    One of the bodyguards took the driver''s seat and the other sat in the passenger''s seat in the front.


    The car engine revved and sped out. After a while, Debbie realized that the car was taking them out of


    town.


    ''This isn''t right. This is not the way home. The vi is in the east district and the car is driving westward,


    '' she reflected. "Where are we going?" she asked.


    No one answered her question, as if no one could hear her.


    Debbie got nervous and fidgety since she had defied Carlos again. The skies were getting darker and


    by the look of it, they were heading somewhere remote. Her heart throbbed inside her chest violently.


    ''Is he trying to find a ce to bury me alive again?''


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    In the grip of silent panic, the air inside the car felt like it was suffocating her. Everything was so quiet,


    she could hear her own heart pounding in her chest. When the car finally came to a stop, the


    bodyguards got out of the car, but Debbie remained where she was.


    Her eyes caught sight of something. Was that a tombstone?


    The door on her side was opened by a bodyguard, who stood there waiting for her to get out.


    With the headlights on, Debbie nced around and a chill crept up her spine. Bloody hell! A


    graveyard? Why would Carlos bring her to a graveyard in the evening?


    While she was trying to figure out what was on Carlos'' mind, the bodyguards returned to the car.


    "Hey, what''s this supposed to mean?" Debbie tried to open the doors, but they were all locked, so she


    started tapping on the windows helplessly.


    One of the windows in the backseat was rolled down. With a gloomy look on his face, Carlos said,


    "This is a martyrs'' park. Stay here and reflect on what you''ve done."


    Here?


    Didn''t he know that she had a fear of darkness? If she couldn''t deal with her fears in the vi, how


    would she deal with them alone in a cemetery? Fear gripped her entire body in an instant.


    "I... I..." Before Debbie could say anything else, the car drove off.


    As she helplessly watched the car drive away and disappear into the horizon, all she could do was


    curse Carlos a thousand times in her heart. This was more terrifying than being buried alive to her.


    Trembling with fear, she barely managed to take out her phone. Unfortunately, the reception there was


    terrible. She tried to dial Jared''s number anyway. As if the Gods were screwing with her, Jared''s phone


    was switched off!

 Chapter 40 In The Cemetery

    Chapter 40 In The Cemetery


    ''What the hell? We were just talking on the phone a moment ago.''


    Debbie called Kasie, Dixon, andstly Kristina. All of them had turned off their phones. ''Hah! Just when


    I need them the most, none of them can be reached. What kind of friends are they?'' Debbie was so


    frustrated she wanted to smash her phone. She gritted her teeth angrily. When she raised her head,


    she saw rows of tombstones standing there. It was as if they were all looking at her. Her heart started


    trembling and the cold breeze drove shivers down her spine. "Um... be cool, guys. Rest in peace. I am


    not looking for any trouble," she muttered, as she spun around to make sure nothing was behind her.


    Meanwhile, her friends had been taken to a restaurant. A few men, dressed in ck, had taken their


    phones and confined them to a room.


    Completely unaware of what was happening to Debbie, they enjoyed the gourmet food spread out on


    the table.


    On the other hand, in the cemetery, more than ten minutes had passed, but Debbie still hadn''t been


    able to call in a car or a taxi to get her out of that terrifying ce. Anxious, scared, and alone. Salty


    tears spilled over onto her cheeks leaving a tight, dry feeling. Crouching under a tree, she kept calling


    her friends on her phone and just about anyone she could reach at that moment. However, the


    reception was too weak. She tried and tried, but luck wasn''t on her side.


    ''Am I going to spend the night here? Surely, I''ll be dead in the morning, '' she thought to herself, sitting


    on the cold ground. ''That asshole Carlos. What an arrogant, insensitive bastard to leave me alone here


    like this! What did I do wrong in my previous life for God to make me his wife and punish me?''


    "Martyrs, heroes, I''m sorry, but I don''t mean to be rude. Please don''te near me. Please, please,


    please, please..." she begged, looking at the tombstones with her hands folded in front of her.


    ''Kasie, Kristina, Jared, and Dixon, if I make it out of here alive, I swear I''ll never speak to you guys


    again. Oh, help me, God.'' She wondered what her friends were doing and she couldn''t understand why


    her best friends had all ditched her when she needed them the most. Then she thought of her husband


    who had put her in such a difficult position in the first ce.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ''Carlos Huo, you evil man. No wonder you have been single for the past 28 years.'' Then she realized


    something was wrong with that sentence. ''Oh, right. He is my husband. We have been married for


    three years.'' She remembered. "You deserved to be single for the past 25 years, you jerk. You''re lucky


    to have me," she murmured to herself angrily. Again, she tried to contact everyone else on her phone,


    but the line didn''t connect her even once. Debbie sat there, tired and dejected, as she buried her face


    in her arms.


    There was only one person left, her husband, thest person she wanted to ask for help.


    After letting out a deep sigh, she raised her head and dialed Carlos'' number. Due to the lousy


    reception, she couldn''t connect through until after she had dialed more than ten times. "Carlos, I''m


    sorry. I was wrong. Please take me back home..." she blurted as soon as the phone was connected.


    Unfortunately, before she could finish her words, the reception broke off.


    Debbie was bordering on insanity.


    Once again, she thought of how Carlos had treated her in the past. He had stubbornly refused to end


    their marriage despite the fact that they didn''t love each other; he had tried to force her into school


    when she wanted a leave just to avoid him. It seemed that in his eyes, everything she did was wrong. It


    wasn''t fair at all.


    Why was he being so heartless and insensitive to her?


    A frustrated scream dragged up her throat but it emerged as a groan, and soon it was followed by tears


    gushing out of her eyes. In the silent darkness, her raspy sobbing sounded creepy, even more so, due


    to the fact that she was in a cemetery. The night watchman heard her crying, but he was too frightened


    to approach her, uncertain whether she was a human being or a ghost.


    Drops of tears kept falling ceaselessly. Leaning against the tree, she put one arm over her chest and


    covered her face with the other, brushing away the tears from time to time. Little did she know that a


    person was standing right in front of her all the while.


    The sobbing gradually subsided. She wiped her tears and decided to get out of that ce on her own.


    ''I have to be brave. I can''t let that pervert belittle me, '' she told herself, trying to muster up some


    courage. "Ahhhh!" she screamed when she saw the man in front of her as soon as she stood up. Her


    shriek resounded throughout the cemetery. The startled birds in the trees took to the dark sky, pping


    their wings restlessly.


    Wistful, exhausted, and terrified, Debbie lost her bnce and was about to fall down when Carlos


    stretched out his arms and caught her. She was shaking like a dry leaf in his arms. Without hesitation,


    he held her close in his arms and helped her up.


    When Debbie saw the man''s face, her tears went rogue, flooding her face. "Put me down! What are


    you doing here? Didn''t you want to leave me here alone? Why did youe back?" She had never


    seen another man as hateful and petty as Carlos Huo!


    Before Debbie, numerous women had cried their hearts out in front of Carlos. Most of them cried


    because he had turned them down when they told him that they wanted to be his girlfriend.


    Nheless, their tears and desperation had made him despise them even more. He wished that they


    had lived on differents, as far away from him as possible. Strangely enough, the woman


    weeping in his arms right now didn''t make him feel anything like that. On the contrary, for some


    inexplicable reason, his heart broke for her.


    What fascinated him was the fact that, even when he had thrown her into the ocean, she didn''t shed a


    single tear. Instead, she came back like a fighter.


    Carlos wanted tofort her, but he didn''t know how. "If you stop crying, I promise to get you out of


    here immediately." That was the only thing he could offer her.


    Fortunately, it worked. Debbie stopped weeping and red at him, her eyes and nose red from the


    crying. On a second thought, she realized that he was all she could depend on at that moment. Swiftly,


    she withdrew her re and looked away.


    Having noticed her varying facial expressions, Carlos felt a tug of attraction in his heart. Never had he


    laid eyes upon a girl so lovely.


    He cast his warm feelings aside momentarily and assumed his usual cold tone. "Are you thinking of


    how to get back at me when you get to the vi?"


    ''Darn! How did he know?'' Taken aback, Debbie was suddenly at a loss for words. "N-No, I''m not," she


    denied, trying to appearposed. "Can we go now?" asked Debbie.


    The ce was so grim and dreadful, the mere sight of her surroundings gave her goosebumps.


    "Will you attend my ss tomorrow?" Carlos sounded calm. ''Look at her. Pale, shaking, and sweating.


    What''s so scary about this ce?'' He couldn''t understand what it was about the ce that made her


    feel that way.


    "Mmm. I will. I will attend your ss tomorrow," she answered at once. The thought of being in the


    same ssroom with Carlos couldn''t be worse than this.


    At East City Vi


    As soon as they got back to the vi, Debbie dashed into her bedroom and went to get a shower.


    She desperately needed to wash off the sweat, grime and most importantly the bad aura from her body.


    Before going to sleep, Debbie posted a message in the group''s chat with her friends. "Friendship


    ended," she said. "I want to sever all ties with all of you."


    Meanwhile, her friends had just been allowed to leave the restaurant. As soon as they got their phones


    back, Debbie''s message popped up on their screens simultaneously. Immediately, their faces flooded


    with shock at her words. "What''s wrong, Debbie?"


    Having lost his patience, Jared called her directly. Soon, Kristina found a new post in her Moments on


    WeChat. "The whole world has abandoned me!"


    "Debbie, what''s happened? Some bodyguards took us to a big dinner tonight. The meal was fantastic.


    But they took away all of our phones, which was weird. We have just gotten our phones back, and


    received your messages. Why did you say that? What''s wrong?" Jared poured out in a flow as soon as


    the call was answered.


    Invited to a dinner by some bodyguards? And it happened just when she was left at the cemetery? The


    dinner ended just when she got back home? ''It must be the work of that Evil Carlos Huo, '' Debbie


    suspected.


    "Oh, I''m fine and just going to sleep. How are you guys?"


    "We''re fine too. We''ve been wondering who invited us to that dinner. We thought of calling you to join


    us, but we didn''t have our phones, you know," Jared joked.


    Debbie''s friends wouldn''t have dragged her into the dinner recklessly, without knowing who those


    bodyguards worked for.


    It puzzled them immensely why someone would anonymously invite them to a dinner out of the blue


    and force them to eat.


    Finding herself in no mood to talk, Debbie looked out the window. After a sh of lightning caught her


    by surprise, she got out of bed and drew the curtains. "Go back to the dorm quickly. I think it''s going to


    rain soon," she said to Jared.


    "Okay. See you tomorrow. Good night."


    At 1 a.m. there was a heavy downpour. The sound of emptiness was disrupted by the loud gregarious


    boom of thunder which lit up the entire room.


    Debbie clutched the covers tightly. Generally, she wasn''t scared as long as the lights were on, but


    tonight, her visit to the martyrs'' park had frightened the life out of her.


    Lying in bed, she turned and rolled, afraid to close her eyes. Feeling restless, she took her phone from


    the night table and started to read the updates on Weibo. Outside, the rain was getting heavier. A


    jagged bolt of white hot lightning split the chilly sky, and within seconds the rolling boom of the thunder


    reverberated overhead.


    As if things weren''t bad enough, an introduction of a horror novel popped up on her screen. The book


    was about the wedding of the dead. The pictures of a coffin and a dead bride in a wedding gown, along


    with the introduction was cripplingly horrifying.


    Debbie was so shaken up, she could barely suppress her scream. She sat up immediately and looked


    around her bedroom.


    A few deep breaths steadied her rapid heartbeats. Only then did she remember that Carlos was in the


    next room.


    ''At thiste hour, he must be sleeping.''


    Here, she was losing her mind, trembling in fear, while he was sound asleep in the next room? Life


    could be so unfair sometimes. ''Hmph, he wishes!''


    Debbie clutched a pillow tightly, and got out of bed.


    Quiet as a deer, she opened the door. It was pitch ck in the hallway, so she retraced her steps to the


    night table and got her phone. With the phone light switched on, she sneaked towards Carlos''


    bedroom, and turned the doorknob to get inside.

 Chapter 41 Im A Married Man

    Chapter 41 I''m A Married Man


    A sudden sh of lightning lit up the dark room for a second, and Debbie caught sight of the man


    sleeping in bed.


    Her feet tiptoed on the thick carpet, and she walked up to his bed silently.


    3... 2... 1... She got there! "Ahhh!" Before she was able to celebrate, she was shoved face down onto


    the bed.


    With her hands pressed against her back, she tried her best to turn her head. Finally, she managed to


    squeeze out a few words through her gritted teeth. "It''s me, Debbie. Let go of me, Carlos."


    Carlos shook his head to sober himself up and then released her hands. "What are you doing in my


    room at this hour of the night?"


    If he had a gun, he would have pointed it at her head.


    Debbie heaved a sigh of relief when she was released. ''Oh my God! Is he always so jumpy even when


    he''s asleep?'' "I... I wanted to check if you were asleep."


    She made an excuse, turned over to lie down and looked at the man who was now sitting on the bed.


    "I was asleep," he said impatiently.


    "Uh... Go back to sleep." Debbie closed her eyes andy still.


    Carlos looked at her in confusion. ''Shouldn''t she get off the bed and leave my room? Why is she still


    lying here?''


    "Well, are you implying that you want to sleep with me?"


    His straightforward words made her cheeks blush red with shame. She immediately covered her chest


    with her hands and argued, "Don''t talk nonsense! I was just... I thought you''d be afraid to sleep on your


    own, so I came here to keep youpany."


    Debbie was too proud to admit that she was the one who was afraid of sleeping alone.


    Carlos was amused by herme excuse. ''I''m afraid to sleep on my own? Are you kidding me? Why


    can''t you just admit that you want mypany?'' "I''m not afraid of sleeping alone. I''m only afraid of


    being raped by you," he teased.


    "Hey, watch your tongue! Don''t tter yourself. I''m not interested in you at all. I''m just sleepy. I need to


    sleep now." Just after she said that, she sat up straight.


    Carlos thought she was leaving, but actually shey back and tucked herself in.


    Baffled, he demanded, "Out!" He wasn''t used to sleeping with another person in the same bed.


    "No! I must apany you!" Debbie was resilient.


    He rubbed his arching brows and exined, "I''m not used to sleeping with others."


    "You''re lying. I know it. You just don''t want to hurt Miss Mi''s heart."


    ''Miss Mi? Who''s she?'' he thought to himself. After pausing to think for a moment, Carlos finally realized


    that she was referring to Olga. "She has nothing to do with this," he snapped.


    "Is she not your girlfriend?" Debbie scratched her head curiously. After all, she had seen Carlos and


    Olga together a couple of times.


    "I''m a married man. I''m not interested in having a mistress," he answered.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Debbie snickered with pleasure as she sat up again and approached him. "You didn''t even blush after


    lying. Last time in Shining International za, you bought her so many things. Now you are telling me


    that you are not interested in her. Boss, are you giving yourself a p in the face?"


    "Should a man not pay the bill when he is shopping with a woman? Yes, I bought her many things. It


    didn''t mean that she is my mistress." Carlos shook his head in disbelief. ''What the hell was she


    thinking?''


    ''His words do make sense. Besides, he is Carlos Huo, the richest man in Y City. It''s not unusual for him


    to pay millions of dors for women, '' Debbie mused.


    "Alright then. Good night!" This time, she pulled the quilt over her head. She was so sleepy she could


    hardly keep her eyelids from shutting.


    In less than a minute, the man slid under the quilt and pressed himself against her. As if he was


    expecting her to scream, he pressed her lips with his. On top of her, he pinned her hands to the bed.


    His lips were firm, demanding and his fingertips were on fire running over her soft skin. Her eyes


    widened as she wasn''t expecting things to turn out this way.


    ''I''m here to sleep, not sleep with you.


    Yes, we are a couple, but only in name. I never wanted to be married to you. I certainly did not n on


    having sex with you, '' she thought inwardly.


    His wet lips glided to her ear. She shivered and came back to her senses. She grabbed his hand and


    stopped him from caressing her breasts. "Carlos, I''m not here to sleep with you. Don''t get me wrong,"


    she gasped.


    Carlos paused to look at her and said, "It''s toote." His loins were burning and he needed to put out


    the fire.


    He began to nt feather-like kisses across her cheeks, her chin, and on the corners of her mouth.


    Fear flooded her system and she pleaded, "Please... Please don''t... It''s all my fault. I was afraid of


    sleeping alone, so I came here."


    Carlos looked at the woman doubtfully and asked, "What were you afraid of? You were not in the


    cemetery anymore."


    Debbie gave him an embarrassed smile and exined, "It has been thundering like crazy. I''m usually


    not afraid of it, but ever since you left me alone in that cemetery, I haven''t been able to sleep on my


    own..."


    She finally acknowledged the truth and heaved a sigh of relief. She believed that he should be held


    responsible for the whole thing.


    Carlos sighed and shook his head in disappointment. ''I shouldn''t have punished her like that. I thought


    she was afraid of nothing. But turns out, she is just a girl. Damn it! I made my bed, and now I must lie


    on it.''


    He let go of her andy beside her quietly to calm himself down.


    Debbie felt relieved when Carlos let her go. ''Oh, shame on me! I''m always pretending to be fearless in


    front of others. But whenever Carloses into the picture, I''m not the same person anymore. What is


    wrong with me?'' She buried herself in her thoughts.


    After several minutes, when Carlos finally calmed himself down, he opened his mouth to say


    something, but soon realized that his wife was sound asleep.


    The next day, in the Economics and Management School, one of the multimedia ssrooms was


    overflowing with students. There were still more students outside the door trying toe in.


    The boys looked at the girls enviously; the girls entered the ssroom one after another, while the boys


    were stopped by Debbie and Jared.


    Some boys couldn''t keep silent anymore. "Debbie Nian, why won''t you allow us to attend Mr. Huo''s


    ss? We want to get in as well!"


    The ssroom door was being guarded by Debbie and Jared. With her back leaning against the wall,


    she crossed her arms and said indifferently, "There are too many students who want to take Mr. Huo''s


    ss. We''re here to maintain public order. You are boys. Can''t you be generous enough to let these


    adorable girls take his ss?"


    A girl, who was about to enter, overheard their conversation and turned around. She cast a scornful


    nce at the boys and said, "Exactly. Be a gentleman, okay?"


    All the boys were rendered speechless.


    Jared flung his arm around a boy''s shoulders and announced in a loud voice, "Guys, what a lovely,


    sunny day! I''d like to treat you guys to a game of golf this morning. And we can grab lunch right after."


    Very few people were able to resist temptations of such degree. Moreover, even fewer people were


    brave enough to turn Jared down.


    As a result, Carlos was caught by surprise when he entered the ssroom. The ssroom smelled


    strongly of women''s perfume, and there were almost a thousand girls present. Carlos was the only man


    in the ssroom.


    Baffled, he put his stuff on the desk and swept this eyes over the crowd. When his eyes caught sight of


    a girl who was wearing a proud smile, he immediately realized what was going on.


    Instantly, he figured out that this was all a part of Debbie''s revenge.


    Without further ado, he turned on the projector and started the ss. "Good morning, everyone. ss


    begins now. What I''m going to talk about today is the current situation of financial technology


    industry..."


    No wonder countless girls fawned over Carlos.


    Watching the handsome man carry out his work in a diligent manner rendered the girls breathless and


    made their hearts skip a beat.

 Chapter 42 He Is So Handsome

    Chapter 42 He Is So Handsome


    Like the other girls in the ssroom, Debbie was so deep in thought that she hadn''t been paying


    attention while Carlos was giving a lesson. ''Wow! He is so handsome. His voice is so sexy and


    charming. He''s got a perfect body. He looks like a prince...''


    "Well, I''d like to have a student sum up what I''ve just said," Carlos stated.


    Most of the girls couldn''t contain their excitement. They raised their hands and waved at him to draw


    his attention.


    Everyone but Debbie was hoping that they would be the lucky one.


    "The first from the left in the 8th row. Please stand up and tell us what you''ve learned so far." His


    attractive voice had hardly faded when the girls whipped their heads to look at the area he was pointing


    at. To most, the girl whose name got called was favored by fortune.


    When they saw who the lucky dog was, they started gossiping amongst themselves.


    "Isn''t she the girl who was guarding the door before the ss started?"


    "Exactly. She is Debbie Nian from ss 22."


    "What? She is Tomboy? She is so pretty. No wonder she is so popr."


    Meanwhile, the girl everybody was talking about was still lost in her own thoughts.


    She thought of the night when she slept in the same bed as Carlos, and she blushed red like a spring


    rose with an awkward smile on her face. After a few seconds had passed and there was still no


    response from Debbie, Kasie, who was sitting next to her, nudged her back to her senses.


    "Um? What''s up?" asked Debbie. ''Why is everyone looking at me like that?'' she wondered in


    confusion.


    Kristina, who was sitting next to Kasie, said in a light voice, "Tomboy, Mr. Huo wants you to answer his


    question. You need to sum up what he has just said."


    Debbie''s heart leapt into her throat. ''What he has said? But I wasn''t following anything...''


    Embarrassed, she stood up slowly and flipped open the book in front of her on the desk. But she was


    unable to utter a single word.


    "Since you''ve failed to answer my question,e here and stand on the tform," Carlos demanded


    in a calm voice.


    ''What? Stand on the tform?''


    Despite the confusion in her mind, Debbie left her seat and stepped on the tform.


    Carlos, with a straight face, pointed to a corner and said, "You need to stand there and listen to my


    lecture until the ss ends."


    Debbie''s eyes flew open as rows of heads turned to face her.


    The spot Carlos was pointing to was only three meters away from the screen. If Carlos stood on the left


    of the tform, they would be standing very close to each other -- she would be within half a meter


    away from him.


    Debbie was mortified, frozen to the spot. Feeling embarrassed, she couldn''t believe what had


    happened. It wasn''t the first time she had been punished by a teacher. In truth, nine out of ten teachers


    would not dare to punish her even if she had done something wrong in ss. And if the remaining one


    did dare to ask her to stand on the tform, she would just turn a deaf ear to it.


    Several minutes had passed, and Debbie was still standing there frozen like a statue. However, an icy


    nce from Carlos'' eyes gave her chills.


    ''Hmph! You jerk! How dare you look at me like that! Did you forget what you did to mest night? What


    a two-faced buffoon!'' she cursed inwardly.


    Soon, the horrifying memories of the time he had left her alone in the cemetery crept into her mind and


    gripped her with fear. Shuddering in horror, she bit her lower lip and reluctantly walked to the corner


    specified by her damn husband.


    ''This must be his revenge! He must be enjoying this a lot! Wow! What a petty man!''


    Once Debbie stood in the corner, Carlos asked another student to answer his question. A short giggle


    escaped Debbie''s mouth when she saw that his next target was her friend.


    "The second from the left in the 8th row. Stand up and tell us what you''ve learned so far." The


    unfortunate soul was Kasie.


    ''If she can answer the question, I''ll walk backwards the whole day, '' Debbie swore to herself.


    Fortunately for Debbie, she didn''t need to do that. Kasie was far from being considered an exemry


    student. In fact, she was one of those students who had been enrolled through the backdoor. Having


    failed in answering Carlos'' question, she was asked to stand next to Debbie.


    Debbie felt much better now as she had her good friend''spany.


    Much to their surprise, soon their another close friend, Kristina, also joined them on the tform.


    Contrary to her two friends before her, Kristina actually answered the question, but since she failed to


    stress the essentials, she failed to please Carlos.


    The three girls were embarrassed to find themselves being put up as an example for the rest of the


    ss. But when they saw each other in the same awkward situation, they couldn''t help giggling.


    As for the remainder of the ss, most of the girls pretended to be inattentive, in hopes of being


    questioned by Carlos, so that they could stand on the tform as well. They thought that Debbie and


    her two friends were lucky to be standing so close to him.


    Unfortunately, Carlos didn''t ask anyone to answer his questions after that.


    He was giving lectures with the help of slides he had prepared at home, which he disyed on the big


    screen for everyone to see. During his lecture, he stood in front of Debbie with his back to her.


    They were so close to each other that she could practically count his hair.


    "An idle mind was the devil''s workshop" was an old saying befitting Debbie''s current state. Bored to


    tears, she grabbed Kasie''s hand while counting Carlos'' hair.


    "Debbie Nian, could you please repeat what I''ve just said?" His cold voice sessfully brought her


    back to her senses.


    ''What? Not again!'' she cursed in her mind. "Uh... You said... I..." she stammered, not knowing what to


    say, and regretting not having listened to him when she had the chance.


    Kasie, who had been attracted by Carlos'' handsome face, failed to answer the question like Debbie


    had. Kristina, however, gave the correct answer this time. Carlos was indeed a good teacher who knew


    how to exinplicated theories in a more simple manner. As long as Kristina paid attention to what


    he was saying, she immediately understood what he was teaching.


    Carlos put his book down on the desk and said, "Good job, Kristina Lin. You may go back to your seat


    now. Kasie Zheng and Debbie Nian, I want to see the both of you in my office after the ss. This is a


    very important topic for your final exams. I''ll try and discuss it with you two alone until you can fully


    grasp the concepts."


    The rest of the students were shocked by what Carlos had said.


    ''Mr. Huo will teach them alone?!'' How they wished they could have the opportunity to spend some time


    with him alone!


    90% of the girls were envious of Debbie and Kasie because they also wanted to spend time alone with


    Carlos. As for the rest, they were straight-A students and wanted to be instructed by him, because he


    was a really good teacher.


    What happened next was beyond Kasie''s imagination. Excited, she held Debbie''s arm and entered


    Carlos'' office, but was dismissed by him immediately.


    "Kasie Zheng, you''ve listened to me carefully. So there''s no need for you to stay here. You may take


    your leave now," Carlos said with a friendly smile.


    Still in a trance, Kasie nodded and said, "Okay."


    She turned around and left the office obediently, as if she were hypnotized by him. Soon after, the


    sound of the closing dooring from behind her brought her back to her senses.


    ''But I didn''t listen to a single thing he said in ss! What''s more, Debbie''s still in there...''


    At this moment, Tristan, Carlos'' assistant, walked up to Kasie. Pushing up his sses, he smiled, "If


    you don''t have anything else to report, you may go back to ss now."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "But Debbie is still in there," she answered anxiously.


    "I believe it will be good for your friend to be taught by Mr. Huo alone." Tristan was simply implying that


    Carlos wouldn''t be too happy if Kasie knocked on his office door now.


    Kasie was not witless and she understood his point immediately. Despite her fear of Carlos, her


    concern for her friend prevailed. Thinking about the conflicts between Debbie and Carlos, she asked,


    "Will Mr. Huo do something to Debbie?"

 Chapter 43 Im Your Husband

    Chapter 43 I''m Your Husband


    Tristan was amused by Kasie''s question, but he tried his best to maintain a serious face. ''First of all,


    Mr. Huo is a gentleman who will not force women to do anything they don''t want. Second, Debbie is his


    wife. It wouldn''t be inappropriate if they did end up doing something, '' he thought to himself. "Don''t


    worry. What Mr. Huo is doing is for Miss Nian''s own good," he reassured Kasie.


    Tristan didn''t know what his boss would do to Debbie, but he knew it would do him best to stay away


    from their matters.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Kasie, however, still felt worried about her friend, for she remembered what Kristina had told her before


    -- Carlos intended to bury Debbie alive thest time. "How about I get in and stay with Debbie? I swear


    I''ll just sit there and listen to Mr. Huo. I won''t make any noise," she pleaded.


    Tristan shook his head and thought, ''If I let you in, Mr. Huo will be angry with me. I don''t want to be


    punished by him. I should take warning from Emmett''s example.'' He cleared his throat and said, "Miss


    Zheng, I assure you that Mr. Huo won''t do anything to Miss Nian. Would you please stop worrying


    about your friend?"


    Kasie had no choice but to leave because she realized that Tristan would not let her pass by any


    means. As she walked to the ssroom, she couldn''t stop getting worked up about Debbie.


    In Carlos'' office


    Carlos ced a folder on the desk in front of Debbie and said, "For the rest of this semester, you will


    need to take these sses -- Yoga, Dancing, Piano, Etiquette... You also need to take part in the post-


    graduate entrance exams, so I will be your teacher for English, Advanced Mathematics and Financial


    Economy."


    "Stop, stop!" Debbie interrupted, as her eyes widened at the sight of the countless sses listed.


    She leaned forward to get close to him and said, "Old man, who gave you the right to arrange so many


    sses for me?" ''Did you ever ask for my opinion? Did I ever give you my consent?'' she cursed in her


    mind.


    ''Old man? Am I really that old to her?'' Carlos knitted his eyebrows and answered in a low voice, "I''m


    your husband."


    His voice was so captivating and attractive that Debbie got caught in a trance. It took her a while before


    she came back to her senses. Feigning a calm disposition, she cleared her throat and retorted, "Yes,


    I''m not denying that. You are just my husband, but what you''ve done to me only makes me wonder if


    you''re treating me like I''m your daughter."


    Carlos'' face soured when he heard what she had said. As hurtful as they were, there was truth in her


    harsh words.


    All of a sudden, he reached out to pull her into his arms and forced her to sit on hisp.


    Despite her struggling, he held her waist tightly with his left arm and grabbed her chin with his right


    hand to make her look him in the eye. "Ah, I see. You want me to do something that only your husband


    is allowed to do. No problem!"


    Before Debbie knew it, he lowered his head and kissed her red lips.


    Her eyes widened as she wasn''t expecting things to turn out this way. ''I didn''t mean it that way! I was


    just trying to ask him not to discipline me like my father did. Is he taking advantage of me now?''


    However, she couldn''t deny the fact that Carlos was an amazing kisser. All the sensations he was


    bringing her made her close her eyes and savor the entire moment.


    It was not until she was pressed against the desk and the two buttons of her shirt were unbuttoned that


    she came back to her senses. She grabbed his hand, her breathing in short gasps, and her


    cheeks were bright red. "Carlos... no... please..."


    How bold he was! This was the teacher''s office. Was he just trying to have her here?


    Having realized her unwillingness, he stopped at just two buttons. He leaned his forehead against hers


    and breathed heavily. After a short time, he calmed down and said in a husky voice, "I can let you go,


    but remember, no more martial arts sses. You need to choose two from Yoga, Dancing, Piano and


    Etiquette. And I''ll teach you the other courses in the evenings."


    Debbie bit her lower lip, reluctant to obey his orders. "I have one condition," she said, trying to bargain.


    Carlos wanted to turn her down, but on second thought he decided against it. After all, he didn''t want


    his wife to think of him as her father. He took a deep breath and briefly said, "Name it."


    "I will only choose Yoga." English, Advanced Mathematics and so on -- those lessons meant torture to


    her.


    Carlos released her and became aloof again, as if the part of him who had been aroused just moments


    ago had left his body. Debbie was shocked by his behavior. ''He acts as if it were not him who kissed


    me and wanted to strip off my clothes! What a fake man!''


    "Wanna watch a movie?" he offered.


    "What?" Debbie was amazed by his kind offer.


    With a malicious smile, he said, "A horror movie is showing in the cinemas. Come with me?"


    The mention of a horror movie alone was enough to make Debbie turn pale. She cursed him in her


    mind for knowing her weaknesses.


    Eventually, she agreed to his proposal. She would take Yoga and Dancing sses, twice a week


    respectively, and he would hire professional teachers for her. Carlos himself would be responsible for


    her English and Advanced Mathematics results.


    On her way back to the ssroom, Debbie was fuming mad at the man and also despised herself.


    ''Why do I always give in to his whims?


    He seems to know all of my weaknesses. Did he have his men investigate me? What a wicked man!


    He''s not ashamed to threaten me with my weak points!''


    When she was deep in thought, the sound of an iing message brought her back to her senses.


    She took out her phone and found that someone with the nickname "C" had sent her a friend request


    on WeChat.


    Debbie didn''t give it much importance as she thought that the person might be one of her ssmates,


    so she epted it as a friend.


    Before long, she opened her WeChat Moments and shared something -- "He is a wolf in sheep''s


    clothing!"


    Kasie, who was ying on her phone, immediately saw it and called Debbie. "Did Mr. Huo let you go?


    So soon? And what does your post mean? Did he do something to you?"


    Debbie raised her head and stared at the ceiling. After a short pause, she cursed through gritted teeth,


    "Kasie, I must have done something very bad to him in my past life. That''s why he is taking revenge on


    me."


    Thinking of her miserable life in the future, she couldn''t help but say some bad words in her mind.


    "What? What do you mean? Did Mr. Huo..." Kasie didn''t finish her sentence, but her dirtyugh was


    telling Debbie what she was asking. Obviously, Kasie was expecting a positive answer from Debbie.


    Debbie didn''t intend to keep it a secret from her friend. "He kissed me. Can you believe it? Is he not a


    teacher? How could he kiss a student in his office? Do you agree that he''s a beast in sheep''s clothing?"


    A loud scream came from the other end of the line, and Debbie had to move her phone away from her


    ear. She cast a scornful nce at her phone as if she were looking at Kasie in person.


    "Debbie, Mr. Huo must have a thing for you. What are you waiting for? Go to him and make him your


    man!" Kasie yelled.


    ''What the fuck?! Are you kidding me?'' Debbie was shocked by her friend''s suggestion. She snapped


    back, "Kasie Zheng, are you my friend or not? Since when did you be my pimp? How dare you


    ask me to... to go to him and..." Debbie was too shy to utter the words, "make him my man".


    Why did Kasie give in to Carlos'' handsome face so easily? Debbie couldn''t believe what her friend had


    just told her.


    "Come on! If I weren''t your friend, I would have gone to him myself. He is Mr. Huo! Do you know what


    that means? If you be his woman, do you know how many women will be jealous of you? Tomboy,


    you''ll be a real-life winner!"


    Debbie was rendered speechless.


    On the other hand, Carlos was really efficient and reliable. The next morning, the dance teacher arrived


    at the East City Vi by 8 a.m.


    As Debbie''s first ss in the university started at 10:30 a.m., she was still sound asleep when the


    teacher arrived. Julie came to Debbie''s bedroom and gently woke her up. When Debbie squinted her


    sleepy eyes at her, Julie told her that the dance teacher was waiting for her in the dance room.


    After readying herself, Debbie entered the dance room. The moment she saw the dance teacher, her


    eyes lit up and she became enthusiastic about taking lessons.


    The teacher was about Debbie''s age. She had a pretty face, and most importantly, a perfect figure.


    Debbie could tell from the way she dressed that she was a soft and gentle girl. Debbie was almost


    drooling over her, firmly under the impression that most men would fall for her at first sight.

 Chapter 44 The Dancing Class

    Chapter 44 The Dancing ss


    The dance teacher walked up to Debbie elegantly with a friendly smile on her face and said, "Good


    morning. You must be Debbie."


    Debbie smiled back and nodded. "Good morning."


    They shook hands and made a good first impression on each other. The dance teacher introduced


    herself, "I''m Teresa Xu, and you may just call me Teresa. Although I have just graduated from


    university, I''ve been learning how to dance for almost twenty years and teaching others for almost four


    years now."


    "Wow! Teresa! Your parents must be a fan of Teresa Teng, huh?" Debbie''s curiosity was piqued.


    A smile appeared on Teresa Xu''s lips and she answered, "Yes, you''re right. My mother is a Chinese


    teacher and my father is a professor of Chinese literature. They are both Teresa Teng''s loyal fans."


    Apparently, she was very proud of her parents.


    After making small talk, they began the ss. Teresa Xu was indeed a soft girl, and even Debbie, who


    had always been a tomboy, became softer while she was with the dance teacher.


    Since Debbie had been practicing martial arts for more than ten years, it wasn''t long before she had


    mastered the basic skills of dancing.


    The sssted for almost an hour and a half, but Debbie was not tired at all.


    When the ss came to an end, Teresa Xu changed her clothes and walked towards the gates of the


    vi, followed by Debbie. "I had a great time, Teresa," said Debbie.


    "I appreciate it. See you next time, Debbie." Teresa Xu waved her goodbye.


    "Bye, Teresa."


    After Teresa Xu left the vi, Debbie went back to the living room and threw herself on the couch. She


    needed to go to the university soon. There was no way she was going to risk missing Carlos'' ss in


    the afternoon. How she wished she could just y truant like she had done before! She was both


    physically and mentally exhausted because of him.


    ''I assumed time was money for the likes of Carlos. I''ve heard that he makes around hundreds of


    millions of dors in just one minute. I wonder why he chose to waste time on our school. I really don''t


    understand it, '' Debbie thought to herself.


    In the afternoon, Debbie went to a Haagen-Dazs shop and bought two scoops of ice cream. With her


    books in one hand and the ice cream in the other, she made her way to the ssroom. It was Carlos''


    ss, and she didn''t dare to cut it. Otherwise, the man woulde up with a plethora of ways to


    punish her.


    Lost in various fancies and conjectures, she walked slowly across the maple grove of the university, not


    realizing that the bell for her ss had already rung.


    Between her and the building where she was supposed to attend her ss, was a massive yground.


    She decided to walk across the yground to avoid taking an indirect route.


    Suddenly, her phone beeped in her pocket. She got hold of the ice cream cup with her mouth, and took


    out her phone to read the WeChat message sent by Jared. "Tomboy, where are you? You''re already


    three minuteste for Carlos Huo''s ss!!!" The number of exmation marks indicated how anxious


    he was.


    It was not until then that she realized she waste for ss. She put her phone back in her pocket,


    grabbed her ice cream and was about to run towards the ssroom. However, on second thought, she


    was alreadyte. Three minuteste or ten minutes would make very little difference.


    She held the ice cream cup between her teeth again, and replied to Jared''s WeChat message. "I''m on


    my way to the ssroom. I''ll be right there."


    She clicked the "send" button.


    "Debbie Nian, does that ice cream taste good?" The familiar voice was so cold that Debbie almost


    choked on her ice cream.


    ''Is this man a ghost? Why is he everywhere? I thought he was in the ssroom. Why is he here? On


    the yground?'' Debbie bit her lower lip in frustration.


    She put her phone back, took the ice cream and raised her head. To her surprise, not only was Carlos


    standing there, but all her ssmates were standing in perfect order in the middle of the yground.


    Since when did this ss get switched to military training ss?


    "The ice cream tastes good, huh?" Carlos repeated.


    Confused, Debbie just nodded without saying a word. ''Of course it tastes good. It cost me 80 dors*!''


    she thought to herself.


    (*TN: In this novel, a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream costs 40 dors.)


    The students snickered at Debbie''s response and wondered since when she had be so silly.


    Poker-faced, Carlos pointed to a ce under a big tree and said, "Go there and finish your ice cream."


    Inpliance with his order, Debbie walked towards the tree and began to enjoy her ice cream in the


    shade. From a close distance, she observed Carlos who was helping her ssmates adjust their


    standing postures.


    He was showing them the standard military posture. From where Debbie was standing, he looked like a


    natural. So much that Debbie wondered whether he had served in the army before.


    After happily eating the ice cream, Debby threw the cup into the trash bin when she heard Carlos


    calling her name. "Debbie Nian, since the ice cream tastes so good, why don''t you buy everyone two


    scoops of ice cream?"


    "What?!" Debbie''s eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise.


    Before she could finish her sentence, Carlos added, "If you disagree, you and all your ssmates will


    have to run twentyps around the track."


    Twentyps? Carlos'' words caused not only Debbie, but all of her ssmates to break into wild uproar.


    It was a 400-meter track, and twentyps meant that they needed to run eight kilometers! That was


    unbelievable! They all turned to Debbie and began to persuade her.


    "Debbie, I know you are good at long-distance running. You even won third prize in the half marathon.


    But we are not!"


    "Debbie, you wouldn''t do this to us, right?"


    "Debbie, why don''t you just go and buy us ice cream? You are from a wealthy family, aren''t you?"


    "You ride a BMW to school every day, don''t you? If you don''t buy us ice cream, everyone will call you a


    penny pincher."


    Debbie was at a loss for words. If she didn''t buy the ice cream for her ssmates, they would have to


    run eight kilometers. Thest thing she wanted was to earn everyone''s resentment.


    However, the price of a scoop of ice cream cost 40 dors. Two scoops meant 80 dors. There were


    about 100 students on the yground now.


    And this meant she would have to pay 8, 000 dors if she didn''t want her ssmates to run eight


    kilometers with her.


    ''What the hell?! I hate you, Carlos Huo!'' She was so angry she could strangle him then and there.


    Debbie cast a burning, reproachful nce at the man, cleared her throat and turned to her ssmates.


    "Hey, are you guys willing to run around the track with me?" Last time, she had spent almost all her


    savings on the sapphire cor pin for Carlos as a peace offering. She barely had any money left on her.


    Running eight kilometers was a piece of cake for her and her friend Dixon. They had both finished the


    half marathonst time. But, this was a different story for the others.


    They all united as one and collectively answered in a singr voice, "No!"


    Debbie was rendered speechless.


    Tristan, who was standing not too far away, witnessed the whole incident as it unfolded before his eyes.


    He could barely keep the smile off of his face as he watched Debbie''s reluctant expression. ''What a


    silly girl! She thinks that she was made to stand there alone and buy all her ssmates ice cream as


    punishment, when in fact, she was enjoying her ice cream in the shade of the tree while the others


    were standing in the sun during ss. Besides, the money she would use to buy her ssmates the ice


    cream is from Mr. Huo.''


    However, Debbie wasn''t aware of that fact yet. Since she had been living on her own in the past three


    years, she didn''t realize that she was using Carlos'' money.


    After paying the bill with her credit card, Debbie felt like someone had squeezed the life out of her.


    Several salesgirls followed her to the university, attracting the attention of many passers-by. All the


    while, she wasn''t sure whether to cry or tough. Why was Carlos such a ruthless man?Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie sat under the big tree watching her ssmates as they happily stuffed their mouths with ice


    cream. Some of them were very excited as they had never tasted such expensive ice cream before.


    Strangely, many girls surrounded Carlos and expressed their thanks to him.


    ''Hey, I was the one who bought the ice cream. Why are you thanking him instead of me? It would make


    sense if they knew that he is the one supporting me financially. But they don''t know that!


    Wait! Am I stupid or what? I didn''t realize that I was using his money!'' Debbie thought to herself.


    As soon as she came to that realization, she jumped to her feet and ran towards Carlos.


    "Get out of the way!" She pushed several girls aside and stood in front of him.

 Chapter 45 An English Class

    Chapter 45 An English ss


    Carlos looked at the girl standing before him, and said nothing.


    Debbie approached him and whispered in his ear, "Hey, are you stupid or something?"


    His face soured almost immediately at what she said. He cast a warning nce at her and said in a


    cold voice, "Are you sure you want to offend me?"


    Debbie immediately shook her head and replied with a ttering smile, "You asked me to buy my


    ssmates ice cream. But the money was yours. Technically, it was you who bought them the ice


    cream. Why would you do that?"


    "You werete for ss," he said indifferently.


    "What did it have to do with---" Before she could utter the words, "buying them the ice cream", she shut


    her mouth. In truth, she didn''t understand his motives.


    ''What was he trying to say? That there was nothing wrong with me eating ice cream, but I shouldn''t


    have beente for school? Was he trying to imply that?


    Actually, I didn''t run eight kilometers nor was I the one who paid for the ice cream. So basically I never


    received any punishment.


    Seriously? Is he really such a nice guy?'' she thought to herself, while eyeing Carlos from head to toe in


    disbelief. She was not ustomed to being treated well by Carlos. When she noticed Carlos'' ramrod


    straight posture, she asked curiously, "Have you served in the army before?"


    "Uh-huh."


    "Then why did you quit the army? You prefer being a CEO?" She could imagine he must have been the


    most handsome soldier in the army.


    Debbie believed that if he were wearing the military uniform right now, she would literally be drooling


    over him. ''What a pity!'' she sighed.


    As if Carlos understood what she was thinking about, he shed a naughty smile at her and whispered


    in her ear, "If you really want to learn more about me, why don''t youe and see me this evening?


    We can have an in-depth exchange."


    What? In-depth exchange?


    If he had only mentioned "in-depth exchange", she would not have been lost in various conjectures.


    Why did he stress "this evening"? Was he implying something else? Men would never tire of telling dirty


    jokes, and Carlos was no exception.


    When Debbie realized what he was implying, she flushed scarlet with shyness. She coughed once and


    cleared her throat. "No, thank you. Bye!" she answered simply, before turning to leave.


    The man said something behind her back that made her stagger.


    She steadied herself and turned around to say something, but the man was not there any more. He


    had already left to instruct the students in training.


    ''Did I mishear him? No, that can''t be right!'' she thought to herself.


    From that day onwards, Debbie had changed her motto from, "Don''t run with the crowd, and go your


    own way" to "I need to sleep with Carlos Huo; I must sleep with him one day".


    Initially, Debbie had nned to sleep in the dorm after school was dismissed. However, on her way to


    the dorm, she received Philip''s call.


    "Debbie, Mr. Huo just called me. He just got off work and is on his way home. He asked me to remind


    you that you will have an English ss with him this evening."


    Debbie went pale, as blood drained from her face.


    ''What have I done to anger Carlos Huo? Why does he always have to mess with me?'' she cried in her


    mind.


    When Debbie arrived at the vi, Carlos was not back home yet. She went up the stairs to her room


    and threw herself onto the bed.


    After a few minutes, she called her friend Jared. "Hi Jared. Have you found me a suitable job?"


    Since the door to her bedroom was unlocked, the man standing outside was able to eavesdrop on their


    conversation. He was about to knock on the door, but withdrew his hand in thest minute.


    On the other hand, Jared had just arrived at a bar with his buddies. When he saw the caller ID, he


    found a quieter ce and answered the phone. "I thought you were kidding. Are you seriously looking


    for a part-time job?" he asked in stunned disbelief.


    "Of course I''m serious. I''ve been living on a shoestringtely. You need to help me out, buddy!" She


    thought that her money was enough to keep her going for the next two months. But unfortunately,


    Carlos had made her buy her ssmates ice cream. As a result, she was going to run out of money in


    just two days.


    "You have no money?" Jared asked, confused. But as he was about to go further, his buddies waved at


    him urging him to get in with them. He had to reluctantly dismiss Debbie by saying, "All right. I''ll get


    back to you on this tomorrow."


    "Oh, okay. Uh... could you..." Debbie was too shy to continue, because she had never been caught up


    in such an awkward situation before.


    It was very unlike her to behave like that because she had always been a straightforward person. Jared


    asked curiously, "Tomboy, are you okay? Don''t mince words. Just say it.


    This isn''t like you at all."


    Debbie rolled her eyes, cleared her throat and finally said, "Uh, I was wondering if you could lend me


    some money. Like a few thousand dors? I''ll pay you back once I have my sry."


    Debbie was so embarrassed she wished she could dig a hole in the ground and stick her head in. She


    shouldn''t have asked Carlos for a divorce while she was still a college student. If she had waited until


    she had graduated and found a job, things would have been totally different.


    ''Pathetic'' didn''t even begin to exin how she felt right now! Not only did she have to look for a job, but


    she had to ask Jared to lend her some money.


    Unfortunately, she didn''t have the means to turn back time.


    Jared waspletely shocked. ''Debbie has no money? That can''t be true!'' As his buddies kept on


    urging him to get in the bar with them, he had to bid farewell to Debbie. "Okay. I''ll transfer the money


    later," he said before he hung up.


    Within one minute, Debbie received a text message from the bank which said 5, 000 dors had been


    transferred into her ount.


    Immediately, she sent Jared a WeChat message. "Got the 5, 000. Thanks, bro!"


    She clicked the "send" button and shed a relieved smile. All of a sudden, someone knocked on her


    bedroom door. Realizing who it was, she put her phone in her pocket and jumped out of the bed. She


    trotted towards the door, and opened it to greet Carlos. "Old man, good evening."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    From the looks of it, he had just arrived home as he was still wearing his white shirt and tie, with his


    coat hanging from his arm. Carlos eyed her from head to toe and said in a calm voice, "Grab your


    English book. I''ll be waiting for you in the study."


    After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the study himself.


    When Debbie entered the study with her English book, Carlos was standing before the French window,


    smoking. He stood straight as a ramrod.


    He had a picture-perfect profile. The first two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, exposing a part of


    his firm, chiseled chest. Debbie felt somewhat thirsty at the sight of the handsome man smoking before


    the window. She swallowed hard and wished for this peaceful moment tost a bit longer.


    Carlos saw here in through the reflection in the window. He walked towards the desk and killed the


    cigarette butt in the ash tray. "Sit," he demanded briefly.


    Looking around the study, Debbie believed that the couch would be the mostfortable ce, so she


    went towards the couch and made herselffortable.


    Carlos followed and sat next to her. They were so close, she could feel the warmth of his body.


    In a low, tantalizing voice, he asked, "How''s your English? I''ll need to assess that before we can


    continue. We are going tomunicate in English this evening."


    Debbie was slightly taken aback. ''Communicate in English? Seriously? I''ve never passed any English


    tests before. I can only speak a bit of English. I had learnt it before I had to travel abroad.''


    "First of all, you need to pay..."


    Carlos opened his mouth and English words poured out of his mouth like a waterfall. Debbie didn''t


    know what he was talking about, but she could tell that his ent was of that so-called Received


    Pronunciation. The only words she was ustomed to were words like "first of all" and "you need to".


    She had no idea what he was trying to tell her.


    When Carlos finally stopped talking, Debbie sat up straight, cleared her throat and answered, "Good


    night... H-How much..." The more she said, the deeper he frowned.


    After she finally finished speaking, he gripped the book more tightly. He tried his best to calm himself


    down and not make her feel intimidated and discouraged.

 Chapter 46 The English Lesson

    Chapter 46 The English Lesson


    Debbie winked at Carlos gloatingly, without the slightest awareness of his gloom, while he stared at her


    with a poker face. "I''ll teach you from now on," he said in English.


    Despite being clueless of what he said, Debbie nodded after a transient daze.


    Carlos thought she understood that sentence, so he continued, "Next, follow me."


    Debbie hesitated a little, and then she nodded again.


    Carlos tapped his index finger on the book and said, "Are you a fool?"


    ''Fool? Sounds familiar, but I''ve forgotten what it means.''


    This time, without hesitation, she simply nodded, because she found that so far nodding had not


    brought her any trouble yet. Therefore, she assumed that no matter what he said, nodding would be


    the proper response.


    Carlos sighed and closed his eyes hopelessly. He took out his phone, and typed, "Are you a fool?" on a


    trantion APP, and showed her the trantion.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Debbie stared at the screen with surprise.


    She realized that


    she had nodded at him back then.


    ''Calling me a fool? He is a fool, an old fool at 28.''


    Ashamed and infuriated, Debbie pushed the book away and stood up from the couch before she


    dered, "I quit. You''re making fun of me."


    When she was about to leave, Carlos grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the sofa. However,


    the force of his pull was so strong she fell off the sofa.


    "Ah!" she cried out, before her body hit the floor. Without a conscious thought, she desperately grabbed


    his shirt.


    Carlos quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms.


    Annoyed, Debbie raised her head and red at him with fury. The next thing she knew, apart from the


    meeting of their eyes, his lips had somehow found their way to hers. She didn''t realize they were so


    close. Embarrassed, Debbie''s blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute she thought her face


    was on fire.


    Although the little episode surprised Carlos as well, it only sent him into a three-second trance. Before


    she knew it, he quickly made their idental kiss official.


    Debbie intended to turn him down, but when she recalled what he had said to her on the yground,


    an idea popped up into her head. She mustered up the strength and pushed him onto the couch.


    Lying there, Carlos looked at her in disbelief.


    ''What just happened? Did I, Carlos Huo, just get knocked over by a girl? ''


    Debbie then walked towards the couch and leaned over him with her hands on his chest. Instantly,


    Carlos understood what she was trying to do. However, he was not going to give her a chance to


    seed in what she was up to. He grabbed her by the wrist and said calmly, "Sit up. Let''s continue our


    lesson."


    Debbie''s eyes widened with shock. She felt hurt. ''How is he able to stay calm in such a situation?


    Apart from my pretty face, am I not attractive enough?


    That must be it, or else, why would he not be tempted?


    Did he say that to me on the yground because he doesn''t have any feelings for me?''


    Debbie''s heart grew numb. Her mood turned sour like bad milk. For the first time in her life, she hated


    herself.


    During the remainder of the lesson, she kept silent. Carlos was focused and she seemed attentive. But


    only she knew what was going on in her mind.


    An hourter, Carlos closed his book. "That''s all for today," he said.


    With a nod, Debbie put away her book, looking distracted.


    After the lesson, she got up to leave the study, but as soon as she opened the door, Carlos asked her


    toe back. She turned around in puzzlement.


    He took out his wallet from his pocket, pulled out two cards, and handed them to her. "Here you are.


    One is a savings card with nine-figure savings in it and the other is a credit card with no limit."


    The savings card had the annual revenue of one of the branches of hispanies. He figured it would


    be enough to cover her expenses.


    Debbie''s eyes almost popped out at his words, and her mouth gaped open. Nine figures? She held out


    her hands and counted on her fingers. One zero, two zeros, three zeros...hundred, thousand...million...


    My God! One hundred million? ? ? ?


    "No, thank you." Debbie refused him, instinctively. She had her reasons, all of which were valid.


    Carlos knew what she was thinking. Although he wasn''t sure what her life would be like in the future or


    what kind of person she would turn out to be, right now, she was a person with a good heart. Pure and


    honorable. She still didn''t understand how important money was yet. "We''re not divorced yet. You''re


    still my wife. I see no reason why I shouldn''t support my wife."


    For two minutes, Debbie couldn''t find her voice. "No, Mr. Huo, we''re getting a divorce. I don''t want to


    owe you anything. I''m 21 years old. I can support myself."


    In truth, after everything that had happened between her and Carlos in the past few days, there were


    moments when she had wavered from getting a divorce. But still she felt they should divorce each


    other if they could.


    Debbie looked resolute when she said that. He could tell from her eyes that she had meant every


    single word.


    However, he was used to taking control over everything. This time wouldn''t be an exception. "You can''t


    wait to get rid of me, huh?" With that, he put the cards in her hands. He didn''t say it, but his behavior


    told her that he wouldn''t ept her refusal.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo. I don''t know what you want from this marriage, but I won''t change my mind."


    Debbie might be stubborn and arrogant, but in front of her was a man much more stubborn and


    arrogant than her.


    Carlos frowned. ''Boss, Sir, Mr. Handsome, Mr. Huo, she has addressed me in so many ways. When is


    she going to call me Honey?''


    "I won''t change my mind either. If you don''t use these cards... should I remind you of the consequences


    of defying me?"


    Sure enough, as soon as he finished talking, Debbie red up. "Do you always get what you want by


    threatening people? Do you have no other ways of convincing people?"


    Debbie snapped at him, her voice hardened with rage.


    "Other ways? I do have other ways, for example, sleeping with you and making you incapable of


    getting out of bed for three days," he said.


    "You... you... you are shameless! I won''t give you a chance!"


    "Then I won''t give you a chance to get a divorce," Carlos responded casually.


    Debbie wanted to make a snappyeback, but she failed. After a while, she said, "I''m going to bed."


    She couldn''t bear to spend another second in the same room as him.


    When she got to the door of her bedroom, Carlos spoke again. "Give your ssmate''s money back


    now. Stop looking for a job. You won''t have the time for a part-time job and university."


    "Were you eavesdropping on my private conversation?" Debbie got even angrier.


    ''How could he? This is uneptable.'' Debbie wanted to wrap her hands around his throat and strangle


    him, but she knew better than to pick a fight she wouldn''t win.


    "Eavesdrop? I was just passing by your door, which by the way, you left open, when I overheard you


    talking to someone on the phone."


    ''Ah!'' Debbie screamed inwardly. She wanted to punch him hard so he wouldn''t even recognize himself


    in the mirror. Breathing in and out, she tried to calm herself down.


    Finally, she managed to form a smile on her face. "Mr. Huo, how about I give you ten grand and we get


    a divorce?"


    The man fell into a silence.


    However, Debbie realized that ten grand was too little for a rich man like Carlos. It was so little he


    probably wouldn''t bother picking it up if he had dropped that amount on the floor. "One million!" she


    dered.

 Chapter 47 You Win

    Chapter 47 You Win


    The man remained silent.


    "Ten million!" Debbie dered, gritting her teeth.


    Again, there was no response from the man.


    "Fifty... fifty million!" As long as she could get rid of the bane of her life, she was willing to give him fifty


    million. It was not like she had that kind of money right now. Suffice it to say, she would have to work


    extremely hard to earn that amount, but Debbie firmly believed that she would have it eventually.


    Fearing that the girl would have a mental breakdown in anger and anxiety if he kept silent any longer,


    he finally said, "Why don''t we talk about this when you actually have fifty million?" For a man like Carlos


    Huo, fifty million was just the same as fifty bucks; for Debbie, on the other hand, it was another story.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Fine! Carlos, you win!" Debbie''s seething resentment finally reached boiling point, as she stormed out


    of the study.


    In a dramatic disy of anger, she mmed the door shut behind her.


    Back to her bedroom, Debbie threw all her casual clothes out of the closet and crammed them in a


    corner of the room. Standing with arms akimbo, she stared at the empty closet, but that was not


    enough to vent her fiery rage. "Go shopping with me. I''ll buy clothes, cosmetics, jewelry, everything,"


    she told Kasie on the phone.


    ''He wants me to spend money? No problem! Making money might be difficult, but spending money is


    easy.


    Earlier on the yground he said that if I slept with him, he would set me free.


    Okay then, just wait and see, Carlos Huo. I''ll sleep with you."


    Early the next morning, Debbie went to university in the pinkced dress that she had worn on her 21st


    birthday.


    The thought of the look on Carlos'' face when he''d seen her in that dress that morning made her want to


    burst outughing.


    At the dining table, Carlos put on a cold face as per usual, but the amazement was in in his eyes.


    Debbie whirled in front of him on purpose and asked, "Mr. Handsome, how do I look?"


    ''Did he forget that I am a girl? Even pretending to be a man won''t be hard for me, not to mention acting


    like ady. Do I even need to pretend to be ady?


    I used to be a sophisticated girl when I was little. How hard can it be to act like a sophisticateddy?''


    With the help of foundation primer, BB cushion, brown eyebrow powder, ck eyeliner, and Giorgio


    Armani Lip Maestro 400 The Red, the tomboy had transformed into a princess.


    Once she used to wear her hair in a ponytail or a bun, but now she let it flow elegantly as a princess


    should.


    Her long, ck hair, so smooth and silky, as if it were tailored from a starless night sky. As she whirled,


    her hair tumbled down to her waist, stirring in the wind.


    Thest time at the cruiser party, Debbie had captivated Carlos'' heart with an elegant evening dress.


    However, the simple pinkced dress she was wearing now seemed to have made her even prettier.


    Carlos lowered his eyes and concealed all his feelings for her. "Eat your breakfast," he said tly.


    Only he knew how crazy he was feeling about her deep down in his heart. He wished he could just


    throw her onto the table and...


    Even though Carlos had tried to hide his emotions, Debbie was quite satisfied with his minimal


    reaction. She wasn''t expecting him topliment her anyway, so she ate her breakfast quietly without


    uttering another word.


    Debbie''s eyes brightened as her mind reyed the pleasant memories from the morning. When she


    smiled, all the boys stopped moving and gathered around her spellbound by her beauty. ''I would give


    up everything for that smile, '' they all thought.


    Having noticed all the attention she was getting, Debbie winked at the boys. Some returned goofy grins


    at her, while others blushed, and the rest bumped into each other, flustered, as they walked by.


    "My...my goodness, Tom...I mean, Debbie, are you going on a blind date?" Kristina changed the way


    she usually addressed Debbie, because at that moment, Debbie didn''t look like a tomboy at all.


    Thest time Debbie had worn that dress, she hadn''t put on any makeup, nor had she paid any special


    attention to her hairstyle. Needless to say, unlike today, she hadn''t turned as many heads on that day.


    When Debbie, along with Jared, had gone to that anniversary party on that cruiser the other day, the


    only difference from her usual daily image was that red evening dress. As a result, none of Debbie''s


    friends had ever seen her so stunning.


    Dixon, who was standing next to Kristina, remarked, "Debbie, I guess you are not here to study but to


    distract the boys."


    At that moment, Debbie was actually feeling a bit tired of pretending to be a different person. The smile


    on her face had finally gone on strike. Most importantly, Carlos wasn''t at the university to see her


    anyway.


    As soon as the stiff smile was gone, Debbie walked over to Kristina, hugged her, andined,


    "Kristina, I never knew being a woman could be so exhausting!"


    "Huh? Howe? I feel good to be a woman," Kristina replied. Having considered the fact that she


    and Kristina were twopletely different kinds of women, Debbie waved her hand resignedly and


    suggested, "The ss will begin soon. Let''s go to the ssroom."


    When they entered the ssroom, all eyes were drawn towards Debbie. Jared ran to her, wrapped his


    arm around her shoulders and dered, "Debbie, I am going to pursue you. I mean it."


    She rolled her eyes at him and replied bluntly, "I''m sorry, Jared, but I didn''t put on this outfit for you."


    "Then who is it for? Are you in love or something?" Jared had a keen ear.


    "What? Debbie is in love? Who is the lucky man? Debbie,e on, tell us," Kasie asked anxiously


    while shaking Debbie''s arm. Her voice was thick with shock, as if someone had just told her that the


    sun had risen in the middle of the night.


    ''Even a charming man like Carlos Huo can''t pique Debbie''s interest. Who is this mystery man that has


    won her heart? He must be perfect, '' Kasie wondered.


    "Don''t be ridiculous. I''m not in love. I''m just upset," Debbie exined to her friends.


    She couldn''t stop thinking about what had happened the night before.


    However, her friends'' curiosity was not even close to being satisfied. They wanted to ask some more


    questions, but the professor had stepped into the ssroom. They had to put aside their curiosity for


    the moment.


    In the afternoon, Carlos'' ss began as scheduled. Sitting in the middle of the multimedia ssroom,


    Debbie seemed awfully quiet.


    As if that weren''t strange enough, she had attended the ss on time and she didn''t even stop the


    boys froming into the ssroom.


    Although she seemed well-behaved, Carlos didn''t believe that she had somehow changed in less than


    a day. Later, her actions proved that he was right about her. In ss, whenever Carlosid eyes on her,


    she''d wink at him.


    What confused Carlos was that before, other women had winked at him constantly, but he had never


    felt a thing; be it super models, actresses or socialite divas. But when this girl winked at him, he''d lose


    focus and fail to concentrate.


    When the bell rang, some girls rushed to the podium and surrounded Carlos immediately with


    excitement in their eyes, as if they had finally met their prince charming, even though that was not


    Carlos'' first lesson with them. Debbie strode to the podium, patted on the shoulder of one of the girls


    and gestured for her to move away. When the girls saw it was her, the joy on their faces evaporated.


    Debbie could sense their anger in the air and in their eyes. However, none of the girls dared to speak


    up.


    She stood by Carlos'' side and watched him put his things away with one hand propped against her


    chin. All the while, Carlos pretended not to notice that she was there. "Mr. Huo, there are some points


    in this lesson that I don''t understand."


    With everything tidied up, Carlos cast her a cold look and made his way to the door without saying a


    word.


    Seeing Debbie slighted, some students started snickering; some even taunted.


    Embarrassed, Debbie held her head up high andmented, "Why is he so arrogant? As if I wanted to


    learn all this stupid stuff!"


    Unfortunately, Carlos hadn''t walked out of the ssroom just yet.


    He heard every word she had said. A smile appeared on his lips. Humiliated and angry, Debbie walked


    back to her seat, took out her phone, and sent Carlos a message. "Carlos Huo, don''te back to the


    vi tonight. I don''t want to see you!"

 Chapter 48 Back From Singapore

    Chapter 48 Back From Singapore


    Debbie waited, but Carlos didn''t reply to her message even after her next ss had begun.


    Meanwhile, an Emperor sped in the direction of ZL Group along the road.


    The man in the backseat read the message he had received repeatedly, and his heart began to sing


    with joy.


    Tristan, who was in the passenger seat, opened Carlos'' schedule and started his report. "Mr. Huo, you


    are going to Singapore tomorrow for a couple of days. An ident has urred in one of the factories


    there, and the problem still hasn''t been resolved yet."


    In the evening, Debbiey in bed and paid full attention to every single noise that came in from outside


    the window. However, it was past midnight already and she still didn''t hear the sound of Carlos'' car.


    ''Is he angry at me? Did he really decide not toe home?


    Did I cross the line? After all, this is his house and I kicked him out of it.''


    With such thoughts running in her mind, Debbie felt troubled and restless.


    Then she sent him another message to see how he would react. "Mr. Huo," she simply typed on her


    phone.


    To her surprise, Carlos responded almost immediately, with a single-word reply, "Yes?"


    Unfortunately, she didn''t know what to say next as she stared nkly at her phone screen. Debby


    hesitated for a long moment. "Where are you?" she finally asked.


    "Office." Carlos had just arrived at the branchpany in Singapore and was set to work.


    However, Debbie didn''t know that he had gone abroad. She thought that he was still in Y City and had


    decided not toe back because of her message. "Well, about today, in the ssroom, I... It was not


    my fault. You ignored me in front of everyone. Perhaps you shoulde back. It''s okay. I can just


    avoid you in the vi,"


    she gibbered nervously. She felt like she owed him an apology, but she was too embarrassed to go


    through with it.


    Carlos guessed how conflicted she was at that moment as he read her message. ''She is so cute, '' he


    thought to himself.


    Since he couldn''t go back right now, Carlos replied, "Go to sleep."


    Having noticed how short his replies were, Debbie assumed that he was angry with her. ''After I made


    the effort of contacting him, still, he doesn''t want toe back. How can he be so petty?" She covered


    her head with the nket in frustration.


    ''Fine. Suit yourself. I have apologized anyway." Soon after, she drifted into deep sleep.


    But the next two days were unsettling for Debbie, because she hadn''t seen Carlos even once. Neither


    at the university nor at the vi. For some reason, all his sses were postponed until further notice.


    Confused and worried, Debbie finally asked Philip about Carlos'' whereabouts. When she had finally


    learned the truth, she was relieved but also furious.


    Debbie realized that he had already reached Singapore when he had gotten her messages the other


    night, and he had deliberately decided not to tell her the truth.


    ''I''ve been beating myself over this for two days, you self-centered son of a bitch.''


    Two days ago, she had nned to go shopping with Kasie and Kristina, but then something hade


    up and they had to get a rain check on their ns.


    Now that she knew Carlos didn''t disappear because of her, she felt like binge shopping and soon, the


    three girls went to Shining International za. Debbie bought clothes and cosmetics to her heart''s


    content. Every time she spent Carlos'' money, she felt as if she were kicking him in the sheen. She felt


    fantastic.


    After Debbie had paid for the cosmetics, Kasie whispered, "Tomboy, you''ve been acting weirdtely.


    You are wearing makeup, you''ve been buying cosmetics, and you are buying clothes that you would


    have never worn before. This isn''t you. Are you really in love?"


    Debbie cast a short nce at the fashionable clothes in the bags, and shook her head earnestly.


    "Believe me. I''m not in love. It''s just that my self-esteem was hurt, so now I''m trying to fix it."


    Challenged and then rejected by a man, she started to suspect that she wasn''t charming enough for


    him.


    "Okay. Since everybody is free tonight, why don''t we hang out together?" Kasie suggested. Besides,


    the next day was Saturday. No school.


    After arranging to meet at East City Vi, they left for the supermarket to buy some food and drinks.


    When they got to the elevator, Debbie spotted a man and a woman in an ad on the LED screen.


    In the ad, Olga, delicately made up and in a cream dress, was intimately standing by a man wearing a


    dark blue suit. With their arms interlocked, she was smiling at the camera happily.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Mr. Huo and Miss Mi, you two make a perfect couple," the host said.


    Olga didn''t say anything but smiled at the host. A clever move. In this case, silence was the best


    response.


    Kasie shook Debbie''s arm and pointed at the screen excitedly. "Isn''t that Mr. Huo? And the woman next


    to him is... Wait. Why is that Olga with him again? Are they getting married or something?"


    "She really isn''t good enough for Mr. Huo. Mr. Huo is not only handsome but also well-read. Olga would


    be lucky to be with a man like him," Kristina sighed.


    The ad and her friends''ments made Debbie''s insides boil up with anger. She stared at the man in


    the ad angrily and cursed him in her heart.


    ''There he is, a married man, fooling around with another woman. Bah! What a pig!''


    Kasie caught her resentful re. "Debbie, don''t hate Mr. Huo so much. Even though you two seem to


    be fated to be enemies, at least you are lucky enough to have met a man like him. We, however,


    weren''t blessed with the same kind of opportunities."


    Debbie kept her lips pursed. When they got everything from the supermarket, they headed for the vi.


    Tonight would only be about Debbie and her best friends. Jared, Dixon, Kristina, and Kasie had been to


    the vi a couple of times before Carlos had moved back, so they were familiar with the ce.


    After Debbie had sent Julie home early, the boys and girls were left alone to eat, drink, and be merry.


    They had a lot of fun.


    At 10 p.m. after having gulped down tens of cans of beer, they were all quite tipsy. The living room was


    a mess. Empty cans and boxes, used tissues, and fruit peel covered the floor, looking like a carpet of


    garbage. Debbie and Kasie were singing a soppy love song. Kristina and Dixon crouched on the sofa,


    whispering andughing amongst themselves while Jared was alone. Suddenly, he lifted his leg and


    gave Dixon a kick. "Hey, careful with your cute back and forth in front of me, man. I''m all alone here.


    Otherwise, I''ll have to steal your girlfriend one day."


    Dixon kicked him back and yelled, "I''ve been single for more than 20 years. If you dare steal my


    girlfriend, I''ll hunt you down and end you."


    Jared felt goosebumps all over his body.


    The two boys'' conversation had Kristina giggling away. Debbie was too drunk to steady herself. After


    the song, she got up to sit on the sofa when she identally fell into Jared''s arms.


    Debbie used Jared of tripping her and thetterined that she was putting on weight. While


    they were exchanging pinches and kicks, the door of the vi was opened from outside.


    In the eyes of the man at the door, it looked like they were flirting with each other.


    When they saw the man''s face, Debbie''s friends eximed, "Ah! Mr. Huo!" They all sprang off the sofa


    in fright. Only Debbie remained where she was. She brushed her hair and stared at the door, still in a


    trance. "No, it can''t be him," she murmured. She had inquired Philip about Carlos'' itinerary. He wasn''t


    supposed to be back until two more days.


    ''I must be very drunk, '' Debbie thought.


    The man was dressed in a ck suit and vest, with his jacket hanging from one arm. His eyes swept


    around the room, and caught sight of the mess in the living room.


    Tristan, who was standing behind Carlos, looked at the woman who was staggering to her feet. His


    eyes widened in astonishment. ''Mr. Huo has rushed back from Singapore and this is what he sees?


    Mrs. Huo is going to be in a lot of trouble.''

 Chapter 49 Having A Headache

    Chapter 49 Having A Headache


    Tristan prayed for the students in his heart.


    Intimidated by Carlos, they were already half sober when they saw him standing at the door. One by


    one, they took turns and greeted him politely.


    "Good evening, Mr. Huo," said Jared. ''This is creepy. What''s Mr. Huo doing in Debbie''s home?'' he


    wondered.


    "Nice to see you, Mr. Huo," Dixon and Kristina chimed in. Dixon had sensed that Carlos and Debbie


    had a personal rtionship when he had seen Carlos in the dean''s office, but he had kept that


    knowledge to himself all along.


    "Mr. Huo?" Kasie couldn''t believe her eyes. ''Who am I? Where am I? Why am I seeing Carlos Huo in


    Debbie''s house?''


    Then the same question popped up in Debbie''s friends'' heads. ''Why is Carlos Huo here?''


    "Mr. Handsome!" A crisp voice caught the attention of everyone in the room.


    ''Whhhhhhat?


    Did Debbie just call Carlos Huo Mr. Handsome?''


    The living room grew deafeningly silent, while the air was too thick to breathe. Jared''s legs were


    shaking like dry leaves. He felt as if his dder was about to let go. Even his father didn''t scare him as


    much as Carlos did. Who would believe the man at the door was only six years older than him?


    Jared shook his head in disbelief. Nothing else mattered anymore. The most important question in their


    minds was, ''What is Carlos Huo doing in Debbie''s house?''


    By this time, Debbie''s head was a lot clearer. Carlos nced at her with a straight face and then


    walked inside.


    The rest were scared stiff. They could feel their hair stand on end. Everyone held their breaths. Before


    Carlos said anything, they all lined up against the wall. Jared kept his head low, like a horrified turtle.


    "Have you been drinking?" Carlos asked. The line of people nodded in unison, like a flock of birds


    bobbing their heads.


    Debbie clutched the corner of her clothes. All she kept thinking was why Carlos hade back


    unannounced, all of a sudden. How was she supposed to exin their rtionship to her friends?


    After ncing again at the cans on the floor, Carlos asked, "Did all of you drink this?"


    Some of the kids nodded while the others shook their heads.


    Debbie was one of thetter. She wasn''t dumb enough to admit in front of Carlos that she had drunk a


    lot.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Tristan, go buy ten crates of beer. None of them is allowed to leave until they finish all of them," the


    man ordered sternly. The students gasped and looked at each other in horror.


    Debbie, however, was doing math in her head. To match his status, Carlos would only buy imported


    beer. Generally, there were 12 bottles in a crate. Therefore, they would have to drink 120 bottles of


    beer in total.


    Divided by five, that left them with 24 bottles of beer each.


    No normal human being could drink 24 bottles of beer. As if that weren''t bad enough, each o them had


    already drunk ten cans of beer before Carlos walked in.


    When Debbie came to that conclusion in her mind, the smile on her face froze.


    She couldn''t even bring herself to utter a single word to beg for the tyrant''s mercy.


    Tristan followed his boss'' orders and turned around. When he was about to leave, Carlos added,


    "These kids are having a nice get-together. It''s a pleasant asion. The beer must be of good quality.


    Be sure to buy canned Amazon Beers."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Tristan wished the kids luck under his breath, after he closed the door behind him.


    Kasie''s face turned ashen and Jared copsed onto the sofa.


    The other three didn''t understand why they had reacted like that. Actually it was because Kasie and


    Jared knew that


    instead of 12, there were 24 cans in a crate of Amazon Beer. Therefore, they would have to drink 240


    cans of beer in total. Each of them would have to drink 48 cans of beer.


    ''No! I can''t let him treat us like this.'' Debbie felt it was time for her to step forward. She couldn''t watch


    as her friends got dragged down like that.


    She took one step forward and said, "Carlos Huo, I invited my friends over and I take full responsibility


    for the party. If you want to punish somebody, punish me. Let my friends go."


    Kristina was about to help Debbie when Kasie grabbed her hand while shaking her head.


    ''How can Kristina not see that Debbie and Carlos have a special rtionship? Debbie is our best


    chance to get off the hook.''


    Carlos sat down in the armchair and slowly lit a cigarette while Debbie was waiting for his response.


    However, Carlos remained silent. Having run out of patience, Debbie said, "Since you aren''t saying


    anything, I take it that you have given us your acquiescence."


    "No problem, just as long as you drink all ten crates of beer yourself," he said casually as his fingers


    slid on the screen of his phone. When he found Tristan''s phone number, he typed, "Go home."


    "Mr. Huo, Sir, Debbie is a girl. Certainly she can''t drink all the beer by herself. Let me drink with her,"


    Jared put in. When he heard that Debbie had taken all the responsibilities, his legs were not shaking


    anymore and he jumped off the sofa instantly.


    Whatever rtionship Debbie and Carlos had, Kasie didn''t think it mattered anymore. "Mr. Huo, they


    will die if you make them drink all that beer."


    Then Dixon broke in, "I am also to me for the party. I should be punished with them."


    "Me too," said Kristina.


    Carlos'' eyes shifted from one to another. "Very touching. Your friendship is deeper than I thought."


    Debbie had heard that before, but when Carlos said it, she couldn''t help shivering. "Of course. We''re


    old friends," she said defiantly.


    "If you don''t want to drink the beer, okay then," he announced.


    The kids felt a huge relief when they heard that. But unfortunately, Carlos wasn''t finished yet. "But you''ll


    have to agree to study abroad next year," he said to Debbie.


    Carlos had been in management for nearly ten years, but he had mostly been managing subordinates.


    This girl, his wife, however, was a totally different ball game altogether.


    Lately, she had been attending all her sses and hadn''t been in a single fight. However, every time he


    thought of her weak English, it pained him. And now, the mess in the living room and not to mention the


    alcohol abuse...


    All this had given him a new kind of headache. However, he still didn''t want a divorce.


    He thought maybe she would be more focused if she studied overseas, where she was away from her


    friends.


    Back at home, when Jared went upstairs, his legs were weak as jello. As soon as he saw his father,


    Jasper Han, he embraced him immediately, close to tears. "Dad, I swear I won''t drink a drop of alcohol


    in the next month."


    When his son hugged him, Jasper Han intended to ask his son to leave him alone, but what Jared said


    intrigued him. "What''s happened?" he asked his son.


    "Dad, do you know Mr. Huo?" Jared asked.


    "Mr. Huo? Which Mr. Huo? Carlos Huo?"


    "Yes." Upon hearing Carlos'' name, Jared immediately let go of his father and stood straight. With a


    towering height of six foot eleven, he looked like a tree.


    Jasper Han looked at his son in confusion and asked, "Why did you suddenly bring him up?"


    "Because he is... he is a demon. I feel sorry for you old guys who have to do business with him."


    When Jasper Han heard his son call him an old guy, he pped him in the shoulder and said, "You


    ungratefuld, I''m your father. Show some respect! Did Carlos Huo give you a hard time? I''m telling


    you, stay away from him. Messing with him is the stupidest thing anyone can do. He will make sure you


    will never see the sun rise again."


    Despite being frightened, Jared sneered to save face.


    When his phone buzzed, he read his WeChat message and his eyes widened like watermelons. "What


    the hell?"


    If nothing had happened tonight, he wouldn''t have believed what was written in the message. However,


    after all of that, he was ready to believe that even fishes could fly.

 Chapter 50 The Truth Was Out

    Chapter 50 The Truth Was Out


    In the group''s chat on WeChat, Debbie said, "Carlos Huo is actually my husband."


    Then she added, "But I''m trying to get a divorce."


    "Moron!"mented Jared.


    He was relieved when Kasie and Kristina pretty much said the same thing. ''Who in their right mind


    would not want to be Carlos Huo''s wife?''


    In East City Vi, Debbie was told to clean the living room by herself as punishment. She replied to her


    friends'' messages as she put the empty cans into the bin. "You don''t understand. We didn''t get married


    because we loved each other. It''s nothing like that. I don''t love him and he doesn''t love me. I''m still


    young. Why should I be trapped in this loveless marriage?"


    Kasie had jumped out of bed when she read Debbie''s first message. Her hands were shaking from


    excitement. It took a while before she calmed down and said, "Debbie, are you really that old-


    fashioned? Times have changed! Who cares about love now? Can love keep you alive? Although you


    don''t love each other, Carlos is rich, handsome, and powerful. That''s everybody''s dream. What else do


    you want?"


    When Debbie sat down on the sofa speechlessly, Kristina said, "I just realized that I have been


    shopping at the Shining International za with the owner of Shining International za."


    Dixon couldn''t believe Debbie was married and what shocked him even more was that her husband


    was Carlos Huo, the man whose face was as cold as an iceberg. "Think it over, Debbie. Divorce is


    huge. To be honest, I think Mr. Huo is the right man for you. You know, considering your personality. He


    might be the only one that can take your hot temper down a notch."


    Dixon''s words made Debbie even more determined to get divorced. She didn''t want a husband who


    would take control of her life.


    After a long while, Jared joined in the conversation again. "Debbie Nian, you would be a muttonhead to


    file a divorce."


    Debbie couldn''t stand to read her friends'' messages anymore. She threw her phone away on the sofa


    in distress. Why didn''t any of them support her in her decision? However, her phone didn''t stop


    buzzing. She knew that her friends were still trying to talk her out of the divorce. "Go to sleep. Since


    Carlos Huo has been holding back the divorce, what I think or want doesn''t really matter."


    Instantly, the chat became quiet. Her phone stopped beeping, because no one was talking.


    Debbie shook her head in disappointment.


    These were her best friends, but none of them was on her side in this matter. ''Not only should I end my


    marriage, I think it''s time I find myself some new friends, '' she thought bitterly.


    Before going to sleep, she sent another message in the group''s chat. "This is confidential. Don''t tell


    anyone else."


    At almost half past midnight, after ying some video games, Jared saw Debbie''s message and he


    joked, "I have sold your secret to a journalist. By tomorrow morning, everybody wille to know that


    you are Mrs. Huo."


    The beeping of the phone woke Kasie up. She looked at the screen drowsily and snapped, "Don''t


    disturb my sleep. Back off!"


    Finally, everything went silent.


    The next morning, when Debbie was getting dressed, the newly bought fashionable clothes in her


    closet upset her. She regretted buying them.


    Why had she bought all those clothes just to look good for Carlos? Why couldn''t she continue to live


    her life the way she wanted to? And just be herself?


    She fumbled in the closet for the old casual clothes she had crammed in the back. They had been


    wrinkled, but she put them on anyway. After putting on a pair of white tennis shoes, she went


    downstairs. ''Ah, this is so much better.''


    By then, Carlos had already finished his breakfast. Something on the iPad caught his interest. "Try to


    wake up half an hour earlier from now on," he said when he saw her.


    "Why?" As soon as she sat down at the table, Julie handed her a bowl of congee with salted pork and


    century egg. She took a sip and looked up at Carlos.


    "Because then you won''t stay up sote."


    Here came the intrusion once again.


    Debbie was fuming. "Why do you care whether I stay upte or not? You fool around with other women


    and you don''t see me passing judgement on you."


    Carlos suddenly lifted his head from the iPad and stared at her coldly. Debbie started to get nervous.


    "What? Am I wrong?"


    "Are you jealous?" Carlos never treated any of those women seriously. If him being with another


    woman bothered her, he wouldn''t mind making some changes to suit her preference.


    His question blindsided Debbie. "I... I... Of course I''m not jealous. Why would you think that? Do as you


    like. I don''t care." Thest few words were not only directed to Carlos, but also to herself.


    Carlos'' eyes returned to the iPad without another word.


    For some reason, Debbie couldn''t enjoy the delicious bowl of congee with salted pork and century egg


    in front of her, even though that was her favorite dish. Instead of wolfing it down, she remarked, "If you


    want to marry one of them, just let me know. I''ll be d to make room for her."


    Carlos slowly put down the iPad and walked over to her.


    He gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    At that moment, Julie was busy in the kitchen. Debbie flushed and tried to free herself. "Julie, Julie will


    see us."


    Regardless, Carlos exined slowly, "I don''t want to marry any of those women. I only see them for


    work. None of them matters to me. Do you understand?"


    "Yes, I do." Did he have to be so close to her to say that? She didn''t want to think what he would do if


    she had said she didn''t understand him. The man nodded in satisfaction.


    "There''s a bit of rice on the corner of your mouth," he said.


    Huh? The sudden change of subject confused her a little. When she understood what he meant, she


    stuck her tongue out to lick the rice.


    Before she knew it, Carlos wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips against hers.


    After breakfast, Debbie dashed out of the vi on her scooter, totally ignoring Carlos, who was behind


    her, also on his way to work.


    Her cheeks were still burning with embarrassment until she stopped at the traffic lights one kilometer


    away from the vi.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    That man sure knew how to make a woman''s heart flutter.


    Bang! A dull sound startled her and brought her back to reality. The sound came from an empty juice


    bottle that had been thrown out of a Lamborghini, before it rolled on the road and finally stopped at the


    side of Debbie''s scooter.


    Debbie took a short nce at the red light. There were still 30 seconds to go.


    She got off the scooter, picked up the bottle, and tapped on the window of the Lamborghini. The


    window was slowly rolled down and revealed a woman wearing sunsses in the passenger''s seat.


    Judging from her outfit and appearance, Debbie assumed that she was most likely a parvenu.


    The woman''s clothes were fancy, but the color was gaudy. Her unbound curly hair had been dyed


    blonde and she was wearing hoops.


    The man in the driver''s seat was in his thirties. When they heard Debbie tapping on the window, both


    he and the woman turned to look at her with a confused look on their faces. Without a word, Debbie


    took several steps back, threw the empty bottle in the air and kicked it into the limo.


    Somehow it hit the woman in the head, but Debbie couldn''t care less.


    "Hey, maybe your parents never taught you anything when you grew up. But just so you know, you


    deserved this. And if you keep being such a disgusting piece of shit, more people will be d to teach


    you a valuable lesson." When Debbie finished talking, there were only three seconds left before the red


    lights turned green. Allowing the people in the car no time to respond, she returned to her scooter, and


    sped off.


    Meanwhile, Debbie''s friends were waiting for her at the entrance of the university. When her scooter


    appeared, they all walked up and surrounded her.


    Kasie gave her a pat on the helmet and said, "Yo, as the powerful Mrs. Huo, don''t you think it''s bad for


    your image to drive around on a cheap scooter?"


    Debbie took off the helmet and rolled her eyes at her. "You helped me pick this scooter. Don''t forget


    that you liked it too."


    "That''s because I didn''t know your real identity. Otherwise, I would have convinced you to buy a Ferrari,


    a Lotus, a Lamborghini, a Rolls-Royce, or a Maserati. Anything but a scooter," Kasie protested.

 Chapter 51 Shame On Her

    Chapter 51 Shame On Her


    After some hesitation, Jared asked, "Debbie, don''t forget that our high school ssmates'' gathering is


    this evening. Can you make it?"


    Dixon added cautiously, "We agreed to go to the party a while ago, but I know your husband won''t


    allow you to drink, and we won''t force you to drink either. Will he still allow you toe?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snapped, "Guys, if you keep acting like this, you won''t be my friends


    anymore."


    "Okay, okay. Let''s not talk about it. Let''s go to the ssroom. It is your husband''s ss." Kristina


    winked at Debbie. She had tons of questions for Debbie, but the entrance of the university was too


    public for a private conversation. She decided to put off talking with Debbie untilter when they were


    alone.


    Debbie wasn''t sure whether tough or to cry. She wanted to tell Kristina not to address Carlos as her


    husband, as their marriage was only real on the outside. However, Kristina wasn''t aware of that, and it


    was a long story. Debbie was in no mood of revisiting at that time. Before anything else, she decided to


    shut her mouth and park her motorbike first.


    Kristina and Dixon went to the multimedia ssroom first. Finally, Debbie, Kasie and Jared entered the


    ssroom which was almost fully upied.


    Fortunately, Kristina had saved them three seats. While the three of them were walking towards their


    seats, two girls were arguing with Dixon. "Why did you take up our seats?"


    Kasie went and sat in the seat next to Kristina, Jared sat next to Kasie, and Debbie sat beside Jared.


    The other side of Debbie was the passage.


    Debbie put her books on the desk in front of her and leaned against the back of her seat as she looked


    at the two girls who were still arguing. "You say these are your seats, but do you have any proof? If you


    have a problem, why don''t you fight us for these seats? Finders keepers, losers weepers!" she said.


    "Debbie Nian, we were here first. But then we went to thedies'' room. When we came back, Dixon


    had already taken our seats. You can''t be this unreasonable!" Gail, one of the two girls, argued. She


    regretted not leaving her books on the seats before going to thedies'' room.


    After hearing what Gail had said, Debbie shed a mocking smile and snorted, "Come on, Jail Mu!


    Why do you use thedies'' room as an excuse every time? You must really like it huh? Why don''t you


    just live in thedies'' room?" Thest time in the shopping mall, Gail had used the same excuse to


    mess with Debbie. Herme excuse really amused her cousin.


    Although Gail was livid, she didn''t dare snap back at Debbie. She knew she was no match for her, so


    she had to look for somewhere else to sit with herpanion.


    Moments after the bell rang, the man most of the students were waiting to see stepped into the the


    ssroom. As usual, he swept his eyes over the crowd and when he spotted the girl he was looking for


    ying with her pen, he felt satisfied and began lecturing.


    The content of this ss was scientific economics. All the students were listening carefully, including


    Debbie. All of a sudden, her phone beeped. She stole a nce at the man on the tform to confirm


    that he was not looking in her direction, and took out her phone secretly.


    When she read the text message on her phone, she froze on the spot for a long time.


    Eventually, she decided to reply to the text. After sending her reply, she put her phone back and stared


    nkly at her book. All she was thinking about was the text.


    "Deb, I''m flying back the day after tomorrow. Will you pick me up at the airport? I''ve missed you so


    much. I want to see you the moment I get off the ne."


    Would she go to the airport to pick him up? Of course, she would not. She sent a reply to his text


    saying that she couldn''t pick him up at the airport as she had sses to attend on the day he was


    coming back.


    Debbie received a reply almost instantly. "I''ll be in Y City at 3 p.m. I can help you make up for the


    missed lessons. You still haven''t forgotten about me, right?"


    While all her attention was focused on that text, Debbie failed to notice that her husband was


    approaching.


    When she was typing the words "I ha¡ª", she was interrupted by a loud knocking sound.


    Knock! Knock! Knock! Carlos knocked on the desk in front of her and reached out his hand towards


    her.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ''Holy crap!'' she cursed inwardly. Carlos had told them before that it was forbidden to y with mobile


    phone in his ss. Debbie immediately put her phone back in her pocket, sat up straight and gave him


    a wide smile.


    Carlos, however, had no intention of letting her go. He pointed to her pocket, gesturing for her to hand


    her phone over.


    Debbie had forgotten to lock her screen before she put her phone away in a hurry. If she gave Carlos


    the phone right now, nothing would stop him from reading the conversation between her and another


    boy.


    Embarrassed, she smiled at Carlos and put her hand on his palm as if she didn''t understand that he


    was asking for her phone.


    The others in the ssroom widened their eyes in disbelief. How dare Debbie put her hand on Mr.


    Huo''s hand?


    All the girls stared at Debbie angrily. How they wished they could chop her hand off.


    With no change in facial expression, Carlos gently shook her hand away and reached out his hand


    again. This time, the fact that Debbie ced her other hand on his hand and looked at him with her doe


    eyes angered the students even more.


    A girl cursed through her gritted teeth, "Wow! Shame on her!"


    Debbie looked in the direction the voice came from and cast a warning nce at the girl. Startled, the


    girl looked away and set her sights elsewhere.


    All of a sudden, Jared, who was sitting next to Debbie, took out her phone from her pocket and gave it


    to Carlos. "Mr. Huo, Debbie has been paying attention to you all this time."


    Debbie''s jaw fell to the floor. ''Oh my God! I''m done! Jared Han, what did you do?!'' she cursed him in


    her mind.


    When Carlos took over the phone, the screen was still on. As a result, he saw the conversation


    between his wife and another boy. Within seconds, his entire face darkened. He cast a cold nce at


    the girl before him as he put the phone in his pocket and walked back to the tform to continue


    lecturing.


    ''I might get buried alive today!'' she cried inwardly and cast a burning nce at Jared. Confused, Jared


    whispered in her ear, "You''ve got some nerve! Even I don''t dare to y with my phone in his ss. I


    tried to warn you when he was approaching, but he was staring at the both of us and so I didn''t dare to


    make a move. Never mind. He''s your husband. You''ll have your phone back after the ss. Why are


    you being so worried?"


    Why was she being so worried? Her husband saw the conversation between her and her ex!


    More importantly, she had been nning to type "I had a thing for you once, but it''s over between the


    two of us." Sadly, she had just managed to type, "I ha¡ª" before she was interrupted. Carlos must have


    misunderstood "I ha¡ª" for "I have a thing for you!" Damn it!


    Under the desk, Debbie gripped Jared''s fingers as tightly as she could.


    Although Jared was in extreme pain, he didn''t dare utter a single cry. The pain appeared on his face in


    the form of slight twitches.


    While Carlos was not looking at her, she took the chance and whispered in Jared''s ear, "If Carlos is


    going to punish me for this, I''ll tell him that I was sending the text message to you."


    "What text message?" Suddenly, Jared had a bad feeling in his gut.


    Debbie gave him a wicked smile and said, "Hayden Gu''sing be back. He said he missed me. He


    wants to see me."


    "Hayden Gu ising back? Why?" Jared was too slow to realize Debbie''s true intentions.


    Debbie peeked at the man on the tform, only to realize that he had been staring at her all the time,


    with icy, cold eyes.


    "I don''t know why. But it has nothing to do with me," she replied in a soft yet cold voice.


    When Carlos looked away, she added, "I didn''t save his number. So if Carlos asks me about it, I''ll tell


    him that it was you."


    "Damn it!" Jared looked at Debbie in stunned disbelief. "Are you serious? Please don''t do this to me! I


    didn''t know you were exchanging messages with Hayden Gu!"

 Chapter 52 A Good Kisser

    Chapter 52 A Good Kisser


    Amused by Jared''s reaction, Debbie winked at him and teased, "So now you''ve realized that you made


    a big mistake, huh? Can you imagine what Carlos would do to you if he thought you were having an


    affair with me? I''m really curious to find out."


    All of a sudden, Carlos turned around and red at Debbie. Immediately, she sat up straight and


    looked forward at the screen.


    His cold eyes made her feel like she was lying on a bed of nails. ''Oh my God! Why is he looking at me


    like that? His gaze is sharp enough to see right through my soul, '' she thought.


    It was not until then that she realized Carlos came to teach in the university for her. He made sure that


    Debbie had to attend all of his sses and he was even strict enough to give her trouble if she tried to


    cut sses.


    Just as she had expected, Debbie was asked to go to Carlos'' office when the ss came to an end.


    She gave Jared her books and told him, "Go buy some firecrackers when you have time."


    "Firecrackers? What for?" Jared was confused.


    "When Carlos quits teaching, I''ll set off firecrackers to celebrate the glorious moment."


    Jared stood there without a word, unable toprehend what Debbie was trying to aplish.


    In truth, he felt pity for Carlos, because he was the one who''d have to spend the rest of his life with a


    bad girl like Debbie.


    In Carlos'' office


    Carlos walked in and ced Debbie''s phone on the desk, the screen of which was now locked. "Unlock


    your phone!" he demanded coldly.


    An idea popped up in her head just as Debbie reached out her hand to grab her phone. However, he


    quickly grabbed her hand and threatened, "If you don''t unlock it, I''ll unlock you this evening."


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ''Unlock me? What does he mean by that? It must be one of his dirty jokes again!''


    Feeling embarrassed, Debbie forced a fake smile and said, "All right."


    In the blink of an eye, just as Carlos released her hand, she grabbed her phone and dashed towards


    the door.


    A cold voice from behind pulled her to a halt. "Look at your phone first. Then you may decide whether


    you want to run away or not."


    ''What? Look at my phone?''


    Without further dy, Debbie unlocked her phone and looked over the messages between her and


    Hayden. Much to her surprise, somehow the conversation had continued even after her phone had


    been confiscated by Carlos.


    Thest message she had read from Hayden said, "I''ll be in Y City at 3 p.m. I can help you make up for


    the missed lessons. You still haven''t forgotten about me, right?" Unfortunately, Carlos had taken her


    phone away before she could send a reply. However, now she was looking at a reply on her phone


    screen that said¡ª "My husband can help me make up for missed lessons."


    To which Hayden had replied, "Deb, you must be kidding me, right? Are you still mad at me? To be


    honest, no ordinary man would have the audacity to date a girl like you." Debbie was spitting fire when


    she saw this. She took a deep breath and continued reading.


    Thest message sent from her phone was, "My husband is not an ordinary man."


    Hayden hadn''t replied to that message. Perhaps he believed that she had married some other man.


    ''Carlos wrote these messages himself? When did he do it? How did I not see him?''


    When she looked at the time logs of the messages, Debbie was surprised to find that Carlos had sent


    the messages while he was still lecturing to them in ss.


    Debbie remained calm. In fact, she was surprised by her own ability to stay calm in such a moment. If it


    were in the past, she would have already broken his bones. But the truth was, she was no match for


    him in martial arts.


    After she read the messages, she didn''t turn around to face him. Carlos lit up a cigarette, took a


    moderately big drag and exhaled. "Your lover?" Carlos sneered.


    ''My lover? What the fuck?'' However, Debbie decided it would be best to spare him the details. She


    turned around and looked at her husband. "Yes, he is. So, will you divorce me now?"


    Leaning his back against the seat and resuming his usual cold expression, Carlos remained silent for a


    long while before he asked, "Do you love him that much?"


    Debbie had once told him about a boy she had feelings for not too long ago. Her words came back to


    him and he believed that boy to be the one who had sent her the messages.


    Debbie shook her head unconsciously, but then she thought of an opportunity and nodded. "Yes, I love


    him very much." However, she wasn''t telling the truth. The truth was that she had loved the boy very


    much, but that was a very long time ago. After falling out with his family members, she no longer


    wanted to ingratiate herself with them. Now all that remained between the two of them was a fleeting


    memory of their brief encounter.


    The reason why she lied to Carlos was that she hoped it would convince him to divorce her.


    However, Carlos'' reply was something she could not have anticipated in a million years.


    "Good. You know, I like challenges." He curled his lips and continued, "I''m sure to drive him out of your


    heart."


    Words had left Debbie as she stared into Carlos'' eyes in utter disbelief.


    Having run out of patience to argue, she turned around and walked out of the office. When she shut the


    door behind her, Tristan walked over to her with an unnervingly wide grin on his face. "Mr. Huo asked


    me to tell you that he had bought two movie tickets and he would like you to go to the cinema with him


    this evening."


    Debbie looked at the name of the movie on Tristan''s phone screen. It was a horror film set to start at 2


    a.m.


    Shivers ran down her spine almost instantly.


    Without any hesitation, she turned around, opened the door and ran back into the office.


    "I won''t send him any messages from now on!" Debbie promised.


    Carlos shed a satisfied smile as he stood up and walked towards her. "Wait for me at home this


    evening,"


    he said, as he reached out and held Debbie in his loving arms.


    Debbie put her hands on his firm chest and was just about to say something, when he lowered his


    head and kissed her on the lips.


    Her eyes widened and then shut close as she melted in his arms like a doll made out of wax. ''Why


    does he always kiss me in his office? He is a good kisser, though, '' she mused.


    In a private booth of the Orchid Private Club, a handsome man was leaning against the couch with a


    ss of red wine in his hand. The man was none other than Carlos.


    Sitting across him were two men wearing expensive branded clothes¡ªWesley and Damon Han. They


    were Carlos'' closest friends. Wesley was not interested in what the other two were talking about, so he


    went out to y golf.


    Damon Han was shocked and dazed by what Carlos had to say about his wife. It wasn''t until Carlos


    kicked him in the leg that he came back to his senses.


    "A girl who is seven years younger than you? Don''t rob the cradle, Carlos. She is too young for you.


    I''ve never heard you mention any women before. This was the first time we''ve ever talked about


    women, and you''re telling me that she is seven years younger than you? And she''s so willful and


    unruly. Are you sure you want me to teach you how to court her?"


    Carlos cast a freezing nce at his old friend and said, "Cut the crap!"


    "Fine!" Damon Han, the infamous yboy, had lots of experience with women, and perhaps that was


    why Carlos sought his advice. He sat straight and said to Carlos in a serious tone, "Women love


    money, and you happen to have lots of it. Why don''t you just use your money?"


    Carlos had supported Debbie for three years. But now she had been asking for a divorce instead of


    asking for money. Furthermore, she even wanted to pay back all the money that she owed him in the


    past three years. Last time, when Debbie ran out of money, she asked her friend for help instead of


    going to her rich husband. Even after Carlos had given her his bank card, she refused him without


    hesitation. Only when he threatened her did she agree to take his card. That was just the kind of


    person Debbie was.


    Suffice it to say, money wouldn''t work for Carlos.


    "She doesn''t want my money," he answered in a cold voice. Damon Han shook his head in disbelief.


    He never thought such a girl could exist¡ªa girl who could refuse Carlos Huo and his boundless wealth.


    "Win her over with your body! You are a handsome man with a great body," Damon Han suggested.


    The number of women who wanted to marry Carlos could fill the whole Pacific Ocean.


    Despite his unwillingness, Carlos decided to tell the truth. "She has no interest in me."


    The truth was, Carlos had tried to seduce her with his handsome face and strong body before.


    But to his disappointment, she had turned him down.


    The fact that she didn''t have any feelings for him was a hard pill to swallow, but he hade to terms


    with the truth.


    Damon Han choked and almost spit out the wine in his mouth. With a mischievous gleam in his eyes,


    he said, "I''m starting to like her. Let me give it a try."


    "She''s my wife!" Carlos cast him a murderous nce.


    "What? She''s from the Nian family?" Damon Han thought to himself, ''The girl is from the Nian family?


    Jared''s good friend is also from the Nian family. Could they be the same person?


    What did Jared say her name is?'' "Is your wife Debbie Nian?" Damon Han probed.


    Carlos looked at him and nodded.


    "What a coincidence! Your wife is my brother''s best friend. Hahaha! I can imagine how you feel now."


    Damon Han and Jared shared the same father but had different mothers. Perhaps being a womanizer


    and being good with women ran in the family.

 Chapter 53 They Deceived Me Together

    Chapter 53 They Deceived Me Together


    Carlos rubbed his arching brow and swore to himself that he would never divorce Debbie, however


    hard she was to handle.


    "Yes, I admit that she''s a wilful girl. But luckily, she doesn''t smoke. Nor does she hang out with dubious


    people." Carlos paused for a moment and then added, "Apart from your brother, Jared."


    ''Is my brother a dubious fellow in your eyes?'' Damon thought to himself.


    He couldn''t help grinning at Carlos'' description of Jared. "You''re right. He''s not very reliable,"


    commented Damon. Jared, as a rich second generation, had some disreputable associates. And


    Damon believed it was quite normal.


    Wesley, who had finished ying golf, went back to rejoin his friends. He sat down in his seat and said


    indifferently, "Megan''s 18th birthday ising next month. Where are we going to celebrate her


    birthday?"


    Five years ago, Wesley and Carlos had adopted Megan Lan.


    She was an innocent and adorable girl, whom Damon and Curtis had grown quite fond of.


    "Since it''s Megan''sing-of-age ceremony, we need to make it a grand one. Why don''t we celebrate


    it on her favorite ind? We can drink, sing and dance all night long," said Damon.


    After some consideration, Carlos offered, "She loves the ind in Q City. I''ll buy the ind for her as a


    gift and you guys will be in charge of the other affairs."


    Damon made a face and eximed, "Wow, look at you, Mr. President. The ind at least costs


    hundreds of millions of dors. You made it sound like you are going to buy groceries at some


    convenience store. If I were a woman, I would do everything I could to make you mine. After all, owning


    Carlos Huo means owning the world."


    Carlos cast a chilly nce at Damon and mocked, "If you were a woman, you would look butt-ugly. No


    man would fall for you."


    Damon, who had always been proud of his handsome face, was enraged by Carlos'' mean words.


    "Carlos Huo, you''re just jealous of me and my looks. I''m such a handsome man. If I were a woman, I


    would be the most beautiful woman in the world. Am I right, Wesley?"


    Ignoring Damon''s shallow expression, Wesley refilled his and Carlos'' sses. He clinked sses with


    Carlos and said, "I''m on a vacation now and I have plenty of time to spare for the party. Don''t worry. I''ll


    take care of everything. If I need your help, I''ll call Emmett."


    Carlos shook the ss in his hand and said briefly, "Call Tristan."


    "Is there something wrong with Emmett? I thought he was your personal assistant. Why should I call


    Tristan instead?" Wesley asked in confusion. In his eyes, Emmett was the one who had always been


    standing beside Carlos.


    After a long pause, Carlos finally decided to tell them the truth. "Emmett... He and my wife deceived me


    together."


    His words set Damon roaring withughter. Even Wesley couldn''t helpughing. "They cheated on


    you?" he probed.


    Carlos snorted, "Maybe she had the audacity to cheat on me. But Emmett? Come on! He wouldn''t


    dare."


    Damon and Wesley felt sorry for their friend.


    ''Debbie is so dauntless; she isn''t afraid of doing whatever she wants. But I strongly believe that


    someday she''ll be tamed by me!'' Carlos thought to himself.


    Damon inquired, "So, what did you do to Emmett?"


    "He''s currently working on a construction site. He needs to understand how hard life is for workers.


    With that, he''ll cherish his job as my personal assistant more." An unsettling smile shed across


    Carlos'' face. He heard that Emmett had been doing well on the construction site.


    Damon and Wesley were rendered speechless.


    After a while, Damon broke the silence. "Why did Curtis have to be away on a business trip today? If


    he were here, we could y mahjong together and order some beautiful women. Now we need a fourth


    yer, and you don''t want to y mahjong with other people. I''m so bored I want to kill myself!"


    Disregarding Damon''s whining, Carlos raised his wrist to check the time. ''Debbie''s Yoga ss is


    supposed to end soon. I need to go home to teach her English.''


    He finished off his red wine with one gulp and stood up from his seat. "Gentlemen, I shall be leaving


    now. Please enjoy yourselves."


    "Are you serious?" Damon looked at Carlos'' retreating figure in stunned disbelief. He wondered if all


    men changed colors after getting married. ''But he married the girl three years ago. And I''ve never seen


    him go back home this early in the past three years.


    Does that mean he fell in love with her just recently?'' Damon wondered.


    The doors of the private booth were pushed open by two bodyguards, and noises came from outside


    the room. Just as Carlos was about to get out of the room, Damon''s voice came from behind his back.


    "Carlos, since you don''t have any means to make her fall in love with you, I''ll give you a piece of


    advice. Why don''t you be nice to her as much as you can? I guess your best hope is to move her with


    your sincerity."


    Damon knew Jared well. If Jared believed that Debbie was a good girl, Damon wouldn''t doubt that.


    ''What does a good girl want? She doesn''t want money or fame. I guess she only wants a man who


    would love her truly, '' Damon thought to himself.


    Without turning around or responding, Carlos left the booth. Damon raised one of his eyebrows and


    then turned around to look at Wesley. "Want to bet?"


    "Not interested." Wesley turned him down without any hesitation. After all, he was not that close to


    Damon, at least not as close as Carlos was. Wesley himself was a military officer, while Damon was a


    gang member. If it weren''t for the sake of Carlos and Curtis, Wesley would have sent Damon to jail a


    long time ago.


    "Don''t be such a killjoy! Listen. I bet Carlos will be a ve for his wife sooner orter, and he will


    be willing to kneel down before her." If Damon knew that Wesley had always wanted to send him to jail,


    he would feel wronged. Yes, it was true that he was a gang member, but he had never crossed the


    threshold into terrible and uneptable behavior.


    Wesley didn''t know what to say to him.


    However, he firmly believed that a proud man like Carlos would never kneel before a woman.


    Damon had been long drooling over one of Wesley''s pistols, so he said, "If I win, you will give me that


    pistol of yours." Damon had heard rumors of Wesley''s new double-action, semi-automatic pistol. With


    its stainless steel and polymer construction, it was one of the lightest pistols in the world that packed


    quite a punch despite its weight and size.


    "Okay. If I win, you need to leave the gang."


    Damon remained silent for a while. After a lot of contemtion, he was almost certain that he would be


    the winner. He nodded and raised his ss.


    They gulped their wine, put the sses on the table and left the booth to catch up with Carlos.


    Debbie''s high school ssmates'' gathering happened to be on the same day. Jared had made a


    reservation at the Orchid Private Club in advance. Debbie arrived on the phone with her Yoga teacher


    asking for a leave. All the while Jared showed her the way as she waspletely unaware of the club


    she was in.


    When the call ended, she was already in a private booth.


    It was thergest booth in the club. There were four big tables in the room and many guests had


    already arrived.


    When the people saw Jared, they all stood up to greet him. It was the first time that they had been to


    such a luxurious club together.


    The club was for members only, and the annual fee alone cost millions. Therefore, they couldn''t help


    but fawn on Jared.


    Jared was obviously in a good mood. Tugging at his sleeve, Debbie asked him in a low voice, "Why did


    you book a room here? Are you sure you can afford it?"


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Don''t worry. I have my brother''s VIP card. There is at least ten million in it. So, enjoy the night and help


    yourself with everything here." Debbie knew that Jared had an older brother named Damon, but her


    impression of him wasn''t exactly positive. Although, she had met him once or twice in passing, she had


    long forgotten what he looked like in person.

 Chapter 54 A Conflict

    Chapter 54 A Conflict


    Jared was itching to spend all the money in Damon''s VIP card. In truth, apart from being half brothers


    and sharing the same father, they didn''t have a lot inmon.


    One day, Jared stole the VIP card from his brother''s table when he was passing by Damon''s room.


    Debbie had heard about Damon from when Jared used toin about him to her. From what she


    could gather, Damon was always very nice to his younger brother, whereas, Jared would treat Damon


    with disdain.


    Although it was Jared''s one-sided statement, Debbie could tell that he had been obedient to his older


    brother on some asions.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Jared, what are you two talking about? Come over here!" One of their ssmates urged the two to join


    them.


    Jared responded in a loud voice, "All right, all right. Scott, you won''t be allowed to leave here until you


    have more alcohol than blood running through your body." All of a sudden, Jared looked at Debbie with


    a concerned expression on his face. "Tomboy, I won''t drink much tonight. You don''t need to drink if you


    don''t want to."


    This caught Scott''s interest, as he looked at Jared and cheerfully shouted, "Hey bro, what''s up? Are


    you two dating or something? Do you have to ask for Debbie''s permission before you drink, huh?"


    Debbie and Jared were very popr in their high school. Most of their ssmates used to joke about


    their rtionship. However, the truth was quite far from reality. Although they had been good friends


    who trusted each other, that was all their rtionship was, a reliable friendship. Apart from that, they


    had absolutely no chemistry between them.


    Debbie was interested in guys who weren''t afraid ofmitments, while she thought Jared was more


    of a yboy. On the contrary, Jared thought Debbie was a tomboy, whereas, he liked winsome


    coquettes.


    They both understood each other very well and agreed that they could only make good friends.


    "What? A couple? Come on! Even if we spent the night in the same bed, nothing would happen


    between us, besides the usual chatting and fighting." Jared held the chair out for Debbie like a


    gentleman, but thetter cast a reproachful nce at him before sitting down.


    In truth, Debbie never enjoyed taking part in these gatherings. Most of the girls chose to iste her


    because she was a pretty girl and the boys liked hanging out with her. Their impression of Debbie was


    that of a bitch who was just pretending to be a tomboy to attract boys.


    The girls began to speak ill of her amongst themselves in soft murmurs so that Debbie wouldn''t hear


    them. But she could tell from their bodynguage and the way they looked at her that they were quietly


    conferring about her.


    Why didn''t they just say what they had to say to Debbie''s face? Mostly because they were afraid of


    being beaten up by her. Besides, they didn''t want to offend Jared. Why didn''t they just keep to


    themselves? They would if they could, but they were so envious of Debbie that they needed some way


    to vent their anger on her.


    Debbie, however, felt wronged and misunderstood. After all, she had neverid her hands on a girl


    before. Even when her cousin, Gail, had given her multiple reasons to hurt her, Debbie refrained from


    laying even a finger on her. Instead, she would let Gail off with just a warning.


    It wasn''t like Debbie was afraid of the girls; far from it! The girls wouldn''t even stand a chance in a


    fistfight with her. She could easily injure them without even breaking a sweat.


    A few momentster, Jared went to the men''s room to clear out the several bottles of beer he had


    drunk. Right after he left, the girls started to taunt Debbie because they believed that her arrogance


    and power onlysted as long as Jared was with her.


    "Even after so many years, she''s still running around after Jared like one of hisckeys. I guess he''s


    not interested in her at all."


    "Hey, have you guys heard that she confessed her feelings for Mr. Huo at hisunching ceremony?


    She said ''Carlos Huo, I love you'' at least ten times!"


    "Of course I''ve heard of it. By the way, a friend of mine told me that she is a lesbian."


    "What? I feel sick..."


    Debbie was appalled at the unconscionablements being made about her and she instantly


    regretteding to the party. She found it amazing how these people hadn''t changed at all even after


    so many years. They might have grown but they were hardly qualified to be considered ''grown ups''.


    They passed derogatory remarks about her non-stop and after a while even some of the boys joined in


    the banter. Debbie was just about to get up and leave when another boy sitting at a nearby table stood


    up before her.


    He shouted contemptuously, "Are you here to enjoy the party or make mindless gossips? Why don''t


    you look in the mirror to see what kind of people you are first before you talk about someone else? Until


    then, shut the hell up!"


    The boy was red in the face, as burning rage hissed through his body like venom.


    Debbie''s mouth gaped wide open as she looked at him in surprise. This was the first time someone


    else, apart from her own friends, hade forward to defend her. But who was this unfamiliar boy who


    stood up for her?


    If her memory hadn''t failed her, his name was Gregory Song.


    Perhaps it was because Gregory was not some rich second generation, so the others didn''t take his


    words seriously at all. They were a little startled at first, but soon they began to mock him as well.


    "Gregory, do you have a thing for that tomboy?" a girl taunted. Debbie''s friends called her "Tomboy" as


    a nickname, but when this girl addressed her as tomboy, the sarcasm in her voice was quite evident.


    She wanted to remind people that Debbie didn''t have anything womanly about her apart from her pretty


    face.


    Much to Debbie''s surprise, Gregory didn''t deny it. He snapped back ragingly, "So what? I''d rather date


    a girl like Debbie instead of a nosey parker like you."


    "I''m so touched!" another girl mocked.


    "I want to throw up. Makes me wonder what he''ll get out of this. Why is he overreacting like this?"


    "Gregory, you''d better be careful around her. Otherwise, she might beat you ck and blue."


    Words had left Debbie, and although, she had taken several deep breaths to calm herself down, there


    was a fire burning inside of her that she couldn''t extinguish. Fortunately, she was well aware of her


    anger management issues. If they weren''t her high school ssmates, she would have made them beg


    for mercy.


    "How''s the food?" Debbie grinned at the girls sitting across the table.


    Not knowing why she had asked such an irrelevant question, one of the girls nodded and answered,


    "The food here tastes as good as the one on the fifth floor of Alioth Building in Shining International


    za."


    "Really? It''s such a pity that you won''t be able to enjoy it much longer." With a demeaning smile,


    Debbie stood up from her chair and mmed her fist on the table. Bang! The wine ss in front of her


    fell to the floor and shattered into tiny pieces.


    Silence befell the private booth.


    What Debbie did next sent the girls screaming hysterically.


    Since the dining table was fixed firmly to the floor, she turned around, lifted her chair and smashed it on


    the table. The delicious dishes that had been on the table just a few seconds ago were now littered on


    the floor, while shards of ss and porcin flew in the air.


    "Debbie Nian, are you crazy?"


    "This is Orchid Private Club! Do you think you can afford thepensation?"


    Everyone stood and backed up a few steps.


    They were starting to feel intimidated by Debbie.


    Debbie rolled her eyes, took a step back and kicked Jared''s chair to the table beside her with full


    strength.


    The girls sitting at the table who were mocking Debbie shut their mouths immediately. Some boys who


    had a good rtionship with Debbie realized what she was going to do, and came to stop her.


    She shook their hands off and spoke in a cold voice, "If you try to stop me, we won''t be friends


    anymore." She promised herself that she would give these bbermouths a good lesson today, so that


    they would not dare to provoke her ever again.


    "Debbie, these dishes are really expensive," a boy reminded her kindly. Actually, Debbie''s ssmates


    didn''t know whether she was from a rich family or not.


    As far as they could tell, she rode a BMW to school every day, but she didn''t wear designer clothes, nor


    did she spend money left, right and center.


    ''I will tear this ce apart without caring how much money it would cost me! Carlos Huo has enough


    money, and he wants me to spend his money. Why not use his money topensate for the damage?''


    she thought to herself.


    Debbie grabbed a wine bottle from the table and smashed it in front of several girls. They were so


    frightened that they fell onto the floor.

 Chapter 55 No One Is Allowed To Leave

    Chapter 55 No One Is Allowed To Leave


    The waitresses who were serving the customers in the private booth were so stunned they forgot to call


    security. They had never seen anyone create such a ruckus in this club before. Debbie found the girl


    who had been passing lewdments about her and Gregory and pinned her up against the wall.


    "If you dare cook up such a story again, I''ll cut your tongue out and feed it to you myself," Debbie


    threatened.


    The girl''s face was as pale as a ghost. Too shaken up to utter a word, she shook her head, implying


    that she would not do it again.


    Finally, Jared came back into the room with one of his drinking buddies. They werepletely shocked


    by what they had seen¡ªthe room was a mess. Jared scanned the room and found Debbie with her


    hands wrapped around some girl''s throat.


    "Tomboy, what''s going on here?" Everyone in the room heaved a deep sigh of relief when they heard


    Jared''s voice.


    They all gathered around him andined, "Jared, please do something. Look at Debbie! She''s


    gone mad! She has ruined everything." Some of the yellow-bellied cowards had already sloped off, as


    they didn''t want to be dragged into this.


    After someone caught Jared up on what had been going on, his next action took everyone by surprise.


    Jared jumped onto a chair and pointed at the girls huddled in the corner while shouting at them. "You


    bitches! Are you out of your damn minds? Are you really that stupid to cook up stories like that? You


    thought we wouldn''t hurt you because you''re girls, huh? Tomboy, you can do whatever you like to them.


    I''ll handle whates after."


    Jared was 210 cm in height, and when he was standing on the chair, he looked like a giant that nobody


    wanted to mess with.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    By then things had already gotten way out of hand. One of the waitresses finally came to her senses


    and was just about to call security when Jared stopped her. "No one is allowed to leave this room!"


    Debbie took a deep breath, as she let go of the girl and walked towards Jared. She tugged at his


    sleeve and consoled him, "Easy, Jared. I''m done. I won''t take part in this type of gathering again."


    Jared jumped off the chair, shook off Debbie''s hand and walked up to the girls.


    He picked up a te from the floor and threw it towards one of the girls, covering her pink dress with


    brown sauce. Paying no heed to the girl''s petnt whining, Jared said, "Do you really think that Debbie


    has no idea of the horrendous things you say about her behind her back?"


    Then, he picked up a pig''s foot and stuffed it in another girl''s sweater, which immediately turned brown


    because of the sauce. "You dumb bitches should feel lucky that you are girls.


    Otherwise I would have beaten you blind with my own hands," he added.


    The girls were about to cry. They hadn''t expected Jared to be so cruel to them.


    However, amidst all the chaos, only one boy seemed unaffected by what was going on. While all hell


    broke loose, he sat still in his seat, casually eating the dishes. Debbie recognized his face with one


    nce and felt surprised.


    ''Is that Gus Lu, Curtis'' younger brother? Howe I am just noticing him now?'' Debbie wondered. She


    quickly dismissed her curiosity and decided to get out of the private booth.


    Debbie grabbed Jared''s arm and bolted out of the room, without dy. They rushed so fast they


    identally bumped into two people outside.


    One of them was a woman in high heels, who staggered and fell onto the floor rather quickly. "Ouch!


    My leg! Are you blind?" she cried out.


    Startled, Debbie bent over immediately to help her. "I''m really sorry, Miss. I didn''t do it on purpose," she


    apologized in a conciliatory tone.


    With the help of the woman''spanion, Debbie helped the woman to her feet. It was not until then


    that she recognized who the woman was.


    ''Dang! This must be Mercury retrograde! What lousy luck!'' Debbie cursed inwardly. First, she had a


    massive fight with her high school ssmates. Now, she ran into a rude couple she had encountered


    this morning. It was the couple inside the Lamborghini, who had thrown an empty bottle out of the car


    window.


    The man recognized Debbie as well. His face contorted with venomous outburst and he raised his


    hand to p her. "Bitch!"


    Debbie reacted very promptly. She grabbed his hand and knocked him down onto the floor in one fell


    swoop. The many on the floor, groaning in pain.


    The girls who had followed Debbie and Jared out of the booth saw this and trembled with fear.


    ''Debbie knows martial arts! She just knocked a man of 200 kg down on the floor effortlessly. I''m d


    she didn''t hit us, '' they thought.


    The woman then realized who Debbie was. Ignoring herpanion, she raised her bag to whack


    Debbie in the head. "It''s you! I''ve been looking for you to teach you a lesson. You are so screwed now!"


    Before her bag could touch Debbie, Jared snatched it away from her hand and threw it onto the floor.


    The woman then looked at herpanion and knelt down beside him. "Oscar, are you okay?"


    "Help me up! I will make that bitch pay!" he cursed.


    All people, including Debbie''s ssmates and even the waitresses of the club, were shocked by what


    was going on. The hallway was overflowing with people. Some concerned; some angered, but mostly


    just confused.


    At the same time, when Damon left his private booth, he received a message that said his VIP card


    had been used. This club belonged to his close friend, Carlos. Although Carlos had given him the card,


    he had never used it before, as he never had to pay for anything in this club. ''More than $300, 000 has


    been deducted from this ount. That''s really strange, '' he thought.


    He was about to go to the cashier''s desk to check what had happened, when he noticed the waitresses


    running towards another hallway. Curious as cats, they were so eager to watch the fun that they failed


    to notice Damon.


    "What''s going on? Why is there so much noise?" Damon asked a manager behind him.


    The manager had been entertaining the three distinguished guests all the while, so he didn''t know what


    had happened either. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders in confusion.


    Meanwhile, Debbie wasn''t able to leave yet because of the angry couple. She was starting to get


    impatient, because she was runningte for her English ss with Carlos at 8 p.m. Debbie was about


    to knock the man down again, but Jared stopped her. He whispered in her ear, "Tomboy, this man is the


    infamous Oscar. He''s a notorious gang leader who has already gone to prison countless times over the


    innumerable crimes he hasmitted. Since your husband isn''t here to protect you, do not offend


    him."


    Debbie became even more frustrated. She couldn''t just call Carlos and tell him that she had been in a


    fight with a gang leader. What would he think of her?


    ''Will Carlos go up against a gang leader for me? I don''t think so.''


    After some hesitation, Jared offered, "How about I call Damon? He''s a gang member as well. Maybe


    he can remedy the situation."


    Before Debbie could reply, a man''s voice shot through from behind the crowd. "What is going on here?"


    Everyone turned their heads to follow the voice. "Wow, is that Mr. Huo?" the crowd murmured amongst


    themselves.


    "I didn''t expect to see Mr. Huo here. And he''s with Mr. Li and Mr. Han."


    "They are so handsome!"


    Debbie, however, stood there motionlessly, as if paralyzed from the neck up.


    The mere mentioning of his name sent a cold shiver down her spine. ''Why is he here? I was just about


    to go back home now so that I could attend his ss at 8 p.m. How embarrassing!'' Debbie''s face was


    stuck in an incredulous expression.


    A waitress walked up to the manager and exined, "Mr. Xue, these two people made trouble here


    and smashed a private booth. Then they started a fight with Oscar and his woman."


    The manager cast a casual nce at Debbie. Since he didn''t know who she was, he assumed she was


    just a nobody. He said coldly, "Ask her to pay thepensation twice over and beg for Oscar''s


    forgiveness."

 Chapter 56 Kneel Down And Apologize

    Chapter 56 Kneel Down And Apologize


    Hardly had the manager''s voice faded away when Jared kicked him hard in the leg. "What the fuck?!


    How dare you ask her to kneel down and apologize to that man? Don''t you know who she is?" Jared


    cursed.


    Ignoring the manager''s sour face, he walked up to Carlos and was going to ask him to help Debbie. But


    on second thought, he changed his mind and deemed it wise not to interfere in the couple''s private


    affairs.


    So without uttering a word, he turned around and walked back to Debbie.


    Everyone was dumbfounded, not knowing what he was doing.


    The manager had no idea who Debbie was. But as an experienced, business-minded person, he knew


    his priorities. His boss and two other distinguished guests were blocked by the crowd, so he urged


    them to make way. "Gentlemen, please get out of the way." He decided to settle matters with them after


    Carlos and his friends left the club.


    ''Son of a bitch! How dare you kick me?! I swear I''ll break your leg!'' he angrily swore to himself.


    The moment Damon saw his brother, he instantly realized what was wrong with his VIP card. His


    eyebrows raised a little when he recognized the girl next to Jared. Excitement ruled over him as he was


    dying to witness the fun that was about to begin.


    He elbowed Wesley and said in a light voice so that Carlos wouldn''t hear him, "Look! The girl who


    smashed the private booth is Carlos'' wife."


    Wesley rolled his eyes at him, then followed the direction where he was pointing. He stepped aside to


    keep Damon at arm''s length.


    Damon''s face soured at Wesley''s reaction. ''What is wrong with this guy? Why is he avoiding me as if I


    had somemunicable disease?''


    "Good evening, Mr. Huo, Mr. Han, and Mr. Li. Nice to meet you guys. I didn''t expect to meet you here.


    Are you enjoying the party?" Laying his eyes upon Carlos and his friends, Oscar suppressed his anger


    and walked towards them with a forced ttering smile.


    Damon shed a wicked grin; he knew this man was finished for he had offended Carlos'' wife. Wesley,


    as a military officer, abhorred evils as deadly foes and knew one when he saw one. He didn''t even turn


    his head to cast the man a single nce; he only wished he could shoot him straight in the head right


    this instant.


    "Come over here!" Carlos motioned, but not to Oscar.


    The onlookers got confused and wondered whom he was talking to.


    Debbie, on the other hand, knew that Carlos was talking to her. At that moment, she was no longer the


    same girl who had smashed the private booth a moment ago. Uneasily, she gripped her shirt and


    wondered whether she should listen to him or not.


    After a series of pondering, she finally decided to be an obedient wife to her husband. In disbelief, they


    watched the girl jog along towards Carlos.


    Looking at the girl standing before him, Carlos curled his lips in satisfaction and asked in a cool voice,


    "What happened?"


    Although she looked rather obedient right now, he could feel the anger brewing inside her. He knew his


    wife was not a bully, and there must be a reason behind all this trouble.


    Hearing his question, the group who had offended Debbie were quite nervous¡ªthe girls who had


    spoken ill of her, the manager who had asked her to kneel down, and Oscar who had attempted to p


    her.


    ''Why is Mr. Huo so nice to her? How are they rted?'' they mused.


    Debbie knew Carlos was never a kindhearted man. If she told him the truth, he would definitely deal


    with these people in the harshest means possible¡ªhe might even throw them into the ocean or bury


    them alive. She didn''t want to bully others with Carlos'' resources, so she decided to smooth things over


    and pretend that nothing had happened. "Nothing happened. I smashed the private booth. I''m going to


    pay for it," she said indifferently.


    Since she refused to tell him the truth, Carlos turned to Tristan and ordered, "Tristan, make my wife the


    lawful owner of this club."


    After a short pause, he added, "Contact thewyer now!"


    Everyone was held speechless by what Carlos had said. His words went down like a bomb; the hallway


    went so still that you could even hear a pin as it dropped.


    Debbie was bbergasted as well. She looked at Carlos with her jaws ck.


    Soon, Damon came back to his senses and turned to Wesley. "Hey, bro! Be ready to give me your


    pistol."


    Tristan swallowed hard, and without asking he took his phone out and dialed thewyer''s number.


    When the call was answered on the other end, he said, "Mr. Fu, Mr. Huo would like you to help him


    make his wife, Debbie Nian, thewful owner of Orchid Private Club. As for her personal data, I''ll send


    everything you need via email. Please do it as soon as possible."


    "No, no, no! Please don''t do it." After a long time, Debbie finally managed to say something.


    She grabbed Carlos'' arm and stuttered, "Mr. Huo... Boss... P-Please don''t make such silly jokes. It''s not


    funny at all."


    Carlos looked at his wife and then turned to the manager. "The rest is up to you. If you fail to deal with


    it properly, you''ll be sorry for the rest of your life. Kneel down and apologize to her!"


    "Y-Yes... Mr. Huo... Miss Nian..." The manager almost pissed in his pants as his knees touched the


    floor.


    With what Carlos had ordered, Debbie was raised from being a student to being the boss of a high-end


    club. Needless to say, the share-out bonus of which was up to hundreds of millions a year.


    "Carlos Huo, listen to me..." Debbie demanded in a stern voice.


    But before she could make him turn, Carlos grabbed her hand and led her to the exit of the club.


    Upon seeing this, the girls inside the club were awed with mixed emotions¡ªenvious, jealous,


    unconvinced, and frustrated. They watched the ideal man of their dreams walking away with a girl,


    hand in hand.


    Their hearts broke into pieces.


    Seated inside the Emperor car, Debbie and Carlos were in the backseat, while Tristan was in the


    passenger seat. The driver started the engine and swiftly drove off.


    No one broke the silence on the way to the vi. As the car halted to a stop, Tristan bid them goodbye


    at the entrance and closed the gates behind him. Debbie confronted Carlos, who was now drinking


    water. "Carlos, I really appreciate the way you saved me in that club. Now that we are home and


    nobody is watching us, I hope you can call yourwyer and tell him not to make me the owner of that


    club.


    You know for a fact that I''m currently studying. Who knows, the two of us might even get a di---"


    Meeting Carlos'' eyes, she swallowed back the word "divorce" and didn''t dare toplete her


    sentence.


    Carlos was holding a ss in one hand with a firm grip. He was now staring at her with fierce eyes as if


    he were going to kill her right that instant if she dared to say that word.


    She really couldn''t understand why he hated so much to divorce her. "Oh for heaven''s sake! Why can''t


    you just sign the di--- Fine, I won''t say the word again. Don''t look at me like that. I''m really serious. Did


    my father give you arge fortune with the condition that you must be my husband your whole life?"


    She really couldn''t find another eptable reason except for this one.


    Normally, marriage should be based on love. But she didn''t love him, and she didn''t fancy the idea that


    he loved her. ''Wait, is there a possibility that he fell in love with me?'' Thinking about this, she couldn''t


    help but burst intoughter.


    ''How''s that possible? A rich and powerful man like Carlos would never fall in love with a boyish girl like


    me," she mused.


    Carlos poured a ss of water, gave it to her and said, "Are you not thirsty? You''ve been talking since


    we arrived."


    "Uh... I am." She took the ss over and drank all the water with one gulp. All of a sudden, she felt


    hungry. Although there had been lots of delicious dishes prepared at the gathering this evening, she


    had no appetite and had barely eaten.


    It was past 8 p.m. and she wanted to leave the vi and grab something to eat. "Carlos Huo, I want to


    go out to eat something. Are youing with me?" she invited.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Carlos just looked at her, saying nothing.


    She didn''t know what was on his mind and assumed that he didn''t want to. She took out her phone and


    said, "Since you''re noting with me, I''m calling my friend toe with me."


    "Who?"


    "Jared. I guess he hasn''t eaten anything either." Before she was able to dial his number, her phone


    was snatched away by the man.


    Carlos turned off her phone, put it in his pocket and walked towards the gates.


    While putting his shoes on, he said, "Grab the car keys. You''re driving."


    "Oh! Okay." She nodded; for her, it would be a good idea since she knew he had drunk much this


    evening.


    She drove the BMW cautiously. When she stopped at a red light, she tilted her head and stole a look at


    the man who was taking a rest in his seat with his eyes shut. "Carlos Huo, call yourwyer now!" she


    demanded.

 Chapter 57 You Need To Do Nothing But Count The Money

    Chapter 57 You Need To Do Nothing But Count The Money


    Although Carlos had heard Debbie''s words clearly, he didn''t respond, choosing to look out the car


    window instead.


    "You are not calling yourwyer? Fine! I''ll call Emmett and ask him to call yourwyer!" Debbie said as


    she called out the address book on the vehicle navigation screen.


    "Without my consent, he won''t call thewyer." The man finally opened his mouth to speak.


    "Then call him!" she demanded.


    "Focus on driving. I''m a man of my word. I won''t rescind my decision."


    As the light changed, Debbie had to restart the engine. While focusing on the road, she asked, "What


    do you prefer to eat?" After all, he was the boss.


    "Eat whatever you want," he said indifferently.


    Undecided on where to go, Debbie ran a few names of familiar ces through her mind. Atst, a


    restaurant popped up.


    She drove to the destination and pulled over.


    When they got out of the car, Carlos'' face soured at the sight of the restaurant.


    Debbie gave him a big grin, and pointing to the restaurant said, "I suddenly want to eat durian pizza.


    That''s why I drove here. I know the restaurant might be a little too cheap for your fancy, but it''s much


    better than street food, right? Come on. Just give it a try."


    It was a national chain restaurant and the food was pretty good. The chain operated stores in most of


    the leading shopping malls. To Debbie, it was a nice restaurant. To Carlos, however, it was one of those


    low-end ces he associated with needless penny-pinching.


    After a moment''s thought, he eded, albeit begrudgingly, and walked towards the entrance of the


    restaurant.


    Debbie immediately followed after him.


    It was 8 p.m., but the ce was still bustling with customers. Debbie and Carlos sat at a table near the


    window. Among the patrons, a few heads turned to greet the arrival of the beautiful couple.


    A waitress came to them, and when she noticed Carlos, her eyes widened. Debbie shook her head


    with resignation and looked at the menu. "Arge-sized durian pizza, a durian multiyer cake, pae


    and Spanish mackerel dumplings. I''m done. What would you like to eat?"


    She put the menu in front of Carlos, but he didn''t give it even the mere dignity of a cursory nce. "I


    already ate," he said, the disinterest in his voice showing.


    "What?" asked a bemused Debbie. Why did he have toe along if he thought it was low-grade?


    Whatever the case, he could as well walk out, because she was not holding a gun to his head.


    ''Is it possible that he just wanted to apany me?'' Her heart raced at the very thought.


    But she had to calm down, because she needed to talk to Carlos about the ownership of that club. So


    after the waitress had left, she tapped the table to attract his attention. "Um, actually, I''m not that kind of


    good girl..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, he cut in, "I knew it." To which Debbie blushed. She wanted to


    say something, but her jaw went ck.


    Carlos then added, "You''ll be just fine. It''s only a matter of time." He swore to himself that he would turn


    her into the perfect girl.


    ''Wait, what are we talking about? I wasn''t going to discuss with him whether I''m a good girl or not.'' She


    shook the weird feeling off, leaned toward him and said in a serious tone, "Are you sure you want to


    transfer the club to me? I believe it will go bankrupt within half a year. Oh no! Within three months!"


    Leaning forward as well, Carlos said in a low, attractive voice, "Rest assured. You need to do nothing


    but count the money. There will be a professional team to run the club."


    Besides appointing her as thewful owner of the club, he''d also gradually turn more and more shares


    to her. Whichever the case, she''d be taking home huge bonuses.


    Debbie didn''t know how to turn his tempting offer down. The business offer aside, his chiseled looks


    were so inviting, she feared she''d give in to him at any moment.


    With a blushed face, she leaned back to keep him at arm''s length. "There''s no pressure to appoint me


    the owner. That points me in a bad light. I''m not a gold digger. How about this? As long as you don''t


    make me the owner, I won''t divorce you," she offered. To be honest, it was not a bad idea to have a


    husband like Carlos. He was handsome, rich and powerful.


    ''Just the right response that I wanted, '' thought Carlos. He heaved a sigh of relief that he managed to


    have her rule out divorce. However he kept calm andposed. "Don''t bother bargaining with me. I


    don''t think you''re capable of it yet. I can assure you that you''ll be the owner of the club. And forget


    about the divorce, as that''s impossible."


    ''No! Why is he being so bossy?'' Debbie rolled her eyes.


    Soon, the durian pizza was served. The aroma made her drool as she picked up the pizza cutter in a


    hurry.


    Just as she was about to cut the pizza, Carlos took the cutter from her hand.


    By the time she raised her head to object, she realized he had already rolled his sleeves up. He cut the


    pizza in an elegant manner.


    Then he picked up a slice of pizza and put it onto Debbie''s te. The little gesture touched her. To her,


    such small acts of kindness meant a lot.


    All her life, she had always been an independent girl, who was used to living on her own. Apart from


    herte father, she had never depended on a soul. As such, that simple courtesy from Carlos was


    something she appreciated.


    Much of the time, the men in her life tended to be cautious about her independent nature and they


    ended up not being much helpful. For example, her best buddy, Jared, had never treated her like a girl


    who could use a bit of chivalry.


    As for Hayden, whom she had dated for two years, they had never eaten anything fancy together. In


    fact, she had been the one who provided everything in that rtionship. All that Hayden did was to


    drain her, always taking things from her. A boring, self-serving man.


    "Why not eat?" asked Carlos, who had already sliced the pizza into pieces.


    When he realized Debbie was distrait, he dropped the cutter just hard enough to jerk her back to the


    present.


    Embarrassed at herpse, Debbie tried to act calm as she picked up her knife and fork. After several


    bites, she noticed that Carlos didn''t eat. "Please have some," she offered.


    Then she stretched her hand to pick up Carlos'' knife and fork which he had pushed away. But he


    stopped her.


    "No need for that," he politely declined her offer.


    In reality, he was not a big fan of durian. Almost loathed the stuff.


    "But I ordered for both of us." It was arge-sized pizza, a little too much for one person, in addition to


    the other food she had ordered.


    Looking her straight in the eye, Carlos reached out his hand and gently took her fork with the piece of


    pizza on it.


    A broad smile forming on his lips, he took a careful bite, catching Debbie by surprise once more. "I... I


    already bit on it..." she stammered.


    As if he didn''t hear her, Carlos picked up a napkin and wiped the the corners of his mouth. After


    swallowing, he took his sweet time, before finally replying, "I knew you had bitten on it."


    Blushing now, Debbie was lost for words.


    Every time she finished a piece of pizza, Carlos would add another slice to her te.


    Apparently, she must have been very hungry. She went through the food faster than a hot knife through


    butter.


    It was only when she realized she had wiped all the tes clean that she felt embarrassed. "Did I eat


    too much?" she murmured. Wasn''t that too much food for someone to finish in one sitting?


    She felt even more embarrassed. Anyway, she chose to focus on Carlos. That guilty trip she was


    starting on was not necessary for now.


    "Uh-huh." She hesitated, trying to find the right reaction to Carlos'' admission.


    Why had he changed his mind to bite on her pizza, which he thought was too cheap for his


    sophisticated tastes?


    Again her mind went back to how much she had eaten, while he watched. ''It''s up to him, if he wants to


    compare me to his many girls who only nibble at food, '' she dismissively thought.


    None of that was important to Carlos, though. Like a gentleman, he picked up a serviette and wiped the


    rice at the corner of her mouth. "A good appetite is a blessing," hemented.


    To see if he was kidding, Debbie studied him up and down. However, from the look on his face, she


    realized he must have been as serious as her life.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Oh, that''s so kind of you," she said, giggling like a teenage girl in love.


    On second thought, however, she told herself not to get carried away.


    There was nothing special about Carlos'' words. Her father had always said the same. All the same,


    she began to feel at ease in his presence again.


    When they walked out of the restaurant, it was about 10 o''clock in the evening. Carlos went to a nearby


    convenience store, bought two bottles of water and handed her one. "Rinse your mouth," he


    suggested.

 Chapter 58 A Petty Man

    Chapter 58 A Petty Man


    "Um, okay. Thank you," Debbie murmured as she took the water bottle from Carlos.


    Before she could remove the cap, Carlos had already rinsed his mouth and drunk up the water. Out of


    curiosity, she asked, "Were you that thirsty?"


    "There''s a residual taste of durian in my mouth."


    ''What?! He dislikes durian? Then why did he eat the pizza using my fork? Since he loathes Durian, I''ve


    an interesting idea!


    If he dares to bully me again, I''ll buy a durian and ask him to finish it all by himself! That should teach


    him a lesson, '' she thought to herself.


    Upon seeing the man throw the empty bottle into a trash bin, Debbie shed a sly smile as she licked


    the corners of her lips.


    "Hey, Mr. Handsome!" She ended up jumping before him.


    "Uh-huh?" He looked at her, startled.


    Suddenly, she held him by his waist, stood on tiptoe and kissed his thin lips.


    This was her first time to kiss the man on her own initiative. It was an entirely different experience. No!


    It was her second time, wasn''t it?


    Carlos remained stunned for a while. When he finally regained his full senses after the unexpected


    disy of affection, he realized her true intentions. He felt uneasy and wanted to push her away.


    Debbie held his waist tightly and her tongue moved effortlessly in his mouth.


    She had just hogged arge-sized durian pizza and had not rinsed her mouth yet.


    After making sure that his mouth tasted durian again, she withdrew her lips and let go of his waist.


    Carlos shook his head with profound resignation, and then turned around to walk towards the


    convenience store again.


    "I want to go home! Now!" Debbie grabbed his arm and dragged him to their car deliberately. Despite


    the fact that he could easily shake her arms off, he followed her anyway.


    Right under the glow of the streetmp, Debbie opened the passenger''s door and was about to push


    Carlos into the seat, but he quickly shut the door by himself.


    Without a moment''s pause, he rolled her around, pressed her against the car door and kissed her on


    her lips.


    It all happened in a matter of seconds that she couldn''t properly breathe.


    When Carlos'' phone rang, the two stopped their overflowing affection for each other to an abrupt halt.


    It took quite a while before Debbie realized that she was lying in the backseat and Carlos was about to


    strip her off. She could even feel his erection.


    He wanted to switch his phone off and get on with his intentions but she pushed him away, adjusted


    her clothes and swiftly got out of the car.


    When she got into the driver''s seat, Carlos was on the phone. "You called me just because of this?" His


    voice seemed to croak.


    "Damon, I have some exclusive information regarding the woman''s whereabouts. But I''ve no intention


    of telling you!" Saying this, he hung up. As if it was not enough to vent his anger, he even turned off his


    phone.


    Neither Debbie nor Carlos said a word throughout their way home.


    Upon arriving at the vi, Debbie reassured that the car doors were locked, grabbed the car keys and


    rushed towards the house.


    When she ran upstairs, Carlos'' voice seemed toe from behind her back. "What is next to you?"


    "What? What''s next to me?" Debbie stopped, turned her head in utter confusion.


    "I think I saw a figure next to you. Perhaps, my eyes have begun deceiving me," Carlos said.


    Debbie was rendered speechless. She could feel her mouth going dry. She continued ascending


    upstairs. The light was switched off in the hallway, so she took out her phone and used the phone''s


    shlight.


    "I saw a movie yesterday. The male lead kills his wife''s lover, dismembers him mercilessly and hides


    various parts of his body in the refrigerator, under the bed, in the closet..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, her scream interrupted him. "Carlos Huo!"


    Trying to suppress his giggle, Carlos asked, feigning innocence, "I''m here. What''s up?"


    Debbie ground her teeth and cursed him inside her head, ''He is such a petty man!'' Producing a forced


    fake smile, she said, "I won''t force you to eat durian again. I''m sorry."


    "Uh-huh." He walked up the stairs.


    He hadn''t achieved his aim yet. Pretending to be unaware of Debbie''s fright, he continued, "Do you


    believe in the existence of ghosts?"


    Debbie fidgeted, covered his mouth with both her hands and threatened, "Just shut your damned


    mouth! I don''t want to hear a word more! If you dare to say a single word more, I swear... I swear, I''ll


    repay in ways you can''t imagine."


    She had absolutely no idea how she was going to hurt a man who had better martial skills than her.


    She looked at him with desperate eyes, as if she was about to break open her heart.


    She was not pretending; in fact, she really felt like crying her heart out.


    She swore to herself that she would certainly investigate and find out who had told Carlos that she was


    afraid of ghosts. She would teach that person a good lesson after she knew who this damn guy was.


    She foresaw that Carlos would definitely use her weaknesses to deal with her in the future as well. This


    wasn''t the end of this.


    "It''s gotten veryte. Good night." Carlos struggled his level best to fight off the impulse to hold her in


    his arms and retreated towards his bedroom.


    The surroundings remained eerily quiet for a few hours.


    The door of Carlos'' bedroom opened from the outside abruptly. The man in the bed swayed his lips in


    the dark. He kept his eyes shut, pretending to be sound asleep.


    Soon, he sensed the familiar fragrance of his wife and he heard her lying down beside him.


    Debbie approached him stealthily and stared at his face cautiously. ''Luckily, he''s asleep.


    It''s all his fault! I had been able to sleep on my own before he moved back into the vi. But ever since


    he left me in the cemetery, my fright for the dark has crossed every boundary imaginable.


    As long as he''s lying by my side, I''m not afraid of anything anymore. Fine! I''ll sneak into his bedroom


    every night after he''s asleep, '' she told herself confidently.


    She adjusted her posture and made herselffortable before she closed her eyes and soon dozed


    off.


    Initially, she had nned to get out of the bed and sneak back into her room before Carlos woke up.


    However, when she woke up the next morning, she felt the golden rays of the morning sun ze her


    cheeks. She sat up and scanned the room with her sleepy eyes.


    All of a sudden, her eyes widened and she came fully awake and alert.


    Carlos had just taken a shower after his routine morning run and was answering a phone call with his


    back facing her. His body was only wrapped in a towel.


    It was the first time that she had seen Carlos... half naked.


    Although they had slept in the same bed twice, she hade into his room at midnight and hadn''t


    seen him wrapped in just a towel anytime before.


    Wow, his body is wless!'' She was letting her imagination run wild.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Judging from his strong back, she reckoned that he had been doing regr exercise. ''He must have


    six-pack abs!''


    She picked up her phone stealthily, opened the camera APP and clicked the shooting button. Done!


    She nced at the picture she had just taken and shed a dirty smile.


    All of a sudden, she thought of something. She put down her phone on the bed, crossed her hands


    together and pointed to Carlos'' towel with both her index fingers. "Drop! Drop!" shemanded in a


    whisper.


    She stared at the white towel and wished it would fall onto the ground. She could tell from the curves of


    the towel that the man had a desirable butt.


    "Drop! Drop¡ªAhhhh!" The man suddenly turned around and caught Debbie off guard.


    She immediately withdrew her hands, grabbed her phone, got out of the bed and left his bedroom


    hastily.


    She rushed back into her room, shut the door behind her and threw herself onto her bed. ''Dang! What


    would he think of me now? Would he think I wanted to sleep with him because I have a thing for him?


    Never mind! He''s my husband, and it''s perfectly normal for us to share a bed, '' she consoled herself in


    her mind.


    She opened her WeChat Moments, uploaded the picture she had just taken, and captioned it, "Waking


    up in the morning, I find the sun shining brightly. You stand before the window, enjoying the scenery,


    while I can''t take my eyes off you.


    Ah, I''m in such a buoyant mood now."


    The reason she dared to post Carlos'' picture in WeChat Moments was that she thought he was not her


    WeChat friend. He would not know that she had taken his picture and posted it, after all. As for her


    friends, she didn''t think they would recognize it as Carlos¡ªit was just a view of his back. Yes, some


    people might speak ill of her behind her back when they saw the picture. But she didn''t care at all!

 Chapter 59 Do You Live With A Man

    Chapter 59 Do You Live With A Man


    Debbie could foresee on her mind what her WeChat friends would say when they saw her post, but she


    didn''t care about it.


    Gaily humming a song, she threw her phone on her bed and went into the bathroom. "Hey I just met


    you and this is crazy. But here''s my number, so call me maybe..."


    Feeling refreshed after her shower, she came out of the bathroom and grabbed her phone. Unlocking


    it, she was surprised to see that her WeChat Moments had been flooded with thousands ofments.


    A girl from her ssmented, "Debbie, do you live with a man?"


    Another ssmate said, "Wow, this man has a perfect body. Debbie, why don''t you introduce him to


    me?"


    "Is Mr. Huo good in bed? How long did hest? Tell me!" Kasiemented. She also added an emoji


    showing a wicked grin.


    Kristina cracked a joke, "Debbie, to tell you the truth, I''ve been drooling over your husband''s face for a


    long time. Since we are best friends, can you share him with me?" Thement was followed by a shy


    emoji.


    Jared said, "Tomboy, I really admire you. Now you are not just Mrs. Huo by name. You are already his


    woman. I''ve made up my mind that I''ll be one of your loyalckeys from now on."


    Dixonmented, "What did Kristinament? Tell me please!"


    Debbie''s eyes widened in shock, and her mouth was held open for almost a minute. She had more


    than 1, 000 friends on WeChat. Thus, she gave up because thements were too many to read. She


    even felt a little dizzy after reading the first tenments.


    ''Wow, Carlos'' back attracted so much attention. What if I take a picture of his face and post it online?


    No, I can''t do that! If I did that, my phone wouldg with so manyments!'' she thought.


    She updated her Moments and found out that someone had already had a screenshot of her post and


    reposted it.


    "Headlines of Economics and Management School: Irrefutable evidence shows that Debbie Nian is


    living with a man!"


    "I saw this man''s picture in my WeChat Moments this morning. Who is this handsome man?"


    "Wow, if I had a boyfriend like this, I could stay in the bedroom with him the whole day."


    These were some of the captions from the posts made by Debbie''s WeChat friends.


    How the post went viral was beyond Debbie''s expectation.


    Desperately, she wanted to delete her post. But on second thought, it was no use doing so as many of


    her friends had already had the screenshot. After short consideration, shemented the post, "You


    guys took it all wrong. I''ve just downloaded this picture from the and posted it."


    Gailmented in just a few seconds, "I knew it!"


    Debbie was held speechless and wondered, ''Is she keeping an eye on my WeChat Moments?''


    She decided to get back at Gail, so she replied to herment, "I know this man, and we''re closely


    rted."


    Only theirmon WeChat friends could see her conversation with Gail, and since they barely had


    common WeChat friends, Debbie thought it would be safe because other people wouldn''t see it.


    On Gail''s end, the moment she saw Debbie''s reply, the first person that came to her mind was Carlos.


    She grew insanely jealous and began to console herself, ''Calm down. Mr. Huo would never fall for a girl


    like Debbie Nian.''


    Thements and messages on her phone kept on popping up. Debbie threw her phone aside and


    rubbed her aching temples. She decided to leave it aside and went to the dining room to have


    breakfast first. It was Saturday and she had arranged with her friends to go shopping.


    When she entered the living room, Julie was opening the gates for Carlos. Debbie ran towards him and


    called out, "Hey! Old man."


    Carlos turned around, waiting for her next words.


    Julie giggled and said, "Debbie, why did you call Mr. Huo ''old man''? I thought a young girl like you


    would address your husband as Honey."


    Debbie flushed scarlet with embarrassment. She tugged on Julie''s sleeve and Julie instantly got her


    point. "Ah, you have your own sweet words to address him, don''t you? I''m going to the kitchen now,"


    Julie said with a sly smile.


    Debbie''s face turned redder.


    After Julie had left, Debbie gathered up her courage and asked, "Can I go out this afternoon? I have an


    appointment with my friends."


    The reason she dared to skip yesterday''s Yoga ss was that the Yoga teacher was hired by Tristan


    and she didn''t have Carlos'' phone number. That meant the Yoga teacher couldn''t tell Carlos she was


    not attending sses. The dance teacher, however, knew Carlos. Debbie didn''t dare to skip the dance


    ss as she was afraid that the dance teacher would report to him. This time, she decided to ask for


    his permission first.


    "Friends? Who?" Carlos asked in a low voice.


    Debbie sighed and answered, "Jared, Kasie, Kristina and Dixon." As a straightforward person, she had


    many friends, while the four people she had mentioned were her best friends. They always hung out


    together.


    "I think you''d better keep Jared at arm''s length," Carlos said coldly. Judging from what had happened


    last night, he could tell that Jared would just add fuel if Debbie started a fire. Jared and Debbie were


    both short-tempered. If Carlos had not been in the clubst night, both of them would have made things


    worse.


    ''What? Why did he ask me to stay away from Jared?'' Debbie asked herself silently as she was


    confused by Carlos'' statement.


    Carlos raised his wrist to check the time. "I''ll arrange a private booth for you and your friends on the


    fifth floor of the Alioth Building. You may have lunch there. Tristan will call youter."


    ''He agrees? Yeah!''


    Debbie gave him a big grin and said, "Thank you so much. Do you want me to buy something for you in


    the mall?" Hardly had she finished her sentence when she regretted asking him. A rich man like Carlos


    would want nothing.


    "Yes."


    His answer came as a surprise to Debbie. "What?" she asked, puzzled.


    He leaned forward and said something in her ear before turning around to leave. Debbie stood still


    where she was, stunned.


    ''Oh! For goodness'' sake! Why did he ask me to buy some underwear for him?''Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    In the Shining International za


    When everyone had arrived at their meeting ce, Jared yawned andined, "Gimme a break,


    girls! I don''t want to watch a movie."


    After Debbie had left with Carlosst night, Damon and Jared went back to the private booth to drink


    together. They hadn''t been home until 3 o''clock in the morning. Jared scarcely had a decent sleep


    when his friends called him.


    Debbie and Kasie''s idol was in the movie they were nning to watch. As avid fans, how could they


    miss out on the chance to watch the movie?


    "Why don''t you go back home and take a rest first?" Debbie asked Jared in a serious tone.


    Jared nodded; he was really sleepy.


    When he turned around and was about to leave, Debbie told Kasie in a loud voice, "Kasie, we will be


    having lunch on the fifth floor of the Alioth Building. Carlos has arranged a private booth for us."


    Instantly, Jared turned around, and with an excited look, he asked, "Really? We''re having lunch there?


    Your husband asked his men to throw you out of the Alioth Buildingst time. Why did he arrange a


    private booth for us this time?"


    Kasie patted his shoulder and exined, "Mr. Huo didn''t know Debbie was his wife back then." Debbie


    had already told Kasie and Kristina what had happened between her and Carlos before.


    Dixon also knew the story from Kristina. Only Jared knew nothing. That surprised him just now.


    "He didn''t know Debbie was his wife?" Jared was shocked by the news.


    Was it even possible that a man didn''t know who his wife was? Besides, the man was none other than


    Carlos Huo. Although rich people usually got married formercial reasons, it was still impossible for


    Carlos to not know his wife.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Debbie saw a brand shop and an idea suddenly struck her. She turned to


    Jared. "Carlos knows I''m his wife now, so stop being caught up in that. Hey, bro, could you please do


    me a favor in return since I''m going to buy you lunch?" she coaxed him.


    "No problem," Jared agreed at once. He was baffled, however, why Debbie couldn''t keep herself from


    smiling.


    When Jared got out of the shop with a box of men''s underpants in his hand, he almost cried and asked


    Debbie, "Why did you ask me to buy these underpants for your husband? It''s so weird!"


    He was a man, and Carlos was a man as well. A man buying another man underpants? That really


    sounded creepy. ''Why did I have to buy underpants for Carlos?'' he shouted inwardly.


    Jared felt like he had been tricked by Debbie.

 Chapter 60 What A Surprise!

    Chapter 60 What A Surprise!


    When Jared''s friends found out he just bought fresh underpants for Carlos, they all burst intoughter.


    Some held their stomachs, trying to catch their breath in between. "You crazy bastard!" one of them


    even said. "So, man, have you imagined Carlos dominating you on bed?" Kasie teased. "Like, you jack


    off as you imagine him blowing you off?"


    Jared''s cheeks turned red in embarrassment. Annoyed, he shouted, "Stop it! I''m straight as hell! I''m not


    gay!"


    The elevator finally came to a halt when it reached the fifth floor of the Alioth Building and Tristan


    greeted them. Upon seeing Debbie, he walked up to her along with the manager. "Good day, Mrs. Huo,


    wee."


    Debbie''s eyes widened as she saw Tristan. She felt a bit shy when he addressed her as "Mrs. Huo".


    Then she turned to her friends and gestured towards him. "Guys, this is Tristan Zheng, Carlos''


    secretary."


    "Good day," her friends greeted him and felt shy as he gave them a polite bow.


    "Good day to you as well," Tristan smiled. "Follow us and we shall lead you to the best private booth in


    this building."


    Debbie and her friends felt uneasy as they sat down. Tristan and some waitresses served the dishes.


    And obviously, it was something Carlos'' secretary shouldn''t do. She took the seafood tter from him


    and offered, "Tristan, there''s no need to do this. Just sit down and have a meal with us."


    Tristan shook his head, smiling as he bowed. "Thank you for your kindness, Mrs. Huo, but I am afraid


    that I''ll have to turn down your invitation. I have to go back to the officeter."


    Debbie didn''t protest and gave him a smile. "Is that so? Since you still have work to finish, it''s best to


    take your leave now. Don''t worry, I can take care of my guests."


    "That''s right," Kristina nodded. "You are being too kind to us. Don''t mind us. We''re old enough to take


    care of ourselves." She felt like she was in seventh heaven as it was the first time she had entered


    such a fancy restaurant. She felt a bit shy with the hospitality shown by Tristan and the manager.


    As for Jared, he felt at home. After all he came from a wealthy family and was used to these kinds of


    ces. He gave a smirk to Debbie. "Hey, Tomboy. Since I got your husband some underpants, can you


    ask him to give me a VIP card of this restaurant?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "Oh sure, I will."


    "Really?" Jaredughed.


    "No. I don''t have the VIP card myself either," Debbie retorted, her face deadpan.


    Having these kinds of banters with Jared wasn''t new to her anyways. At the end of the day, it was just a


    friendly exchange between friends. Tristan overheard their conversation and felt the need to exin it.


    "Mrs. Huo, as per Mr. Huo''s request, I have already informed the manager about the matter. You are


    always free to eat here in Mr. Carlos'' private booth. No need to pay anything. As for your friends, you


    can give the VIP cards to them if you wish."


    Debbie''s friends'' jaws dropped at what they had just heard. They all felt envious of the special


    treatment she received.


    Kasie grinned, "Looks like you have done something in your past life to be blessed to be Carlos'' wife!


    He''s every woman''s dream man! Damn, girl. Is Carlos open to the idea of being polygamous? If he is,


    then let me share him with you. Mmph!"


    She got interrupted when Debbie put a piece of chocte into her mouth. The others onlyughed at


    her joke. Debbie looked amused and said, "Sure. I don''t mind, but we''ll see if Carlos agrees. Anyways,


    let''s eat! I''m starving!"


    "Since it''s the 21st century, time to take some food porn photos!" Kasie chuckled. "Better post it on


    WeChat!"


    Each of them whipped out their phones and took photos of the scrumptious, well-prepared dishes.


    Debbie whispered to Tristan, "Can I just give each of them a VIP card? It would be unfair to the others


    if only Jared got one."


    Tristan answered with a smile, "Of course, Mrs. Huo. I''ll tell the manager to give each of them a VIP


    card."


    Upon hearing this, Dixon almost spat out his drink. He quickly cut in, "Girl, no need for that! I can''t


    afford to go to a fancy ce like this after all."


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kristina seconded, "He''s right, Debbie. Just give Kasie and Jared the cards. You can take us to have


    meals here in the future."


    Debbie waved her hands, shrugging off their protests. "Nah. It''s not a big deal. It''s just a card." "Are you


    sure?" Kristina looked puzzled.


    "Yep!" Debbie nodded.


    Jared added, "Tomboy, I''m just kidding around! No need to give me the card. I''m fine as along as I can


    book a private room in this ce."


    The other three nodded their heads in agreement. Carlos was Debbie''s husband and they felt that it


    would be shameful of them if they even dared to ask for more. "Debbie, it''s alright," Kasie smiled. "You


    are already kind enough to invite us for a meal here."


    Debbie could only sigh, "Very well then. If..." She wanted to tell them, "If I''m still with Carlos in the


    future, then I''ll bring you guys here many times as possible." But she couldn''t say it out loud since


    Tristan was still around. She saw him calling someone on his phone.


    The dishes were served quickly. There were ten main courses, mushroom soup, some mousse cakes,


    n, and a fruit tter. To top it off, the waitresses also served them some green tea and a bottle of


    fancy wine.


    Joining her friends who posted photos on social media, Debbie posted nine photos in WeChat


    Moments and captioned, "Great food. Greatpany. Great time!"


    As they enjoyed the dishes, Kasie kept prying Debbie about her sex life with Carlos. "Girl, you should


    tie him up and ride him. Men love that kind of thing! It''s bound to blow his mind off!" Then they felt their


    spines shiver as they heard the door open.


    Their cheerful banter gradually faded. Debbie''s face turned into different shades of scarlet as she


    recalled Kasie''s words.


    The next thing she knew, they all stood up from their seats. Kristina was so nervous by Carlos'' sudden


    appearance, she identally kicked her chair as she stood up. She chewed her lower lip, trying to


    avoid Carlos'' gaze.


    Debbie was forced to put on a cheery facade. "Hi... I didn''t expect you to pay us a visit."


    ''Oh man!'' she thought to herself. ''This is really embarrassing. Heavens help me if he ever heard any


    word from Kasie a while ago.''


    Carlos walked towards her. "I''m just passing by."


    Tristan secretly shook his head behind Carlos. He perfectly knew that Carlos had cancelled a meeting


    just to see her for lunch.


    A waitress immediately brought an extra, prepared set, and poured a ss of red wine and a cup of


    tea. She gave Carlos a polite bow when she was done.


    Carlos sat down. He looked across them and said coldly, "Have a seat."


    They obediently sat down. Jared chewed his lower lip. His right eye twitched as he remembered that he


    bought underwear for the man in front of him.


    As silence filled the air, the waitresses quickly removed the dishes and brought new sets of dishes.


    Tristan was about to serve Carlos food when thetter raised a hand to stop him. He wiped his hands


    with a clean towel and silently looked at Debbie. Then he slightly cocked his head to the side. His eyes


    moved at his empty te, and then back at her. It was obvious that he was asking, no, ordering her to


    serve him.


    Debbie couldn''t do anything but only stare at him in awe.


    She wouldn''t dare to turn him down in front of so many people.


    She also felt her friends'' eyes boring into her and observing her every move. It seemed like they were


    interested in knowing how she interacted with him.


    Debbie took a deep breath, calming herself down. She thought to herself, ''You can do this, Debbie.


    Patience is a virtue. Don''t lose it.''

 Chapter 61 Make Outs and VIP Cards

    Chapter 61 Make Outs and VIP Cards


    Debbie''s eyes scanned across the dishes near her. Then she smirked a bit as sheid her eyes on the


    raw trout. She hummed lightly and picked up a pair of chopsticks. She took some trout, dipped it in


    mustard, and then aimed it towards his lips.


    "Here, open up," she said in a singsong voice.


    Her friends looked at her as if she were crazy. It was shocking enough that she was feeding Carlos, but


    that much mustard? "Is that even edible?" whispered Kasie. She was cringing along with Jared and


    Dixon while Kristina tried to keep to herposure.


    "Will he eat it though?" Kristina asked.


    Carlos studied the mustard-wrapped trout before opening his mouth to eat it. Before Debbie could pull


    out her hand, she felt a hand grabbing her by the head. Her hand dropped the chopsticks as she felt


    Carlos'' mouth pressed down on hers.


    ''W-What the hell!?'' she eximed in her mind.


    "OH MY GOD!" Kasie shouted. "I gotta take a pic and put it on WeChat!"


    Jared, Kristina, and Dixon cheered and whistled at the scene upon them. She felt his tongue probing


    the food towards her mouth. The excessive mustard was already making her face red. It even made


    her nose sore and her eyes started to water. She had this strong urge to punch him but not right now.


    She wanted to spit it out! But this man kept pressing on, making sure he didn''t let her go.


    ''This isn''t a kiss! Damn it!'' she screamed in her thoughts. ''I really want to crush his balls right now!''


    Her tears started to fall. Her hands trembled as she gripped his jacket. ''Looks like I didn''t see that


    coming.


    Hmph. Two can y this game!'' Her grip loosened and she snaked her arms around his neck. A


    momentter, they were already making out passionately in front of their guests. She was gliding her


    fingers into his hair as his hand slipped from her head to waist.


    The other four stared at the scene awkwardly.


    Jared sighed, scratching his nape. When did Debbie get this soft?


    Meanwhile, Dixon, who rarely cursed, spoke up. "Are we going to fucking eat or are they going to eat


    each other? I am so hungry as hell already! I want to eat! Can''t they get a fucking room?"


    Meanwhile, Kristina''s eyes sparkled as she sped her hands together like a fangirl. "Oh my! Our


    Debbie is actually kissing Carlos Huo! How did she manage to unfreeze his cold heart?"


    Kasie nodded, "I know right? Our Debbie has grown! She''s now kissing a hot rich guy! Shouldn''t we


    excuse ourselves? I mean, things are getting heated up."


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Arge growling sound filled the room but the two wouldn''t stop making out. The rest looked at each


    other, shrugged, and then started to eat. After a while, Carlos finally released the struggling woman in


    his arms.


    As soon as Debbie caught her breath, she immediately sat down. She picked up a cup of tea and drank


    it to calm herself down.


    "Ugh." She poured herself another cup which brought her back to Earth.


    Carlos, however, was calm as if nothing had happened. He fixed his cor and tie and started eating.


    As if tofort Debbie, he put some of the Australian sirloin on her te.


    "Eat." He spoke, his tone remaining indifferent.


    "Finally! Thank God!" Jared eximed in relief. "I thought you guys were going to fuck or something


    which is something I don''t want to see!"


    If this were somebody else, he would have flipped the table.


    But this was his best friend, Debbie, and her husband, the powerful Carlos Huo.


    For the first time, Jared saw Debbie get soft. Usually she was rash and casual in manner. ''What the


    hell? Hmph, Debbie even isn''t herself anymore around Carlos Huo.'' He drank some water to calm


    himself down. ''How much longer? This meal is frigging killing me, '' he fumed inwardly.


    Meanwhile, Carlos wiped his hands and spoke to Tristan without looking at him. "Tristan, the cards."


    Tristan took out a few cards from his breast pocket and presented them to Carlos. "Here they are, Sir."


    "Good," Carlos only said, nodding.


    With Carlos'' permission, Tristan handed the four VIP cards for the fifth floor of Alioth Building one by


    one to Debbie''s friends. He handed the first one to Jared.


    Jared''s eyes widened in delight when he took the gilt card. He cheered and gave it a kiss. Then a


    thought rang in Jared''s head. ''With this card, I cane to this ce whenever I want. But why do I


    have to stay longer, watching those two being sappy together?''


    He assumed an air ofposure and turned to Debbie. "Tomboy, take good care of Mr. Huo. I''ll see


    you guyster," he announced before leaving the table.


    The other three followed Jared and stood up from the table too. Jared stood aside and waited for them


    to leave together. Next, Tristan went to Kasie. She grabbed the card and her purse and whispered to


    Debbie, "Girl, Mr. Huo is a keeper. If you try to divorce him, I will punch your gut."


    Debbie only looked at her coldly as her thoughts went, ''You traitor.''


    Kristina actually intended not to ept the card. But it felt disrespectful if she refused it. Despite her


    reluctance, she still took the card and grabbed Dixon''s hand before she said to Debbie, "Deb, now that


    we have this card, we cane here anytime. So we''ll just leave you and Mr. Huo alone now. Be nice


    to him, alright?"


    ''Another traitor, '' Debbie thought, as if making a hit list.


    ''Please don''t ditch me, Dixon," Debbie thought hopefully, chewing her lip. She knew how honest and


    upright Dixon was. He was all she had!


    ''I can''t just ept that, '' thought Dixon. His hesitance caused Debbie to feel relieved.


    Tristan chuckled, "No need to worry about it. Think of it as a little token from Mr. Huo. You have been


    always a good friend to Mrs. Huo and it means a lot to both Mr. Huo and Mrs. Huo! Besides, I''ve heard


    that your brother is having some problems with transferring school. It''s said that the new school''s


    principal loves dining here."


    ''Damn. Tristan sure did his research well, '' Debbie thought, chewing her lip.


    Dixon went silent and he was stunned. Unable to find any reason not to take the card, he rolled his


    eyes at Jared. ''Thanks a lot, stupid pants. This is all your fault. Now I have a debt of gratitude to


    Carlos! Ugh!''


    "Thank you." Dixon finally took the card. He waved at Debbie and took Kristina''s hand, ready to leave


    the ce.


    ''Some friends!'' Debbie shouted in her mind. ''They just told me that they wouldn''t take the cards.


    But by the look of it, it seems like Carlos Huo has already bought their souls. Traitors.'' Debbie was


    already fuming internally.


    ''Especially Jared. I''ll make sure to crush his balls so he will never forget!''


    "Jared." Carlos suddenly spoke up.


    "Yes, sir?" Jared responded and felt shivers travelling down his spine.


    Debbie rolled her eyes and sneered, "What happened to Mr. Han the fearless? I didn''t expect you to


    get this soft and weak in front of Carlos Huo. "


    Jared chuckled, embarrassed, "Um...well, he''s your husband, after all. Of course, I should show some


    respect to him."


    Carlos raised his hand to Tristan and thetter soon handed a bag to Jared. It was the underwear


    Jared had bought for Carlos.


    Debbie felt so embarrassed when everyone saw what was in the bag. She wanted the floor to open up


    and swallow her so bad. After a giggle to her friends, she covered her face with one hand awkwardly


    and lowered her head to sip tea.


    Carlos was aware that Jared and Debbie were just friends, but he just couldn''t stand her being close to


    another man. "Young man, I can take care of my wife. You can just leave everything to me from now


    on, especially this kind of errand. You know, if you really care about my wife, you can give me a call if


    you think she needs somebody. Tristan, give him my phone number.


    "


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," Tristan replied.


    "My wife." Those words rang in Jared''s head. He just wanted to puke upon hearing them.

 Chapter 62 You Are Worth Ten Billion

    Chapter 62 You Are Worth Ten Billion


    To prove Carlos meant it, Tristan took out his phone and sent him Carlos'' phone number. "Jared, this is


    Mr. Huo''s number."


    Everyone was surprised.


    Debbie wondered why Carlos was so possessive. Obviously, he was trying to keep her from Jared.


    Worried about where this was leading, she raised her head and dered, "Jared and I are just good


    friends. How can you undermine our friendship like this? It''s uncalled for."


    Unexpectedly, Jared cut in before Carlos could respond. "Mr. Huo, I''m so d to hear what you just


    said. Before, Debbie, the naive girl, did so much for Hayden. But the moron didn''t appreciate it at all.


    Now, finally, there is a man who cares about her. I''ll do anything you say. If Tomboy needs help or


    anything, I''ll be the first to call you."


    Among Debbie''s friends, Jared had known her for the longest time. He knew everything that happened


    between her and her ex-boyfriend Hayden. As far as he knew, Hayden was to me for Debbie''s


    tomboy tendencies.


    But right now, Debbie was surprised by something Jared had said. Since when did she be naive


    in Jared''s eyes?


    Carlos was quite pleased with what Jared had said. Yet the name Hayden made his eyes dim. "Tristan,


    send them home."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    When the couple were left alone in the private booth, Carlos turned to Debbie.


    Finding her in a daze, he pulled her into his arms and sat her on hisp. Unustomed to such


    intimacy, Debbie struggled to stand up.


    But Carlos wrapped his arms around her tighter and whispered in her ear, "Hayden, huh?" That was


    the first time he had heard that name, but quickly he connected the dots and remembered the man who


    had called her Deb in the messages and said he missed her.


    It must be the same guy.


    "What?" Debbie didn''t understand what he had meant by that, but Carlos didn''t exin.


    Instead, he kissed her.


    Apparently, he was angry. The kiss was impudent and overbearing, and his hands were not gentle


    either. In his grip, she now felt trapped, and powerless, despite her many years of rigorous martial arts


    training.


    Next, he threw her onto the table roughly. Fearing that she might fall, Debbie locked her arms around


    Carlos'' neck while his hands were all over her.


    After a long moment, the man said in a coarse voice, "I take back what I said."


    "Huh?" Debbie, overwhelmed underneath his weight, muttered.


    At that moment, she wasn''t that reckless tomboy anymore. She was a woman, a seductive woman.


    Every time he kissed her, she blushed. Right now, looking her in the eye, Carlos could hardly control


    his urge.


    "I said the other day that if you slept with me, I would set you free.


    Now I want us to have another deal." Debbie hadn''t expected a man of words like Carlos to take back


    his own offer.


    His hands tenderly moved all over her body, her face, her hair. With every touch, his breathing got


    heavier and heavier. "God, you''re such a femme fatale. A tormenting temptress."


    ''A femme fatale? Me?''


    Among many nicknames people gave her, she never heard anyone call her a temptress or femme


    fatale before. For her rather boyish personality and less feminine figure, that was a misnomer. Couldn''t


    Carlos see that? ''There must be something wrong with his eyes.'' She wanted tough.


    "The new deal is: if you sleep with me, I''ll give you anything you


    want." Anything she wanted? If he had said this earlier on, on the stormy days of their rtionship,


    she''d have told him she wanted a divorce without hesitation.


    But recently, she was beginning to have a change of mind.


    After shelving her push for a divorce, she actually didn''t know what she wanted.


    When he saw her shaking her head, Carlos thought she didn''t agree to his offer.


    Suddenly Debbie remembered what he had said on the cruiser; how he had humiliated her, announcing


    that she wasn''t worth a hundred million. Tightening her grip on him, she assumed an air of dejection


    and said, "I remember the other day you said I wasn''t worth much. What should I expect to get from a


    man who thinks I''m not worth a penny? Have you forgotten the way you put me down, Mr. Handsome?"


    Seeing that she was still holding a grudge, Carlos smiled, gave her a kiss on the lips and said, "Forget


    about that, dear. To be honest. I wouldn''t say you''re worth a hundred million..."


    Just as he had expected, her eyes burned with anger. But he looked at her affectionately while stroking


    her hair. Of course, he was pulling her leg, but she didn''t seem to get his drift. "Well, maybe you don''t


    get the gist of of it. You''re worth far more than you seem to ask. A billion dors or even more is what


    I''d peg on a girl special like you.


    You misunderstood me." Debbie was left open-mouthed. ''Is he kidding me? Is he willing to give me that


    much, just to sleep with me? This guy must be a joke!'' She brushed his words off.


    "I''m for real! If it''s money that you want, I''ll give you whatever sum you name." For her love, Carlos


    couldn''t care less about money.


    Besides, they were husband and wife. What was his was hers too. It didn''t make a difference who had


    the money.


    However, Debbie misunderstood him again. ''What does he take me for? A gold digger?'' The passion


    she had felt only a minute ago died out at once. In a huff, she pushed him off her abruptly.


    Carlos'' eyes were filled with puzzlement. Debbie held her head high and tried to defend her honor. "Mr.


    Handsome, not everyone loves money as much as you think. Maybe in your mind, you can buy me or


    even everything with your money. Unfortunately, that''s not me. If I don''t like you, I wouldn''t sleep with


    you even if you gave me all the money in the world.


    But as long as I love you, I''ll sleep with you even if you are dead broke. Sorry to tell you, I''m not who


    you think I am. Maybe, you don''t understand me, in which case I''d suggest we separate as soon as


    possible," she dered.


    She felt insulted. If it was his money she was after, she wouldn''t have only taken a little from her


    monthly allowance, nor would she have asked for a divorce.


    Reading from a different script, however, Carlos found her charming at that moment. It was not


    because she didn''t want his money. It was just that she looked so proud and confident when she told


    him what kind of person she was.


    Watching the serious look on her face when she spoke, Carlos let out a chuckle.


    However, that chuckle came across as a taunt. Debbie was too young to understand what he was


    thinking. "That''s not funny!" she snapped. "Let''s go to the Civil Affairs Department and get a divorce


    right now. I will never bother you again..."


    In the amidst of her rant, however, Carlos leaned close and kissed her fiercely.


    Over the years, he might have had more than his fair share of women, but no one coulde close to


    this special woman. No matter what her moods were, he always found her cute.


    By now she had freed herself from his embrace. Angrily, she demanded, "Hey, what do you want?"


    Regardless of her obvious irritation, Carlos grabbed her tight again. He patted her back andforted


    her. "Don''t worry. I won''t force you into anything, unless it is what you want."


    Somehow, that relieved her. But she wanted an apology, which he didn''t seem ready to give directly.


    ''The ego problems, '' Debbie thought.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Giving him an annoyed snort, she grabbed her backpack and was ready to leave.

 Chapter 63 Take Off Your Shoes

    Chapter 63 Take Off Your Shoes


    Watching her leave, Carlos wondered, ''I said I was sorry and I would like to make amends for my past


    mistakes. Why is she still mad?''


    Dissatisfied with how things went, Carlos quickened his pace and caught up with Debbie in the hallway.


    He startled her when he held her by the hand all of a sudden. Forcefully, she tried to wrench her hand


    free, but he tightly held on, until they were in the elevator. "You haven''t done your part yet. Now, I''ll


    hang around to give youpany while you do it," he dered.


    "Part? What part?" She was confused.


    But Carlos didn''t answer, as he quietly led her to the ground floor of Dubhe Building. When they came


    to a shop for men''s fancy underwear, Debbie understood what he had meant by her part. She had


    passed by that shop without going in that morning. Now with Carlos at her side, she didn''t have a


    choice but to enter.


    Some shop assistants trotted over to them when they noticed Carlos. "Good afternoon, Mr. Huo," they


    greeted in unison.


    "Wee, Mr. Huo," added one of them, ady, apparently in charge of her colleagues.


    Carlos nodded at them before he took Debbie further inside. "Go find me something you like. I''ll wait


    here," he urged. Then he turned around, found the nearest empty chair and sat down to wait for


    Debbie. Almost immediately, a shop assistant beaming a smile served him a cup of tea. Between sips,


    he kept himself busy, reading a catalog of products.


    Lost in a sea of expensive men''s underwear, Debbie smiled awkwardly at the shop assistants who


    were guiding her around. To put herself at ease, she wandered around briefly, pretending to be at


    home.


    A pair of red briefs caught her eyes. The embarrassment on her face was gone. She snickered and


    went to Carlos. "Will you wear anything I buy?" she inquired.


    Carlos raised his head from the catalog. Although Debbie tried to look calm, her eyes betrayed her. To


    the mischievous look in her eyes, he sighed. "Yes, I will," he agreed.


    His affirmative reply almost made her jump with cheer. It took a bit of effort to restrain her emotions as


    she turned. But before she could take two steps, Carlos added, "Anything but briefs. Also, I hate red."


    Bummer. His response was like a wet nket. It was the red briefs that she was considering buying


    him. With her n ruined, Debbie pouted sullenly. "OK, I got it," she said.


    Then she went back and wandered from section to section until she saw a pair of ck boxers. Briefly,


    she picked it up and looked at Carlos who was quietly seated on the sofa. ''Not good enough for him.''


    She pursed her lips and put it down.


    Next, she picked up a gray pair, looked at the man, and shook her head again. ''Not good enough


    either.''


    On careful observation of how Carlos and Debbiemunicated, the shop assistants all wondered


    who the girl was. One of them was so curious she couldn''t help asking Debbie, "What''s your


    rtionship with Mr. Huo?"


    Debbie gave her a friendly smile and lowering her voice almost to a whisper, said, "Why don''t you ask


    him?"


    Hands down, that scored the clincher for Debbie. The shop assistant was reduced to silence. ''If I could


    ask Mr. Huo, I wouldn''t have bothered you, madam, '' she thought sourly.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    After a long time of wandering andparison, finally, Debbie settled on three pairs of boxers which


    came at a good ten thousand dors each. Standing at the cashier''s desk, she winced at the price.


    Coming into the shop, she had not expected she''d end up spending such a ridiculous sum on a mere


    three goddamn boxers. ''What are these things made of? Gold?''


    The shop assistants had rmended those boxers, iming that the designer had several


    international des to his name. Even so, Debbie wouldn''t have spent so much on them if Carlos


    hadn''t been insisting on her buying him boxers.


    After settling the bill, she came to Carlos with the bag. Without a word, he put down the catalog and


    stood up, looking pleased. He took the bag from Debbie with one hand and held her hand with the


    other. Together, they walked off to their car, arm in arm. A peaceful couple together.


    Following after Carlos, Debbie asked, "Why did you ask me to buy these for you? How did you buy


    underwear before?"


    "I used to have them delivered to the vi or send my secretaries. Now, since I have a wife, naturally I


    should leave this kind of thing to her."


    Not in the mood for his endless witty banter, Debbie didn''t say a word in return. Anyway, how was she


    supposed to respond to that?


    Just as they were about to enter the elevator, they noticed amotion in front of a shop. Intuitively,


    they both stopped and turned to see what was happening in the moring crowd.


    A young couple were seen arguing with a cleaningdy, who was in tears.


    The argument must have been going on for a while, but what irritated Debbie was that no one had


    cared enough to intervene.


    "Let me check what''s up with the group. I''ll catch up with youter if you don''t mind." She let go of his


    hand, and headed towards the ruckus.


    As she approached, their voices became clearer. "I''m very sorry. I didn''t do it intentionally." The


    cleaningdy kept apologizing, weeping.


    "What''s going on here?" Debbie asked, standing in front of the young couple with her hands in the


    pockets of her coat.


    The young man looked at her curtly and demanded, "Who the hell are you?"


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. Just tell me what this is about," she replied nonchntly.


    The cleaningdy sobbed, "Miss, I identally dirtied his shoes with a wet mop while I was cleaning."


    "Dirtied? Look at what you did. My shoes are all wet. What if they start peeling? Can you even afford


    thepensation?" the young man demanded angrily.


    Hearingpensation mentioned, the cleaningdy took two steps backward with fear and apologized


    again. "I''m sorry, son. I didn''t see you. I''ll...I''ll wipe them clean for you right now."


    The young man snorted contemptuously, "Wipe? Are you deaf? You soaked my shoes and ruined the


    leather. What''s the point of wiping?"


    Debbie stepped in front of the cleaningdy protectively and raised her head to face the young man.


    "She already apologized, but you still think it''s not enough. What do you want?"


    "What do I want? What do you think? Since my shoes are ruined, I have to get new ones. She should


    pay for them of course." "How much are your shoes?" Debbie asked with a sneer.


    "Eight hundred and thirty dors!" the young man answered proudly with his nose in the air as if it were


    such a moment of glory to unt the price. "I''m not leaving this ce without the amount."


    He nced sideways at the cleaningdy, expecting to see her scared face. Indeed, the cleaningdy


    got flustered at the price.


    But Debbie was amused by the stupid look on the young man''s face. "I''ll pay for her," she dered.


    Shocked by what Debbie had said, the cleaningdy pulled her sleeve and said, "Miss, you don''t have


    anything to do with this. I can''t let you do this."


    Debbie turned to look at her and smiled, "It''s okay. Don''t worry."


    With the card Carlos had given her, a paltry eight hundred and thirty dors was not a problem, but it


    was a lot for a cleaningdy who made only two or three thousand a month.


    The members of the martial arts club at her university had submitted membership fees the day before.


    It happened that she was carrying some of the cash on her. Without hesitation, she decided to use it to


    help thedy out. There was an ATM around, from which she''d withdraw the same amount to


    reimburse the club.


    With that thought, she took eight hundred and fifty from her purse and handed it to the brat. "Here, you


    have it. Keep the change."


    The young man felt embarrassed, but took the money all the same.


    He grabbed his girlfriend''s hand and was ready to leave.


    "Not so fast!" Debbie said calmly as she closed her purse.


    The young couple looked back, puzzled.


    Debbie pointed at the man''s shoes and said, "I paid the price. Shouldn''t the shoes you''re wearing be


    mine now? You may go, but leave the shoes."


    The young man''s face turned livid, but he couldn''t figure out a line to retort, because what she had said


    was right. The onlookers started whispering and exchanging surprised nces at the unfolding drama.


    Left with no choice, the man took his shoes off and tossed them on the floor.


    The sight of the worn shoes sickened Debbie. She held one shoe by theces between her thumb and


    index finger, and threw it in the air. Lifting her right leg, she kicked the stinky shoe into the green bin at


    the cleaningdy''s side.


    After she had done the same with the other, the crowd pped at her uprightness and cool moves.


    After the couple fled the scene with embarrassment, the cleaningdy thanked Debbie in tears. Since


    the matter was settled, Debbie turned around and left. Behind her the cleaningdy''s emotional words


    and the crowd''s pping filled the air.


    Debbie had thought Carlos had left, but there he was, waiting for her not far from the crowd, in


    sunsses, with hands in his trouser pockets.


    Apologetically, she trotted to him. "I thought you had left," she said, feeling like a young girl again. A


    very different feeling from the forceful woman she had been while confronting the little brat.


    Carlos opened his arms and received her with an embrace. "I wouldn''t have been able to see my wife''s


    heroic acts if I had left. That would be a pity. I feel so honored to have you in my life."

 Chapter 64 I’m Married

    Chapter 64 I¡¯m Married


    A long time ago, Debbie was out shopping with Hayden when she saw something simr happening at


    another mall. Someone asked a beggar to pay over 100 dors for a damaged battery charger. Debbie


    acted quickly, and paid the fine for him. As a reward, she got a tongueshing from Hayden, who


    med her for her stupidity and snooping. She wondered whether Carlos thought the same of her.


    Unsure what he would say, she kept her head down, and wouldn''t look him in the eye. But she was


    dying to know what he was thinking. "Um, I spent $830 today. And for some poor woman who needed it


    more than me."


    Carlos stopped in his tracks, looked at her, and replied, "Debbie, listen up. You can do what you want


    and buy what you want. What''s mine is yours. We''re married. No need to be so skittish." If Carlos had


    seen what was going on inside, he would have dealt with things in his own way.


    But Debbie would still be the good guy. He wouldn''t have let the couple leave hating her.


    Debbie''s heart felt warm when she heard what Carlos said. Whether it was because of the part of "You


    can do what you want," or "We''re married. No need to be so skittish around me," she wasn''t sure.


    When she was with Hayden, she had always been careful around him and his family. Debbie raised her


    head to look at him. As usual, his face was calm and expressionless, like still water.


    ''How could such a cool and distant-looking man be so gentle?''


    Debbie stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said happily.


    Her tender kiss made Carlos'' heart sing with joy. With a smile, he took her hand and made his way to


    the parking lot.


    "I haven''t seen Emmetttely. How is he?" Debbie suddenly asked after they had gotten in the car.


    Carlos looked at her and answered, "He''s working in another city."


    Debbie didn''t sense anything strange, so she simply nodded.


    The next morning, she received a phone call from Jared. "Hey tomboy! Remember that job offer my


    friend hooked you up with? I told him don''t bother."


    "What? Why?"


    "You don''t need a job."


    "Yeah, I do. Call your friend and tell him you were kidding."


    "Ohe on. You''re Mrs. Huo. Why do you even need a job?" Married to Carlos, Debbie had


    everything¡ªnot to mention more money than she could ever spend. And she still wanted to work.


    Jared wondered if there was something wrong with Debbie''s head.


    Actually, Debbie felt bad about spending Carlos'' money.


    She thought if she had a job, maybe she wouldn''t feel as helpless.


    "What kind of job is it? I want it back."


    "You''re looking for a part-time job, right? About the only thing we have is a barista. You''d probably have


    to really like coffee. Still want it? Hold that thought. I need to call your hubby and make sure it''s okay.


    It''s not your call anymore."


    "Don''t call him. He''s uber-busy. You really think it''s a good idea to bug him? I want that job."


    "Okay, okay," Jared replied grudgingly.


    A few days went by, and Debbie got the job. But her second day on the job was less than ideal.


    The store manager called Jared and told him that Debbie had hit a customer. But Debbie was


    indignant. She thought the man deserved it. "He''s a piece of crap! Cheating on his wife with two other


    women," she spat.


    She was unrelenting¡ªshe insisted on working. And it fell upon Jared to find her another job. This time


    the position was a sales associate in a supermarket. However, within three days, Debbie was fired from


    that job as well. The manager didn''t take kindly to the bruises she left on his face. Who knew? "He had


    iting! He''s a bully." Again, she didn''t think she did anything wrong.


    But she was hell-bent and determined to work. And Jared was on the verge of having a nervous


    breakdown. Then one day, Kristina said to Debbie, "Deb, why don''t you sing with me in the bar? You


    have a wonderful singing voice. I know the barflies will love you, and if anyone can bring the mo in,


    it''s you."


    "Okay, why not?" Debbie agreed. While the girls cheered excitedly, Jared was worried to death. As


    much as he wanted Debbie to have a job, he thought it was a lousy idea to let her work in a bar,


    considering that she already hit someone in both the supermarket and the cafe. It was not hard to


    predict what was going to happen to have Debbie working in a ce as chaotic as a bar.


    But Jared might catch a break this time. He was a little more easy-going, when he realized that one of


    his friends was a regr; he could go with him and watch over Debbie.


    Debbie had a problem. She had to attend Carlos'' lessons every evening, so she couldn''t sing in the bar


    every night.


    Of course, Jared came up with a solution. He told the manager that Debbie didn''t have to work in the


    bar every day; she coulde there when she could and be paid by the hour. Intimidated by Jared''s


    status, the manager agreed.


    Since Carlos was so busy, sometimes he would have to cancel the lesson, like tonight. Earlier, he


    texted Debbie, saying he couldn''t make it tonight. Debbie was d that she could go to the bar and


    make some money.


    The first two nights, Jared stayed in the bar to keep an eye on her. Some men confessed their love for


    Debbie, but except for that, nobody dared harass her.


    On the third night, Debbie won everyone''s heart with "Love Paradise." For half an hour the DJ used the


    widescreen in the bar to disy the deration of his love for Debbie. "Be my girlfriend, Debbie. I love


    you," he shouted passionately through the microphone.


    Then the customers mored excitedly. "I''m married. I have a husband," Debbie told the DJ.


    But since she wasn''t wearing a wedding ring, nobody believed her.


    At length, she was able to pick up the mic, wait for the background music to start, and start singing


    once more.


    Once she started singing "Pray for You", a man in the VIP area on the second floor sprang up from the


    sofa with a ss of liquor sloshing in his hand. The girl hadn''t noticed, just singing beautifully,


    hypnotizing the throng with her siren-like voice. Standing by the French window, Carlos squinted at her


    gloomily. ''When did she start here? Why wasn''t I told?''


    He wouldn''t have evene to such a ce if he didn''t have to deal with something important there


    that night.


    Blissfully unaware that Carlos was watching her from above, Debbie continued singing. "I pray your


    birthdayes and nobody calls. I pray you are flying high when your engine stalls."


    Debbie had sung this song to Carlos before, a cover of Jaron Lowenstein. He hadn''t known Debbie


    was in the bar until he heard the song. Then he caught sight of the love deration on the screen.


    Instantly his face darkened and he stiffened, looking like a living ice sculpture.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    When the song was finished, the customers started screaming and whistling in excitement.


    At that moment, someone came over to Carlos and reminded him he was there to sign a contract, so


    he walked away from the window. And that was when it all hit the fan.


    After Debbie had stepped down from the stage, a man poured a ss of liquor. He held the liquor in


    one hand and walked towards her with a wad of notes in his other hand. "Come on, chica, down this


    ss of liquor and these notes are all yours."


    Debbie nced at the notes. There was less than two thousand there. For a ss of liquor. She


    thought it wasn''t worth it, so she turned him down.


    She could make as much in one hour just by singing, and singing didn''t harm her body, yet drinking did.


    Besides, alcohol is murder on the vocal chords. She wanted to be able to sing well, so she said no.


    The contempt in her eyes made the man feel like doggy doo. Humiliated and irritated, he took out a


    thicker wad of notes and tossed it on the table. "Drink!" he demanded.


    Now, there was a respectable amount. She grabbed the cash and the ss. Without a word or any


    hesitation, she put the ss to her lips and downed it.


    The man was pleased and with a sinister sneer, he poured a second ss. Everyone started cheering


    when Debbie emptied the second ss. Kristina was singing when she saw what was happening to


    Debbie. She was worried about her. Then she remembered Jared was there too, but when she turned


    her head, she couldn''t see any trace of him. He''d been making time with a girl, though, so it was


    possible they left together. So it was up to her to keep a bad situation from getting worse.

 Chapter 65 Busted

    Chapter 65 Busted


    After Debbie had downed three sses of liquor, she''d earned more than 10, 000 dors.


    Jared finally revealed himself. He was tipsy, and staggered out of the bathroom, slumping back into his


    seat. Since there was a throng surrounding Debbie at that moment, Jared couldn''t see her, so he


    turned his attention to the girl he had met earlier.


    By the time Kristina found him, Debbie had already drunk seven sses of liquor. She let him know,


    and the news sobered him.


    Jared rushed to Debbie, snatched the ss from her hand, and snarled, "What the hell do you think


    you''re doing? How much have you had?" Noticing the thick wad of notes, Jared shivered. ''If Mr. Huo


    finds out about this, I''m screwed.''


    Debbie waved her hand and said, "Eh, rx. Look at the money I''ve made. Thousands of dors a


    ss. And I''m not drunk yet."


    She really could hold her liquor. After seven sses, her face was red but she was only a bit tipsy.


    She was in a good mood now. She figured she could drink more and make more money. The man in


    the bar poured another ss of liquor for her. Once again, she emptied the ss and took the wad of


    notes thrown on the table.


    Her husband Carlos was rich and generous, but she considered it wise to have some private savings,


    just in case she and Carlos got divorced one day. She didn''t want to end up homeless and penniless


    after the divorce. And she figured she''d found her calling.


    Seeing that Debbie wouldn''t listen to him, Jared cleared his throat and shouted at the man, "Go away!


    Do you have any clue who she is? You have some serious stones to get her drunk like this. You''re


    ying with fire!"


    Jared wasn''t a regr. As a matter of fact, it was no short drive for him to get here. The only reason he


    was here was Debbie. So the man didn''t know either of them. Jared''s words didn''t faze the man. He


    just shrugged and assumed an innocent tone. "You saw it. I didn''t force her. She wanted to drink."


    It frustrated Jared that what the man had said was true. He wanted to punch the man in the face, but


    hecked a reason. Then he whispered in Debbie''s ear, "Think about your husband. You forget what


    he did to us thest time we got drunk? And that was just beer. But you''ve put a lot of sses away.


    What do you think he''s going to do when he finds out?"


    The thought of her husband made Debbie tremble. "Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier?" she


    comined and belched.


    At that moment, two men walked over and grabbed Jared''s arms. "Are you blind? Bernard''s having fun.


    Boss is rich enough to buy this whole damn bar, let alone a few drinks. Now, get lost!"


    With that, one of the two men gave Jared a rough shove. Provoked, he grabbed an empty bottle from


    the table and smashed it against the table. "I don''t care who the hell Bernard is. Go ahead, make her


    drink again! I''ll kill you," he spat, pointing the remaining broken bottle at them.


    Carlos'' namepletely cleared Debbie''s head. Afraid of what he''d do, she put the money in her purse


    and was ready to leave the bar. However, Bernard grabbed her arm. "Since you took so much of my


    money, don''t you think you owe me a song?"


    "Maybe next time. I''m too drunk to sing," Debbie grinned and took a step forward.


    "What''s your hurry? If you''re drunk, then sing drunk!" Bernard was not happy.


    Sensing Bernard wasn''t going to let her go, Jared smashed the broken bottle against his head. Blood


    gushed out and flowed down his face. Some of the customers screamed and fled the ce, afraid of


    what mighte next.


    Bernard touched his head and soon his hand was covered with blood. His eyes went bloodshot with


    rage. He kicked away the chair in front of him furiously and yelled, "Asshole! You''ll pay for that! I work


    for Oscar! You''re so dead!"


    "Oscar?" Jared repeated with a sneer.


    Debbie felt the name sounded familiar, but she didn''t remember where she had heard it.


    "Yes, Oscar''s my boss. You want to save your ass? Beat it. She took my money and she belongs to me


    tonight." Assuming that Jared was scared by the name Oscar, Bernard got cocky.


    Jared didn''t get angry. On the contrary, he calmed down rather quickly. He patted Bernard on the


    shoulder, pointed his thumb at Debbie, and said to him, "Oscar was beaten to a pulp and sentenced to


    life in prison. Know why? He offended her. That what you want?"


    Everyone in the underworld knew that Oscar was beaten up at Orchid Private Club and thrown out half


    dead. People said it was because he pissed off Damon. Soon enough, he was given a life sentence.


    Bernard cast a weird, suspicious look at Debbie, who was a little tipsy. "So she''s Damon''s woman?''


    Thinking of the tens of thousands he had spent on the drinks tonight, he felt humiliated and furious if it


    was all for nothing. "You can go. I want my money," he said shamelessly.


    Debbie hadn''t expected the man to be so cheap.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    She put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Why should I? I drank so much liquor. At your request! I


    earned every penny. If you couldn''t afford to lose it, why did you give it to me in the first ce?"


    The man''s suspicion thickened at her words. "You said she''s Damon''s woman. Would Damon''s woman


    care about a tiny amount like that?" Bernard knew that Damon was Carlos'' good buddy. All Carlos''


    friends were rich and powerful, so he was pretty sure that the woman wasn''t Damon''s woman.


    "I never said she was Damon''s woman. That was all you," Jared said impatiently. Then he turned to


    Debbie. "Ignore him, Tomboy. Let''s go." Jared took her by the arm and started to walk towards the


    entrance of the bar.


    Finding out that Debbie wasn''t Damon''s woman, Bernard was relieved. Also since she was just a


    nobody, he was more reluctant to let her leave with his money. "You¡ª"


    At that point, the manager came over. He was obviously unnerved and sweating. When he saw Debbie,


    he frowned and said, "What are you doing here? Hurry. A big shot upstairs wants you to sing."


    "I don''t want to." Debbie refused crisply. She felt dizzy and just wanted to go home.


    The manager was anxious. The person upstairs was too important to anger. "Do hurry. How about I


    raise your pay by 5, 000?"


    ''5, 000? Who''s so important that he''s willing to put up so much cash? You look up "cheap" in the


    dictionary and the manager''s face is there, '' Debbie couldn''t help but wonder.


    "She wouldn''t sing even if you paid her $10, 000 an hour. She needs to go home," Jared shouted


    angrily. Carlos would kill him if he found out Debbie had gotten so drunk. He must get her back before


    Carlos got home so she could take a shower and go to bed. If she were asleep, Carlos wouldn''t bother


    her.


    The manager knew Jared as a rich kid. Although he wasn''t as important as the man upstairs, the


    manager didn''t dare to offend him either. "Mr. Han, to be honest, even your brother wouldn''t dare to


    mess with the guy upstairs. I think you better let her sing," he exined to Jared politely.


    Few people could make the manager so afraid. Bernard looked at him and thought the person upstairs


    must be pretty important. "Who is his brother? And who is the person upstairs?" he asked, pointing at


    Jared.


    "His brother is Damon and the name of the person upstairs is confidential," the manager answered


    impatiently.


    Learning that Jared was Damon''s brother, Bernard instantly shut up. For a moment, he couldn''t feel his


    legs anymore. The money was forgotten and his head even didn''t hurt so much anymore all of a


    sudden. All he could think of was running as fast as he could.


    In fact, Jared didn''t know Damon well. There were a lot of people that his brother wouldn''t dare to


    offend. Therefore, he didn''t think this was such a big deal. "I don''t care who is upstairs. I intend to get


    her out of here. Move away!"


    At that moment, he had forgotten that there was one person who made him care¡ªCarlos. Later, when


    Jared saw the person upstairs, he wished he could take back what he had just said.


    Debbie''s eyelids were getting heavy. The liquor had a strong dyed effect. It was starting to go to her


    head. If they stayed any longer, she might pass out.

 Chapter 66 Appease Your Husband

    Chapter 66 Appease Your Husband


    The manager of the bar freaked out. He signaled the bodyguards and said to Jared apologetically, "I''m


    sorry, Mr. Han, but I wouldn''t dare to offend the person seated upstairs even if I had ten lives to gamble


    with. I''m afraid you will have to let Miss Nian go."


    Receiving the signal, the bodyguards walked towards Jared and tried to force Debbie away from him.


    Jared wasn''t as good at martial arts as Debbie was. Moreover, Debbie was drunk. Desperate to find a


    way to protect Debbie, he shouted as the bodyguards approached, "I''m going to find out who the hell


    this man is!" With that, he held Debbie''s hand and began climbing the stairs.


    The others made way for them. When he got to the private booth upstairs, Jared kicked the door open


    and yelled, "Who the hell is stopping my fri... M... Mr... Huo?"


    One single sight of Carlos'' face, Jared almost fell to his knees out of fright. He spun around to look at


    the drunk person behind him, darted outside the room, and mmed the door shut hastily.


    "Tomboy, run! Run for your life! It is Carlos Huo inside!" he whispered in a trembling voice as his fingers


    shivered to find bnce. By this point, Debbie was too drunk to stand straight, but Jared''sst remark


    alerted her.


    She stared at Jared with gaping eyes and nodded. Then, hand in hand, they dashed downstairs like a


    crazy couple running to save their lives.


    Carlos had recognized who were outside when the door of the room had been kicked open. Also he


    noticed that Debbie wasn''t fully standing erect indicating that she was drunk. He opened the door and


    stepped outside the booth.


    "Stop them!" he ordered in the hallway.


    Unaware of the cause, the manager quickly followed Carlos'' orders and told the bodyguards to stop the


    two people running away.


    "Move! Move!" Having grabbed her by the wrist, Jared led the way for Debbie.


    However, the bar was so crowded Debbie couldn''t run fast although her physique enabled her to. As


    soon as they reached downstairs, they were barred by the bodyguards.


    But she hadn''t forgotten to resist. She knocked down the first bodyguard that tried toy his hand on


    her.


    And then the second, and then the third... When she was going to handle the seventh, the bar suddenly


    became eerily quiet. Debbie had an ominous feeling when a chill crept up her spine. Jared, who was


    standing opposite Debbie, saw the man behind her. His face twisted with fear. ''Should I flee for my life?


    Debbie is his wife. Maybe he wouldn''t harm her even if I left her alone here.''


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    After knocking thest bodyguard to the ground, Debbie pretended not to sense the person standing


    behind her and strode towards the entrance of the bar.


    "Stop!" came the coldmand in a stern voice. Upon hearing Carlos'' voice, Debbie felt her limbs go


    numb.


    The other customers all stepped back from the scene, mostly because they all wanted to keep a safe


    distance from Carlos, the man with an intimidating presence.


    "What should we do?" Debbie whispered to Jared who was standing beside her.


    ''I wish I knew, '' Jared wailed inwardly. "How about I run and you go appease your husband? You''re his


    wife after all. I suppose he won''t be too hard on you."


    "No way! Are you ditching me?" Debbie pinched his arm hard. Jared let out a painful scream and


    jumped in agony with one hand covering the pinched spot.


    "Debbie Nian, this man is your husband. He will let you pass after you y cute and sweet. Trust me,


    men are the same. I''m a man and I know it."


    ''y cute and sweet? Me? Kill me, kill me right now, '' Debbie cursed internally. She felt that this would


    be the most difficult thing she ever had to do.


    While they were whispering, Carlos came down the stairs. "Hurry. Your husband is arriving. Our lives


    depend on you now, buddy," Jared told Debbie, tugging at her sleeve, nervous as ever.


    Debbie closed her eyes. ''Okay, I''ll do it. For my friend and myself. Just this once. It shouldn''t be too


    difficult.'' After calming herself down, she raised her head and turned around abruptly. She threw herself


    at Carlos, buried her face in his chest and said, "Mr. Handsome, I feel so dizzy. Who am I? Why am I


    here? What is this ce?"


    The onlookers all watched in shock. ''Ugh...is this ying cute or dumb?'' Jared cried inside, feeling his


    end was near. ''What''s happening?'' Carlos wondered.


    The thick stench of alcohol from Debbie made him wince in disgust. He shot a grim nce at Jared,


    who almost lowered his head to the floor, and demanded, "What''s going on? Why is she like this?"


    Jared didn''t dare to lie to Carlos. He looked up and was going to tell him about Bernard, but when he


    looked around, he noticed that Bernard was long gone. ''Shit!'' Jared cursed.


    "Um, nothing. Tomboy just drank a little. Right, Tomboy?" Jared stressed on her name as a cue for her


    to respond something.


    Taking the hint, Debbie nodded immediately and said, "Yes, yes, I... s, my head, my head is spinning


    so fast. Mr. Handsome, can you take me home?"


    Carlos didn''t expose her trick. His face was as gloomy as ever. When he carried the woman in his


    arms, the crowd eximed in shock. "Who is that woman?" one man asked.


    "Who knows? Why is Mr. Huo carrying her?" another responded.


    When he passed by Jared, Carlos kicked him in the sheen and said, "How dare you to let her drink so


    much! And on your watch!"


    Jared howled in pain and blurted, "I couldn''t stop her¡ª" And then came another kick, this one more


    excruciating than the previous one. "Ouch! I''ll stop! I''ll stop talking! Just stop kicking. Gosh! It hurts."


    While Jared was jabbering, Carlos gave him a stern look and he shut up so quickly as if there were an


    OFF button on his mouth which had just been pressed. ''Damn it, '' Jared cursed in his heart. He had


    never been in such a humiliating situation. The entire set of onlookers stared at him with pity.


    When Carlos was carrying her out of the bar, Debbie slightly raised her head from Carlos'' shoulder and


    mouthed, "Sorry," to Jared.


    The boy snorted and turned his head away. He didn''t seem to care anymore. ''It''s all because of her. I


    told her not to drink. Ow, my leg. Ow, my groin. It damn hurts. Even my old man has never kicked me


    this hard.


    Carlos Huo, if I ever get a chance to hold you in the palm of my hand, I''ll make you grovel and call me


    grandpa. Mind you! Hahaha, that would be fantastic!''


    As Jared was immersed in his fantasy, Carlos suddenly turned and looked at him suspiciously. The


    smirk on the boy''s face disappeared instantly and he ran away like a deer escaping a lion in one piece.


    Tristan had been waiting for Carlos by the car outside the bar all the while. When he saw himing


    out of the bar with a woman in his arms, he was surprised. But after a careful stare, he opened the door


    of the backseat respectfully.


    Debbie started pretending to be asleep the moment she was carried into the car, but after a while, she


    actually dozed off. The car got filled with the stink of liquor. It didn''t take a genius to figure out how


    much Debbie had drunk.


    Debbie was so deep asleep she didn''t even realize when they arrived at the vi. Suddenly, she was


    frozen to her core. She woke up to find herself in the tub and cold water was being sprayed on her


    body. She shuddered.


    "Carlos Huo, this is uncalled for!" she shouted angrily.


    "Awake?" Carlos tried to contain his anger with great difficulty.


    Debbie wiped the remaining drops of water off her face. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that


    there were tens of dors scattered on the floor. She felt disgusted seeing hard-earned money being


    dumped. Carlos might not care but she did. She stood up and walked out of the tub in her drenched


    clothes.


    It might not be a lot of money, but it meant something for her. Especially, considering the murderous


    res Carlos had been shooting at her repeatedly, it wouldn''t be exaggerated to say that she had


    earned that money with her life.


    Watching her pick up the notes one by one, Carlos didn''t stop her. When she was done, he said, "Go


    get changed."


    "Huh?"


    "We''re going somewhere."


    Debbie tried to deduce something from the man''s face, but frustrated at his poker face, she had to nod.


    When she got dressed and walked out of her bedroom, Carlos was already waiting downstairs.


    Once she hopped in, the car drove away from the house slowly. Debbie was fidgety. When she looked


    out the window, the memories from thest time when Carlos had taken her to the martyrs'' park all


    came flooding back. "Where''re we going?" she asked warily.


    "Shining International za."


    Debbie was relieved to hear that soothing response. But why was he taking her there at thiste hour?


    The car finally came to a halt. Debbie staggered out and followed Carlos into the elevator. Only after


    the elevator had stopped on the top floor did she realize what his real intentions were.

 Chapter 67 At The Cinema

    Chapter 67 At The Cinema


    "Boo...hoo... Carlos Huo, Mr. Huo, Mr. Handsome, I''m sorry. I made a mistake." Debbie held on to a


    holding bar near the elevator and cried, refusing to take another step forward.


    Carlos ignored her pleas and dragged her into the cinema nonchntly.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The moment they were inside, the cinema was bustling with moviegoers, but the manager received


    Carlos as soon as he appeared at the entrance and ushered them towards the biggest theater.


    When the manager left, Debbie held Carlos by the waist and pleaded again, "Mr. Handsome, I realized


    that I was wrong and I won''t do it again. Please, can we go now? It''s creepy to watch horror movies at


    night. It may kill me. Let''s go home. Please, please."


    Carlos was unmoved and still acted indifferent. After dragging her to the center of the theater, he made


    her sit next to him.


    The movie started soon. A scene of a dark graveyard first came into view. It made Debbie''s blood run


    cold. "Carlos Huo, I have apologized. Why are you still doing this? I won''t drink again, okay? Can you


    just forgive me, please?"


    Debbie shifted her eyes away from the screen to Carlos. But the sound effects of the movie made her


    heartbeat quicken. She covered her ears tightly with her hands. For a while, it helped, but soon her


    hands and wrists went sore. Phobia and horror were driving her crazy. She had begged and pleaded,


    but the man seemed heartless to ignore her. "Carlos Huo, you are a freak! I''m fed up with you! I will


    divorce you! I will! Let''s go get a divorce now!" She lost her temper.


    "Sit well," the man said after giving her a cold nce.


    Debbie stood up defiantly from her seat and tried to shut out the horrible sounds. "If you want to stay,


    fine! Stay! I''m leaving!" She threw the 8D sses far enough out of sheer anger.


    ''I hate him! I hate his evil guts! I''ll divorce him, no matter what!'' Debbie thought as she stormed towards


    the exit of the theater.


    To her dismay, the door was locked from outside. She mmed the door anxiously for a long while, but


    no one came to her rescue.


    Frustrated, she stomped angrily on the floor, covered her ears, closed her eyes, and shouted at the top


    of her lungs, "Carlos Huo, you asshole! Let me out! Let me out now!"


    She yelled and cursed. However, all her efforts were futile as if none of her words came across. Carlos


    remained nonchnt, sitting there, eyes on the screen.


    Finally, Debbie had enough and started crying. "I want to get out... I don''t want to be here... Hoo...hoo...


    I said I am sorry. Why are you so mean?" He had taken her to a cemetery one evening and scared the


    life out of her. Now he was forcing her to watch a horror movie in the middle of the night. She hated him


    with all her soul.


    Before she knew it, Carlos was already standing in front of her. "Will you ever drink again?" he asked


    the sobbing girl who sat on the floor.


    As long as she could get out of the cinema, for now, she would just say whatever he wanted to hear.


    "No, I won''t. I promise, not ever," she replied, while what she actually thought was, ''Carlos Huo is a son


    of a bitch.''


    "Will you get yourself into trouble again?"


    "No, never again." ''If I get a chance, I''ll have Carlos Huo''s guts for garters.''


    "Go to study overseas next year."


    This time, no response.


    "Go or not?"


    "Okay, I''ll go."


    Then the door was opened soon. Carlos and Debbie walked out of the theater one after the other.


    Back at the vi, Debbie, without turning back, ran to her bedroom and mmed the door shut behind


    her.


    She threw herself onto the bed and cried. When she got tired from crying, she took out her phone and


    clicked on the Moments on WeChat and posted an update. "God damn it! It''s torture when someone


    takes advantage of your weaknesses. I''ll get my revenge sooner orter."


    That night, she didn''t intend to sleep. After a refreshing bath, she called Jared and whined about Carlos


    Huo over the phone for an hour. Jared was so tired of hearing it he almost fell asleep. "I''m going on a


    trip tomorrow." Finally, she changed the subject.


    She had promised Carlos she would stay out of trouble, but she didn''t say that she would stop skipping


    sses.


    "Where to?"


    "H Country. Are you going with me?"


    Jared shook his head. "No. Maybe Kasie will go with you." He and Debbie had traveled together many


    times. He was kind of sick of it.


    "Okay, go to sleep then. If you don''t see me at school tomorrow, it means I have gone to H Country.


    Don''t mention a word to Carlos Huo."


    Debbie''sst remark made Jared nervous. "You are going on a trip and you''re keeping it from Carlos


    Huo? Are you looking for trouble?"


    "It doesn''t matter anymore. I am going to get a divorce when Ie back. I can''t stand that jerk


    anymore."


    Sleep didn''te to Debbie until the wee hours of the night.


    However, when Debbie felt drowsy and was about to fall asleep, a knock on the door alerted her. Cold


    sweats dripped from her forehead as she was totally frightened. She snapped her eyes open and


    asked, "Who is it?"


    Her voice was trembling.


    "Open the door." It was Carlos. Debbie bit her lips and didn''t answer.


    When no response came from inside, Carlos knocked again and demanded, "Open the door."


    "No!"


    "Look outside the window, there''s a..."


    He was cut short and wasn''t able to finish his sentence because Debbie already rushed to the door and


    opened it. Seeing her red eyes, Carlos realized that she had been crying. He felt bad about it but said


    nothing. He walked past her andy in her bed.


    "What are you doing?" she asked angrily.


    "Sleeping," he simply replied.


    "Get out!"


    For the first time in his entire life, someone told Carlos to leave. He didn''t say anything. Nor did he


    leave.


    Before he came to her bedroom, he had been pretending to be asleep and waiting her Debbie toe


    to his bedroom. After what had happened in the cinema, he had thought Debbie would be so frightened


    as toe to his bedroom and climb into his bed again. He had waited for more than an hour, but she


    didn''te, so he had toe to her bedroom instead. Thinking about it, he felt it was childish and


    lame for him to pretend to be asleep in his room.


    "Come and sleep," he said, but Debbie didn''t move, and he wouldn''t get out of her bed. They had


    reached a deadlock. Carlos ran out of patience. He got up, strode towards her, carried her to the bed,


    and tucked her in.


    She struggled and punched him. "If you move again, I''ll get rough," he warned.


    That worked. Debbie became quiet instantly, lying in bed with her back to Carlos.


    ''Carlos Huo, you brazen, lewd, despicable, old man!''


    She kept cursing in her head and slowly drifted into sleep.


    The next morning, when she woke up, Carlos was gone. She packed her things and got ready to leave.


    It was such a sudden decision Kasie wasn''t prepared. She was upied with some family matter and


    couldn''t go with her.


    Atst, Debbie went to the airport alone.


    The busy streets of Y City were filled with people going to and fro, minding their own private


    businesses. Debbie waited patiently for her flight bound for J City.


    It was a long and tiring flight. Getting off the ne, she hailed a taxi and found the hotel she had


    booked online. The moment she tucked her bag inside the closet, she changed into a white casual


    outfit, put on sneakers, took her purse, and went outside to have some fun.


    She treated herself to a share of stuffed tofu with spicy sauce and strolled along holding her food in her


    hands. When she spotted an interesting widget in a shop by the street, she stopped to appreciate it. As


    she was taking a bite of the tofu, her phone rang.


    She nced at the caller ID, swallowed the tofu in her mouth, and hung up. It was Carlos. She wouldn''t


    take his call.


    However, he seemed quite persistent. Her phone rang again and again and again. Every time she hung


    up, he would call again. When her phone rang for the 12th time, she picked it up impatiently and said,


    "Old man, enough already. Is yourpany going out of business or something? Don''t you have work


    to do? Why do you keep calling me? It''s annoying!"


    "Deb, it''s me." The strange yet familiar voice sent her freezing on the spot. Debbie looked at her phone


    screen to check the number. It was indeed not Carlos. It was Hayden who was calling her this time.


    "Oh, what''s up?" Her tone softened. She threw the tofu box into the bin, wiped her mouth dry, and


    listened to him attentively.

 Chapter 68 A Broken Heart

    Chapter 68 A Broken Heart


    "Who is the ''old man'' you referred to?" Hayden asked as he was surprised by Debbie''s response when


    she answered his call.


    "Never mind, I was referring to no one in particr," Debbie replied casually. "What made you call?"


    "I''ve been in Y City for a couple of days now. I have no ns tonight, so I''m thinking maybe we can


    have dinner together."


    "Oh, sorry. I''m out of town. I''m on a trip."


    Hayden hadn''t expected her response. For a moment, he was in a daze but soon realized that Debbie


    was such a travel gal. He remembered how much she enjoyed going to ces. She had visited


    different tourist destinations, more than he ever had. He envied her determination and her free spirit.


    "Oh! I see. It''s okay. Anyways, my schedule will be cleared out early next month. How about I take you


    to Ennd for a vacation then?"


    "No, thanks." Debbie turned him down immediately. "I''ve been busytely. I have all these different


    sses every day. I had to make time for this trip."


    Debbie was telling the truth. When her trip was over, she would once again be upied with dance,


    yoga, English, and other sses.


    "Debbie, don''t lie to me. I know you. You always hate studying. You''re just trying to blow me off by


    making up those sses."


    "No, I''m not. That''s the old me. People change. Now I have yoga, dance, English, Advanced


    Mathematics, and so on, but I don''t learn martial arts anymore."


    For a moment, there was only silence at the other end of the line. "You used to say you will never quit


    martial arts. My mom and I once asked you to quit, but you refused. Why now?"


    Hayden knew how much she used to hate those sses she just mentioned.


    Debbie smiled and said, "Because I don''t have to protect you anymore." One of the reasons why she


    had worked hard on martial arts was to protect Hayden and his sister, Portia Gu, who was frail like a


    willow leaf.


    Debbie and Hayden started dating when she was 16 and their rtionshipsted for two years. Just a


    few days before her 18th birthday, for some unknown reasons they broke up. During those two years,


    being his girlfriend, Debbie was the one who had protected Hayden and his sister, although she herself


    was a little girl.


    In return for her bravery, she got ridiculed by Hayden himself. "You are not womanly at all," Hayden had


    said to her.


    Debbie''s reply on the phone made his heart tighten. "I''m sorry, Deb. I didn''t treat you well before. I


    didn''t treasure what we had. I''ve regretted it. I''ve missed you for the past three years. Can we start


    over?" Hayden apologized, his voice full of remorse.


    He had been involved with dozens of women after Debbie had left him, but none of them truly loved


    him as Debbie had.


    She was so thoughtful in a way that, even though she didn''t know how to cook, to make sure he ate


    well, she used to bring takeouts to his workce.


    Moreover, she changed her character for him. She was perky, but when she learned that Hayden''s


    mom liked quiet girls, she had always reminded herself to be quiet in front of his mom, just to get her


    approval.


    On ordinary days because Hayden''s family was wealthy, he got kidnapped or ckmailed a lot, or


    sometimes into some other kinds of trouble. All those times, Debbie tried her best to protect him, no


    matter how dangerous the situation was.


    She used to get drunk easily, but every time Hayden had to drink at a dinner party, she drank his


    alcohol for him, just because drinking was bad for his health and she wanted him to stay healthy. Thus,


    at first she could only handle 50 grams of alcohol, but gradually, she could handle more than 1 kilogram


    of alcohol.


    She had done so many things for him.


    But now it was over. Hayden had lost her, that girl who had loved him like a fool. Now he was back, and


    he wanted her back. He promised himself that he would never let her go this time.


    "Hayden, it''s toote." Every time Debbie mentioned his name, it hurt. She was the one who gave and


    gave in their rtionship, but in the end, all she got was a broken heart.


    It still pained her when she reminisced about their past, but she was over him now. She had moved on.


    Except for the pain, she didn''t have other feelings for him.


    Debbie ended the phone call and continued roaming the streets as if nothing had happened. When she


    passed by a dessert bar, the delicate desserts in the ss cupboards drew her attention. There was


    cake, icy pudding, and multiyer steamed bread. Durian vor was her favorite. She remembered


    how Hayden hated it. Every time Debbie ate a durian snack in front of him, he would say it smelled


    disgusting and that she would get fat from eating too many snacks. He had even told her not to eat


    durian snacks in his presence.


    Out of nowhere, Debbie suddenly recalled that night when she was with Carlos. She could tell that


    Carlos hated durian''s smell too. But he had eaten the snack with her even though he despised it. She


    knew by the look on his face that he was just forcing himself to eat the durian snack.


    Carlos had specifically ordered crispy durian cakes and durian pancakes for Debbie the other day


    when they were eating on the fifth floor of Alioth Building.


    Maybe it was because he was several years older than Debbie, Carlos was thoughtful in many things.


    He would ask Julie to make durian dishes or desserts at the vi now and then.


    When Debbie sneaked into Carlos'' room for the first time, he had caught her immediately. After that,


    she had tried to sneak into his room again, but he never busted her. To think about it, Debbie thought


    maybe it was not that he didn''t know that she was sneaking in. Maybe he had let her in on purpose.


    Ever since she was young, Debbie was afraid of thunder and lightning. She hade to Portia Gu''s


    bedroom in the middle of the night before when she and Hayden were still dating.


    It was on Hayden''s birthday. It was toote when the party was over, so Debbie stayed in Hayden''s


    house. When she was sleeping alone in the guest room that night, suddenly thunder roared and


    lightning shed. She was too scared to sleep. But she couldn''t go to Hayden''s room. That would be


    inappropriate. So she knocked on the door of Portia Gu''s room and told her that she was afraid to


    sleep alone.


    To her dismay, however, Portia Gu pushed her out of her room impatiently and locked the door. "Don''t


    interrupt my sleep again!" she had warned her. She remembered how scared she was that night. She


    had to bear with the thunder and lightning and sleep alone while covered with threeyers of nkets.


    Recalling all this, all of sudden, Debbie missed Carlos, that overbearing, arrogant, hateful man.


    Debbie stared at her phone screen. There was one missed call from Carlos. She made up her mind


    that if he called again, she would pick up the phone.


    Two days had passed. Carlos still didn''t call.


    On the third day, Debbie had a big dinner that evening. She had eaten so much that after dinner she


    rubbed her stuffed belly and decided to stroll down the streets to hasten the digestion of the food. Then


    she came across an emerald store. She walked in and looked around. In the dim light, a lucky peace


    buckle caught her eyes. "I''d like to have a look at that one," she said to the bald, fat storekeeper.


    "Sure. Miss, all the pieces in our store are genuine. This lucky peace buckle is exquisitely polished,"


    the keeper grinned.


    "How much is it?"


    "$28, 000. A good price."


    Debbie''s eyes widened. That was way too pricey for a lucky peace buckle. She knew a little about


    emerald. To appraise its quality, she looked at the buckle against the light and found that it was not


    transparent at all. It definitely wasn''t worth $28, 000.


    So Debbie put the lucky peace buckle back and said, "I''ll look at some more."


    Seeing her turn around, the storekeeper put on a hideous look on his face and snapped, "How can you


    not buy it after you looked at it?"


    Debbie was confused. "What do you mean? Do I have to buy it after I looked at it? Why? I don''t like it.


    Of course, I won''t buy it." She thought the storekeeper was being ridiculous.


    The storekeeper hit the table hard with his fat hand and announced, "Why did you look at it if you didn''t


    intend to buy it? You must buy it!"


    "How can you force your customers to buy things they don''t want?" Debbie stopped to observe the


    circumstances of the store. Four sinister-looking men were ying mahjong seated around a square


    table near the entrance of the store. Hearing the conversation between the storekeeper and Debbie,


    they turned around and gave Debbie an ominous look.


    "I''m forcing you to buy it. So what? Give me the money! $28, 000. Not a penny less!" From the way


    Debbie dressed, the bald man could tell that she was rich, and he was going to rip her off before he let


    her leave.


    Debbie wanted to leave the store as soon as she could, so she ignored the storekeeper and turned


    around to walk towards the door.


    However, the storekeeper grabbed a remote and locked the automatic door. "You can''t leave without


    buying it!"


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie''s blood was up. "He keeps pushing me! This pig is looking for trouble!" She darted towards the


    bald man and clutched his cor. "Open the damn door!" she warned angrily.

 Chapter 69 Coming For Her

    Chapter 69 Coming For Her


    Hearing themotion, the four men who were at the table stopped ying mahjong and stood up


    from their seats. With quick strides, they surrounded Debbie. The four of them looked sternly at her like


    dogs fighting over some bones.


    Debbie was left with no choice. She had to fight her way out.


    She knocked the storekeeper to the ground and sent him howling. She cracked her neck and was


    prepared to strike her next target. By now, the other four men could see that she was not an easy one


    to handle. One of them whipped out his phone and called someone. "There''s a chick who knows Kung


    Fu. Send Herb and Ron over."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Hearing that more foes wereing, Debbie nned to run away.


    She let go of the man she was grabbing, took an opportunity, and ran to the back of the store. She


    looked desperately for a backdoor. But there was no backdoor!


    It was a bedroom that she recklessly ran into. When she realized where she was, she wanted to run


    out, but the door of the room was locked then by those men.


    "Stay there. You cane out when you have decided to pay the money," a man said outside.


    Debbie took her phone out of her pocket and wanted to call the police. Then another man''s voice called


    out, "Call the police if you want. Nobody dares to mess with us, not even the police. I''m letting you keep


    your phone because I''m not worried about you calling the police."


    She didn''t buy it and called the police anyway. The police told her that they were on their way and


    would be there soon, but no one came even an hourter. "So these jerks were not joking when they


    said that the police didn''t mess with them," Debbie muttered to herself in a hushed voice.


    A minute or two passed and the men outside eventually lost their patience. They opened the door and


    two odd-looking, bulky men who were more than two meters tall walked in and stood in front of her.


    One of them was chewing a betel nut. "Beetch, geewe me your purth!" the Betel Nut yelled.


    But his pronunciation was so bad that Debbie couldn''t make out what he had just said. ''Huh? What kind


    ofnguage is that? What is he barking?'' It took her a long moment to figure out that he was asking for


    her purse. Fumbling around her backpack, she took out her purse and handed it to the Betel Nut. "Here


    you go. See? I''m very poor. It was not that I didn''t want that lucky peace buckle. The truth is that I


    couldn''t afford it. I only have 300 bucks. Go on, you can open my purse and see it for yourself."


    The Betel Nut sneered, "Whoo are you keeding? Open your moobile payment app and geewe me your


    fone!"


    ''Although he talks as if he had two tongues fighting, he isn''t stupid after all, '' Debbie thought to herself.


    She clutched her phone tightly. It was her only hope. She would never give it up to them.


    Then an idea struck her. She clicked the Contacts button on her phone and tried desperately to


    intimidate her captors. "I have a very powerful background. The people I know will kick your asses if


    you dare hurt me."


    However, the Betel Nut didn''t seem frightened at all. "Call whooever you want. I weell wait and see


    whoo weelle. If one perthones, we meke $28, 000. If twoe, we meke...er... it''s..."


    "$56, 000. If two peoplee, you make $56, 000," prompted Debbie. It was hard for her to watch the


    man being tortured by Math. Nheless, she found it silly and hid a wicked smile. "Gosh! I thought I


    was bad at Math."


    She scrolled the call log back and forth, while her eyes wandered around the room. She was looking for


    an escape route. She had no intention of calling anyone, but her finger identally touched Hayden''s


    number. When she realized it, the phone had already been connected.


    The call was soon answered, but what he said was really disappointing. "Deb, an important conference


    is about tomence. Do you have something urgent to say? If you don''t, then I have to go."


    Somehow, Debbie wanted to see how he would react when he knew what was happening to her. "Yes,


    I do. Hayden, some people are trying to¡ª"


    "To what?" He didn''t even wait to hear her out. "Deb, the conference has begun. I have to go. I''ll have


    my secretary call you backter, okay?" Actually, Hayden indeed had a meeting, but it hadn''t begun yet


    when Debbie called. He had lied because he was angry at Debbie hanging up on him earlier.


    So he ended her call in a hurry.


    It never urred to him that since she had called at this reallyte hour, something awful might have


    happened to her.


    The two men in the room grew more impatient. When the call ended, they snatched away Debbie''s


    phone and said, "I don''t believe that you don''t have money on your phone or in your card. Come. I''ll


    swipe your card and you''ll input the code."


    Then they searched out from her purse the card Carlos had given her. It was a premium Gold Edition


    Visa Card.


    Before they could swipe it, Debbie''s phone rang again. The caller ID said, Old Man.


    Her hopes were renewed. After being disappointed in Hayden, she started expecting rescue from


    Carlos.


    "I have to take that call."


    The two men refused. "Hell with the call! Hurry and input the code now!" the other man demanded.


    The man holding her phone ended the call with one slight push.


    Debbie was provoked and didn''t want to y games with them anymore. ''Why should I throw away


    $28, 000? There''s only one way to find out whether it will work or not. I guess I''ll just have to try.'' As


    soon as they were out of the room, Debbie took several steps back and charged towards one of the


    men.


    She jumped onto the man''s back, strangled him with her right arm, and kicked him in the back of his


    knee. The man sank to his knees painfully.


    The Betel Nut stretched himself a little and then swung his fist towards Debbie.


    Debbie blocked his arm with her leg. It caused her excruciating pain.


    The man on his knees stretched out his right leg to give her a sweep. Busy with handling the Betel Nut,


    Debbie failed to see the other man''s leging. She fell hard on her back.


    She got to her feet wincing, straightened her clothes, jumped in the air stretching her legs and gave the


    two men both a hard kick in the chest.


    Then with the support of a table, she jumped up and swung her fist towards the Betel Nut''s eye.


    Nheless, she missed.


    The Betel Nut grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her arm behind her back.


    He then pped Debbie across the face. When he was about to kick her, there was a knock, rather, a


    pound, on the door of the store.


    The storekeeper, who was sitting in a chair while smoking, signaled the Betel Nut to keep the girl out of


    sight.


    He obediently dragged Debbie towards the bedroom, holding her with a tight clench.


    When the door was opened, a dozen fierce-looking men were standing outside the store. The head of


    them glimpsed the fallen chairs and broken showcases. His face darkened.


    The storekeeper was overwhelmed and scared at the sight of such men at his store. Especially by their


    leader, whose presence was as intimidating as a demon''s. In J City, few people were as distinguished


    as this man. "How can I help you?" the storekeeper asked politely with a smile.


    Nobody responded. The man in charge walked into the store haughtily in his brand-new leather shoes.


    The GPS on Debbie''s phone showed that she was here at this store. ''Where is she?''


    Carlos took out his phone and dialed Debbie''s number again. Just as he had expected, her phone was


    heard ringing in the bedroom.


    Right now, Debbie''s mouth was covered. Through the gap in the door, she could see Carlos outside the


    room. She was so excited that she wanted to scream, but all she could make were grunts. The Betel


    Nut was covering her mouth so tight that she couldn''t even breathe.


    Her phone was still ringing on the floor. When she saw the caller ID ''Old Man'' on the screen, she


    almost cried with joy.


    He hade. For her!


    Carlos nced at the storekeeper, walked to the door of the bedroom at a steady pace, and kicked it


    open.


    What he saw inside the room made his heart tighten into a knot. His face purpled in rage.


    The girl was held on the floor by two men. Her clothes were a mess. Her face was pressed against the


    floor, her mouth covered. Her hands had been twisted behind her back.

 Chapter 70 Smash The Damn Store

    Chapter 70 Smash The Damn Store


    The way Debbie was being treated made Carlos'' blood boil. He walked over grimly like a soul yer


    and, before the two robust men could realize it, he sent one of them sprawling onto the floor


    and kicked the other one to the side of the shabby bed.


    Carlos helped Debbie sit up and held her in his arms. Her hair was all messed up. He gently brushed


    the disheveled hair out of her eyes and asked in a whisper, "Are you okay?" There were some


    scratches on her face. Worried that it might hurt, he didn''t touch her face and just blew some dust off it.


    With teardrops flowing down her cheeks, Debbie nodded to convey to him that she was okay.


    Carlos kept her at a safe distance from the two fallen men, and then he walked back to them. He


    hauled one man up, twisted one of his arms behind his back, and then with one snap, dislocated the


    man''s arm. The man yelled miserably in pain.


    While Debbie was exercising her wrists, the other man''s arm got broken by virtue of Carlos'' actions.


    She was impressed when she saw Carlos take down the two sturdy men so quickly with his own bare


    hands. Seeing his rage, Debbie started to worry whether Carlos would kill them. Those men cried and


    yelled as if they were pigs being taken to an abattoir. After a long while that seemed like a century to


    the men, Carlos finally decided to rest his arms and attend Debbie.


    He rxed his wrists, helped Debbie up, and carried her out of the room. When they came outside, the


    storekeeper was waiting for Carlos, on his knees. Obviously, he had realized that he had made a huge


    mistake by messing with the wrong person.


    "What happened?" Carlos asked Debbie coldly. Debbie was surprised at the question. Since Carlos


    had beaten the two men up without saying anything, she had assumed that he would never bother to


    ask the cause of the matter. ''Did he lose his rationality because of me?''


    That thought crossed her mind, but only for a second. She pointed at the lucky peace buckle on the


    showcase and said, "They forced me to buy that lucky peace buckle and wouldn''t let me leave unless I


    gave them the money."


    Carlos nced at the lucky peace buckle and didn''t utter a word.


    Debbie continued, "They asked for $28, 000, but it wasn''t worth that much. Of course I wouldn''t buy it.


    Then they locked me up in that room. They also snatched away my purse and wanted to swipe my


    bank card. I''m sorry, your card."


    With only one nce, Carlos knew that the lucky peace buckle was fake. It wasn''t even worth $100, let


    alone $28, 000. And the worst part was that they had tried to coerce his wife into buying it.


    Carlos let go of Debbie''s hand, walked over to the showcase, and kicked it so hard that the entire


    showcase crumbled into pieces.


    The fake emerald items disyed inside the showcase got dismantled in a second.


    Debbie was startled because she had never seen him burning with rage ever before. She had seen so


    many sides of him tonight.


    "Smash the damn door!"


    Carlos said to Tristan ruthlessly.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Tristan motioned to the men behind him and a dozen men came forward and started


    smashing everything in their sight.


    The storekeeper wailed and begged in tears, but who cared? Who would question Carlos''mand?


    The door of the store remained closed all the while. Therefore although some people heard the noise


    inside, they didn''t know exactly what happened. Hence, there weren''t any strangers to witness the


    happenings.


    While his men were busy smashing the store, Carlos took Debbie out of there. He and Debbie walked


    in ane hand in hand, both keeping their mouths shut as though to not disturb the eerily silent


    atmosphere around them.


    She was thinking that since Carlos had found her, he must also know where she stayed. For obvious


    reasons, she then realized that they were heading for her hotel.


    "Old man," she called.


    Carlos didn''t respond, nor did he look back. He didn''t seem to care.


    "Carlos Huo."


    Silence.


    "Mr. Huo."


    Still no response. The silence seemed deafening.


    Not wanting to be ignored any longer, Debbie trotted ahead of him and blocked his way.


    He shot a cold nce at her, but remained silent.


    "Mr. Handsome, thank you for saving me tonight," she said politely.


    Carlos released her hand, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over her dirty white casual jacket. The


    gesture gave her a lot of confidence standing beside him.


    While she still seemed to fidget, he picked her up, carried her in his arms and walked on.


    Never had a man treated her this way. He treated her as if she were the most precious thing in his life.


    "Old man¡ª"


    "Shut up!" His growl made her lose all the courage she had to continue with what she was trying to say.


    He sounded really pissed.


    When they reached her room, Carlos looked around. ''Not as bad as I thought. At least she got herself a


    room facing theke.''


    He put her down, locked the door, and next... Stripping her?


    Stunned, Debbie held his hand and asked, "W-What are you doing?"


    "You!" he answered curtly.


    For a moment, she fell into a deep pit of confusion. When she realized what he literally meant, her face


    med with embarrassment.


    ''This perverted pig, '' she cursed in her heart. "No, don''t. Old man, I apologize. I''m sorry. What I did was


    wrong. Don''t be mad, okay?" she said.


    Carlos continued to strip off her jacket, as if he couldn''t hear her. Debbie clutched her clothes tightly,


    but then he lifted her jacket up.


    "Carlos Huo, be a gentleman! How can you be such a jerk? Get your hands off me!"


    Continuing to ignore her, he turned her around with her back to him. When he was sure that there was


    no injury, he finally put her jacket down and straightened her clothes for her.


    By now, she realized that this man had no ill-gained intentions in his mind.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Then, he started to take off her pants. "I am not injured," she said hurriedly.


    Carlos was relieved. After a nce at her, he asked, "Debbie Nian, how are we going to settle this?"


    When she saw his face, all her anger vanished into thin air, because she had done something wrong. "I


    know I was wrong, so please don''t be mad," she pleaded holding his hand with a fawning smile, in a


    soft voice.


    As a tomboy, that was the best she could do to y cute. Actually, even that was killing her.


    However, the man didn''t seem to appreciate her efforts. He stayed nonchnt and didn''t believe a


    word she had just said.


    Debbie felt utterly frustrated. Desperate to prove her sincerity, she raised her right hand and vowed, "I


    meant every word I just said. I''m really grateful for what you did for me today, and I promise I''ll listen to


    you after we go back."


    Carlos suddenly pulled her into his arms. Debbie''s heart pounded nervously.


    She didn''t even know how to react to such a situation. "Don''t ever travel alone again," he demanded.


    She nodded in a fluster. ''Is...is he worried about me?'' she wondered.


    But she had doubts. "Carlos Huo, why are you here?" She finally mustered up enough courage to ask


    the crucial question that was troubling her throughout the day. At the same time, part of her hoped that


    his answer would be "I''m here for you."


    "I was just passing by," he replied casually.


    She refused to believe a word he had just said. Thinking that he hade here for her, Debbie


    wrapped her arms around his neck happily, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him on the cheek affectionately.


    ''Thank you, Carlos Huo. Thank you for letting me rely on you, '' she reflected.

 Chapter 71 Male Chauvinist

    Chapter 71 Male Chauvinist


    At this moment, Debbie felt that Carlos was much more reliable and trustworthy than other men around


    her, such as Jared and Hayden. Hayden had admitted quite bluntly that he still loved her. Despite that,


    he wasn''t there when she needed his help.


    However, when she kissed Carlos on the cheek, he gently pushed her away, walked to the night stand


    and dialed the receptionist''s number. "This is Room 1206. We need a med kit. Thank you."


    Before he got a definite positive response, he hung up the phone hastily.


    Debbie was startled. ''Really? That''s how he usually asks people to do him a favor? I don''t think he''s


    going to get that med kit anytime soon, '' she thought to herself.


    However, within three minutes, the doorbell rang. Debbie ran to open the door, and saw an employee


    of the hotel standing outside with a med kit in her hands.


    "Thank you so much," she thanked her politely and took over the kit.


    "You''re wee, miss."


    After closing the door behind her, Debbie walked up to Carlos and gave him the kit. He opened it, took


    out some Q-tips and a bottle of antiseptic solution before leading Debbie to a chair. "Sit. I''ll clean your


    wound," he offered gently.


    "Really? Have you been trained in treating wounds?" she asked in utter disbelief.


    He rolled his eyes and answered coldly, "I''ve served in the special force before. Cleaning wounds is a


    piece of cake to me. It''s one of the most necessary skills we must learn."


    "You''ve really served in the army before!" she eximed. Last time, she could tell from his standing


    position that he must have been trained forbat before. But she didn''t expect him to have served in


    the special force. Her thoughts ran wild.


    "Then why did you quit the army and be a CEO? Did you not like serving in the army?" she asked


    in confusion.


    She really wished to see him in the military uniform. He''d be so handsome in it.


    "It''s a long story. I''ll narrate it to you some other time." He unscrewed the lid, dipped a Q-tip into the


    solution and began to clean her wound gently.


    A sharp intake of breath was heard. It was a kind of cheap solution, and gave her wound a stinging


    sensation. She surely seemed to be in excruciating pain. Every time he cleaned the wound with the Q-


    tip, she winced in pain. But still, she was much stronger than other girls in resisting pain. Other girls


    would have already cried in pain if they were in Debbie''s shoes.


    Carlos paused upon hearing her intake of breath. He was used to this kind of solution, but he forgot


    that Debbie was a girl and the pain might seem unbearable to her. His face softened as he said, "Sorry,


    I forgot to remind you that the solution might sting. I''ll be quick. Just hold on." Then he continued to


    clean her wound again.


    "It''s okay. I can handle it." If Kasie and Kristina were here, they would lecture Debbie about the way she


    acted before Carlos earlier.


    Other girls would certainly pretend that it was very painful and even shed tears to draw his attention.


    Debbie, however, acted bravely. She pretended as if it didn''t hurt at all, and stubbornly refused to let


    him know the intensity of pain she was facing.


    She fixed her eyes upon the man who was focused on cleaning her wound. After a while, she couldn''t


    resist her urge and asked, "Carlos Huo, why did youe to me today?"


    Ignoring her question, he took out a band-aid and was about to apply it over her wound.


    "I don''t want to have a band-aid on my face," she refused. ''It would look rather weird with a band-aid on


    my face, '' she thought. It was just a tiny wound.


    Carlos turned her down without any hesitation. "I insist on it. You can remove it tomorrow morning if


    you want."


    "Fine! Why did you avoid my question?"


    Carlos put everything back into the med kit and answered casually, "I''m your husband. It is pretty


    normal for me to be avable for you when you need me."


    She was effectively rendered speechless. ''Can''t he be a bit amiable to me?'' she wondered. She


    lowered her head and remained quiet for a while. Obviously, she was disappointed right now.


    Carlos, however, didn''t realize that. Even if he did, he remained indifferent to it. He ordered, "Go to the


    bathroom and take a shower. It''ste, and we need to get some sleep. We''ll be flying back home


    tomorrow morning."


    "But I thought we were going to spend a few more days here," she retorted quickly.


    Carlos didn''t really understand why she still wanted to stay in the city where she had been robbed


    mercilessly. He knew it would be futile to argue with her on this matter, so he pulled her into his arms


    and threatened, "Are you sure you want to disobey me?"


    His hands were running wildly throughout her body. Debbie blushed. She struggled to set herself free


    and swiftly dashed towards the bathroom. "I''m going to take a bath now."


    After spending almost an hour in the bathroom, Debbie finally reappeared and saw Carlos working on


    hisptop.


    Her phone rang at this moment. She walked to the night stand, picked up the phone and saw the caller


    ID. Hesitantly, she moved to the balcony and answered the call.


    "Hello." Her voice seemed nothing louder than a whisper.


    "Deb, what happened? I was in a meeting. It just got over now." Hayden''s voice came from the other


    end of the line.


    Gazing at theke not far away, she sighed inwardly and answered in a cold voice, "Nothing. Mind your


    own business."


    "Deb, when are youing back to Y City? I''ll pick you up at the airport when you arrive."


    "No need for that, Hayden Gu. And don''t you dare call me from now on. I''m married. I don''t want my


    husband to misunderstand our rtionship. We better stay away from each other."


    After a long pause, Hayden giggled and said, "Deb, I know you are lying to me. You are only 21. How


    can you get married this early? I know you are mad at me because..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, he heard a man''s voicee from the other end, "Deb." Debbie


    turned stiff upon hearing Charles'' voice and wondered whether he had heard their entire conversation.


    She had promised Carlos before that she would not send messages to Hayden again.


    "Deb, who''s that man? Why are you with him at thiste hour?" Hayden''s voice was far from anything


    that could be described as calm.


    Debbie''s heart skipped a beat when she saw Carlos'' furious face.


    She blurted, "He''s my husband. It''s veryte now. My husband and I need to go to bed. Bye!" Before


    Hayden could reply, she hung up the phone.


    Staring at her phone, Debbie didn''t know how to exin it to Carlos. She smoothed her hair to calm


    herself down and murmured, "Uh...Carlos...don''t get me wrong..."


    Without saying a word, Carlos turned around and walked into the bedroom. She had no other choice


    but to follow him. "I really have no rtionship with him anymore. You have to trust me, Mr.


    Handsome." She felt awful after being misunderstood by him.


    Carlos turned and looked at her with deep eyes. "How can I trust you? After all this?"


    Her cheeks were red out of anxiety. She put her phone aside, held his waist with both arms and kissed


    him on the lips. After a while, she raised her head and asked in a whisper, "Do you trust me now?"


    Since she took the initiative to kiss him, he didn''t turn her down. Instead, he wanted more of it.


    He held her tightly, lowered his head and kissed her right on her lips, passionately.


    His lips were demanding and firm when they molded hers. He was kissing her with both tenderness


    and need. He threw her onto the king-sized bed. Then he leaned down and kissed her lips again. "I


    want to bite this lip," he murmured against her mouth, and carefully he tugged at it with his teeth. She


    moaned spontaneously and he smiled, out of satisfaction.


    Early the next morning, a man walked out of the hotel, followed by a girl. Both of them seemed to have


    long faces.


    His face was livid, whereas the girl looked frustrated. They were none other than Carlos and Debbie.


    Tristan, carrying Debbie''s suitcase, tagged along with them and didn''t dare to utter a word. He could


    sense the intense struggle between his boss and his boss'' wife.


    ''Did they end up having a fight again? No, I don''t think so.


    Or did the tension stem from Mr. Huo''s dislike towards the room? Did he not get enough sleep?''


    Tristan''s rally of thoughts marched on endlessly. He had suggested a five-star hotel to Carlos, but the


    latter had rejected him upfront.


    He really felt confused, but he decided to keep his nose out of Carlos'' private affairs. He didn''t want to


    lament about not having done itter on.


    Upon arriving at the VIP lounge of the airport, Debbie sat opposite Carlos and cast a ferocious nce


    at him. She cursed, "You are an insensitive, unthoughtful male chauvinist!"Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 72 Do You Dare Mention Carlos Huo

    Chapter 72 Do You Dare Mention Carlos Huo


    Carlos took a sip of his coffee and cast a cold nce at the girl in front of him. He regretted not


    sleeping with herst night. A wide smirk flickered at the corners of his mouth as he watched her anger


    grow. "You''re disappointed because I didn''t make love to you, huh?"


    The cocky manner of his question made Debbie choke on her drink. After some pause, she snapped,


    cheeks flushing red, "Save me that balderdash! I''ve never seen an insensitive jackass like you."


    With a sincere heart, Carlos put his cup back on the table, leaned toward Debbie and said in a low,


    sensual voice, "I''m sorry I didn''t satisfy youst night. It won''t happen again. I''ll let you be the captain of


    your boat tonight. You can shag all you want."


    ''I blew it! She only wanted to be on top, which is not a big deal. I should''ve agreed, '' he thought to


    himself.


    He sat upright and added, "Well, I''ll let you explore when we roll in the hay tonight. Fill that house with


    screams of pleasure till morning."


    Debbie''s face flushed even more at his needless lewd details. ''The shameless bastard doesn''t even


    mind that his assistant is still here, '' she cursed to herself. With her head down, she retorted in a low


    voice, "Stop dreaming! I''m not sleeping with you. I''ll spend the night in the dorm."


    Carlos, however, tapped on the table with his fingers and stated, "Since we''re a couple, it''s time for you


    to move into my bedroom now. You need to get used to your identity as my wife."


    "Forget about it! I''m moving back to my dorm on the campus. Already, Kasie and my roommates are


    missing me, while I''m here wasting time with you."


    Putting on a serious face, Carlos nodded and said, "Got it. Thank you for reminding me."


    Just when Debbie heaved a sigh of relief and thought he had agreed with her, he continued, "Thank


    you for reminding me that we''re still sleeping in separate bedrooms. I know I shouldn''t have neglected


    you for all the three years we have been married. From now on, all that will change. Whatever you


    prefer, I''llply, for the sake of love." So far, he had already given her plenty of time, and he believed


    it was time for him to take her for a wife.


    The more time they spent with each other, the more he understood her. If he kept waiting until she was


    ready to give him children, he might watch with envy while Damon and Wesley send their own to


    school.


    Sometimes, he was a real pain in the butt. Tired of his bullheaded persistence, Debbie leaned over the


    table and reprimanded, "Stop giving me that bull-crap! Let''s talk about something else."


    "All right. There''s a birthday party you should be attending tomorrow evening," he announced.


    A birthday party? "Whose birthday party?" she asked in obvious surprise.


    Actingconic, Carlos picked up the iPad on the table, powered it on and ced it in front of Debbie.


    There was a photo beside a short bio of the birthday girl, Megan Lan, who was turning eighteen.


    That was it! There was no more information.


    ''Is he taking me to the party? Does that mean Carlos doesn''t take the girl or her birthday party


    seriously?'' Debbie wondered, but she chose to keep her mouth shut.


    When they came back to Y City and arrived at the vi, Debbie received Kasie''s call. They chatted on


    the phone cheerfully, Debbie opening up on how Carlos hade to rescue her.


    "And then? In order to thank him, you gave yourself to him?"


    After some pause, Debbie answered, "No." Finally, she had someone she could open up to and vent


    out her frustration. "You know what, Carlos Huo is such an insensitive male chauvinist. Can you believe


    it? I thought we would make lovest night. After great forey with lots of kissing and touching, I was


    ready to give myself to him. But you know what, the bastard started an argument, just at the moment


    when I thought I was ready for him.


    I''ve never seen such an unreasonable, arrogant man." "What happened?" Kasie asked with genuine


    concern.


    "From nowhere, he mentioned something that I didn''t like. To me it was a small matter, but apparently,


    he''s an imcable man and he wouldn''t budge. I was so frustrated. The night almost ended in a fight.


    Not that I''m absolutely free of me, but I think, Carlos needs to work on his ego. At this rate, he might


    end up thinking a wife is supposed to be a mindless bootlicker." But Kasie knew Debbie too was


    stubborn. If Carlos indeed offended her, it would take quite a deal of pleading and coaxing to change


    her mind. However, Carlos himself was a proud man, and their rtionship had been a stormy one for


    a long time. Neither of them wanted to back down whenever they disagreed.


    The unromantic details left Kasie in worry. After a long pause, she finally calmed herself down and said,


    "Deb, we are girls. And tenderness is our strongest weapon. Power has gotten into your husband''s


    head, and he thinks he''s in control of your love as well. You need to act nice, instead of arguing with


    him."


    ''Haven''t I been a little too nice already?'' Debbie rolled her eyes andined, "Fine! I''ll give it a try, if


    you say so. How do I go about it, anyway?"


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Okay, listen carefully." Taking a moment to clear her throat, Kasie said with affected tenderness, "First,


    you need to apologize. Whether you were the cause of the argument or not, you need to take the first


    step. Waiting for Carlos to apologize first is almost impossible, at least, judging from what I know about


    him. Once you''ve made peace, it would be good to start off on a high. That''s the best time for you guys


    to bang."


    "Wait. ''Bang''? Are you kidding me?" It gave Debbie goosebumps to imagine Kasie''s brazenness.


    "C''mon Debbie," Kasie coaxed. "Are you some cave woman?


    Use Google search, if you didn''t get what I said, sweetie."


    "It''s not that I didn''t get what you meant. It''s the tititing way you put it that makes me doubt you. Jeez,


    you make me flinch, Kasie Zheng!" eximed Debbie, feeling uneasy at her friend''s direct manner. .


    "Take it easy, girl. It''s your love life I''m trying to save," Kasie replied.


    "Thank goodness, in me, you have a shrink and a good friend, who won''t sit on the fence and watch


    you and Carlos destroy your marriage," she added with a satisfied giggle.


    Both Kasie and Debbie knew each other well. They had been best friends for a long time. Banking on


    that friendship, Kasie urged, "You know countless women in this world want to marry Carlos. Right now,


    you have the best chance to win his heart. Otherwise, you''ll lose him. Anyway, you are a smart girl. I


    believe you''ll hack what it takes to make him your man. Remember that time when you argued with


    Gail over that cor pin? You acted like a spoiled girl before Mr. Huo, and he bought it."


    "But I''m not one of those women..."


    "You are just an idiot!"


    "Fuck off!" Debbie shouted.


    Kasie cleared her throat and said with a smile, "I was just kidding. Don''t get mad at me, girl. You need


    to take care of your husband and satisfy his needs. Don''t lie to yourself that you''re the only woman he


    could ever find in the whole world. You should count yourself lucky and fight to keep him by any means.


    If you lose him, then you''ll wake up to what I''m trying to drive into your head, darling."


    "Don''t worry. I won''t!" Debbie said indifferently.


    Actually, what she meant was that she wouldn''t regret if she lost Carlos to another woman. But on


    second thought, she hated to think about such a possibility.


    It was almost 8 p.m. when she hung up the phone. Time for her lessons, where Carlos was taking her


    through Advanced Mathematics.


    But instead of preparing for ss, Debbie rolled on her bed, dwelling on what Kasie had said. ''If I start


    sleeping with Carlos, will it be possible that he won''t force me to have so many sses?''


    She took out her phone and posted in her WeChat Moments, "I have a dream, and it is to sleep with


    CH. If he lets me down, I''ll ask him to kneel on a washboard. If he lets me down, I''ll ask him to kneel on


    durian shells. Hahaha!"


    Next, she opened the Weibo app and posted, "Carlos, why don''t you sleep with me?"


    Kristina had added Debbie as her "Close Friend" on Weibo, and she was able to read her post soon.


    Upon seeing Debbie''s post, Kristinamented, "Do you dare to mention Carlos Huo? That takes


    nerves."


    Already, Debbie had switched off her phone and left for Carlos'' ss. Little did she know that her posts


    had be a buzz.


    Many of her friends who saw the post in WeChat Moments, took the conversation to group chats. In


    one of the groups, Kasie mentioned Debbie andmented, "Tomboy, I felt shame for you. You''ve


    been married to Carlos for three years, but you are still a virgin. Do you have a problem? Or is it your


    husband who is the problem?"

 Chapter 73 You Are Not Going To Marry Gail Mu

    Chapter 73 You Are Not Going To Marry Gail Mu


    Debbie felt frustrated at Kasie''s message. ''I don''t have a problem, and I don''t think Carlos is the


    problem!'' she retorted in her mind. Quickly, she typed in the group''s chat, "He and I are not that close


    yet, and I still need time!"


    To which Kristina chimed in, "Debbie, I''m really curious. Who is on top? You or he?"


    A clueless Debbie couldn''t find a good response, so she pretended to ignore Kristina, but deep inside,


    a lot of questions were running through her mind. Not to make her clumsiness obvious, she clicked on


    the emoji for anger and sent it. After a moment''s thought, she added, "Kasie, withdraw your previous


    messages. Don''t forget we have two boys in the group."


    Promptly, Kasie sent an emoji showing a speechless expression, and withdrew her previous messages.


    Following suit, Debbie and Kristina also quickly withdrew theirments. By the time Dixon and Jared


    saw the group''s chat, they only saw a thread of several withdrawn messages.


    But Debbie''s problems were far from over, as her Weibo ount had been flooded withments and


    messages.


    The moment she opened her Weibo app, her phone buzzed non-stop with iing messages like a


    switchboard.


    When she checked at the end of notification tones, there was a total of more than 99 unread


    messages.


    ''What did I post on Weibo to attract all the iing chats?'' she wondered to herself.


    Coming to her senses, she remembered her hurried post, which she had forgotten about when the


    group chats exploded.


    The bad part was that a good number of people on the thread had copied Kristina''sments¡ª"Do


    you dare mention Carlos Huo?"


    As if this was not enough, some people even mentioned Carlos in thements.


    Another popr person on the thread was Jared, whosement had racked up hundreds of likes


    ¡ª"Time waits for no men; just do it!"


    A strangermented, "In the sky the clouds float; it is Carlos'' dick that I want."


    Thisment had the most likes on the thread.


    Debbie felt annoyed when others showed great interest in her husband. Triggered by thement,


    she deleted it without hesitation.


    While she was chatting with Carlos'' admirers on Weibo, she got a text message from Carlos saying, "I


    need to work overtime tonight. So there will be no ss this evening. Just stay at home and wait for


    me. And don''t sing in the bar!"


    The conversation on Weibo was too engaging for Debbie to begin arguing with Carlos. ying along,


    she simply typed "Yes, Mr. Handsome!" and sent the message.


    Upon reading her reply, Carlos curled his lips with a sense of satisfaction, though he wondered why


    she hadn''t put up a protest, like her usual self.


    Growing suspicious, he opened the WeChat Moments and bumped into her trending post.


    At around 11 p.m., after a yawn, Debbie opened her WeChat Moments and saw ament left by a


    stranger with the pseudonym "C". "Believe me, it''s not a dream," read theconicment.


    Confused, Debbie opened C''s Moments and there was only one post on financial news.


    Who was this C?


    Without giving much thought to C''s identity, she closed the WeChat app and began to chat with the


    girls on Weibo again.


    Testing the waters, she made sure to throw in a negative word here and there about Carlos, just to see


    how the girls reacted. And sure enough, they would attack her immediately, often with epithets and


    zeal. ''The guy has quite some fanatical followers!'' she thought to herself, envious of her husband.


    Time passed, but Carlos still didn''te back. She dozed off and dropped her phone on the bed. The


    next morning, she woke up before daybreak and was about to get out of bed to pee. To her surprise,


    she found Carlos sleeping beside her, his right hand thrown across her waist.


    Without stopping to think, she got out of bed and walked towards the toilet.


    When she came back, he was still fast asleep. Too sleepy to think, she also slid between the sheets,


    closed her eyes again.


    As she was drifting off, Carlos snuggled closer, crossing his arms over her, a little higher than he


    previously held her. Without opening her eyes, she turned to face him, made herselffortable in his


    embrace and went out like a light.


    Little did she know that Carlos'' eyes were wide open. He looked at her, rubbed his arching brows and


    tried his best to ignore his erection.


    At the time, Debbie was dreaming. Having a nightmare, to be more exact.


    In the dream, Carlos kissed her on the lips. Then, he kissed her neck, her chest... Then Gail popped in


    her dream.


    Jolted by the strange dream, she sat up only to realize, strangely, that she was naked and her pajamas


    were on the floor. But without stopping to think, she put on her pajamas and ran down the stairs. In the


    dining room, Carlos, who was eating his breakfast, asked her indifferently, "What are you doing?"


    Ignoring his question, Debbie gasped for air and blurted out, "Carlos Huo, I know you don''t care if I


    divorce you. You''ve already thought of marrying Gail Mu instead, but trust me, that bitch will screw your


    life!"


    That was a bombshell! After what seemed like an eternity, Carlos looked away from the hickeys on her


    neck and asked in confusion, "Who is Gail Mu? Why would I divorce you? And why am I going to marry


    that bitch?"


    Somehow, the word "bitch"ing out from Carlos'' lips amused Debbie.


    Then she realized that it was just a dream. In her dream, Gail married Carlos. At their wedding, she


    ground Debbie beneath her heel and mocked her mercilessly.


    Debbie scratched her hair in embarrassment and murmured, "Nothing. Continue with your breakfast. I


    need to go back to sleep."


    Before she could turn around, Carlos stopped her by saying, "Freshen up and have breakfast. The


    stylists will be here soon."


    "This early?" she asked in disbelief. The party would start in the evening, so she thought the stylists


    woulde here in the afternoon. "Uh-huh." He lowered his head and continued to eat his breakfast.


    Seeing he was not speaking, Debbie turned around and walked up the stairs to wash her face and


    brush her teeth.


    After that, she got into the cloakroom to get dressed. However, what she saw in the mirror made her


    scream.


    By instinct, she stepped back from the mirror, without even realizing it. When she sobered up, she


    moved closer once more and checked herself carefully. There were many love bites and her hair was


    ruffled in a way that meant only one thing. Instantly, she realized that it was not a dream¡ªCarlos


    kissed her all over and even undressed her. Just how he had gone, she couldn''t tell.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ''Dang! This old scoundrel!


    People will think we had wild sexst night when they see me like this. How am I supposed to step out


    like this? I don''t want to wear a scarf!'' she cursed inwardly.


    The stylists arrived at the vi soon. They had brought a cosmetic case and a collection of dresses, as


    well as high heels and bags to match the dresses.


    Since it was a birthday party, an evening dress was not necessary. Carlos himself chose two from the


    dresses¡ªone beige, the other ice-blue. He gave them to Debbie saying, "Try them on."


    Debbie went upstairs with the dresses in her arms.


    Ten minutester, the girl showing at the staircase made Carlos'' eyes light up. Despite wearing no


    make-up, she looked incredibly angelic. The ice-blue dress left just enough of her long legs and fair


    skin, which definitely got Carlos'' attention.


    She had also tried the beige dress on, but the ice-blue one looked better. She put on a white wind coat


    and went down the stairs.


    With a bright smile, she stood before Carlos, her face blushing at his intense gaze. "How do I look?"


    she asked with a hopeful expression.


    Without answering her question, he looked away and ordered the servants, "Hang the rest of the


    clothes in the cloakroom."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    ''Are these dresses all mine?'' Debbie wondered in awe. Tugging at his sleeve, she said, "Carlos, I don''t


    think I need so many dresses."


    It would be winter in about a month, and she didn''t think she had the chance to wear these dresses


    before winter.


    "There is no harm in hanging them there."


    Debbie was left speechless. ''The evil capitalist!'' she mused.

 Chapter 74 Wear Dresses More Often

    Chapter 74 Wear Dresses More Often


    Carlos selected a pair of high heels and some essories for Debbie. Now, all that was left to do was


    put on the makeup. He looked at Debbie''s bare face and turned to one of the stylists. "Light makeup."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    When the stylist was about to rouge her lips, Debbie stopped her, excused herself and ran up the


    stairs. After a while, she came back carrying a delicate box. She opened the box carefully, treating it as


    if it had her most precious belongings. "May I use my own lipstick?" she asked with a hopeful smile.


    Inside the box were dozens of lipsticks of different brands and colors.


    The stylist was a bit surprised by her request, but then nodded. "Sure. Why not?"


    Debbie beamed and selected a pink one from the box.


    Carlos walked up to her and picked up the box casually. He stared curiously at the lipsticks, and asked,


    "I thought you disliked wearing makeup. Why do you have so many lipsticks?"


    Debbie answered indifferently, "It''s true that I don''t like wearing too much makeup. But that doesn''t


    mean I can''t have a few lipsticks."


    As he put the box back on the dressing table, Carlos immediately remembered what had happened in


    the Shining International zast time. Olga had snatched a lipstick set from Debbie and instead of


    siding with his wife, he had bought the set for Olga and even threatened to throw Debbie out of the


    mall.


    ''Oh my God! What have I done? Debbie must have felt so wronged back then.'' Carlos realized the


    mistake he had made and wanted to make amends for the past.


    Debbie was discussing the texture of the lipstick with the stylist. Little did she know what Carlos was


    thinking about.


    Once she was done, she jumped off her chair and ran towards him. She gave him a sweet smile and


    asked, "Do I look good now?"


    He was lost in his past memories and was somewhat absent-minded. Staring at her with nk eyes, he


    nodded without saying a word.


    Debbie pouted, disappointed by hisck of enthusiasm. She thought Carlos would be stunned by her


    beauty, but he remained unaffected. She put the lipstick into her purse because she might have to fix


    her makeupter. The box was taken back safely to her bedroom.


    When they reached their destination, Debbie finally understood why she had to get up so early that


    morning.


    It was already noon by the time she was done with her makeup. After lunch, they arrived at the harbor.


    There, they boarded a ship and after traveling further into the sea, they had to take a helicopter. When


    they reached the ind, it was already dark. ''I really don''t understand these rich guys. Why do they feel


    the necessity to hold a party on such a remote ind?'' Debbie had thought to herself on her way to the


    ind.


    But when she arrived, she soon understood why.


    While in the helicopter, Debbie looked down at the ind and the ocean surrounding it. The green


    ind looked like a giant emerald, adorning the blue ocean.


    Putting the European style vis and the ssic decoration aside, the colorful flowers, the clean


    beaches and the blue ocean formed a beautifulndscape.


    The ind was covered by tropical trees and flowers. The temperature here was above twenty degrees


    throughout the year.


    After she quickly climbed out of the helicopter, Carlos helped Debbie take off her wind coat and handed


    it to the butler standing next to them. Debbie stretched her arms to loosen up her sore muscles and


    smoothed her hair lightly.


    All of a sudden, she felt Carlos'' warm breath on her ear as he whispered, "You should wear dresses


    more often. You look great today." Debbie blushed scarlet at his unexpectedpliment.


    She feigned anger andined, "I asked you whether I looked good in the vi, and you walked


    away without answering me. I thought I didn''t look good."


    Carlos handed his coat and waistcoat to the butler. He looked handsome in his white shirt. Walking


    closer to her, he swiftly pulled her into his arms and kissed her on her lips, without minding the people


    around them. "You are the most beautiful girl I''ve ever seen," he said, releasing her from the kiss.


    Debbie''s face turned tomato red instantly, mostly because of hispliment, but also because the


    butler was still standing behind them. She gripped his shirt with one hand and pushed him away with


    the other. "Don''t... People are watching us," she murmured.


    Carlos shed a sly smile and continued to tease her, "Are you saying that it''s okay to do this when we


    are alone?"


    Words left Debbie as she stared into his hungry eyes. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on his cheek


    once. "Will you let me go now?" she asked, with a shy smile.


    Carlos was amused, almost shocked by her quick peck on his cheek. He thought it was adorable and


    was reluctant to let her go now. He held her tighter and said, "No."


    Debbie pouted her lips, ready to retort. But Carlos added, "I''ll let you go for now. But when we reach


    hometer, wait for me in my bed." Debbie didn''t know whether to cry orugh. She was safe for now,


    but she was a little worried about what would happen in the evening.


    "Debbie!" A man''s voice brought her back to her senses.


    She turned to see who it was. From not too far away, a couple was approaching them, arm in arm.


    Colleen was wearing a long yellow dress and her partner was Curtis.


    He stared at Carlos and Debbie in confusion. "Why are you two here together?" he asked.


    Debbie was also surprised to see Curtis and his girlfriend there. "Mr. Lu, Colleen, how are you doing?"


    she greeted them. As she said her hellos to them, she pushed Carlos aside to keep him at arm''s


    length. This made Carlos'' face turn sour.


    Colleen gave Debbie a friendly smile and said, "We''re doing great! Debbie, thest time I saw you and


    Carlos, you were not on good terms with each other. Since when did you two be so close? Is


    there a story you want to share with me?"


    Curtis was as curious as his girlfriend to know that.


    Debbie was too embarrassed to answer her question. She lowered her head, staring at her shoes, not


    knowing what to say. When she failed to respond, Carlos reached out to pull her into his arms and said


    nonchntly, "She''s my wife. Of course, we are close to each other."


    Carlos remembered that Curtis had a soft spot for Debbie. He cast a challenging nce at Curtis.


    Although Carlos didn''t know about the nature of the rtionship between Debbie and Curtis, he


    decided to keep her away from Curtis anyway. ''She is my wife and I will be the one to take care of her


    from here onward, '' he swore to himself.


    Curtis and Colleen were held speechless by Carlos'' deration. They both stood stunned, not knowing


    how to react. Shock was written all over their faces. Even Curtis, who always kept his calm, was at a


    loss for words.


    As Carlos'' friend, Curtis knew that he had gotten married three years ago. But he didn''t know that his


    wife was Debbie!


    ''So, Carlos'' wife is my...'' Curtis thought.


    "Debbie,e here for a minute!" Curtis said, waving at her. He had kept a secret from Debbie and


    hadn''t nned on telling her now. But it looked like it was time to let her know. If Debbie were someone


    else'' wife, Curtis wouldn''t have been worrried about her. He knew that she was not the one to be


    bullied easily.


    But she was with Carlos. Curtis knew his buddy well, and he was really worried about Debbie now.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Debbie began to walk towards Curtis, but Carlos grabbed her right hand tightly and pulled her back. He


    said in a low growl, "Honey, you are a married woman now. When another man waves at you and asks


    you to go with him, you should turn him down. Understand?"


    Everyone was rendered speechless and Curtis raised his eyebrows in surprise. They wondered why


    Carlos was so jealous and possessive all of a sudden.


    Debbie, whose face had be red again, said in a whisper, "Then youe with me." She didn''t


    want to turn Curtis down impolitely. After all, he had treated her well in the past.


    "Fine. Next time if someone asks you to go with them anywhere, just call me and I''lle with you."


    Debbie looked intensely at Carlos'' face, trying to figure out whether he was joking. But it looked like he


    really meant it.


    Colleen chimed in, "Hey, Carlos. Curtis only wants to have a word with Debbie. Why do you have to


    show off your affection in front of us? Are you even the same cool Mr. President anymore?"

 Chapter 75 This Is My Wife

    Chapter 75 This Is My Wife


    Arm in arm, Carlos and Debbie sauntered forward to stand in front of Curtis and Colleen. Grinning like


    a possum eating persimmon, Carlos enthused to Colleen, "When Curtis proposed to you before us, you


    two showed off your affection for each other as well. We were so jealous of you back then."


    At the mention of the loving memories, Colleen smiled so broadly that her round eyes were reduced to


    slits. Curtis smiled as well. Then they looked each other in the eye, eyes full of affection.


    The couple seemed devoted to each other, something that Debbie greatly admired.


    The envy on her face didn''t escape Carlos'' notice. He held her hand tighter. ''Debbie Nian, from this day


    onwards, I, Carlos Huo, will not have you admiring anyone else...'' Carlos swore to himself.


    Before any of them could speak, a young man''s voice came from behind their backs. "Hey! Mr. Huo


    and Mr. Lu. I''ve heard a lot about you two!"


    Turning around, Debbie saw two men, one in a ck suit and the other in white walking toward them.


    It was Jared''s brother, the guy in white who had called. Debbie knew who he was, but they were not


    acquaintances.


    The man in ck looked familiar to Debbie. She remembered she had seen him once on TV, and he


    was a colonel or something. ''In real life, he looks much more handsome than on TV!'' Debbie thought,


    letting her eyes settle upon the man''s face.


    She was really surprised to see them here. Who was this Megan Lan? Why did the four richest young


    men in Y City all appear at her birthday party?


    When he noticed his wife was drooling over another man, Carlos'' face soured. At once he pulled her


    into his arms and announced in a cold voice, "This is my wife, Debbie Nian."


    The announcement caught Wesley off guard. Among the four of them, he was the youngest, and this


    being a big bash, he had probablye prepared to mingle. The first in the group of four to have a


    girlfriend was Curtis. His girlfriend, Colleen, was 28 years old, two years older than Wesley.


    But Debbie, if his memory wasn''t lying, was only a college student and was only 21 years old!


    Still single at 26, Wesley felt dejected to know that someone five years younger was in a stable


    rtionship. Reluctantly, he stepped forward to stand before Debbie and made a military salute. "Nice


    to meet you, Debbie. I''m Wesley Li."


    Although he was in a suit, it didn''t look weird when he made the salute. In fact, he looked quite


    charming.


    The man''s loud and clear voice startled Debbie, but she immediately regained herposure and


    returned a not-so-standard salute. "Nice to meet you, Officer Li. I''m Debbie Nian. I''ve practiced martial


    arts for years. I''d like to challenge you when you''re free some day."


    However, Wesley''s face changed dramatically at her words.


    Some years back, he remembered a girl of Debbie''s age standing before him and cheerily saying,


    "Nice to meet you, Officer Li. I''m your new neighbor. I may have to trouble you in the future."


    Somehow, he realized that Debbie resembled the girl when she smiled.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Sadly, the girl got engaged to another man, shortly after Wesley had fallen in love with her.


    Debbie was not a soldier and her arm went numb for maintaining the salute posture for two minutes.


    However, Wesley remained staring at her, without a word.


    The atmosphere became really weird, but Debbie didn''t know what was wrong.


    The next moment, Carlos pulled her behind his back to stop Wesley from looking at her. His face


    turned sullen. "She''s not her!" he told Wesley.


    ''Why did Carlos say that?'' she wondered, but she noticed Wesley came back to his senses instantly.


    He withdrew his hand, stepped back and adjusted his suit. To smooth things over, Damon reached his


    arm to hold Wesley''s shoulder and offered, "Let''s get going. Megan must be looking forward to seeing


    us."


    Feeling ufortable, Wesley threw Damon''s hand off.


    "Why would you stick close to another man when there''re so many good girls around here?"


    he sternly reprimanded Damon. Debbie couldn''t helpughing out loud at Wesley''s words.


    "Is it so funny?" asked Carlos, rolling his eyes.


    "They''re interesting guys," she replied.


    "Sucks to be me!" said Damon dejectedly. "There are so many pretty girls in the world. And he thinks I


    like hanging around with him?! I guess he went mad because he''s stayed in the army without seeing a


    woman for so long. He must have thought I had a thing for him!'' he said to Debbie with a teasing smile.


    Damon and Jared were actually brothers who resembled each other very much in character. Meeting


    Damon, Debbie felt close to him as if she were seeing Jared instead. "Yes, I know you obviously


    would''t have a thing for him. You and Jared are both yboys and have dated countless women."


    Damon''s mouth gaped. Smoothing his blond hair, he murmured, "Really? I''m a yboy in your eyes?


    Fine! A yboy is much better than a gay to me."


    While Debbie and Damon were chatting joyfully, a young girl in light green ball gown and a pair of ss


    shoes appeared in their sights.


    Holding her hemlines in her hands, she ran happily towards them, her long ck hair flying in the wind.


    A wide grin on her face.


    When she came closer, Debbie finally saw how she looked. She had beautiful blue eyes and wore


    sparkling red lipstick.


    Silently, Debbie praised, ''Wow, she''s a fairy!''


    Megan came to a halt and held Damon''s waist. "Uncle Damon!" she called out cheerfully.


    In return, Damon stroked her hair. "Happy birthday, Megan," he enthused, gesturing for his assistant to


    hand her the birthday gift.


    Beaming a sweet smile, Megan received the gift with appreciation. "Thanks, Uncle Damon."


    "Happy 18th birthday, Megan. This is the gift from Curtis and me," Colleen said with a friendly smile, as


    she walked up to hand over her gift.


    "Thank you, Uncle Curtis," said Megan, her smile even wider. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on


    his cheek.


    Then she turned to Colleen and expressed her gratefulness with a hug.


    Meanwhile, Debbie watched her moves in awe. ''Is this girl that close with Curtis? She even kissed him


    in front of Colleen!''


    After greeting Wesley, Megan walked towards Carlos and sped his palm into hers. Acting pettishly,


    she said, "Uncle Carlos, I absolutely love this ind. Thank yo for such a fabulous gift. I love you!"


    As Debbie slowly turned to look around the ind, her eyes popped wide in shock.


    ''I guess this ind at least costs hundreds of millions. Is Carlos that rich to afford a whole ind as a


    birthday gift?'' she mused.


    In particrly good mood, Carlos, smiled to Megan and introduced Debbie to her. "Megan, I''d like you


    to meet Debbie Nian. You may call her Aunt Debbie. Deb, this is Megan Lan."


    Pretending that she just saw Debbie, Megan eximed, "Uncle Carlos, since when did you have a


    girlfriend? You didn''t even tell me!"


    "She''s not my girlfriend. She''s my wife. We''ve already gotten married," Carlos exined.


    Debbie shed a big smile and reached out her right hand. "Nice to meet you, Megan. I''m Debbie Nian.


    Happy birthday."

 Chapter 76 Watch Out For Megan

    Chapter 76 Watch Out For Megan


    "Hi, Aunt Debbie. What the heck? When did you and Uncle Carlos tie the knot?" Megan asked with an


    innocent look on her face. She let go of Carlos, came over to Debbie, and held her arm like an old


    friend, though this was the first time they had met.


    Debbie gave an awkward smile. "We got married three years ago, but he was always busy, so we


    weren''t able to go out on a date until recently."


    "Oh, I see," Megan responded. Then she turned to Carlos andined, "Uncle Carlos, this is all


    your fault. You guys have been married for three years. So howe we haven''t seen her til now?"


    Carlos held Debbie''s hand with a smile.


    "You are right. Mea culpa. I''ll make up for it," he promised while looking Debbie in the eye.


    Debbie blushed. She noticed Carlos was flirting with her again and every time he did that, her heart


    started pounding.


    When the group walked in, a throng of young people already packed the venue where the party was


    being held. Everyone was having fun.


    When people saw them, the women went crazy. "It''s him! It''s Carlos Huo! And his friends too! My God!


    I can''t believe I''m seeing Carlos Huo!" one of them eximed.


    "Wow! They''re so hot! I like all four. What should I do?" a second woman said.


    "Megan was right. She really is tight with Mr. Huo. But who''s the woman next to him?" another


    wondered.


    "I dunno! Never seen her before, but she''s gorgeous," their friend said.


    Their discussion went on like that, making this or thatment, usually about their looks.


    Later, the group split up. Damon was pulled away from his friends by two beautiful women. Curtis and


    Colleen went somewhere alone. Wesley left his friends with Megan while she held his arm. Only


    Debbie and Carlos stayed put.


    A waiter came to them offering all kinds of alcohol. Carlos took a ss of wine from the tray. When


    Debbie thought it was for her, Carlos told the waiter, "A ss of lemonade, please."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    After the waiter had left, Carlos sipped the wine and asked Debbie, "There''s food over there. Hungry?"


    Debbie didn''t respond. She looked at him and asked, "Why lemonade?"


    "For you," answered Carlos.


    Debbie was struck speechless. She looked around and everyone else had a ss of something


    alcoholic: Wine, liquor, champagne, even cocktails¡ªno one was drinking lemonade. "Lemonade?


    Seriously?"


    "Yes," Carlos said. Simple, direct, and to the point. He didn''t like it when she drank alcohol.


    Debbie was annoyed, but she knew she couldn''t convince Carlos to let up. He was stubborn like that.


    Soon the lemonade was served. She took the drink resignedly and followed Carlos to the refreshment


    tables. As usual cake was her favorite. She picked up a Hokkaido chiffon cupcake. After taking a bite,


    she asked, "Any shows tonight?"


    "Yeah. Wesley invited Megan''s favorite actress," Carlos answered while leaning against the table


    behind him.


    Seeing how much the four richest and most powerful young men spoiled Megan, Debbie couldn''t help


    asking, "Who is she?"


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Megan Lan."


    "I know that. I mean¡ª"


    "Carlos, Megan was looking for you," Damon cut in, holding one tall, slim woman in each arm.


    "Okay, I''ll go check on her. You have some fun," Carlos said to her and left.


    A minuteter, Debbie saw Megan take Carlos'' arm and walk into a room with him while they were


    talking andughing. Debbie stared at the door, but after 15 minutes or so neither of them left the room.


    She hesitated about whether to knock on the door or not. To her surpise, Colleen was already standing


    next to her, holding a ss of champagne. "Let''s dance," she urged.


    It was pitch dark outside. Deafening music echoed around the ind. And the thumping could be heard


    everywhere. Tons of young people undted on the dance floor, hypnotized by the pulsing beats and


    pleasure.


    Debbie took onest nce at the room where Carlos was before nodding her assent to Colleen.


    Once on the dance floor, Colleen shifted from a gentle, quiet young woman into a hot, seductive


    dancing queen. She shimmied and stepped in time to the music. She wasn''t the shy young woman


    anymore¡ªshe was a hottie on the dance floor and no one could stop her.


    Slowly, even Debbie sumbed to the mesmerizing beats and started to move her body. But Debbie


    wasn''t really in a dancing mood.


    Her mind was millions of miles away. She was thinking about Carlos and Megan. ''What are they doing


    in that room? Am I being paranoid?''


    Like a mind reader, Colleen suddenly stopped dancing. She hugged Debbie and whispered to her, "I


    thought the same thing. I thought I was just paranoid, but it turned out... Just...just watch out for


    Megan."


    Before Debbie could say anything back, Colleen was all smiles as she walked over to Curtis who was


    waving at her.


    Standing on the dance floor, Debbie watched Colleen leave, so confused.


    ''What did she mean?''


    Curtis saw Debbie standing alone on the dance floor. When Colleen approached him, he remarked, "I


    guess you didn''t behave while I was away. Did you have fun?"


    Colleen grabbed his hand and said, "Debbie and I had just started dancing before you brought me here


    and left her alone. Debbie will be upset."


    "You want to go back? You can dance more," Curtis said with a smile. He knew Colleen better than


    anyone else. On the outside, she was quiet and tender; on the inside, she was as wild as a panther.


    "Not on your life. I want to keep an eye on my boyfriend in case some teenage girl steals him away


    from me." Colleen meant Megan, but Curtis didn''t realize that and kissed her forehead.


    "I saw Megan and Carlos walk into another room. Any idea what they''re doing there?" Colleen asked,


    assuming a casual tone.


    Curtis didn''t answer but flicked her head. "Ow! Why did you do that? Don''t you love me anymore?" she


    cried.


    "Why are you so focused on Carlos? A friend of Megan''s gave her a painting as a birthday gift. It was a


    landscape painting of the Qing Dynasty. She wanted Carlos to verify it wasn''t a fake."


    "Oh? Carlos knows about antiques? I didn''t know that."


    "He''s seen a lot of them, so he more or less knows."


    Colleen pursed her lips and didn''t say anything. She wanted to go back to Debbie and tell her what she


    just heard. After thinking about it, she let go of Curtis'' hand and asked, "Debbie''s alone on the dance


    floor. Aren''t you worried?"


    "Nope," he replied.


    In fact, Curtis wasn''t worried at all. When they walked in, everyone had seen Debbie with Carlos. That


    was enough to ensure that no one was going to mess with her even if they didn''t know who she was.


    Besides, all the guests at the party were good people. Debbie knew martial arts, too. She could take


    care of herself. So Curtis was going to let her do what she wanted and have fun.


    Hearing what Curtis said, Colleen didn''t insist on going back to the dance floor and stayed at his side.


    Later, two women invited Debbie to go sailing. She wanted to go. She also thought she should tell


    Carlos about it in case he was worried. But he still hadn''te out of the room yet, so Debbie had to


    go alone.


    Fortunately, before she stepped on the boat, she saw Colleen and invited her along. So Curtis also


    knew where she was.


    Once the two girls were aboard, Curtis told the pilot, "It''ste. Don''t go far. A circuit around this area will


    do."


    "Yes, sir."


    There were quite a few people on the boat. Debbie didn''t talk much with strangers, but because of her


    lively and outgoing personality, she fit in very soon.


    Musical instruments were avable on the boat. Debbie took a guitar and yed "Never Grow Old" for


    everyone. "I had a dream. Strange it may seem. It was my perfect day. Open my eyes, I realize, this is


    my perfect day..."


    When the song was over, everyone was enthusiastically pping, and made their enjoyment known.

 Chapter 77 The Fight

    Chapter 77 The Fight


    "Debbie, if you be a superstar, I''ll go to your concert," said one of the people on the boat.


    "Why did you waste your talents going to Economics and Management School? You should have


    chosen a music school. You could be a pop star," another observed.


    But Debbie framed theirments asplimentary to Carlos.


    She thought they were trying to suck up to Carlos, rather than actually praising her performance.


    They''d been seen at the party together, after all.


    After an hour, the boat came back and docked, but the party didn''t end until after midnight. That was


    when Debbie finally caught sight of her husband.


    But he was not alone. Megan, who was at his side with a smile, was seeing the guests off with him. He


    handsome and she pretty, they looked like a couple.


    The sight of them being together upset Debbie. But she managed to check her emotions. She walked


    over to them and took Carlos'' arm. "I''m tired. I want to go home," she said.


    Carlos checked the time¡ªit was already past midnight.


    But before he could say yes, Megan cut in with a smile, "Uncle Carlos, I didn''te here in my car. I


    was going to crash here tonight, but everyone''s taking off and I''m scared staying here alone. Can you


    give me a lift?"


    Carlos wouldn''t say no to such a small request.


    Debbie''s heart sank when she heard Carlos say yes. She smiled wryly before sitting on the sofa and


    ying with her phone while waiting for them to say their farewells to the attendees.


    Finally, it was 1 a.m., and all the guests were gone. They boarded a boat and started their journey


    back.


    When Debbie finally saw Carlos'' Emperor parked close by, she was relieved, and started walking


    towards the car. She took it for granted she should sit in the passenger seat.


    Before she could reach the car, however, Megan skipped to the car happily and opened the passenger


    side door. "Aunt Debbie,e on. It''ste," she shouted to Debbie.


    Debbie was surprised by what she was doing. ''Of course I know it''ste. But what does she think she is


    doing?


    If she rides shotgun, where am I supposed to sit? I''m Carlos'' wife. Shouldn''t I sit next to my husband?''


    While Debbie was pondering this, Carlos put his hand above Megan''s head protectively when she got


    in the car.


    After Megan got in, Carlos closed the passenger side door and opened the back door for Debbie.


    Standing next to the door, he stretched out his right hand towards the door in a gesture of invitation as


    a sign of chivalry.


    Debbie was totally enraged. Her sleepiness had been banished. Why was Megan more important to


    him than her, his wife?


    She wanted to scream, "No. I don''t want to get in your damn car!"


    But looking around, she found Carlos'' car was the only one avable at thatte hour.


    Ignoring him, Debbie opened the back door on the other side and got in.


    Only then did Carlos notice his wife''s bad mood. He walked around the car, craned his head into the


    car and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    Debbie closed her eyes and answered in a cold tone, "Nothing. Just sleepy."


    "Okay. We''ll head home after we drop off Megan."


    After that, he closed the door and sat in the driver''s seat.


    Debbie watched him start the car and sighed. He didn''t understand her at all.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    The car sped down the road in the darkness. Sitting in the back, Debbie looked outside the window


    nkly, wide awake. The headlights of other cars knifed through the gloom. The girl in the passenger


    seat was giggling and speaking to Carlos. It bothered Debbie so much she wanted to plug her ears.


    Carlos didn''t talk much and only responded when it was necessary. He didn''t seem all that perturbed


    by the situation. But he never embarrassed Megan by allowing awkward silence. He made


    conversation quite pleasant for the girl. And the way she was carrying on, you could tell she enjoyed


    every minute.


    The car slowed down as it approached arge, fancy housingmunity. ''This must be where the girl


    lives, '' Debbie thought. There were tens of floors in each building. The skyscrapers made Debbie


    wonder whether Megan''s apartment was a gift from Carlos.


    When the car came to a halt, Megan was ready to get out. "Wait up. It''s dark, and not safe for you to


    walk alone. I''ll walk you to the door," Carlos offered.


    Debbie was fed up. ''Son of a bitch! Is she your wife or am I? Why do you care so much about her? Her


    building is right there! Only a heartbeat away from the car! How dangerous can it be?!


    And there are security guards patrolling the area, you jackass!'' she cursed inwardly.


    "Okay, thank you, Uncle Carlos," Megan said gratefully.


    Carlos looked back at Debbie before exiting the car, only to find that she was in the back seat, back


    straight, eyes closed. Assuming that she was asleep, he got out without waking her up. In reality, she


    was as stiff as a board, and mortified.


    Debbie waited in the car for twenty minutes, but there was no trace of her man.


    She was so furious she startedughing. ''That bastard is probably sleeping with her!''


    In the past, she would have exploded with rage by now.


    Yet in front of Carlos, she held her tongue.


    But staying in the car was impossible. She got out angrily and walked towards the entrance of the


    community.


    Ten minutester, her phone rang. It was Carlos. Debbie gave a sneer and picked it up. "Mr. Huo, your


    lady get in alright?"


    "Where are you?"


    "I left, of course! Do you think I should have stayed until after you two had sex? Or gone upstairs and


    watched?" Debbie blurted out furiously.


    For a moment, the other end of the phone was silent. "Megan is a kid Wesley and I are fostering


    together. Don''t overthink it." He finally spoke.


    "Huh! Fostering! Mr. Huo, you ARE rich. I''m overthinking it? Mr. Huo, think about what you did. And ask


    yourself why I''m mad!"


    Carlos ignored her sarcasm. "Where are you?" he asked again. He wanted to exin everything in


    person.


    "Don''t bother looking for me! Bye!"


    She hung up.


    Since it was a high-endmunity, it was in a remote location. At that hour, there were few cars on the


    road and a taxi was nowhere to be found. Debbie attempted to call a taxi through an app on her phone.


    But as soon as she unlocked her phone, Carlos called again.


    She hung up and logged in to the app, but Carlos called again. He kept calling and interrupting her.


    She gave up trying to get a ride.


    Frustrated and angry, Debbie sat on the curb, ring at the road.


    Then her phone buzzed. It was a message from Carlos. "Go ahead. Refuse my next call.


    See what happens," he threatened.


    When he called again, Debbie thundered, "Mr. Huo, I never knew you had such thick skin to keep


    calling like that. When someone doesn''t answer your call, it means they don''t want to talk to you. Get


    it?"


    Carlos'' patience ran out. His face darkened. Then a familiar figure by the roadside came into view. He


    hung up the phone without a word.


    Looking at her phone after Carlos had hung up, Debbie smiled wanly. ''This is unbelievable! Is he angry


    at me now? How could he, after what he did?!'' she said to herself.


    Soon, a car drove over. Debbie stood up. The headlights were so ring she had to turn her head


    away and close her eyes while walking backwards. When the car stopped beside her, she recognized


    that it was Carlos'' Emperor.


    He stepped out of the car, walked over to her, and pulled her into his arms fiercely.


    "Let go of me!" She tried to wrench herself free, but it was of no avail.


    "Why are you doing this?" No woman he''d been with had dared to act so difficult, so determined to


    have her own way. On the other hand, he didn''t understand what the woman was upset about. He


    thought she was just being unreasonable.


    "Why? You know why! How dare I? Right?" Her sarcasm made Carlos think it was time for her to chill


    out.

 Chapter 78 The Gift

    Chapter 78 The Gift


    Silently, Carlos tucked Debbie into the car. Then he buckled her up and closed the door before striding


    to the driver''s seat.


    But Debbie wasn''t staying in the car obediently. She wanted to get out. Yet she had hardly unfastened


    the seat belt before Carlos got in and locked the doors.


    Neither of them said a word until five minutester. "If you are angry because of Megan, don''t be."


    Carlos finally broke the silence.


    Howsoever, Debbie didn''t answer. Ignoring him, she closed her eyes and moved herself into a more


    comfortable position. She needed rest.


    Stealing a nce at her, Carlos frowned. ''This woman is such a headache. What am I supposed to do


    with her?'' he wondered.


    As soon as the car pulled into the garage at the vi, Debbie jumped out, hurried into her room, and


    quickly locked the door from inside.


    Eager to talk to her, Carlos followed her upstairs and pushed the door to her room, only to realize she


    had locked it from inside. For several minutes he stood there, knocking, but there was no response.


    Once more he forcefully tried to turn the knob. A futile attempt. Frustrated, he checked the time on his


    watch. It was past 3 a.m. already. ''I might as well let her rest now. Hopefully, she will be in the mood to


    talk when she wakes up tomorrow, '' he thought with resignation.


    Back to his bedroom, though, Carlos couldn''t sleep on the matter. So he called Damon and told him


    what had happened after the party, hoping that he could help him figure out what had triggered


    Debbie''s anger. But Carlos left out some details, which he thought didn''t matter. For example, he didn''t


    mention that he and Megan stayed in the same room for a long time; that Megan took the passenger


    seat; and that he helped her with some math problems after he had escorted her to her apartment.


    Therefore, Damon was also puzzled after hearing what Carlos had said. "Did someone offend her on


    the ind?"


    Carlos shook his head. "Obviously, it has something to do with Megan. I just don''t know what it is."


    He still remembered what Debbie had shouted when he came out of Megan''s apartment.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "Oh, then she must have misunderstood your rtionship with Megan. She is jealous. I think you two


    will be fine after you exin everything to her."


    "I did. I told her that Megan was a kid Wesley and I are fostering together."


    "And then?"


    Carlos took off his shirt and threw it into a basket.


    "When we got home, she was still mad. She went straight into her room and locked herself inside." It


    amused Damon how a girl like Debbie would be a threat to any man. How she would give a yer like


    him and Carlos, the CEO sleepless nights was something beyond Damon. Yet here they were, awake,


    on the phone in the middle of the night analyzing why she was mad.


    The problem was, even he, thedies'' man, couldn''t figure out what Debbie was angry about.


    So he started having wild guesses. "Maybe she is just being unreasonable. Or she is very possessive.


    Oh, or she is so possessive that she bes unreasonable."


    Carlos really didn''t know how to respond to that.


    "Actually, good buddy, the simplest yet most effective solution is to do it, until she learns to forgive you."


    Damon was in fact speaking for himself. That was exactly what he had used on the woman he loved.


    And it had worked.


    "She is still a girl," Carlos replied.


    It took Damon a long while to realize what he meant by that. And when he did, he jumped up from the


    bed and asked in disbelief, "C''mon, Carlos. You want to tell me you and Debbie have never slept


    together?"


    Carlos suddenly felt embarrassed.


    "Carlos, man, what''s the problem? Are you impotent? Between you and Debbie, could there be a


    medical problem? Or are you gay?"


    "Shut the fuck up!" Carlos cursed. "I never force any woman. I want her to want to have sex with me."


    "Fine! Keep your cool then. Why are you freaking calling me in the middle of the night? Two hot chicks


    are waiting for me in bed!" Damon snarled.


    "Two women? D, does Adriana know about this?"


    The other end of the phone went silent, as if all of a sudden Damon''s mind went nk. "Get out! Both


    of you!" Carlos heard him shouting, apparently at a distance from the phone after a moment.


    Intrigued by what Damon was up to, Carlos looked out the window calmly, a cigarette in hand.


    He could hear the sound of door closing over the phone. "Where is she?" asked Damon.


    "Adriana showed up at the party, but when she saw you go into a hotel with another woman, she went


    back to New Zend," Carlos answered.


    Hearing this, Damon stood up from the sofa in a fluster, grabbed his red suit jacket, and said, "Bro,


    either you spoil your woman without a limit or you subjugate her in bed. Gotta go."


    With that, he hung up the phone.


    The next day, Debbie slept in. When she got up, it was already noon. Sitting in bed, she looked around


    her room, her head swimming. It took her a moment to remember that she hade home in the


    middle of the night.


    Memories of Carlos and Megan came flooding back.


    After freshening up, she came downstairs to have lunch. When the doorbell rang, it was Julie who


    answered. Tristan walked in with a couple of shopping bags.


    He walked over to Debbie and greeted, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Huo."


    Debbie nodded, "Afternoon to you."


    "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo bought these and asked me to bring them to you."


    Debbie stopped eating and looked at those bags. Her eyes lit up on the sight of the logo of a designer


    lipstick brand she always wished for, but couldn''t afford. At the price of a six thousand dors per piece,


    it was way too expensive for her.


    "Thank Mr. Huo for me. But I won''t take these. Take them back to him so that he can give them to


    someone else," Debbie said in a t tone.


    Her refusal surprised Tristan. Had he walked into a marital storm? It was an awkward moment he


    wished he should have excused himself.


    But Carlos was his boss, and he felt obliged to put in a good word for the big man. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo


    picked these for you in person this morning. I''ve worked for Mr. Huo for a long time, and I''ve never


    seen him pick a gift for any woman before."


    Scooping some rice from her te, Debbie asked casually, "What about Megan''s birthday gift?"


    Tristan was stumped. "Er... about that...Mr. Huo picked it himself.


    But what does this have to do with Miss Lan?" Tristan didn''t understand why Debbie suddenly brought


    up Megan. But he had to do his job. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo was in an awful mood when he went to work


    this morning, but when he picked this gift for you, he was in an incredibly good mood."


    "A good mood? How did you know? Did he smile? Or did he tell you that himself?"


    Tristan was left speechless. He could tell that Debbie was furious about something.


    That made the situation even worse for him because although he was capable at work, he sucked


    when it came to women. The fact that he was a divorced man spoke for itself. Clutching at straws, he


    fumbled, "Well, as you know, Mr. Huo doesn''t smile much. And he doesn''t put his feelings into words."


    "I know," Debbie responded crisply. Once again Tristan fell into silence.


    Careful not to make the situation spoil Tristan''s mood over her differences with Carlos, she simply said,


    "Take these lipsticks back to Carlos Huo. I don''t want them."


    However, unsure how he would face Carlos, Tristan put the lipsticks on the dining table and turned


    around. "I''m sorry, Mrs. Huo, I can''t do that. If you don''t want them, I guess you will have to take them


    back to Mr. Huo yourself. They are out of my hands now,"


    he said anxiously as he headed for the door.


    Once he got out of the house, he wiped beads of sweat off his forehead and feeling the warmth of


    sunshine, a sudden need to talk to someone filled his heart. To help his boss, he might need Emmett to


    be around. Among his colleagues, Emmett was a friend to Debbie. Meeting Debbie in this foul mood


    reminded Tristan of his own struggles. ''Emmett,e back home. I wouldn''t be so miserable if you


    were here, '' he thought.


    Meanwhile, Emmett, who was on a construction site, supervising the crew, sneezed suddenly. ''Damn!


    Who is talking about me behind my back? Or is someone missing me?'' he wondered. Actually, he had


    been thinking, ''Mr, Huo, I miss you. I want to talk to you. Please take me back!''


    Bowing his head, he pondered over it for a while. Then he took out his phone and called Tristan.


    "Tristan, how are things with Mr. and Mrs. Huo? Are they getting along?"

 Chapter 79 Jealousy Reared Its Head

    Chapter 79 Jealousy Reared Its Head


    When Tristan got Emmett''s call, he had just returned to the office. Emmett''s question caused him to


    think about the lipsticks Carlos had bought Debbie. In his opinion, a gift meant their rtionship was


    okay. So he replied, "They''re fine."


    "OK. Thanks," Emmett said. After ending the call with Tristan, he called Debbie.


    Debbie didn''t realize she hadn''t talked to Emmett in a long time until she got his call.


    "Hi, Emmett," she said. She was about to go to Carlos''pany to return the lipsticks when her phone


    rang.


    "Boo...hoo... How... how are you, Mrs. Huo?"


    Emmett cried over the phone, which made Debbie shiver. She thought something awful must have


    happened. "What''s the matter?" she asked.


    The next moment, Emmett asked cautiously, "Mrs. Huo, is Mr. Huo with you?"


    "No. Why?" she wondered.


    Hearing that Carlos wasn''t around, Emmett stopped crying and his voice went back to normal. "Mrs.


    Huo, I was sent away to carry bricks on a construction site because of you. I''ve been in this dull,


    terrible ce for a month. You can''t imagine what I''ve been through. When you pour yourself a drink


    and look out the window of yourfortable vi, do you ever think of me? Does it hurt when you do?"


    Debbie was surprised to hear that. ''Emmett? Carrying bricks? Because of me?


    Why didn''t Carlos tell me? I asked him about Emmett, but...''


    "Sorry, I didn''t know," she apologized.


    "Now you know. I want my old job back. You''re Mr. Huo''s wife. Can you help me out? If you bring me


    back, I''ll do anything for you. Anything," Emmett pleaded.


    "Do anything for me? What about my husband?"


    Debbie asked. "Well, do anything for both of you."


    Debbie promised she''d put in a good word, but she couldn''t promise that Carlos would forgive him.


    Swallowing the lump in his throat, he said that was fine. After ending the phone call, Debbie looked at


    the cartons of lipsticks, wondering what to do next. She had been thinking of returning the gift to


    Carlos. She intended to do so resolutely, so she would know that she couldn''t be bought like that. She


    wasn''t happy. But Emmett''s phone call made her hesitate. She had to give it more thought before going


    to Carlos''pany and talking to him.


    When Debbie visited ZL Groupter, Carlos had juste back to his office after a meeting with a


    client.


    Just likest time, Rhonda received her at the reception desk.


    The difference was, this time Rhonda trotted over to her as soon as she saw her. "Nice to see you,


    Miss Nian. You''re here to see Mr. Huo, right?" Without giving Debbie a chance to say anything, she


    added with a smile, "Mr. Huo has just returned to his office. I''ll take you there right away."


    Rhonda''s over-the-top enthusiasm made Debbie ufortable. She gave her a smile and said, "Okay,


    thanks."


    They walked down the lushly-carpeted hall, and entered the elevator. When they left the elevator on the


    66th floor, Zelda, another of Carlos'' secretaries, caught sight of Debbie.


    Although Debbie had been here before, for all kinds of reasons, this was the first time Zelda had seen


    her. She also didn''t look happy to see her. She was definitely different from Rhonda. Colder, more


    distant. Debbie wasn''t sure she liked her that much. It turned out Debbie''s first impression was right.


    "Rhonda, who is this?"


    "Zelda, this is Miss Nian. Mr. Huo specifically said we should take her to his office whenever she drops


    by," Rhonda exined.


    Zelda hadn''t paid much attention to Debbie until now. Hearing what Rhonda had said, she sized


    Debbie up and down and said indifferently, "Okay. I''ll take it from here."


    Debbie smiled, "Thank you!"


    Zelda, on the other hand, only gave her a sidelong nce before making her way to the CEO''s office.


    Debbie pursed her lips at Zelda''s back disapprovingly. ''What a rude bitch!'' So far, she had met three of


    Carlos'' secretaries, the other two being Rhonda and Tristan. Of all of them, Zelda was the most


    arrogant.


    When they came to the door of Carlos'' office, Zelda knocked and soon Carlos responded, ''Come in."


    With the CEO''s permission, Zelda pushed the door open quietly and said respectfully, "Mr. Huo, there''s


    a Miss Nian here to see you."


    Debbie took one step forward and saw what was going on in the office.


    Instead of sitting at his desk, Carlos was reading a file while rxing on the sofa. Megan was at his


    desk. She was doing her homework.


    "Ah, it''s Debbie. Hi Debbie! Come on in!" Megan put down her pen and came to the door when she


    spotted Debbie standing there.


    ''Debbie? Huh! What happened to "Aunt Debbie"? Is it because the secretary is here and she doesn''t


    want her to know about my rtionship with Carlos?'' Debbie didn''t like to think badly of Megan, but


    from what she had learned about that girl, that was most likely the case.


    Megan''s words drew Carlos'' attention away from his work. He dropped the file and scolded, "Don''t be


    disrespectful."


    Megan intimately held Debbie''s arm and said, "Uncle Carlos, Debbie and I are almost the same age.


    Calling her Aunt makes her sound much older. I think ''sister'' is fine. Right, Debbie?"


    Megan turned to look at Debbie expectantly for a response. She sounded friendly and acted nice, but


    somehow, Debbie couldn''t manage a smile, as much as she tried. Yes, Megan hadn''t done anything to


    harm her directly. But there was this hostility in Debbie''s heart growing minute by minute when she saw


    that younger girl, especially when she saw her with Carlos.


    Debbie finally forced a wry smile and nodded at her.


    Carlos didn''t say anything else. He stood up from the sofa and said to Debbie, "Come in."


    Debbie bit her lower lip while thinking about it. Megan''s books and papers were spread out on Carlos''


    desk. There were science papers, math papers, and a pile of hardback textbooks. All signs that the girl


    was in school. The sight of it caused a strong sense of revulsion in Debbie''s heart. She decided not to


    go inside. She turned to Megan and handed her the bags she had been holding all the while. "No. I just


    came here to give these back. Bye," she said to Carlos. It was quick, and decisive, just not quite the


    way she had envisioned it. But, then again, she hadn''t imagined she''d run into Megan here. Who knew


    what Carlos did with Megan when Debbie wasn''t around?


    "Eh? Debbie..." Megan called behind her. She had no idea what she did, or why Debbie was acting this


    way.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    But Debbie didn''t stop. She couldn''t stop. She certainly wasn''t going to stay there a minute longer and


    continue to be humiliated. Each stride was purposeful and as long as she couldfortably make


    them. There was no way to make this any better, and then¡ª


    "Stop!" Carlos called out coldly, causing Zelda to gasp. ''Who is this woman?'' she wondered. ''And what


    does Mr. Huo have to do with her?'' Zelda knew something was up, now. The visitor was clearly furious,


    but why? ''Does she think Mr. Huo owes her something?'' She decided to wait, and watch.


    Debbie paused. She turned around and asked in a sarcastic tone, "Yes, Mr. Huo? I''m rushing off to


    school. Is there a problem?"


    At this point, Megan had already ripped open one box of lipsticks. The smile on her face said


    everything. She was ecstatic, practically glowing. It somehow made Debbie feel even worse. As if she


    hadn''t noticed what was going on at all, she eximed, "Wow! These colors are fantastic! I don''t have


    any of these. Uncle Carlos, did you ask Debbie to buy these for me?"


    Debbie and Carlos were stunned.


    ''I said "giving back" the lipsticks not "bring" them. What is she? Mentally challenged? Why does she


    think the lipsticks are for her?''


    Debbie looked at Carlos and sneered, "Yes, your Uncle Carlos bought those for you. They''re limited


    editions. Enjoy!"


    That made Megan even happier. She put the lipsticks back into the bags and hopped to Carlos'' side


    like a rabbit. "Thank you, Uncle Carlos! I love love love them!" Then, right under Debbie''s nose, she


    stood on tiptoe and kissed Carlos on the cheek, just as she had kissed Curtis on her 18th birthday.


    Watching this, Zelda retreated to her seat. ''I''m right. It seems Miss Lan is going to be Mrs. Huo. Mr.


    Huo is ten years older, but I guess it doesn''t matter as long as they love each other.


    But who is this stupid woman at the door? Mr. Huo and Miss Lan are having a moment there and she is


    still hanging around, being the third wheel. So annoying, '' she thought resentfully. For a second, she


    wanted to grab Debbie and drag her out of the office.


    Debbie looked at Megan in shock. ''How could she?'' She had kissed Curtis right in front of Colleen the


    other night and just now she had kissed Carlos right in front of Debbie.


    Suddenly, it dawned on Debbie what Colleen had meant by ''watch out for Megan.''


    At the same time, Megan seemed to have realized that she messed up. "I''m sorry, Debbie. Habits. But


    now that you are my auntie, I''ll work on it."


    ''Habits?'' Debbie couldn''t help wondering. ''How many times has she kissed him?


    And does she kiss him like I do?''

 Chapter 80 Three Terms

    Chapter 80 Three Terms


    To ease the tension, Debbie took a deep breath and said, "You might be more open-minded since you


    grew up in Norway." Then with a delicate smile, she added, "But I''m conservative, and you can''t


    behave like this again, Megan. Or else I may misunderstand you."


    In response, Megan nodded and excused herself, saying, it would be better if she left, so that Carlos


    and Debbie could have some personal time alone.


    "That''s a good idea, considering your uncle Carlos is a married man. It''s inappropriate for you two to be


    alone," Debbie cut in ahead of Carlos.


    Then she winked at him and added, "Honey, I''ll go back to schoolter. The driver can pick up Megan


    when he drives me to school."


    However, Carlos didn''t answer her back. Looking at Megan who was putting away her homework, he


    said, "Megan, I''ll ask the driver to drop you home now."


    "Who am I supposed to respond to between the two of you?" asked Megan, unimpressed by conflicting


    instructions.


    Carlos shot Debbie a warning look and walked to the door, where he instructed, "Zelda, tell the driver to


    drop Megan home."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." On the spot, Zelda called the driver.


    After Megan had left the office, Debbie turned around and was ready to leave too, when Carlos


    grabbed her hand. "Come in," he said.


    "No. I''m not staying," she replied stubbornly, which came as a shock to the secretaries who had been


    observing what was going on in the CEO''s office. ''Lord, did she just say no to Mr. Huo?'' Anticipating


    their boss would explode with rage, they all pretended to bury their heads in work.


    Everyone was afraid that they would be the victim of their boss'' impending fury.


    "I said,e in," Carlos continued in a colder tone, still holding Debbie''s hand. The expression on his


    face indicated that his demand was non-negotiable.


    However, Debbie shook his hand off and shouted, "I already said, no!"


    She cast the man a re and turned around. But the next thing she knew, her feet were off the floor,


    Carlos holding her by the waist and carrying her into his office.


    "Carlos Huo, put me down! You sleazebag! I''ll kill you! I''ll..." The woman''s voice trailed off when the


    door was shut.


    The secretaries exchanged terrified and confused looks and lowered their heads again.


    In his office, Carlos put Debbie down on the sofa.


    She tried to get up, but was stopped every time by Carlos. After some exchanges of moves between


    martial arts masters, she was overwhelmed and confined to the sofa, Carlos'' body closely against hers.


    Humiliated and angry, she wanted to curse, but as soon as she opened her mouth, a pair of wet lips


    pressed down.


    The man was fierce. Yet the scent on his body was so enchanting for a moment, Debbie almost forgot


    to fight.


    For a while, Carlos kept on holding her. "Debbie Nian, you have been unreasonable. Don''t push my


    buttons!" he said, breathing heavily.


    When he finally rxed, Debbie took a deep breath, looked him in the eye and asked sarcastically,


    "Your buttons? Do you mean Megan?"


    The gloom on Carlos'' face deepened. His hands gripping her wrists tightened. "I don''t like repeating my


    words. For thest time, Megan is a girl Wesley and I are fostering together. Don''t pick on her," he


    snarled.


    ''Pick on her?'' Debbie hit the ceiling. She tried to kick the man off her, but after some wriggling, she was


    forced to give up. "You asshole! I never¡ª"


    The rest of her words caught in her throat when the fierce lips came again.


    Several minutester, Debbie gasped greedily for air, feeling as if her lungs had been sucked empty. A


    moment more and she might suffocate from the kiss.


    By now, she didn''t think it necessary for them to talk about what had been going on between them


    recently. "I have to go back to school. Let me go," she said.


    Carlos didn''t move. "Are you done with the drama?"


    ''Drama! Drama your ass!'' she cursed in her heart. "Yes, I''m done." They were just a nominal couple


    after all. She shouldn''t take everything seriously. At least that offered her some constion.


    "You''re upset," Carlos dered.


    "No, I''m not. You''re reading too much into it," Debbie denied.


    Even so, Carlos knew he was right. He eventually released her, but didn''t allow her to go. He made her


    sit on hisp and wrapped his right arm around her waist.


    Annoyed, Debbie rolled her eyes. ''What now?''


    To which Carlos asked, "Why did you give the lipsticks back?"


    "Why should I keep them?" she retorted curtly.


    "They were a gift for you, and it pissed me off that you didn''t appreciate my effort. That''s insulting."


    Debbie sneered, "Huh! Was it a must that I ept them? Get over yourself! I can say no to anyone,


    okay?"


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nheless, she actually started regretting giving those lipsticks away. She really loved the brand and


    colors, not to mention that now Megan had them. The idea made her wish she could collect them back.


    .


    But then she recalled Megan kissing Carlos and how calm Carlos had been. The kiss must have


    happened a lot of times and he must have be ustomed to it.


    Ignoring her hostile tone, Carlos ordered, "You have no right to throw away gifts that have cost me an


    arm and a leg!"


    "That depends." Debbie finally got a chance to negotiate with Carlos, who was trying to read what was


    going on in her mind.


    All of a sudden, Debbie wasn''t angry anymore. She locked her arms around his neck and observed, "I


    have three terms."


    Debbie might have forgotten that Carlos was a sessful businessman. How was it possible for him to


    agree to trade one term for three terms. "No problem. But to be fair, you have to agree with my three


    terms too," Carlos said firmly.


    Three for three, it sounded fair, but why did she feel she had missed something? And she didn''t know


    exactly what was wrong.


    To make Carlos agree with her terms quickly, she nodded, "Fire away."


    "Ladies first."


    Debbie had to begin, "First, you have to call Megan and get the lipsticks back. But I won''t take the


    broken ones."


    In disapproval, Carlos'' mouth twitched. "You already told her those lipsticks were a gift. How do you


    expect me to ask them back? I can buy you new ones."


    "No, I only want those." She wouldn''t let Megan benefit from their argument.


    Carlos was lost for words.


    Noticing his silence, Debbie stood up and dered, "I see no point continuing this talk."


    For the first time in his life, Carlos felt so helpless.


    "Okay. Your next term?" ''Debbie Nian, good for you!'' he thought.


    "You can''t stay with her alone for more than five minutes. No, five minutes is too long. What if you are


    not so good in bed? One minute! You can''t stay with her alone for more than one minute!" Debbie said,


    holding up her index finger, even though she saw clearly that Carlos'' face had turned ck. He didn''t


    think it was funny at all.


    ''This woman! How could you humiliate me like this?


    Underestimating my ability in bed? I''ll let she know how good I am at that, woman! Right now!''


    He pulled her hard towards him and held her tightly. "Hey! What are you doing? You haven''t said yes to


    my second term yet! Where are you taking me?" she asked nervously.


    But Carlos didn''t respond. Off he carried her towards the lounge. What was he going to do?

 Chapter 81 Step Barefoot On A Porcupine

    Chapter 81 Step Barefoot On A Porcupine


    "I agree to your first two conditions. As for the third, keep it to yourself. Now it''s my turn. This is my first


    condition," said Carlos as he kicked open the door of the lounge, entered the room with Debbie in his


    arms and locked the door behind them. He passed all the other furniture in the room adroitly. They


    zipped past tables, chairs, and a standing liquor cab before Carlos stopped at the bed. The richly-


    appointed bed was inspired by eighteenth-century designs, and featured round ball top bed posts. It


    was colored a beautiful ck walnut, and ornate duvets covered the sheets.


    "What condition is that?" Debbie asked. Looking at the king-sized bed adorned with grey sheets,


    Debbie had a bad feeling all of a sudden. She was not sure what was going on, but the bed put an


    image in her head, and she was going to try and forestall that as long as she could.


    "I''ll have to show you for how many minutes you should forbid me from being alone with Megan."


    As he said this, he threw Debbie onto the bed.


    In an instant, he was on top of her. Her heart rate skyrocketed. Before she could respond, the man


    moved her arms up, and held her hands above her head with his own hand.


    She struggled, but was unable to move. "Wait, wait! I''m trying to discuss something with you. I''m not


    here for this!" she yelled, panicked.


    "We can discuss it while we do this." He pulled the zipper of her jacket down, peeled it off and threw it


    onto the floor. Ity there, silent witness to the actions Carlos was taking.


    ''What''s going on?'' she mused, growing more panicky. And that was the thing. She was hoping he''d say


    something to ease her anxiety. Instead, his actions just scared her even more.


    Suddenly, he stopped, leaned forward and looked into her eyes. He said in a serious voice, "Deb, I''ve


    already given you plenty of time. We''ve been married for three years, and I neverid a finger on you. I


    don''t care about the past, but from now on, I want you to be my woman, physically and mentally.


    Understand?"


    She didn''t think Carlos had it in him. He never so many words at a time. This was the most he''d said to


    her in awhile. Debbie, however, was focused on the sentence¡ª"I want you to be my woman, physically


    and mentally."


    ''He''s going to have sex with me?! What should I do? Should I turn him down?''


    With a red face, she stammered, "I-I understand."


    To be honest, she had already mentally prepared for this when they were in J City. After all, Carlos was


    her husband, and it was normal for couples to have sex. They would have done it there if it weren''t for


    their argument¡ªthey couldn''t agree on what position to use. But now, she wasn''t so sure. She wanted


    to talk to him, not do the horizontal mambo.


    And so far, Carlos had been nice to her. The only thing he did that really ticked her off was maintain a


    rtionship with Megan. And even that could be forgiven, as long as none of them crossed the line.


    Problem was, she wasn''t sure that they hadn''t crossed that fabled line. He''d generally treated her well


    ¡ªhe made sure she was well-taken care of financially, and sent Phillip and Julie to ensure she was


    okay. ''All right. Fine. I can do this. He''s my husband, '' Debbie consoled herself internally.


    But what Carlos said next sent chills down her spine.


    "Don''t be so nervous. This isn''t your first time. I don''t care whether you were top or bottom. But me, I


    have to be¡ª" SMACK!


    Carlos failed to finish his sentence. The sound of a p echoed through the lounge. After that, time


    seemed to stop. There were no other sounds in the room. None at all. And shey there, watching his


    expression turn, and the moments seemed like millennia. She waited, nanosecond by agonizing


    nanosecond, as the full impact of what she''d done sank in.


    Carlos'' face soured as he watched the girl turn from shy to angry. He hadn''t bargained for this. Not at


    all. She was his wife, damn it! She was his woman, and she had no right to turn him down. Not now.


    Not like this. Not after all he''d done for her. And now, she dared toy her hand on him. ''She pped


    me! Again?!'' He couldn''t hold back his anger anymore. It rose in him, threatening to explode. He balled


    a fist, ready to repay her actions with interest.


    When Debbie heard him say "This isn''t your first time," she finally got it. And that was not all. She now


    knew why he said "I don''t care about the past." He didn''t think she was a virgin.


    That was when she remembered... Before he knew she was his wife, he had always believed she was


    a slut who dated countless boys.


    ''Hahaha! God, was I stupid?!'' Sheughed, but tears streamed down her cheeks. These were not tears


    of joy.


    A rush of adrenaline overtook her as she pushed the man away from her, jumped out of bed and


    shouted, "You asshole!" That word hung in the air between them longer than either of them would like


    to admit. Each person believed they had been wronged, and that might change things between them.


    After that, she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of his office, crying.


    She opened the office door and was about to leave when suddenly she saw Tristan standing there. He


    had his hand raised, poised to knock. Seeing Debbie in tears, he was stunned and blurted out, "Mrs.


    Huo."


    Debbie was in no mood to talk to anyone. She bit her lips and ran towards the lift without saying a


    word. She couldn''t. She just couldn''t right now.


    Staring at her retreating figure, Tristan wondered, ''Why the tears? Did she have a fight with Mr. Huo?''


    He turned his head, his gaze shifting to the office, only to see his bosse out of the lounge with a


    stony face.


    Carlos cast a cold nce at Tristan before he sat on the couch and lit a cigarette.


    Now that Carlos had already seen him, Tristan couldn''t just shut the door and leave. He swallowed


    hard and entered the office. He presented a file folder to Carlos and said, "Boss, I got this from our


    branch office, and there''s an urgent¡ª"


    Before he could finish his sentence, Carlos interrupted him impatiently. "I asked you to investigate my


    wife. Do you know anything about her previous rtionships? Who was she with? And for how long?"


    "No," Tristan answered briefly, his head lowered. He knew he''d failed Carlos, and was ready to ept


    punishment if necessary. Carlos hadn''t asked him to investigate Debbie''s rtionships with other boys;


    he didn''t dare to do it without authorization. And this was what he was waiting for.


    "Leave the file here and do what I told you to do," he demanded coldly.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    "Pay special attention to her rtionship with Hayden Gu."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Tristan raised his head and was on the point of leaving when he saw Carlos'' face. A red


    mark? After a closer look, Tristan confirmed that Carlos did have a red mark on his cheek. About hand-


    sized. His mouth widened in shock.


    ''Did Mrs. Huo p him?''


    "Out!" Carlos thundered.


    Frightened, Tristan ran out of Carlos'' office and went back to his seat. He took a moment to slow his


    breathing, and patted his chest to calm himself down.


    ''Oh my gosh! This is the first time Mr. Huo has been this angry. Last time he blew his top when we lost


    an order worth one hundred million, but he was not this angry. But now... Women will humble the


    mightiest of heroes, '' he mused.


    Now he finally understood why Carlos had exiled Emmett to the construction site. Emmett probably


    sided with Debbie. Even so, Tristan considered it a smart move for Emmett to build a close rtionship


    with Debbie, in light of how much she could influence Carlos, so he decided to do the same.


    Leaving the ZL Group, Debbie hailed a taxi and proceeded to the university. But she changed her mind


    halfway and told the driver, "On second thought, take me to Shining International za."


    Then she took out her phone, opened the WeChat app and mentioned Kasie and Kristina in their group


    chat. "I''ll be waiting at our old haunt. You guysing?"


    "ying hookey again, Tomboy?" Dixon asked curiously.


    "Yeah.


    I''m not in the mood. I need to blow off steam."


    While waiting for Kasie''s and Kristina''s replies, Debbie posted an update in Moments. "I want..." She


    couldn''t finish it. She was too mad. So she just left it that way. She couldn''t wait to get together with her


    friends.


    Instantly, someone going by the handle "C"mented, "What do you want?"


    Initially, Debbie didn''t n to reply, for she didn''t know who this person was. But she was really


    frustrated right now and wanted to vent her anger. So she replied, "I want Carlos Huo to step barefoot


    on a porcupine."


    She didn''t think it was a big deal to mention Carlos Huo in Moments. Only her close friends knew she


    was married to him. As for the rest of her WeChat friends, they all thought that she was cracking a joke.


    C replied, "What did he do to you?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Debbie paused. She wasn''t stupid enough to tell a stranger the whole story between her and Carlos.


    She just said, "He didn''t do anything to me. He thought his girlfriend had slept with her ex. I just can''t


    believe he said that."


    Debbie updated her Moments a couple of times, but C stopped posting.


    ''Maybe he''s busy right now, '' she thought. She really wanted to find out who this person with no profile


    photo was. Having no profile pic was rare, but not impossible. All he needed to do was upload a nk


    PNG file and it wouldn''t show up on WeChat.


    She clicked his dialog box and sent a message, "May I ask who you are?"


    C replied very quickly, "You don''t need to know who I am."


    The reply rendered Debbie speechless.


    Shaking it off, she decided to ignore him. ''Probably just some rando on the Inte, '' she thought.


    However, within two minutes, C changed the profile photo.


    The new one seemed somewhat familiar, but it was a bit small to see on the phone. Debbie tapped on


    it to see in full-screen mode. That person used her photo as the profile pic!


    She and Kasie had vacationed in Paris together and Kasie took a picture of her standing beneath the


    Eiffel Tower. She posted that picture in Moments.


    Debbie tapped the photo to make it normal-sized again, and sent a message to C. "Why did you use


    my pic as your profile photo? Who the heck are you? You know me?"


    C''s response floored her. "You know how people put beautiful singers and actresses in their profile


    pics? You look hot in that pic, so I used it. I like you, and I''m going to make you mine."

 Chapter 82 Give Him A Slap In The Face

    Chapter 82 Give Him A p In The Face


    Debbie rolled her eyes at her phone screen where the nickname "C" shed on it. She typed a


    message. "I''m a married woman. If you crack such jokes again, I''ll definitely cklist you!"


    The guy, C, replied to her, "I want to be friends with you."


    She felt bored after chatting with him, so she locked her phone and put it back into her pocket.


    Debbie bent over the table and sipped her milk tea through a straw. A momentter, Kasie and Kristina


    walked into their old haunt, No. 99 Milk Tea. Debbie waved her hand to themzily and called out, "Hey,


    I''m here."


    Kasie sat down next to her and asked curiously, "I thought you weren''t going to y truant again. Why


    did you bunk off school today?"


    A few days ago, Debbie had told them that she wouldn''t dare skip school again because Carlos would


    punish her if she did. They weren''t expecting Debbie to go back on her word so soon.


    Kristina was more considerate than Kasie. The moment she saw Debbie, she realized that something


    was wrong. "Debbie, were you crying?" she asked in a voice full of concern.


    It was not until then that Kasie noticed that Debbie''s eyes were red and swollen.


    Debbie ordered two cups of milk tea for her friends before she cursed through gritted teeth, "Carlos


    Huo is such a jerk!"


    Kasie immediately covered Debbie''s mouth with her hand. "Shh! Look, I know that Carlos Huo is your


    husband, but keep those kinds of words to yourself. Do not curse him in public. If his fans hear you,


    you''re definitely screwed!"


    Debbie did not care for her warning. She shoved Kasie''s hand away and snapped back, "I''m cursing


    my own husband. What does it have to do with them?"


    Kristina approached her and whispered in her ear, "They don''t know that Carlos Huo is your husband.


    A girl cursed him at an airport because she had failed to attract his attention. And that caught the


    attention of his fans. The girl ended up being beaten up and taken to the hospital."


    Debbie''s jaw dropped at Kristina''s surprising words. She gulped hard and eximed in a low voice,


    "That''s crazy! If they found out that I''m married to him, would they go insane and cut me into pieces?"


    Kasie nodded and feigned a serious tone. "They would. So you better watch yournguage. " And she


    couldn''t hold it anymore and burst into a fit ofughter.


    Kristina tapped Kasie''s arm, gesturing for her to not tease Debbie again. "Tomboy, tell us why you are


    in such a bad mood. Who was terrible enough to make you cry? We''ll teach them not to mess with our


    friend."


    They had known Debbie for years, and they had only seen her cry once after her father had passed


    away. This was the second time they had seen her cry.


    "Oh forget it! You possibly couldn''t teach Carlos Huo anything. I''ve cried so many times because of him


    now. That bastard!" Although she hated to admit it, Debbie had been in tears several times since


    Carlos had moved back into the vi.


    Kristina and Kasie shared a knowing look.


    Kasie asked sighing, "Did you piss him off again?"


    "Hey! He''s the one who''s making me cry again and again. Why won''t you me him for his behavior?


    He''s such a jerk! A good man would never make his girl cry." Debbie was puzzled by theirck of


    support. Kristina and Kasie despised men who made girls cry. But why weren''t they taking her side this


    time?


    The two girls shook their heads and said in unison, "I don''t dare."


    Even if his crazy fans were not around, they wouldn''t dare curse Carlos Huo in Y City. After all, this was


    his domain.


    Debbie stared at her friends, mouth agape. ''I asked you toe here to console me. But instead, you


    have managed to make me more upset!'' She waved her hand and dismissed them. "You guys should


    leave. I don''t want to see you right now." She''d rather stay alone than be with people who didn''t


    understand her.


    The waitress came with their milk tea at that moment. Kasie put her cup aside and held Debbie''s hand


    in hers. "We were just joking with you. Don''t be mad. Tell us, what happened between you and him?"


    After a pause, Debbie said in an angry tone, "Do you still remember how Carlos and I had a fight in J


    City regarding who would be on top? I thought about it, and decided to give in to him. So I went to his


    office today... And just when..." She was too embarrassed to continue.


    She blushed scarlet. Although she was used to discussing these things with her friends, it felt totally


    different when it came to her own life. She didn''t know how to continue.


    Seeing their excited eyes, she covered her face with her hands and stammered, "W-When we were


    about to begin... he...uh...thought I was not...a virgin." She peeked at them through the gap between


    her fingers. They were looking at her eagerly. She continued, "He said that since it was not my first


    time, I shouldn''t be too nervous. And he also went on to say that he didn''t care whether I or my ex was


    on top before. I was so pissed off!"


    She dropped her hands and banged the table in frustration. "He''s such an ass! How could he think of


    me like that? He had even called me a slut once before he knew that I''m his wife."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kristina and Kasie were startled by the rattling of the table and tried to console her, "Easy, Debbie!


    Rx."


    There were not many guests in the shop, but the employees were attracted by the loud sound. They all


    turned to stare at them, frowning.


    Realizing what she had done, Debbie gave them an apologetic smile and then lowered her head to


    take a sip of her drink.


    Kasie chuckled. "So, you failed to getid again? This is hrious!"


    Debbie nodded while pouting. How could she have sex with him after being insulted like that?


    Kasie sighed with profound resignation and said, "If I were you, I would''ve gone on with it and proved to


    him that I was a virgin. It would have been a tight p in his face and then you should have forced him


    to kneel before you and apologize."


    "Kneel before me and apologize? He would never do that." Debbie shook her head, knowing Carlos


    very well.


    ''It''s Carlos Huo. The great Mr. President. He seldom apologizes, let alone kneel before me, '' Debbie


    mused.


    "Come on, Tomboy! Why are you being so naive? It should be a run in the park for you to make him do


    such a small thing as kneeling." Kasie shed a sly smile and winked at Debbie.


    Kristina got her meaning instantly and giggled. Seeing Debbie''s confused expression, she approached


    her and whispered in her ear, "Well...if you have sex with him in a regr position, then he will be


    kneeling before you. So..."


    Her voice was very low, but Debbie heard her every word clearly and her face instantly turned bright


    red.


    "Kristina! I thought you were an innocent girl. This is all because of Kasie! She is such a bad influence


    on you!"


    Kasie felt wronged and retorted, "Hey Tomboy! This has nothing to do with me. I''m single, but Kristina


    has a boyfriend. She knows much more than I do. And although you know very little about all this right


    now, I''m sure that you''ll be sophisticated enough once you be Carlos'' woman. After all, your


    husband looks like he''s experienced."


    Annoyed, Debbie pinched her arm, and they began to fight in jest.


    Kristina, however, did not agree with Kasie. "I don''t think that Mr. Huo is an experienced man in this


    matter. My guess is that he''s still a virgin. Otherwise, why would he always piss Debbie off like this? He


    knows next to nothing about women, and he is emotionally unavable. He has also failed to sleep with


    our Debbie even after such a long time."


    After some consideration, Kasie nodded. "That makes perfect sense. Debbie, you are so lucky!"


    Debbie was dumbfounded. "I''m lucky? How?"


    Kasie and Kristina said nothing more, but winked at her with a cunning smile. Unable to bear them


    anymore, Debbie pouted and asked in fury, "Are you here to console me or to make fun of me?"


    Kasie tried hard to hold back herughter and said, "Easy, Deb. Just listen to me. Fuck him once and


    p him in the face with the truth that you''re a virgin."

 Chapter 83 The Slap

    Chapter 83 The p


    Debbie was speechless. She had originally hoped that Kasie and Kristina would console her and give


    her some advice. But all they did was support Carlos and even ask her to sleep with him. "I must have


    been blind when I made friends with you two! You betrayed me and changed sides?" Debbie rolled her


    eyes.


    Kristina grabbed Debbie''s hand and put it on her chest. "Tomboy, trust me. I was always your best


    friend... But that was before I knew that Carlos Huo is your husband. Now that I know the truth, I''m


    siding with him." Debbie retrieved her hand and hit her yfully. "Ouch! Hey, don''t hit me. I''m just telling


    the truth."


    The three of them made fun of each other and burst intoughter. Debbie felt more cheerful now after


    talking to them.


    Kristina told some dirty joke again and Debbie instantly blushed scarlet and hit her arm. Kristina caught


    Debbie''s hand and said, "Come on, Tomboy! Don''t act like a kid! You are his wife, and it''s perfectly


    normal for a couple to getid." Debbie covered Kristina''s mouth with her hands to stop her from saying


    anything more, and Kristina started tickling her in return.


    Debbieughed out loud, unable to tolerate the tickling torture. She waved her arms to stop Kristina.


    Kasie immediately held Debbie''s arms and said, "Stop, you two! Tomboy, to be honest, you should feel


    lucky to have a husband like Carlos Huo. If he were not your husband, we wouldn''t have gotten the VIP


    cards for the fifth floor of the Alioth Building. Why do you think he gave us the cards?" Kasie raised her


    brows at Debbie and continued after a pause, "It''s as the saying goes, ''Love me, love my dog''. He


    wanted to treat your friends well because he cares about you! I wish you would look before you leap


    anymore. There must be some kind of misunderstanding between you and him. Why don''t you two just


    sit down and talk?"


    Kristina echoed, "Exactly. And that day, when we were having lunch on the fifth floor of the Alioth


    Building, he joined us. You two started showing off your affection for each other before us. We were so


    jealous of you! I still remember the way he looked at you. His eyes were full of affection. If it weren''t for


    my dear Dixon, I would have already fallen for Mr. Huo."


    Debbie rolled her eyes at her friends and snapped back, "I can''t believe that you both are smitten by


    him. And here I thought that I could count on you to bring him down. Oh, my heart is broken." ''Kasie


    and Kristina are so mean. Ever since they found out that Carlos is my husband, they seem to have


    forgotten what he had done to me in the past, '' Debbie mused.


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    Since that time when Carlos had gone to J City to rescue her, Debbie had been so touched and had


    forgotten the terrible things he had done to her in the past. But now, the memories came flooding back


    to her. ''He had his men throw me into the ocean. And he even threatened to bury me alive! The jerk!''


    she cursed inwardly.


    "Deb, trust me. He is a good man, and you need to cherish him. I think you should be nicer to him. And


    tell me the truth¡ªdid you hit him this time? I really hope you didn''t..." Before Kasie could finish her


    sentence, she was interrupted enthusiastically by Debbie.


    She gave her a proud smile and said, "I did! I pped him right across the face."


    "What?!" both Kasie and Kristina blurted in unison, stunned by her confession. Kristina choked on the


    red beans in the milk tea and coughed violently. After she stopped coughing, she asked in disbelief,


    "Are you kidding me? Tomboy, did you really p him?"


    Debbie nodded nonchntly and thought to herself, ''How dare he think so low of me! I let him off easy


    by only pping him once!''


    Kasie covered her face with both hands. She knew that Debbie was a short-tempered girl, but she


    never expected that she would p her husband across the face. "Tomboy, why are you always so


    impulsive? Who do you think Carlos Huo is? He''s the richest man in Y City! No, the richest man in the


    world! ! How could youy your hands on him?!"


    Debbie sat upright and told them with a straight face, "This is not the first time I''ve hit him. It happened


    once when Jared took me to a wine party. I almost turned him into a eunuch by kicking him in the


    crotch." She could still remember how hard she had kicked him that day.


    Kasie and Kristina stared at Debbie, mouth agape.


    Words had left them. Finally, Kasie found her voice. She patted Debbie on the shoulder and said,


    "Tomboy, he hasn''t killed you after what you have done. He must love you very much. You must be


    nicer to him, okay?"


    Kristina patted her other shoulder and echoed, "Kasie''s right. Go back home and apologize to him. He


    will forgive you."


    Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. She shook her head at her two friends.


    She didn''t want to go home then. And she didn''t want to go home that evening either.


    Dixon called Kristina a whileter and she bid goodbye to her friends and left soon after. Kasie and


    Debbie stayed there until 9 p.m. They hailed a taxi and went to the university.


    When they got out of the taxi, many students were swarming into the university. The university gates


    closed at 10 p.m. At the entrance of the girls'' dorm, many couples were hugging and kissing, unwilling


    to say their goodbyes for the night.


    "I''m a big big girl, in a big big world; it''s not a big big thing, if you leave me..." Debbie was about to


    enter the dorm when her phone started ringing loudly.


    She took it out from her pocket and was surprised to see the name on the screen.


    Kasie turned to her and asked with a frown, "Who is it? Why are you not answering?"


    After some hesitation, Debbie dismissed the call instead of answering it. She held Kasie''s arm and


    said, "Nobody. Let''s go."


    However, her phone kept ringing again and again, no matter how many times Debbie dismissed it.


    Kasie was unable to bear it any longer and pleaded, "Tomboy, just answer it, okay? I''ll lose my hearing


    if you don''t."


    Before Debbie could answer it, the ringtone stopped. And a text message popped up on her phone.


    Upon seeing the text, Debbie gnashed her teeth and grabbed her phone tighter.


    The text said, "I''m waiting for you at the school gates. If you don''t show up in five minutes, I''lle to


    your dorm and drag you out."


    Debbie gave her stuff to Kasie and said, "I have something urgent to deal with."


    Taking over Debbie''s stuff, Kasie looked at her with a puzzled and worried expression. She grabbed


    Debbie''s wrist and asked, "Tomboy, who is it? You look like you are gathering up for a fight. Do you


    want me toe with you?"


    "It''s Carlos Huo. Are you sure you want toe with me?" Debbie teased her.


    Instantly, Kasie shook her head. "Oh No! No, no! You better get going. Don''t make him wait for you.


    Clear your misunderstandings and start being a proper couple. I''m leaving now!"


    Kasie dashed into the dorm as if she was being chased by some dangerous beast.


    Debbie sighed and turned around towards the school gates.


    She ran at her highest speed; otherwise she wouldn''t be able to make it there within five minutes.


    When she arrived, she saw a familiar Emperor car. Many students'' attention was drawn to the luxurious


    car. Some girls were trying hard to figure out who was inside the car.


    Debbie gasped for air as she pulled up her hoodie and covered her face. She didn''t want the students


    to gossip about herter on. She walked to the other side of the car and got into the backseat.


    Carlos was in the driver''s seat. He had spotted Debbie the moment she had arrived at the gates. After


    she was safely in the car, he started the engine and drove away from the university gates.


    He said nothing as he drove towards the East City Vi. Debbie couldn''t bear the silence anymore and


    said, "Mr. Huo, just tell me what you want right here. I''m not staying at the vi this evening. I''ll take a


    taxi back to school."


    Debbie was a straightforward girl¡ªshe didn''t and wouldn''t hide her true feelings in front of anyone.


    This was both her virtue and her w. She just wouldn''t pretend to be polite andpliant. Carlos


    could tell from her long face and her words that she was still angry at him.


    "You don''t need to take a taxi anymore. I''ll buy you a car," Carlos said in a calm voice.


    ''What the fuck?! I wasn''t implying that I want a car, okay?'' Debbie fumed with rage. "Thank you, Mr.


    Huo. But I don''t need a car. I just..." On second thought, Debbie knew that it was of no use arguing with


    him. She sighed and said, "Never mind. Just stop the car and let me go back."


    "I already told you that you''re not allowed to live in the dorm again," he said coldly.


    "Yes, you did. But why do I have to follow your orders? Who do you think you are? You also want me to


    quit learning martial arts and take Yoga and dancing lessons. But why do I have to listen to you?" she


    yelled.


    "Because you are Mrs. Huo," he said calmly.

 Chapter 84 Im Sorry

    Chapter 84 I''m Sorry


    "Mrs. Huo? Haha! Women are lining up to be the next Mrs. Huo. How about we get a divorce and I give


    someone else the privilege?" Debbie taunted.


    The car screeched to a halt with a piercing sound, which startled the girl in the backseat.


    She swallowed and stroked her chest to calm herself down. ''I''m such a fool! Why did I have to piss off


    the guy behind the wheel? "Car crash victim" isn''t a good look for you, Debbie, '' she told herself.


    Carlos parked the car along the roadside. A few secondster, he unfastened his seat belt, grabbed


    several bags in the passenger seat and left the car.


    Then he pulled open the back door and got in.


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    Instantly, Debbie scooted over to the next seat to stay away from him. She was frightened. What was


    he going to do?


    Without saying a word, he set the bags in herp. She looked down and saw the shades of lipstick he


    had bought for her earlier. Even the carton of lipsticks whose packaging had been opened by Megan


    was in one of the bags.


    ''Did he buy me a new set? Or did he take the old set back from Megan as I said?'' she mused.


    As if Carlos could read her mind, he exined, "I got those lipsticks back from Megan except the


    carton she already opened. To rece it, I simply went to the mall and bought the same one again."


    A myriad of thoughts flooded Debbie''s mind.


    Words left her as she stared at the bags.


    She didn''t know whether she should just give in and forgive him, or persist in ignoring his gestures.


    After all, she was still mad at him because he said she wasn''t a virgin. How could he?


    Carlos suddenly moved like a pouncing cat, and ended up hovering above her. His face was so close


    to hers that she could feel his warm breath against her cheek. Looking her in the eye, he said sincerely,


    "I''m really sorry. I had no call to say that." What he said was disrespectful. No wonder she was mad at


    him.


    He came back home with the lipsticks early this evening, but Julie was the only one there to wee


    him. Julie told him Debbie moved into her dorm. Somehow, he was suddenly struck with a deep sense


    of loss. He never knew what he had until it was gone.


    When he finally regained hisposure again, he was already at the gates of her university. He called


    her more than ten times, but she rejected all of them. He had no other choice but to threaten her.


    She had even pulled her hood up before getting into his car. ''Is it embarrassing to be with me? Why


    doesn''t she want people to know that I''m her ride?'' he wondered.


    Thinking about this, he removed her hood and was much more satisfied when he saw her girlish bun.


    He reached out his hand to smooth some stray hair.


    Debbie wasn''t sure how she felt, but his sincere apology left her in a trance. ''He apologized to me? A


    proud man like him would apologize?''


    She was too shocked to utter a single word. Carlos was amused by her reaction. It wasn''t every day


    that he managed to shock her, but not forck of trying.


    He kissed her softly on the forehead and whispered in her ear, "I don''t want to fight anymore. Let''s go


    home."


    ''Fight? Does wanting a divorce count as fighting?'' she thought inwardly.


    When they reached the vi, Carlos got out of the car and opened the back door. He took the bags and


    helped Debbie out of the car.


    He was so considerate and careful that Debbie felt like she was a pregnant woman.


    Inside Debbie''s bedroom, Carlos pulled the wrappings off a box of lipsticks and put the lipsticks on her


    dressing table. "Hey, old man, stop!" Debbie blurted out.


    Women liked shopping, and also enjoyed undoing the wrappings. Sometimes it was a game, like how


    intact could I leave this if I just undid some corners? The struggle was real.


    Carlos was confused when she said that. ''Why is she mad at me again?''


    When he didn''t stop, Debbie ran toward him and took the other lipsticks away from him. "Aren''t these


    all mine? I want to take the wrappings off. So stop doing it!"


    Carlos finally got the point and couldn''t help but chuckle. He pulled her into his arms, kissed her on the


    forehead and said, "Alright. Have fun then. I''m going to take a bath.


    "


    After saying that, he let go of her and walked towards the door.


    Watching Carlos leave, Debbie pouted and snapped, "Don''t think I''ll forgive you just because you


    apologized and got me a gift!"


    His harsh words still stung.


    Carlos turned around and his face softened. "I know," he said. He knew she was a stubborn girl and


    would not forgive him that easily. But he believed that she would eventually forgive him if he treated her


    better. Maybe someday soon her heart would yield to him and she would be back to the lovely girl he


    used to know, the one he fell for.


    Silence nketed the room after he left. There was nothing left to say, and no one around to say it to.


    Unable to resist the siren call of the lipsticks, Debbie sat in front of the dressing table and began to


    unpack the boxes. She took every shade out and organized the collection.


    She divided them into two piles¡ªthose she liked and those she didn''t.


    She decided to send those she didn''t like to her friends. ''Kasie prefers bright colors while Kristina loves


    soft ones. And auntie will love this pale mauve one! Perfect!'' she thought to herself.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Carlos in a long nightshirt entering her bedroom. The id


    stripes couldn''t hide the contours of his body. She put the containers of lipstick on the table and asked,


    "May I send these to my friends?"


    Carlos'' face soured at her question. "You don''t like them?" he asked.


    "Don''t get me wrong. These particr ones just aren''t me. It would be a waste of money keeping


    them," she exined.


    His face took on a more normal expression. "That''s up to you. They''re yours now." He walked toward


    the dressing table and opened the delicate box where she used to keep her lipsticks. The ones she had


    kept had simr hues to those she had bought before.


    Carlos could tell that she loved lipsticks with colors like red, maple-leaf red, blood red, wine red, ruby


    red... She also had two shades of pale mauve that she used when she didn''t wear any other makeup.


    She was going to send those rose red, orange and purple ones to her besties.


    After closing the box, Carlos suddenly remembered something. He went back to his bedroom and


    came back with a bag in his hand. "This is ourpany''stest bath and body line. Hope you like


    them... Never mind. Just wait for me."


    After a couple minutes, Debbie entered her bathroom to find Carlos pouring some bath oil into the tub.


    Her jaw dropped as she asked in utter disbelief, "Tell me, you did something wrong, right? And this is


    your way of saying sorry?" ''Why is he suddenly being so good to me?


    He apologized to me earlier. And now Carlos Huo, the busy CEO of a multinational corporation, is even


    drawing my bath!'' she mused. She wondered if she were dreaming. This was absolutely unreal. It was


    not like she was a queen or even rich without his money; she was just Debbie. Where was thising


    from?


    "Yes," he answered briefly. He shouldn''t have said those harsh words.


    However, Debbie was now intrigued. She started to ask, "What did you do? Did you just happen to


    sleep with Megan when you went to her house to fetch the lipsticks?"


    "Debbie Nian!" Carlos interrupted her as his face soured. He looked hurt and outraged, and it could be


    heard in his voice. Well, what was done was done. She couldn''t take it back now.


    Debbie shut her mouth at once. As Carlos turned back to add the bath oil, she opened her mouth


    again. And again, she pressed him. "If you really slept with her, you don''t need to feel guilty. After all,


    our marriage is in name only. If you two really love each other, I''ll just bow out¡ª Ow! You...what


    are you doing? Let go of me!"


    Debbie pulled her sweater tighter to her with both hands. Thanks to Carlos, her jacket nowy on the


    floor.


    "If you keep nagging, I''ll bathe you myself!" he threatened.

 Chapter 85 An Innocent Man

    Chapter 85 An Innocent Man


    "Alright, alright. I''ll take a bath. Now get out of here, will ya?" Debbie said. As the saying goes, "Those


    who suit their actions to the times are wise." Debbie decided it wasn''t a good idea to anger Carlos


    again.


    He cast a cold nce at her before leaving the bathroom.


    After locking the door, Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief. ''I thought he''d never leave, '' she thought.


    ''He almost got me naked!'' She pondered this as she stripped off her clothing and was about to settle


    into the tub. It was quite warm, almost hot, so she put in one foot at a time, letting herself get used to


    the temperature. But it was just right to wash away the aches and pains of the day. She finally got all in,


    and settled into the tub. That was when she realized something was wrong. ''I''m the one who''s mad at


    him. Why should I listen to him?''


    Getting out of the bathtub, she yawned. Then she took the body wash that Carlos gave her and foamed


    up. Her hands left trails of foam as she ran them over her body. ''Wow, it smells like milk. I love it!''


    Debbie could practically taste the shower gel.


    Then she washed the foam away under the shower. Her skin was not as smooth as other young girls


    because she had not paid special attention to it before. But after she applied the body lotion, she could


    feel her skin was much smoother. She might have to make a habit of this. It felt great!


    Looking at her naked body in the mirror, Debbie blushed and couldn''t help touching her smooth leg.


    ''I need to pay more attention to my skin. Otherwise, I might age quickly.''


    Shrugging on her night gown, she walked out of the bathroom with wet hair. She thought Carlos would


    be in the study working, but actually he was sitting on her bed, answering a phone call. What was he


    doing here? And why was he in here anyway?


    The moment she appeared, he turned his head and fixed his eyes upon her.


    Debbie sat at the dressing table, opened the tube of nighttime moisturizer and squeezed out some of


    the goo onto her hand. ''It wouldn''t do to get all wrinkled, '' she thought as she worked the lotion onto her


    cheeks, around her nose, her forehead, everywhere on her face. She nced at some of the other


    products and decided the anti-aging SPF 20 serum would be best in the morning. Then she reached


    into a drawer and found her blow dryer. Then, gadget in hand, she walked into the bathroom once


    more.


    While she was drying her hair in the bathroom, Carlos was on the phone with his assistant. "Tristan, I


    need three VIP cards for the spa on the fourth floor of Alkaid Building. Yeah, yeah. It''s for my wife."


    ''Three? Oh, one for Mrs. Huo, and two for her friends.'' Tristan got Carlos'' point immediately and


    answered, "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    "And build a lipstick research and development center in East District Manor, and prepare all the


    necessary materials. She''s going to love designing her own lipstick.


    Register a brand name ''Decar''. We might need it in the future.


    Let''s see, there was something else. Oh, I remember¡ªshe loves singing. So establish a music studio


    for her. Put a piano, a guitar, a digital audio workstation and other top notch equipment in it."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Tristan was secretly shocked, though. ''Since when did Mr. Huo be a ve to his


    wife?''


    Carlos, however, was still pondering how he could be nicer to Debbie. ''She likes martial arts, but I don''t


    think she needs it anymore. After all, I''ll protect her in the future. She doesn''t need to lift a finger to do


    that.''


    "Ah, one more thing. I need you to hand off your duties to someone else, including the tasks I just gave


    you. I need you to go and find me something. It is a rough diamond of pale blue. I saw it at auction


    once." The gem was pale blue and as clear as water. Carlos hadn''t paid much attention to it back then.


    If memory served him, pale blue was Debbie''s favorite color.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo!" Tristan answered.


    "Get it no matter how much it costs!"


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Having dried her hair, Debbie walked out of the bathroom and saw Carlos set his phone down on the


    nightstand. Standing beside the bed, she asked, "Not going back to your bedroom?"


    Without answering her question, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.


    The girl smelled like milk, turning him on.


    He lowered his head and was about to kiss her on the lips, but she turned her head and the kissnded


    on her cheek instead. He looked at her and said, "I told you before, we''re a couple. I want you. Get on


    the bed."


    "No! Listen, I agreed to sleep in the vi instead of the dorm like you wanted. Keep it in your pants."


    "It''s perfectly normal for a couple to sleep together."


    Before she could refuse him, he picked her up andid her on the bed. Debbie was about to struggle,


    but he turned off the lights and held her tight. "Sleep, now!"


    "I''ll only go to sleep after you leave my room. Otherwise, I can''t."


    "You don''t want to sleep? No problem! Let''s do something more fun." The next second, she felt all of


    his weight on top of her, pressing her back into the bed. In the dark, he kissed her full on the lips.


    She thought he would continue, but he let go of her, turned around andy beside her, panting. "Sleep,"


    he said in a husky voice.


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    Early the next morning, when Debbie went down the stairs and sat at the dining room table, Carlos


    already finished his breakfast. He looked at Debbie and said, "We didn''t get to the third condition


    yesterday. Mind telling me what it was?"


    ''What? The third condition? I totally forgot. What was it again...'' It took a while before she finally


    remembered what her third condition was. It was hard to concentrate, with everything going on. "Um, I


    haven''t seen Emmett recently. Do you know where he is?" Debbie went sober when she thought of


    Emmett, who must be crying and alone at the construction site now.


    Carlos immediately realized what she was going to say. There was a reason for Emmett''s exile, and his


    wife wasn''t going to undo that. It wasn''t any of her business anyway.


    With a sullen face, he stood up from his chair and said in a cold voice, "He''s busy."


    Putting her chopsticks on the table, Debbie ran toward Philip and grabbed Carlos'' suit coat. She then


    ran toward Carlos and said with a ttering smile, "Let me help you put this on. Though we''re a couple


    in name only..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by an angry Carlos. "We are not a couple in


    name only!"


    "Oops, sorry. Won''t say that again." She helped him put his arm in a sleeve, and when she was about


    to help him with the other sleeve, she remembered she was still mad at him. She immediately let go of


    the coat. Luckily, Carlos grabbed the coat himself. Otherwise, it would have fallen onto the floor.


    He cast a cold nce at her and shrugged on his coat without saying a word.


    The smile on her face disappeared as she stated in a cold voice, "I haven''t forgiven you yet. If you want


    me to forgive you, then don''t get Emmett involved in our fight. After all, it was I who threatened him to


    keep my identity a secret. He had no choice."


    "It has nothing to do with me," he answered indifferently.


    Debbie didn''t expect him to say that. Or act like that.


    ''What a petty man! Fine. Maybe my feminine wiles...'' "Can you please let hime back?" she asked


    in a soft voice.


    "Can you please stop being mad at me?" he asked in reply.


    Reluctantly, she answered, "Okay. I''m not mad at you anymore."


    "Then I''ll let hime back when I''m not angry at him anymore," he offered.


    Debbie jumped to her feet and snapped, "Then I won''t forgive you!"


    "Poor Emmett. He''ll have to haul around bricks on that construction site for a long time," he sighed. He


    turned around and walked towards the gates.


    Debbie''s jaw dropped. She wanted to find a way to bargain with the man. But after he had changed his


    shoes, she hadn''t figured it out yet. She could only run toward him and hold his arm tightly. "I''m not


    mad at you now. Can you just forgive Emmett this time? C''mon old man..."


    Trying hard to suppress hisughter, Philip opened the gates for Carlos and wondered, ''Debbie is so


    cute. She knows how to deal with Mr. Huo. He''s a sucker for sweetness, but nevermand him to do


    anything.''


    "What did you just call me?" Carlos asked in a cold voice. He never liked that epithet much, and saw no


    reason to do anything for her when she was like that. He liked to have everything under his control.


    Embarrassed, Debbie cast a nce at Philip. He immediately got her point and left the vi.


    Once she was sure Philip was out of earshot, she held Carlos'' arm and said "Honey" in a sweet voice.


    Satisfied, Carlos smiled, but he feigned anger and asked in a stern voice, "He''s that important to you?


    You''re going to do what I want just for him?!"

 Chapter 86 Be Good To Yourself

    Chapter 86 Be Good To Yourself


    "It''s not what you think. There''s nothing going on between Emmett and me. The day we met at Shining


    International za, I only asked him not to tell you who I was. It''s so unfair that he''s being punished


    because of me. Can you forgive him and let hime back? Otherwise, this whole thing will weigh me


    down; I may not be able to lift the spoon at the dining table."


    In her usual yful manner, Debbie forgot how important this was for Emmett and trailed off into a joke.


    Carlos pried her hand off and


    left her with a terse message as he left for work¡ª"Be attentive in your lessons."


    Debbie felt frustrated. ''I begged so hard and he left me hanging? He didn''t even say whether he had


    forgiven Emmett or not.''


    After the yoga lesson, Debbie went back to school with the lipsticks. But Carlos'' attitude bugged her no


    end.


    In the dormitory, Debbie gave out the lipsticks to Kasie and Kristina.


    Upon receiving those limited edition shades, Kasie held her tightly and gave her a peck on the cheek.


    "Tomboy, you are a goddess."


    Kristina tried a magenta lip gloss. She looked great wearing that color. "Debbie, these lipsticks cost $2,


    999 each and you gave me more than one. Why are you being silly? You told us you needed money.


    Why didn''t you sell them online?"


    Debbie propped her hand against her chin and answered, "I don''t want to bother. Besides I don''t like


    this color and you have been talking a lot about how you love it. So I thought it was perfect to give them


    to you guys."


    Meanwhile, Kasie removed the fuchsia shade she had just put on and looked at Debbie mischievously.


    "Have you and your husband made up?" she asked.


    Debbie hesitated, not sure how to put it. "Sort of."


    She had every reason to be angry, but whenever she saw Carlos, she calmed down without knowing


    why.


    "Making up is good, Debbie. You need to give your all to each other, and that can only happen when


    both of you are at peace. You have our blessing for that."


    "I''m a big big girl, in a big big world..." Debbie''s ringtone went off, interrupting them, right then.


    It was Tristan. "Hello, Tristan," she answered cheerily.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo had some items delivered to you. Ashley Ren, another assistant to Mr. Huo, has


    arrived at your school parking lot. Afraid that you won''t take her call since you don''t know her phone


    number, she asked me to inform you about it in advance."


    "Okay, thanks, but what items?" Debbie asked as she stood up from a chair.


    "You''ll know when you see them. Ashley Ren drives thepany''s vehicle, license te 5566." It


    seemed Tristan was at the airport, as over the phone, Debbie could hear departure and arrival


    announcements in the background.


    "Okay, on my way. Thank you, Tristan."


    "My pleasure, Mrs. Huo. You can also take your friends with you if you want."


    Debbie couldn''t make head or tail of Tristan''s words. Atst, she took Kasie and Kristina with her to the


    school parking lot, where


    at the entrance stood a white Mercedes SUV, which drew a lot of attention. Many students stopped to


    admire the sleek car. Some girls even fantasized about a Prince Charming behind the wheel. However,


    when they found out that the driver was a woman, they left with disappointment.


    From a distance, Debbie saw a middle-aged woman in a ck uniform lingering by the car. "Hi, are you


    Ashley Ren?" Debbie asked when they got near.


    Ashley Ren pushed her sses up and replied respectfully, "Yes, Mrs. Huo. I''m Ashley Ren, Mr. Huo''s


    assistant. I came here to deliver some items for you."


    Ashley Ren was not a gossip, but she was amazed at how beautiful and young the CEO''s wife was.


    After some polite remarks, she took out a bag from the car and handed it to Debbie. "Mrs. Huo, here


    are three VIP cards for the biggest SPA on the fourth floor of Alkaid Building. If you have no ns


    tonight, why don''t you and your friends go there and sample their services?"


    The three girls were surprised to know what the secretary was there for.


    Debbie took the bag. There were three embossed boxes. She opened one of them, in which was


    enclosed a gilded card from the Divana Nurture SPA.


    In each card was enclosed a $50, 000 VIP card.


    Kristina could not believe what she was seeing. She covered her mouth with her hand and said, "Thank


    you, but I can''t ept it. I''ll stay by Debbie''s side and take care of her for Mr. Huo with or without the


    card."


    Having already taken a one-million-dor VIP card from Carlos, she felt it was too embarrassing for her


    to take this one too.


    Thinking the same, Kasie held Debbie''s arm and looked at Ashley Ren. "Please thank Mr. Huo for us.


    We feel honored to be Debbie''s friends. But we can''t ept these cards. Please take Kristina''s card


    and mine back. Thank you."


    Ashley Ren returned Debbie''s friends an approving look and observed, "Mr. Huo hopes that Mrs. Huo


    can have yourpany when she hits the SPA."


    When the other two girls heard this, for a moment, they couldn''t frame a response.


    However, Kristina still thought they ought to refuse the cards. "We understand. We''ll apany


    Debbie when she goes to the SPA, but we don''t have to ept the cards."


    Kasie echoed, "Debbie, just keep your card. I''ll keep youpany next time you want to go to the SPA.


    I can ask my dad for more pocket money to afford the ce on my own." She used to have some


    sauna and beauty salon cards, but she couldn''t afford a VIP card for the fourth floor of Alkaid Building.


    Nheless, for Debbie, Kasie would ask her dad for some financial support. She assumed that her


    dad would help her out if she mentioned that Debbie was Carlos'' wife.


    Without saying a word, Ashley Ren only smiled at the girls. "The ball is in your court," she said calmly


    as she waited for a final decision from Debbie herself.


    Debbie understood her friends. She felt stumped. After a while, she decided to call Carlos. "Old man,"


    she began on the phone after she had excused herself and gone a little distance from her friends and


    Ashley Ren.


    "Hmm? What did you just call me?" Carlos asked in a deep voice that made Debbie blush.


    "Um... Ashley Ren has brought the cards to me, but I''m afraid we can''t take them. My friends and I


    rarely go to a SPA," she exined. What she said was the truth for her girl friends. They were young,


    livelydies, whose skin didn''t need much of special care. Besides, Debbie had more than enough on


    her te without having unnecessary troubles about her appearance.


    "A girl is supposed to have an exquisite life. Do I have to tell you that?" ording to what Carlos had


    found out, Debbie had learned to make do with the little she had, ever since her father passed away.


    Such luxuries as spa treatment were things she had had to cut outpletely. And she was doing just


    fine, until


    Carlos came along. Even so, from the handsome monthly allowances he gave her, Debbie only took


    what was enough to cover her usual expenses. He couldn''t stand her being so harsh on herself. It


    made his heart ache.


    "This is just a beginning.


    The title of Mrs. Huoes with a lot of duties and privileges as well. As my wife, you''ll have to learn


    the ropes. I''d take you to various social activities and to meet friends. So you have to enhance yourself


    on every level. Alright?"


    "But..."


    "If you don''t like to socialize, I won''t force you. But you have to promise me something¡ªbe good to


    yourself. The first step of being good to yourself is to treat yourself to something nice."


    Five minutester, when they hung up the phone, Debbie was convinced. She took the cards and


    thanked Ashley Ren for the delivery.


    "I was just doing my job. Bye, Mrs. Huo," Ashley Ren replied.

 Chapter 87 Wounded

    Chapter 87 Wounded


    After Ashley had driven away, Debbie took out two embossed boxes and handed one each to her


    friends. "Here. I don''t want to take the card either, but I guess we all have to. Besides, it''s only a small


    sum for Mr. Huo anyway. He said if you don''t ept the cards, then that means you don''t see me as


    your friend. So, just take it, both of you."


    "But Debbie. When we were on the fifth floor of the Alioth Building the other day, we had already


    epted a one-million-dor VIP card. We really feel embarrassed to take this one as well," Kristina


    said.


    "I don''t know. It beats me how that capitalist''s mind works," Debbie responded, shaking her head. She


    could imagine how awkward they were feeling to be forced to ept VIP cards with huge sums of


    money in them, especially from another woman''s husband. She would probably feel the same if she


    were put in the same situation.


    "Never mind. Since Mr. Huo insists, let''s just take it," she said to her friends.


    That evening, Debbie decided to have a talk with Carlos. However, she was informed by Emmett, who


    had just returned, that Carlos had left on a business trip and wouldn''t be back for at least a month.


    With Carlos away, she was hoping to have some relief from her busy schedule. But it was not going to


    happen. Carlos had already organized a list of activities for her to do and bid someone to supervise her


    in his absence.


    During the day, she had yoga and dance lessons. To make sure that she stayed busy, Carlos also


    arranged other various activities such as flower arrangement, tea parties, art exhibitions, bowling,


    women''s baseball and so on. In the evening, she was expected to have either a milk bath or a rose


    petal bath.


    Debbie was frustrated with this way of life. It was the lifestyle of an upper-ss socialite diva and not


    hers. She wanted her own simple, easy life back. Just as she was about to go crazy, Carlos finally


    returned from the business trip.


    He had been away for more than two months. At the start, they had texted each other on the phone.


    But when Debbie hadined to him about the lessons and activities that he had arranged for her,


    he had simply replied, "I did this for your own good." Debbie didn''t contact him again after that.


    Later, she found out that Carlos had put her name down for a dance program at her school''s Sr New


    Year G. Debbie was so angry she gritted her teeth and felt like punching him in the face for it. But


    she didn''t call or text him.


    The day that Carlos returned happened to be when the Sr New Year G was held. Since the new


    year was on Sunday, the g was held three days earlier.


    Debbie anxiously waited on the stage dressed in a ssical style azure dance costume.


    When the curtains parted and the spotlight lit up the stage, the audience was stunned to see Debbie


    there.


    She twirled and jumped, moving her body smoothly and gracefully.


    Everyone was in awe and wondered when Debbie had be so elegant and charming.


    When the dance finished, the audience gave her a standing ovation that echoed throughout the whole


    venue.


    Even though her performance was a huge sess, Debbie didn''t feel happy within herself. She smiled


    and bowed politely to the audience and then left the stage. Changing back into her own clothes she


    headed home.


    ''I won''t ever speak to that dreadful man again. Even when he is not around, he still manages to torture


    me. He must be thrilled that the dance was such a sess. It was all for him. I didn''t want to do it, '' she


    thought angrily as she reached the vi.


    She opened the front door and went in. While she was feeling around in the dark for the light switch,


    someone held her from behind. She jumped back startled.


    But, the hug felt familiar and she knew instantly that it was him. Turning her, he silenced her scream


    with a kiss.


    Even though it was dark, Debbie could sense that something wasn''t quite right. She could smell the


    unusually sweet metallic scent of blood.


    rmed, she wriggled out of his embrace and quickly turned the lights on. When she looked at Carlos,


    he was holding his bleeding arm.


    "What happened?" she asked nervously. Carlos'' face was pale and sweating from the pain.


    "I''ll be fine. Call this number and tell him toe quickly," he said, trying to control his excitement at


    seeing her again.


    "Let me drive you to the hospital. It will be quicker." Debbie threw her bag onto the floor and was about


    to help him to the car.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    But Carlos stopped her. "We need to keep this quiet, especially from the press. Can you help me


    upstairs? The number that I gave you to call is a doctor."


    After Debbie had called the doctor, she turned to Carlos, visually upset. "I''m surprised that you still


    remember you had a home after being away for such a long time! Look at you! You''ve gotten yourself


    hurt like this. Somebody may think that I did this to you," sheined as she helped him climb the


    stairs.


    Once they reached the top, Carlos stopped and turned to look at her. He touched her cheek gently. "I


    saw your performance tonight. You were breathtaking," he said sincerely.


    On hearing that, Debbie suddenly remembered everything that she had to endure for the past two


    months, while he was away on his business trip. Tears welled in her eyes. "Carlos Huo, you''re such a


    jerk! You kept controlling my schedule even when you were gone. All the things that you made me do


    are for divas and socialites, not for me!"


    "Okay, then don''t do them anymore."


    When Carlos saw the sadness in Debbie''s eyes, his heart softened. He didn''t want to push her


    anymore.


    "Do you really mean it? Or are you just saying that now, because I am helping you? Do you remember


    what you said to me when I firstined to you about it? You said that it was for my own good. Why


    are you letting me quit everything now?" Debbie hadined about it to him only once. When she


    got his response, she was so angry that she didn''t contact him anymore after that.


    But what infuriated her even more was the fact that he never called or texted her either.


    "I''ve agreed to let you stop because I don''t want to see you upset." Perhaps what she said was true.


    The sses and activities really didn''t suit her. She was wild and free-spirited. Forcing those things on


    her wouldn''t work. He was surprised that she didn''te and find him abroad and argue the point with


    him face to face.


    "The past two months have been unbearable for me. I thought I was going mad from all of the tedious


    activities that you had inflicted upon me. And now, suddenly you are being nice and trying to make


    everything okay. No! It just won''t do."


    She was sobbing slightly, but she also dramatized a little to make it all sound much worse than it really


    was.


    Debbie helped Carlos onto the bed. Once he seemedfortable enough, she turned to leave. But


    Carlos grabbed her hand. "I''m sorry for everything I made you go through. I won''t do it again," he


    apologized.


    This time, she couldn''t contain her emotions anymore. Her tears spilled down her cheeks and she wept


    openly. She raised her fist and was about to punch him in the arm. But when she saw the injury, she


    aimed for his chest.


    Even though Carlos was hurt, Debbie was still no match for him. He caught her hand and pulled her


    into his arms. "We haven''t seen each other for two months. Didn''t you miss me?"


    "Why would I miss you? No, I didn''t miss you at all." She lied. With her cheek against his chest, she felt


    awkward and began to fidget. Also she took care not to identally touch his injured arm.


    "But I missed you, a lot," he confessed.


    At his words, her heart began to beat faster in her chest and her cheeks flushed red hot. Stuck for a


    response she decided to change the subject. "How did you get hurt? Were you trying to protect some


    woman?" she asked casually, having a dig at him.


    Carlos fell into a silence.


    Debbie''s heart sank at his response. She stood up and red at him. "So I was right!"


    She felt a pang in her heart.


    "Do you know why Wesley and I decided to foster Megan? Because her parents both died a horrible


    death to cover us."


    She soon realized that the woman he had tried to protect was Megan.


    Debbie wasn''t sure what she was feeling anymore. It wasplicated. Part of her felt that Carlos had


    done the right thing while the rest of her felt like crying. She was so conflicted.

 Chapter 88 Falling In Love

    Chapter 88 Falling In Love


    Carlos continued, "Megan was only twelve at the time and she watched her parents die. The horror


    was too much for even Wesley and me to bear, let alone for her, who was only a little girl. Stimted by


    what had happened in front of her, her asthma hade back. She was taken to hospital soon enough


    to just save her life. It was a painful day for everyone. She could have died that day..."


    Imagining the horrible scene, which was even difficult for a tough guy like Carlos to describe, Debbie


    immediately felt sympathetic towards Megan.


    She now thought that Carlos had done the right thing by saving the girl this time, though he had gotten


    himself badly wounded.


    Debbie banished all the negative feelings in her heart and said, "I''ll go check if the doctor hase."


    Then she turned and walked towards the door.


    Carlos didn''t stop her. He slowly passed out as Debbie walked down the stairs.


    A few minutester, Debbie came back to the room with the doctor at her heels. As she saw the man


    lying there, motionless, his eyes closed, her body went stiff with uncontroble fear. She ran over to the


    bed to check on him, and she saw that the bed was soaked with the blood from his wounds.


    "Car...Carlos," she called. Tears welled up in her eyes the minute Carlos'' name escaped her lips.


    "Wake up! Please don''t scare me like this."


    She patted his face softly, trying to wake him up. "I''ll be good. I''ll attend all the sses you''ve arranged


    for me. I''ll do everything you''ve asked me to do. Just wake up. Please!" she begged.


    Carlos'' eyes slowly fluttered open. Looking at the wailing girl by his bedside, he asked in a hoarse


    voice, "Really?"


    Debbie stopped crying and nodded repeatedly. She sighed, relieved to hear his voice. "Yes, I promise.


    Just don''t go passing out on me again, okay?"


    The doctor got everything ready for his immediate treatment. "Mr. Huo, I''ll stop the bleeding first," he


    said, swiftly getting to work on Carlos'' wounds.


    A trace of smile appeared on Carlos'' pale face when he looked at Debbie''s tear-stained face. "Be a


    good girl now and don''t cry anymore. Wait for me outside, all right?"


    To get out of the doctor''s way so that he could efficiently do his job without any disturbances, she left


    the room quietly and waited outside.


    Strong feelings surged inside her which she felt she had to share. Too anxious to wait to see her


    friends in person, Debbie decided to talk to them on the phone right away. She typed a confession into


    her message box. "I think I have fallen for Carlos Huo."


    Kristina was the first to respond. "Isn''t that quite normal? He''s perfect! Even though I have a boyfriend,


    I still would love to be with Carlos."


    Kristina wouldn''t stop talking when it came to Carlos. However, Debbie didn''t reply to her statement.


    There was too much going on in her mind at that moment. She had to spill it all out. She continued to


    type, "He has arranged a lot of sses for me. Although I don''t like any of them, so far I have gone to


    all the sses. He always has this straight, calm face. When I think of him, I am afraid...but I also feel


    happy."


    Kasie didn''tment, but just nodded at the phone screen. She had always hoped that sparks would


    fly between Debbie and her husband. It was finally happening.


    "He''s actually so good to me. He knows what my favorite food is and always asks Julie to cook


    whatever I like. He knows that I have a huge appetite, but he neverins about me eating too


    much or worries about me getting fat. And when we got out, he ordered so much food for me," Debbie


    went on.


    When they dined at Alioth Building the other day, her friends could tell that Carlos treated her


    preciously.


    "It is true that he is cold and condescending, but when we are alone, he is gentle to me."


    That text came as a shock to Jared, who found it hard to connect the word ''gentle'' to Carlos. ''Gentle?


    Mr. Huo? What''s that like?''


    "He knows that Kasie and Kristina are my good friends, so when he buys VIP cards for me, he never


    forgets about them."


    Kristina and Kasie nodded viciously at that statement. Thanks to Debbie, now each of them had more


    than ten VIP passes to all kinds of fancy ces.


    "I got so mad when another woman sat in the passenger seat of his car. I got mad when he stayed in


    Megan''s room for too long. I was so angry when he was good to her."


    ''Sounds like love to me, '' Jared thought as he read her messages.


    "In J City, he had rescued me. I didn''t tell him this at the time, but I was really touched by his care for


    me."


    Jared rolled his eyes and thought, ''Women always tend to be grateful to the person who saves them in


    an emergency.'' In Debbie''s case, that person was Carlos. There was an infinite possibility of romance


    between them.


    "It pained me so much when I saw him wounded. All my anger vanished in an instant."


    ''Is Mr. Huo wounded?'' everyone wondered when they saw Debbie''s message.


    "He is my husband, he is handsome and he has the most perfect body. After he found out that I''m his


    wife, he did everything in my interest. Why am I still hesitant to be intimate with him? Is there


    something wrong with my head?"


    Kasie couldn''t hold herself anymore. She typed, "Your head is fine. Maybe you''re just frigid in bed."


    Debbie''s wistfulness was expelled by Kasie''s words. She looked at her phone andughed.


    The rest of the group posted the Rolling On The Floor Laughing emojis.


    Debbie sent several Crying Face With A Hammer Over The Head emojis and mentioned Kasie in her


    next text, "You''re the one who is frigid in bed." Every time they got down to have sex, she was as eager


    as he was. But the road always got bumpy. It hadn''t yet happened for them, for some reason or the


    other.


    Carlos had managed to control his urge every time things went south or when Debbie wasn''t in the


    mood. His self-control was beyond her imagination. In fact, she was so stunned sometimes that she


    suspected if he had some physical problem. But since she could clearly feel his erection against her,


    she knew that was not the case.


    Perhaps he truly respected her and didn''t want to force her into it.


    When she thought of all this, tears filled her eyes again. She turned to look at the closed door beyond


    which Carlos was lying wounded; she thought of Megan. If only she could beat the hell out of that


    culprit!


    Megan was the reason why her husband was bleeding in bed.


    Carlos had told her that Megan''s parents had saved his life. So he felt like he owed that girl and was


    indebted to her.


    "Arghhhh!!" Debbie yelled, troubled by all these contradicting thoughts. She stopped crying and


    pounded the wall fiercely with her fist.


    Meanwhile, her friends were still talking to her in the group chat. "Debbie, has something happened to


    Mr. Huo?" Dixon asked.


    "Yes, but it''s confidential. Keep it to yourselves, please," she said. Debbie regretted having blurted out


    Carlos'' injury.


    She was worried if it would lead to some trouble for Carlos if the news of his injury was leaked. But she


    also believed that her friends wouldn''t betray her.


    "Isn''t he on a business trip?" Debbie''s friends asked in unison. They all knew that Carlos had gone on a


    business trip two months ago.


    "He came back out of the blue. And to my surprise he told me he saw my performance. I wonder how."


    She mused if he had gone to her school to see the performance.


    Yet considering the depth of his injury, it seemed unlikely.


    "Tomboy, after watching you dance, I really think that Mr. Huo has done all this for your own good. He


    has turned you into such an elegant, glowing woman," Kristina said, proudly.


    "What?! Elegant and glowing? Really? Are you talking about me? Come on!"


    Debbie was surprised that her friends thought of her that way.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kasie agreed dly with Kristina on that. She said, "Kris is right. Moreover, your skin is much better


    now too. Your hands used to be rough and covered in calluses. But thest time I held your hand, it


    was soft and smooth like silk. And that time in the bathroom, I saw that your skin had be fairer


    and rosy. I almost drooled all over you."


    Debbie blushed at herments. "Okay, stop! Don''t talk about all that stuff with the boys here. Delete


    it!" Debbie demanded.


    Kasie immediately deleted her messages. But Jared posted a Grinning Face emoji and said, "Toote.


    I already saw it. Tomboy, next time we meet, let''s take a bath together. I want to see how good your


    skin really is."


    "Back off! Wait until I tell Carlos about thatment."


    Jared was terrified and deleted that message immediately. "My mistake. Please forget that I even said


    it," he pleaded.

 Chapter 89 Seduction

    Chapter 89 Seduction


    The fact that Debbie was Carlos'' wife alone was enough to forbid Jared from wanting anything more


    than friendship from her. Even if he were the bravest man on earth, he wouldn''t dare to cross the


    threshold with Carlos'' wife.


    Kristina sent a Heart-Eyes emoji, followed by her fantasy. "I want to sleep in Debbie''s arms."


    Dixon replied right away with a Worried Face emoji, "What about me? What''ll happen to me then?"


    The others hooted.


    Later, two of the doctor''s assistants came to the vi to bring some medicine to the doctor. They walked


    into the room Carlos was being operated in. After that, another wait of two hours was steadily breaking


    Debbie''s resolve. No one hade out of the room yet and Debbie was so anxious to know what was


    going on inside that she was on the verge of barging in.


    About a half more hourter, the door of the room finally opened and the two assistants walked out.


    "How is my husband? Is he going to be all right?" Debbie dashed towards them as soon as they


    stepped out of the room.


    "Both of the bullets from inside him have been removed. The surgery is almost finished. Dr. Jiang is


    just performing the finishing work, making sure there are no chances of future trouble," they reassured


    her.


    Debbie was a bit relieved now. "Can I go in there?" she asked.


    "A few more minutes, please. Dr. Jiang will being out soon."


    "Okay, then."


    Fifteen minutester, the doctor came out of the room. He removed his mask, looking exhausted. "The


    bullets have been removed and we''ve managed to stop the bleeding. But I think it would be best if you


    took Mr. Huo to hospital. After all, there is no proper medical apparatus in the vi," he stated.


    "I see. Thank you, doctor," Debbie nodded.


    Dr. Jiang didn''t know exactly who this girl was, but since Carlos had kept her around especially when


    he was wounded, he assumed that she must be someone special to Carlos. Thinking of that, the doctor


    replied respectfully, "Don''t mention it. Emmett and Tristan will be here in a minute. Please don''t hesitate


    to call me if I''m needed."


    "Okay, thanks. Please let me walk you out."


    "I''ll show myself out. You can go see Mr. Huo now."


    "All right. Thanks, doctor."


    Emmett and Tristan arrived at the vi very soon. When Debbie saw them, she was shocked to notice


    that Tristan himself was limping. It looked like his left leg was wounded as well. Debbie was concerned,


    but Tristan told her not to worry; the wound had already been attended to in the hospital. It was


    nothing.


    He also told her that it happened after he and Carlos had gotten off the ne. They left the airport and


    went to rescue Megan. Both he and Carlos were wounded. The fear that ensued had triggered


    Megan''s asthma and she was being taken care of in the hospital right now.


    With Emmett''s and Tristan''s help, Debbie moved Carlos from her bedroom to his. Her bedclothes were


    changed and for safety and hygienic purposes, the old blood-stained ones were destroyed.


    It wasn''t until the next morning that Carlos finally woke up.


    He opened his eyes and the first thing that fell into his eyes was Debbie sleeping beside him. She had


    barely slept the night before.


    Looking at her haggard face, Carlos put his good arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.


    When Debbie woke up, Carlos was sitting on the bed perusing some files. She sat up still muddled in


    her sleep and remarked sleepily, "Oh, hey. You''re back."


    As soon as she finished the sentence, she sensed that something was wrong with it. Then she


    remembered Carlosing back the day before. The bandage on his right arm reminded her that the


    wound wasn''t a dream.


    "Did you sleep well? Are you hungry?" He put the files aside and looked at her with tender eyes. She


    seemed totally awake now.


    "It was all real. You got hurt because of Megan," Debbie muttered in a slightly horrified tone. The fact


    was still too hard for her to process.


    Hearing her words, Carlos scooped her cheek with one hand and tried tofort her, "Deb, you know


    that¡ª"


    "I know, I know," she said resignedly. After getting out of bed, she prattled on. "I''m going downstairs for


    breakfast. Then we''re going to the hospital. Dr. Jiang said your wound needed to be treated in the


    hospital. Or else it is going to fall prey to inmmation or infection."


    Carlos was recovering quickly. Debbie was surprised to see him able to be on his feet already. And he


    looked like a million bucks.


    "I don''t need to go to the hospital," he protested.


    Debbie turned her head back and threatened, "Fine! Then you can ask Megan toe over and look


    after you. I don''t want to take care of a stubborn patient."


    Carlos was left speechless. He recalled how tender and sweet she had been when she had danced on


    the stage the other day. Sadly, that side of her appeared only briefly.


    Debbie got dressed in her bedroom and went downstairs.


    In the dining room, Julie was heating up the dishes for Debbie. She had already gotten a call from


    Carlos asking her to do so before Debbie could get downstairs.


    After a simple breakfast, Debbie went back to Carlos'' room. "Hey, are you going to the hospital or not?"


    she asked sullenly.


    "If you''re worried about me, just call the doctor in. It would be much simpler that way in any case."


    "The doctor was here yesterday. He said there was no medical equipment here and you would receive


    better treatment at the hospital. This is the doctor''s advice, not mine. Why are you fighting this?"


    Debbie got exasperated and once again, Carlos was left nothing to retort.


    Debbie ground her teeth, angry at the man''s stubbornness. "If you n on acting like this, then I''m


    leaving. I won''te back until your wound is healed."


    She had hardly taken one step before Carlos took her wrist and agreed resignedly, "I''ll go."


    Debbie secretly chuckled and then assumed a serious look again. After prying Carlos'' hand away, she


    said, "I''ll go get your clothes."


    However, when Debbie opened Carlos'' closet, she was stunned at the tidiness and cleanness it was


    sporting. The clothes and essories were arranged in such an order as the kind one would witness if


    they were being disyed in a showcase in a mall.


    Since Carlos wanted to keep his injury from the press, Debbie picked out a pair of sweatpants, an


    extra-thick white sweatshirt, and a white baseball cap for him. She had never seen him dressed like


    that, so she assumed the press wouldn''t be able to recognize him in this outfit. It looked low-key


    enough.


    She put the clothes on the bed and ordered, "There. Get changed."


    Carlos shifted his look from her to his right arm and then back to her again, saying, "I''m injured. You''ll


    have to help me dress."


    For a moment, Debbie didn''t know how to respond. Then she said, "I''ll go get help." When Carlos had


    come back from abroad, some servants hade back to the vi with him.


    "Do you really want another woman to see your husband naked?" Carlos called out behind her.


    Debbie exhaled helplessly. "Fine! I''ll help you change your clothes." Carlos had gotten her there. She


    really didn''t want another woman to see her husband''s body.


    Fortunately, it was not so much work, except for the teasing part. Carlos didn''t behave at all when she


    was changing his pants.


    When she was dressing him in the sweatshirt, she identally bumped into his chest and left him a


    kiss.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "Deb, you naughty girl, you''re seducing me." His body instantly went stiff when her soft lips touched his


    skin. As if out of instincts, he wrapped his left arm around her.


    Debbie''s face med with embarrassment. She felt like it was on fire. She covered her burning face


    with the back of her hand and said, "It''s an ident. You''re too tall. I got tripped."


    "How about we go to the hospital after?" he whispered in her ear in a tempting voice.


    "Eh? After what?"


    "After some dessert," he continued, sniffing her hair. "What are you thinking?!"


    Realizing what he was implying, Debbie gave him a pinch on the waist. "Quit joking around. Hurry up."


    Her heart was pounding but she pushed him away. In a fluster, she grabbed his left arm hurriedly and


    tucked it into the sleeve.


    Not giving up, Carlos continued with his seduction. "Honey, only my arm is wounded. My other parts


    are as good as new. If you don''t believe me, why don''t you go ahead and examine them yourself?


    Come,e."


    Debbie tried to project an angry tone to cover up her nervousness. "In your dreams, smart ass! Now


    let''s go to the hospital."

 Chapter 90 In The Hospital

    Chapter 90 In The Hospital


    "Okay, fine," Carlos replied resignedly. "You know, I intended to have a passionate night with you


    yesterday, but this injury totally ruined my ns," he confessed. He had been patient with Debbie for a


    long time. If he waited any longer, he was afraid that something wrong could happen to his manhood.


    Debbie gave him a re and seized the opportunity toin, "You should have known better than


    to get yourself injured. Maybe God doesn''t want you to get your own way."


    "If that had been the case, then my injuries wouldn''t havended on my arm. Deb, I can push myself up


    with one arm. How about we have a try?"


    Debbie''s heart was racing and she could hardly maintain herposure anymore. Carlos seemed odd


    to her today. He kept hitting on her and as if that wasn''t enough to throw her off the mark, he was very


    handsy as well. Desperate for a way to contain her surging emotions, she stomped on his foot and


    snapped, albeit frivolously, "Keep your hands off me!"


    Carlos was amused by the shy and annoyed expression on her face. He bowed his head and kissed


    her forehead softly before whispering, "Honey, I''ll go to the hospital with you, but I think I deserve a


    reward for the trouble."


    Hearing him call her honey again, Debbie couldn''t help smiling and taunted quietly, "And what reward


    does this child want?"


    "This, of course." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply on the lips. Nothing else could be


    heard anymore in the room except for the heavy breathing of the two.


    Some timeter, Debbie walked out of Carlos'' room again with burning cheeks, looking definitely


    rumpled. She fetched a mask from her bedroom and asked Carlos to put it on.


    Just as they were about to leave, Debbie reminded him to put on a pair of sunsses too. After that,


    she took a nce at him and decided that everything was finally set now. They left the vi and headed


    for the hospital.


    Emmett had already made an appointment for them with the doctor. In the consulting room, the doctor


    looked at Carlos'' wound carefully and changed his dressing. It took about two hours toplete the


    process, after which, they left the doctor''s consulting room. Debbie had been under the impression that


    they would be heading back to the vi immediately, but to her surprise, Carlos was holding her hand


    and leading her to the inpatient department.


    "Where are we going?" she asked in confusion.


    "The inpatient department. Megan was hospitalized and is being kept under observation."


    Hearing Megan''s name, Debbie didn''t respond and just followed him silently.


    Hardly had they reached the door of the ward before they heard the sound of Megan''sughter


    emanating cheerfully from inside, in stark contrast to the hospital''s general ambiance. At that point,


    Debbie noticed an evident smile on her husband''s face, and secretly, made a face in disapproval.


    Walking inside, they noticed that Damon and Wesley were already there. Megan was sitting on the


    edge of the bed, giggling at Damon''s jokes.


    Her eyes brightened when she saw Carlos and Debbie. She ran towards Carlos, calling in a cheerful


    voice, "Ah, Uncle Carlos, Uncle Carlos, you are here. Are you okay? Does it still hurt?"


    Seeing her trotting over, Carlos released Debbie''s hand and spread his arms to catch the girl. "Mmm,


    I''m fine. But you be careful. You shouldn''t do anything strenuous right now."


    "I''m fine too. But Uncle Wesley won''t allow me to leave the hospital," the girlined as she buried


    herself in his arms.


    "Now, now, noints. Uncle Wesley is doing that for your own good." Carlos pulled her out of his


    arms and rebuked her, "Aunt Debbie is here too. I didn''t hear you greet her."


    As if she had just seen Debbie, Megan put on an embarrassed look and apologized, "Hi, Aunt Debbie.


    I''m sorry. I was too worried about Uncle Carlos. He was wounded because of me and I feel so bad


    about it."


    Debbie tried hard to suppress the difort in her heart. "Don''t. Uncle Carlos did the right thing in


    protecting you. After all, your parents saved his life," she replied tly.


    "Ah, so Uncle Carlos told you about it?"


    "Yes. Your uncle Carlos and I are married. Married couples don''t have secrets." Debbie took Carlos''


    hand with a smile, interlocked fingers with him, and looked up at her man affectionately.


    Carlos squeezed her hand and met her eyes. Tenderness could be seen from a mile away in his eyes.


    He was a lot more than happy to hear what she had just said.


    "Hey, did you guyse here to visit Megan or to torment us single people with your affections and


    flrting?" Damon retorted from the bed, fed up with the sweetness between the two.


    Within a second, the tenderness in Carlos'' eyes was all gone. It looked like he had turned into a


    completely different person. Casting him a cold stare, he snarled, "Well, you can just go away then."


    "Shit. Carlos, we''ve been friends for more than a decade now. But you are not at all gentle to me.


    Worse than that, you asked me to go away. I guess you forget your friends when you''re with your wife,"


    Damonined with a careless expression on his face, and his hands in his pockets.


    "Well then, friend! Tell me, howe you never visited me after I got injured?" Carlos retorted. All his


    friends had visited him at the vi after the injury except Damonst night.


    However, Damon didn''t feel guilty at all. Instead, he confessed, "Look. In my heart, Megan is much


    more important than you. It would be obvious to anyone that I would want to make sure she was okay


    before I came to see you."


    Hearing him say that she was more important than Carlos, Meganughed. She walked over to


    Damon, grabbed his sleeve, and appealed like a spoiled brat, "Uncle Damon, you''re the best."


    "Of course." Damon put his arm around Megan''s shoulders and looked at Carlos provocatively.


    Carlos ignored him. "What did the doctor say?" he asked Wesley, who had been looking out the


    window the entire time and seemed the least interested in their rift.


    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Asthma again. But it''s fine. She can be discharged from hospital tomorrow." Wesley withdrew his gaze


    from outside and finally turned towards them slowly.


    Carlos didn''t reply. He pulled Debbie closer to him and sat down on the sofa with her. Crossing his legs,


    he settled infortably and watched Megan and Damon chat andugh together.


    A momentter, the door of the ward opened again. Curtis and Colleen walked in.


    "Debbie," Curtis greeted as soon as he saw Debbie.


    "Hi, Mr¡ª" Debbie was about to stand up to greet the man, but Carlos pulled her back to the sofa and


    wrapped his arms around her. She looked at him with a perplexed gaze.


    Carlos exined his stance, though in a highly indifferent tone, "This is a hospital, not a school. You


    don''t have to be so polite to him."


    Curtis only smiled at his unfriendly remarks.


    Debbie rolled her eyes at Carlos helplessly and greeted Curtis and Colleen once again. "Hi, Mr. Lu. Hi,


    Colleen."


    Curtis nodded and walked over to Megan.


    Colleen, on the other hand, walked closer to Debbie, and asked, "How''s Carlos'' arm?"


    Debbie was puzzled. She looked at Colleen who was smiling at her and wondered, ''Carlos is right


    there. Why doesn''t she ask him directly? Why is she asking me?''


    Before she could recollect her thoughts and respond, Colleen said in a louder voice, "Debbie, you''re


    Carlos'' wife. Why is it so embarrassing to talk about your husband''s injury?"


    "He...Um... I..." Debbie was confused too much by the situation to form a coherent answer.


    Seeing confusion written all over her face, Colleen pulled her away from Carlos, took her arm, and


    whispered with a smile, "Last night, when we got to the vi, you were sleeping beside him like a piggy.


    You must have been really tired from taking care of Carlos."


    It was only now that Debbie realized she and Curtis had dropped by the vi the night before.


    It only dawned on her now that there were so many people who had watched her sleep. Debbie turned


    her head and rolled her eyes at Carlos. "Why didn''t you wake me up when Colleen dropped byst


    night?"


    Carlos raised his eyebrows and apologized, "Sorry. I won''t do it again."


    Seeing how cute the two were being together, Colleenughed. It was only now that she remembered


    to ask about Megan. "Megan, when will you leave the hospital?"


    Megan replied in a sweet voice, "Thank you for asking, Colleen. I''ll be discharged tomorrow morning."


    Curtis reminded her, "Call her Aunt Colleen."

 Chapter 91 Be Careful

    Chapter 91 Be Careful


    Before Megan could respond, Colleen said, "What aunt? We''re not married yet."


    Curtis walked over to stand at her side and smiled, "Do you think you can get rid of me? You''re stuck


    with me, woman."


    Colleen blushed and made a face at him. "I need to borrow Debbie for a minute. You guys go ahead."


    Then she took Debbie''s hand and led her away to the door.


    After they walked out of the ward, Colleen looked at Debbie and said worriedly, "About Carlos saving


    Megan, don''t overthink."


    "Okay," Debbie responded. but she found Colleen strange.


    When they moved to the safe passage, Colleen stopped walking and reminded her, "Debbie, you don''t


    have to get angry with Carlos because of Megan. That will save you unnecessary stress."


    "Colleen, what are you trying to tell me? I don''t understand."


    Colleenughed and said, "Right. I was so anxious I forgot that you had only seen Megan a few times."


    Then she lowered her voice and said to Debbie, "I don''t know what that girl is up to. You know what?


    Wesley''s girlfriend, well, sort of girlfriend, got engaged to someone else, mostly because of her."


    Debbie was shocked by the news. She knew Colleen was talking about Megan.


    "Afterwards, Curtis and I argued a couple of times too. All because of her.


    I don''t mean to talk about her behind her back, but she''s too maniptive. You never know what she is


    thinking. Anyway, be careful. Don''t get into disagreements with Carlos over her. Otherwise, you will


    only give her what she wants. Okay?"


    Finally, Debbie understood what she meant. "If she is so awful, why can''t the four of them see it?" It


    struck her as odd that a whole four men still doted on Megan, even with full knowledge of her


    maniption. Were they blind?


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "They are men. Only women can see through other women''s deep buried dark thoughts. In their eyes,


    Megan is an innocent, adorable girl. An angel. They never think badly of her. Nor do they believe that


    she will stir up things among us," said Colleen, shrugging with resignation.


    If what she said was true, then Megan was really a horrible person. "I wonder what she is up to,"


    Debbie said honestly.


    "Who knows? Sometimes she acts as if she likes Wesley, but she also keeps a technical distance from


    him. Sometimes it looks that she is into Carlos, but she never takes much initiative. But Damon and


    Curtis are almost old enough to be her father. She is unlikely to set her mind on them."


    Debbie felt tired. Tired of trying to figure out what was on Megan''s mind.


    "Now is not a convenient time to talk. I will invite you to tea some other time. Think about what I just


    told you. Don''t say a word to those four. Or else, they will think that we are scheming against their


    innocent, adorable little Megan," Colleen cautioned. Herst remark was full of irony.


    "Ah, it feels great to finally get these words out of my chest. I have been dying to talk to someone, but


    there was no one. And now I can talk to you. Debbie, women know women the best. Between you, me,


    and Megan, you are the most innocent, adorable soul. I''d fancy having you for a friend, just to enjoy


    your politepany over a cup of tea, or even on a shopping spree."


    Debbie was surprised by Colleen''sments. ''I''m innocent? And adorable?'' "Colleen, you can''t be


    more wrong. Anybody can be innocent but me."


    "Okay, let''s go back. And one more thing, you''re really special to Carlos. Cherish what you have," said


    a visibly amused Colleen, to Debbie''s surprise. When she first met her, Colleen was such an elegant


    socialite diva; Debbie''s memory shed back to how the girl had dazzled at Megan''s birthday party¡ªa


    hot cougar on the dance floor, Colleen was quite a name. But today, she was so approachable and


    witty. ''This girl has a whole mix of different graces, '' Debbie thought.


    ''What next surprise will I discover about her next time?'' Debbie''s mind ran on.


    Gently, she shook her head and smiled.


    When the two women went back to the ward hand in hand, Megan was lying in bed, surrounded by the


    four gorgeous men¡ª every woman''s dream.


    Seeing the two women walk back in, Curtis and Carlos came to meet them. Carlos pulled Debbie away


    from Colleen to himself and asked, "Where were you?"


    Debbie put on a smile and answered, "We went to the bathroom."


    Curtis pretended to be surprised. "You two went to the bathroom together? Since when did you be


    so close?"


    Colleen joked, "Debbie and I really hit off. We may wear the same pair of pants some day."


    Whether what Colleen had said about Megan was true or not, Debbie feltfortable around her, so


    she echoed, "Right. I''ll try to lose weight from now on to fit Colleen''s pants, if ites to that."


    Despite knowing they were just joking, Carlos still felt unhappy about what they had said. "My wife will


    never wear somebody else''s pants."


    Feigning a sulky look, he put his hand on Debbie''s waist and pinched her. ''Lose weight? You should


    put on some weight, '' he thought to himself.


    Amused at the serious face he was making, Colleen giggled and said to Debbie, "In Carlos you have a


    model husband. Someone worth keeping by any means."


    "Really? I don''t see it," said Debbie to Colleen, rolling her eyes at Carlos, whose hand was still sliding


    back and forth on her waist.


    "I think you know it. You''re just too embarrassed to admit it. The way you''re blushing betrays you,"


    Colleen retorted as she leaned into Curtis'' arms,ughing.


    Pretending to be angry, Debbie stared at Colleen and then said to Curtis, "Mr. Lu, keep your woman in


    line."


    "No problem," Curtis promised crisply.


    Debbie gave Colleen a cocky smile.


    At this point, Damon put in curtly, "Can you two couples get lost as soon as possible? Why can''t you


    just keep your lovey-dovey down a notch in front of the single?"


    "Why don''t you just bring Adriana back and floss on us with the sweetness between you two?" Carlos


    retorted.


    That line didn''t go down well with Damon. If anything, it cut him deep at heart like a knife. Although he


    didn''t say a word, his face darkened.


    Seeing the brooding look on Damon''s face, Debbie felt bad. She tugged at Carlos'' sleeve. Carlos knew


    what she meant. He looked at her with a frown. ''Is she feeling bad for Damon?'' he thought unhappily, a


    little jealous.


    Assured that Megan was fine, Carlos and Curtis left the ward with their women.


    After their cars drove out of the hospital, they went in different directions.


    In the next two days, Carlos didn''t go to thepany. He worked at home. Debbie had offered to take


    care of him at home, but he sent her to school. As he had demanded, Debbie didn''t skip a single ss.


    On the third day, Debbie and Kasie waited on the yground for Jared and Dixon toe to the


    ssroom with them. A few minutes passed, but the boys didn''t show up. To kill time, the girls chatted


    as they were waiting.


    Then all of a sudden, Debbie spotted two familiar figures in front of the office building. ''Is that Carlos?


    Isn''t he supposed to be resting at home? Is he fit enough to teach already?'' she wondered.


    "Debbie, what are you looking at?" someone asked in a soft voice.

 Chapter 92 Carlos, I Like You

    Chapter 92 Carlos, I Like You


    Debbie rolled her eyes upon hearing that voice. Gail was everywhere on campus, always following her


    like an annoying shadow. "What''s it to you?"


    Debbie retorted. She was wondering why Carlos hadn''t told her he wasing here.


    But then, a lightbulb came on in her head. She nced at Gail, who was so excited to see Carlos that


    she was close to tears. ''No wonder Debbie keeps looking over there. It''s Mr. Huo! I''m not dreaming!


    He''s here! I''m seeing Mr. Huo again!'' Gail thought, her eyes reddening.


    The two men, Carlos and Curtis, were so handsome they made a magnificent sight when they stood


    together. More and more eyes were drawn to them.


    Debbie patted Gail''s shoulder. The girl was bathed in happiness now that she saw her dream man.


    "What?" she asked, so excited that the grin on her face didn''t vanish even when she turned to face


    Debbie.


    Standing next to Gail didn''t make Debbie explode with rage this time, which was odd. She pointed at


    Carlos and said calmly, "Look. Carlos."


    Gail rolled her eyes and snorted, "I''m not blind."


    Ignoring her hostility, Debbie raised her voice and suggested, "Care to make a bet?"


    "Why would I do that?" Gail intended to say "Have you lost your mind?" But she remembered she had


    a public image to maintain, and bit back that retort.


    "Don''t you always want me to make a fool of myself? I''m giving you a chance. Remember thest time


    you set me up and I ended up embarrassing myself at Carlos Huo''sunch event? Now that he''s here,


    are you really going to miss such an opportunity to humiliate me again?" Debbie coaxed her.


    Gail moved closer to Debbie with an innocent, sweet smile on her face. But what she said was neither


    innocent nor sweet. "Of course not. I won''t miss any opportunity to screw things up for you. It''s so


    much fun," she whispered in Debbie''s ear.


    Debbie took a step back to put some distance between them. Gail was not alone. A few of her friends


    were with her. Debbie looked at them and said, "How about this? I''ll go confess to Carlos again. If he


    doesn''t turn me down then you''ll have to apologize to me loudly ten times and sing "Bad Romance" in a


    public ce. Your friends too. "


    Gail''s friends were surprised by the idea. At first, Kasie was confused about what Debbie was trying to


    do. But now she found the idea hrious. To help Debbie out, she held her arm and said anxiously,


    "Debbie, are you crazy? Have you forgotten how he treated youst time? Don''t do anything stupid!"


    "Rx, Kasie. It''ll go better thanst time, believe me. Everyone will be watching, after all." Debbie


    raised her voice as she said thest sentence.


    ''Right, a bunch of students will be there, '' Gail thought. Everybody in Y City knew how ruthless Carlos


    was. If she recalled right, Debbie had even been tossed into the ocean to drown. She loved imagining


    how humiliating it would be for Debbie if Carlos rejected her right to her face and threw her out of


    university.


    However, Gail didn''t fall for Debbie''s trick easily. She sensed that something was off. "But we aren''t that


    close to Mr. Huo. How do we know what went on between you?"


    "Easy. I''ll face you. To make sure I won''t cheat, you can see what I''m saying. How does that sound?"


    Debbie had been seeking revenge and now the chance had presented itself.


    Nheless, Gail turned her down. Her friends, on the other hand, urged her to agree. "Gail, that''s Mr.


    Huo. If Debbie does this, she has a death wish. What could go wrong? Don''t you want to see what he


    does? If he kills her, we get a show," a girl said.


    Debbie gasped. ''What a cold bitch! She even wants to see me die.''


    "But..." Gail faltered. She recalledst time they were at the mall. She and Debbie fought over the cor


    pin. Judging from what happened that day, Debbie and Carlos seemed to have a special connection.


    Sensing Gail''s uncertainty, Debbie decided y up her gift for acting. She whispered in Kasie''s ear, "I


    hope he forgot what he saidst time. He promised to bury me alive if I ever got him mad."


    It was a stage whisper, pitched perfectly so that Gail could hear it, and her friends couldn''t.


    Kasie acted shocked and pulled her aside. "You out of your mind, Tomboy? If he really said this, maybe


    he meant it. I don''t want to watch you die."


    As they were whispering to each other, Gail broke in, "What are you waiting for? He might leave any


    minute."


    Debbie instantly stopped talking and pretended to be surprised. "What? You agreed to it? I was just


    stringing you along. No way would I do that."


    Seeing how frightened Debbie was, Gail''s friends gloated. "You can''t back out now, Debbie." "Right.


    What''s the matter? You chicken?"


    They kept taunting her and egging her on.


    Debbie took a deep breath and walked towards Carlos with a dozen girls watching.


    Curtis and Carlos were talking about the incident involving Megan. Curtis told Carlos, "Wesley has


    taken care of everything. Just take some time to recover ande back when you''re ready. I always


    wondered why you agreed to teach here even though you''re uber busy. Now I get it. There''s someone


    you like here."


    Carlos smiled. "I have toe. My wife is such a pain. But you¡ª" Carlos had intended to ask, "You


    seem to care about Debbie a lot. Why?"


    A sweet voice interrupted him. "Hi, Mr. Huo, Mr. Lu."


    The familiar voice made Carlos'' smile widen.


    Curtis waved at the girl. "Debbie,e here." As an educator, Curtis was urbane in his every


    movement.


    Debbie trotted over to them and stood where she could see Gail.


    Carlos checked the time and asked, "Two minutes to ss. Shouldn''t you be on your way?"


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie didn''t answer his question. She could sense annoyance in his tone, but she ignored it. Instead,


    she looked at Curtis with embarrassment and asked, "Mr. Lu, could you please give us a minute?"


    "You want to talk to your husband in private?" Curtis asked.


    Debbie nodded with a giggle. "Kinda. But I only need him for a minute. Or maybe you could just turn


    around."


    Curtis looked at her lovingly and said with resignation, "Your minute starts now." Then, he turned his


    back to the couple.


    Looking at her expressionless husband, Debbie smiled mischievously, which confused her man. The


    next second, she snuggled into his arms and shouted, "Carlos Huo, I like you. I really like you!"


    She had shouted so loudly Gail didn''t have to read her lips to know what she was saying, for her voice


    could be heard from tens of meters away.


    The other girls watched her, their mouths agape. Even Jared and Dixon, who had arrived at the scene


    late, were astounded. ''When did she get so brave?''

 Chapter 93 I’ve Heard What You Said

    Chapter 93 I¡¯ve Heard What You Said


    Carlos had been a little unhappy about Debbie beingte for ss. But her confession of feelings filled


    his heart with joy.


    However, when he looked at her, he noticed that she was staring at something. He turned back and


    noticed a group of students were watching them. Immediately, he realized that the confession was just


    part of some game his wife was ying.


    But he didn''t seem to mind. He pulled her back into his arms and said, "I''ve heard what you said. Now


    go to your ss."


    Seeing what was happening, Gail was so shocked she couldn''t feel her legs anymore. She copsed


    onto one of her friends and wondered, ''What on earth is Debbie''s rtionship with Carlos Huo?


    Not only didn''t he push her away, but he actually hugged her! There must be something going on


    between them.''


    Having achieved her goal, Debbie wriggled out of Carlos'' arms and apologized to Curtis, who was


    looking at them in disbelief. "I''m sorry that you had to hear my confession of feelings again, Mr. Lu. I''m


    going to my ss now. Bye."


    She had hardly turned around before Carlos took her by the wrist and said, "I''ll pick you up after ss


    this afternoon."


    With her mind totally on Gail, she replied casually, "Um...


    Okay."


    Carlos watched as Debbie left. He was sure that his wife had just used him as a pawn.


    But he still looked happy. Curtisughed, "I should have listened to her and left."


    Carlos responded tly, "I''m going back to mypany. My sses will be resumed next week as


    scheduled."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    His wife was still a little imp. He had to put more effort into her.


    Curtis patted his shoulder. "I''m looking forward to the day when you will address me differently."


    Carlos raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Perhaps, I should do a background check on you and my


    wife."


    Sensing his jealousy, Curtis waved his hand and said, "There''s no need for that. You will know it sooner


    orter. You just need to believe that I won''t harm her."


    When the bell rang, Carlos got into the vehicle and Ashley started the engine.


    The Rolls-Royce Phantom slowed to a stop when it reached Debbie. Then the ck tinted window was


    rolled down and revealed Carlos'' handsome face. All the girls that were around held their breaths in


    anticipation. However, Carlos only had eyes for one.


    He reproached, "Think about what you could do to get me to forgive you for being several minuteste


    for ss."


    Everyone that was around was stunned to hear what he said.


    The way he spoke to Debbie was totally different.


    "How about I treat you to dinner?" Debbie quickly blurted out.


    "I don''t ept bribery." He turned her down tly.


    The window was wound up again and


    the Rolls-Royce sped away.


    Once the vehicle had left, Debbie''s ssmates surrounded her and bombarded her with questions


    about what her rtionship with Carlos was.


    "When did you meet Mr. Huo?" someone asked.


    "Why didn''t he reject you?" wondered another student.


    While she was texting Carlos, Debbie answered them casually, "Oh, about that. Well, once Gail


    apologizes to me and you guys sing ''Bad Romance'', I''ll exin it all to you."


    She pressed "Send" and the message read, "Mr. Handsome, I''m sprinting to the ssroom now. Can


    you forgive me?"


    He simply replied, "Do I need to show you the surveince footage of your school?"


    Debbie pulled a face towards the phone, meant for Carlos. He indeed knew her well.


    Some girls crowded around Gail, asking her to apologize to Debbie. Gail assumed a sad face and


    wrung out some tears, hoping to get off lightly.


    But the girls weren''t buying it. They wanted her to do it as soon as possible, so they could hear all


    about Carlos and Debbie''s rtionship.


    Gail had no other choice but to do what Debbie had asked of her. So she took a deep breath and put


    her head back, shouting ten times, "Debbie, I''m sorry¡ª"


    Hearing that, Debbie had a big smile on her face, as pleased as punch. Embarrassing the person that


    she hated really made her day, especially since Gail was always picking on her.


    The girls were supposed to then stand under the national g and sing the song, "Bad Romance."


    Since sses had already begun, there were only a few students passing by that would hear them.


    Gail wanted to chicken out. But the girls couldn''t stand the suspense any longer. They were eager to


    find out the juicy information about Carlos and Debbie. So they grabbed Gail and dragged her under


    the national g and sang the song.


    The scene went viral on the school forum.


    However, when the girls asked Debbie about her rtionship with Carlos, she simply said, "Why don''t


    you ask him?"


    After that, she turned on her heels and walked away.


    The girls were left speechless and furious.


    Soon, rumors about Debbie and Carlos traveled around the campus. The most popr version was


    that Debbie hooked up with Carlos Huo and was his mistress. And another was how she confessed her


    love for Carlos Huo on campus but was turned down.


    Debbie and her friends had hardly sat down in thest row of the ssroom when Carlos sent her a


    message. "Did you have fun?"


    Debbie was puzzled. She texted back. "What do you mean?"


    "What were you doing just now?" replied Carlos. Debbie realized that he already knew about what had


    happened between her and Gail. She looked around half expecting to see him there. ''How did he do


    that? Does he have six pairs of eyes?'' she wondered.


    After what had happened that day, no one on campus dared to mess with Debbie again, so she finally


    enjoyed some peace.


    However, on the flip side of the matter, she had to deal with a girl who was standing in front of her and


    expressing her feelings for Carlos. "Debbie, I really am crazy about Mr. Huo. I have liked him for more


    than ten years. Can you give me his WeChat or Facebook ount?"


    Debbie sat up frowning and replied, "I don''t have it. You can ask him yourself in his ss the next time


    you see him." She was telling the truth. All she had was his phone number.


    To her surprise, the shy girl suddenly made a hideous face and said sarcastically, "I thought you were


    close to Mr. Huo! It turns out you don''t even have his contact information. How dare you pretend to be


    his woman!"


    "Damn it!" Debbie couldn''t help cursing under her breath. Then she pped the table and demanded,


    "What the heck do you mean by pretending to be his woman? Don''t you dare to leave before you


    exin yourself!"


    Her ssmates fled the ssroom one after another when they saw her re up.


    Was this the same graceful girl who had danced at the Sr New Year''s G? They all wondered.


    The other girl was terrified. Even without Carlos, Debbie was scary enough. The girl swallowed and


    stammered, "It is said that you are Mr. Huo''s woman. Didn''t you start the rumor? People also say that


    you hugged Mr. Huo. Is it true?" The girl stared at Debbie curiously.


    "No, it''s not," Debbie replied firmly.


    Then Jared took out his cell phone and showed her the picture on his phone, at which Debbie suddenly


    became speechless. Someone had photographed the scene where she had hugged Carlos and


    expressed her feelings for him and uploaded it on the forum. It had racked up countless views and


    likes.

 Chapter 94 Lets Go Home

    Chapter 94 Let''s Go Home


    Now that Debbie had had her revenge on Gail, nothing else mattered. As for the man in the picture


    online, she dered, "That''s not Carlos Huo. That''s my boyfriend." She believed that making her


    rtionship with Carlos public would only bring herself more trouble.


    Hearing her words, her friends thought to themselves, ''Come on! That is Carlos Huo.''


    The girl who hade to ask for Carlos'' contact information left the ssroom with doubts of her own.


    Debbie took out her phone andined to Carlos, "Mr. Huo, your fans are totally crazy. If they want


    your contact information, why didn''t they just ask you in person while you had sses at school? Now


    that they know I know you, they keeping to me for all kinds of information. Not even half a day has


    passed and crazy fan number 33 found me in the ssroom. This is madness!"


    She didn''t get any reply for a while. Half an hourter, her phone buzzed. "You should get used to it


    because I might make your identity as Mrs. Huo public anytime."


    If he did that, more girls would try to find her. And this time, they would be pissed off that Mr Huo was


    off the market! She shivered at the thought of their reaction to the news. "Mr. Huo, please have some


    mercy on me. Let''s keep this low-key. Just like how it was three years ago," she pleaded.


    Carlos smiled at the other end of the phone. "Deb, it''s toote for that now," he replied.


    ''The moment I lost my heart to you, I knew that you were the one. You are mine and you are not going


    anywhere. I want you by my side for the rest of our lives and I can''t wait to tell the whole world that you


    are my wife, '' he thought to himself.


    Debbie, on the other hand, was terrified by what would happen once everybody knew she was Carlos


    Huo''s wife. She totally freaked out when another one of Carlos'' fans ran excitedly towards her.


    ''Argghh! I can''t stand this anymore. It''s driving me crazy! Whoever wants to be Mrs. Huo, please be my


    guest. I''m more than willing to give the title away.''


    But then she pictured another woman dining with Carlos, traveling along with him, having fun with him,


    sleeping in his arms... Just imagining those scenes was enough to upset her immensely!


    That crushing feelingpletely cleared her head. She knew what she wanted now. She shoved


    Carlos'' enthusiastic fan aside and whispered to Jared, "I need money. Get me a job in some other bar. I


    need to sing."


    Jared stared at her for a moment and then shook his head. "You know what? You''re insane!


    Your husband is generously rich. If this were some other woman, she would be busy enjoying her


    comfortable life. But you? You want to work part-time! What are you thinking?"


    Debbie was frustrated. "There''s something that I want to buy. It will be more meaningful if I buy it with


    my own money," she exined.


    She only had around $20, 000 left from the money she had made by drinking. It was enough to buy the


    thing that she wanted, but she could only afford the lesser version for that money, which wouldn''t do.


    She only wanted the best for Carlos.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    She liked Carlos. There was no more doubting that truth. There was no hesitation in her. Since that


    was crystal clear in her heart now, she decided to show him how she felt about him before it was too


    late.


    She couldn''t stand the thought of losing him.


    "Okay, I''ll find another job for you. But no drinking. Can you promise me that?" The risk was too high for


    Jared. Carlos would probably skin him alive if he found out that Debbie got drunk again.


    "Yes! Cross my heart!" Debbie promised, patting her chest.


    Carlos picked her up after school. They went to a hotel for dinner. That evening, she was unusually


    sweet to him. During dinner, she asked him about his day and showed concern about the recovery of


    his wound. She picked up his food for him, and she even massaged Carlos'' back diligently even though


    he told her there was no need for it.


    When they both finally sat down to eat, Carlos put some boneless fish on her te and said, "There''s


    no use sucking up to me. I still remember that you werete for ss today."


    She squirmed in her seat. That really brought her spirits down.


    Head bowed, Debbie poked the fish with her chopsticks with a frown on her face. Then she said with a


    sigh, "No horror movies and no martyrs'' cemetery, okay?"


    "Okay," Carlos agreed readily.


    His response came as a pleasant surprise to Debbie. She was thrilled. But before she could swallow


    the next bite of her delicious fish, he said, "I''m taking you to watch a live show¡ªa person making out


    with a snake."


    "N-N-N-No!" she objected desperately, her eyes wide open and filled with horror. She had seen that


    horrendous scene before. There was no way in hell that Carlos would let her go with just making her


    watch the show. Her legs started trembling as memories of the previous incident emerged in her head.


    Once, she had gone to Thand on a holiday with her friends. "Human and snake kissing" was one of


    the shows on the itinerary. Disgusted and terrified by the show, she had hidden behind a column and


    yed with her phone during the duration of the entire show. When she raised her head towards the


    end of the show, she saw Jared making out with the snake. She was so frightened that her phone was


    tossed away when she jumped out of her seat. After they had returned from the trip, she avoided Jared


    for half a month.


    At this point, Debbie already knew that Carlos made sure that every one of his punishments was harsh


    and effective to the people who angered him.


    Even Debbie, his own wife, wouldn''t be spared. He was a cold man.


    All of a sudden, the tender, vorful fish tasted incredibly nd. "Is there any way that you would let


    this one go?"


    Carlos gave her a nce as he picked out the fish bones for her. "That depends on your performance."


    After she heard his words, an idea dawned on her. She stood up from her chair abruptly and locked her


    arms around his neck. She then looked him in the eye and


    mmed her lips on his. Three times!


    That would definitely help her get through, she thought. However, the man''s face darkened and


    frowned. "Debbie Nian, did you wipe your mouth after eating?


    " Debbie bit her lips and looked elsewhere. That hadn''t urred to her.


    An innocent mistake. But it was not toote for her. She could still make up for it. She quickly drew a


    tissue and was about to wipe her mouth when it hit her that it might be wiser to wipe the tyrant''s mouth


    first.


    So, she gently wiped her husband''s mouth with a grin and then her own.


    After throwing the tissue into the bin, she wrapped his neck from behind and asked, "Mr. Handsome, do


    I get an A for my performance?"


    "I didn''t feel much sincerity. Perfunctory kisses don''t satisfy me."


    Frustrated, Debbie buried her face in his neck, and rubbed it back and forth; her breath drifted lightly


    against his skin. Carlos'' hand stopped in midair. ''This woman is doing it intentionally, '' he thought.


    He slowly put down the chopsticks and wiped his mouth and hands clean with a wet napkin.


    The next second, Debbie was pulled into his arms and seated on hisp. She looked at the door


    nervously, her face red. But they were in a private booth, so no one woulde and interrupt them.


    Carlos took her hand in his and then pulled her in for a deep kiss on the lips. His tongue was restless in


    her mouth; his breathing became heavier and heavier.


    He whispered to her in a husky voice, "Let''s go home, shall we?"


    "Yes," came her swift answer. She was aware of what he meant.


    Compared with making out with a snake, kissing Carlos sounded like a much better choice. So she had


    agreed to it without thinking when he had suggested that they go home.


    Carlos didn''t even wait for her to finish her dinner before dragging her out of the hotel and heading


    home.


    What would happen after they got home was way too exciting for Debbie. Too embarrassed to look at


    Carlos, she kept her head down and pretended to y with her phone, flushing as she thought about


    the impending scene.


    When they were about to arrive at the vi, Carlos'' phone rang suddenly. Debbie raised her head and


    saw the caller ID on the LED screen of the vehicle backup camera¡ªMegan.


    Carlos answered the call immediately, "Hi, Megan."


    Megan sounded scared and anxious as she blurted out, "Uncle Carlos, there are some men at the gate


    of my housingmunity. They seem to be looking for something or someone. I''ve been waiting for


    them to leave for half an hour, but they are still here. What should I do?"


    Carlos'' face turned dark in worry and fury. He steered the wheel while saying, "Go to the security


    guards'' room and wait for me. I''m on my way."


    "Okay, but hurry," Megan urged.


    "Okay."


    By the time the call ended, the excitement and sweetness in Debbie''s heart had died away.


    "It must be those men fromst time. We''re going to Megan''s ce to pick her up," Carlos said in a


    hurry.

 Chapter 95 What Are You Trying To Buy

    Chapter 95 What Are You Trying To Buy


    "Wait. Just drop me here at the roadside," Debbie said. She didn''t want to see Megan, nor did she


    intend to stop Carlos going.


    Carlos looked at her and sensed the change of her mood, but he didn''t know what she was unhappy


    about. "Honey, if those men take Megan, she will be in danger," he exined patiently.


    But Debbie didn''t respond.


    When they arrived at the gate of Megan''s housingmunity, the girl was cringing in a chair in the


    security guards'' room, holding her legs.


    "Megan!" Carlos called.


    At his voice, Megan raised her head, ran towards him, and held him tightly. "Uncle Carlos, I''m so d


    you''re here. I was scared out of my wits."


    "Don''t be afraid. I''m here,"


    Carlosforted her gently. Seeing her husband holding another woman was bad enough, but his soft,


    warm consoling tone made Debbie feel even worse.


    Some people used to say that her husband had a ruthless, cold soul.


    But not to everybody, it seemed.


    Gently he picked Megan up and carried her towards the car. "Open the door," he ordered the security


    guards.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," answered the guards in unison as one of them darted to open the back door quickly.


    Then he turned to Debbie who had quietly stood by, watching. Thank God, he hadn''t forgotten about


    her yet. "Deb, get in, please."


    Debbie didn''t want to get in the car.


    Thankfully, as she was wondering what to do, her phone rang.


    "Hi Tomboy, I''m calling just to ask where you bought the red winest time," said Kasie.


    "What? You''re drunk? Where''re you? Okay, I''ming to pick you up," Debbie said on the phone.


    Kasie was confused. She took her phone away from her ear and checked the service, which was good.


    "No, Tomboy, I am asking¡ª"


    "Oh, you are at home. Okay, stay put and wait for me. I''m on my way."


    Before Kasie could respond, Debbie hung up. She looked at Carlos who was waiting for her to get in


    the car and said apologetically, "Sorry, Kasie is drunk at home. She is in a really bad mood right now. I


    have to go check on her. I''ll stay at her ce tonight."


    Staring at her, Carlos didn''t say anything back.


    Megan, who was in his arms, clutched his shirt and said, "Debbie, go ahead if you have something to


    attend to. I''m already feeling much better and I don''t see the need to hold you around. I''ll watch over


    Uncle Carlos for you, just in case you''re worried about him."


    Debbie was startled at the girl''s nerve. ''This maniptive bitch!''


    "OK. Bye," she said and left in a huff.


    When she turned around, she hoped he''d call her or stop her. ''Stop me. If you stop me, I''ll get in the


    car and go back to the vi with you.'' But till a cab stopped in front of her, he didn''t call her ore to


    her to ask her to stay.


    Carlos put Megan in the back seat and said, "Have a rest. I''ll go¡ª" He intended to tell Debbie that he


    wanted to drive her to Kasie''s himself.


    However, before he could even finish his sentence, Megan grabbed his sleeve and said in a feeble


    voice, "Uncle Carlos, I feel... I''m not feeling well... I...


    think I need to take the medicine."


    "Alright. Do you have any of the drugs with you?" asked Carlos. "Y-Yes," Megan answered, pointing at


    her bag with great difficulty.


    After Carlos had given her the medicine, he turned to look for Debbie, but she was long gone.


    Carlos was so upset he felt like cursing.


    Debbie called Kasie in the cab and asked, "What did you call me for just now?"


    Kasie didn''t answer. She asked instead, "What''s going on with you?"


    Listlessly, Debbie replied, "Not much. Where are you? What are you doing?"


    "I''m at a friend''s party. I called to ask you where you bought the red winest time. It really tasted great.


    Could we have some bottles delivered here?" Kasie asked without a pause. Only then did Debbie


    notice the noises at the other end of the phone. Someone was singing.


    Quickly, she gave Kasie the address and hung up. Then she called Jared. "Where''re you? "


    "In a bar. Looking for a job for you. Where else can I be?" Jared replied resignedly.


    A dog with full mouth does not bark. He had taken a VIP card from Carlos, so he felt obliged to take


    matters concerning Debbie more seriously.


    "How is it going?"


    "It''s just settled. The manager is an acquaintance of mine, and he has agreed to pay you $1, 100 per


    hour. I was going to call you. When can youe for an audition?"


    To be honest, the pay was good. Some bars paid two or three hundred a night. "I can go there right


    now."


    Jared gave her the address.


    When Debbie got to the bar, Jared took her straight to the manager. The manager had heard from


    Jared that Debbie had a very powerful background, so he looked at her more carefully.


    Assessing her strong points, the manager was impressed by the confident aura and natural beauty.


    The only shoring was her low-key dressing, which didn''t go with the ambiance of the bar. But that


    didn''t matter as long as she could sing. And she blew him away with that melodious voice.


    When she took to the stage, guitar in hand, one might have dismissed her for just another wannabe.


    But the moment she strummed the first chords on her guitar and belted out the first words of her song,


    the whole bar fell quiet in awe.


    By the time she was done, the audience was rapturous. The more sentimental ones among them


    pulled out handkerchiefs to wipe teary eyes.


    The manager, reading his patrons, requested her to sing something more cheerful to set a different


    tone for the night. From many years of experience, he knew how to y on their moods and make


    them keep buying.


    On the manager''s suggestion, a certain girl in the audience requested "Move Your Body," so Debbie


    picked that for her next act.


    With smooth progression, she hit the refrain to another round of apuse. The girl who had requested


    the song was ecstatic.


    When the second song was over, Debbie took a brief rest, during which she suggested to the manager,


    "The customers can request any song, at a tip of 200 bucks. We will split the amount collected between


    you and me. What do you say?"


    The manager gave her aplicated look. He suspected mischief in Jared''s rmendation for


    Debbie. If the girl really had a strong background, howe she seemed almost desperate to make


    money?


    Even so, the manager agreed to her proposal. He motioned a host over and had him announce their


    arrangement on the stage.


    Her charming presence on stage drew barflies, eager to impress her. Men trying to request a song


    forced their ways through the crowd towards the stage.


    "Ever-glow," "I Do," "No Promises," "Against All Odds," "Better In Time," "Wings," ... She went through


    the requests with breathtaking finesse, ending each performance to a wild round of apuse.


    She had colluded with Kasie and devised their lies before she came to the bar. In case Carlos called


    Kasie, she would throw him off the scent. When Kasie ended the call, Debbie forthwith switched her


    phone off and immersed herself in the music.


    From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., the tips went higher and higher. Despite the high price, Debbie''s charming


    persona on stage worked to her advantage. The number of men trying to woo her by requesting songs


    seemed endless. And she just kept going for hours, until Jared, noticing she was drained came to drag


    her off the stage.


    That night she had made a killing.


    In self congrattion, she kissed the bucks with a satisfied smile. "It''s unbelievable racking up so much


    on a single night out," she said to Jared who was watching her, equally blown away.


    When they were alone, Jared couldn''t help asking, "What exactly are you trying to buy? I''ve never seen


    you bust your ass like this."


    Debbie cleared her throat and said, "I''ll tell youter, but not now."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Jared rolled his eyes and snarled, "Friendship over."


    Debbie patted his shoulder andforted him, "Rx. Once I''ve made enough money, I''ll nevere


    to this ce again. Then you won''t have to worry anymore."


    "It''s good you can think like that. If you make any more trouble, your husband will skin me alive. How


    about I lend you the money you need so that you don''t have to sing here


    anymore?"

 Chapter 96 How Could You

    Chapter 96 How Could You


    "I can''t! I want to buy something with the money I earned on my own. There''s no point in buying it with


    the money you or Carlos gave me," Debbie snapped back.


    Sitting on the curb of the empty road, Jared raised his head to look at the dark sky and asked, "Where


    are you going anyway? It''ste. And freezing. You''re not going home?"


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, I''m not. I... I''ll spend the night in a hotel."


    She really hated to watch Carlos and Megan show off their affection in front of her. She wasn''t going to


    go home and be humiliated that way. And the dorm gates were probably closed by now. A hotel was


    her only option.


    At midnight, Carlos got a text message that Debbie''s credit card had been just used to secure a hotel


    room.


    ''I thought she was in Kasie''s house!'' he mused. Instantly, he called the hotel manager and asked


    whether Debbie was alone.


    The manager answered honestly, "There are two of them."


    After some pause, he added, "A girl and a boy."


    Carlos was fuming with rage. So this was how she repaid him after everything he''d done for her!


    He wasted no time rushing all the way there, pausing for nothing. Breathlessly, he tore into the hotel


    lobby. His livid face stopped the manager from saying anything. Holding breath, the scared man


    carefully led him straight to Debbie''s room. He inserted the universal key card and opened the door.


    As he peered inside, the manager was stunned at the sight.


    It was the cheapest single-bed room in this four-star hotel. Debbie was sound asleep in the bed, while


    a big guy was curling up, snoring on the sofa. The sofa was so small that his legs hung over the sides.


    Carlos kicked him in the leg. Jared woke up instantly. He was having a nice dream and this guy just


    ruined it. He threw back the quilt and jumped off the sofa, still fully clothed. Annoyed, he shouted,


    "Fuck! Who the hell¡ª Car¡ª Mr. Huo."


    Upon hearing Jared''s sharp, angry shouts, Debbie opened her eyes and blinked. She was still sleepy.


    ''Why is Carlos here?


    I''m in the hotel, not the vi! I must be dreaming.''


    She closed her eyes again, trying to drift off. Carlos wasn''t interested in letting her do this. He walked


    up to the bedside and demanded in a cold tone, "Get up!"


    ''What?! I''m not dreaming. He IS here!''


    Debbie covered her head with the quilt and murmured, "Wrong person."


    Her voice was so hoarse Carlos frowned. Was she ill?


    He picked up Debbie and the quilt and walked towards the door.


    Jared tried to run off, but the manager blocked his way. He wouldn''t let this young man go without


    Carlos'' say-so.


    Staring at the boy who was trembling with fear, Carlos scolded, "Jared Han, how could you?!" ''How


    could you sleep in a hotel room with my wife?'' This was what Carlos wanted to say.


    ''Did he think I was sleeping with his wife?'' Jared thought to himself and believed that he needed to


    exin it. "It''s freezing outside, so I stayed here. You saw it; I was nowhere near your wife!"


    Carlos strode toward him, and Jared lost his nerve. He quickly cried, "I was wrong. I should''ve left. Mr.


    Huo, please forgive me."


    Carlos raised his leg in an attempt to kick him, but Debbie caught his arm and said, "I asked him to


    stay."


    Jared had stuck around even when she was in a bad mood. He had spent hours with her making sure


    she was okay. It was below zero outside. She couldn''t just ask him to leave¡ªespecially thiste.


    Besides, they had slept in the same bed before. They were friends.


    And there was no mistaking it even then. They were in separate quilts with their heads on each end of


    the bed.


    Interestingly enough, they ended up getting in a fight that night. She was annoyed¡ªhe was so tall that


    his feet almost touched her face. He was equally annoyed¡ªhe figured she was just being petty, and


    told her to just shut up and sleep. They had spent much of the night arguing.


    Originally, Jared wasn''t going to stay in the hotel. He knew Carlos would give him a hard time if he


    found out. But Debbie told him that Carlos was off having sex with another girl and he''d never know. He


    was too busy.


    Jared still figured he wasn''t going to be there that long. He was just going to calm her down and leave


    after she fell asleep. He didn''t expect to doze off soon.


    Then, Carlos barged in...


    "This is thest time!" Carlos warned Jared and left the hotel, Debbie in his arms.


    Jared stuck his head out of the room to make sure Carlos wouldn''t being back. Then he asked the


    manager for a new quilt and fell asleep in the hotel room.


    When Carlos and Debbie reached the vi, it was already 3 in the morning. She entered her bedroom


    without saying a word.


    Carlos followed her into her bedroom, but she pushed him out. "Megan''s sleeping in my room," he said


    coldly.


    Debbie was fuming with anger when she heard that. But she was too sleepy to argue with him right


    now. She just climbed onto her bed and quickly fell asleep.


    When she woke up again, Carlos was not in her room. She cleared her throat and swallowed, finding


    that it wasn''t nearly as painful as before.


    After she washed her face and brushed her teeth, she walked downstairs. But what she heard made


    her stop mid-stride and stiffen. She heardughtering from the dining hall, and it wasn''t Carlos.


    That was when she realized that Megan was still here.


    Megan noticed Debbie''s reaction, but she didn''t say anything about it. In fact, she greeted her


    cheerfully, "Aunt Debbie, here you are! Breakfast is ready!"


    "Thanks," Debbie answered nonchntly.


    Carlos stood and pulled the chair next to him away from the table. He indicated that she should sit.


    Debbie didn''t want to sit there, but on second thought, she''d better remind Megan that she was Mrs.


    Huo. So she sat down obediently.


    "Hey Auntie, I was just talking about kids with Uncle. Uncle, you didn''t tell me whether you want a boy


    or a girl?" Megan pouted her lips, acting like a spoiled child.


    Julie had just served her breakfast, and Debbie was preparing to dig in. Having decided not to say a


    word, she pretended she didn''t hear Megan.


    Carlos shot a nce at Debbie, who was about to take a bite of a boiled egg, and said with certainty, "A


    boy." Before anyone could respond, he added, "A boy, definitely!"


    If he and Debbie had a daughter, he was afraid that she''d turn out like Debbie. Then he''d have no idea


    how to teach her¡ªhe couldn''t lecture her or beat her.


    He really didn''t have the energy to deal with a second Debbie. One Debbie was enough.


    But if they had a son, he could lecture or beat him whenever he did something wrong. After all, boys


    had to be strong. He wouldn''t have to worry about womanly things, and he could teach him about the


    world.


    Meganughed and turned to Debbie asking, "How about you, Auntie?"


    Now that Carlos liked boys, Debbie decided to give the opposite answer to annoy him. She was in a


    bad mood now and wouldn''t pull her punches. She put on a fake smile and said, "I prefer a girl. Girls


    are more obedient than boys. What''s more, if I had a daughter, we could wear the same articles of


    clothing. It would be cute to go out with mother and daughter in matching outfits."


    While she said this, a picture of Debbie and a mini-sized Debbie entered Carlos'' head. Maybe it wasn''t


    a bad idea to have a daughter with Debbie, he thought.


    "Oh Megan, I nearly forgot. Let me give you a piece of advice. Men are all two-timers. When you find a


    boyfriend, keep an eye on him so he doesn''t cheat on you."


    Carlos felt weird when he heard this. ''Is she trying to imply I''m a two-timer?''


    he wondered.


    Megan nodded and looked at Debbie with a pair of innocent eyes. But what she said next irritated


    Debbie even more. "Uncle Carlos is a good man. I''ll marry a man like him!"


    Debbie took several deep breaths to calm herself down and then said in a sarcastic voice, "Really? You


    don''t know him very well. You''ve been taken in by his looks. He has a weakness for women. So you''d


    better not marry a man like him."


    Megan stopped eating and stared at Debbie in utter disbelief. "I don''t think we''re talking about the


    same guy. Uncle treats me well. But other women?"


    ''That''s the problem! He treats you better than his own wife. Can''t you see that makes him a bad


    husband?'' Debbie mocked in her mind. "You''re wrong. I''m his wife and he should treat me well. He''s


    your uncle, and I can understand he treats you well too. But he has so many other women that he also


    treats well. Like Miss Mi and Miss¡ª"

 Chapter 97 You Dont Need A Wife

    Chapter 97 You Don''t Need A Wife


    "Debbie Nian!" Carlos called out her name with authority and it stopped Debbie from talking any further.


    She lowered her head and her lips thinned into a grim line.


    Megan picked up a steamed stuffed bun and said, "Aunt Debbie, please try this. This is my favorite bun


    stuffed with veggies. Uncle Carlos asked the chef toe here and cook them for me."


    ''Seriously? Are you not going to stop showing off his love for you? I''m sick of it!''


    Trying her best to suppress her anger, Debbie replied coldly, "I''m good, thank you. I don''t like buns.


    Why don''t you give it to your Uncle Carlos?"


    Aside from the fact that she was pissed, it was the truth; she was not fond of buns. Though she didn''t


    really hate it, she would not buy a bun if it was her choice. Moreover, she had lost her appetite already.


    Megan''s hand came to a halt in midair as she pretended to be hurt by Debbie''s words. "I... I''m sorry...I


    didn''t know that you..." Her voice trailed off dramatically.


    Debbie rolled her eyes secretly and stayed silent. Carlos, however, picked up the te in front of


    Debbie and ced the bun on it. He then put the te back and said in a curt voice, "Megan asked you


    to have it out of kindness. Eat!"


    Unable to hold back her anger anymore, Debbie banged her chopsticks on the table. "Carlos Huo, you


    will do anything to please Megan Lan, won''t you? If this is how it''s going to be, then you don''t need me


    as your wife. Why don''t you just marry¡ª"


    "Shut up!" Carlos thundered, his face dark and gloomy. Silence befell the dining hall.


    Then he stood from his seat and demanded coldly, "Follow me!"


    "NO!" Debbie cast a burning nce at the girl whose eyes were red now, and brazenly walked towards


    the gates of the vi.


    "Stop!" came the man''s cold voice from behind her.


    Debbie felt deeply wronged. She had worked so hard to make money to buy Carlos a gift, but now, she


    felt like he didn''t deserve it. She turned around, looked him in the eye and said calmly, "After we''ve


    spent so much time together, I''ve realized that we do not belong with each other. Carlos Huo, we''re


    done."


    He was a proud man with a strong personality, and she was short-tempered as well. He was always


    nice and gentle to Megan, never letting her down in any circumstances. However, he had lost his


    temper a couple of times with Debbie. He had threatened her with her weaknesses and even left her


    alone in the cemetery at midnight. And just now, he had forced her to eat something that she didn''t


    even like, all for Megan''s sake.


    Since he valued Megan more than his own wife, Debbie decided to give up the position to her. Tears


    streamed down Debbie''s cheeks, but she turned around so that he wouldn''t see it.


    She opened the gate and rushed out of the vi.


    Carlos sat back in his seat, his eyes closed. The veins on his forehead were pulsing visibly.


    Megan, who was sitting opposite him, was too scared to utter a single word. She had never seen


    Carlos lose his temper before.


    After several minutes of silence, Carlos calmed down and said to Megan in a t voice, "Eat your


    breakfast. I''m going to work now."


    "Sure. But Aunt¡ª"


    "Don''t mind her!"


    Megan shut her mouth immediately.


    At Economics and Management School


    Curtis poured a cup of tea and ced it on the table before Debbie. "What happened? You seem to be


    in a bad mood."


    He had just run into a sad and dejected Debbie at the school gate, so he had asked her to join him in


    his office.


    Debbie let her eyes settle on him, saying nothing.


    Curtis was puzzled by her look and asked, "Did I do something to upset you?"


    She shook her head and asked him, "Mr. Lu, why didn''t Carlos marry Megan?"


    Curtis was dumbfounded by her sudden question. After a short pause, he asked her a question in reply,


    "Why would Carlos want to marry Megan?"


    Staring at the tea in her hands, she forced a bitter smile. "He is so nice to her. They would make a


    perfect couple."


    Curtis suddenly remembered that his girlfriend had asked him a simr question in the past. Colleen


    had asked him, "Curtis, since you are so sweet to Megan, why don''t you marry her?"


    He shook his head at the memory and sighed, "Debbie, you''ve got it wrong. Yes, Carlos is indeed nice


    to Megan, but he treats her like his niece. Carlos, Wesley, Damon and I all treat her like a little girl. But


    his feelings towards you are different. Trust me, Debbie. I''ve never seen a girl who has dared to act so


    boldly in front of Carlos except you. Do you think that he is incapable of harming you? Or that he is no


    match for you in martial arts? I don''t think so. You may not have personally seen his cruel ways, but I''m


    assuming that you''ve heard about it."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He paused, and Debbieined, "He has done things to me! He has threatened me several times


    with my weaknesses."


    Curtis chuckled, "You silly girl! I''m saying that he has never raised his hand on you or been cruel to


    you."


    It was true that Carlos never harmed her physically. Nor did he do anything cruel to hurt her. But


    Debbie felt that what he had done was unbearable enough.


    "I don''t know what happened between you and Carlos today. But you really don''t have to be mad at him


    because of Megan. To be honest, I never wanted you to get involved with Carlos from the very


    beginning. After all, you know, you two... well, you both are short-tempered. But I changed my mind


    after Megan''s birthday. I saw the way he looked at you that day. His eyes were full of affection for you.


    There was no mistaking it. I''ve known him for years, but have never seen him like that before. Trust


    me, he loves you. I don''t believe that it''s because you are his wife and he is responsible for you, but


    because he''s attracted to you."


    Debbie''s jaw dropped and she stared at the man in utter surprise. ''Wow. Mr. Lu is such a loyal friend.


    He has nothing but good things to say about Carlos.''


    "Maybe you are right, but that''s only when Megan is not around. When she''s present, he has eyes only


    for her," she said with a bitter smile.


    Curtis shook his head. "Debbie, give him some time. He has known Megan for more than five years


    now. That''s not the case with you. Even though you''ve been married to him for three years, you two


    have only spent a few months together. Give him some time to understand the rtionship between


    you and him, and his duties towards Megan. I know Carlos well. He won''t let you down."


    When Debbie remained silent, he added, "Do you really think we are stupid enough to believe that


    Megan is a little girl who harbors no ill-will? We know that she is not as innocent as she appears, but


    we choose to ignore it. After all, Carlos and Wesley have a responsibility to keep her happy for the rest


    of her life. Of course, your happiness cannot be destroyed to keep her satisfied either. If you feel


    wronged, just feel free to say it out loud. And most importantly, whatever you do, Carlos and I will be


    there to support you."


    Debbie''s eyes widened. She didn''t expect to hear such strong words from Curtis. She was beyond


    touched.


    She nodded, "I finally know how you were able to be the principal of the university at such a


    young age. Mr. Lu, you really are a smooth-talker. I''m fully convinced."


    Curtis rolled his eyes at her. "Don''t make fun of me. I know that you are not a girl who is easily


    convinced."


    With an embarrassed smile, Debbie pried, "Mr. Lu, I''m really curious as to why you are always so nice


    to me. What''s the reason for it?" She felt that Curtis treated her as his own family.


    Instead of answering her question, he said in a soft voice, "Go back home and make peace with


    Carlos. He has done so much for you. And because of him, you are much more girlish now than when


    you were with Hayden Gu. Your only problem is that you are bad-tempered. You would be perfect once


    you learn to control your anger."


    Debbie frowned at him. ''He avoided my question and even mentioned Hayden Gu. How did he know


    him?'' she thought.

 Chapter 98 Are You Trying To Apologize

    Chapter 98 Are You Trying To Apologize


    "You know the story between me and Hayden!" Debbie said in an affirmative tone.


    "Yes, I know. Last time, I was invited to a party, and he was there as well. He is now the head of the Gu


    family and has a partnership with ZL Group. Carlos also met him once," said Curtis. But he didn''t


    mention that when Hayden hade to greet Carlosst time, thetter had ignored himpletely.


    "Uh, got it. Hey, Mr. Lu, can''t you just answer my question? My curiosity is killing me! Why are you


    being so nice to me?" Debbie asked the question again.


    Curtis shook his head with profound resignation. "Curiosity kills the cat. Fine, I''m telling you why, and


    please don''t ask the same question again."


    Debbie sat straight and stared at Curtis with a hopeful expression.


    "I''m being nice to you because I want you to be happy every day."


    Debbie sat still, waiting for his next words. But he shut his mouth, saying no more. Eyes wide, she


    asked in disbelief, "That''s it?"


    "Yes. What else do you want to hear?" asked Curtis, with one hand propped against his chin and eyes


    fixed into the distance. Obviously, there was something more.


    ''Why do I have a feeling he''s being cryptic?'' Debbie wondered.


    What she wanted to know was why Curtis was so nice to her. Did he know her parents or something?


    But apparently he was not going to exin. Debbie gave him a fake smile and waved her hand. "Thank


    you for your advice, Mr. Lu. I''m leaving now," she said as she stood up to leave.


    "All right. Get back to ss. Also remember to go back home early in the evening."


    Debbie rolled her eyes secretly. She was not nning to go back home this evening. Although she felt


    much better after speaking with Curtis, she hated to see Megan at the vi.


    Meanwhile, at the ZL Group, the moment Carlos walked in, all employees could feel something was


    wrong. Gloom was written all over his face. Everyone got out of his way after greeting him, for fear that


    they might be the target of his tantrum.


    Even in a meeting with the senior executives, Carlos still kept his long face. Hardly had the director of


    the Financial Department begun to report his work before Carlos lost his temper and scolded him with a


    vicious diatribe.


    Other executives swallowed hard and tried to hold their breaths. As he ranted, everyone began to


    ponder what they would say to make sure their boss would not be triggered. But once Carlos had


    started, there was no stopping. Like a rabid dog he railed at everyone indiscriminately.


    Emmett took a chance to sneak out of the meeting room and called Debbie. "Mrs. Huo, it''s me,


    Emmett."


    "I know it''s you. I''ve saved your number." Debbie was leaning over the desk as she answered the


    phone.


    "What happened to Mr. Huo today? Did someone offend him? Do you have any idea how to calm him


    down?" While he was on the phone, a girl stormed out of the meeting room with tears streaming down


    her cheeks. Obviously, she was also one of the targets of Carlos'' tantrum.


    "What''s wrong with him?" asked Debbie, equally surprised.


    "You know what, Mr. Huo is in a foul mood today. I don''t know who might have offended him earlier, but


    he has gone on to scold almost everyone in thepany, including secretaries and the VP. I guess


    after the meeting, we assistants will be his next targets. Mrs. Huo, could you please do something to


    save the situation? We really need your help!" Emmett sounded like he was losing his mind.


    ''He''s in a bad mood. Is it because of me?'' Debbie mused.


    She was not sure, so she answered Emmett, "It''s of no use to call me. He won''t listen to me."


    "Don''t be so modest! If he didn''t listen to you, I''d be still stuck at the construction site, carrying bricks.


    Mrs. Huo, please do us the favor. You only need to call Mr. Huo and say something sweet. I believe it


    will work. Please, please..."


    Debbie was amused at his utter desperation.


    When she didn''t respond, Emmett asked in confusion, "Mrs. Huo, could it be, his mood is something to


    do with marital problems?"


    "What?!" Debbie eximed.


    As she was about to say something, she heard Carlos roaring at the other end of the line, "Emmett


    Zhong, get your ass in right now!"


    Emmett was so frightened he even forgot to hang up. He rushed into the meeting room and stood


    beside Carlos addressing him respectfully, "Mr. Huo."


    Carlos noticed the phone in his hand was on and asked in a cold voice, "This is meeting hour. Whose


    call is that, still active on your phone?"


    Holy crap! Emmett immediately hid his phone behind his back, but it was toote.


    Carlos could tell from his reaction that something was not right. With a gloomy face, he snatched his


    phone away and his face changed at the caller ID.


    He cast a burning nce at Emmett, who was in cold sweat, and put the phone near his ear. "Yes?


    Anything?"


    Only two words were enough to draw all the senior executives'' attention. ''Who''s on the phone? Mr.


    Huo''s voice has magically changed. Why so soft all of a sudden?'' they mused.


    "No...nothing... Uh, here''s the thing. I was shopping...and I saw a... I saw a... a book. I guess you would


    be interested. Do you want it?"


    No one responded. Debbie wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. She had not expected Carlos to


    snatch Emmett''s phone. What was she going to say? In front of her was a book, so she found ame


    excuse.


    "Are you trying to apologize?" Carlos asked.


    "No. Bye!" Debbie was about to hang up, but Carlos'' next words stopped her.


    "Don''t you dare hang up!" He suddenly stood up, swept over the executives, whose heads were


    lowered, and said coldly, "The meeting is done."


    Then he left the meeting room, with Emmett''s phone still in his hand.


    After Carlos was gone, the meeting room went into an uproar. Everyone gathered around Emmett,


    eager to know who was on the phone.


    "Emmett, who''s that miracle worker that made Mr. Huo change his tone so abruptly?"


    "Man, aren''t you just a savior?! If Mr. Huo continued to scold us like that, I would have jumped off the


    building."


    Emmett cleared his voice before saying, "This is Mr. Huo''s private life and I have to keep it a secret.


    Please excuse me, I need to go back to work."


    Not until Carlos entered his office did he realize he was using Emmett''s phone. "Call me."


    After saying that, he hung up.


    Debbie was left speechless. ''I''m still mad at him! Why would I call him?''


    While she was still at a loss whether she would call Carlos or not, she got a text message from Emmett


    saying, "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo lost his temper again! Help!"


    Having no time to think, Debbie dialed Carlos'' number. When the phone was connected, she yelled,


    "Old man, what''s wrong with you? Why so touchy?"


    With a sneer, Carlos answered, "You know exactly why!"


    Not knowing how to respond, Debbie remained silent for a moment. ''Is he mad because I made him


    lose face in front of Megan or something?''


    After a long pause, Carlos broke the silence. "Do you have something you want to say to me?"


    "Yes, I have."


    "Say it."


    "I want to sleep in the dorm this evening."


    "Not a chance!"


    "Then I''m done."


    With a gloomy expression, Carlos said, "I''ll pick you up this evening."


    "No, please. Don''t!" answered a stubborn Debbie.


    Carlos gnashed his teeth and snarled, "Are you sure?"


    "I gotta go. Bye!"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Before he could respond, she hung up.


    Turning around, he thundered, "Emmett Zhong!"


    The force in his voice sent chills running down Emmett''s spine. ''I thought he was calmed down after


    talking to his wife. Why is he angry again?"


    It was the beginning of a long, terrible day for Emmett.


    But that night, just as she had promised, Debbie slept in the dorm with Kristina.


    It was almost 1 a.m. when she finally got off work in the bar. The dorm gates were shut, and she didn''t


    have the doorkeeper''s phone. She called Jared who found a person to call the doorkeeper and ask her


    to open the gates.


    Early the next morning, when Debbie woke up, she was surprised to find she was cramping. Regr


    as clockwork, she had always marked her menses. Apparently, thest one month must have been


    stressful to make her forget something that basic. She sighed to ease the pressure.


    She was in another dilemma. When she had agreed to leave the dorm and stay with Carlos at the vi,


    she had moved all her clothes. Now, she didn''t have any clean pants with her.

 Chapter 99 Let Me Warm You Up

    Chapter 99 Let Me Warm You Up


    Debbie decided to take the bus back to the vi so she could change out of her blood-stained pants.


    She didn''t dare take a taxi out of fear that blood might be left behind on the car seat.


    Stepping onto the bus, she decided it would be best to stand in the back so that the other passengers


    wouldn''t notice the blood on her light-colored pants. Luckily, everyone kept to themselves and no one


    seemed to notice anything was amiss. When the bus pulled up to her stop, Debbie quickly hopped off


    and walked for about fifteen minutes before finally reaching the gates of the vi zone.


    Ignoring the aching of her stomach, she walked briskly towards the vi as to avoid crossing paths with


    the others who lived there.


    Upon arriving at the vi, she opened the gate and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. It felt safer to finally


    be inside a familiar ce. Quickly changing her shoes, Debbie quietly made her way into the living


    room, crossing her fingers that there was no one around. Luckily, the living room was empty. All she


    could hear was the sounds of Julie cooking in the adjacent kitchen.


    Her luck was soon cut short, however, as Carlos walked down the stairs. The girl froze, hoping that he


    wouldn''t look in her direction. But it was toote; he was staring at her intently.


    Ignoring the man, she pushed past him, and tried to run up the stairs.


    "Stop!" Carlos demanded. The anger in his voice caused Debbie to pause and look at the man.


    Her stomach ached again, however, and it was a reminder that she needed to get upstairs. Turning her


    back on Carlos, she continued to make her way up the stairs.


    Before she could get away, Carlos grabbed her arm. "What is wrong with you?" he asked. There was


    obvious worry and confusion in his steady voice.


    Puzzled by this, Debbie turned to look at him.


    He was staring at her blood-stained pants!


    Her face suddenly went hot and red with shame. Needing to get out of here, Debbie tried to pull her


    arm out of his grip. "Let me go! It has nothing to do with you!"


    The hand gripping her arm remained tight. "What happened?" Carlos asked again. "Did you get hurt?"


    "I didn''t..." Debbie hesitated, trying to find the right words to say to reassure him. But before she could


    finish her sentence, Carlos pulled her towards him. Yelling in protest, Debbie fell into his strong arms.


    "I''m taking you to the hospital now!" he announced firmly.


    ''What is wrong with her?'' Carlos mused. ''She''s bleeding, and instead of going to the hospital, she is


    running up the stairs to her room. What does she want to do?''


    "No! Don''t take me to the hospital! Let go of me! Listen¡ª" Debbie was getting angry, as her pleas were


    continuously ignored.


    Disregarding her resistance, Carlos scooped Debbie up in his arms and carried her towards the gates.


    While he was changing his shoes, she exined in a hurry, "I didn''t get hurt, Carlos. My aunt Flo is


    visiting."


    Eyebrows furrowed, he looked at her in confusion. "Aunt Flo? You have an aunt named Flo?" ''And what


    does her aunt Flo have anything to do with her bleeding?'' he thought to himself.


    Embarrassed, Debbie rolled her eyes at him. "No, I don''t have an aunt called Flo. My period ising


    today."


    "Your period?"


    It was obvious that Carlos still didn''t understand.


    He shook his head. When he was about to open the gate and take her outside, she couldn''t bear it


    anymore and blurted, "Menstruation! Do you understand now?"


    Carlos abruptly stopped walking, noticeably stiffening at her words.


    He put her down immediately. More precisely, she was dropped on the floor. Luckily, Debbie was quick


    enough to steady herself.


    With an emotionless face, Carlos looked at both of his hands as if checking for blood. It was the first


    time he had been in such an awkward situation; he didn''t know how to respond.


    "Oh, rx. There is no blood on your hands or on your clothes!" Debbie snapped, angered by his


    childish reaction. She had made an effort not to let her blood dirty his hands or clothes.


    Unable to read his expression, Debbie walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Carlos, however,


    continued to stand there, stunned and motionless.


    Having taken a shower and gotten changed, Debbie came back downstairs.


    Carlos had already finished his breakfast and was reading a newspaper in the dining hall. Debbie was


    about to exit the vi when he called out, "Come and have breakfast."


    With a bowl in her hands, Julie walked out of the kitchen and towards the girl with a smile. "Mrs. Huo,


    Mr. Huo said you''re on your period and asked me to make a bowl of hot ginger soup for you. Please


    come and drink it."


    ''Mmm?'' Debbie was surprised. Not believing her ears, she turned to look at the man, who was intently


    reading the newspaper as if not having heard Julie.


    ''Since the soup is ready, I''d better drink it first. I don''t want to be rude.'' Debbie walked toward the dining


    table and sat down. Seeing the hot soup in front of her, she gave Julie a sweet smile. "Thank you."


    "No problem, Debbie. Drink it while it''s still warm. What do you want to eat for lunch? I''ll cook it for


    you."


    "Oh don''t worry about it, Julie. I''ll have lunch in the school canteen. You can go home when you finish


    your work." Debbie didn''t n to go back to the vi to have lunch, and she hadn''t made up her mind


    as to whether she would sleep in the vi or in the dorm this evening.


    "All right. Then have your breakfast," Julie said. After cing a bowl of porridge on the table, Julie went


    into the kitchen to continue her work.


    The hot, yummy breakfast made Debbie feel much better.


    Leaving her empty dishes on the table, she picked up her backpack and walked towards the entrance


    of the vi.


    The gates opened and a gust of wind blew swirls of snow across the sidewalk. Not wanting to walk in


    this weather, she was about to take out her phone to call Matan, her driver assigned by Carlos, when


    suddenly she heard Carlos'' low voice. "Get in the car."


    Before Debbie could say anything, his ck Emperor car pulled up by the curb. Emmett got out and


    greeted the couple. "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo, good morning."


    Debbie nodded and gave him a smile. Turning to Carlos, who was already holding the car door open


    for her, she said, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Huo, but I''m good. I''m calling Matan."


    She then stepped back from the car, ignoring the man.


    Emmett was left speechless. He looked back and forth between her and Carlos awkwardly. ''Were they


    fighting again?'' he wondered. ''Mrs. Huo is so brave to turn Mr. Huo down like that. In all my years


    working for Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo is the only one who dares to reject him.''


    With an exasperated expression, Carlos strode towards Debbie, grabbed her wrist, pulled her towards


    the car, and pushed her into the back seat, ignoring her objections.


    He then slid into the back seat of the car too.


    Emmett secretly gave Carlos a thumbs-up. ''Well done, Mr. Huo!''


    Fuming with rage, Debbie cast a fierce nce at the man sitting next to her. If expressions could kill,


    Carlos would have been killed a thousand times over. Her mind wasing up with the meanest words


    to curse him with.


    But on second thought, she decided it was best not to say anything, as Carlos had various ways of


    getting back at her. The only thing she could do to vent her anger was throw murderous looks at him


    every now and then.


    "I''ve already sent Megan back. You must move back to the vi now," he said coldly, breaking the


    silence.


    In no mood to talk to him, Debbie snorted and turned to look out the window.


    Carlos rubbed his arching brow and wondered, ''What should I do to cool her down?'' "If you refuse to


    move back, I''ll have to bring you to my office and then take you back to the vi when I get off work."


    Without turning her head, she mocked, "This is all you can do? Threaten me?"


    All of a sudden, Carlos grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms. "The process does not matter to


    me at all. As long as I can bring you back, I don''t care what means I''m using."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "Let me go!" Debbie yelled. "Why are you always taking advantage of me? I hate you!"


    "It''s freezing outside. Let me warm you up," Carlos replied softly.


    Upon hearing this, Emmett rolled his eyes from the driver''s seat. ''Mr. Huo, we have a heater in the car, ''


    he retorted in his mind.


    Debbie struggled, but failed to free herself from Carlos'' embrace. "Thank you, Mr. Huo, but I don''t need


    to be warmed up. I''m not feeling cold at all."


    "But I''m freezing," Carlos responded mischievously. "Please warm me up."


    Both Debbie and Emmett were stunned by Carlos'' shameless behavior. ''What is wrong with him? Is he


    the same aloof Mr. President?'' they both mused.


    Unable to move in his arms, Debbie gritted her teeth and told the driver, "Emmett, turn the temperature


    up. Your boss is freezing!"


    Emmett was a smart man, so despite the girl''s boldness, he knew who the real boss was. He replied in


    a serious voice, "Mrs. Huo, I''ve turned the heat up to maximum temperature. Maybe it doesn''t work


    because of the freezing temperature outside. Why not warm Mr. Huo up?"


    Debbie stared at the back of the driver''s head in stunned disbelief and anger. She wished she could


    beat him up right this moment.


    ''What an ungrateful man! I made so many sacrifices in order to help him leave the construction site, ''


    she cursed inwardly, ''but now he is taking Carlos Huo''s side!''


    Carlos gently turned her head, forcing her to look at him. "I won''t allow you to be angry like this," he


    said in a soft voice.


    It made Carlos'' heart ache to see Debbie angry and upset like this.

 Chapter 100 My Willful Wife

    Chapter 100 My Willful Wife


    When Debbie heard what Carlos said, she sneered. "Haha! Don''t tell me how to feel! Are you a control


    freak or something? Sorry, not today."


    "And you''re as impossible as ever!" Carlosmented. He didn''t like to be disobeyed.


    ''Me? Impossible?'' she mused. "If I''m impossible, then you''re unfaithful!"


    His eyes widened at her words. Rage shed in his eyes. Finally, he said, "You''ve got a smooth


    tongue, and I want to give it a try." Before she could know it, he leaned toward her and pressed her red


    lips with his.


    "Mmm..." Debbie tried to break free of his grip, but to no avail.


    Realizing what was happening, Emmett coughed to conceal his awkwardness and then raised the


    partition of the car so that the couple could have a private space.


    The passionate kisssted a long time, and Debbie seemed to be suffocating.


    She didn''t know how many minutes the kisssted, but it was not until she felt his erection that he


    finally let go. She sat straight, adjusted her messy clothes and pushed him away. "Get off me! God,


    you''re heavy!"


    Carlos, however, remained where he was. "Honey, I''ll bang you the day you stop bleeding. You don''t


    get it yet¡ªI need you!" he said in her ear, voice husky from lust. More likely, he felt less like a man


    when a woman told him no.


    Debbie''s heart skipped a beat. She could tell from his expression that he was trying hard to fight


    against his desire. On the one hand, she thought she should just give in. After all, they might be the


    only couple in this world that hadn''t had sex after being married for three years. On the other hand, this


    was her first time and she really felt nervous. "D-Don''t be in such a hurry! I think we need to find a feng


    shui master to choose an auspicious day..." she stammered.


    ''I need to find a feng shui master before I have sex with my wife?'' Carlos was amused by her reaction


    and decided to y along. "I think we also need a press conference to tell the world that Carlos Huo is


    about to sleep with his wife. Sounds good?"


    "Uh...haha..." Debbie gave him an embarrassed smile and murmured, "That''s not necessary."


    He withdrew his hand from her sweater, sat up and kissed her lips softly. Her lips were a bit swollen


    from his long, passionate kiss. She was really turning him on! His voice softened when he said, "Honey,


    I was wrong. I shouldn''t have pissed you off. Please don''t be mad at me anymore. Okay?"


    After being hugged and kissed, somehow Debbie felt much better. Now that he had apologized, she


    heaved a sigh of relief andined, "I must have been a yboy in my past life and you were a


    woman who loved me deeply and I broke your heart. That''s why you''re like this."


    Carlos tried hard to suppress his giggle and said, "I think you''ve got it backwards. That''s why you''re like


    this."


    He was a wise and intelligent man in business, but in front of his wife, he acted like a fool. He had no


    idea why she was mad at him or how to cool her down. The only thing he could do was apologize. But


    was that enough? It is said that an apology without change is maniption. Was that what it was? But


    Carlos Huo was too proud to think about these things. His ego blinded him to the truth.


    The car had been parked in front of the school for a couple of minutes. Emmett tried his best to drive


    the car slowly so that the couple would have more time to make out. He figured if there was ever a


    couple that needed it, it was them. He was loyal to his boss, and more, didn''t want to be exiled to that


    construction site again. But s, it seemed that they needed more time.


    He wanted to get out and have a cigarette, but decided against it¡ªit was freezing outside. He''d enjoy


    smoking much less if he were frozen to the bone. Remaining in the driver''s seat, he started up a game


    on his phone. The solution to Grabblies always eluded him, and this time he was going to beat level 36.


    ''Maybe if he getsid, he won''t be so eager to torture me. If she can mellow him out, I''ll take her side


    forever, '' Emmett swore to himself.


    The couple in the back seat began to kiss affectionately again. Little did they know what was on


    Emmett''s mind.


    Almost suffocated again, Debbie pushed him away¡ªagain. "Cut it out. I''m alreadyte for ss. If I


    stay here too long, I''ll miss the whole thing. I thought you didn''t like me skipping sses," she snapped.


    Carlos grabbed her soft hand and stroked it while exposing her lie. "Your ss doesn''t start til 10."


    Finally Debbie had calmed down, so how was it possible for him to let her go so easily? Last night,


    when he slept in her bed alone, he felt very lonely. This was rather strange, because he had never felt


    that way before. He was always strong, stoic, and didn''t need anyone to make him feel better.


    Caught in a lie, Debbie stammered, "Uh... Y-You need to go to work. You''re the president. What if


    something urgent happens? What if yourpany goes under because you wasted too much time on


    me?"


    "You''re mad at me. I need to make you happy before going to work. Otherwise, I won''t be able to


    focus."


    "Haha!" Debbie burst intoughter.


    She would never have believed that an overly-serious man like Carlos would act like a spoiled child if


    she hadn''t seen and heard it for herself.


    He kissed her on the earlobe and asked, "You''re not angry anymore?"


    She pouted her lips and in a soft voice said, "Well, you said you were sorry. I guess I can let it go." Now


    that Carlos had sent Megan home and sincerely apologized to her, Debbie decided to let him off the


    hook this time. ''Why keep it going?'' she thought. ''It''s just going to make both of us miserable.''


    Right now, they both felt happy and wished this moment couldst forever.


    "Honey, if you aren''t feeling well, how about I call in sick for you and take you to my office?" Carlos


    offered. "I have a couch you could lie on." He had never paid attention to girls'' periods before. It was


    Julie who had just told him that Debbie might feel ufortable on her period. Pain, particrly


    headaches and abdominal cramps, was one of the sad realities of menstruation. Julie once had a


    ssmate who had the worst migraines at that time of the month.


    Debbie was never a girl who would admit to being weak. She shook her head and turned him down.


    "There''s no need for that. We have a heater in the ssroom." It would not be that painful if she just sat


    still and didn''t strain herself.


    "All right. Call me anytime you don''t feel well." He finally let her go and sat up straight. Looking at her


    messy hair and clothes, he reached out his hands to help her smooth her hair and adjust her clothing.


    Then he zipped her up and kissed her on the cheek again.


    It was still snowing outside, so he knocked on the partition and ordered Emmett, "Take the car on


    campus and park it. See that she gets to her dorm."


    "No, no, no! Please don''t. I can walk." There were only two Emperor cars in Y City, and Carlos'' was


    one of them. If people saw her riding in an Emperor car, she would again be a hot topic. She


    didn''t want all the attention. In fact, that was thest thing she wanted. Why couldn''t he just drive a


    Buick or a Volkswagen like everyone else?


    Last time she was the talk of the town¡ªshe had made a show of confessing to Carlos, in order to get


    back at Gail. Although only a couple of people had seen it, almost every student had been talking about


    the matter for days. And the furtive looks and whispers, as well as the pointing, drove her nuts. If they


    saw her being driven to her dorm in that car, she could imagine she would once again hit the headlines.


    And all she wanted right now was peace and quiet.


    "Why not? Don''t you want people to know we''re a couple?" Carlos asked, not happy. Even though she


    had told him she loved him in publicst time, that was because she wanted to mess with Gail. He


    knew that, too.


    Carlos was frustrated and wondered why Debbie was acting like this.


    Debbie was a little startled by his reaction. She immediately put on a mollifying smile and exined,


    "Don''t get me wrong, Boss. You know who you are. If people saw me in your car, I wouldn''t get a


    moment''s peace. Really!"


    "Hmph! You are not allowed to get out unless you give me some sugar."


    Debbie snaked her arms around his neck, kissed him on the lips and called out in a sweet voice,


    "Honey!"


    He held her, pressed the back of her head and kissed her affectionately. He didn''t let her go until she


    started to struggle.


    While Debbie was rearranging her down coat, Carlos pressed a button to lower the partition and told


    Emmett, "Open the door for Debbie."


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    ''Seriously? I can open the door myself.'' Debbie wanted to turn him down, but Emmett had already left


    the car.


    Before getting out, she zipped her coat to the top, put her hood up and pulled the drawstrings tight, so


    that only her eyes were exposed.


    When she entered the dorm, Kristina was still asleep. But not for long. Seeing a shivering Debbie


    running into the room, she stuck her head out of the quilt and sleepily asked, "Hey Tomboy, when did


    you leave?"


    "I just went back home to fetch something. It''s snowing outside. Why don''t we enjoy the winter


    wondend and take some selfies?" While saying this, Debbie took out a heating pad from the drawer


    and plugged it in. Wrapping it around her hands, she felt much warmer now.


    Sitting up, Kristina looked at Kasie''s empty bed and asked in confusion, "Didn''t Kasie sleep in the dorm


    last night? I wonder where she went."

 Chapter 101 I Want Milk Tea

    Chapter 101 I Want Milk Tea


    "No, Kasie didn''t sleep herest night, but I do have a funny story about her!" Debbie said as she threw


    the wrappings of her heating pad into the bin and sat on her chair. "She asked her dad for ten thousand


    dors yesterday to pay for some VIP membership. Her dad, though, identally transferred a


    hundred thousand dors instead! Right after she received the money, she felt scared that her dad


    might ask her to wire the ny thousand back. So, she cklisted him right away! She had much fun


    in a clubst night, I''m guessing!"


    "Hahahaha!" Kristina burst intoughter. "I guess her dad wille to school to teach her a lesson


    today," she replied as she got out of bed and began to get dressed.


    "Maybe he will. He alreadyined that Kasie''s monthly expenses are way above average,"


    Debbie said.


    Suddenly, Kristina realized something and eyed Debbie from head to toe. "You were in a bad mood just


    last night! Now, you''re bubbly like a spring flower. Let me guess. Did you see your husband this


    morning?" she asked suspiciously.


    Debbie looked so much better now than she had yesterday. She was clearly in a bad mood even when


    she and Jared set off to the club she worked at. But now, she was smiling and was sporting a very


    sunny disposition.


    Kristina didn''t believe that it was all because of that funny story.


    "Mmm... I saw him this morning," Debbie replied. She didn''t n to keep it from Kristina, anyway.


    Besides, she and Kristina were currently alone in the dorm room. Their other ssmate, Kasie, and


    their three other roommates, who had different majors, were all out for sses.


    "Tell me the details. Did you apologize to him or¡ª" Kristina knew that they had fought and why so she


    was eager to know how it turned out.


    Debbie rolled her eyes. "Hmph! He apologized to me, of course!" she snorted.


    Kristina giggled. She put her hand on her friend''s shoulder and said, "Debbie, you just made a proud


    CEO like Carlos Huo beg for your forgiveness. Now, I believe that he must really love you."


    "He was wrong so he apologized. I don''t see anything unusual about that," Debbie replied. ''It''s all


    because of Megan Lan!''


    she thought angrily.


    "Oh,e on. Don''t be so stubborn. Anyway, I''m gonna wash my face and brush my teeth. Let''s talk


    moreter!" Kristina said as she stood to go to thevatory.


    "All right," Debbie said.


    She and Kristina had lunch together in the school canteen at noon. Debbie found herself fixating on a


    couple that sat near their table. The boy and the girl looked as if they were existing in their own world.


    They touched and kissed as if no one was looking. Somehow, this made Debbie miss her husband,


    Carlos. So, she put her chopsticks down and proceeded to send him a message on WeChat. "Hey, Mr.


    Handsome. I want milk tea."


    "Okay," was his reply. His message was quick and concise.


    Debbie stared at the word, wondering whether he was going to add something. To her disappointment,


    no other message arrived.


    It wasn''t until twenty minutester while Debbie and Kristina were on their way to the dorm that a


    notification alerted with a message from Carlos. "Go to Curtis'' office now," it said.


    "What for?" Debbie replied.


    "You''ll know when you get there,"


    Carlos texted back.


    Debbie put the phone back in her pocket and turned to Kristina. "I have to deal with something urgent.


    Why don''t you go to Dixon?" she said.


    Before Kristina could reply, she already dashed away.


    As she watched her friend''s retreating figure, Kristina took a bite off her baked sausage and mused,


    ''Dixon, a straight-A student, is busy studying for his final exams and has no time to date me. I am such


    a hopeless student.''


    Upon arriving at Curtis'' office, Debbie knocked. A familiar voice answered, "Come in."


    Her heart skipped a beat. ''Carlos is here!'' she thought.


    She pushed the door open, and the sight of her dear husband weed her instead of the original


    upant of the office.


    "Mr. Handsome, what are you doing here?" she asked.


    Carlos stood from the couch and handed her a paper bag. "Your milk tea," he said.


    Taking the paper cup, Debbie blushed. She had missed him and only wanted to exchange messages


    with him on WeChat. She had actually expected him to reply something like "Buy one if you want"


    when she had messaged him about the milk tea. Instead, her busy CEO husband brought her a hot


    cup of milk tea himself despite the freezing cold.


    She had wondered why he asked her to go to Curtis'' office, and guessed that he might have sent


    someone else to buy milk tea for her. Her eyes turned red. "It''s so cold outside! You didn''t have to


    Carlos stroked her hair and said, "I''m fine. Emmett drove me here. Drink it while it''s still warm."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She took the cup, put a straw through the cover and took a sip. Her eyes lit up at the taste. "This is it!


    My favorite vor! Old man, how did you know that?" she inquired.


    Bubble milk tea with popping boba and coconut jelly¡ªthis was her favorite and she would never get


    tired of it.


    Seeing her so happy made him smile. Instead of answering her question, he replied, "I''m d you love


    it."


    "Come, taste it!" she said hopefully as she put the straw near Carlos'' lips.


    On second thought, she suddenly realized that the man was obsessively tidy. He might not be willing to


    use the same straw. She quickly withdrew her hand. "Oh, never mind. Next time, I''ll just buy an extra


    cup for you," she said.


    "Why?" Carlos asked. He was just about to take a sip when she drew the drink away.


    "There''s only one straw," she said with a shrug.


    Carlos held her hand holding the drink and looked her in the eye. Then, much to her surprise, he raised


    the cup together with her hand and took a sip.


    After swallowing, hemented, "It''s too sweet. Remember to rinse your mouth after finishing it."


    "You...you don''t mind using the same straw?" Debbie could not help but ask. She knew he was a neat


    freak. His bedroom and bathroom were spotlessly clean. She avoided entering his room unless it was


    absolutely necessary, too scared to mess anything up in there.


    Raising one of his eyebrows, he replied, "Why would I? You''re my wife."


    She shed a huge grin when she heard his answer. "Take another sip," she offered.


    As if to prove his words, he not only took another sip of the drink but also pulled her into his arms and


    kissed her.


    The sweetness of the milk tea spread through their mouths. Debbie was so happy she wished this


    moment couldst forever. ''I wish we would never fight again!'' she thought.


    Large kes of snow fell outside the warm and cozy office. Carlos sat on the couch while Debbie sat on


    hisp drinking the milk tea.


    Suddenly, Debbie remembered a joke. "Carlos Huo, let me tell you a story," she said.


    "Okay," he replied.


    He could tell from her sly smile that she was plotting something.


    "Listen, uh, once upon a time, there was a fool who liked saying ''No''. He always answered ''No'' when


    people asked him something," she narrated. After some pause, she continued, "Oh, by the way, have


    you heard this story before?" She looked Carlos in the eye, waiting for his reply.


    He curled his lips and answered, "Yes, you told me the story before."


    "No, I''ve never¡ª"


    It was not until Carlos chuckled that Debbie realized that he had her fooled.


    Frustrated, she pinched his arm and beat on his chest. "Aaaaaagh! Why do you have to be so smart?!


    You called me a fool! You are an ass!"


    Carlos held her tighter and smelled her hair. "Are you sure it''s I who called you a fool? You were the


    one who called yourself a fool," he retorted.


    Debbie snorted and looked away while pouting her lips.


    She thought hard about how to get back at Carlos. After a long pause, she started again, "Hey, let me


    ask you a question. If there were a girl with a pretty face and perfect body sitting on yourp, would you


    fall for her?"


    This time, he answered without hesitation, "No, I wouldn''t." There was only one girl in the world whom


    he would fall for, and she was none other than Debbie.

 Chapter 102 A Poor Virgin

    Chapter 102 A Poor Virgin


    ''Yeah, he''s hooked!'' Debbie was ted, but holding back a smile, she pretended to be angry. "Carlos


    Huo, how dare you allow another girl to sit on yourp?"


    Carlos'' jaw dropped.


    ''What a cunning girl! I can''t keep up with her varying tactics, '' he thought.


    Debbie was about to stand when Carlos pulled her waist and said in a serious manner, "I can assure


    you that I will not allow anyone else to sit on myp. This ce is owned by you and you only."


    The seriousness in his eyes stunned her. How would you feel if a handsome and charming man


    expressed his love for you? You would get excited, of course. Debbie was no exception. Words left her


    as she was drowned in Carlos'' eyes. She could not get herself to look away. After a long time, she


    finally spoke. "Carlos Huo, I want to make love to you."


    His eyes darkened at her words as he held her tighter. "You naughty girl!" She seduced him even when


    she had her period.


    When she realized that she had her flow, she sheepishly added, "I don''t mean right now, I mean in a


    week or so."


    Carlos, struck with desire, took the cup of milk tea from her hand, ced it on a table,id her on the


    couch and pressed his body against her.


    "Don''t, Carlos! Please..."


    He was about to kiss her on the lips when the door was opened from outside.


    Debbie turned scarlet.


    Carlos cast a burning nce at Curtis, who stood in stunned disbelief. "Mr. Lu, why are you back so


    soon?" Carlos said, his voice was as cold as ice.


    After saying that, he sat upright and helped Debbie up as if nothing had happened.


    Leaning against the door frame, Curtis replied, "I got news that you were in my office so I came here to


    meet you. I didn''t expect you to be driven by lust so early in the day..." Carlos'' re immediately shut


    him up.


    Embarrassed, Debbie stood up from the couch, picked up her milk tea and apologized to Curtis


    sincerely. "I''m sorry, Mr. Lu. Please don''t get us wrong. I was not feeling well and Carlos came here to


    send me the milk tea. Er...I''d better go back to ss now so you two can talk."


    Curtis couldn''t believe his ears. A busy CEO left work just to deliver a cup of milk tea for his wife? He


    shook his head and asked, "Mr. Huo, since when were you so avable?"


    Carlos grabbed Debbie''s hand and answered casually, "When my wife wants milk tea, I will give her


    milk tea, even if I were abroad."


    Despite being a gentleman, Curtis wanted to yell at him so badly and dismiss him from his office.


    Staying in control of his emotions, he instead managed to respond, "Whatever makes you happy."


    ''I always took him for a serious man. As it turns out, he tends to be a show-off when he''s in love, ''


    Curtis thought.


    How Debbie wished she could cover Carlos'' mouth with her hands. ''What a shameless man! He


    doesn''t feel awkward at all despite being caught red-handed. Instead, he is chatting with Mr. Lu as if


    nothing happened, '' she thought.


    Carlos stood up from the couch, held Debbie''s waist and told her, "Let me walk you out."


    Shaking her head, she said, "I''m good. Why don''t you and Mr. Lu continue your conversation? I''ll walk


    myself out." After saying that, she immediately removed herself from the embarrassing scene with


    cheeks burning red.


    Sitting down in his armchair, Curtis curled his lips andmented, "Debbie usually acts like a tomboy.


    Only a man like you can make her blush like that."


    As far as he knew, Debbie had never acted this way in front of other men before.


    Carlos rolled his eyes. "I gotta go. By the way, you have a nice couch. I may try it with my wife, next


    time," he said.


    Curtis raised an eyebrow. ''The nerve of this man, '' he thought. "You talk as if you know what you were


    talking about. Carlos Huo, don''t think I don''t know you are a 28-year-old virgin. You''ve been married for


    more than three years, but you haven''t slept with your wife once," he remarked dismissively.


    Carlos'' face soured at his words. "Just shut your fucking mouth!"


    Ignoring his good friend''s reaction, Curtis continued, "Well, unlike you, I actually have experience in this


    field. Based on my assessment, it''s easy to tell that there is something wrong between you and Debbie.


    I guess that you have not slept with her yet, and it looks like I got that right."


    Carlos'' grim reaction made him feel satisfied.


    ''Good for you, Debbie! Despite Carlos'' shrewd ways, he still hasn''t managed to put you under his spell,


    '' he thought. This made Curtis burst intoughter.


    In his frustration, Carlos kicked Curtis'' desk and stormed out wordlessly.


    Sitting in the back seat of his car, Carlos swore to himself once again, ''If I failed to make love with


    Debbie after her period, then I wouldn''t deserve to be called a man!


    I must make her mine both mentally and physically!''


    He thought about her sitting on hisp. She was so shy and cute. Reying the scene in his mind


    made him feel a little better.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    At East City Vi


    Carlos pulled the passenger door open and carried Debbie out. She grabbed his shirt and mumbled,


    "Carlos, I can walk¡ª"


    "Don''t be so stubborn. You''re not feeling well," Carlos cut her off. He kicked the door to close it.


    "I''m okay, really! Please put me down," she said.


    Despite her struggle, Carlo managed to bring her to the vi gates. "Open the gate," he told her.


    Debbie reached out her finger to unlock the fingerprint lock.


    The vi went aze with lights. A dozen people were busy in the living room but immediately stopped


    what they were doing when they spotted their boss at the gates. "Mr. Huo," they greeted.


    Only the servants in the vi also greeted Debbie, "Mrs. Huo."


    The others were stunned upon hearing theirpanions'' greeting and immediately looked to see the


    girl in Carlos'' arms. ''When did Mr. Huo get married? Howe this news did not reach us?'' they


    thought.


    "Mrs. Huo," they followed, anyway.


    Debbie nodded, feeling a bit awkward. After noticing what they were doing, she turned to Carlos and


    asked in confusion, "Carlos, what¡ª"


    He put her down, grabbed her hand and led her to a rack where several pieces of clothing were


    hanging. "Sorry, I forgot to ask them to send your winter clothes here. Check these ones out. Do you


    like them?" he asked.


    Itpletely escaped him that Debbie needed clothes. Usually, his assistant, Zelda, took care of


    matters like these. It was not until he saw her blood-stained pants that he realized what he overlooked.


    He swore to himself that he would pay more attention to his wife in the future.


    ''There are so many racks with at least dozens of pieces of clothing. Are all of these for me?'' Debbie


    wondered in awe.


    "You bought me so many autumn clothesst time. I haven''t even gotten to wear some of them. I don''t


    need new clothes; it''s a waste of money and resources," she said. She felt as if she were in a boutique.


    Carlos didn''t respond. While Debbie was skimming through her options, he started pointing at pieces


    and ordering, "This, this, this... Put them into my wife''s wardrobe."


    "No, wait! I haven''t tried them on yet!" Debbie eximed, grabbing one of the pieces. "I don''t have a


    perfect figure so I need to try them on first to make sure they look good on me."


    Carlos grabbed her hand to lead her to the second floor. "You won''t be able to try all of them on in


    hours. That''s too much trouble." Then, he turned to one of the servants and ordered, "Put all of them in


    Debbie''s wardrobe."


    "How will I know whether they fit if I don''t try them on? It''s too wasteful," she protested.


    "I won''t get back to it next time," Carlos replied.


    "What?" Debbie asked, confused.

 Chapter 103 Did Your Aunt Flo Leave

    Chapter 103 Did Your Aunt Flo Leave


    "I''ll ask the store to send fewer clothes next time. Why don''t you ept all these clothes for now?"


    Carlos said indifferently. Debbie nodded obediently. But little did she know that the clothing store would


    send her even more clothes the next time. And there were already many new clothes in her wardrobe


    that she hadn''t had the chance to wear.


    One day, Julie came upon Debbie who was about to throw a down coat into the washing machine. She


    ran hysterically towards her and grabbed the coat from her. She looked shocked beyond belief.


    "Debbie, this coat is worth more than a hundred thousand dors and it requires special treatment. We


    should call theundry service to take care of it."


    Debbie was too shocked to utter a single word. More than a hundred thousand dors? For a coat?


    She was dumbfounded by how much money rich people spent on clothes.


    ''Carlos Huo spends his money left, right and center!''


    she thought.


    In the following days, Debbie went to the bar to make money whenever Carlos was working over time


    and couldn''t make it back home in time.


    She finally had enough money to buy the thing which she had longed for.


    She went to Shining International za alone one day without being noticed by Carlos and bought the


    thing. With a pleased smile, she decided to take a stroll around the za. Upon seeing a lingerie shop,


    she remembered something and went in.


    Twenty minutester, she walked out of the shop with a small shopping bag in her hand.


    On her way back to the vi, she received a phone call. "Hi, Colleen. What''s up?"


    "Hi, Debbie. I''m great. Listen, Megan is going to a dinner party tomorrow evening. Do you know who


    her partner is? So many people already know about it!"


    "Uh no..." Debbie didn''t give a damn about Megan. She just wished the girl would vanish from her and


    Carlos'' life.


    Sighing in defeat, Colleen said, "I knew it. Debbie, you should pay more attention to her. She has long


    been telling people that Carlos would be her date."


    "What?! Carlos?" Debbie cried in disbelief. Carlos was going to attend a dinner party with Megan? The


    very thought about Megan clinging on to her husband made Debbie feel ufortable. Her stomach


    flipped.


    "Most of the upper sses already know that Megan Lan is the favorite girl of the four prominent young


    men of Y City, especially Carlos'' and Wesley''s. Many of them even imagined that she would be the


    future Mrs. Huo or Mrs. Li. I just heard my friends talking about Megan being Carlos'' date tomorrow


    evening. They kept sucking up to her because they think that it''s their chance to get closer to Carlos. It


    made me sick! Debbie, this is not some ordinary party. It might look like it''s just another dinner, but it''s


    the women''s battlefield," said Colleen seriously.


    "Battlefield? What do you mean?" Debbie waspletely confused.


    "A battlefield for women to show off their dates! People who attend this party are rich and powerful. If


    Carlos and Megan go to the party together, then the whole city will believe that she is Mrs. Huo. The


    reason why I''m telling you this is that I don''t want to see Megan y her dirty tricks again. Debbie, you


    must attend the party with Carlos. Are you willing to give up your husband to that woman?" asked


    Colleen.


    Was Debbie willing to let Megan have what she wanted? ''Of course not!'' Debbie''s mind yelled. Not a


    single woman in the world would willingly give away their husband to another woman.


    "Debbie, you must keep an eye on them. Curtis told me that you had a fight with Carlos because of


    Megan. She is such a bitch! She used to do the same thing to me and Curtis. I really hate her. Curtis


    and I had a lot of unwanted fights because of her. Debbie, you must not let her destroy your


    rtionship with Carlos, okay?" Anger was obvious in Colleen''s voice.


    Debbie didn''t respond as she was still in a trance, trying to process all this information.


    "Debbie, if you really like Carlos, just go for it. I believe you can win his heart."


    Still no response.


    "If Carlos asks you how you found out about the party, just tell him that I told you. He won''t be mad at


    me for it. After all, we''ve been friends for many years."


    Debbie finally found her voice, though she was still very confused. "Colleen, please hold on. You''ve


    dumped so much information on me that I can hardly follow you. I need time to think about all this."


    "All right. Take your time. If you ever need me, please feel free to call."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "Er... Yeah, sure. By the way, Colleen, I have a question." She paused for a moment. "Why does Mr. Lu


    always treat me so well? Don''t get me wrong! He loves only you. I mean...he treats me like his own


    sister. No, he treats me like his own daughter! Do you understand what I''m saying?" Debbie asked.


    Both Curtis and Colleen had always treated Debbie so well that Debbie was dying to know the reason


    behind their attitude towards her.


    Colleenughed out loud. "Debbie, don''t bother trying to exin. I understand. I know how much Curtis


    loves me. I also know why he treats you well. But I think it would be best if he told you everything


    himself."


    "But I''ve already asked him twice, and he refuses to tell me. It makes me feel rather uneasy. Please


    Colleen, just tell me." Debbie was upset that Colleen wasn''t willing to tell her the truth either.


    "I believe he has his own reasons for not telling you. Maybe it''s not the right time yet. You know, Curtis


    is a stubborn man, even though he is always gentle. Nevertheless, he neither hates you nor does he


    intend to do you any harm. You don''t need to feel uneasy. So just let it go for now, okay? What you


    need to pay attention to right now is the dinner party tomorrow evening. Understand?"


    "Fine!" Debbie pouted her lips.


    "All right. I gotta go. Feel free to call me if anything happens."


    "Sure. Thank you, Colleen."


    "No problem. Bye, Debbie."


    That evening, Carlos came back home earlier than usual and led Debbie to the study to teach her


    advanced mathematics. During the ss, she couldn''t help but think about the dinner party the next


    evening. A couple of times, she almost asked him about it, but then bit back her words, saying nothing.


    Half an hourter, he closed the book and looked her in the eye. "Okay, that''s it for today''s ss. Now,


    you''ve been stealing nces at me for so long. Just say it. What do you want?"


    ''Really? He can read my mind now?'' She frowned, a little embarrassed.


    After some hesitation, she pried, "Are you free tomorrow evening?"


    "I have to attend a dinner party in the evening. What''s the matter?" Carlos pulled her into his arms and


    inhaled her unique scent.


    ''So Colleen was right, '' Debbie thought bitterly. "Oh, it''s nothing."


    Her reaction confused Carlos and he asked, "Are you going somewhere tomorrow evening?"


    "No. It was just an idle question." She hadn''t figured out how to stop Carlos from attending the party


    with Megan yet.


    Now that she refused to open up to him, Carlos decided to let it go. He changed the topic by asking,


    "Did your aunt Flo leave yet?"


    It had been five days.


    Debbie was stunned for a while, and then blushed terribly. She immediately stood up from hisp as


    she could see the desire in his eyes. "It will soon."


    ''This jerk! He has already asked the same question countless times. A lustful man is really scary!''


    Carlos touched his forehead with his left hand andined, "You''ve been giving me the same


    answer for many days." Every time he asked her, she would give him the same answer. He was


    completely running out of patience.


    Debbie bit her lips, giggling. As she gazed at his long face, she suddenly had an idea.


    She went back to her bedroom and sent Colleen a WeChat message. "Colleen, could you please do


    me a favor?


    "


    The next morning, Debbie took a dancing ss before she made for the university. It was Carlos'' ss.


    As soon as she arrived at the school gates, she saw his car roll in.


    The car came to a halt. Apparently, the person inside the car had seen Debbie as well. There were


    many students around, and Debbie didn''t want them to gossip about her and Carlos. The moment


    Emmett opened the door and got out of the car, Debbie ran away from the ce.


    Emmett was left speechless.

 Chapter 104 Waiting For You

    Chapter 104 Waiting For You


    Emmett watched Debbie''s figure recede from view. He needed to get back in the car again and tell his


    boss what happened. Carlos, sitting in the back seat, didn''t respond. It was what he had expected,


    though. He knew Debbie wasn''t willing to let others know about their rtionship. Every time they were


    in the midst of a crowd, she would act as if they were strangers.


    Carlos had been away on official business for thest two months, and this was his first ss after he''d


    come back. The ssroom was fully stocked with his admirers. Debbie, sitting in thest row, gave her


    full attention to the man on the podium, her husband.


    People all believed that Carlos was cold and detached, but Debbie knew that was not the case. It was


    a ruse that he adopted, to keep people at arm''s length, to add to his mystique. Debbie had seen


    different sides of him¡ªan angry Carlos, a gentle Carlos, an upset Carlos... Just like ordinary people, he


    had the full range of emotions. He could be cold and distant, yes, but also loving and warm.


    He was just used to concealing his true feelings in front of strangers.


    He was 28 years old now, yet he was a sessful businessman. He was confident, strong and


    powerful¡ªbetter than 99 percent men in the world.


    Debbie couldn''t help but wonder whether he was the favorite creature of God and he was born to be


    the winner. She felt so lucky she was his wife. She was lost in her own thoughts when the man''s voice


    brought her back to her senses.


    "Debbie Nian, please stand up and tell us what you''ve learned so far."


    His voice was so cold that she immediately stood without any hesitation. She winked at Dixon, who


    was sitting next to her.


    Lowering his head, Dixon whispered to her, trying to catch her up, "Mr. Huo has taught us AIP¡ª


    automatic investment n, and risk prediction..."


    With a cunning smile, Debbie cleared her throat and repeated, "Mr. Huo, you''ve taught us AIP and risk


    prediction..." While she recited the litany that Dixon was helping her with, Carlos left the the podium


    and walked towards her.


    The girls fixed their eyes upon him, looking excited. They even began whispering, "He''sing this


    way!" Some of them even took out their phones and took photos of his back or selfies with Carlos in the


    background. There was giggling and more whispering as they checked out their handiness with a


    camera.


    When Carlos atst stood beside Debbie, Dixon shut his mouth and pretended that he was reading his


    book. He wasn''t dumb enough to get caught.


    Once Dixon stopped whispering to her, Debbie was unable to continue. With an embarrassed smile,


    she said, "T-That''s all I can remember... I-I need to study more, huh?"


    Carlos tapped her desk with his index finger and said in a cold voice, "Come up to the podium with me.


    Stay focused."


    ''Dang! Is he the same Carlos Huo asst night? He was so enthusiasticst night when he held me in


    his arms in bed. So warm, so loving. But now, he looks like I owe him a shit-ton of money!'' she thought.


    Staring at his back, Debbie stuck out her tongue and made a face before following him up to the front


    of the ssroom.


    Debbie stopped not far away from him. Suddenly, an idea struck her. While the other students were


    discussing something, she said in a low voice, "Mr. Huo, do you want to have lunch with me after


    ss?"


    Carlos stopped turning the pages of his book and cast a warning nce at her. Evidently he heard her,


    and didn''t like the question.


    As if not noticing the look, Debbie continued, "Mr. Huo, my aunt Flo has left." She knew that he had


    been expecting this day very much.


    Carlos walked towards her, towering over her, and asked, "What about now?"


    When the students saw Carlos approach Debbie, they began to talk about it; more giggling and furtive


    whispers followed. "What are they talking about? Look at Debbie! The slut!"


    "Wow, he''s so handsome. I wish I could stand that near him."


    "Look at her! She''s tried to seduce Mr. Huo a lot. She just can''t get enough! That bitch! He should force


    her to leave the city!


    "


    Debbie, on the other hand, didn''t get Carlos'' point. "Now what?" she asked in confusion.


    "One more word and I''ll take you home!" Carlos threatened. Debbie shut her mouth, as she knew he


    was a man of his word.


    Now that Debbie was silent, Carlos secretly heaved a sigh of relief and thought to himself, ''What a


    naughty girl to seduce me in front of everyone! I''ll teach her a lesson tonight.''


    When the ss was over, Debbie approached Carlos and asked, "Headed back to the office?"


    "Yep. Come with me?" Carlos asked and looked at the girl.


    "No, no! You go ahead. What time do you get off tonight?"


    ''She''s been acting weird the whole day!'' Carlos thought. "I''ve got a dinner party at 6 p.m., but I''ll be


    home after we''re done."


    ''6 p.m.? Got it!'' "Okay. Bye, old man."


    Debbie waved to him and then walked off with a spring in her step.


    Staring at her retreating figure, Carlos mused, ''She seems so happy! Is it because her period is over


    and done with? I''m worried things aren''t that simple...''


    Around 3 in the afternoon, Jared ced his phone on the desk in front of Debbie and told her, "Your


    husband''s going to a party with another woman."


    A group chat was onscreen, along with a girl named Megan. She posted a message saying, "I''m going


    to a salon to get a makeover. Carlos and I have a party to go to." Some of the other members started to


    fawn over her.


    Debbie rolled her eyes and taunted Megan in her mind. ''It''s just a party and she''s attending it with my


    husband. Does she have to show off like this?''


    Debbie picked up the phone and mentioned Megan in herment, "But I thought Mr. Huo had other


    ns tonight."


    When Jared noticed what she was doing and tried to take his phone back, she had already sent the


    message.


    Immediately, Jared was mentioned in a whole gaggle of posts.


    "Mr. Han, did your brother tell you that?"


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "Mr. Han, how did you know that? Are you with Mr. Huo now?"


    "Mr. Han, would you like to go out tonight?


    "


    It was toote for Jared to delete the message. He cast a burning nce at Debbie and cursed, "Dude!


    Why did you do that?"


    Debbie raised her arm to keep the phone away from him. "Wait! I still need it."


    Soon, Megan mentioned Jared as well saying, "I just called Carlos, and he says he''s still going to the


    party with me. "


    Debbie ground her teeth and gave the phone back to Jared. "I''m taking off. I have some work to finish."


    Then she left the university, leaving her confused friends behind.


    At 6 p.m., Debbie took out her phone and sent a message to Carlos. "Honey, I''m waiting for you in


    Room 1208 of Caspian Hotel. Come and bang me. Now!"


    Carlos, on the other hand, was making for the underground car park. The moment he saw the


    message, his eyes darkened. Before he could reply to it, he got another message. "Now or never!"


    Clearly, the girl was trying to y him.


    After some hesitation, he told Emmett, "Drive me to Caspian Hotel."


    Emmett wanted to remind him that it was time to go to the party, but on second thought, he decided


    against it. "Yes, Mr. Huo." He slid into the driver''s seat and the two roared off to the hotel.


    When Carlos'' car stopped in front of the Caspian Hotel, he felt something was not right.


    Some paparazzi must have been hiding somewhere around the hotel.


    Pretending to ignore them, he got out of the car and entered the hotel lobby. Upon seeing Carlos, the


    lobby manager immediately trotted towards him and greeted, "Good evening, Mr. Huo."


    Carlos nodded in return, and strode toward the lift without further ado.


    The manager decided to see if he could help, as he could tell that Carlos was in a hurry. Besides, he


    was curious what his business was.


    "Mr. Huo, which room are you going to?" asked the manager, who was about to press the button for


    Carlos.


    "1208," Carlos answered shortly.


    "Mr. Huo, herees the lift. Let me show you the way."


    "I''m good." Carlos entered the lift and pressed the button to close the doors, leaving the manager


    behind.


    When the doorbell rang, Debbie was so nervous that she was too weak to stand.


    She took a few deep breaths before she opened the door.


    It was him¡ªCarlos Huo¡ªstanding at the door!


    Her nervousness disappeared at the sight of him. She threw herself into his arms. "Honey!"

 Chapter 105 Getting Laid

    Chapter 105 Getting Laid


    Carlos'' lips curled meaningfully the moment he saw his woman. He entered the room and shut the door


    behind him.


    Only then did he realize that Debbie was wearing a seductive nightgown. Apparently, she had just


    taken a bath and now, had draped the mostfortable, as well as the most revealing gown she could


    find.


    He would have to be the dumbest man in the entire world to not get her point even after this move.


    Her charming nose, appealing cheek bones, her ming lips¡ªthis girl could make his brain go totally


    nk within an instant. Without further ado, he pulled her in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her


    on her red, soft lips.


    Debbie stood on tiptoe, kissing him back passionately.


    Without opening her eyes, she dug through his pocket to look for his phone. She found it easily and,


    waving it before his eyes, switched it off.


    She loved him so much that she couldn''t wait any longer to give herself to him now. And more


    importantly, she didn''t want Megan to destroy their romantic night. Somehow, she got the feeling that


    Megan would have.


    Carlos took the phone from her hand and with total disregard, threw it away as he picked her up and


    carried her to the bed.


    The ambience was just right for their affair. The bedroom was dimly lit and a faint fragrance of rose


    permeated the air.


    Carlos carefullyid Debbie onto the kind-sized round bed and pressed himself against her. Her body


    was shaking like a leaf out of nervousness and excitement. In a hoarse voice, he whispered in her ear,


    "Deb, I will never let you go in my life."


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    And then he lowered his head again to kiss her.


    Debbie was already in a trance due to the passionate kiss he had nted before. Suddenly, something


    dawned on her.


    She covered his lips with her right hand, and used her left hand to take something out from under the


    pillow¡ªsomething square; it was a velvet box, evidently expensive.


    She opened the box and the thing inside it made Carlos'' face sour.


    "Carlos Huo, this ring will forever be a witness of my love for you. From today on, you are to be my


    man and mine only!"


    Debbie had worked hard in the bar the past few months with the sole intention of buying this ring for


    Carlos.


    She believed that it would make the ring even more special when she bought it with the money she had


    earned by herself.


    Carlos was sulking because she had beaten him in the race to buy a ring first. Ignoring his long face,


    she slid the ring softly on his finger. It fit him well.


    Debbie was quite proud of the fact that the ring she had chosen was of the right size. Before going to


    buy the ring, she had waited for him to fall asleep, and measured his size with a string. ''I believe many


    women will give up on him when they see his ring, '' she thought to herself, pleased by her devious


    love.


    Carlos grabbed her hand tight and tried to protest, "Deb, you know, usually¡ª"


    Debbie knew very well that Carlos was very chauvinistic. She withdrew her hand from his grip, snaked


    his neck with both of her arms and kissed him on the lips before assuring him, "Honey, don''t tell me


    that girls shouldn''t take the lead in a rtionship. I don''t believe that for a second. As long as we''re


    happy, nothing matters. Right?"


    Carlos was stunned for a while. He had never expected that Debbie''s thinking would beid out like


    this. Recovering, he smiled and kissed her hair. "You''re the boss tonight. Babe, I''m all yours."


    ''She''s so special!'' he was thinking.


    Actually he had also nned to give his wife a ring. Tristan had found the rough diamond a month ago.


    Carlos had asked him to have the diamond processed and made into the best possible ring. However,


    it would take some time and the jewel wouldn''t be ready until half a monthter. He hadn''t expected


    Debbie to give him a ring first. Nevertheless, he was ted. After all, he was now sure of her love for


    him.


    To keep the surprise, he decided not to tell her about his own preparations. She was going to find it out


    half a monthter anyway. He pulled her close and kissed her affectionately.


    It didn''t take long for Debbie to get into the mood and throw his coat onto the floor. Then she began to


    unbutton his shirt. She hadn''t done this before, and as a result, she was clumsy in her movements.


    Several minutes passed, but she managed to work her way through a mere two buttons.


    Carlos was unable to bear it anymore¡ªhis erection was killing him. He pulled her hands away from


    him, and began to strip himself off.


    His tie, shirt, leather belt, her nightgown¡ª very soon, everything had been thrown onto the floor. His


    voice, full of sensuality and allure, came to her ears. His breathing deepened slightly and his heart was


    quickening against her hand. The next second, she felt all of his weight on top of her, pressing her back


    into the bed.


    She was nervous, but at the same time, full of a desire and passion to make love to him. In fact, she


    was excited and looking forward to it. As she ran her hands down his back and along his waist and


    then his front, his passion rose even further, and finally, he cut to the chase.


    "Be gentle." Debbie didn''t want to refuse him anymore. Instead, she wanted him to continue kissing


    her, caressing her, stroking her all over...


    The next morning, she was woken up by her phone rm. Although she had switched her phone off


    the night before, the rm still functioned.


    She tried to raise her arm to grab her phone and shut it, but her arm was killing her.


    Before she could will herself to raise her arm, the rm was shut off abruptly.


    She opened her sleepy eyes due to the sudden cut off, only to see Carlos turning off the rm at her


    bedside. "Old man, what time is it?" she murmured.


    Something was not right! Suddenly, she remembered it. She had gottenidst night.


    Debbie''s eyes widened as she shot up straight, only to wince immediately because of the pain.


    "Aaaaagh! Ooooouch!"


    Her body hurt all over, a hard and painful reminder of the soft and sensuous night she had had.


    Carlos lowered himself near her with a smile, and asked in a soft voice, "Hey you. Are you hungry?"


    Everything which had happenedst night shed across Debbie''s mind. Shey back, covered her


    head with the quilt and asked in a shy voice, "Old man, why are you still here?"


    She felt shy as she remembered that she had been the one to ask for the sex.


    Carlos was amused by her childish behavior. Throwing back the quilt, he looked at his girl whose face


    was very red shade indeed and asked, "Why are you so shy? I''m yours now."


    She used to be a bold girl who would sometimes tease him and tell dirty jokes. Why was she being so


    shy after gettingid?


    "I-I''m not shy..." she murmured, but her cheeks betrayed her. Her face was as red as a tomato.


    Carlos tried hard to suppress his giggles and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her hair and


    remarked, "You must be hungry now. Go freshen yourself up. I''ll ask them to send lunch over here."


    "O-Okay. You go out first." This was a presidential suite and there was a living room outside.


    Instead of leaving immediately, Carlos leaned over towards her and kissed her on the lips before letting


    her go.


    After she had washed her face and brushed her teeth, Debbie picked up her phone and switched it on.


    Only then did she see that there were several missed calls and unread messages.


    They were from Jared, Kasie, Curtis, Colleen...


    Opening the WeChat app, she saw several friends'' messages.


    Colleen had written a rather cryptic but meaningful message. "Well done, Debbie!"


    Jared had sent her dozens of messages, and the first one was, "Bro, you have to be cool. The news


    must be fake!"


    Kasie was trying tofort her for some reason. "Debbie, where are you? Let me stay with you


    together. Don''t take such small things to heart."


    Dixon told her, "You should talk with Mr. Huo. Whatever the results are, we are always there for you!"


    Debbie was confused. ''What is going on?''


    Right then, a Weibo push drew her attention, which said, "Carlos Huo, president of ZL Group, stayed


    overnight in a five-star hotel. ording to an insider, there was a mystery woman waiting in the room


    which Mr. Huo entered..."


    She opened the Weibo app, but it didn''t respond. What was going on? Her phone was working just fine!


    She then clicked the Trending Hashtags and saw Carlos'' name which was first in the queue.


    Most of the news was the same. "Carlos Huo spent a night with a university girl in a hotel room?!" And


    there was a photo of him entering the hotel gates.


    So, the news that Carlos had stayed overnight with a girl in a hotel room was so widespread that it had


    brought the Weibo server to its knees...


    That was not the point! The point was that Carlos had been photographedst evening when he had


    entered the hotel.


    While Debbie was pondering hard on this, the man that people were talking about came up before her


    and asked, "Are you done?"


    "Carlos Huo... did you really hold a press conference?" she asked. She remembered that she had once


    made a joke with him that they should find a feng shui master to choose an auspicious day to getid.


    And he had replied that he would hold a press conference and tell everyone that he was going to sleep


    with his wife.

 Chapter 106 The Girl In My Arms Is My Woman

    Chapter 106 The Girl In My Arms Is My Woman


    "What?" Carlos asked, confused.


    He walked to Debbie and saw the news on her phone. Without any change in his expression, he locked


    the phone screen and said, "I''m not that bored. Colleen tipped the reporters off."


    ''Huh? Colleen?''


    And then Debbie remembered it. She had asked Colleen to help her find out which hotel was Carlos''


    favorite.


    "Will this have a negative impact on you?" she asked in worry.


    Carlos held her close to his body and said, "I slept with my wife. What''s wrong with that?" ording to


    him, there was nothing unnatural happening. They were married and they just happened to have spent


    a night together in a hotel. He didn''t have any reason to demand the news be deleted as he had done


    before.


    During their lunch, Debbie kept checking her phone screen, hoping to learn how things were going


    outside. No sooner had she clicked on the news than Carlos said, "Eat." Debbie put the phone down


    withoutining.


    After the meal, Debbie secretly replied to her friends'' messages while Carlos was talking on the phone.


    "Don''t worry. I was the one with Carlosst night."


    Her friends were shocked. One after another they posted the Blood Vomiting emoji.


    Debbie clicked on the news on Weibo, which imed that Megan was stood up at the party because


    Mr. Huo was on a date with a mystery woman at a hotel. The news also said that the two hadn''t left the


    room all night and that Carlos'' phone wasn''t switched on until noon the next day.


    Carlos had some clothes brought to the room. After getting changed, Debbie walked over to him and


    asked, "What do we do now?"


    Calm as usual, Carlos simply straightened his clothes and pulled her into his arms. "Are you still sore?"


    he asked. She was walking funny, he noticed.


    Debbie flushed. After hearing his question, she realized that the soreness had indeed not gone yet.


    She nodded. The next second, Carlos picked her up in his arms and asked, "Do you need to see a


    doctor?"


    Debbie stammered with embarrassment, "N-No."


    It was just a process that every woman had to go through. She knew that she would be fine after


    getting some rest.


    "I''ll drive you home before I go to thepany."


    "Okay."


    To her shock, the entrance of the hotel was packed with reporters. The paparazzi were thrilled by the


    latest gossip.


    Usually, any news about Carlos would be covered up immediately. And both the reporter and the press


    would pay the price for even getting anywhere near him.


    This time, however, there was no interference from his side. ZL Group didn''t respond to the news as it


    spread like wildfire. It looked like both thepany and Carlos were giving their silent approval to the


    news.


    Carlos exited the hotel and appeared in front of the reporters carrying Debbie in his arms. Cameras


    were shing left and right. Questions rang out from all sides relentlessly. Debbie had never seen so


    many reporters at one ce before. She kept her face buried in Carlos'' chest. All the press could see


    was the figure of the girl in her pink down jacket, wearing a bun. One thing was clear¡ªthe girl was


    pretty young.


    As they witnessed the intimacy between them, everyone was convinced that the news was true.


    Because of themotion, at least ten security guards rushed to the door to maintain order and keep


    the reporters at a safe distance from Carlos.


    Tons of questions were raised all at once. Everyone wanted to know the identity of the girl in Carlos''


    arms and what his rtionship with her was. Out of nowhere, a reporter brought up Megan. "Mr. Huo,


    how do you define your rtionship with Miss Megan Lan?"


    "Mr. Huo, you were supposed to be at the dinner party with Miss Lanst night. But you didn''t attend


    the party. Who is this woman in your arms? What''s your rtionship?"


    "Mr. Huo, are you two getting married?"


    "Mr. Huo, is this the other woman who stands between you and Miss Lan?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "


    Debbie felt furious. How did she be ''the other woman''?


    Carlos had been calm all the while, but the reporters''st question made him halt next to the car. He


    cast a sharp nce at the reporter who had asked that question and the man almost fell to the ground.


    "I''ll only say this once. Megan Lan is my niece. The girl in my arms is my woman."


    Hisst sentence stirred up a wild sensation among the reporters. They all wondered about the kind of


    woman who was lucky enough to be Carlos'' woman. But since Debbie kept her face hidden, they never


    got a glimpse of her.


    After Carlos and Debbie got in the car, Emmett closed the door and told the reporters in a formic


    way, "This is Mr. Huo''s personal matter. Please focus your attention on the new productunch event of


    ZL Group. Thank you."


    The car drove away soon after, leaving the bunch of reporters behind. Debbie didn''t raise her head until


    they were out of sight. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to cause you all this trouble. I shouldn''t have booked the


    room," she said in a low voice.


    She had never expected that getting a room with her husband was such a big deal.


    "Don''t worry about it. This news will help publicize the new productunch event," Carlosforted


    her.


    In all honesty, he was not fond of advertising new products by hyping his personal affairs. As for today''s


    news, he didn''t think he owed anybody an exnation. Nor would he pretend like nothing had


    happened.


    His words soothed Debbie.


    Back at the vi, Carlos walked her to the living room and kissed her forehead. "Do you want me to


    take you to school?" he queried.


    "No, that''s not necessary. I''ll ask Matan to drive me. Now, go to work."


    Her response was just as he had expected. Without another word, Carlos left the vi for work.


    Slipping on another outfit, Debbie packed her books and went back to school.


    On the way, she skimmed the news on her phone and updated her Weibo. After the incident at the


    hotel, she got to know more about Carlos.


    As a sessful businessman, he interested the press even more than some movie stars. That


    morning, the news about Carlos had crashed the Weibo app. As far as Debbie knew, no celebrity had


    drawn that much attention.


    A picture a reporter had snapped when Carlos had carried her out of the hotel had be the hottest


    news. In the picture, Carlos'' face was very clearly seen, while her face remained hidden.


    The title of the news read, "Mr. Carlos Huo dered that the girl in his arms was his woman."


    Within half an hour, the news had received hundreds of thousands ofments and countless likes. It


    was re-posted like wildfire.


    Carlos'' fan-girls wailed in thements section, "Carlos, my dream man! I''ve loved you for so many


    years. And now, you''ve found the one. Be happy!"


    "Mr. Huo has always kept a low profile. I can''t believe that he has a girlfriend."


    "Damn! Carlos Huo is the best-looking guy in the world. I''m drooling on the other side of the screen."


    "Carlos, my love for you will never die. Even though you have a girlfriend, I will still love you.


    Boo...hoo."


    "''My woman.'' So cool! Mr. Huo is bloody awesome! Wish you so much happiness forever.


    "


    Seeing all thements, Debbie realized that there were so many girls who loved Carlos the way she


    did. She obviously had dozens of rivals in love.

 Chapter 107 The Mother-in-law’s Coming

    Chapter 107 The Mother-inw¡¯s Coming


    At ZL Group, Carlos was listening to one of his secretaries, Zelda, do a report in his office when his


    phone rang. The caller ID said it was his mom.


    "Mr. Huo, that''s all. I''ll leave it at that." When Zelda realized it was a personal call, she put the file on


    the desk and excused herself.


    Once she stepped out and closed the door behind her, Carlos took the call. "Hello, Mom," he greeted.


    "Son, did I catch you at a bad time?" Tabitha Luo asked in a gentle voice.


    "No, not at all. What''s up?"


    "Your father and I saw the news this morning. Did you..." Tabitha Luo didn''t finish her sentence.


    Carlos knew what she was trying to ask. "Yes, Mom, it''s true," he admitted.


    "Then bring her home, please. Your father and I would like to meet her. Or, even better, I cane


    over in the two days I''m taking off duty." Something important urred to Tabitha Luo. She urgently


    needed to meet her daughter-inw-to-be.


    "Okay. I''ll have Emmett book an air ticket for you." For Carlos'' part, he wanted to wait until his mother


    arrived to tell her that he and Debbie had already gotten married.


    "Okay then. I''ll let you go back to work. Take care of yourself. Okay?"


    "Sure. I will, Mom. Bye."


    Hanging up the phone, Carlos looked out the window, deep in thought. Not long after he and Debbie


    had registered for marriage, his grandfather had fallen into aa.


    Therefore, till now, his parents still hadn''t known about the marriage.


    At the Economics and Management School


    Out of the bathroom, Kasie suddenly dragged Debbie in her arms and asked in a whisper, "Tomboy, tell


    me,st night, did you and Mr. Huo...Huh?" Instead of finishing her sentence, she gave Debbie a


    mischievous wink.


    Hearingst night mentioned, Debbie yanked her hand free and rolled her eyes at Kasie. Her face


    turned red. "You know it all, don''t you?"


    "I have some clues, sweetie," said Kasie in a naughty tone. "Well, I can tell when a woman has had


    sex. You walk differently. In addition to the news this morning, I can put two and two together," she


    whispered.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie was so embarrassed she pinched Kasie''s arm, held her neck, and threatened, "Shut up! Keep it


    to yourself, honey."


    Kasie startedughing hysterically. Then she noticed the hickeys on Debbie''s neck. "Oh my Goodness!


    What a crazy night it must have been for the two of you! Look at those marks. I can imagine the


    passion. Tsk-tsk." She made funny clicking sounds with her tongue.


    Flushing with embarrassment, Debbie pulled the zipper of her down jacket up quickly and wrapped


    herself tight. "Shut the hell up!" she growled. Then lowering her voice, almost to a whisper, she said,


    "Remember that $100, 000 you took from your dad and spent on a toy boy? Well, I too can snitch on


    you. Right?"


    Straight away, Kasie pped her shoulder and protested, "You ungrateful girl! I just treated you to a


    nice lunch and now you want to ckmail me? Our friendship is over!" "To hell with it!" retorted Debbie.


    "You thought you could buy me off with a meal? Well then. Take me to Starbucks this Saturday. Their


    new French Le n, and Salted Caramel and Nuts Cake, two shares each," she teased.


    "No problem. But since when did you be a fan of Salted Caramel?"


    Debbie propped her hands against her chin and said slowly, "I don''t. But since it''s you who is paying, I''ll


    eat it anyway."


    Kasie pushed her away. "What kind of friend are you? Go fly a kite."


    To which Debbie replied with a teasing smile, "Good. Then Kristina and I are going hiking on Saturday


    without you."


    "Kristina is with Dixon every day. How is she going to have time for you? Poor Tomboy. Considering


    your husband is hideously busy, you''re stuck with me on Saturday. Can''t you see?" Kasie joked,


    feigning an air of indifference. "Now, say something nice to me, or you will be going hiking alone," she


    coaxed.


    "Cool. You wanna bet?" said Debbie with a yful wink.


    "On what?"


    "I''m going to call Mr. Handsome now. If he agrees to go hiking with me on Saturday, you will buy me


    lunch for a month. If he doesn''t, I''ll buy you lunch for a month. Interested?"


    Kasie pped her hands excitedly. "You got yourself a deal," she eximed. But on second thought,


    she said, "Wait. You and Mr. Huo are hot for each other right now. You two are now officially on your


    honeymoon, I guess. Why would I have that kind of bet with you? I''m not stupid. No, uh-uh."


    Debbie wouldn''t let her bail. She dialed Carlos'' number, cockily shook her phone in front of Kasie and


    said, "You said yes. Besides, I''ve already dialed Carlos'' number. It''s a little toote to buckle."


    "Devil!" Kasie cursed.


    Debbie put her phone to her ear. Soon the phone was connected. "Honey," came the greeting from the


    other end.


    The sudden sappy form of address almost made Debbie choke on her own saliva. "Ugh...well, Mr.


    Handsome, are you busy?"


    "Not really. Why? Miss me?" asked Carlos.


    Kasie pushed herself towards the phone to listen to the conversation. "Um, are you busy this


    Saturday? I''m thinking of going hiking together, you and me."


    "Saturday? We can''t. Your mother-inw''sing this Saturday."


    ''Huh? ? Mother-inw ?''


    Debbie totally freaked out. For a long moment, she couldn''t think straight. "My mother-inw...No. Why


    is your moming all of a sudden?" she asked nervously.


    "She wants to meet you. Isn''t that normal?"


    Realizing she had overreacted, Debbie cleared her throat and replied, "Well, I guess it is."


    "Her ne willnd on Saturday noon. Let''s pick her up together then."


    "O-Okay," Debbie responded numbly. All she could think of were the words "mother-inw" and


    ing."


    ''What does she look like? Will she like me? What if she doesn''t...'' Her mind traveled miles away.


    "What do you want to have for lunch? How about youe to my office so that we can have lunch


    together?" Carlos continued.


    "What? Lunch? Oh, lunch..." The word "lunch" brought Debbie back to senses. She looked at Kasie,


    who was talking to her friend on WeChat, andined, "It''s all your fault. Now I have to buy Kasie


    lunch for a month. I can''t have lunch with you anymore."


    Hearing that, Kasie knew she won. Cockily, she held up two fingers and made a victory gesture.


    "Huh?" Carlos was confused. ''Why is it my fault?''


    Debbie bent over the desk listlessly and told him, "I had a bet with Kasie and I lost..."


    "A bet on going hiking?" Carlos guessed and he was right.


    "Yes," she answered.


    Carlos was amused. "Come to my office for lunchter. I''ll sort it out with Kasie. Okay?"


    "No. I lost the bet, so I''ll buy Kasie lunch for a month. We had a deal," Debbie dered.


    "Deb, I was kidding. It doesn''t matter you buy me lunch or not. Don''t take it too seriously," said Kasie.


    They were good friends. Even if Debbie broke her word, Kasie wouldn''t mind.


    "Put Kasie on the phone. I''d like to talk to her." Carlos knew how much friendship meant to Debbie. And


    her word was her bond. He decided to help her out.

 Chapter 108 Our Mom

    Chapter 108 Our Mom


    "Er... what do you want to say to her?" Debbie got tense when Carlos said he wanted to speak to


    Kasie. ''What in the world does he want to say to her?''


    Carlosughed, "Rx, honey. I''m just trying to help. Don''t worry. I won''t tell her how greatst night


    was."


    Debbie blushed and exined hurriedly, "No, no. That''s not what I mean. Why do you want to speak to


    her? Never mind. I''ll put her on the phone right now."


    Then she handed the phone to Kasie. It was only then that her friend realized that Carlos wasn''t joking


    earlier. Kasie stared at the phone, scared, as if it would bite her. Gnawing her index finger, she asked,


    "Mr. Huo...Mr. Huo wants to talk to me? For real?"


    Debbie blinked with a nod. "Yeah, for real."


    Kasie immediately put her phone down and before taking Debbie''s, she wiped her hand on her clothes,


    as if afraid that the phone would be stained. "Hi, Mr. Huo," she greeted him respectfully.


    Watching her friend''s dramatic reaction, Debbie was rendered speechless.


    Carlos said something over the phone and Kasie exined nervously, "No, Mr. Huo, I was just joking. It


    really didn''t mean anything. Please don''t take it seriously. I''ve barely spent a dime of the card you gave


    mest time. Debbie and I were really just fooling around a moment ago."


    Hoping to convince Carlos, Kasie used the word "really" repeatedly, stressing it every time she said it.


    Then she paused as Carlos responded to her exnation. Debbie couldn''t hear what he said easily.


    This time, Kasie nodded resignedly, "Okay then. Thank you, Mr. Huo."


    Kasie put him on hold and handed the phone back to Debbie. Debbie took it off hold. "What did you say


    to her, old man?" she asked.


    "Nothing. My secretary will pick you up at noon. We''re having lunch together."


    Although puzzled, Debbie agreed.


    Once the phone call ended, Kasie remarked anxiously, "Your husband is way more serious than you


    are."


    "What do you mean?" Debbie wondered.


    Then Kasie told her what Carlos had said on the phone. Finally, Debbie would get to the bottom of this.


    "He said it wasn''t just a joke. You and I had made a pact. Since you lost the bet, he knew you would


    feel bad if you went back on your word. So he asked his secretary to dump more money into my card


    for the fifth floor of Alioth Building. It''s enough to eat there for a month," Kasie stated.


    Words failed Debbie when she heard that.


    Carlos always thought money solved everything, so that was his go-to answer for every situation. He


    was almost never proven wrong, either.


    Ashley picked Debbie up at noon, and dropped her off at the office. Carlos was there waiting for her,


    and said, "Let''s go out to eat."


    After the waitress had taken their orders, Debbie asked, "What does your mom like? What''s her


    favorite food? What does she do for fun? What does she hate? I''m so nervous."


    Carlos took her hand in his, patted it lovingly andforted her as she looked at him in confusion, "My


    mom is your mom too. You''ll have to get used to that. But hey, don''t worry. She''s nice. She''ll like you."


    Debbie was uncertain. "Really? You think so?" She''d heard that a lot of fights were caused by the


    mother-inw and her attitude toward the bride.


    "Yes, I''m super-uber-sure," Carlos replied. She loved it when he tried to be cute. A handsome man with


    a yful wit made a wonderful husband. His mom, Tabitha, used to tell Carlos he should marry an


    outgoing girl. And that was just it¡ªupbeat and outgoing, Debbie was perfect. So Carlos was positive


    his mom would approve.


    Debbie was relieved to hear him say yes. "Okay. How long will your mom be here?"


    Carlos gave her a sidelong nce as he unfolded a hot wet towel. "Not just my mom, our mom. Two


    days," he corrected.


    "Oh, sorry." ''Our mom, our mom...'' she repeated in her head. ''Got it.''


    During the meal, she was preupied with the fact that she was going to meet her mother-inw. She


    was anxious and excited all at the same time. When Carlos talked to her, she was very distracted.


    "Where did you get the money for the ring?" asked Carlos. He got a notification for every transaction


    with the card he gave her. ording to the notifications, she hadn''t spent over a thousand at a time


    recently. So obviously, she didn''t use the bank card to buy him the ring.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust her or was spying on her. The notification function came with the card. It


    was something he could turn off, but he felt it wise to keep it on. That way if someone stole it, they''d be


    easier to track down.


    "I earned it, of course," Debbie answered proudly. ''I wonder what she looks like? Since Carlos is so


    handsome, I bet she''s gorgeous. Probably he got those good genes from her, '' she thought to herself.


    "How?"


    "By singing." ''Should I go shopping with her or something?''


    "Where?"


    "At a bar. Oh crap..." She suddenly realized she''d been tricked into blurting out things that she had


    been hiding from him. The look in his eyes told her that he was angry about something. She tried to


    recall what he had asked and what she had said.


    He grabbed her hand tightly and demanded, "Why do you have to sing at bars? Didn''t I give you bank


    cards? Did you drink alcohol there?"


    He squeezed her hand hard, and it hurt. Afraid to further provoke him, Debbie didn''t dare to take her


    hand back. "I''ll quit singing. The money on the card is yours. How could I use your money to buy you a


    ring? I just wanted the ring to be more meaningful, so I decided to earn the money on my own. But I


    didn''t drink even a drop of alcohol."


    She giggled at him.


    As Carlos heard her promise not to sing again and that she hadn''t drunk, his countenance softened.


    "Did you get hoarse because of singing?"


    Debbie knew she had toe clean now, so she admitted, "Yeah. I hadn''t sung for a long time. But


    everyone was wild and I was having fun. I guess I sang for too long, cause I got a little hoarse. But


    luckily, my throat healed. I was fine the next morning. You know that. You were there."


    Carlos remembered her throat was fine the next morning. He had the housemaid prepare some


    medicine, but it turned out she didn''t need it. She was good as new. He understood most of what she


    said¡ªexcept for one part. "Your throat healed?"


    Debbie grinned, "Yeah. That wasn''t the first time I had a sore throat, after all. It happened before, but


    maybe because it had happened so many times my throat got used to it or something, I don''t know. It


    just does this on its own."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    The goofy smile on her face brightened his heart like the sun.


    And just like that, his anger disappeared.


    He took her hand in his, and brought it to his lips. He kissed it tenderly, lovingly. "Sweet pie, don''t do


    that again. You have money. If you want to buy me something, just use the card, okay?"


    "Fine. But Mr. Handsome, I''m 21 now. I can make my own money, can''t I?" she asked defensively.


    When he kissed her fingers, it tickled. She couldn''t help giggling. Her eyes narrowed into thin lines.


    "I''m not saying you can''t work. It''s just that you''re still in school. You should be studying, not working. If


    you study hard and pay attention, you''ll be awesome at whatever you decide to do." Although she was


    a wonderful woman in Carlos'' eyes, she''d have to deal with all kinds of people. If she focused in


    college, she''d have a better handle on that, and know better what to do. He wanted her ready for all


    kinds of situations.


    Debbie nodded. She knew he was right. Besides, a lot of her ssmates had told her that she changed


    into a better and more graceful woman. She was happier, more confident, and more respectful.


    She knew Carlos did that for her and she appreciated it.


    After all, what kind of girl in their right mind wouldn''t want to better themselves? She had hoped to


    be her best self too before she met Carlos, but she had never really tried. She didn''t have much


    money, and she had no idea how to make her dreamse true. Not to mention shecked self-


    discipline. Carlos was everything she wanted in a man.

 Chapter 109 He Is Good To You

    Chapter 109 He Is Good To You


    Not only did Carlos provide everything for Debbie materially, but he also supervised her school


    performance whenever possible. It just didn''t make sense for her to ck.


    Taking a deep breath, Debbie bragged with a smile, "I''ll be more sessful than you are. I''ll take over


    your position and make you stay at home to take care of the house. If you upset me, I''ll make you


    stand barefoot on a porcupine. And, if you make me happy, I may take you outside for a vacation. It


    feels great just thinking about it." Sheughed.


    Amused by the gloating look on her face, Carlos chuckled. He kissed her hand and said, "I''m looking


    forward to the day that your aspirations are fulfilled and you take over my position. I''ll be d to take


    care of our baby at home and cook for you for the rest of our lives."


    He couldn''t help but smile as the scene yed out in his mind.


    Hearing him mention the word "baby," Debbie blushed as she felt her heart leap in her chest. ''Having a


    baby with him would make me unbelievably happy, '' she thought to herself.


    All of a sudden there was a knock on the door, which startled Debbie out of her day dreaming. Pulling


    her hand away from Carlos'' grip, she picked up the ss of juice on the table, pretending to take a sip.


    Carlos'' hand was left motionless in midair. He was so surprised by her reaction, for a moment, he


    forgot to put his hand down. "Debbie Nian, is it so embarrassing to be with me?" he asked quietly.


    Clueless to the pain that her reaction had inflicted upon her husband, Debbie asked in confusion,


    "What? Of course not." In fact, it was quite the contrary. Debbie wished the whole world knew Carlos


    was her husband.


    It was just that Carlos'' identity was too significant, so she wanted to be inconspicuous.


    Remembering the person at the door, Carlos answered, "Come in!" The door opened and the waiters


    entered holding numerous dishes in their arms. It was time to eat.


    The dishes were served efficiently. As the waiters left the room, Carlos began putting food onto


    Debbie''s te for her to eat. He continued to do this until she was stuffed. Afraid that she still wasn''t


    full yet, Carlo offered to order even more dishes.


    Before he could call the waiters back, Debbie grabbed his hand, put it on her belly and said, "I''m so full.


    Touch my belly and check it out yourself."


    Assured that her belly was bulging out, Carlos closed the menu with one hand, while his other hand


    moved upward away from her belly.


    "Carlos Huo!" Debbie yelled, grabbing his rogue hand.


    A satisfied smirk flitted over his face.


    "Let''s go." Carlos stood up as if nothing had happened.


    As he began to walk away from the table, Debbie quickly followed him, sliding her arm into his. "Are


    you going back to your office?" she asked.


    "No, I have to meet with a client at Clouds Road. I can drop you off at school if you''d like."


    "Okay," Debbie replied.


    That evening, after school Debbie dropped by her aunt''s house to bring her some lipsticks before


    heading back to the vi.


    "Debbie, this brand is insanely expensive. How can you afford it? Where does the moneye from?"


    Lucinda asked. She knew Debbie''s husband was supporting her, but she didn''t know how much he


    gave her each month, nor did she know who Debbie''s husband even was.


    Debbie grabbed Lucinda''s arm and whispered, "My husband bought these for me, but there are too


    many of them. It would be a waste to leave any of them untouched, so I would like to bring you some."


    "I remember thest time you were here you said that you wanted a divorce. Why are you epting


    his gifts?"


    Debbie hesitated for a moment and then replied honestly, "I don''t want a divorce anymore. Things are


    good between us right now."


    Lucinda took a step back from Debbie to get a better look at her. The girl had changed. She noticed the


    moment Debbie had walked in the door. It was hard to pinpoint what was different from before, but on a


    closer look, Lucinda figured it out. "He''s good to you,"


    Lucinda said firmly. Debbie used to look rough because she practiced martial arts, but now she looked


    put together and very happy. Despite not wearing any makeup, the girl''s skin had a natural glow.


    Lucinda only had to nce at Debbie''s clothes to know that they cost a fortune. Flipping up the tag on


    her shirt, Lucinda was shocked. The brand was so expensive that even she, an elderly woman with


    savings and assets, would hesitate to buy it.


    "Aunt, you are remarkable! You can tell that he is good to me just by looking at me." Debbie''s face


    reddened as she attempted to avoid her aunt''s stare.


    Noticing that Debbie didn''t deny it, Lucinda let out a sigh of relief and said, "Deb, if you are happy, then


    I have nothing to worry about." ''This girl had a tough childhood. Her mom abandoned her when she


    was born. Now finally there''s somebody there for her.'' Lucinda was so d.


    "Don''t worry, Aunt. I''m very happy now." Debbie smiled. Although she and Carlos had their


    disagreements, he made her happy again afterwards every time.


    "Tell me, what does he do for a living? How old is he? Bring him over sometime to have dinner,"


    Lucinda said, enthusiastically.


    "Okay," Debbie hesitated. "He is a 28-year-old CEO. I''ll bring him here to meet you and uncle next


    time."


    "A 28-year-old CEO?" Lucinda observed. ''That''s some achievement, '' Lucinda thought to herself,


    amazed. Gail''s father, Sebastian, hadn''t taken over thepany until he was in his forties.


    There were only a few CEOs under thirty in Y City. Lucinda decided to ask Sebastian about itter.


    When Debbie left, Lucinda immediately called Sebastian. "Where are you?" she asked.


    "I''ve just arrived home. Open the door."


    Upon seeing Sebastian outside, Lucinda opened the door and quickly pulled him into the living room.


    Sebastian was so tired he could barely move his feet. "What is it? Why are you being mysterious?" he


    asked, irritated.


    "How many 28-year-old CEOs are there in Y City?" Lucinda asked.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Sitting on the couch, Sebastian rubbed his temples to rx a little. "Why are you asking?" he


    responded after a nce at his wife.


    "I told you that Debbie was married, right?"


    "Yeah, so?"


    "Tonight, Debbie dropped by and brought me some lipsticks that cost thousands of dors each. She


    also brought you a fancy tobo pipe. She said it was her husband''s money. Guess what? Her


    husband is a 28-year-old CEO!"


    Hearing that this was about Debbie, Sebastian focused up. He thought about it and then replied, "A 28-


    year-old... Hayden, who has just started to make a name for himself in Y City, seems to be 28. There is


    the son of the Xue family, the oldest son of the Zhang family, and Carlos Huo of ZL Group..."


    Thinking of Carlos Huo, Sebastian seemed to gain some energy. "Could it be Carlos Huo? I heard on


    the news that he carried some college girl out of a hotel room this morning..." he said.


    ''Could the college girl be Debbie?'' he wondered.


    Lucinda had heard of Carlos Huo before. While she knew who he was, she didn''t think it could possibly


    be him. "Carlos Huo? That''s impossible! Stop freaking me out! As far as I''m concerned, he doesn''t


    even know Debbie. They are people from twopletely different worlds. How can he be Debbie''s


    husband? Let''s be realistic. I say it might be Hayden. He and Debbie know each other. They used to


    date."


    Rich and powerful, Carlos Huo was beyond their imagination. The wedding of such a man wouldn''t


    have been so discreet and private. The news of his marriage would have traveled throughout the city.


    He also wouldn''t have married such a lowly girl.


    When Artie was alive, Debbie had lived several years as a wealthy spoiled girl. Butpared to the


    Huo family, her family''s wealth was practically nothing.

 Chapter 110 Let’s Go To The Maldives Together

    Chapter 110 Let¡¯s Go To The Maldives Together


    Not that Lucinda and Sebastian looked down on Debbie. On the contrary, they felt bad about Gail


    constantly picking on her. It was just that Carlos was so unapproachable. They felt it didn''t make sense


    for him to marry a in girl like Debbie.


    "Hayden?" Sebastian tried to remember the man. "He just came home from abroad recently, but in a


    short time, with the help of his powerful family, he''s already quite influential in Y City. I don''t know much


    about him, though. I''ll do a background check on himter," he promised.


    "That''s not necessary. Since he''s Debbie''s husband, she has agreed to bring him here for dinner some


    day. We''ll know more when hees."


    "Okay," Sebastian agreed.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    When Debbie got to the vi, Carlos wasn''t back home from work yet. When she passed by the living


    room, she saw the tens of bags of various sizes on the floor. It was only then that she remembered she


    had been on a shopping spree before she had gone to her aunt''s.


    She had bought a load of cosmetics at the Shining International za. Even she herself was shocked


    by the number of the extravagance. When did she be so wasteful? Was that the right kind of


    influence she was picking from Carlos? On the nightly shopping spree, she had gone to Shining


    International za to buy a tobo pipe for Sebastian. But on impulse, she had visited the cosmetics


    shop, which happened to be running a sales promo.


    She was lured by a sales assistant who pushed a pitch of ridiculously discounted items.


    But when Debbie got to the counter to pay for what she had picked, she realized she had been tricked.


    She hated their bait and switch sales tactics, but she didn''t want the embarrassment of appearing that


    she was a t broke ass, so she just epted the items. With a kit of hydrating toner, lotion, and cream


    going at $10, 000, the prices were simply over the top, forcing her to call Carlos for his opinion before


    she paid for anything. It was his money after all. To her surprise, he upbraided her.


    "Debbie Nian, I have loads of money that you''ll never finish a fraction in a thousand lifetimes. You can''t


    afford to be a penny pincher when you have my money and my heart, dear. If you ever hesitate again


    to spend the money, I''ll move the most expensive cosmetics shop in the Shining International za


    into your bedroom," he warned.


    After the brief call, Debbie leisurely walked back to the counter and paid for the cosmetics without


    batting an eyelid. She had been hesitant about the hydration essence and face mask a moment ago,


    but after his nudging on the phone, there was not a thing she''d leave out.


    After paying, she called him once more and proudly anounced, "Mr. Handsome, I just blew $36, 570 on


    the damn things. A good treat, huh?"


    Carlos was d that she finally bought herself something fancy, but Debbie despised that needless


    obscene spending.


    "All the skin care products are having a sales promotion now. The customers who have spent $200,


    000 or more will get a free 8-day trip to the Maldives. Amodation, refreshments, transportation, all


    included. Deb, wouldn''t you fancy an all expenses paid trip to the Maldives?" Carlos asked.


    Debbie nodded violently, "Yes, yes, I do. But... how can I manage to spend so much money on one


    night''s shopping spree?"


    The so-called free trip would only be a fraction of the money spent at the mall first. Annoyed by the


    maniptive sales gimmicks, she passed by as if she hadn''t heard what the sales crew were touting.


    "What have you bought?" Carlos asked on the phone.


    After hearing Debbie out, he continued, "Go buy two more sets of the same items, if you don''t mind. In


    addition, you can also buy some lipsticks and other cosmetics. Stay away from the cheap ones,


    please."


    Debbie was astounded.


    "If you can''t spend $200, 000 by yourself today, I''ll go to the mall and pick out some things for you


    later." If Debbie couldn''t even spend $200, 000 in one day, it would only prove that the fancy cosmetics


    shops in Shining International za were lower end.


    "No, no¡ª"


    "Go to the lounge to have a rest. I''ll have the manager bring the samples of everything to you so that


    you can decide what you want."


    "I said no¡ª"


    "Sweet pie, it''s only $200, 000. That isn''t much for a man of my means."


    Debbie sensed that she didn''t have a choice. "Okay," she replied.


    "Good girl. Remember to im the Maldives reward at the service counter afterwards. Then don''t leave


    the mall yet. Go to thepartments for men and buy some articles for me. Spend at least $200, 000


    on me as well. Let''s go to the Maldives together. Don''t you like the idea?"


    Debbie wasn''t very impressed, but she had to y along.


    Because if Carlos came and chose the cosmetics with her, he''d blow away far more than the $400, 000


    he was telling her to spend. "Okay," she agreed.


    Carlos smiled. "From now on, Zelda won''t be in charge of shopping for me anymore. It will be your


    duty. I believe you''ll keep our skin care products in adequate supply."


    Later, with the help of the housemaids, Debbie moved the bags delivered to the vi by Shining


    International za from the living room to her bedroom.


    She cautiously took the products out of the bags and put them on the dressing table.


    When the top of the table was all upied, she stuffed the rest into the drawers. ''Obscene spending, ''


    she chastised herself silently. Careful not to ruin her day by dwelling so much on the negatives, she


    told herself to unwind. Heaving a deep, reflective sigh, she pulled out her phone, took a photo of the


    items and posted it in Moments on WeChat. "For the 8-day trip to the Maldives, I shopped like crazy at


    the Shining International za!" she captioned.


    Since Carlos had been sleeping in her bedroom most of the timetely, and they had had sex the night


    before, Debbie thought he wouldn''t sleep alone in his bedroom anymore. So she kept his cosmetics in


    her bedroom.


    The thought of what had happenedst night made her blush. With the palm of her left hand on cheek,


    she put one set of skin care products for men into her bathroom. There were only a few items for


    Carlos, but each was exquisite.


    She marveled at the fancy packaging while she unpacked a face cream.


    ording to the sales assistant, the packaging had won the first prize of an international skin care


    products designpetition. Did the packaging design make the product look better? No, of course


    not, but it made it more expensive. That was the point.


    The cream for men was as expensive as a few sets of skin care products for women. Debbie removed


    the lid and wondered whether it was gold inside the jar. Wow, it smelled so good. The faint fragrance


    was simply ethereal.


    She smeared some cream with her finger and dabbed it on the back of her hand.


    Later, she found out that it was very effective in hydrating. It left her hand unbelievably smooth. It


    seemed their pricing was justified, after all.


    Then she noticed the cologne she had bought for Carlos. To find the perfect scent for him, Debbie had


    smelled all the cologne samples, but none of them was close to the perfume he usually wore.


    Atst, she had to go with a soft Cbrian bergamot scent, just perfect for her man.


    When everything was tidied up, it was ten o''clock already. After a bath, Debbie opened several bottles


    and smeared her body all over. Then she slipped under the covers.


    Before having a beauty sleep, she intended to y a little bit of Candy Crush Saga on the phone for a


    while. But seeing the time on the screen, she wondered, ''It''s prettyte already. Why is Carlos not


    home yet?''


    Immediately, she called him. "Hi." The phone was answered quickly.


    "Do you... I''m wondering when you areing back. It''s already 10 p.m."


    ''Does she miss me?'' Carlos wondered. A smile crept over his face when he sat in the back seat. "I''m


    on my way. I''ll be home in five minutes."


    "Oh, okay then. See youter."


    "Bye."


    After hanging up the phone, Debbie got out of bed quickly, the phone still in her hand. She trotted down


    the stairs into the kitchen and started to heat up a bottle of milk.


    Within five minutes, the doorbell rang and Carlos was home, true to his word. How she wished he''d be


    like this forever.

 Chapter 111 Bad In Bed

    Chapter 111 Bad In Bed


    Entering the vi, Carlos noticed that the light in the kitchen was still on. He didn''t pay much attention


    to it and, loosening his tie, walked towards the stairs.


    "Old man!" A girl''s voice rang out,ing from within the kitchen. So he changed his ns, and made


    for the kitchen.


    Debbie came out before he could enter, a ss of warm milk in hand. She offered it, and he took it


    from her. "Drink it," she said.


    As Carlos epted the ss, Debbie smelt something on him. Was that...alcohol?


    Instead of drinking the milk, he pulled her into his arms with his free hand and gave her a passionate


    kiss. "Why aren''t you in bed? Naughty girl!" he med, half-jokingly.


    Debbie frowned. She hadn''t imagined it. And now the smell of booze was overpowering. She realized


    that Carlos must have had more than a little wine this evening.


    "You went out drinking?" She raised her head to look at him.


    "Yeah. Wended a major ount, so we drank a little to celebrate." A little? That couldn''t be a little!


    Debbie pouted her lips and thought, ''So you won''t let me drink, and now youe home drunk. This is


    so bogus!''


    After draining it in a single gulp, Carlos put the empty ss on the table beside him, scooped Debbie in


    his arms, and carried her up the stairs.


    "Wait, wait! I haven''t even turned off the lights yet." Debbie pointed to the kitchen.


    Without stopping, Carlos said, "Julie will handle it."


    He had scarcely finished his sentence when Debbie saw Juliee out of the gloom and enter the


    kitchen carrying the empty ss.


    Entering the bedroom, Carlosid her carefully on the bed and leaned down close to her. He kissed her


    ear, her cheek, her mouth, her neck, all the way down her body. She normally enjoyed this, but the


    stench was beginning to make her nauseous. "Honey, you smell so good," he murmured.


    ''I know I smell good. You gave me yourpany''stest bath and body line, '' she thought. Unable to


    bear the strong reek of alcohol anymore, Debbie cupped his face and feigned anger by saying, "Get


    away from me¡ªyour breath stinks! Go take a bath!"


    "Yes, mydy!" It was exaggerated, or perhaps exacerbated by his drunken state. In any case, he


    snapped to, and did as she bade him. He gave her a passionate kiss before getting up from the bed.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    He pulled her up and demanded, "Take off my tie!"


    "Hmph! Don''t you know how to untie your tie?" Debbie had never done it before and began to study his


    tie. Taking in the over and under nature of the knot, figuring out where she''d start.


    "No, I don''t." He lied.


    Much to his surprise, Debbie was instantly mad at his answer. She grabbed him by his tie and asked


    through gritted teeth, "Tell me the truth. Did you have some woman doing it for you?"


    Carlos'' jaw dropped.


    He had no other choice but to give in and tell her the truth. "Well, I can take off my own tie myself.


    Usually Julie or Zelda helps me tie it."


    Julie? No problem. But Zelda? Carlos'' assistant who was partial to Megan? Absolutely no! "Why did


    you ask Zelda to help you with your tie?" Debbie pouted her lips, irritated.


    Amused by her reaction, Carlos pulled her into his arms and said, "Fine, you''ll be the only one who can


    tie my tie from now on. Promise. Okay, Honey?"


    "Okay. I''ll hold you to that. No one is allowed to touch your tie except me!" she warned him.


    "Trust me!" He kissed her forehead. A loudugh escaped his chest. He was in a great mood. And why


    not? Debbie was very jealous and possessive and he thought that was highly amusing. She should be.


    After all, he was a prize that any woman would be lucky to have. The fact that Debbie recognized that


    just made his day.


    ''My wife is the cutest, prettiest and most interesting girl in the world!'' he thought.


    Debbie finally managed to remove his tie, and while she was unfastening his shirt, a light bulb went off


    in her head. "Hey, I''ve heard my friends talking...The way they talk about sex, it''s the best thing in the


    world. But all I could feel was pain thest time we did it. Old man, you''re bad in bed!" Stunned, Carlos


    was left speechless for a while. That was a devastating blow for any man, especially someone like


    Carlos. His face was as dark as ink. He gripped her hands and gritted his teeth. "Debbie Nian!"


    His cold voice brought Debbie back to her senses. "W-What? Er... Did I say something wrong? Wait,


    wait. Hey...Honey...let go of me... Don''t... Mmm..."


    Now in no mood to take a bath, he pressed his body against hers. One of his hands undid her clothing,


    and the other was busy kneading her breasts. He would show her what he was capable of.


    After what seemed an eternity, Debbie stretched out, and watched the man enter the bathroom. ''Wow.


    Why did I tell him that?


    My whole body''s killing me now!'' She was too tired to move and just wanted to sleep.


    In about twenty minutes, Debbie was fast asleep and dreaming. In her dream, a drooling Husky was


    licking her lips. She pped the Husky across its face and yelled, "Fuck off! You stupid dog!"


    But it was no dog, but instead Carlos. He had been pped across the face and had just been called a


    dog by his wife. This was thest thing he expected. He was hoping to hear how great he was in bed.


    His face soured instantly.


    He grabbed her waving arms and kissed her ear before saying, "Honey, look at me."


    Debbie opened her sleepy eyes and got her head on straight when she saw Carlos'' face. "Hey baby, I


    was wrong. Please don''t be mad. I''m wiped out and just want to sleep. Let''s just crash, okay?"


    "No!" Carlos turned her down without any hesitation. He grabbed her jaw, forced her to look him in the


    eye and asked, "Debbie, am I bad in bed?"


    That night, he had sex with her again and again. He even asked her the same question so many times


    the whole evening that she could only answer him again and again, "No, you''re not bad in bed. You''re


    incredible!" She kept hoping he''d just be sated so she could get some shut-eye.


    It wasn''t the first time Debbie had woken up with a hoarse voice. But it was the first time that her voice


    had been hoarse and cracked because of what she and Carlos did between the sheets.


    Carlos got up, and then took her in his arms once more, carrying her to the bathroom. Debbie


    wondered if he''d finally let her go this time. But no, the ss door began to blur at the same moment


    the water from the shower hit the floor. A blurry image of two silhouettes intertwined in throes of


    passion could be seen through the frosted door. Heavy gasps, passionate moans, and affectionate


    words filled the bathroom as their bodies merged into one. It was almost dawn when Carlos finally


    decided to call it a day. He picked up a sleeping Debbie from the bathtub andid her carefully on the


    bed. Then he took out a hair dryer and dried her damp hair carefully before he atst fell asleep,


    Debbie in his arms.


    Debbie was awakened from her slumber by her phone. She reached out her hand to grab it and


    opened one eye to check the caller ID¡ªit was Jared. "Hi, Jared."


    "Hi Tomboy! Not feeling well? Your voice... Were you singing in the club again?" On second thought,


    Jared knew he was wrong. If Debbie had actually gone to the clubst night, she would have called him


    so they could go together.


    Debbie blushed when she realized why her voice was so rough. She shook her head and cleared her


    throat before saying, "No, I wasn''t at the club. And I''m feeling okay. I just woke up. What''s up?"


    She rolled over and then... ''Ouch! That hurts! Damn it, Carlos!''


    "You just woke up? Look what time it is. It''s almost 12! You weren''t in ss this morning. What would


    your dear husband say?" Jared asked.


    Speaking of Carlos, Jared couldn''t helpining inwardly. ''He''s Debbie''s husband, and he should


    keep an eye on her. But he''s even had me followed since he found us in the same hotel room together!


    What a jerk!''


    This was true. If Jared made the slightest mistake at school, Carlos had standing orders for Curtis to


    drag him to the CEO''s office of ZL Group so Carlos could get on his case.


    Jared was too scared to skip sses anymore, and he''d even get there ahead of time. His parents


    even wanted to thank Carlos for having made him into a good student.


    But he didn''t expect Debbie to be bold enough to skip sses. He''d sent her messages on WeChat,


    but got no reply. So he called her on his lunch break, only to find that she was still sleeping...


    Debbie was left speechless. She knew very well why she wasn''t in ss, but to admit it... Yes, she


    knew, but was it right for her to tell him that? She turned it over in her mind a few times, trying to figure


    it out. ''How do I tell him the real reason I wasn''t in ss? And do I really want to? This is all Carlos''


    fault, the jerk! He tortured me all night just because I said he was bad in bed.'' And she cried inside.


    She was weary, sore, and suffering for a terrible choice of words.

 Chapter 112 It Can Nourish You

    Chapter 112 It Can Nourish You


    Despite the fact that she had practiced martial arts for many years, Debbie was still no match for Carlos


    in stamina. Last night, she had begged him to let her go many times, but instead of giving her a break,


    Carlos had worked on her harder and even taunted her.


    "I''m getting up now. See youter in the ssroom. Don''t call Carlos!" Debbie sat up on the bed, and


    blushed, looking at the clothes scattered on the floor.


    "All right. See you then. You better hurry up. Otherwise, your husband will punish both of us again,"


    said Jared. He was so scared of Carlos that he''d tried everything possible to stay away from him.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Debbie went down the stairs to have lunch. Just then,


    Carlos called her. "Deb, what are you doing now?" he asked in a soft voice.


    Hearing the voice, Debbie couldn''t help but remember what had happenedst night. "I''m going to


    have lunch," she said through gritted teeth.


    Of course, Carlos noticed the anger in her tone, and chuckled, recalling images of an alluring Debbie in


    bed.


    "Deb, you''re the sweetest girl on earth. The kind of girl I never thought I''d find all my life," he teased.


    "Carlos Huo, you''re a flirt!" Debbie said, blushing even more.


    The smile on his face turning into a thoughtful look, Carlos said, "Honey, I want to go home now."


    "What? Now?" she asked in confusion. "Does the lunch in yourpany not taste good?" she added.


    "I want to taste your sweet wine now. In fact I''m in the mood right now as we speak," he said in a


    suggestive whisper.


    Originally, Debbie wanted to go to the dining hall. But now that Carlos kept on teasing her, she was


    afraid that Julie would hear him and decided to go to the balcony. "Carlos Huo, how shameless you


    are! One more word and you''ll be hauled over the coals!"


    "Boo...hoo...I''m so scared. I don''t want to get your rough side of the tongue. But how can you be so


    cruel to your dear husband?"


    With an affected dismissive gesture, Debbie waved her right hand in the air as if chopping an invisible


    Carlos. "Are you kidding me? If youe near, I''ll beat you to a pulp," she joked. "Anyway, I know


    where to hit you if I have to inflict the worst pain. You are an old goat with lots of fans out there on


    social media. How would it pan out if I leaked some juicy stuff to your fans?"


    Not until she had gottenid did she realize that she didn''t know him at all. She had underestimated


    him all along.


    "Ouch!" identally, she bent and twisted trying to stretch her back, only to trigger sharp pain that


    reminded her of the crazy night they had together. She immediately cursed him again, "You''re a bad


    egg! My whole body is aching. You jerk!"


    A smile of aplishment shed across his face. "Honey, I was wrong. I''ll be more gentle the next


    time we bang. And by the way, the sooner we can, the sooner your body will get used to it," he added


    with a giggle.


    "Hey! It can''t be soon. Sorry, but I need a break! I''ll stay in the dorm this evening." The color drained


    from Debbie''s face.


    Carlos chuckled and coaxed, "Honey, I''m just kidding. Don''t worry. Just go have lunch now. See you on


    campus this afternoon."


    "Okay..."


    Debbie went to the dining room and sat at the table. Since Julie was still cooking, Debbie opened the


    WeChat app and read her friends'' messages. Her jaw dropped. How the hell had she hit a total 99


    comments in Moments? ''Oh my God! What did I postst night?''


    By the time she clicked open the Moments after her brief surprised reaction, thements had hit 123.


    ''Ah, I remember. Last night, I posted a picture of the skin care products on my dressing table.''


    Among thements, she had drawn both admirers and trolls in equal numbers. "Tomboy, it''s my


    dream to have a dressing table like yours," read Kristina''sment.


    Kasiemented, "Oh, I''m really so envious of you, Tomboy! You broke my heart and you need to be


    responsible for it."


    "How I wish I could be a girl. Then I could marry a rich husband," teased Jared.


    Without saying a word, Dixon, in his typical crisp manner, simply gave the post a like.


    There was undisguised admiration in some other friends''ments, while a part of thements was


    not so friendly. Gailmented, "Where did you download this picture? Give me the website, please."


    Even Portia, who hadn''t contacted her for years,mented, "Debbie, how have you been? I know


    you want to live an affluent life, but girl, this is a little too extravagant. No?"


    Debbie knew that Portia always looked down upon her. Since they had added each other on WeChat,


    Portia had never given her a like, while she always gave Hayden the likes.


    What shemented was implying that Debbie must have found herself a sugar daddy. Debbie fumed


    with rage.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down and replied to herment. "Thank you for your concern,


    Portia, but you''ve gotten it wrong. I''m living a happy life now."


    Another personmented, "Come on! What''s the point in showing off these skin care products? They


    are worth about $200, 000 only. They are not anything near the top brands at all!"


    Debbie could still remember her. A former ssmate from high school. Debbie replied, "You''re right.


    They are worth $200, 000 only. There''s no point in showing them off." If she really wanted to show off


    her wealth, she could have posted her BMW, which Carlos had bought at a cool four million dors.


    In the picture she had posted, she hadn''t exposed the brands at all. She had turned the bottles to their


    backs so the brands would not show in the picture.


    She had been so happy to have them that she just wanted to share the cheer with her friends.


    But now... her happy mood was ruined. ''Never mind, Debbie. Don''t pay attention to those people, '' she


    consoled herself.


    Then she saw thement from the man with the name "C", which said, "You want to go to the


    Maldives?"


    She replied without hesitation, "Yes, of course." And she added a Proud emoji.


    After Julie served lunch, Debbie put her phone aside and concentrated on her meal. But somewhere


    midway, a light bulb went off in her head. She picked the phone up again and sent Carlos a text


    message. "Old man, give me your WeChat ount."


    Putting down the chopsticks, she opened the Weibo app and followed Carlos.


    Carlos must have been very busy¡ªhe had only posted two updates on Weibo. Done two a year apart,


    both posts were ads for the ZL Group.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Despite this fact, he still had tens of millions of followers. ''This is so unfair!'' Debbie thought. She had


    posted more than a thousand updates, but she only had about a thousand followers. She envied him.


    She then searched for Curtis'' Weibo ount and followed him as well. He had millions of followers.


    Then Colleen. Much to Debbie''s surprise, Colleen was the chief editor of a fashion magazine. No


    wonder she always stepped out in those stunning outfits!


    Just as Debbie sent a private message to Colleen, Julie passed her a bowl of soup. "Debbie, eat the


    soup first. It has taken me hours just to prepare it for you."


    "Thank you, Julie. Wow, it smells so yummy. What a terrific cook you are!" Debbie shed a sweet


    smile.


    Honestly, she liked Julie very much. Since she had moved into the vi three years ago, Julie had


    always been there to take care of her. And they got along so well, much like sisters, despite the fact


    that Julie was only a maid.


    "Really? I''m humbled to hear that. Anyway, eat while it''s still warm." Julie was amused by Debbie''s


    reaction.


    Picking up the bowl, Debbie took a sip and frowned. ''It tastes a little weird. Sort of a herb, I guess.


    What did she add to it?'' The way Julie looked at her with a satisfied smile only confirmed the suspicion.


    "Julie, what''s in the soup?" she asked curiously.


    "How do you like it? It''s a secret recipe from one of my friends and it''s very nutritious, '' Julie said, the


    smile on her face growing even bigger. "But that''s just a tip of the iceberg. The recipe is an aphrodisiac,


    which will also increase your chances of conceiving a boy," added Julie, now, smiling like aplete


    idiot.


    "What?!" Debbie choked on her soup and coughed violently.

 Chapter 113 Im Living A Happy Life Now

    Chapter 113 I''m Living A Happy Life Now


    Seeing Debbie choke on the soup, Julie immediately picked up a tissue and cleaned the spilled soup


    on the table. "Why are you in such a hurry? Take your time," she said.


    "Don''t you guys try this on me again," Debbie cautioned, with a hand on her heart. Still a student, she


    had no ns to have a baby yet.


    All of a sudden, she remembered something was not right¡ªCarlos hadn''t used a condom and she had


    forgotten to take her morning after pill.


    Quickly, she gulped the soup and sent Carlos a text message. "Holy crap, old man! I didn''t take my


    morning after pill. I don''t know how I forgot that! Is it toote to take the pill now?"


    Just before lunch, she had sent him a message asking about his WeChat ount and he hadn''t replied


    to it yet. But this time, his reply came immediately. "What pill?"


    What was the name of the pill? She opened browser and Googled "emergency contraception".


    Scrolling down a few hits, she got it. Mifepristone! Quick as a wink, she copied the link, took a


    screenshot and sent him both.


    Then her phone rang. "Debbie Nian, there are two things here. First, it''s already toote for the


    morning after pill. Second, I want a baby. I mean, you and I should be getting desperate to have a baby


    by now, '' he said in a firm voice that made his intentions crystal clear.


    "What?! But why?" Debbie asked in disbelief. Was he already desperate for a baby?


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "Honey, listen to me." With the phone in right hand, he rubbed his arching brow with the left and started


    to exin. "Deb, we''re a married couple. If you got pregnant, it wouldn''t be something to tense about.


    dly, I''d personally want us to keep the baby. Understand?"


    "But...but..." she stammered. She didn''t know how to make Carlos change his mind. After a long pause,


    she found ame excuse. "You want a boy. What if I gave birth to a girl? Will you ignore her then?"


    Carlos was pped hard in the face by his own words. In a t tone, he said, "I can''t afford to be


    choosy over some things. Whether it''s a girl or a boy, I''d wee the baby with open arms. As long as


    you''re the mother."


    "But I''m still a student!"


    "College students can have babies."


    "But... you want me to study abroad next year!" Debbie felt somewhat thrown off bnce.


    "If you got pregnant, I would go abroad with you."


    "But... but..." She had run out of excuses.


    "No buts. What you need to do now is not take after morning pill, but hopefully look forward to having


    you up the spout. In any case, I''ll be there for you. In short, worry not!" he dered with finality.


    "But..." Debbie came up with one more excuse. "But I''m only 21. I don''t really think I''m mentally


    prepared... to be a mother..." The word "mother" was forced through with a muffled voice.


    The misfortune of growing up without a mother had been hard enough for Debbie. Wouldn''t she have a


    difficult time trying to love her own child, something she''d never personally experienced?


    From her choked voice, Carlos could tell that something was not right. After some pause, he said, "If


    you really don''t want a baby, I''ll have to use protection from now on. But as for the pill, it''s a no. I won''t


    allow you!


    For your own health, I''ll strongly advise you to stay away from that stuff. It''s not good for you."


    The show of genuine concern in that line touched Debbie at heart. For a moment, she heaved a sigh,


    rubbed her tingling eyes and murmured, "Give me some time, okay? I''ll consider your words. Maybe, a


    little more time will help me decide."


    It was not because she disliked children, but that apparently, she wasn''t mentally prepared yet. What


    would she do with a baby, at her age?


    "Honey, just rx, okay? We only had sex for two nights, and you were in your safe days. Don''t let it


    worry you so much. All the same, if you got pregnant, I''d personally take care of everything. Whichever


    way, you need to take it easy, okay?" he coaxed her.


    "Er...okay..." At longst, his words began to take effect. In fact she was getting teary-eyed, just


    listening to him.


    ''Thank you, dad, for giving me the best husband in the world!


    Dad, you know, I''m living a happy life now, '' she thought to herself.


    In Carlos'' ss that afternoon, Debbie fixed her gaze upon the man standing on the podium, with one


    hand propped against her chin. The affection in her eyes made Jared''s flesh creep. "I didn''t expect a


    tomboy like you to fall in love with a man. Stop staring at your husband like that. I''m afraid that he


    would make out with you right here right now..."


    Smack! Debbie pped Jared on the shoulder.


    ''What a jerk! How could he say that in ss?'' Debbie thought.


    She then realized that she was overreacting and immediately lowered her eyes to look at the book, as


    if nothing had happened. But it was toote. While she had been staring at Carlos, many in the ss


    had noticed him watching her as well.


    Clearing his voice, Carlos turned to Jared and said, "The chap at the back of the second line to my left.


    Please stand up and answer the question."


    Everyone turned to look at Jared. He cursed inwardly, ''Damn it! So Mr. Huo is avenging his wife?''


    While he rose slowly from his seat, he heard Carlos add, "Please tell us what you''ve learned so far."


    ''What''s he up to?!'' wondered an incredulous Jared.


    Watching him struggle for an answer, Debbie giggled with mischief.


    Jared turned to Dixion for help, but thetter looked away as if he didn''t get his point. Jared pretended


    to clear his voice, but the exaggerated manner had the ss in stitches. Eventually, he excused


    himself, "I''m sorry, Mr. Huo. I think my memory..."


    Determined, Carlos cast him a cold nce and ordered, "Stand there. The girl sitting next to him,


    please stand up and answer my question."


    The girl sitting next to him? Sitting on Jared''s right side was a boy, and the girl sitting next to him...


    Debbie Nian?!


    ''Holy crap!'' Debbie cursed quietly as she stood up. All through, her mind had wandered off to fantasies


    of her nights together with Carlos.


    "What is AIP short for?"


    Carlos'' question surprised everyone in the ss. ''Seriously? Such a simple question?''


    Any jerk taking Financial at the university could answer that straight if woken out of sleep.


    For a moment, Debbie had to suppress herughter. Why was he using kid gloves on her? Anyway,


    she answered proudly, "AIP is short for automatic investment n."


    "Good!" Carlos praised her with a smile. The shallowness of the whole question made Jared curse.


    ''Come on, dude! Give us a break! Stop disying how much you''re crazy about Debbie when we are


    here!''


    But if he thought the question was infuriating, Carlos'' next words were even worse.


    "Since the girl has bailed you out, will you please dance for her after the ss? You can only stop


    dancing when sheughs," Carlos told Jared. Debbie couldn''t stifle herughter.


    ''At this rate, are we getting anywhere with our sswork?'' she wondered.


    The ridiculousness of the whole thing elicited quite some giggles and ripples.


    Jared''s face was as dark as ink. ''Carlos Huo, you jerk!''


    As if it weren''t enough, Carlos continued, "Well, if you can''t dance for her, then you should see me in


    my office after the ss."


    Jared had no other choice. "Mr. Huo, I choose to... dance for Debbie," Jared said through gritted teeth,


    which sent the ss into a hysterical bout ofughter.


    When ss ended, Carlos picked up his stuff, and pointing at the ckboard said, "Jared Han, you are


    a tall guy. You clean the ckboard."


    Jared''s jaw dropped.


    ''Again? Seriously? Did I owe him a million dors or something?'' he cursed in his mind.


    Debbie propped her hand against her chin and looked at Jared who was cleaning the ckboard with a


    long face.


    Kasie and Kristina approached Debbie and winked at her. "Tomboy, your husband is so caring."


    Debbie shed a sweet smile and said, "To be honest, I can''t believe it myself. I really don''t like him to


    dote on me like that, even using kid gloves on a hardened soul like me."

 Chapter 114 Debbies Brother

    Chapter 114 Debbie''s Brother


    Dixon tried to analyze Carlos'' motives behind this. "I believe Mr. Huo was trying to avenge you. He


    must have seen you hit Jared and guessed that Jared had pissed you off. He asked the both of you to


    answer two different questions. The first question was extremely hard while the second one was rather


    simple. That way, he could find a reason to make Jared dance for you when he failed to answer where


    you seeded. He just wanted to make you happy. Wow, what a caring husband Mr. Huo is!"


    Debbie, Kasie and Kristina nodded at Dixon''s analysis. Till now, his was the only one that made any


    sense.


    Jared blew off the chalk on his hand and cast a burning nce at Debbie. "Did I kill your husband''s


    grandpa? Why did he treat me like this?" he snapped furiously. "He not only asked Mr. Lu to keep an


    eye on me, but also asked me to dance for you and clean the ckboard! From now on, I am going to


    keep you at arm''s length. I can''t afford to bear his jealousy."


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snapped back, "Come on, dude. You are not my lover. Why would he be


    jealous of you? Just dance for me, now!"


    Jared banged the table, fuming with rage at the thought of dancing for Debbie. He shouted at the


    ssroom door as if Carlos were still standing there. "Carlos Huo! I am going to remember this thing


    for the rest of my life. You know what they say? Revenge is a dish best served cold! You just wait and


    watch!"


    Debbie wasn''t too pleased to hear him shout a threat to her husband. "Jared Han, I''ve recorded what


    you just said. I think I''ll send it to Carlos right now," she threatened.


    The anger on Jared''s face immediately disappeared. With a pitiful look, he pleaded, "Please don''t do


    that, Tomboy! I''ll dance for you right here, right now."


    "Do it!"


    A few students, who wanted to see Jared dance, stayed in the ssroom, pretending to be studying.


    Jared, however, shooed all of them out.


    He even wanted to drive Kasie, Kristina and Dixon out. However, Kasie held onto Debbie''s left arm,


    and Kristina held onto her right. Dixon, who also wanted to watch Jared dance, cradled his girlfriend''s


    neck. The three of them were determined to not leave the ssroom.


    Despite his unwillingness, Jared had no other choice but to start dancing.


    To be honest, his street dance wasn''t that bad and managed to impress everyone, except Debbie, who


    remained emotionless and even yawned.


    Seeing an exhausted Jared, Kasie had an idea. "Jared, why don''t you do Yangko dance*? I think that''s


    going to be a lot funnier," she proposed with a giggle and even yed a video of Yangko dance on her


    phone to demonstrate it.


    (*TN: The Yangko dance is a traditional Chinese folk dance. Yangko dancers are usually women


    wearing bright and colorful costumes.)


    Jared stopped dancing and covered his face with both hands, giving up all hope of ever escaping this


    humiliation. "Tomboy, if you refuse tough this time, we aren''t going to be friends anymore!" he


    threatened Debbie.


    Jared moved exactly like the women in the video were moving, and it was really funny to see a big boy


    like him do the Yangko dance.


    The other three burst intoughter this time, but Debbie still remained poker-faced¡ªshe was trying her


    best to suppress herughter.


    Just as the music was about toe to an end, Debbie finally couldn''t hold it back anymore and


    cracked upughing. "Hahaha! Jared, you dance like Logger Vick*! Hahaha..."


    (*TN: Logger Vick is a character in animation "Boonie Bears".)


    Just like Logger Vick, Jared was tall and thin. And he was wiggling his ass like crazy.


    Jared heaved a sigh of relief when Debbie finallyughed. He turned off the music and sat beside her.


    "Debbie, would you mind if you had to divorce Carlos Huo and marry another man?" he asked.


    "Yes, I would!" Debbie blurted out without any hesitation. She was beginning to fall for Carlos


    completely now, and had forgotten that she had wanted to divorce him in the beginning.


    Within a minute, Debbie received a text message from Carlos. "Tell Jared Han, I''ve recorded him


    dancing in the ssroom. If he doesn''t want this video to be released, then he''d better watch his


    mouth."


    Confused, Debbie raised her head and swept her eyes around the ssroom. Only then did she see


    the camera not far away from them. The camera was able to record both pictures and sound. So...had


    Carlos really recorded Jared dancing Yangko dance?


    Jared looked back and forth between Debbie and the camera. Suddenly, he started having a bad


    feeling about it.


    He pounced towards Debbie and snatching her phone, saw Carlos'' message on it. Defeated, he


    slumped down on the chair and murmured, "Mr. Huo is such a considerate teacher..." But in his mind,


    he was cursing non-stop, "Fuck you, Carlos Huo!"


    All that was left for him to do was leave the ssroom, which he did, and Debbie replied to Carlos''


    message, "Did you really record him?"


    "Of course not. I''m too busy to disturb myself with that nonsense," Carlos replied.


    "Then how did you hear what he said to me?"


    "I totally don''t know what he said, but I know him well. He is not a guy who would be convinced easily."


    Debbie admired Carlos very much. She typed on her phone, "Well done, old man!"


    "Call me Honey!"


    Debbie rolled her eyes, speechless.


    After all the sses had ended, Debbie left the campus to go back home but was stopped by Gail at


    the school gates.


    She ignored Gail and walked past her. Gail, however, grabbed her by her wrist and yelled, "Debbie


    Nian!"


    "Get out of my way!" Debbie shook off her hand impatiently.


    "How dare you rte yourself to Carlos Huo!" Gail came to the point. She had sworn to herself that she


    was going to find out this girl''s secret today. Rumors had it that when Carlos had walked out of the


    Caspian Hotel, he had been carrying Debbie in his arms.


    "Who do you think you are? This has nothing to do with you!" Debbie snapped.


    Gail bit her lower lip and replied, "My mom told my dad that you had gotten married. Who''s your


    husband?"


    She had overheard her mother talk to her father and was really surprised that Debbie had gotten


    married at such a young age.


    Remembering the strange interaction between Debbie and Carlos, Gail had a bad feeling that Debbie


    might have been married to Carlos.


    "My husband is none of your business, Gail Mu. Don''t bother me with these stupid questions again. If


    you really have so much time, you should spend more of it with your parents," Debbie replied.


    Gail''s little sister, Sasha, was studying in another city. Although Gail here only, she barely went back


    home. Her parents really missed her sometimes.


    "Is your husband Hayden Gu?" Gail asked, ignoring what Debbie had said.


    Upon hearing the name, Debbie turned to look Gail in the eye and asked, "How did you know him?"


    When she had been with Hayden, she had kept it a secret from Gail, for fear that Gail might destroy


    their rtionship.


    "So I''m right, huh? He is your husband!" With a proud smile, Gail continued, "No wonder you can afford


    skin care products worth two hundred thousand dors. He''s from an affluent family. Congrattions!


    You found a rich husband. Then what about you and Mr. Huo? What''s your rtionship?"


    Gail was dying to know that. She didn''t think Carlos could be Debbie''s husband, because he had once


    asked his men to throw Debbie into the ocean.


    Debbie was really annoyed and raised her voice saying, "Gail Mu, one more word and I am going to


    beat the shit out of you!"


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Scared, Gail took several steps back. Plucking up some courage, she asked, "Are you afraid of people


    finding out that you''ve cheated on your husband? I guess Mr. Huo doesn''t know you''re a married


    woman, huh? What a bitch! You appear like an innocent girl, but actually you are a slut."


    Despite the fury inside her, Debbie wouldn''ty a finger on Gail, as Gail was her aunt''s daughter. She


    took a deep breath and walked past Gail. Gail, however, followed after her and coaxed, "If you tell me


    your rtionship with Mr. Huo, I''ll tell you where your brother is."


    Gail''s words sessfully stopped Debbie.


    Few people in Y City knew Debbie had a brother, who had been taken abroad since he had been a kid.


    Debbie only knew she had a brother, but didn''t know where he was and why he had been taken away.


    Before his death, Artie had told Debbie, "Now that you''re Carlos'' wife, I can rest assured. The only


    person I''m concerned about is your brother. Debbie, if there''s a chance, please ask Carlos to help you


    find your brother. I am really worried about him..."

 Chapter 115 Who Is My Mother

    Chapter 115 Who Is My Mother


    Debbie fixed her gaze on Gail, with a cold fury in her eyes. "How the hell do you know I have a


    brother? And howe you know where he is?"


    With an increasing amount of her time being spent with Carlos, she was beginning to resemble him in


    quite a few aspects. Right now, her eyes were as intimidating as Carlos'' when he got angry. Gail was


    scared by her strong aura and took a few steps back. She had once eavesdropped on her parents''


    conversation, but didn''t know much details. She had mentioned it only to get Debbie to talk. "I know


    everything," Gail bluffed. "I know about your mother. Her family took your brother abroad when he was


    a baby. You weren''t even born yet."


    Mother... It was a taboo word to Debbie.


    She grabbed Gail by her cors and shouted in a harsh voice, "Tell me more!"


    "Let me go! What do you think you''re doing, Debbie Nian? I thought you had be a good girl now.


    But evidently, I heard wrong. You haven''t changed a bit. You''re the same bully as before!" Gail broke off


    Debbie''s grip and adjusted her messy shirt in annoyance.


    Thest few days, Gail''s ssmates had been all telling her that Debbie had changed¡ªshe was now a


    good student and did not bully people anymore. Gail knew better than anyone else whether Debbie had


    changed or not. After all, she and Debbie had known each other for around twenty years. Gail had to


    admit that Debbie had indeed changed¡ªshe had be a better girl, and this fact angered Gail even


    more than her rtionship with Carlos.


    "Tell me!" Debbie repeated through gritted teeth.


    Out of fear, Gail had to give in to her. Despite her unwillingness, she started her story. "Fine... Your


    maternal grandfather waspletely against your mother being with your father, and when they


    wouldn''t listen, took your brother away from them. The next year, your mother gave birth to you. When


    you were two months old, your grandfather also took your mother away. That''s all I know. I swear!" Gail


    had only heard this much before she had been discovered by a servant in her family. She had


    pretended that she had juste back home. As a result, Lucinda and Sebastian had no idea that their


    daughter had heard them talking about Debbie''s family.


    Debbie remained speechless for a long time, pondering on what Gail had told her.


    ''Why did grandpa forbid mom from being with dad? Why did he take mom and brother away from me


    and dad?


    So mom didn''t abandon us...''


    When she came back to her senses and wanted to ask Gail some more questions, Gail spoke first.


    "Tell me the rtionship between you and Carlos Huo. Or I am just going to shut up and nothing in the


    world''s gonna make me talk."


    "We are..." Debbie''s voice trailed off. ''No! I can''t tell her about our rtionship. If she knew about it,


    then the whole world would know.'' So she lied. "What you saw is real. I like him."


    Gail covered her mouth in shock. "You''re a married woman. How can you still like Mr. Huo? Debbie


    Nian, you are cheating on your husband!" she used.


    Debbie cast a burning nce at her and snapped back, "Don''t talk nonsense! I like him, but we didn''t


    do anything hical."


    "Bullshit! I don''t believe a word of what you''re saying!"


    "Whatever. I don''t care. It''s my turn now. Who''s my mom?"


    "I don''t know..."


    Debbie bombarded Gail with more questions, but all she received in response was Gail shaking her


    head with a confused look. Debbie could tell that Gail was being honest in her denial, so she let her go


    this time.


    Matan was waiting for her with the BMW car. Debbie got in the back seat and lost herself in her


    reflections.


    ''Should I tell Carlos everything and ask for his help?


    But I''m not mentally prepared yet. Carlos, of course, is a powerful man and I believe he''ll be able to find


    out everything¡ªwho is my mom, why did she leave me and dad...


    I''m so scared to find out the truth. What if I''m unable to ept it?''


    When she arrived at the vi, she didn''t enter the house. Instead, she stood in the snow outside, her


    brain stuffed with her mother and brother.


    Her father hadn''t told her anything about her mother even before his death. Obviously, he didn''t want


    Debbie to look for her.


    All he had told her was her brother''s name. But that wasn''t going to be of much help in finding him, as


    there could be a million people with that name. What was more, it was highly likely that her grandfather


    had already changed her brother''s name. Maybe her brother didn''t even know his family name was


    Nian.


    Not until the headlight of an automobile lit up the ce she was standing in did shee to herself.


    She raised her head and saw Carlos'' Emperor car approaching.


    The car pulled over and Carlos got out. He was wearing a ck knee-length cashmere coat and a pair


    of ck leather shoes. She could hear the snow creak beneath his shoes, but somehow, didn''t feel


    cold.


    His handsome face and perfect body shape drew all of Debbie''s attention as he approached her. ''Wow,


    he is a sight to behold!'' she praised him in her mind.


    Standing before Debbie, he grabbed her hands, pulled her into his arms and chided her, "It''s freezing


    outside. Why didn''t you go into the house?"


    He frowned as he felt that her hands were as cold as ice. He unbuttoned his coat,id her hands on his


    warm waist, and wrapped her with his coat.


    The couple stood in the snow. They were so close that Debbie could even hear his strong heartbeat.


    "Carlos Huo," she murmured.


    "Uh-huh?"


    "Have I ever told you one thing?"


    "What thing?" he whispered back.


    "I really really really like you..." ''I''ve had a thing for you ever since the kiss in that bar. The more time


    we''ve spent together, the more I have fallen in love with you. I want to be with you forever...'' she said in


    her mind.


    Surprise and excitement hit Carlos as he heard this sudden confession. He lowered his head and


    rubbed her cheek with his nose. "Mmm..." he murmured in return. ''I love you too, Debbie.''


    A love song suddenly came to Debbie''s mind, so she started singing in a low voice, "I swear by the


    moon and the stars in the sky, and I swear like the shadow that''s by your side. I see the questions in


    your eyes; I know what''s weighing on your mind. You can be sure I know my part, ''cause I''ll stand


    beside you through the years. You''ll only cry those happy tears. And though I make mistakes, I''ll never


    break your heart. And I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky, I''ll be there. I swear like a shadow


    that''s by your side, I''ll be there, for better or worse till death do us part. I''ll love you with every beat of


    my heart, and I swear..."


    The suddenmencement of a song after her confession touched Carlos, as he began singing in the


    chorus, "I''ll give you every thing I can. I''ll build your dreams with these two hands. We''ll hang some


    memories on the walls. And when just the two of us are there, you won''t have to ask if I still care,


    ''cause as the time turns the page, my love won''t age at all. And I swear by the moon and the stars in


    the sky, I''ll be there. I swear like the shadow that''s by your side. I''ll be there, for better or worse, till


    death do us part. I''ll love you with every beat of my heart..."


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    This was the first time Debbie had heard Carlos sing. His voice was so alluring she couldn''t help but


    sink deeper into him.


    She withdrew her hand from his coat and pictured his face with it. His face had well-defined angles¡ª


    his forehead, cheeks and jawline. Although he didn''t say it out loud, she knew he was confessing his


    love with the song. Joy gleamed in her eyes.


    "Carlos Huo!"


    "What?"


    "Promise me, you will never ever leave me." Debbie used to be a tough tomboy. But now, she just


    wanted to be a soft girl, standing in the arms of her dear husband.


    "I promise you."


    After saying that, Carlos lowered his head and kissed her right on her lips. Every time they had kissed,


    it had been more passionate than before, as if they were the only two people left in the world. He


    scooped Debbie into his arms, and carried her into the house.


    As a germophobe, Carlos had a habit of taking a shower first whenever he got back home. But right


    now, the most important thing to him was to have sex with Debbie.


    It was not until after wild sex that Carlos finally went into the bathroom with Debbie in his arms.


    Debbie really had no idea why Carlos had been turned on. After she had heard him promise her that he


    would never leave her, she hadn''t had a chance to say a word and had been scooped inside. ''He''s


    such a jerk! Why did he have to ruin the moment and be the old goat again?''


    The next morning, when Debbie was still sound asleep, her lips were pressed against by Carlos'' and


    he whispered in her ear, "Honey, it''s time to go to the airport."

 Chapter 116 We’re Married

    Chapter 116 We¡¯re Married


    Debbie turned in bed and rested her head on Carlos'' arm, her cheek against his chest.


    With the woman he loved sleeping in his arms, Carlos felt deep contentment at heart. What else could


    he wish for? Looking at her affectionately, he reminded her gently, "Honey, we have to get going. We


    can continue to sleep after wee back from the airport."


    "Mmm..." she muttered, and buried her cheek deeper in his chest. "One more minute," she said.


    "Honey, your mother-inw''s ne is about tond."


    ''Mother-inw!'' Now she totally woke up. Looking him straight in the eye, she could''t help but smile at


    his handsome face. "It''s great," she said.


    "What''s great?" asked Carlos.


    Debbie locked her arms around his neck so that half of her body was on his. "This. Us. When I wake up


    and find you, my handsome, well-heeled husband by my side, it''s the best feeling there could ever be.


    Youplete my dreams."


    "You''ll get used to it, because you''ll wake up in my arms every day."


    "I want to, but it''s impossible, since you''re so busy. You have business trips from time to time. How am I


    going to wake up in your arms when you''re not even at my side?" Once again, she snuggled closer and


    pressed her cheek against his chest.


    The force of his heartbeat''s throbbing made her feel so close to him. For the first time, since her


    father''s death, she felt safe around a man.


    Caressing her gently, he kissed her eyebrows. "If you like, I can take you with me wherever I go. You


    can go with me on my next business trip."


    When his hand slid across her skin, she savored the slight ticklish feeling. "It would be quite an honor


    to go with you. I''d dly follow you around like a shadow," she giggled.


    "I''d like it even better if you and I became a part of each other," Carlos said.


    Huh? The expression on his face looked familiar. "Get up. Time to pick up Mom," Debbie said abruptly,


    trying to divert his attention. But her bait didn''t work. Instead, he grabbed her. "It''s ticklish," she


    screamed between bouts ofughter.


    Outside, the sun shone with an enchanting sparkle, especially after the previous day''s dull, cloudy


    weather. From the willows around the stream, birds chirped pleasantly, jumping here and there among


    the boughs. It was a good day. Hypnotized by the beautiful music of nature all around him, Carlos


    savored how Debbie''s mellowughter blended into the symphony.


    At the entrance to the arrival terminal of the airport, two Bentleys came to a halt. In the driver''s seat of


    the one in front was Emmett. He got out first, trotted to the left back door and opened it respectfully. A


    pair of feet in brand-new ck leather shoes stretched out and stepped on the ground. Then emerged


    Carlos, in a long brown overcoat and sporting trendy t top sunsses.


    He turned around and stretched out his right hand, saying, "Be careful."


    In a long, light tan overcoat, also wearing sunsses, Debbie took his hand and smiled, "You''re being


    overcautious. I''m wearing sneakers, so I won''t fall."


    Carlos returned her a tender smile. Straight out of the car, they sauntered into the waiting room arm in


    arm.


    As they waited, Debbie was on the lookout, keenly observing every woman of about fifty and above.


    Fidgeting, she wondered if Carlos'' mother looked her age, or if she was one of those few who retained


    youthful looks even in old age. Luckily, before long, a middle-aged woman in a limited edition Giorgio


    Armani white mink walked out of the VIP passage, apanied by two bodyguards.


    "There''s Mom," said Carlos. Debbie had butterflies in her stomach.


    As Carlos walked over for a hug, Debbie watched from aside. The woman too was wearing trendy


    sunsses and carried herself with grace that spoke for her blue blood.


    ''Is that his mom? She looks amazing.'' From the way she talked to Carlos, Debbie could see a gentle,


    caring mom that many could only dream of.


    After greetings, they hugged again before Carlos turned around as if to introduce Debbie.


    But Tabitha had noticed the girl behind him, so she took off her sunsses and beamed, "Son, is this


    Debbie? Come on. Introduce us."


    sping Debbie''s right hand, Carlos pulled her beside him and proudly announced, "Mom, this is


    Debbie Nian. We''re married." Then he turned to Debbie and said, "Debbie, this is Mom."


    The word "married" froze the smile on Tabitha''s face. ''Married? This is huge. Howe I wasn''t told?''


    Without noticing the change of the woman''s facial expression, Debbie greeted, "Mom, I''m Debbie. d


    to meet you!"


    Tabitha had seen the world. She put on a smile and embraced Debbie. "I''m d too. Debbie, you''re


    beautiful. My son has good eyes."


    To which Debbie blushed, her nervousness obviously showing on the face. Carlos took her into his


    arms and suggested, "Mom, this is not a ce to talk. Let''s get in the car and go home."


    Tabitha knew how influential her son was in the city. Although they had made their appearances at the


    airport for only a few minutes, by now, a lot of people in the hall were already gazing at them. Tabitha


    nodded in agreement to his suggestion, so they turned and walked towards the exit.


    Debbie opened the passenger door and intended to get in so that Carlos and his mom could sit


    together and talk in the back.


    But Tabitha stopped her. "Debbie, let''s sit together in the back and let Carlos sit in front," she said


    warmly.


    Feeling ttered, Debbie reflexively looked at Carlos, who


    nodded resignedly. After helping the twodies into the back seats, he took his ce in the passenger


    seat.


    The car drove away slowly. On the way, Tabitha held Debbie''s hand in hers all the time, asking about


    this and that, to which Debbie replied politely.


    "Has Carlos ever pushed you around ever since you two got married? If he has, tell me. I''ll kick his


    ass," Tabitha said.


    Debbie shook her head. Reacting to the question, Carlos cut in, "Mom, maybe you won''t believe it, but


    I''m the one that gets pushed around here."


    Tabitha knew he was kidding. ''Carlos gets pushed around? Is that even possible?''


    But innocently Debbie protested, "No. I never..." She exined incoherently. She was clumsy at


    socializing. Carlos telling his mom on her threw her off guard.


    "Well done, Debbie!" Tabitha remarked, to her surprise. "Somebody has to let him know that women


    can''t be bullied. He used to belittle women all the time. That is about to change. Don''t be easy on him if


    he does that again."


    "Huh?" ''Is she kidding me?'' Debbie wondered. ''But she doesn''t seem to be joking. Usually moms are


    protective of their children. Why is she not?


    Is Carlos adopted?''


    Tabitha and Debbie had a good time chatting. The amiable chitchat left Debbie relieved.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    When they arrived at the vi, Tabitha looked at the new structure and asked, "Carlos, don''t you live in


    the manor?"


    "No, but with time. I''m nning to move into there," said Carlos, pulling Debbie into his arms. Once the


    lab and music studio were built and the other rooms were decorated, he and Debbie would move in.


    ''Manor? What manor? Is it some ce Carlos used to live in?'' Debbie was curious, but she was


    cautious not to ask him about it. At least for now, in Tabitha''s presence, that wouldn''t be wise. So she


    put those questions behind her.


    When they were about to walk in the house, a red Mercedes pulled to a halt near them. Glimpsing the


    license te, Carlos stopped.


    The driver''s door opened and a girl in pink rolled out and threw herself at Carlos'' mom. "Tabitha! I


    missed you so much," Megan said.

 Chapter 117 They Have A Special Connection

    Chapter 117 They Have A Special Connection


    Megan looked youthful in her pink, cashmere overcoat and white casual shoes.


    Tabitha was delighted to see her. "Oh, Megan! You''ve grown! Let me see you," she said as she gave


    her a warm wee hug.


    Tabitha was grateful because of what Megan''s parents had done for Carlos. She loved her as if she


    were her own daughter.


    "Tabitha, I''m already 18, remember? I''m an adult now and won''t grow much taller," Megan said coyly.


    Amused, Tabitha grinned from ear to ear. She took Megan''s hand in hers and patted it lovingly. Their


    closeness saddened Debbie, who watched silently in Carlos'' arms. "Oh, Debbie, do you and Megan


    know each other?" Tabitha asked her.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Holding back the bitterness in her heart, Debbie forced a smile and answered, "Yes, we''ve met before."


    ''They look like a family, '' Debbie thought.


    Suddenly, Megan let go of Tabitha and ran towards Carlos happily. She took his left arm casually as if


    she had done it a million times before, and said with a smile, "Uncle Carlos, Aunt Debbie, I''m sorry for


    not greeting you right away. I was too excited to see Tabitha!"


    Carlos politely pulled his arm free from her grip and stroked her hair dotingly. "Every time you see


    Tabitha, you ignore the rest of us," he said.


    Megan made a face yfully and walked back to Tabitha. "Of course. Tabitha loves me the most in the


    whole world," she dered proudly.


    Carlos held Debbie tighter and didn''t respond.


    Debbie stood there numbly, hands in her pockets. Feeling Carlos'' tightened embrace, she squeezed


    the fabric hard, a choreographed smile stuck on her face.


    It was never in her personality to be as amicable as Megan. Socials and ttery were not her strong


    suits. She wondered if Tabitha was disappointed in her already.


    "Let''s go inside," Tabitha said, turning.


    But before she could take a second step, Megan grabbed her arm and eximed, "Ah! Tabitha, I''m


    sorry I forgot about my friend''s son. He''s in my car. His mom had ast-minute meeting. She asked me


    to babysit him, but I really wanted to see you so I brought him here instead. I hope you don''t mind."


    With that, she stuck out her tongue awkwardly.


    Hearing that there was a kid in the car, Tabitha said to the bodyguards hurriedly, "Let the kid out of the


    car. Be quick."


    Once the door of Megan''s car was opened, a boy in a blue down jacket jumped out. He wore a ck


    knitted hat and carried a toy gun. At the sight of the group of adults, he held the toy gun up and yelled,


    "Hands up! Or I''ll blow your heads off!"


    Carlos frowned at the boy''s rude words. Inexperienced in dealing with kids, Debbie wondered if she


    should cooperate.


    Only Megan put her hands up and said, "King Jake, please spare me. How about I take you inside to


    have some delicious snacks?"


    Hearing that there were snacks, the boy put down his toy gun and dashed towards the house as he


    shouted, "Go! Charge! Everybody, charge towards the food!"


    Quickly, he was in the vi and out of everyone''s sight.


    Megan acted as if there was nothing wrong with the boy''s behavior. Or maybe she was used to it.


    Without a word, she held Tabitha''s arm and helped the smilingdy into the vi.


    Debbie, on the other hand, thought, ''If my and Carlos'' son was that naughty, I might strike him every


    day.''


    At this point, her husband whispered in her ear, "I think we should have a girl."


    Debbie blushed. She replied as she followed him inside, "Didn''t you say you wanted a boy?"


    "I''m afraid that I would end up hitting him every day," he said.


    Debbie burst intoughter. No doubt that they had a special connection.


    Her smile made Carlos'' day. "I''ll start working hard from tonight," he said.


    "For what?" Debbie asked as she changed into her slippers and put his in front of him.


    Carlos put them on and answered, "To make you pregnant with my baby girl."


    Embarrassed by his flirtation, Debbie pinched him on the arm and scolded, "Shameless."


    Carlosughed.


    Standing in the living room, Tabitha saw the two whispering to and smiling at each other. She was quite


    surprised. Carlos hadn''tughed like that since he was a teenager.


    Clearly, he didn''t just like Debbie. He loved her. Something urred to Tabitha. She waved at Debbie


    and said, "Debbie,e over here."


    Debbie walked up to her obediently and said with difficulty, "Yes, Mom."


    Not that she was reluctant to call Tabitha "Mom". It was just that she had never called anyone ''Mom''


    before. The word was alien to her and she needed time to adjust.


    Tabitha lifted her hand and was about to say something but was suddenly interrupted by Megan''s


    scream. "Jake,e down! You are not allowed to go upstairs!"


    The boy, Jake, who was running up the stairs, turned his head back to Megan and made a face. "Try


    and stop me," he said. As soon as he finished the sentence, he started rushing upwards again.


    Megan looked at her threepanions awkwardly. Atst, her eyes stopped at Carlos. "Uncle Carlos,


    can you go upstairs with me and help me keep an eye on him? Your bedrooms are there, after all. It


    feels inappropriate for me to go there on my own."


    Carlos didn''t reply, but he didn''t say no either. As he was about to go upstairs, a hand grabbed his arm


    and stopped him. Debbie met his eyes and said, "Leave it to me. You keep mompany."


    Let her husband go upstairs with Megan? Huh! She wouldn''t allow Megan to be alone with Carlos!


    Unaware of Debbie''s concerns, however, Tabitha smiled and gently interrupted, "Debbie, let Carlos go.


    I''d like to talk to you." Carlos sensed the difort in his wife. He patted her hand tofort her and


    then started walking over to Megan. Suddenly, he noticed the housemaid pouring tea for them. He


    quickly turned to her and ordered, "Go upstairs and watch the boy."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo,"


    she replied immediately as she went upstairs. Carlos returned to Debbie. Relieved, Debbie sat next to


    her mother-inw.


    "Debbie, I came in a rush, so I didn''t have the time to get you a gift. These are heirlooms of the Huo


    family. I''d like to give them to you. Keep them safe, will you?" Tabitha said as she took off the pair of


    jade bracelets that she was wearing. She pulled Debbie close and put them in her hand.


    Actually, Tabitha had prepared a gift, but that was before she knew that Debbie was her daughter-in-


    law. Now that she was aware, she didn''t think that the gift she initially bought was a decent gift for her


    daughter-inw, so she decided not to mention it at all and give her the jade bracelets instead.


    Debbie was stunned. She knew how meaningful those bracelets were. Overwhelmed by the warmth


    and nervousness she felt, she didn''t know what to do. She looked at her husband.


    Carlos smiled, "Since Mom is giving them to you, take them."


    Debbie took the jade bracelets, her eyes red. "Thank you, Mom. I''ll treasure them and keep them safe,"


    she promised.

 Chapter 118 Apologize

    Chapter 118 Apologize


    With Debbie''s assurance, Tabitha nodded in approval.


    She liked her daughter-inw. She was simple, honest but also quite perky when she was with Carlos.


    Megan sat next to Carlos with her hands propped against her jaw, wearing her typical sweet smile.


    "Tabitha is so nice to Aunt Debbie. I''m envious," she said.


    Tabitha smiled, "Megan, one day when you get married, your mother-inw will be nice to you too."


    "I''m too young to think about getting married, Tabitha," Megan replied. At that point, a housemaid


    handed her a cup of tea; she took it and lowered her head to take a sip.


    Tabitha smiled and continued to talk with Debbie. "Which year are you in at university? Busy at


    school?" she asked.


    "I''m in my Junior year. We''re not so busy," she replied.


    "What''s your major?" Tabitha asked.


    Just then, the housemaid with Jake upstairs ran down, flustered. "Mr. and Mrs. Huo, something''s up,"


    she reported nervously.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Megan.


    The housemaid ignored her and looked at Debbie, saying, "The boy... Mrs. Huo, I didn''t mean it. I was


    cleaning. I didn''t notice... I tried to stop him, but he wouldn''t listen..."


    The housemaid was so scared she was on the verge of crying.


    Debbie had an ominous feeling. She stood up and went upstairs.


    The others followed at her heels.


    There were a few rooms upstairs, but only the door to Debbie''s room was open. She walked in, only to


    find that her tidy room was now a total disaster.


    Jake was nowhere to be seen and water could be heard running in the bathroom.


    Debbie walled around to examine the room. When she passed by the dressing table, she saw that the


    lines of cosmetics had been messed up and some products were missing.


    Then she pushed open the door of the bathroom, to find that the boy was ying with the missing


    cosmetics with the faucet on. Standing in front of the mirror, he dabbed cream all over his face until it


    waspletely covered. He put some on his body too, but more of the product was in the sink, being


    slowly washed into the drain.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie felt her blood rise to her face. Without thinking, she rushed up to the boy and shouted, "What


    are you doing?!" She turned the faucet off and attempted to snatch the remaining cream away from the


    boy.


    However, it was already toote. On the vanity cupboardy face cream jars, hydration essence


    bottles, hydrating toner bottles...all empty.


    Debbie''s face darkened. The boy got scared at the sight and threw the cream jar at Debbie. "Bad


    woman! Bad woman!" he yelled.


    "Shut up!" Debbie shouted.


    The cream jar was smashed against her thigh. It didn''t hurt much but the rest of the cream spilled all


    over her clothes, making her blood boil even more.


    The chaos stumped the others in the bathroom. Carlos pulled Debbie into his arms and asked, "What''s


    the matter?"


    Debbie''s heart ached when she saw the empty cosmetic bottles and jars. At that moment, she was too


    sad to say a word. The boy ran towards Megan and started wailing. Debbie threw him a nce and


    gritted her teeth, trying not to explode with rage.


    Those cosmetics cost an arm and a leg. Now, they were ruined by a naughty boy before she could use


    them even once.


    Megan held the crying boy in her arms and keptforting him. "Aunt Debbie, those were just a few


    bottles of cosmetics. Did you have to be so harsh on a little boy?" she said in a low voice.


    ''Just a few bottles of cosmetics? They cost tens of thousands of dors! Also, it was Carlos'' money. It


    was hard-earned money. Why should it be wasted like this?'' Debbie thought.


    Her eyes reddened. After a deep breath, she said to Megan in a hard voice, "Call his mom."


    "What for?" Megan asked.


    "Tell her what he did and ask her how she educates her son! Shouldn''t she take responsibility? I won''t


    ask them topensate me for the ruined cosmetics, but shouldn''t they apologize?!" Debbie said,


    unintentionally raising her voice at thest sentence. Shepletely lost hold of her emotions.


    Megan was stunned. "Aunt Debbie, don''t you think you are making too much of a deal over a bunch of


    cosmetics?" she said.


    Debbie insisted, "Yes, they were just cosmetics, but your uncle Carlos bought them for me. I didn''t even


    have the heart to use them. Now, look at this mess! They''re all ruined. Do you think a little boy is


    capable of taking the responsibility? Would it be too much to ask his parents to apologize?"


    Megan awkwardly looked at Carlos, who remained silent. As if oblivious of her stare, he stood next to


    Debbie, with no intention of uttering a word.


    Standing there, Tabitha watched everything quietly.


    Without backup, Megan said weakly, "Aunt Debbie, please don''t be mad. It was me who brought Jake


    here. How about Ipensate you for the ruined cosmetics? I can have a new set delivered here very


    soon. Boys tend to be naughty. Please don''t take a little boy''s naughtiness to heart."


    ''I''m the one taking the little boy''s naughtiness to heart? Megan, that''s quite a tongue you have!'' Debbie


    sneered inwardly. "Don''t bother! I only need an apology. Just call his parents," she demanded. Then,


    she turned to Tabitha, full of guilt. "Sorry, Mom, I will clean up the mess right away."


    Tabitha smiled, "Debbie,e out of the bathroom. Leave the cleaning to the housemaids."


    Debbie turned her back to the others to wipe her eyes. Carlos pulled her by the arm and said, "Walk


    with me."


    Knowing she wouldn''t be able to say no, Debbie followed him out of the bathroom with her head down.


    Carlos took her into the walk-in closet and closed the door. Gently, he wiped the tears from her face


    and soothed her, "Those were just cosmetics. They were not worth your tears."


    The more she thought about it, the more she got upset. "I always liked that brand but I couldn''t afford it.


    I might never be able to wear that kind of makeup if it were not for the bank card you gave me. Now


    that I finally had them, they were ruined. Tens of thousands of dors were spent for nothing," she


    sobbed.


    "It''s no big deal. Sugar, don''t cry. If you like that brand so much, I''ll ask them to deliver a few more sets


    here," he said.


    Debbie wiped her eyes and red at him. "Tens of thousands of dors is no big deal? You worked


    hard for that money! Why should it be wasted? You might have stayed upte to earn it or drank with


    your clients just to make them happy. It''s not easy to make money. Besides, that boy was way too rude.


    Somebody needs to knock some sense into his head," she told him.


    It would have been easier for her to let go if the boy hadn''t done it on purpose. But he not only refused


    to apologize but also threw a jar at her.


    The old her would have spanked him by now.


    Carlos realized that Debbie wasn''t mad just because of the cosmetics. She was mad partly because of


    the boy''s bad attitude and partly because she felt as if his hard work had been wasted. "Okay, there,


    there. You know I don''t care about that sum of money, so don''t get so upset. Go get changed. I''ll ask


    Megan to call the boy''s parents, all right?" heforted her.


    After wiping away her tears, he kissed her eyes gently.


    ''Deb, my girl. Do you know how much it pains me when you cry?'' he thought.

 Chapter 119 Call His Mom

    Chapter 119 Call His Mom


    Debbie nodded. "Will mom be disappointed in me?" she asked worried, looking at him with teary eyes.


    Carlos shook his head and assured her, "No, she won''t. Don''t worry. Go get changed, all right?"


    Debbie collected herself and changed into a clean pair of pants after Carlos had left the walk-in closet.


    In her bedroom, the dressing table had been cleaned up. When Carlos saw it again, he recalled how


    tidy it had looked even with so many items on it before the boy messed it up.


    Just that morning, when Debbie was applying the products to her face after freshening up, she had


    joked, "Now I see the benefits of marrying Carlos Huo. As Mrs. Huo, I can buy whatever I want. I


    craved these things for years! Now, I have so many of them. Mr. Huo, it seems that I''ll have to be a


    good wife so you won''t dump me one day. If you do, no one will be left to buy me expensive beauty


    products anymore."


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    After applying them to her skin, she checked them carefully and rearranged them on her table.


    "They are not even premium brands. Why do you value them so much?" Carlos asked as he watched


    her go through her routine.


    He thought about how easy it was to please her.


    Holding a newly opened face cream, Debbie answered joyfully, "They''re not the most expensive, but it


    was you who bought them for me. To me, that makes them the best."


    Carlos couldn''t help smiling as he yed the scenario back in his mind.


    He took out his phone and called Emmett. "Buy a few more sets of those beauty products Debbie


    bought at Shining International za and have them delivered to the vi," he ordered.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," he replied dutifully.


    "Also, ask our best business partner in the beauty category to develop an exclusive line of cosmetics


    for her as soon as possible,"


    he added.


    The moment Carlos hung up, Debbie walked out of the closet.


    He stretched out his hand towards her, and she put her hand in his. The two held each other''s hands


    tightly.


    As they walked downstairs, Debbie couldn''t help but ask, "Did I overreact? He is only a five-year-old


    boy anyway."


    Carlos looked at her and answered, "I know you. I was surprised that you didn''t spank him and only


    demanded an apology."


    Debbie was disappointed to hear that. She stopped him from moving forward and asked, "Am I that


    hot-tempered in your eyes?"


    Sensing the hint of anger in her tone, Carlos knew that he had bettere up with something nice to


    say. "Bad or good, I love your temper," he told her with a smile.


    She brightened up at his words. "Hmph, this sounds much better. Never mind. Since he is just a boy, I''ll


    let it go," she dered.


    Carlos looked at her dotingly and said, "You''re such a pushover."


    "Mom saw everything. What if she thinks I am too petty and doesn''t like me anymore? That is a loss I


    can''t afford," she exined. Between tens of thousands of dors and a mother-inw who liked her, of


    course, she would go for thetter.


    "Rx. She won''t think that of you," Carlos assured her.


    When they arrived downstairs, Tabitha was chatting with Megan. The culprit Jake was watching TV


    while holding a bag of snacks, as if nothing had happened.


    "Ah, Debbie, there you are. Come and sit next to me," Tabitha said, patting the seat next to her.


    The look on her face was as amiable as it had been before the mess, which relieved Debbie a little.


    Everything seemed calm. Debbie decided that it was best to let the whole thing go and move on.


    Carlos, however, thought the contrary. He sat down and immediately asked Megan, "How long is it


    going to take?"


    "What?" Megan was confused.


    Carlos threw a sideways nce at the boy who was watching a cartoon, and remained silent.


    Megan realized what he meant. She was embarrassed. "Uncle Carlos, I haven''t made the call yet. This


    is all because of some beauty products. Can we just¡ª"


    She tried to exin and make the whole thing go away. Also, she was not used to seeing Carlos all


    cold and firm.


    All her friends knew how much the four richest young men in Y City indulged her.


    However, Carlos'' face darkened before she could finish her sentence. "Make the call now!" he


    demanded impatiently.


    His unexpected anger made Megan''s face turn hot. He had never been mad at her before. Mortified,


    she bowed her head and took out her phone from her bag.


    While she was looking for the boy''s mom''s number from her contacts, Debbie turned to Carlos in


    confusion and asked, "Didn''t we agree to let it go? "


    Carlos looked at her and replied, "You said you would let it go. I didn''t."


    He wouldn''t let anybody offend his dear wife, not even a boy, especially one whocked discipline.


    Debbie was rendered speechless.


    Tabitha, who hadn''tmented anything on the matter, finally decided to speak. "Debbie, I think Carlos


    is right. The boy needs discipline. Otherwise, he would keep putting others in jeopardy in the future."


    Hearing Tabitha''s remark, Megan turned red.


    She was so ashamed that she fled to the balcony holding her phone. As soon as the phone was


    connected, she said hastily, "Jake is in trouble. Come to East City Vi quickly."


    The person on the other end of the line said something. Megan responded after some hesitation, "You


    have toe. Your son angered Mr. Huo. I shouldn''t have brought him here."


    Jake''s mom was in a meeting when she received Megan''s call. Hearing about what her son did, she


    immediately excused herself, hopped in her car, and drove towards Carlos'' vi.


    Meanwhile, Jake was about to finish eating the pack of snacks he was holding. One housemaid


    reminded him when she noticed, "It''s bad for your health to eat so many snacks." She had hardly


    finished her words before the boy started crying out loud. The adults tried to calm him down, but to no


    avail. The boy''s cries resounded throughout the living room. Debbie felt as if her ears were bleeding.


    Since Jake''s mom hadn''t arrived yet, Megan couldn''t take him away. As she did not have much


    experience in taking care of kids, all her attempts tofort him and quiet him down failed. She could


    only stand there and watch the housemaids at their likewise futile attempts.


    The boy was so noisy that even Tabitha, who was the most patient, started to look sullen.


    Carlos'' face twisted with rage. Debbie lowered her head and propped her right hand against her


    forehead in frustration. Seeing how distressed his wife was getting with the relentless crying, Carlos


    stood up, grabbed the boy by his clothes and carried him towards the door.


    Tabitha and Megan ran after him, frightened. "Carlos!" Tabitha called.


    "Uncle Carlos!" Megan followed.


    Noticing what was going on, Debbie stood up too. By now, Carlos had already opened the gates of the


    vi. He put Jake on the snow-coated ground. The boy was still crying, but it didn''t affect Carlos at all.


    The man turned around and closed the gates behind him.


    Megan wanted to open the gates, but Carlos stopped her. "Don''t you dare!" he said as he red at her.


    His face was almost purple with anger. Too afraid, Megan turned to Tabitha. "Tabitha..." she pleaded.


    Tabitha wasn''t sure if her son would listen to her, so she looked at Debbie.


    Meeting Tabitha''s eyes, Debbie fell into a daze.


    ''Is Tabitha telling me to calm Carlos down?'' she wondered. As if aware of what she was thinking,


    Tabitha nodded. Receiving the hint, Debbie took a deep breath and grabbed Carlos'' hand. "He''s


    naughty, but it''s not our ce to discipline him. Isn''t his mom on the way? Why don''t we leave it to her?


    Besides, if she sees her son thrown out of the vi and crying in the snow alone, she will feel


    ufortable," she told her husband.


    Carlos was nonchnt. "I don''t give a damn how she will feel. If she sucks at parenting, then she


    doesn''t have the right to me others for doing the job for her!" Ufortable? Mess with his wife


    again and he would hang her son flogged on a tree.


    See how she would feel then!

 Chapter 120 Petty Man Slash Protective Husband

    Chapter 120 Petty Man sh Protective Husband


    For a few minutes, Jake had been crying outside. But it was hard for Debbie to leave the kid in the


    austere weather anymore. Ignoring Carlos'' caveat, she opened the gate to the vi and walked over to


    the little boy, whose nose was red from the biting cold.


    Heaving a sigh, she squatted to whisper in the boy''s ear, "Jake, I''ll take you inside, but you have to


    promise me to stop crying, okay?"


    To Debbie''s surprise, the imp pushed her hard without a word. Caught off guard, she slumped on the


    cold, snowy ground.


    "You ungrateful, spoiled brat!" Debbie roared, boiling with rage as


    Carlos stepped forward to help her to her feet. The grim look on his face as he helped her up was


    enough to stop the boy crying.


    When everyone thought that was it, Carlos released Debbie, clutched the boy and spanked him so


    hard that


    his palm hurt.


    The kid burst out crying again. This time he was so loud you''d fear he was going to have a seizure.


    Scared out of wits, Megan dashed over and intervened by pulling Carlos aside. Standing between him


    and the kid, she implored, "Uncle Carlos, Jake''s mom is stuck in a traffic jam, but she should be here in


    about an hour. Can I get him out of here, please?"


    "No, you can''t!" Carlos growled coldly. "If you are worried about him, you can stay here and wait with


    him!"


    Never had Carlos been so angry at Megan. Today, he had easily snapped at her time and again that


    she wondered what was wrong with him. Looking back, she recalled how just the other day he had also


    embarrassed her by standing her up at the party. She had been taunted by so many people. At the


    mere thought of it, anger consumed her eyes. But there was not much she could do, considering he


    held power over her. In disappointment, her mouth opened and closed involuntarily, as if she was going


    to say something but words failed her.


    By now, the boy had cried so much that he was panting for breath. With a ferocious eye, Carlos looked


    at him and demanded, "Shut the hell up and apologize to my wife!"


    A terrified Jake scampered for cover behind Megan, at his cold, menacing roar.


    Irritated by the little brat''s impenitence once again, Carlos pulled him out and roared, "I''ll say this one


    more time. Apologize to my wife!"


    Resignedly, the kid turned to Debbie and stammered between sobs, "I''m s-sorry. Boo...hoo... Mommy. I


    want mommy!"


    After he had apologized, Carlos tucked him into Megan''s arms and warned, "I don''t ever want to see


    him again!"


    Frightened, Megan held Jake tight and nodded with a pale face.


    If she had known the boy would anger Carlos, she would never have brought him along.


    Tabitha, who had been silently watching, walked over to check Debbie. "Debbie, let me have a look.


    Are you hurt?" she asked with genuine concern.


    "Thank you, Mom. The ground is covered in snow, so I''m fine. Don''t worry," answered Debbie shaking


    her head.


    Learning that she was fine, Tabitha was relieved.


    When they were about to head back into the vi, a BMW pulled in beside Megan''s Mercedes. A short,


    plump woman in a green down jacket threw herself out of the car hurriedly.


    She was wearing lots of jewelry, which she seemed to proudly unt. Obviously one hell of a shy


    woman who just couldn''t resist the urge to show off wherever she turned up.


    Instead of checking on her son, she trotted over to Carlos and said, "Hi, Mr. Huo. I''m Jake''s mom."


    Seeing his mom there, Jake thought he had backup, so he cried, "Mommy, mommy, help me! This man


    is bad. He hit me! And they too. They all bullied me! Boo...hoo..."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ''My son got hit?'' Her heart ached at the word, but she couldn''t bring herself to confront Carlos. All she


    did was hug Jake tightly and console him.


    "Mr. Huo, I''m sorry I''mte. Awful traffic," she said to Carlos apologetically.


    Carlos looked at her indifferently and demanded with a stern face, "Apologize to my wife!"


    ''Huh? When did Mr. Huo get married?'' Jake''s mom wondered. She looked at the woman next to Carlos


    and thought, ''Is this Mrs. Huo? Why did Megan never mention her?''


    Carlos didn''t even care enough to exin the situation to her. Megan came to her and said, "Jake


    messed up his wife''s cosmetics, which were worth tens of thousands of dors."


    Megan left out the rest of the story. Jake''s mom was stunned to hear that the whole thing was just


    about some cosmetics. She was angry but she restrained herself. "Mrs. Huo, my son is crying his heart


    out just because of some cosmetics?"


    Debbie threw a stare at Megan who had left out the most important part of the truth, and was about to


    say something, when the housemaid that had been with the boy all the time responded, "Lady, Mr. Huo


    doesn''t care about the money of course. Your son was rude to Mrs. Huo. He not only messed up Mrs.


    Huo''s cosmetics but also hit her with a jar of face cream. And when Mrs. Huo tried to calm him down


    while he was throwing his tantrum, he pushed her down to the ground. Don''t you think what your son


    did is wrong?"


    The way the maid referred to Mrs. Huo again and again made Megan frown in disgust.


    Meanwhile, the respectful manner of the housemaid towards Debbie and the grave look on Carlos'' face


    awoke Jake''s mom to the seriousness of the situation. After all, Carlos Huo was a man with vast


    influence across the city. That was not the kind of person she could afford to offend, for her own


    business and political interests in the city.


    Gripping Jake''s hand, she walked over to Carlos. "Mr. Huo, I''m so, so sorry. I''ve failed as a mother,"


    she apologized, with her head bowed. Likewise she turned to Debbie. "Mrs. Huo, I''m sorry. I''ll teach


    him a lesson when we get home. Again, sorry for everything."


    Standing there, Carlos didn''t respond. His mind was hard to read. Debbie had to stand with him.


    To make up for the mess, Jake''s mom called someone on the phone and had a few sets of the most


    expensive cosmetics at Shining International za delivered to the vi. After hanging up the phone,


    she asked the bossy-looking man cautiously, "Mr. Huo, is it okay now?"


    Carlos responded with a frown, "Is this how you''re teaching your son?"


    At first, Jake''s mom was confused, but soon she realized what he meant. She pulled her son out of her


    arms and said to him, "Jake, what you did is wrong. Now, apologize to Mr. Huo and his wife. Come on."


    "No, I won''t!" the boy shouted as he pried his mom''s hand away and ran towards the car. "I want to go


    home. I want Daddy! I hate all of you! You are all bad! You should be eaten by a monster!" he


    continued shouting.


    His mom stood there, watching him climb into the car, terribly embarrassed.


    "He... I... Mr. Huo..."


    Without a word, Carlos looked at her coldly before turning around to go back to the vi with Debbie.


    In the vi, Tabitha was giving instructions to Julie on what she wanted on menu for dinner. When she


    saw theming in, she dismissed Julie and stood up. "How did it go?" she asked.


    Since Debbie looked at Carlos, indicating that he answered, Carlos said casually, "Whoever touches


    my wife will face my wrath, and Jake is not an exception. It does not matter whether he is only a child


    or not."


    Moved by his words, Debbie took his hand and said quietly, "It''s over now. Jake''s mom apologized, so


    don''t be mad anymore, okay?"


    "No!" he protested.


    Debbie lowered her head and smiled at his stubbornness. When she looked up again, her eyes were


    full of affection. "Jake is only five years old, dear. You have to get over it, or you may begin to sound


    petty. Do you think that is good for a man of your reputation?" she asked tenderly.

 Chapter 121 Will You Promise Me That

    Chapter 121 Will You Promise Me That


    With a serious expression on his face, Carlos said, "I don''t care what other people think of me. I won''t


    stand anyone crossing you. Not even a 5-year-old boy. That''s my word."


    Messing with his wife meant messing with Carlos himself, and he would not let anyone get away with


    that so easily.


    It really touched Debbie, to have Carlos taking her side against Megan this time. That was quite out of


    the blue. Feigning anger, she pouted her lips and said, "If you refuse to let it go, it will make me so


    anxious I might even cry. Would you kick yourself for making me cry?"


    Mulling over her words, Carlos lowered his head and saw the hint of emotion in her eyes. A frown


    marred his face. But he misunderstood her mood. Actually she was teary-eyed because she was


    touched by how protective he was of her. Sighing in defeat, Carlos didn''t get her drift. "Okay, okay. I''ll


    let you have your way, dear. Some concessions can''t be avoided between lovebirds," he said with a


    thoughtful look. Then lowering his head closer to her ear, he whispered, "Don''t put on that sulking face,


    sweet pie, or I''ll be tempted to carry you to our room for a full body massage."


    Before Debbie could react, Tabitha interrupted them with profound resignation. "Son, I didn''t travel all


    the way to see you show off. Give me time with my daughter-inw too."


    Blushing, Debbie pushed Carlos away immediately and turned to Tabitha''s support. "Mom is right.


    Carlos, stop being so possessive. You should let me enjoy herpany for the little time she''s here."


    Then she walked towards Tabitha calmly.


    When she approached Tabitha, she held her arm, and pretending that nothing had happened, asked in


    a sweet voice, "Mom, what were you discussing with Julie?"


    No one knew how much courage it took for Debbie to hold Tabitha''s arm and call her "Mom".


    While still holding hands, Tabitha showed Debbie Julie''s notebook filled with recipes. "We were


    discussing what we''re going to eat this evening. But I think it would be wise if we let you choose. Tell


    me what your favorite meal is or anything special that you''d want for the night. I''ll dly prepare it for


    you," Tabitha offered.


    It humbled Debbie to have a mother-inw who, despite all her money and position, was so


    affectionate to prepare a meal for her.


    Sensing the surprised look on Debbie''s face, Tabitha asked, "Well, you don''t believe I can cook, do


    you?"


    Debbie nodded with embarrassment. "You got me. I must be the dumbest person here. I don''t know


    how to cook..."


    The only time Debbie attempted to cook a meal for Carlos, it was a disaster.


    ''When dad asked me to learn how to cook, I should''ve listened to him. Now I so wish I could cook for


    Carlos...'' she rued.


    "For now," began Tabitha, patting her hand, "all you need to do is study hard. As for cooking, you don''t


    need to do a thing while you have Julie around. She''s a terrific cook. Even if you could cook, Carlos


    wouldn''t be willing to let you cook for him."


    There was no need for any woman in the Huo family to learn cooking, unless she took it up as a hobby.


    They could learn it if they were really fond of cooking, but if it wasn''t something they were passionate


    about, it wasn''t a necessary skill. After all, they would neverck servants.


    Carlos chimed in, "No one knows a son better than his mother."


    To which Debbie made a phony reproachful nce. Tabitha and Julie couldn''t help but chuckle.


    By now, everyone had forgotten about the little drama they''d had with Jake.


    However, the family''s happy moment together was interrupted to Debbie, when the gate to the vi


    opened again and Megan walked in. The smile on Debbie''s face vanished. Tabitha waved at Megan


    and asked, "Has everything been dealt with?"


    Megan came over to Tabitha and with a guilty look said, "Yes, everything is okay. Uncle Carlos, Aunt


    Debbie, I''m really sorry for what has happened. I promise that such a thing won''t happen again."


    Nodding to her promise, Carlos suggested, "Mom will cook this evening. Why not stay and have dinner


    with us?"


    His dinner invitation suggested that he had forgiven Megan.


    Megan turned to look at Tabitha with an intimidated expression as if asking for her permission. "Please


    stay here for dinner," Tabitha said with a smile. Whenever Tabitha hade here to visit her son in the


    past, Megan would have dinner with them. It was normal for the mother and son to ask her to stay.


    "Yeah. Thank you, Uncle Carlos. It''s been a whole while since Ist ate Tabitha''s delicious food."


    Thrilled, Megan jumped to her feet, held Tabitha''s arm and took over Julie''s notebook.


    Feeling frustrated, Debbie bit her lower lip. To be honest, she could feel Tabitha liked Megan very much


    and treated her like her own daughter.


    "I''m going to cook fried crab with pepper, seaweed soup..." Tabitha began to tell them the dishes she


    was going to cook. Then she turned to Debbie and asked, "I heard from Julie what your favorite food is.


    So I''ve considered your liking too. But just in case, kindly let me know what else you guys would want


    to add to the menu?"


    Debbie shook her heard immediately.


    "No, thanks, Mom. Of course, what you''ve selected will be just perfect for me. Maybe, if someone else


    would want something extra."


    "Okay," Tabitha nodded.


    Then Carlos went to the study to work, Tabitha went to her room to take a rest, and Megan followed


    after Tabitha, iming that she wanted to have small talk with her. Left with nothing to do, Debbie


    chose to go to her bedroom.


    In order to kill the time, she began to clean the dressing table. Suddenly, she received Kasie''s message


    on WeChat. "Tomboy, how was your meeting with your mother-inw? What is she like?" it read.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie replied without hesitation, "Carlos'' mom is an awesome person. Pretty and graceful, and really


    nice to me. To be honest, I''ve liked her, right from the word go."


    "Sure! I''ve also done a background check on her. Seems like you have an amazing mother-inw.


    Despite her noble birth and the fact that she''s highly educated and rolling in money, she''s also a


    weing person. In fact, very good with people, from the little information I''ve gathered. I hope you


    two will make good friends. Tomboy, I''m so happy for you."


    Smiling from ear to ear, Debbie simply typed back, "I feel so lucky."


    Then she went downstairs, where she found Tabitha cooking in the kitchen. She wanted to help, but


    Tabitha drove her out of the kitchen. Feeling bored, she decided to go to the study to keep Carlos


    company.


    Just as she reached the door of the study, she heard cheerfulughtering from within the room.


    She wondered when Megan had sneaked into the study. The door was left unlocked, and Debbie could


    hear them talk through the small opening.


    Megan stoppedughing and pettishly said, "Uncle Carlos, you were so bad to me! You stood me up


    last time and made everyoneugh at me. And even when I tried to reach you on the phone several


    times, your phone was switched off. I didn''t take it kindly!"


    Just when Debbie was about to push the door open, she heard Megan mention the night on which she


    and Carlos had their first time. She curled her lips. The next day after the night, Colleen had alerted


    Debbie to how mad Megan was.


    Carlos'' low voice came to Debbie''s ears. "Your aunt Debbie and I had something urgent to do that


    evening. But tell me who had the guts to make fun of you and I''ll teach them a lesson."


    "You don''t need to do that, Uncle Carlos. Just promise me that you''ll never repeat whatever you did to


    me. I''m not an unreasonable girl."


    "I..."


    Carlos had just begun to say something when Debbie stealthily pushed the door open without anyone


    noticing her entering the room. She saw Megan walking past Carlos'' desk and leaning over to get close


    as if for a kiss.


    "Honey, have you finished your work?" Debbie''s voice froze Megan in her tracks.


    Megan stood straight and stared at Debbie. Fury could be seen in her eyes.


    Carlos closed the folder on the desk and answered, "Yes, I''m through. Come over here, Honey."


    Left with no other option, Megan left where she was standing, cutting a gloomy look.


    sping Debbie''s hand, Carlos offered, "It''s not dinner time yet. Why not fetch your English book and


    study with me for a few minutes?"


    Debbie''s face soured at his words. "Seriously? It''s Saturday and I''m not in the mood for sses at


    all."

 Chapter 122 You Stay Overnight In The Study

    Chapter 122 You Stay Overnight In The Study


    Before reaching the door, Megan changed her mind and sat on the couch in the study instead. Looking


    at Carlos in admiration, she said, "Aunt Debbie, Uncle Carlos speaks English so well. He used to teach


    me. Actually, my English grades improved vastly, thanks to his tuition."


    The more she droned on and on, the more she irritated Debbie. ''Such an airhead! Can''t she just leave


    us alone?


    What joy does she derive from being the third wheel all the time? She keeps showing off her


    rtionship with Carlos again and again! I must put an end to this, '' Debbie mused.


    Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her mind. She cradled Carlos'' neck and kissed his short hair. It smelt


    good. "Honey, I''ve changed my mind. Let me fetch my book for a short lesson as we wait for dinner. I


    guess it might take Julie and Mom a little longer to cook what they have in mind," Debbie said yfully.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Pleasantly, Carlos curled his lips and stroked her arm. "Alright. Go fetch the book. I''ll be here waiting


    for you."


    "Sure. I''ll be back in a minute." Before Debbie trotted to get her book, she gave him a kiss on the


    cheek.


    With eyes full of affection, Carlos stared at her retreating figure. Once Debbie was out of sight, he


    turned to Megan and said, "Why don''t you go to the living room and watch TV?"


    With a cute smile, Megan answered, "Uncle Carlos, I wish I could join Aunt Debbie for the lesson."


    Carlos shrugged as he couldn''t find a reason to turn down her request. When Debbie returned with a


    book in her hand, Megan, still sitting on the couch, cast her a challenging nce.


    "Aunt Debbie, Uncle Carlos has agreed to let me join you for the ss." With a haughty face, she had


    her chin and nose up in the air.


    Instantly, Debbie fumed, but she did her best not to lose her temper. Just then, an idea struck her. With


    a fake smile, she conceded, "Okay. Why not?"


    Sitting on the couch with Debbie and Megan on either side, Carlos began his lesson.


    In a minute or so, Debbie casually put her hand on hisp. Every now and then, she adjusted herself,


    getting closer and closer to him until, at longst, shepletely leaned into his arms.


    asionally, she''d give him a peck on the cheek or earlobe without Megan noticing. Even Megan


    could sense something unusual with Carlos. When the ss was finally over, he ordered, "Megan, go


    check if the dinner is ready."


    Megan knew Carlos was trying to dismiss her so he could be with Debbie alone. She also didn''t want to


    stay here any longer to see Debbie almost getting cozy. Without hesitation, she left the study.


    Carlos went to lock the door and came back to Debbie. Before she could say a word, he pressed her


    against the couch. "Seducing me, huh?"


    With intense passion, he kissed her, while his hands ran over her clothes, hurriedly stripping her.


    Although she wanted to resist his advances, she was unable to. Instead of wrestling him, she allowed


    him on top, her arms wrapped around her waist. She bit her lips so that she could hold back her


    moans.


    After about thirty minutes, there was a knock at the door. A housemaid hade to tell them dinner


    was ready. "Got it," Carlos answered in a low voice. Debbie, who was pressed against the windowsill,


    turned her head and tried to stop Carlos. "C-Carlos, dinner...is ready..."


    "Mmm," Carlos grunted.


    "It would be bad if we...if we... didn''t go...downstairs now...


    after Mom has put in so much effort...to make our dinner special tonight."


    Still, Carlos didn''t let her go. His mouth was open slightly, and his breathing was heavy. He groaned.


    Between moans of pleasure Debbie kept pleading with him to let her go. Eventually, Carlos decided to


    let her go despite the fact that he didn''te. He caressed her hair and gave her a peck on the back.


    "Honey, we need to bang this evening," he whispered in a hoarse voice.


    When she tried to stand, her legs were shaking from the frenzy. With the support of the windowsill, she


    turned around and snapped, "Old man, we''ll see to that when the timees. But you shouldn''t be so


    infatuated. A bit of moderation would go a long way."


    As he dressed, Carlos asked casually, "Deb, have you been taking exercisetely?"


    Confused, she nodded, "I like running. As long as I''m free, I usually go for a run, especially at nights."


    Carlos eyed Debbie from head to toe andmented, "You need to improve your endurance.


    Otherwise, you may find it difficult keeping up with my pace."


    The tongue-in-cheek remark left Debbie blushing.


    ''This shameless old man! Is he a sex maniac or something?'' she cursed inwardly.


    When they appeared at the stairs on the second floor, the housemaids were busy serving the dishes.


    Debbie raised her left leg and was about to descend the stairs, but her right leg suddenly went soft. If it


    weren''t for Carlos'' fast reaction, she would have fallen and rolled down the stairs.


    ''It''s all his fault!'' Debbie cast him a reproachful nce.


    "Is it so funny?" she retorted to his naughty smile. Since he didn''t deny her causation, Debbie gnashed


    her teeth and whispered in his ear, "You''ll stay overnight in the study!"


    "You want Mom to worry about us?"


    "Mom is a smart woman. Even if I don''t tell her, she''ll know it''s all your fault," Debbie joked with a


    confident smile.


    To support her, Carlos held her arm and slowly led the way to the dining room, where everything was


    ready by now. Straightaway, he led her to the sink so that they could wash their hands. Just then,


    Tabitha and Megan walked out of the kitchen together. "Debbie, how do you find his English ss? Is


    he easy to follow?" asked Tabitha in an honest tone.


    But Debbie''s face blushed again. A lot of things had taken ce while they were in the study. She


    answered with embarrassment, "Yes, Mom, he is. He''s a great teacher."


    "From a tender age, Carlos showed promise innguages. Even through college he maintained a


    distinction in English," exined Tabitha.


    The ster academic achievements of her son were something she greatly took pride in. There was no


    denying, Carlos'' grasp ofnguages was exceptional. In particr, Debbie was impressed by his


    English. As Tabitha and Megan took their ces at the table, Carlos, now at the sink, quietly listened


    with no emotion on his face, as if he didn''t know what they were talking about.


    Not to be left out of the women''s talk, Megan echoed, "Uncle Carlos is not only good at English, he''s


    also fluent in French, Russian, Japanese, Korean and German. Meanwhile, he''s also studying Spanish,


    Arabic..." Megan droned on, until she was interrupted by Debbie, who cut in, in praise of her husband.


    "Aren''t you incredible, darling?!"


    To which Carlos replied genially, "Thanks for thepliment, Honey."


    "I guess I might never catch up with you in that area," Debbie grumbled, pouting her lips. At one time,


    she had imagined getting ahead of him. Apparently, she had underestimated just how versatile Carlos


    was.


    Language ability was only one of his many exceptional skills. Would she evere close to his other


    areas of strength?


    "You can give it a try. Maybe you''ll seed," he teased with an arched eyebrow.


    ''Give it a try? Then I''ll have to bury myself in those foreignnguages every day? No, no, no!'' She


    shook her head immediately. "Old man, I''ve made up my mind that I''ll be a housewife. You support the


    family, and all I have to do is take care of you. What do you think of it?"


    The running water washed away the liquid soap on Carlos'' hands. He pinched her cheek with his wet


    hand and answered, "You''re the boss."


    Debbie elbowed him gently and pouting her lips,ined, "Mind your hand, old man! In order to


    make a good impression on your mom, I put on some makeup this morning. See, I used primer and BB


    cream. Better be careful where you touch me, or my makeup will run."


    Although her cosmetics were water-proof, she was still worried that her makeup might run.


    It urred to Carlos she might be honest about her makeup.


    Earlier on, while he was engrossed on the phone, he had seen Debbie doing something before the


    dressing table. It must have been makeup she was putting on.


    At longst, when they went to the dining table, Tabitha and Megan were already waiting for them.


    There were ten main courses and two soups on the table. The housemaids had already poured a ss


    of wine for everyone. The wine was one of Carlos'' best collections.


    Carlos and Debbie sat at one side of the table, while Megan and Tabitha sat opposite. They clinked


    sses and began to eat.


    The atmosphere was quite good at the very beginning. Debbie raved about the dishes, praising what a


    terrific cook Tabitha was.

 Chapter 123 Youve Eaten So Much

    Chapter 123 You''ve Eaten So Much


    The dinner had a pleasant start, but it wasn''t long before Megan began to fawn over Carlos. "Uncle


    Carlos, this is popcorn chicken. I helped Tabitha cook it. Give it a try, please."


    "Mmm," Carlos said, unwilling to say more with a mouthful of food. The look on his face and the sounds


    of chewing were enough to gauge how he felt.


    "Uncle Carlos, taste the soup. I helped Tabitha vor it. Does it taste good?" Megan put a bowl of soup


    on the table, setting it down in front of Carlos.


    She acted as if she were the hostess, and anyone who didn''t know better might believe that Megan


    was Carlos'' wife.


    His face deadpan, Carlos answered "Mmm" again. He was a man of few words, yet those few words


    usually said enough.


    Still, Megan continued to pile food onto his te, and soon his ce was inundated with all sorts of


    tasty dishes.


    Debbie, on the other hand, grew angry when she saw this. As any woman would be. Tabitha kept


    putting food onto Debbie''s te, ignoring the gal''s rage. Debbie had to take a deep breath to suppress


    her anger, so she wouldn''t snap at the wrong person.


    She lowered her head and ate her food quietly. Suddenly, a piece of fish was put onto her te and the


    man finally spoke, his mouth finally forming words that were not just sounds. "I boned the fish."


    Debbie paused for a moment. If Tabitha were not here, she would mock him, "So you finally remember


    your own wife, huh?"


    She put on a fake smile and said icily, "Thank you."


    Before long, he put a piece of raw lobster onto her te. "I remember you like seafood. Mom made a


    couple of dishes just for you. Here..."


    Tabitha smiled at Debbie, "This lobster was flown in from Australia earlier today. It was very fresh, so I


    just sliced it. You''ll love it."


    "I really appreciate it, Mom!" Debbie gave Tabitha a sweet smile, and ate the lobster. She always loved


    lobster, ever since she was a little girl. Even when she was too young to properly shell it, her dad had


    always made sure to give her some. It was a nearly lifelong love affair with the dish. Carlos now paid all


    his attention to his wife. When Debbie was about to pick up a piece of lobster again, he was one step


    ahead of her and picked it up himself.


    Debbie stared at Carlos in confusion. He dipped the lobster into the sauce before putting it onto


    Debbie''s te. Then he picked up another piece of lobster with shell and began to shell it.


    Debbie''s jaw dropped. She approached Carlos and whispered in his ear, "Put it down. Mom and Megan


    haven''t touched the lobster yet."


    He answered with a shrug, "They''re not fond of lobster."


    "Don''t worry about us, Debbie. I''m allergic to it, and Megan hates seafood." But that didn''t echo her


    thoughts. What Tabitha was really thinking was, ''My ungrateful son forgot his mother after he got


    married.


    Look, how considerate he is. He boned the fish and shelled the lobster for his wife, but he didn''t dish up


    anything for me." Despite her thoughts Tabitha was d that Carlos and Debbie loved each other.


    "Allergic? Are you okay now? You sliced the lobster." Worry was obvious in Debbie''s eyes.


    Tabitha shook her head. "Don''t worry. As long as I don''t eat it, I''m good."


    "Er... Mom, have some of this." Debbie ced the almond curd in syrup in front of Tabitha.


    "Thank you, Debbie." Tabitha scooped it onto her te.


    "How about you? Are you allergic to seafood? Or just don''t like it?" Debbie asked Carlos.


    He shook his head.


    ''Come on! Can''t he say something? He''s acting like a mime!'' Debbie rolled her eyes secretly. ''They say


    silence is golden, but this is ridiculous!''


    Megan was the first one to finish. Then Tabitha, and finally, Carlos. He had eaten slowly on purpose,


    because he knew Debbie had a good appetite and she would feel embarrassed if she was left eating


    alone. Besides, he liked to take his time, and not much would make him rush. Even if the house were


    on fire, he might simply walk out of the door, calmly and elegantly.


    Debbie was still eating, while Tabitha and Megan ate some fruit as a dessert and chatted with each


    other.


    Debbie felt a little embarrassed. ''This is the first meal that I''ve had with my mother-inw. Will she freak


    when she sees me eating so much?''


    Carlos noticed that Debbie was distracted. He put a piece of bamboo shoot onto her te and said,


    "Here, have some more!" It was his quiet way of telling her to focus on her meal.


    Debbie came back to her senses.


    Megan was amazed by Debbie''s good appetite and eximed, "Aunt Debbie, you''ve eaten so much!


    How do you even keep that wonderful figure? I really admire you."


    Debbie couldn''t tell whether she was praising her or mocking her. She gave Megan a smile and


    continued eating.


    As a thoughtful woman, Tabitha chimed in, "Debbie, a good appetite is a blessing. Take your time."


    Debbie was almost moved to tears. How lucky she was to have such a good husband and a caring


    mother-inw! "I will, Mom."


    After the dinner, Carlos asked the housemaid to make a fruit tter for Debbie. Looking at more than a


    dozen fruits on the tter, Debbie gulped them all down. She loved fruit, and after taking so much time


    to eat, there was some room left in her stomach.


    Megan stayed at the vi until 9 in the evening. As a result, Tabitha invited her to stay overnight.


    Debbie shrugged. ''Whatever! Carlos will be sleeping with me. Megan won''t have a chance.''


    All was quiet in the dead of night.


    Tabitha knocked on the door of the study, and after Carlos gave his assent, she entered. Carlos was


    working on hisptop. Tabitha closed the door behind her and sat opposite him. "You busy now?"


    "I always have time for you. What do you need?" Carlos asked in reply.


    "You and Debbie..." She paused, not knowing how to say it. "You know, your father..."


    Carlos remained silent.


    Tabitha continued, "He thinks the eldest daughter of the Li family..."


    "Mom!" Carlos interrupted her. "Debbie and I are married. Tell him to not interfere in my affairs when


    you get back home." Determination was written all over his face.


    Thinking of her husband''s stubbornness, Tabitha shed an embarrassed smile. Carlos folded his


    laptop and said in a soft voice, "Mom, I''ll tell him about it myself. Don''t worry about it."


    "No! I know how you are. If you spoke to him yourself, you''d just end up in a big fight. I''ll talk to him,"


    said Tabitha. Carlos and James Huo, his father, always had fights with each other over decisions about


    thepany. They gave no quarter, and there was no reason to think they''d be any different.


    After a short pause, Carlos said, "Actually, it was Grandpa who asked me to marry Debbie. But now,


    I''ve fallen in love with her. It doesn''t matter what Dad thinks, I''m with her for the long haul."


    "Your grandpa?"


    "Yeah. Grandpa felt indebted to Debbie''s grandma." Debbie''s grandmother and Dous Huo, Carlos''


    grandfather, were not only ssmates, but also each other''s first loves. Because of the unrest in the


    country dozens of years ago, they were forced to separate. It took more than a dozen years for them to


    find each other again.


    But when they finally reunited, they both were married¡ªto other people!


    Debbie''s grandmother had waited for Dous Huo for more than ten years before she had gotten


    married. Thest time they had met each other, she was on her deathbed.


    Dous Huo felt guilty and indebted to her when he knew that she had waited for him for so many


    years.


    Back then, she pointed at Debbie, who was washing some towels, and said, "I''m only worried about my


    granddaughter. Her mother left her when she was born. She''s had a hard life. Could you please do me


    a favor? If you know a nice boy, send him her way. She needs a good man..."


    Dous Huo agreed without hesitation and kept that in mind.


    Not long after Debbie''s grandmother''s death, Dous Huo also fell deathly ill. When he got over his


    illness and went to visit the Nian family again, Artie, Debbie''s father, was already in bad health.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 124 The Past

    Chapter 124 The Past


    When Dous first put forward a proposal to marry Debbie to Carlos. Artie, who had heard of Carlos


    before, agreed to the proposal without hesitation.


    Debbie had just broken up with Hayden back then. And she couldn''t bear to turn down her father, who


    was terminally ill. She had been so mad at Hayden that she had agreed to marry Carlos in a fit of


    pique. Their marriage certificate had been issued on her birthday that year.


    The reason why Carlos had agreed to marry Debbie was that he respected his grandfather''s advice.


    From Carlos'' childhood, Dous had dedicated his time and money to his grandson''s education.


    When weak, frail and advanced in age Dous sat Carlos down and rmended Debbie for a wife,


    it made sense.


    At that time, Carlos was a workaholic with virtually no time for anything else.


    Shortly after, Dous had been hospitalized, in aa, before he could let anyone in on his


    grandson''s marriage. It didn''t help that Carlos was overextended in time. So much that he hurtled from


    meeting to meeting, ce to ce, the world over for business. Until gradually, he hadpletely


    forgotten about his wife.


    Debbie didn''t know the story behind this. She and Carlos had been married for three years, yet had


    barely known each other until several months ago.


    "Your grandpa is still in aa. When your dad gets to know this, I''m pretty sure he''ll throw a tantrum,"


    said Tabitha in a worried voice. That was a real source of concern for her. If there was one thing that


    Tabitha didn''t like in James, it was his quick temper. Over the years, she had learnt to wisely avoid


    unnecessary strife with her husband. But it wasn''t lost on her that if triggered, he could be


    unreasonable.


    And there was no way to tell how he''d receive his son''s marriage to Debbie.


    Sensing that his mom was worried, Carlos stood up from his seat, walked up to Tabitha and assured in


    a calm tone, "Mom, just leave it to me. There''s no need to fret."


    He didn''t want her to be med for the decision. If anything, his grandpa''s word was enough. The only


    problem was that chances of Dous ever making it safely at the hospital were infinitesimal.


    Eventually, Tabitha agreed to stay her calm, and hoped that James would be rational enough not to


    throw a hissy fit when Carlos finally got to introduce Debbie as his wife.


    "Well, then, when are you going to take Debbie to see the rest of our family?" Tabitha asked. A couple


    of years back, the Huo and Li families had all moved abroad, which meant Carlos would need good


    nning of his otherwise busy schedule to take Debbie for introductions.


    "I think it won''t take long. It''s time to visit Grandpa and Grandma," answered Carlos. It had been three


    months since he hadst visited them. And the Spring Festival was drawing near. Carlos nned to


    take Debbie to see his family to celebrate the Spring Festival together this year.


    "All right. Carlos, don''t stay upte. I just saw Debbie doing yoga in her bedroom. She must be bored.


    Why not keep herpany? I really hope you two can have a baby. I''d be d to babysit my own


    grandchild."


    Both the mother and the son beamed with delight at the mention of a baby.


    The Huo family usually had a rather impersonal, business-like atmosphere. Tabitha hoped that a baby


    would make things less uptight.


    Carlos curled his lips and said, "Debbie and I hope so too."


    "Great. Oh, by the way, Megan..." Even though Carlos was an adult, Tabitha didn''t think he was


    handling his rtionship with Megan properly. Yes, she liked Megan very much and treated her as her


    own daughter. But of course Debbie was Carlos'' wife. "You see, Megan and you are not rted by


    blood. Now that you have Debbie, you''ll need to set boundaries in the way you rte to Megan. In all,


    your wife should be number one on your mind."


    Images from earlier in the day shed back in Carlos'' mind. Had Debbie gotten angry at Megan?


    "Mom, you are overreacting. I''ve told Debbie before that I treat Megan as my niece. Debbie is a


    sensible girl, and she perfectly understands."


    "Okay..." Tabitha was not convinced, but she could do nothing. All she could do was pray and hope that


    her son would learn to give priority to his wife.


    After a little bit of small talk, Tabitha went back to her room, while Carlos assigned his remaining work


    to some of his staff and left the study.


    In the bedroom, Debbie was still doing yoga. The downward-facing dog posture she was in when


    Carlos walked into the room instantly turned him on.


    At the sound of the door closing, she turned her head and asked, "Are you done with work?"


    ''Hoo...I''m ready to drop.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Since he''s done, I''d better take a shower and go to sleep, '' she thought.


    When she was about to stand up, Carlos stopped her. "Don''t move!"


    "What? But why?"


    "In your current posture, we can..."


    He stopped in mid-sentence. Debbie struggled to her feet. "Stay away from me, you goat!" she said,


    blushing like a teenager.


    This afternoon, Carlos hadn''t been satisfied in the study. Now that he had been turned on by her


    alluring posture, he would by no means let her go.


    Despite Debbie''s slight unwillingness at the beginning, she gave in to his desires in the end.


    In that split second, when he stroked her, every nerve in her body was electrified with the anticipation of


    being together. Twisting with the surge of power through her whole system, she pulled his shirt over his


    head. In quick response, he pushed her hard onto the bed, his handsing up to her neck as he


    cupped her head into his palms while passionately kissing her lips. She tried to pull away, but he


    grabbed her hungrily and held her back in the same position.


    A few momentster, he flipped her over forcefully, Debbie burying her head into his neck, while his


    hands caressed her all over the body. Their breaths by now came in gusts, fast and furious.


    When his hand rolled up to her bra, he violently grabbed it in the middle and yanked the thing off,


    without even trying to undo the strap. A crazy night of love, unlike any they had ever had.


    Carlos finally let her go after the wild sex. Still tightly wrapped in his arms, Debbie mumbled teasingly,


    "Carlos Huo, if you act like this again, I will run away from you."


    "Do you dare?" Carlos kissed her hair affectionately, his voice soft.


    Debbie shook her head first and then nodded. Pouting her lips, sheined, "You always threaten


    me..."


    But apparently she was still dazed from the rigor of the night. Mid-sentence, she then dozed off.


    The next day, Carlos went to hispany for work. Since he was not in the vi, Megan also bid


    goodbye to Tabitha and went back home. On their part, Debbie and Tabitha went shopping at Shining


    International za. They had much to talk, and got along so well.


    At noon, they had lunch on the fifth floor of Alioth Building, and Carlos joined them.


    When Carlos didn''te home early due to a backlog of work, Tabitha invited Debbie to her room for a


    heart-to-heart talk.


    Looking at the pretty girl, Tabitha said sincerely, "Debbie, I''m going back home tomorrow morning. I''ve


    completely enjoyed our time together, for these few days. Before I came here, I was always worried


    about Carlos''ck of a social life. You know, he''s not an outgoing man. I didn''t expect that he would find


    an adorable angel like you for a wife. I feel much relieved now. Hopefully, you can be strong enough to


    put up with his odd character and bad temper. I know it''s not fair to say so, and you may feel wronged.


    But I really pray that you and Carlos will live happily together. Couples need to learn to give and take,


    right?"


    Debbie could understand Tabitha. She held her hands and answered, "Mom, rest assured please.


    Carlos treats me well. I''m living a happy life with him. Please don''t worry about us." Debbie swore to


    herself that she would start to be nicer to Carlos.


    "Thank you so much, Debbie. Now I can rest assured. I''ve urged Carlos to take you to meet our family


    as soon as possible. You''re a good girl, and I believe other family members will be fond of you as well."


    "Mom..." Moved by the motherlypassion and unable to hold her emotions anymore, Debbie threw


    herself into Tabitha''s arms.


    Tabitha was so caring, Debbie felt lucky to have a mother-inw like her. ''Maybe my own mother


    wouldn''t have been nicer to me than Tabitha if she hadn''t been taken away from me, '' she thought to


    herself.


    When Carlos finally came back home, it was almost midnight.


    Debbie was ashamed of sleeping in when Tabitha was here. So she had gotten up very early this


    morning and gone for a run. After a shopping spree with Tabitha, she then went to meet her friends.


    She was exhausted and went to bed early this evening.


    By the time Carlos came back, she was dead asleep. Quietly, he entered the bedroom, careful not to


    rudely awake her. He approached her stealthily and kissed her on the forehead before he went to the


    bathroom.


    When he walked out of the bathroom, Debbie was sitting on the bed, wrapped by the quilt, ying on


    her phone. On seeing him, she put the phone away, spread her arms, and invited him with a sweet


    smile, "Honey, give me a hug."


    Although he hade in worn out, the bright smile on her face instantly revived him.


    He strode towards her, pulled her into his arms and kissed her affectionately on the lips. After a


    moment, he let go of her and asked in a hoarse voice, "Did I wake you up?"

 Chapter 125 A Business Trip

    Chapter 125 A Business Trip


    Nestled in Carlos'' arms, Debbie shook her head and murmured, "You didn''t wake me up. Hear that


    buzz? Someone sent messages in group chat."


    Debbie was usually a light sleeper, and the person who had awakened her was none other than Jared.


    He met a girl recently and couldn''t stop posting selfies with her in group chat on WeChat. He just


    wanted to show off.


    Hearing that, Carlos furrowed his eyebrows and reached out to grab her phone to find out who was to


    me. Debbie somewhat unsessfully tried to keep her phone away from him. She was wrapped in


    the sheets, and he could reach across the bed easily.


    Afraid that Carlos might punish Jared again, Debbie immediately grabbed his hand and said in a


    charming manner, "Honey, it''s no big deal. A friend of mine is overexcited about his S.O. Baby, I''m still


    really sleepy, and it''s cold in here. Snuggle?"


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Carlos realized she was covering for someone, so he went along with it. He curled his lips, got onto the


    bed andy down beside his wife. He felt really ufortable now. He thought about taking a look at


    her phone, but somehow it didn''t seem worth the effort.


    Debbie rested her head on his arm and wrapped her arm around his waist. A satisfied smile found its


    way to her face.


    "It''s Sunday, but you worked all day. You must be tired." Debbie reached out her hand and stroked his


    face, concern showing in her eyes.


    Carlos grabbed her hand and put it inside the warm quilt. "No, not really. Close your eyes and get some


    rest. You have a yoga ss tomorrow morning."


    The yoga ss started early the next morning, so Debbie needed to get up earlier than usual. She liked


    to sleepte. If she didn''t get to sleep now, she wouldn''t be awake enough for the ss.


    "Okay. Night, Honey." She closed her eyes obediently and dozed off in his arms within a couple of


    minutes. She was tired, and the warm bed was inviting. If she had any dreams, she didn''t remember


    them.


    The next morning, since Debbie had to head to the college and Carlos had an important meeting,


    neither of them could drive Tabitha to the airport. So Damon offered to drive her there.


    Debbie and Tabitha were saying their goodbyes at the gates of the vi when Damon''s car pulled up.


    He greeted them yfully, "Wow, two beautifuldies! Good morning!"


    Debbie waved her hand at him. "Morning, Damon."


    Tabitha''s smile grew wider when she saw Damon. "I''ve been here all this time, and you never came


    by."


    Damon gave Tabitha a hug and clutched his chest melodramatically. "Tabitha, you wound me. I heard


    you came to Y City, so I took the red-eye to get here. At least I can drive you to the airport. You know I


    wouldn''t be able to eat or sleep if I didn''t see you at least once."


    Tabitha shook her head and sighed, "You silver-tongued devil. No wonder you had so many girlfriends."


    "Shhh!" Damon raised his index finger and put it against his lips. In a low voice, he added, "I have a


    fiancee now. I''m a respectable man. We don''t talk about that anymore. What if she heard you and


    dumped me? Then you''d have to find me a new fiancee."


    Debbie rolled her eyes at what Damon just said. Damon and Jared were a lot alike, despite the fact that


    they had different mothers. She felt as if it were Jared she was talking to, and maybe that was why


    Damon soon became a friend of Debbie''s.


    The brothers both had glib tongues, had both dated countless girls, and both seemed to have nothing


    to do.


    Tabitha took a look inside Damon''s car and asked, "Really? A fiancee? Did you bring her along?"


    Damon shook his head. "Nope. I just brought her back from abroad. Next time you''re around, I''ll take


    her to meet you. Or maybe I can take her to New York, so we can visit you."


    "Sounds good."


    Debbie''s ss was starting soon. After bidding goodbye to Tabitha and Damon, she got into her BMW,


    and Matan drove her to the college. Damon started the engine as well and drove towards the airport.


    After the second afternoon ss ended, Debbie got a call from Carlos. He said he needed to go to a


    nearby city on business. Debbie was surprised by the sudden news. "That''s short notice!" She was not


    prepared for it at all.


    "I know, babe. There''s an emergency I have to fix. I''ll be back in like a week. Wait for me, okay?"


    "Okay." Debbie pouted her lips. The very thought of it made her feel unhappy. She didn''t like to be


    separated from Carlos for long. When he was difficult, he was infuriating, but there were times he could


    be really sweet. And right now, things were going well.


    Carlos suddenly remembered something and told her, "Deb, can you attend a dinner for me tomorrow


    evening? Emmett will keep youpany."


    "Attend a dinner for you?!" Debbie cried in utter disbelief.


    "Uh-huh. A business partner is throwing a party, and he invited me a long time ago. I''ll tell him who you


    are, so there won''t be any problems." She wanted to keep their marriage a secret, and he was fine with


    it. But eventually, the truth woulde out. He was the most eligible bachelor in people''s eyes, but he


    couldn''t really date because he was already married. It looked odd, and some people were talking


    about it.


    He swore to himself that he would tell the media about his marriage once Debbie had graduated. Yeah,


    that would make it all better. She could get used to the limelight, and it wouldn''t make things too


    ufortable for her.


    Debbie was very nervous. "I... I don''t think I can make it. What if I screw it up?"


    "Don''t worry, Honey. I already bought a gift for the host. You need only give it to him, and then find a


    ce to enjoy the food and drinks there. Just be yourself, and eat everything in sight."


    Debbie burst intoughter. "Come on! You brat! I''m not that bad!"


    Carlos seemed to be in a good mood. He teased, "Really? Last time I was out on the cruiser, I saw a


    girl stuff her face with so many desserts. She looked a lot like you, actually."


    Back then, Debbie had eaten te after te of dessert for more than half an hour without stopping


    once, which amazed Carlos.


    ''What? Cruiser? Wait. I remember now.'' Debbie snapped, "Leave me alone about that! It was all


    Jared''s fault. Once we got on board, he went after two girls and left me alone. I couldn''t do anything but


    eat." Then she remembered how Carlos had treated her back then.


    "Wait a minute. How dare you mention the cruiser! You ordered your men to throw me overboard!"


    Debbie said through gritted teeth.


    "You should''ve told me who you were back then!" Carlos defended himself. He felt so lucky right now


    that Debbie could swim. Otherwise, he would not be living a happy life now. He was grateful that she


    was in his life, and that she wanted to stay with him.


    "So it was my fault you didn''t recognize your own wife?"


    "It was my fault, Honey. I''m really sorry. I swear I won''t do stupid things in the future." Anxiousness


    could be heard in his tone.


    Debbie epted his apology and said, "Okay! I forgive you¡ªthis time." She wasn''t hurt by the incident,


    but she was still humiliated.


    "So should I say thank you?"


    "Of course. But since we''re family, don''t be so polite. Haha..." Standing under a big tree, Debbie raised


    her head to look at the sun streaming through the leaves and shed a big smile.


    Family... For the first time, the word meant a lot to Carlos. "Will you miss me?"


    "Of course, Honey."


    Raymond Grand Hotel was a five-star hotel. Even driving up to it, you could see the 10 acres of


    blooming gardens, not to mention the gazebo and fish pond. And of course it had a richly appointed


    lounge and restaurant. The wealthy and shameless rubbed elbows here.


    As darkness fell outside, luxurious cars stopped in front of the hotel gates one after another. Men and


    women in designer threads entered the hotel.


    The Kasee Group had booked the entire hotel for its fiftieth anniversary. More than 1, 000 guests could


    be seen everywhere¡ªin the main hall, in the garden, etc.


    While the CEO of the Kasee Group made an opening speech in the main hall, the PR team responsible


    for receiving the guests waited at the hotel gates. The team leader raised her wrist to check the time.


    The dinner had already been going on for about seven minutes, but their special guests hadn''t arrived


    yet. Their boss had specifically instructed them to treat the two guests with utmost respect.


    The next moment, a red Pagani sports car raced along and stopped abruptly before the gates.


    When she saw the car, the team leader realized the guests had arrived. It must be Emmett of the ZL


    Group and their mystery guest. With a big smile, she led herpanions forward to greet them.


    The girl in the driver''s seat was none other than Debbie. Her head almost bumped into the steering


    wheel when the car stopped. But she waste, and she didn''t want to be anyter than this. The man


    in the passenger seat was in the same situation. His heart rate skyrocketed. He patted his chest to


    calm himself down and said, "Alright! Here atst!"

 Chapter 126 At The Party

    Chapter 126 At The Party


    When the car came to a halt, Debbie straightened her clothes and fixed her hair. "Emmett, we''re ten


    minuteste. Think anyone will notice?" she asked. This was all Carlos'' fault. When she was picking


    out a dress, he refused to hang up the phone and insisted on video chatting with her.


    Carlos picked out her dress and even her earrings. It was like he wanted control over the entire


    process. Before that, he had watched her change and try on every dress. That had been fun. Some


    secrets a man should never know¡ªlike all the gymnastics it took sometimes just to fit into a dress. The


    net effect was that no one was supposed to know how much effort you put into getting ready.


    Therefore, she ended up getting to the hotel ten minuteste, even though she was an excellent driver


    behind the wheel of a sports car.


    "It''s okay. Don''t worry about it, Mrs. Huo," Emmett answered, frankly relieved they''d stopped. He didn''t


    enjoy the trip over here at all, wondering how long it would take him to stop shuddering. He got out of


    the passenger seat and trotted over to the driver''s seat. After straightening his clothes, he opened the


    door for Debbie with a serious look on his face and held out his right hand. "Please, Mrs. Huo," he said


    respectfully.


    Debbie put her high heels on again. She had taken them off and thrown them aside while she was


    driving. Then, she put her hand on Emmett''s gracefully and got out of the car.


    The PR team knew Emmett as Carlos'' secretary. When they saw him being so respectful to the woman


    getting out of the car, they all knew she must be very important. Carlos spared no expense to make


    sure those close to him were well taken care of, and she was obviously close to him.


    In a pair of 6 cm high heels, Debbie walked carefully and nervously into thevish hotel. Emmett was


    by her side and the PR team led the way.


    The lobby doors were pushed open by two bodyguards, and held in ce while Debbie walked in. The


    boss of Kasee Group had just delivered his opening speech.


    Soon, all eyes were drawn to the woman who had just walked in wearing a red evening dress. She was


    letting her passionate side shine.


    Fine feathers make fine birds. The woman they were gazing at had been made up and dressed by an


    international master make-up artist. Nothing but the best for Carlos'' wife. Even the socialite divas and


    the actresses present at the event couldn''t hold a candle to Debbie now.


    Her hair was no longer a lc, and was dyed back to a gorgeous raven hue. Knotted into a five-strand


    braid, it was coiled up at the back of her head, adorned by a diamond tiara-shaped hairpin.


    Debbie took off the white overcoat draped over her shoulders and gave it to her bodyguard, fully


    revealing the red evening dress underneath. It had three-quarter sleeves and a stand-up cor, and her


    beautiful vicles were partly exposed. The dress was a gold medal-winning work by a master


    designer from Mn. Crystal and diamond studs adorned it from head to toe. The pattern was


    sumptuous, low-key and conservative.


    Her skin used to be dry, but thanks to Carlos it was now delicate and smooth. She used to know little


    about skin care and so didn''t take care of her skin, but now it fairly glowed. Her cheeks were rosy with


    a sheen of happiness.


    Under the dark eye shadow and her long eyshes, her ck pupils glistened as if warning people


    away, while somehow there seemed also to be a hint of deeply hidden helplessness about them.


    Beneath her high nose, her lips embellished with red lip gloss, shone in the light, like two dewy rosy


    petals.


    Around her fair neck hung a white crystal ne, from the same set as the bracelet on her wrist, both


    perfectly matched and stunning. Her ears bore low-key, expensive crystal ear studs.


    She walked slowly in her ck high heels, straightening up, with a presence of aloofness and


    uniqueness. Everyone feasted on her sumptuous beauty but hesitated to approach, all wondering who


    she was and why she was with Carlos'' secretary Emmett. "Who is she? Why have I never seen her


    before?" someone from the crowd whispered.


    "You tell me. I didn''t know Emmett got married. My aunt was talking about how she wanted to fix him up


    with a girl," another person cut in.


    "Although her dress looks low-key, it''s pricey. I don''t think Emmett can afford something like that. Is she


    Mr. Huo''s..."


    While they were guessing, the boss of the Kasee Group came over.


    "Good evening, Mrs. Huo, Emmett," the man greeted.


    He shook hands with the two. Debbie gave the gift to his secretary and said with a smile, "Nice to meet


    you, Mr. Zhu." When he nced at the gift, she continued, "It''s a present from my husband. He''s too


    busy to make the celebration tonight, so he asked me toe on his behalf."


    Emmett picked up two sses of wine from the tray a waiter was carrying, one for Debbie and the


    other for himself. They clinked with Mr. Zhu''s ss, a toast to the health of all in attendance.


    Debbie''s polite remarks flustered the man. He hadn''t expected the powerful Carlos'' wife to be so


    modest and polite. "Mrs. Huo, you''re too modest. It''s indeed a pity that Mr. Huo can''te himself, but


    I''m so d you''re here. The honor is all mine."


    Debbie wasn''t good with ttery. Nor did she like too manypliments. She smiled nervously, "Thank


    you for understanding, Mr. Zhu. Today''s a big day for you. I bet you''re very busy, so I''ll not take up any


    more of your time."


    "Okay, please help yourself, Mrs. Huo. If you need anything, please let me know. Please forgive us if


    the service isn''t good enough."


    "Thank you, Mr. Zhu." They cheered again. Debbie took a sip of her wine, and Mr. Zhu left them. He


    intended to mingle in this little shindig he threw.


    Watching him leave, Debbie was relieved. She visibly rxed, taking a deep breath and untensing her


    shoulders.


    She whispered to Emmett, "Did I say anything wrong?"


    Emmett smiled, "No, Mrs. Huo, you were great. Rx." At that point, Emmett understood why Carlos


    wasn''t worried to let Debbiee to the party on his behalf.


    She might not be adept at ttery or socializing, but she was confident and looked even more amazing


    after the makeover. She was definitely cut out for the job.


    With Carlos'' effort, she had changed into a different person inside a matter of months. Several months


    ago, she had been a hot-tempered, reckless troublemaker, who got into a fight now and then. For this


    reason or that, she went to the dean''s office at least twice a month. Her grades were always the worst


    in the ss.


    Now, she still had a bad temper, but when she wasn''t mad, she even seemed tender. In her spare time,


    she practiced dance, yoga, flower arrangement, piano, and art, specializing in pen and ink. Debbie


    hadn''t picked a fight or gone to the dean''s office for a long time. Her grades had climbed to respectable


    levels.


    Anyone close to her might not see these changes, for they were gradual, but the ones who hadn''t seen


    her for a while could sense them at once.


    Emmett thought this was how a girl should be: not too gentle, not too tough, not too hot-tempered.


    Carlos had changed a lot too.


    His fury was more terrifying than ever. His rage was a fire that burned you when he got too hot.


    But when he was in a good mood, he would talk more and even smile asionally.


    Emmett was amazed at the changes in both of them. The two had affected each other in ways he


    hadn''t dreamed of.


    After a while, a waiter came by and said, "Mrs. Huo, there are some snacks in the refreshments


    section. I hope you get a chance to try them."


    Debbie looked at Emmett in confusion. He reassured her, "Mr. Huo arranged that. He asked a dessert


    bar to work together with the hotel to make these snacks."


    A smile of happiness crept over Debbie''s face, brightening the room. ''He thinks of me even when he''s


    out of town, '' she thought.


    She followed Emmett to the refreshments section. On the way, she was shocked to see some familiar


    faces. It was Gail, along with Olga. Plus Jared, who was worried about Carlos suddenly showing up,


    and others. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

 Chapter 127 Fake Crystal

    Chapter 127 Fake Crystal


    Among her acquaintances, the girls kept looking at her with an envious eye. If gazes could kill, Debbie


    would have been dead.


    "Debbie," called Colleen and Curtis in unison.


    Some men wanted to approach Debbie, Emmett noticed. But when they saw Curtis and Colleen, they


    stopped.


    When Debbie, who was eating a snack, heard them, she put the snack down and clinked with the two.


    "Hi, Colleen, Mr. Lu."


    Taking a step back to look at Debbie, Curtisplimented, "You look great. No doubt Carlos has been


    good to you."


    Colleen released Curtis and took Debbie''s hand. "Of course. One has just to look at Debbie to know


    that she is in love,"


    she said, as gentle as the first time Debbie had met her. If Debbie hadn''t seen Colleen on the dance


    floor the other day, she wouldn''t have believed the woman could dance seductively like that. Debbie


    smiled resignedly.


    yfully, Curtis pinched Colleen''s cheek before he turned to look Debbie straight in the face. "Did you


    come here on Carlos'' behalf?" he asked.


    "Yeah, he is on a business trip," Debbie replied.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Curtis nodded. "Not bad." He was relieved to see that Debbie and Carlos were happy together.


    After a short while, Curtis and Colleen were needed somewhere else and left Debbie. So did Emmett.


    Even though he was only a secretary, many people sucked up to him, on ount of having Carlos as


    his boss.


    Left alone, Debbie ate some more snacks and went towards the bathroom.


    When she walked out of the bathroom, there was another woman standing in the hallway. Adorned in


    an expensive champagne evening dress, and holding a fashionable handbag, the woman must have


    been waiting for Debbie. Straightway, she called out, "Debbie Nian?"


    Her voice was not too loud nor quiet, emotionless.


    It was Portia. ''Why is she here?'' Debbie wondered. ''Since Portia is here, is Hayden here too?''


    Debbie nodded and said, "Hi."


    "Is it really you?" It was only then that Portia believed the glowing woman at the party was Debbie.


    Debbie smiled faintly and excused herself. "Yeah, it''s me. If you have nothing else to talk about, I have


    to go."


    Now that she was married, she didn''t want to engage with anyone from the Gu family, unless it was


    necessary.


    Just as Debbie was about to leave, Portia began, "What''s the rush? Are you hiding something?"


    Debbie sneered. She looked at Portia and retorted, "Hiding?"


    Born and brought up in a wealthy family, Portia, with a single look, could tell how much Debbie''s outfit


    was worth, but she wouldn''t admit it. "Are you afraid that people might know you are wearing a fake


    designer dress and fake crystal?" she taunted arrogantly.


    Debbieughed. Touching her crystal bracelet, she raised her right hand, which looked smooth after


    the skin care. "Since when is the daughter of the Gu family so ignorant? Is the Gu family degrading? Or


    does Hayden grudge giving you money after he became the head of the family?" Debbie fired back.


    From Emmett''s evaluation of Debbie''s dress and essories, Portia was being either painfully ignorant


    or simply insulting. If anything, Debbie''s dress for the night was something few divas could afford. Even


    her crystals were not ordinary white crystals, but rare natural ones.


    Apart from being pricey, Debbie''s essories had another significance. They were coveted Buddhist


    souvenirs. In addition to Crystals being one of the seven treasures, the bracelet she was wearing had


    been consecrated by an eminent monk, for psychic energy to charm and protect.


    The bracelet had briefly appeared on disy for sale at Shining International za the other day, only


    to be bought on the afternoon of the same day, by a mysterious collector. Most likely, Carlos had seen


    it on disy and sent someone to make the purchase on his behalf. Later that evening, he hade to


    the vi with a sweet surprise for Debbie.


    Today, Debbie wore brown nail polish and had an extra crystal¡ªa ring on her right hand, which red


    in Portia''s eyes against the light.


    Trying to conceal her envy, Portia said with a fake air of superiority, "Sorry to disappoint you, but the Gu


    Group is thriving under my brother''s leadership. Also, my brother and I are on such good terms that


    besides my basic ie of $500, 000 a month, he always gives me more than double that amount.


    What about you, Miss Nian? I hear you got married. To whom? A secretary?"


    Emmett might be respected by people because of his identity as Carlos'' secretary, but at the end of the


    day, he was not Carlos.


    Debbie took her hand back. She smiled at what Portia said, but she didn''t deny it. "What about him


    being a secretary? He works for Carlos Huo. You should know that anyone connected with Carlos is


    influential and powerful."


    She exhaled and continued, "You get $500, 000 a month or double that? Isn''t that peanuts the Gu


    Group pays some of its highest ranking members? I hate to break this to you, but my husband gives


    me more than ten times as much."


    Aside from the bank cards Carlos gave her, the monthly revenues of Orchid Private Club alone were


    more than 50 million.


    However, Portia had no idea about that. She thought Debbie was married to Emmett, the secretary.


    ''She is only the wife of a secretary. How dare she mock me!'' she thought. Squinting at Debbie, she


    snorted, "Right. Anybody connected with Carlos is important and powerful, but don''t you forget that he


    is not Carlos after all. He is still just a secretary. So, what are you gloating over? Are you really


    expecting me to believe that a secretary can give you that much as pocket money? Do you take me for


    a fool? Or is your husband corrupt?"


    Debbie felt speechless. She had never said Emmett was her husband. Corrupt? Emmett would never


    do that. He was always honest. She felt bad about dragging him into this.


    ''Thank God I married Carlos. Otherwise, Portia and Gail wouldugh at me for the rest of my life, '' she


    thought. "Whatever. I''m busy. Bye." Debbie didn''t want to waste any more time on Portia.


    "Stop!" Portia called out. She found Debbie had changed a lot. Power never scared her, but she was


    even prouder than before, not giving a damn about anybody else.


    From the arrogant way Debbie carried herself, Portia began to suspect her husband was not Emmett


    but Carlos.


    Debbie turned her head and said, "I always tolerated, humored and even ttered you. It was all


    because of your brother, but not anymore. From now on, I will humor neither you nor your brother."


    "What do you mean? You are going to see my family as enemies?"


    Debbieughed scornfully, "Whatever." None of the Gu family mattered to her anymore, and she didn''t


    give a hoot about what they thought of her.


    With her head held high, Debbie walked away, leaving Portia guessing and clutching at straws. She


    acted calm, but her long fingernails stuck into her handbag, leaving deep marks.

 Chapter 128 Breakup in Three Minutes

    Chapter 128 Breakup in Three Minutes


    It hadn''t been that long since Portiast saw Debbie. But this wasn''t the Debbie she knew. Debbie used


    to be humble and self-effacing, with low self-esteem. Now she was parading around with her nose in


    the air, all puffed up with pride as if she were the queen.


    ''Dammit Debbie! Your husband''s just a secretary. Don''t get cocky. It''s not like he''s Carlos Huo! We''ll


    see whoes out on top!'' she thought resentfully.


    On Debbie''s way back to the party, two other women stopped her in her tracks. They sized her up and


    down, and then one of them said curtly, "Someone wants to see you."


    ''I wonder who they''re talking about, '' thought Debbie.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "Who?" she asked. Neither of the two women looked even remotely familiar. She''d know if she''d met


    them before. So it made her even more curious who wanted to talk to her, and why.


    The woman in a ck dress snapped, "Don''t ask. Just follow us."


    ''This is crazy!'' Debbie was irritated. It was supposed to be simple, and maybe fun. She went to the


    party on Carlos'' behalf, but ended uping across all kinds of weird things and hostile women.


    Mental note: Don''t do this again. And now, why did she have to deal with some ridiculous mystery


    boss? She didn''t. She was thinking that maybe now would be a good time to bug out of here. She had


    made an appearance, presented her gift, and now she just wanted to be left alone.


    "Sorry, I''m busy." She passed them without giving them a second nce. Who were they? And why


    were they following someone else''s orders? And more importantly, why were they trying to get her


    involved?


    The woman in ck shouted to her back, "Hey, you! Miss Mi wants to see you! Get your butt over here


    now, unless you want that butt kicked out of Y City! Just so you know, Miss Mi is Mr. Huo''s woman. I


    wouldn''t turn her down if I were you."


    ''Really! We''ll just see about that!'' Debbie thought.


    The two looked at Debbie gloatingly, anticipating that she would turn around and follow them timidly to


    see Olga. After all, these two were at her beck and call, so why shouldn''t Debbie be the same? She


    wasn''t any better than them.


    Nheless, to their disappointment, Debbie only paused for a second and then continued walking


    away.


    The party was chock-full of things to do. The snacks Carlos ordered for her were delicious. She was


    stuffed, but when she returned to the party, she couldn''t help walking towards the desserts again. She


    waspelled by the sweet taste of the treats, and her mouth watered in anticipation.


    After getting herself a full te of food, Debbie found herself a table in the corner, ready to dig in. But


    before she could take a bite, a familiar figure sat next to her. He looked around and asked cautiously,


    "Your husband didn''te with you?"


    Debbie took a bite of iced mango pudding and rolled her eyes at him. "Why are you sneaking around


    like that?"


    d in a id charcoal suit and wine leather shoes, Jared stared at her, his eyes wide like tes.


    "You''re asking me? Your husband is way too possessive. That guy''s gonna kill me sooner orter, just


    for hanging out with you."


    Giving Debbie no chance to respond, he grabbed her arm and said, "Tomboy, promise me that you''ll


    never cheat on your husband." Debbie almost choked on her food.


    "Cuz if you did, I think he''d go after the poor guy''s entire family."


    Debbie wrenched her arm free from his grip, swallowed the food in her mouth and spat, "Cut the crap."


    Seriousness was never part of Jared''s personality. The next second, he whispered to Debbie in a


    conspiratorial tone, "I saw Hayden just now. He''s a bigwig in Y City now. He draws girls and rich guys


    to him like a master fisherman."


    As if tired from talking too much, Jared paused long enough to grab a Fairy Bean Cake from Debbie''s


    te and toss it into his mouth. "Why do girls like sweet things so much? How long has it been since


    youst saw Hayden? Did you happen to catch him after he came back from abroad?" he asked.


    "No," Debbie replied. Carlos was the only thing on her mind now. She was totally smitten with him.


    Other men couldn''t even draw her eye anymore.


    As they chatted, Jared waved at a girl. Then he looked at Debbie and said, "Hey, dude. I''d like you to


    meet my girlfriend."


    "Sure." Debbie was intrigued. After all, he woke her up with the news, when he posted it in group chat.


    The girl walked towards them. When Debbie saw her, she choked on her ck tea. Same old Jared.


    The girl was his typical type¡ªbig breasted, thick waisted and with a huge butt.


    Looking in her twenties, she wore a seductive ck dress and a pair of high heels that seemed to be at


    least eight cm high. Her long red curls tumbled to her waist.


    Jared hooked his finger towards the girl and thetter instantly ran coquettishly into his arms. "Darling,


    I''ve been looking all over for you," she said.


    Sitting there, Debbie couldn''t help but put her hands on her arms, trying to pry the sprouting


    goosebumps off. When she thought that was hard to watch, the two started to make out. Debbie slid


    over to be farther away from them, pretending not to know them. This was embarrassing and gross.


    "Tomboy, this is my girlfriend DeeDee. DeeDee, this is my buddy Debbie Nian." Jared introduced them


    to each other briefly.


    Debbie smiled faintly, kind of speechless at his taste. He seemed to have a thing for size. Big boobs,


    big butt, but never a care for what was attached to. This gal looked like she''d cleared the dessert table


    a couple of times. Even so, Debbie put the ss of water in her hand on the table and waved at the


    neer. "Hi, DeeDee, nice to meet you," she said.


    DeeDee sized her up and down. Noticing the pricey outfit Debbie was wearing, she forced a smile and


    simply said, "Hi." Then she threw herself at Jared and acted like a spoiled little girl. "I want to go


    shopping. Go with me," she said while shaking his arm and wriggling her body. It wasn''t a pretty sight,


    but it was what it was. This was how she got her way, because certain men liked the fact they acted


    bratty. That was considered cute by some. Jared was like that.


    "Wait a minute. I need to talk to Tomboy."


    Hearing this, DeeDee looked at Debbie sullenly andined, "Wait a minute! It all makes sense


    now. You bought her those clothes, didn''t you?" DeeDee had noticed Debbie as she walked over. ''What


    rock did this ho pop out from? Stealing everyone''s thunder like this.


    No wonder Olga hates her so much. She acts all innocent when she''s just a cheap-ass ho, '' she cursed


    inside.


    Debbie looked at DeeDee in shock, wondering where the resentment came from. She patted Jared on


    the shoulder resignedly and said, "I''ll see you tomorrow. We can talk after ss. Go. Have fun."


    Her opinion of the woman got lower.


    Jared didn''t respond to Debbie. Instead, he impatiently pushed the woman in his arms away and


    scolded, "Didn''t I tell you to wait? Besides! Are you blind? I can''t afford anything she''s wearing!"


    Debbie burst intoughter. Jared always hated to lose face.


    She hadn''t expected him to talk about himself like that in front of his girlfriend. ''He must be really mad, ''


    she mused.


    "I''m sorry," Debbie apologized, realizing how inappropriate it was tough at that moment. She nudged


    Jared and reminded him quietly, "Your girlfriend is ticked off. Go make her happy."


    Hearing this, Jared stood up and left with his girlfriend.


    It was finally quiet. Debbie polished off the rest of the desserts on her te and started ying with her


    phone. After reading the updates in Moments on WeChat, she started to bang out a message to


    Carlos. "I want to..." She intended to say, "I want to go home. It''s so boring. Emmett''s been busy with


    work all night."


    But before she could finish writing the message, a familiar voice called, "Tomboy."


    "Eh? Back so soon? I thought you were out with your girlfriend," Debbie asked curiously.


    Jared sat next to her and replied, "We broke up." He sounded upset.


    "Um...What happened?" Debbie put her phone down.


    They''d only just left. It couldn''t have been more than three minutes. They broke up within three


    minutes? The thing was, they had only been together for a couple of days. Talk about your whirlwind


    romance.

 Chapter 129 Call Mr. Huo

    Chapter 129 Call Mr. Huo


    "You two seemed fine. What went wrong?" Debbie probed.


    "Fine? I don''t even like her. She seduced me while I was drunk and continually pestered me to take


    responsibility after we slept together. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have even talked to her. Who does she think


    she is? I''ve slept with dozens of women. I don''t even remember her," Jared said contemptuously before


    taking a sip of beer.


    Debbie was surprised, even though she knew Jared was a yboy. She felt obliged to chime in. "Hey,


    dude. What you did was disgraceful. How could you sleep with someone and not take responsibility for


    it? She did nothing wrong to you."


    Derisorily, Jared waved his hand. "These women are all after my money. It sucks! None of them loves


    me. They only freaking love my money! If they could marry my old man, they would leave me


    immediately."


    Although Jared was not as handsome as Damon, he was still good-looking in his own way. He was so


    tall that when Debbie stood beside him, she looked like an elf.


    In Y City, the Han Group was one of the leading enterprises. Although it was not as influential as the ZL


    Group, it was among the top five most sessful enterprises. The Han family''s assets were worth


    more than 100 million.


    Therefore, it came as no surprise that many women were tempted by his wealth.


    Listening to Jared''s misery, Debbie felt grateful for Carlos'' dour moods, which repulsed women who


    would have surrounded him like a swarm of bees, if he entertained them.


    Gently, she patted Jared on the shoulder andforted him, "Rx, buddy. You''ll find a girl who truly


    loves you soon."


    At that time, Debbie had no idea that that girl would appear very soon. Neither did she know that she


    was familiar with the girl. Jared didn''t take her words seriously.


    He knew she was just saying that tofort him. But it worked, just fine.


    For the next few minutes, they remained glued to their seats, chatting freely about everything. Until


    suddenly, a bunch of loud women descended on them. A gang of socialite divas in Y City, notorious for


    their knack for drama wherever they went.


    In the meantime, Debbie, oblivious to their approach and enjoying her chitchat with Jared, jokingly


    rubbed her overstuffed stomach and didn''t notice themotion. The crowd was behind her, so it was


    Jared sitting opposite her who saw those women. "Tomboy, I''vee to learn some women just can''t


    stay away from trouble," he said in a whisper.


    "What''s wrong?" asked Debbie, curious about why he was whispering.


    "Holy cow!" she eximed when she turned back to look. There must have been more than ten women


    in the oing gang. In the lead was Olga, nked on either side by Gail and Portia. Right behind


    them Debbie could only identify DeeDee who had just broken up with Jared. As to who the rest of the


    gang were, Debbie had no clue.


    One thing Debbie realized at a nce was the hideous looks on their faces, especially Olga, who


    stood in front of Debbie and Jared. Dressed in an expensive cream evening dress mounted with


    diamonds, she towered over them and pointing at Debbie, asked arrogantly, "Is she the one?"


    To which DeeDee pushed through the group and answered, "Yes, Olga. That''s the shameless


    boyfriend snatcher. She must pay for turning my life upside down!"


    ''Boyfriend snatcher?'' Confused, Debbie nced at Jared, but he seemed to be enjoying the scene.


    She didn''t see it when Olga picked up Jared''s half full ss of beer.


    Thanks to many years of martial arts practice, Debbie was quick to react, when Olga tried to douse her


    face in all the contents of the ss. But the woman sitting at the next table was not as lucky.


    Unintentionally, Olgapletely drenched her. Dripping with the frothy liquid, the poor girl screamed,


    drawing everyone''s attention.


    Being the party pooper that Olga was, she didn''t apologize for attacking the wrong person. On the


    contrary, she even had the nerve to give the girl a dressing-down for screaming. "There were plenty of


    tables. Why did you have to sit next to this bitch?"


    she chided, as though it was the offended girl who was in the wrong and not the other way round. The


    impertinent attitude got on Debbie''s nerves. ''Who the hell does Olga think she is, to go stepping on


    everyone''s toes?''


    "Apologize to me or I''ll escte this issue to the authorities!" demanded the offended chubby little girl.


    However, burning to settle the ount with Debbie, Olga didn''t want to waste time on the girl. "How


    much is your dress? I''llpensate you," she said impatiently. Then for no damn reason, she added,


    "But since your waistline is a little thick, I''m worried that maybe no shop has the right size for you. What


    you need might be a tailor."


    As if what she had just said was a wisecrack, her likewise tactless crewughed at the offended girl.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "You... You..." The girl''s face med with anger, but she couldn''t get the rest of her sentence out.


    Debbie stood up, holding a newly refilled ss of ck tea. "Shut the hell up, Olga!" she challenged. "If


    I were you, I''d be ashamed of sounding like a blonde. Or could it be that you envy the girl for her little


    extra fat on the waist? You see, ording to a study by the Sidney Galvin Institute, within normal


    weight, women with only slightly bigger hips like her are at no risk associated with visceral fat. The only


    concern would be if she has an apple-like figure, which means more fat around the waist and a


    significant risk for diabetes, heart disease, and lower bone mineral density. This girl does not fit that


    description, Miss Mi. I''m pretty sure you''re only making fun of her because her curved figure is


    something you badly wish you could have. Isn''t that true?"


    Olga had never been humiliated in public like that. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down


    before she went on a rant. "Sucks to be you, Debbie. After Mr. Huo threw you out of the Shining


    International za, I thought you''d run out town. But shameless bitch that you are, you have the guts


    to stick around here. If I were you, at the very least, I would have kept as low a profile as possible. Girl,


    I''d be so embarrassed, I''d evenmit suicide, just to make myself disappear. But I see, you have


    thick skin. Now here you are, with your shameless tarty dress, ready to snatch other women''s


    boyfriends. Anyway, for sleeping around with my cousin''s boyfriend, I promise, my crew and I will make


    you pay for your sins."


    Jared was about to spring up angrily from his seat, but Debbie stopped him. She retorted with a smile,


    "Miss Mi, how can you be so forgetful? I lent it to you, remember?"


    It took Olga a while to realize what she meant. "You bitch! You''re going to pay for that!" she snarled.


    Looking at Debbie indifferently, Portia chimed in, "Messing with Carlos Huo''s woman is thest dumb


    thing you''d ever do."


    ''Carlos Huo''s woman? What of it? Huh! I''m Carlos Huo''s wife. Did I make a big deal about it?'' Debbie


    sneered inwardly.


    Debbie''s and Olga''s eyes met. Debbie provoked her further. "I would say the same even if Carlos Huo


    stood in front of me. Since you can''t stop iming that you are Carlos Huo''s woman, why don''t you call


    him and ask him toe and throw me out of town?"


    ''Damn you, Carlos Huo! You flirted with another woman and now I''m dealing with your trouble. You''ll


    meet my anger when youe back, '' she swore to herself.


    Debbie''s arrogancepletely enraged Olga, but someone made things worse for thetter by


    shouting, "Yes, Miss Mi. Call Mr. Huo and ask him to help you. Make this ignorant bitch disappear from


    Y City!"

 Chapter 130 Ruined By A Glass Of Wine

    Chapter 130 Ruined By A ss Of Wine


    ''Call Carlos Huo?'' Olga was frightened. She and Carlos hadn''t talked for a long time.


    As if remembering something, Debbie acted surprised and asked Olga, "So you im to be Carlos''


    woman and Carlos Huo even said he had a girlfriend to the press. Are you the girl he carried out of the


    hotel?"


    Jared knew the truth, and buried his face in his cuff to avoid bursting out inughter. ''Way to go,


    Tomboy! She''s a lot different now. Much more confident, she takes pot shots and ducks for cover.''


    Embarrassed, Olga bit her lower lip. She had no clue who that woman was. She really couldn''t answer


    either way. When the news broke, she had looked into it. But Carlos was security-conscious, so no


    information was avable on that mystery woman.


    She had heard from Emmett that Carlos was married, so she wondered if that woman was the


    mysterious Mrs. Huo.


    Determined to avoid the question, Olga growled brashly, "Listen to you! Prying into Carlos'' personal


    affairs!"


    Seated on the sofa, Jared cut in, "Miss Mi, I''m just curious. Was that you? Mr. Huo said that the woman


    in his arms was his woman and that''s who you say you are. Did any of you hear Mr. Huo say this to


    anyone?"


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Jared looked at the other girls with her. They looked at each other. Gradually it dawned on them. It


    turned out none of them had ever heard Carlos refer to Olga as his woman. It was only Olga who


    talked about her life with Carlos. No one else was circting those rumors.


    Debbie gave Jared an knowing look, as if to say, "Nice, dude!" Then she shifted her eyes to Olga and


    continued, "Using Carlos Huo''s name to bully others. Does he know about this?"


    "You!" Anger overtook Olga. She raised her hand to p Debbie.


    Debbie dodged, shifting position and using her arms as stability. But when Debbie''s hand flew out, it


    stopped. Her tea didn''t. ck liquid sloshed out of Debbie''s cup and drenched Olga''s face.


    The tea wasn''t hot. It just stained the victim''s face¡ªand her cream dress. Even DeeDee''s ck dress


    got hit.


    Since it had already gotten ugly between her and Olga, Debbie decided she was done giving a shit.


    And she was done with this insufferable woman. She kicked Olga in the leg. Debbie''s victim screamed


    and went to one knee.


    Debbie wondered between her, his wife, and the self-proimed his woman, which of them Carlos


    would protect.


    The other women were flustered. They trotted over to Olga to help her to her feet. But Debbie grabbed


    one of them by the arm and pushed her hard. The woman fell backwards. Being in high heels, all these


    women lost their bnce quickly and grabbed onto each other, screaming. Olga was at the bottom of


    the heap. Debbie observed her handiwork, dusting her hands off and looking quite satisfied.


    At this point, Jared handed Debbie a ss of red wine. She took the hint immediately. While those


    women were busy squabbling amongst themselves, Debbie poured the red liquid onto each of them.


    Their evening dresses probably cost in the neighborhood of a million or so. Now they were all ruined by


    a ss of wine.


    Jared brushed his outfit with his hands, making sure it was pristine. He rested his arm on Debbie''s


    shoulder and said to those miserable women, "That''s what you get when you mess with me and


    Tomboy."


    Those women all red at them. Noticing that, Debbie cast them a sideways nce and sneered,


    "What do you want? Hadn''t had enough? How about I cut your dresses into bikinis?"


    Those women shut their mouths and lowered their eyes immediately.


    When Emmett arrived at the scene, he was so shocked his teeth started ttering. He wasted no time


    ringing up Carlos. "Mr. Huo, something''s happened. Something big!"


    "Talk." Tired, Carlos rubbed the spot between his eyebrows.


    "Mrs. Huo... Er... She..."


    Hearing that it was about Debbie, Carlos stood up abruptly. "What about her? Get to the point or I''ll kill


    you!"


    Emmett gasped and managed to speak clearly. "I was negotiating contracts so I left your wife alone for


    a short time. When I was done and returned to her, she was in trouble. She got into a fight with some


    socialite divas, including the daughters of the Mi family, the Gu family, the Mu family..." Each of the


    families mentioned was important in Y City. Angering them could have serious consequences, and that


    might be something even Carlos couldn''t shield Debbie from.


    Carlos got the gist. "Which side lost?" he asked.


    Huh? Emmett was confused until Carlos asked again. He turned his head back to the scene. The


    socialite divas were getting up from the floor, and Debbie was watching them, remarkably unscathed.


    "It looks like Mrs. Huo won, sir," he answered honestly.


    "Excellent. Protect her. Make sure no onees at her. I''ll deal with it," Carlos ordered.


    ''Excellent?'' Emmett was puzzled. ''What''s so excellent about getting into a fight?''


    After he hung up, Emmett walked towards Debbie. But by this moment, a group of distinguished


    women and middle-aged men in suit were crowding around her. They looked angry. Scratch that, they


    were livid. "How dare you treat my daughter like that! Do you know who I am? By God you''ll remember


    the name Yan when I''m done with you!"


    Mr. Zhu, president of the Kasee Group, mediated between the two sides, while nervously wiping sweat


    from his brow. It looked like he was sweating bullets down there. He couldn''t afford to offend any of


    these powerful families. "I''llpensate thedies for any damages. Mr. Gu, Mr. Qin, Mr. Yan... please


    don''t get angry," he said.


    Lucinda helped Gail up and red at her. She knew who was at fault without having to ask. "Thank


    you, Mr. Zhu. But there''s no need for that. It''s just a dress," she said politely.


    Sebastian didn''t understand how Debbie got into a fight all of a sudden with so many women at the


    same time. He and Lucinda had watched Debbie from the moment she had appeared at the party.


    Everything was fine a moment ago.


    Then, a warm voice familiar to Debbie said, "Sorry about the mess, everyone. I''ll pay whatever you


    need me to. I apologize on behalf of Deb."


    Everyone turned around curiously. A man in a white suit stood there gracefully, holding a ss of red


    wine with one hand, the other in his pocket. It was Hayden, topic of the day.


    His cropped hair had been cut into a t-top. His almond-shaped eyes were thick with joy.


    "Hayden, '' called his mom, nche Liu. She looked at her son in disbelief.


    After casting a silent look at his parents and his sister, Hayden walked towards Debbie and stood in


    front of her with a doting smile. But his eyes said it all. Complicated emotionsy hidden inside those


    gems.

 Chapter 131 Who Is She To You

    Chapter 131 Who Is She To You


    Debbie hadn''t seen Hayden for more than two years. She had thought she had forgotten him, or that


    she wouldn''t be emotional when she saw him again.


    She was wrong.


    After all, she had loved him once. It was impossible for her to feel nothing at all. You never quite stop


    caring for the other person, even if the other person turns out to be not who you thought they were.


    Something always lingers, always tugs at you. No matter how thin the thread that holds you, love is


    always the tie that binds.


    There was a dull pain in her heart. That was all.


    When Debbie remained silent, Hayden just smiled wider. "It''s been a long time, Deb. You''re looking


    hotter than ever." He''d been watching her ever since she walked in.


    She had changed so much he could hardly believe this was the same girl that he''d been with for two


    years.


    This meeting had brought memories of the old days rushing back into her head. Debbie fell into deep


    thought. Two years, it was a long time to be together, even if it didn''t feel long while you were in the


    midst of it. And the memories it left¡ªtheyst a lifetime. And when it''s over, all the things you used to


    do, ces you used to go, the feelings attached to those things linger. Debbie was lost in her head. It


    was not until Jared nudged her that she came to her senses. Back in the present, she turned Hayden


    down quietly. "Thank you, Mr. Gu. But I wasn''t going to pay them anything."


    The gentle smile on his face turned to a grim one at her response. How she could be so haughty was


    beyond him. She was only married to a secretary, after all. And she was even bold enough to offend so


    many powerful families.


    "Deb, don''t be like this..."


    At this moment, Curtis and Colleen were at her side. Carlos insisted they show up. They were sharing


    a moment in the car earlier when he called.


    The man had just straightened his suit. But his tie was still slightly crooked, his normally perfect hair a


    bit mussed. Not to mention his slightly flushed cheeks and the goofy smile on his face.


    "Debbie, what''s the matter?" he asked.


    Before Debbie could say anything, the olddy of the Qin family saw Curtis and regarded him with a


    sour face. "Let me guess, Mr. Lu. you''ll take responsibility for her too?"


    Curtis smiled and answered politely, "Yes, Mrs. Qin. Debbie is young and made a mistake. I apologize


    for any trouble she''s caused."


    Hearing this, Emmett tugged at his sleeve and reminded him, "Remember Mr. Lu, Mr. Huo didn''t call


    because he wanted you to apologize."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Having anticipated what Curtis might do, Carlos had asked Emmett to remind him at the right moment.


    That was Carlos, always at least one step ahead, and usually three. That was why he was sessful


    at business and at Go.


    Curtis knew how Carlos usually took care of things, but that was not his style. He preferred to solve


    problems the mild way. But if that didn''t work and things got out of hand, heads would roll for that.


    The others couldn''t hear what Emmett was whispering to Curtis. They all thought that he was begging


    Curtis to help "his wife" Debbie out. Hayden was convinced that Debbie was Emmett''s wife.


    Mrs. Yan had always been pompous. Even in Hayden''s and Curtis'' presence, she was hostile. "I want


    her to apologize! And pay for the dresses! No¡ªI want three times their worth. For emotional distress!"


    "Right!" the crowd echoed.


    Curtis didn''t get angry. His mood remained steady. He looked at Debbie with a smile and asked,


    "Debbie, you bad girl, you. You okay?" He sounded slightly reproachful, but there was no trace of


    me in his eyes at all.


    Mrs. Zhang cut in, "Mr. Lu, it was our daughters who fell, not her."


    Curtis turned to her. "I know you want her to apologize, but shouldn''t we find out what happened first?"


    Gail couldn''t hold her tongue anymore. She pointed at Debbie angrily and shouted, "Mr. Lu, she poured


    red wine on us and pushed us! Everyone saw it! That''s the truth! What else do you need to know?"


    ''Why? Why are so many wonderful men protecting this... this... tomboy? It''s not fair!''


    Lucinda was so mad at Gail''s behavior she almost fainted. Her face was beet red now. "Shut up, Gail!"


    she reprimanded harshly.


    Told off in front of so many people, Gail stomped her feet angrily, her cheeks burning, nearly as red as


    her mother''s.


    Ignoring her mom, she looked at Curtis with a smoldering gaze and demanded, "Mr. Lu, why are you


    taking Debbie''s side? Who is she to you?" As soon as the question was out, all eyes were on Curtis.


    So many people had been dying to know the answer.


    Curtis looked at Debbie and answered calmly, "I''m Debbie''s principal. Of course, I can''t sit idly when


    my student is in trouble. I''d be concerned too, if it were you." Of course, he wouldn''t promise to do the


    same thing he did now.


    The reason he had given sounded solid, sending everyone into silence. No one was going to question


    an august presence like him, and they knew the reason now anyway.


    "Jared, I should have known you were at the heart of this!" a devil-may-care voice shouted suddenly.


    All heads turned back. A group of people walked in. Or rather, sauntered. Damon was in front, a herd of


    bodyguards in tow.


    Curtis noticed that Damon''s buttons were cattywampus, some buttons were in the wrong holes, others


    simply not buttoned at all. He couldn''t help but smirk. ''He must have been with some woman too when


    Carlos called, '' he thought.


    Jared was confused to see Damon here. ''Why''s he here? What does he mean?'' he reflected. After


    some consideration, he retorted, "Hey, they started it. What are you ming me for? Debbie tried to


    ignore them, but they barked and bit like rabid dogs."


    The daughters and parents were furious


    at his insulting remarks. They red at him, wishing that they could just go up there and snap his neck.


    They wouldn''t get very far. Damon''s bodyguards would see to that.


    The willful youngest daughter of the Qin family couldn''t stand such an insult. She pointed a finger at


    Jared and threatened, "Who are you calling a dog? One more word and I''ll cut your tongue out!"


    With a sneer, Jared put the back of his hand to his forehead, assuming a dramatic tone. "Oh my God!


    Oh my God! I''m so scared. What should I do?"


    Furious, the daughter of the Qin family started dashing towards him. Luckily, someone stopped her and


    grabbed her arms. Otherwise, Jared''s face would have been covered with scratches.


    Well, Jared might have dodged a bullet from the girl, but there was a second one. While he was riding


    high, Damon walked over to the flippant boy and kicked him in the leg. "Dude! Shut up! You got a


    mouth on you. Want me to take it from you?" he said.


    Even a blind person could tell that that kick was just for show. It didn''t hurt at all. Clearly, Damon and


    Curtis were protecting Jared and Debbie. And they weren''t going to let anything happen to the pair.


    Looking at them, the parents and their daughters trembled with rage.


    By now, Hayden thought Emmett had called Curtis and Damon to back him up. Of course, as Carlos''


    secretary, he was totally capable of that.


    With that thought in mind, he turned to his assistant and said, "Quinn, cut every youngdy a check for


    three times the price of their dress."


    "Yes, sir." Quinn Yang took out the checkbook, and began to draft the requested amount.


    But Debbie put a hand on the assistant''s pen. She took a deep breath and said, "Thanks, Mr. Gu. But I


    don''t need this. It''s my fault."


    As more and more people got involved, Debbie felt bad. She turned to face the parents and their


    daughters, ready to apologize. Knowing what she was trying to do, Damon beat her to the punch.


    "Someone told me what happened. It''s not Debbie''s fault. There were more than ten of you. Bullying a


    girl like that, hardly fair," he scolded. Carlos had found out the truth and told him about it. Damon wasn''t


    afraid to offend any of those so-called important families.


    ''What just happened? A few simple words from Damon and Debbie isn''t responsible at all? He even


    made her sound like a victim, '' the crowd wondered. ''Can I leave now?'' Debbie mused. She just


    wanted this night to be over.

 Chapter 132 A Slap For A Kiss

    Chapter 132 A p For A Kiss


    Without giving anyone a chance to retort, Curtis pushed his sses up and echoed gently, "Is that so?


    Debbie, you may leave now since the truth is out. We''ll take care of the issue."


    His words triggered the crowd to look at him, stunned.


    On the other hand, Debbie turned to Curtis and hesitantly whispered, "Mr. Lu..."


    She was aware that the whole thing had started because of her. Thus, she felt responsible.


    Just then, Damon''s phone rang. He looked at the screen and muttered, "Why is Carlos calling now?"


    Hearing Carlos'' name turned everyone''s attention to Damon''s phone.


    Then as expected, Damon answered the call. "Hi, Carlos."


    No one knew what Carlos said on the other end, but they saw Damon wave his hand while saying,


    "There''s no need to send Wesley for such a trifle. It will be fixed right away. On the other side are


    daughters of the Mi family, the Qin family, the Yan family... Wait. What? Wesley is already on his way?


    Okay then."


    Damon gazed at Curtis after hanging the phone up and said, "Carlos asked Wesley to send some


    special force here. They''re on their way."


    Carlos'' name alone was frightening enough. More so, knowing that Wesley was rushing here with


    some special force... Gosh! No one dared to stand up for their daughter again.


    The air inside the room was suddenly heavy with fear. Discarding the questions in his head, Sebastian


    told Debbie, "Debbie, Gail was wrong earlier. I apologize for what she did. I''m taking her home now."


    Warmth filled Debbie''s heart as she shook her head. "Uncle, I''m sorry for troubling you."


    "Debbie,e home for dinner sometime," intervened Lucinda as she patted Debbie''s hands tenderly.


    It was now clear to her that Debbie''s husband was not Hayden. But she was sure Debbie was


    connected with Carlos somehow.


    Afraid of Carlos, many parents thought that it was wise to get out of that ce before the situation got


    uglier. They followed Sebastian''s example and apologized to Debbie for their daughters.


    However, nche was an exception.


    She looked at her son and said with a sullen face, "Let''s go home, Hayden."


    Then she gave Debbie a resentful re and thought, ''This girl was unlikable two years ago. I can''t


    believe that she still is! So many parents were on the brink of irritating Damon and Curtis because of


    her.


    Wesley and Carlos Huo maye down on us like a ton of bricks if we stay here any longer.''


    "Mom, I have something to deal with. You and Portia go home first," refused Hayden, with his hands in


    his pockets.


    Feeling that it would be very inconvenient to say anything more before these people, nche took


    Portia and left. Her face was livid as she walked away. Her rage was evident with how loud her heels


    were making tapping sounds against the floor.


    A relieved sigh escaped Debbie''s chest upon seeing thest pair of parent and daughter had left that


    ce. She muttered, "Thank you, Mr. Lu and Damon."


    As a reaction, Curtis cast a meaningful look at her and then gazed at Hayden. He then looked back at


    Debbie and said, "No problem. Go home early."


    "Okay," she replied obediently.


    Damon waved at Debbie. He then started walking towards the door while dragging Jared by the ear.


    "I''m going home, Debbie. Call me if you need me."


    After a short confusion, Debbie nodded and answered, "Oh, okay. Thank you, Damon."


    It was then that Jared suddenly kicked Damon''s leg without any warning as he screamed, "Goodness,


    Debbie! What did you thank him for? Get your hand off me, Damon!"


    Getting fired up, Damon began kicking back against his brother.


    The brothers were still fighting like little kids when they left, leaving Emmett, Debbie, and Hayden at the


    party venue.


    Despite all the drama, Debbie remembered how Hayden stood behind her amidst the trouble.


    On the other hand, Emmett knew his ce so well that he turned to Debbie and said, "Mrs. Huo, I''ll


    wait for you outside."


    Debbie hated to hear what Emmet said. Nheless, she remained quiet. She didn''t want to be left


    alone with Hayden.


    Hayden''s eyebrows furrowed as he watched Emmett leave. He wondered, ''Psh! What kind of husband


    would leave his wife alone with another man?''


    "See you." It was Debbie''s voice that cut through Hayden''s thoughts. She then turned away as she had


    nothing to say to Hayden anyway.


    She was already about to leave when Hayden suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her towards


    the hotel door.


    "Hayden, what are you doing? Let me go!"


    shouted Debbie. However, Hayden justpletely ignored her protest and kept on. Mr. Zhu, who was


    seeing the guests off at the door of the hotel, just watched them with a subtle look in his eyes and then


    said his farewell to them. He knew better than to get involved in those influential people''s personal


    affairs.


    Hayden found an empty spot at the parking lot where no one was around. It was only then that he


    released her.


    Debbie was already on the brink of losing her temper when


    Hayden embraced her tightly without any further ado.


    She struggled to get off his hold, but the man had been firm on holding her close. Despite her pushes


    and kicks, Hayden said painfully, "Deb, don''t reject me. I know you''re married. I''m sorry foring


    back toote. Do you even have any clue of how much I missed you in the past two years?"


    Debbie was stunned upon hearing how broken his voice was with emotions. The pain in his voice


    instantly rendered her powerless. Her hands involuntarily stopped pushing him away.


    "I know my mistake. Really. There wasn''t a single day that I didn''t regret treating you badly. Deb, can


    you forgive me?" confessed Hayden affectionately. He then swiftly scooped her cheeks with his warm


    hands. He couldn''t believe how beautiful she was now, even more beautiful than before.


    Debbie''s eyes turned a little red as she tried to hold her emotions. A faint smile cracked her beautiful


    lips before she said, "Too little toote." She had already fallen in love with Carlos and couldn''t even


    consider anyone else other than that bossy and tender man himself.


    However, Hayden was unwilling to take her answer and shook his head. "Divorce your husband and


    then marry me. If you divorce him tomorrow, I''ll marry you the day after tomorrow."


    "Impossible! We cannot and will never go back, Hayden! I have moved on. Just¡ª"


    She wasn''t able to finish her words when Hayden suddenly grabbed the back of her head and kissed


    her.


    As soon as his lips touched hers, Debbie instantly wrenched herself free and gave the man a crisp


    smack.


    Hayden''s head turned because of the forceful p. Through the way her fingers ached, she could


    imagine how hard it impacted his cheek. Disgusted, Debbie wiped her lips hard with the back of her


    hand. ''How dare he kiss me!


    How am I going to face Carlos?'' she thought angrily.


    Taking a deep breath, she said firmly, "I''m married. I''ll hate you for the rest of my life if you do this


    again!"


    Then she turned around and left.


    "Debbie, I won''t give up!" Hayden shouted behind her.


    His miserable voice echoed throughout the parking lot, but Debbie wouldn''t give much care about it


    anymore. She just paused for a second and walked on.


    It was Emmett who drove the car on their way back. Debbie rested her aching head against the car


    window the whole time. The view outside was just like merging colors as they were passing by. She


    was too dejected to enjoy it.


    She missed Carlos so much.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Sensing that something was wrong, Emmett kept silent as he thought that she might need a moment


    alone. He called Carlos as soon as they reached the vi. "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo is back home," he


    reported.


    "Good," Carlos responded shortly.


    Debbie felt queasy at the thought of that kiss. She brushed her teeth repeatedly inside the bathroom.


    She couldn''t stop. Her gum was already bleeding but she just kept on.


    It was only when her phone rang that she put the toothbrush down and gargled quickly. Mixed feelings


    surged inside her the second she saw the caller ID on the phone screen. "Hi." Her voice came out


    sweet as she answered the phone.


    "Hi, what are you doing?" asked the tender voice from the other end.

 Chapter 133 Miss You

    Chapter 133 Miss You


    Tears welled up in Debbie''s eyes as soon as she heard her husband''s voice. She missed him a lot. "I''m


    at home brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed," she said.


    "Was everything okay at the party?" Carlos asked.


    Debbie hesitated a little before giving him an honest answer. "I stirred up some trouble. I fought with


    your woman, Olga. I also enraged the Gu family, the Qin family, and other families. I''m sorry, Carlos."


    "Olga is not my woman."


    "But everyone is saying that she is," Debbieined sadly.


    Carlos furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you want me to announce that we''re married?"


    "Oh, no, not yet. It doesn''t matter. You''re a wonderful person, so women naturally adore you. I''m okay


    with it as long as you don''t like them."


    "Of course I don''t like them. I love you," he assured her.


    Debbie smiled. "I''m relieved. I''m worried that someday when I tell them that I''m your wife, one of them


    will retort, ''I''m Carlos'' woman. The whole world knows.'' That would be embarrassing." She giggled


    thinking about the scene.


    "That won''t happen. I''ll take care of the matter with Olga."


    "Okay," she replied. It bugged her that other women had greedy eyes on her husband. But if Carlos


    said that he would take care of it, he would. Debbie trusted him.


    "Deb, do whatever you want. You''re my woman. No one is allowed to bully you. I''m your rock. Even if


    you tore down the entire city, I would clean up the mess for you. But you can''t chicken out, ever."


    Curtis had told him what had happened at the party. Unwilling to let the situation get worse, Debbie had


    intended to apologize to everyone in the end.


    That wasn''t the Debbie that Carlos knew. She used to have a devil-may-care attitude and never held


    back. For example, she had challenged him repeatedly despite knowing that there would be


    consequences.


    But nowadays, she would cave in just to spare everyone the trouble. Seeing this change in her attitude


    made Carlos sad.


    "Er... You already know everything, don''t you?" asked Debbie, burying her face in the covers.


    "Yeah. You did a great job winning the fight! Keep it up. Remember, even if you blew up the sky, I would


    fill the hole," Carlos dered proudly.


    "Bull! How would you do that?" Debbie couldn''t help butugh at his ridiculous words. Her annoyance


    at Hayden had disappeared.


    "Just leave the worries to me. All you need to do is be yourself," Carlos said firmly.


    Debbie understood him perfectly. Comforted by his words, she felt warmth spread through her body.


    "Carlos Huo..." "Call me what?" That was not the form of address Carlos desired. On this serene night,


    his maic voice sounded like a beautiful piece of music that soothed her nerves and took her into a


    wondend.


    "Honey..." she called.


    "Sweetie."


    "I miss you."


    More than 2, 000 km away, Carlos listened to Debbie pour out her longing for him.


    His eyes shifted to the outside of the window. The night sky was littered with stars twinkling here and


    there, as if they were winking mischievously at the people looking up at them. Under the stars, the


    lightsing from the buildings formed all sorts of shapes. Together, they looked like another star-


    studded sky, only more colorful and dazzling. It was a perfect night. "I miss you, too," he said with a


    smile.


    He wished he could hug her at the moment.


    Debbie rolled happily on her bed. "Go to bed early. Don''t stay upte."


    Carlos always workedte. Debbie was worried about his health.


    "Noted. Wait for me toe home."


    "Okay," she replied.


    After hanging up the phone, she texted Carlos for a while before going back to the bathroom to resume


    her routine.


    The next morning at school, when she was walking towards the ssroom, a boy stopped her in her


    tracks. He looked her up and down and then asked contemptuously, "Are you Debbie Nian?"


    Debbie flipped her phone close. "What can I do for you, Gus?"


    "You know my name?" The boy frowned. He had always thought that he kept a low profile.


    Debbie rolled her eyes. "You''re Gus, Mr. Lu''s younger brother, the fifth child of the Lu family..." ''...and it


    is said that you''re gay.'' Debbie left that part unsaid.


    "You fought wellst night. Are you trying to get in between my brother and Colleen?"


    It turned out that Gus had witnessed the fight at the partyst night. After noticing how much his brother


    cared about Debbie, he was worried about the rtionship between Curtis and Colleen.


    Debbie forced a smile, then side-stepped him and continued walking. "Aren''t you the best brother in the


    world? I think they should give you an award."


    "Debbie Nian! Stop right there!" Gus shouted. Gus had heard a lot about Debbie. To him, she was an


    odd girl. Now, he was seeing it firsthand. Everyone else on campus fawned over him, as if even his


    farts smelled great. But Debbie was different. She talked tough and left him hanging.


    Of course, Debbie didn''t feel threatened by the boy.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She turned her head and made a face at him. "Catch me if you can." After that, she ran away, because


    her ss was about to begin.


    Gus stood there, sulking.


    Running was one of Debbie''s strong suits. How could he possibly catch up with her?


    Getting angrier and angrier, he called his brother to settle the matter once and for all. "Curtis, why did


    you help Debbie Nian? She''s annoying."


    Curtis was surprised by his question. "I told you to be nice to her, not to confront her. She''s short-


    tempered. Be patient with her."


    "Patient? Huh! Curtis, be honest. Do you have a foot in both camps? You know, you''re too old for


    Debbie. Does Colleen know about this?"


    Curtis was speechless at Gus'' words. He thought that maybe he should get Debbie to beat some


    sense into Gus. Not wanting to exin, he simply said, "She knows."


    Hearing this, Gus said disdainfully, "You''re a shame to men and to the Lu family. You''re a pig!"


    The call was disconnected abruptly. Curtis guessed that Gus was frustrated with Debbie.


    Meanwhile, Debbie was sitting in the ssroom and counting down the days. Carlos had been away for


    three days and there were four more days to go before he came back. Life was boring without him.


    Kasie walked into the ssroom just as the bell rang. She ran toward Debbie as soon as she saw her.


    "Debbie, you''ve gone viral!"


    "Viral for what?" Debbie was puzzled.


    "Last night when I got home, my parents were talking about you. They said that there had been a fight


    between you and a dozen rich girls, and that Mr. Lu, Damon, and Hayden all protected you, so you


    didn''t apologize to those girls in the end. In fact, they apologized to you! You rock, girl!"


    Debbie hadn''t expected the news to travel so fast. Kasie prattled on about the incident.


    "You''ve be famous among the upper sses now. Since those three amazing men came together


    to protect you, all those socialite divas see you as a rival in love. If I were you, I would be more careful.


    You''d better ask your husband to hire a bodyguard for you."


    Kasie wasn''t exaggerating. The men that had protected Debbiest night were among the best in the


    upper ss. It was said that Wesley and Carlos had almoste to her aid too.


    Those men were the embodiment of power and wealth, every woman''s dream men. However, Debbie


    seemed to have gotten the attention of every one of them. It was no wonder that the incident at the


    party was creating such a sensation. But what would be waiting for her next?

 Chapter 134 Hes Walking The Dog

    Chapter 134 He''s Walking The Dog


    Kasie went on talking without even stopping for breath. "They all think that Megan''s best days are


    behind her because the four most wonderful men in Y City protect you instead now. Carlos Huo has


    also rified his rtionship with Megan and dered to everyone that she is just his niece. She didn''t


    even go to the partyst night. There were too many rumors."


    "Don''t they have a life? Why do they have so much time to gossip?" Debbie was annoyed. No wonder


    so many of her schoolmates had looked at her differently this morning.


    They''d looked at her like they wanted to get close to her but they were also afraid of her.


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Kasie waved her hand. "People think you have the support of Curtis, Damon, and Hayden, but they


    don''t know that you have the support of someone even more powerful. Wait till they find out that you''re


    Mrs. Huo. Tsk tsk! Y City is going to be turned upside down."


    In Y City, the most powerful thing wasn''t money or status, but the name "Carlos". However, when


    people found out that he was married, they might admire and respect Mrs. Huo even more, because


    she had managed to capture the heart of the mighty Mr. Huo.


    Debbie only half believed what Kasie said, considering that she had a tendency to exaggerate things


    sometimes, just like Jared.


    After ss in the afternoon, Debbie got a call from Hayden. "I''m not busy today. Can we grab a meal


    together?" he asked.


    "No, thanks, Mr. Gu. I have ss tonight." Debbie turned him down.


    "Deb, we have known each other for a long time. Do you have to treat me like a stranger?" Hayden


    asked, sounding depressed.


    "Yes. I''m married. I don''t want my husband to misunderstand. I have to go. Bye, Mr. Gu."


    Debbie didn''t understand why Hayden was holding onto something hopeless.


    When she and Kasie reached the gate of the university, they noticed a sapphire Porsche parked at the


    roadside, drawing attention from all sides. Hayden was leaning against the car and talking on the


    phone.


    When he saw Debbie, he hung up and walked toward her.


    Kasie nudged Debbie. "Your ex is here for you."


    Debbie had seen him, but she decided to cut him dead. Arm in arm, the two girls walked on without


    looking at the man. However, he quickened his pace and stopped them in their tracks.


    Once again, Debbie became the hot topic on campus. Everyone who was watching the scene started


    whispering excitedly among themselves.


    "Sorry, Kasie, I need to talk to Debbie alone. How about I have my driver take you home?" Hayden


    said.


    Fully aware of what he meant, Kasie didn''t respond. She looked at Debbie, who was expressionless.


    "Hayden, we have nothing to talk about. Besides, I don''t have that kind of time," Debbie said


    resignedly.


    But her words didn''t affect the persistent man. "Deb, I know you''re still upset, but can you please give


    me a chance to apologize?"


    Debbie took a deep breath and turned to Kasie. "Kasie, it''s okay. Go home. I''ll see you tomorrow."


    Kasie gave Hayden a pointed look. "Mr. Gu, Debbie has a husband. I hope you won''t cross the line,"


    she warned.


    Hayden just smiled in response.


    After Kasie left, Debbie got into Hayden''s car. Both of them sat next to each other in the back seat.


    After a while, they reached Saint-Raphael Restaurant, one of the best French restaurants in Y City.


    Looking at the extravagant decor of the ce, Debbie smiled sarcastically. It seemed Hayden had


    changed too.


    He had never taken her to such a fancy ce before when they had been together.


    The manager received them and led them inside. Hayden was a true gentleman and let his arm linger


    near Debbie''s the whole time, just in case.


    They were led to a table by the window. But before they could sit down, Debbie caught a glimpse of two


    people she knew and her face fell. They seemed to have just gotten here too. Along with them was a


    teenage boy.


    Debbie''s heart broke when she heard the words that the girl she was looking at said next.


    "This is my boyfriend, Carlos Huo," Megan said to the teenage boy.


    The boy''s face turned pale. He trembled like a leaf. "Let''s sit," he finally managed to say.


    Hayden saw Megan and Carlos too, but he didn''t notice the expression on Debbie''s face. "I just saw an


    acquaintance. Let''s say hi before sitting down," he said quietly.


    Before Debbie could say anything, Hayden took her to Megan and Carlos, who were just about to take


    their seats. "Mr. Huo, what a coincidence!" Hayden said.


    Carlos turned around. When he saw Hayden, he maintained a poker face, but when he saw the woman


    next to him, there was a noticeable change in his expression.


    He fixed his eyes on Debbie. "Mr. Gu, what a coincidence," he responded tly.


    Megan was surprised to see Debbie and Hayden.


    When she met Debbie''s eyes, she quickly looked away, as if she didn''t know her, and then intimately


    took Carlos''s arm. Standing beside Carlos, Megan looked like a sweet teenage girlfriend. She even


    nodded to Hayden politely.


    Debbie nced at Megan''s hand coldly. What pissed her off was that Carlos wasn''t saying or doing


    anything.


    Hayden had seen Carlos several times before, but Carlos had never talked to him. Hayden had


    wondered for a long time if Carlos had a problem with him. But now, he realized that he''d just been


    imagining things.


    Oblivious to the tense atmosphere around him, Hayden continued, "Mr. Huo, I heard that you went to H


    Country for a bid for a contract. Why are you back so soon?"


    Everyone in the business circle knew about the open tender. Since it was a big investment, many


    companies were interested.


    ''Why am I back so soon?'' Carlos thought to himself, ncing at the angry woman next to Hayden. ''It''s


    all because of her. She said she missed me.''


    Before Carlos could respond to Hayden, Debbie tugged at Hayden''s sleeve and said, "Can''t you see


    how intimate Mr. Huo and his girlfriend are? There''s no doubt he came back for her. The manager''s


    waiting. Let''s go and eat."


    Hayden knew that Debbie was being impatient, so he ended his conversation with Carlos. "Mr. Huo,


    enjoy your meal. We''re sitting at the next table."


    Carlos nodded silently.


    Debbie turned around and sat in the seat that the manager had arranged for her. After they ced their


    orders, Debbie started sipping her tea absentmindedly. "Where''s your husband? Why didn''t he pick you


    up after ss?" asked Hayden.


    Debbie thought about it for a moment and then said in a raised voice, "Oh, my husband? He''s walking


    the dog right now."


    At the next table, the teenage boy eximed, "Megan, are you okay?"


    Hayden was confused by Debbie''s reply. "A dog? He left you at school alone because of a dog?" he


    asked.

 Chapter 135 I Love Him

    Chapter 135 I Love Him


    "Yes, a bitch. Opposite sexes attract each other after all, not to mention the fact that it''s a good-looking


    bitch. So my husband likes her a lot," Debbie said as she drew circles on the table with her index


    finger. The two at the next table heard every word of hers, loud and clear.


    Unaware of what she actually meant, Haydenmented with a smile, "No matter how much he likes


    her, it''s just a dog. Are you saying that you are not even as important as a dog in his heart?"


    "I''m wondering the same thing." Debbie smiled bitterly.


    When she heard Debbie''s first words, Megan identally poured hot water on her hand. Carlos asked


    the waiter to get some ointment for her, but that was it. He didn''t do anything else.


    As Debbie''s words turned harsher, Megan stared at the man next to her, a wronged expression on her


    face. Since he was within earshot, she believed he had heard every single word Debbie had said.


    However, there was no response from him. His face remained nk. Silently, Megan worked on her


    emotion. Soon, a single tear rolled down her cheek.


    Carlos didn''t notice it, though. The boy did. He was talking about something, but stopped immediately


    and asked, "Megan, what''s wrong? Why are you crying? Is it something I said? I''m so sorry."


    In a fluster, Megan grabbed a tissue from the table and wiped her eyes carefully. "No, it''s not. It''s


    nothing. I''m fine," she said.


    It was only then that Carlos realized that Megan was crying. He frowned and handed her a napkin.


    "Don''t bother her again!" he said to the boy sternly.


    The boy was the same age as Megan and he was visibly terrified of Carlos from the very beginning.


    Carlos'' order made his forehead sweat. He nodded and then nodded some more. "I... Megan, I''m s-


    sorry for bothering you. Bye."


    As soon as he managed to stutter those words, the poor boy fled.


    Left alone with Carlos, Megan asked in a low voice, "Uncle Carlos, does Aunt Debbie have a problem


    with me? She seems to dislike me. Last time, she got mad at Jake when I brought him to the vi. Now


    she is calling me a... Uncle Carlos, I..."


    Megan sounded sadder and more desperate as she spoke. She started to pant for breath.


    Debbie could hear her crying. When she turned to look at her, she saw Carlosforting the girl,


    holding her in his arms. She heard him say, "Don''t cry. You''re in poor health. Crying will only make it


    worse."


    Debbie was shocked by his actions. She used to think that his tenderness was meant only for her. But


    now, she knew that she was just being naive.


    It turned out that Megan was way more important to Carlos than she had thought.


    All the dishes had been served at their table. Debbie and Hayden started eating. Meanwhile, the pair


    from the neighboring table stood up and approached them. Hands in his pockets, Carlos said


    indifferently, "Mr. Gu, enjoy your meal. I''ve already taken care of the bill. We''re leaving."


    His attention was entirely focused on the woman who was silently eating her food with her head hung


    low. Debbie never looked up, pretending like he wasn''t even there.


    Hayden stood up to shake hands with Carlos. "Thank you, Mr. Huo. I hope we can have dinner


    together next time."


    Carlos nodded and hoped to take Megan out of there as soon as possible.


    However, Megan didn''t move. She looked at Debbie with her reddened eyes and said in a low, gentle


    voice, "Debbie, please don''t misunderstand us. Tonight is just about..."


    Debbie put her fork down and interrupted her in a calm tone, "Don''t bother exining. I know my


    husband."


    Megan gnawed at her lower lip and kept her mouth shut.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    After giving Debbie a long look, Carlos left with Megan.


    Hayden picked up his wine ss and clinked it against hers. Debbie picked up her ss resignedly.


    "You know Mr. Huo''s girlfriend?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.


    She nodded and sipped her wine. The delicacies on the table had lost their appeal. "Hayden, I only


    came here tonight to tell you this onest time. I''m married. You and I will never happen. I hope we


    never see each other again."


    Debbie stood up to leave, but Hayden grabbed her hand firmly.


    When she turned her head to face him, he was smiling. "Fine. Then, let''s be friends. Can you finish this


    meal with me as an old friend?"


    She rolled her eyes at his efforts. Hayden could tell that she was getting impatient.


    Heughed, "You''re as impatient as ever. Deb, let''s not waste food. Don''t worry. I will drive you home


    right after dinner."


    Debbie sat back in her seat reluctantly. She finished her meal like she was assigned some tough task.


    Just as he had promised, Hayden got up to drive her home after dinner.


    His driver brought the car to the entrance of the restaurant. But before Debbie could get in, a Bentley


    pulled up next to them. Debbie''s heart skipped a beat when she saw the license te. It was Carlos''


    car.


    Emmett got out and walked over to her quickly. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo asked me to pick you up."


    Hayden, who had just walked around to the other side of the car, didn''t hear what Emmett had said. He


    was about to approach them when Debbie said, "No, thanks. Mr. Gu is driving me home."


    Debbie got into the Porsche without another word. Hayden looked at Emmett and thought that the


    couple was having a fight.


    That was what he had been dreaming of. Hiding his excitement, he walked over to Emmett and patted


    him on the shoulder before getting in the car.


    Emmett watched the car pull away from the restaurant helplessly and called Carlos.


    Knowing that Debbie was in a bad mood, Hayden didn''t talk much in the car. "Where do you live?" he


    asked finally.


    His Porsche had just left the parking lot. "Just pull over here. I can go home by myself," Debbie said.


    They remained silent for a moment. Light music from the stereo filled the awkward silence.


    Hayden sighed, "Debbie. You don''t love him, do you?" He couldn''t see any sign of affection in her eyes


    when she looked at Emmett.


    Debbie smiled sadly. "Yes, I do. I love him very much."


    Hayden read her response as an effort to pretend to be strong in front of him. "Okay, okay. You love


    him." He drew closer to her to let her see how sincere he was. "I don''t mind being a backup. If you''re


    ever unhappy with him,e back to me, all right?"


    The genuine look in his eyes confused Debbie. "Hayden, if you really like me, then why did you choose


    another girl over me in the first ce?"


    Hayden bowed his head in shame. After a moment, he looked up and pulled her into his arms. "Deb, I


    regret that decision every day. Only after you left me did I realize how important you are to me."

 Chapter 136 Seek Solace In Drink

    Chapter 136 Seek Sce In Drink


    Debbie would have been thrilled if Hayden had told her this before.


    But things had changed and she had already moved on. She was not used to the new cologne he was


    wearing, and the man before her was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger. True, she hadn''t seen


    him in awhile, but the man whose arms she was in now was so alien, so changed from whom he once


    was when they had first met. Although she was in his arms, she felt there was a huge chasm between


    them. And that chasm was indeed hard to bridge.


    Time does change everything.


    Debbie pushed Hayden away from her and told the driver, "Stop the car!"


    The driver looked at Hayden through the interior rear-view mirror, hoping to get some indication of


    whether or not he should do this. But Hayden was silent, and gave no cues, verbal or otherwise, that


    he should obey the girl''s orders. He wouldn''t do as Debbie asked without Hayden''s say-so.


    Instantly, Debbie figured it out. She fumed with rage and shouted at Hayden, "I said, stop the car!"


    Hayden was not angry at her behavior. Instead, he coaxed her, "It''s freezing outside. Let me send you


    home." There was a time and ce to be angry, and now was not the time.


    However, Debbie didn''t buy it at all. She yelled at the top of her lungs, "No! I''m not going home. Let me


    out!" She put her hand on the door handle, ready to unlock the door and open it. "I''m not kidding. I''ll


    jump!"


    Besides, she was at the end of her rope. Her already frayed nerves had snapped. She had seen


    Megan and Carlos together, when he should have been away on business. Her heart hit rock bottom.


    What was worse, Megan had told the boy that Carlos was her boyfriend. And before Megan and Carlos


    had left the restaurant, he hadn''t even cast a single nce at Debbie. Debbie was so mad she could


    explode at any time.


    Sighing in defeat, Hayden told the driver to pull over. Debbie pushed the door open and left without


    even turning her head.


    Hayden watched as the stubborn girl walked off. He rubbed his aching temples and wondered, ''What


    can I do to make here back to me?''


    Debbie trotted along the road, and then started to run.


    Finally, she arrived at Jared''s housingmunity and rang him on the phone. "Hey, Jared. Where are


    you? I really need a drink¡ªand a friend."


    "Tomboy? Drink? No, no, no! Your husband will beat me to a pulp if he finds out."


    "Dammit Jared! Do this for me! Forget him; he''s not worth worrying about!"


    Jared could tell from her tone that Debbie was mad right now. "Tell you what, I''m at a friend''s birthday


    party right now. Give me some time to say my goodbyes and we''ll go to Orchid Private Club, okay?"


    ''Orchid Private Club? Okay, anywhere that I can get a stiff, tall one, '' Debbie thought. "Okay! Meet you


    there."


    Then Debbie hung up the phone.


    Following the phone call, Debbie hailed a taxi that just happened to be traveling on the outer perimeter


    of the housing development. It wasn''t the most luxurious ride she had, just an electric BYD e5, but it


    wasfortable and clean. Naturally, she gave the driver instructions to take her to Orchid Private


    Club. Carlos called her several times on the way, but she dismissed all of his calls. She didn''t think that


    talking to him was a very good idea right now.


    When the taxi arrived, her phone rang again and she identally answered it. She remained silent.


    Trying to suppress his emotions, Carlos asked in a low voice, "Where are you?"


    "Hanging with my friends." She paid the fare and got out, walking towards the gates to the Orchid


    Private Club.


    "Give me the address and I''ll pick you up."


    "I..."


    Debbie was about to tell him, "I''m not going back home now." But a cheerful voice interrupted her.


    "Uncle Carlos, the noodles are ready. Come and eat."


    ''Seriously?


    He''s still with Megan? Go to hell, you two!''


    zing anger burned in Debbie''s heart. She really needed that drink now. Without saying a word, she


    hung up on him.


    Looking at his phone, Carlos was stunned, not knowing what happened. ''Why did she hang up? I need


    to get to the bottom of this, '' he thought.


    At the gates of the club, Debbie put her phone back into her pocket. Before she could calm herself


    down, two men in suits and leather shoes trotted over to her.


    "Boss, wee to the club!" one said.


    "Good evening, Boss!" chirped the other.


    Staring at the two managers, Debbie forced a smile and said, "Hi. I need a private booth. My friend will


    be here any minute."


    "Of course. We''ve gotten Room 888 all ready for you. It''s Mr. Huo''s exclusive booth." Since Carlos had


    transferred the club''s ownership to Debbie, that meant they must be somehow rted. The managers


    believed that they could let their new boss use Carlos'' private booth.


    Debbie felt ufortable being addressed as "Boss". Sighing with profound resignation, Debbie


    looked at them and said in a serious manner, "Don''t call me ''Boss''. You know what happened that


    evening. And you know Carlos. I might not be your boss for long. Just call me... er... Miss Nian."


    Upon hearing that, the managers looked at each other in confusion. Rhys Huang, one of them, said


    with a smile, "As you wish, Boss...er, I mean Miss Nian. Your wish is ourmand. We''ll try to


    remember how to refer to you from now on."


    "Thank you. Now, the booth, please?"


    Carlos was indeed a person who enjoyed life. Room 888 was the most luxurious booth of the club, with


    an area of more than 300 square meters. Not only that, but the seat cushions were just the right height


    to sit on, and were designed for hours of use. If you wanted to, you could even lie down and nap there.


    It also had HVAC climate control settings, and controls for a tscreen TV that rose from the middle of


    the table and receded when it wasn''t needed. Apart from that, there was also a tea room, a jukebox, an


    auto mahjong table, and even a fitness area. It even had arge liquor cab against the wall, stocked


    with the finest vintages. Most people didn''t even have houses this big. Not even in the U.S.


    Debbie hesitated a long time in front of the liquor cab. What did she want? Maotai? No. Erguotou?


    Not her thing. Maybe some cheap, ordinary Tsingtao beer? She thought of something hard, but then


    decided against it.


    She took two reds from the cab and asked Rhys Huang to open them. While he was pouring the


    wine, Debbie ate fruit from a te and called Jared.


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    "You here yet? I''m in Room 888," said Debbie.


    Jared was still driving. His purple Ferrari flew like a bat out of hell toward the club. "Really?! Room


    888? Isn''t that Carlos... Never mind. Wait for me. I''ll be there in two minutes."


    Carlos'' exclusive booth had a strong appeal to Jared, who shortened the five minutes'' drive to two.


    Punctuated with the screech of brakes, the Ferrari came to a halt before the Orchid Private Club. Jared


    was pretty eager to grab that booth. It was meant for the rich and famous, and now he''d at least have a


    taste of the good life.


    Jared entered Room 888 before Debbie was able to take a sip. "You''re so fast!" she eximed.


    He nodded and had a look around. He''d never been here before. "Your husband is so rich! Look at this!


    It''s a porcin vase from the Yuan dynasty. I heard some rich dude bid 200 million for it at auction. I''m


    guessing that''s Carlos. And now he just hides it here! What a waste! Oh, look at that! The painting is


    called...er...I can''t think of it right now. But this guy was a famous painter. It must have cost Carlos a


    pretty penny..."


    Debbie rolled her eyes and poured a ss of wine for him. "Dude,e on. Your family is by no


    means poor. So why are you ying the broke card?"


    Jared took a sip of the wine, and his eyes went wide. He took the bottle on the table and checked it


    carefully. "Oh my God! This wine is from a private winery in Bordeaux!" Debbie was getting a little tipsy


    now. "So?" she asked. "So, if you look at where it was made, when the grapes were picked and made


    into wine, etc, it''s more expensive than Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982. It costs at least $500, 000."


    "What?!" Upon hearing the price, Debbie coughed and almost choked on the wine. While Jared was


    looking around, she had gulped down three sses of wine. She had filled the ss with the expensive


    wine, and gulped it down in one go!


    ''I almost drank half the bottle, so that means I just drank $250, 000! Oh my God!'' Debbie was at a loss


    for words.


    "Hey, why is there only half a bottle left?! How long have you been here?" Jared asked in disbelief.


    With an embarrassed smile, Debbie stammered, "Er... I''ve been here... more than ten minutes. But I


    didn''t start til you got here."

 Chapter 137 Lets Get Drunk

    Chapter 137 Let''s Get Drunk


    Jared was stunned by Debbie''s words. ''You drank this expensive wine like water?'' "Tomboy, it''s such a


    waste! If your husband found out, you''d break his heart. By the way, he''s on that business trip, right?


    Let''s get some of the hard stuff. I mean, did you see his liquor cab? Vodka, whiskey, brandy,


    Maotai...He has the best stuff. Tomboy, how about a bottle of limited-edition brandy? This isn''t that


    expensive, I think," he said, grabbing a bottle and examining it.


    Lured by the alcohol, hepletely forgot about Carlos'' warning.


    ''Limited-edition brandy?'' Debbie blinked and wondered. ''This is all my husband''s liquor. No big deal to


    drink a bottle or two. Besides, he''s with Megan now...''


    When Megan popped into her mind, Debbie mmed another ss of wine, snapped her fingers and


    told Jared, "Sure, why not? Besides, I''m not letting you leave. You haven''t drunk enough."


    Jared pped his hands, cheerful at her assent. "Awesome!"


    He took the bottle from the cab, removed the lid and poured her a ss, then himself. The smell of


    alcohol filled the room.


    They clinked sses and drank the brandy. They were feeling pretty good now, the two of them. The


    room was warm, the lights making the ce somewhat indistinct, and their cares werergely


    forgotten. It was a good time, just these two friends, and in some ways just like old times.


    After two sses of brandy, Debbie''s mind was a nk¡ªno more Carlos, no more Megan. She felt


    great at that moment. And that was the whole point of this little rendezvous.


    Jared was a heavy drinker. He was still ying on his phone¡ªit was thetest version made by Carlos''


    company. After the upgrade, a whole world of games opened to him. And so he was busy downloading


    one while ying another.


    They polished off the bottle of brandy and were about to find something else to drink when Jared''s


    phone rang. He showed Debbie the caller ID and said, "It''s Kasie."


    With a red face, Debbie stammered, "W-Why is she...calling you now?"


    "Not a clue. Maybe she''s in trouble." Jared and Kasie were good friends, but he and Debbie had a


    better rtionship. He''d known Debbie longer, and she was just more fun to be around. Still, he cared


    about Kasie.


    When he answered the call, his face changed dramatically. He jumped to his feet and yelled at his


    phone, "Where are you? Debbie and I... Okay, got it!"


    His face became a mask of solemnity. Debbie shook her dizzy head and asked, "Jared, what


    happened?"


    "Something happened to Kasie. She asked me to bring some people along to help. Let''s go."


    Once she heard that, Debbie sobered up a little. She guzzled some more wine and put on her coat


    before the two of them left the Orchid Private Club. Kasie was in trouble.


    Jared''s Ferrari was parked not far from the gates. He managed to make his way into the driver''s seat,


    but Debbie dragged him out and snapped, "Get out! You''re too drunk to drive."


    "You kidding? I can hold my liquor." Jared''s face was a little redder than usual, but he was fully awake


    now.


    Debbie shook her head. "No! What part of ''no'' don''t you understand? You''ll lose your license and rot in


    jail. I don''t think you''d look good in prison grey. Let''s just get a taxi. Or call for a driving service."


    Although Debbie was drunk, she always kept that in mind. ording to thew, if a drunk gets behind


    the wheel, he''ll be held by the Traffic Administration Department until he sobers up, and his driver''s


    license shall be automatically revoked. He''ll face criminal charges, and lose his license for 5 years.


    "Driving service?" Jared looked at the two-seat sports car. "You want to stay in the trunk?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snapped, "Forget it. Just call a taxi."


    Sighing in defeat, Jared gave his car keys to a security guard at the club and told him, "Call the driving


    service for me, and ask the driver to follow our taxi."


    "Yes, Mr. Han."


    At the Merja Karaoke


    When Jared and Debbie entered the private booth where Kasie was, they saw many young boys and


    girls having fun.


    The room was very bright. The lyrics of a love song were disyed on the screen, but it was in quiet


    mode.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    People came up to Jared and weed him to the little soiree. "Jared, what brings you here?"


    "I haven''t seen you in a long time. Your girl looks familiar."


    "She looks pretty. Your new girlfriend?"


    Coming from a well-off family, Jared was popr in upper ss circles.


    Most of the guys in the room were from rich families as well, and were Jared''s friends. Jared couldn''t


    be bothered to introduce them to Debbie. He greeted them back and pointed to Kasie, who was


    surrounded by several people. "She''s my friend."


    "I get it. She called you." A girl''s soft voice sounded. Both Jared and Debbie knew her.


    And Debbie hated her¡ªshe was Portia, Hayden''s sister.


    Brown beret, beige knit dress, ck boots, haughty expression. That was Portia. Her brown long coat


    was folded and draped over the couch.


    She was rich, and looked the part.


    ''How did Kasie piss off Portia?'' both Debbie and Jared mused.


    Hands in pockets, Jared walked up to Kasie and then flung his arm around her shoulders. With a broad


    smile, he turned to Portia and said, "Yeah, she called me. She''s my best friend."


    Portia cast a scornful nce at Debbie, who was leaning against the wall, trying to look detached. Then


    she turned to Jared. "Jared, why are you even friends with this woman? You know she''s a mistress,


    right?"


    Portia stressed the word "mistress", which enraged Kasie. She shouted, "Don''t throw shade at me!


    Dammit, I didn''t know he was your boyfriend. He told me he was single."


    Disdain was obvious in Portia''s eyes. She told Jared in a mocking tone, "You need to be more careful


    next time you want to make friends with someone. Look at you. You have a ho and a tomboy as


    friends. Good thing you guys are just friends. If you were dating one of them, you''d probably be tearing


    your hair out by now."


    Everyone realized that she was calling Debbie "tomboy". They turned to look at Debbie and whispered


    to one another.


    Debbie was still drunk and you could smell the alcohol on her.


    Jared''s face soured at Portia''s words. The only person he couldn''t afford to offend was Carlos Huo. As


    for people from the Gu family, he didn''t give a damn about them. He pointed to Portia and snapped,


    "Who do you think you are? You don''t even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as my friends.


    Come on, Kasie, let''s go."


    The boys around Kasie immediately blocked Jared''s way.


    Jared fumed with rage. "Get the hell out of my way!"


    These boys were all young and rich. They didn''t like what Jared said. One of them shouted, "Shut up!


    Did Portia say you could go?"


    "Why do I need her permission?" Jared''s eyes swept over the boys around Portia. "Why do you guys


    all bow down to her? What do you get out of it? It''s not like you need the money...I''ve got it! You guys


    fucked her once, and now you''re hoping she''ll put out some more, right?"


    It was quite normal for these rich boys to have threesomes. As for rich girls like Portia, only a few of


    them would agree to it.

 Chapter 138 Clean My Shoes

    Chapter 138 Clean My Shoes


    Many rich boys had had threesomes and foursomes before, but it was something that upper-ss


    people talked about only behind closed doors.


    Most people in the private booth were enraged by Jared''s bluntness, especially Portia. Her face turned


    pale, and then livid. She pointed at Jared and yelled, "Jared Han, you''re so shameless! Don''t you dare


    think that we''re as dirty as you are."


    ''How dare Jared insult Portia?!'' The boy standing nearest to Jared fumed with rage. He grabbed


    Jared''s cor with one hand and got ready to punch him in the face with the other. "Fuck you, Jared


    Han! You''re really asking for it!"


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as his fist was about tond on Jared''s face, Kasie grabbed his arm and pulled it back. "Don''t start


    a fight!"


    Debbie staggered to the boy and patted him on his shoulder. "Hey, dude."


    The boy turned to the drunk girl. Irritated by the smell of alcoholing from her, he shouted, "Fuck


    off!"


    Instead of getting angry, Debbie gave him a big sweet smile that caught him off guard.


    The very next moment, she threw her fist toward his face. It was toote for the boy to dodge; he got a


    hard punch in the face.


    "Ouch!" His hands flew up to hold his face in pain.


    Debbie blew on her fist. It had been a long time since she had fought with anyone, so she was a little


    rusty now. Her hand was hurting so much that she wanted to cry.


    Now that Debbie had started a fight, the room was in chaos. The boys gathered around Debbie and


    Jared in an attempt to avenge their dream girl, Portia.


    Kasie didn''t know how to fight, so Jared pushed her aside to protect her.


    The room was in a mess.


    Several of Portia''s girlfriends ran toward Kasie, nning to teach her a lesson. Although Kasie didn''t


    know how to fight like Debbie, she wasn''t a doormat. She grabbed an empty bottle, smashed it onto the


    table, and pointed the broken half at the girls. The girls immediately stopped in their tracks in fear.


    Some of the people in the room couldn''t afford to offend either party, so they tried to stop the fight but


    to no avail.


    One of the boys tried to catch Debbie off guard, but she gave him a spin kick, sending him flying


    backward. He rolled back and forth on the floor, wailing in pain.


    Debbie belched loudly and murmured, "Jared, I don''t want to fight anymore. I want to sleep."


    With a sigh of resignation, Jared said, "I''ll take you home after I beat these guys... Aaaaargh! That


    hurts!"


    While Jared was talking to Debbie, a boy hit him in the eye.


    All Debbie wanted to do was sleep. She went over to Jared and knocked the boys around him onto the


    floor effortlessly.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Portia standing there as if the whole scene had nothing to do with


    her. She kicked the table beside Portia, causing it to move a few centimeters. The wine bottle on the


    table fell onto its side and the wine poured out. Portia wasn''t fast enough to dodge it, so the wine


    stained her expensive boots.


    "Debbie Nian!" she cried hysterically.


    Debbie had destroyed her night dress a couple of days ago and now she had stained her limited-


    edition boots. ''Damn bitch!'' Portia cursed inwardly.


    Debbie shook her head in a bid to sober up and asked, "You called me? What for?"


    Realizing that Debbie was drunk, Portia took a deep breath to calm down, then raised her left leg and


    put her foot down on the chair. "Clean my boots!" she ordered. Obviously, she wanted to insult Debbie.


    Debbie nodded, "Sure."


    She grabbed a piece of red dragon fruit from the fruit tter and spread it onto Portia''s boot. "Actually,


    ck boots don''t suit you. Red ones look better. See?" Debbie sounded satisfied.


    The ck boot was covered with the juice and flesh of the red dragon fruit.


    Portia couldn''t believe her eyes. Unable to maintain her elegant demeanor anymore, she yelled,


    "Debbie Nian! These boots cost me $130, 000. Do you think you can afford topensate?"


    Debbie shook her head honestly. "I can''t afford topensate. I have no money." All the money she


    used was from Carlos.


    Hearing that Debbie didn''t have any money made Portia feel much better. She was pleased that


    Debbie was living a hard life. With a mocking smile, she said, "I don''t care whether you have money or


    not, you mustpensate for my boots. Oh, and the night dress as well. Otherwise, I will teach you a


    lesson."


    At that moment, a boy tried to hit Debbie on Portia''s behalf, but Debbie knocked him down.


    Just then, the door to the private booth was opened from the outside. Several policemen entered and


    shouted, "Don''t move!"


    Meanwhile, in a new three-story vi, Megan propped up her chin with her hands and fixed her eyes on


    Carlos, who was sitting opposite her and eating noodles. "Uncle Carlos, there''s something I want to tell


    you..."


    "Go on." Although Carlos looked calm andposed, his thoughts were all on Debbie.


    Megan hesitated for a long time, as if she was struggling for words. Finally, she said in a low voice, "I


    saw a man kissing Aunt Debbie in an underground car park the other day."


    Carlos froze for a moment, and then said, "Okay. I already know that." Then, he continued eating the


    noodles as if what Megan had just said wasn''t a big deal.


    Silence befell the dining room. With an embarrassed smile, Megan tried to defend herself by saying,


    "You know, I''m not a girl who speaks ill of other people behind their backs. But... Uncle Carlos, you


    need to understand that I''m only saying this for your sake. To be honest, a woman like Debbie Nian


    doesn''t deserve..."


    "Megan!" Carlos interrupted her in a stern voice.


    Tears welled up in Megan''s eyes as she continued stubbornly, "Uncle Carlos, you never used to scold


    me for anything. But ever since Debbie popped up from nowhere... If she behaved herself, I''d be willing


    to call her my aunt. But you''ve seen it with your own eyes. She has a close rtionship with Jared Han


    and even dated another man while you were away."


    Carlos put down the chopsticks, picked up a tissue to clean his mouth, and said with an emotionless


    face, "Megan, you''ve misunderstood her. She and Jared have been good friends for many years. Do


    not say such things ever again, okay? Go to bed early."


    Then, he stood up from his seat, adjusted his suit, and walked toward the gates of the vi.


    Megan jumped to her feet, trotted after him and held his waist as he changed his shoes. She pressed


    her cheek against his back and pleaded, "Uncle Carlos, please don''t be angry at me. I just want you to


    be happy."


    Carlos was not pleased with how she was acting. He shifted away from her and said in a cold voice, "I


    know what you meant to say, but you''re overreacting. It''s veryte. You need to sleep now."


    Sensing that he was in a bad mood, Megan took a step back and said obediently, "I''m d you know


    that, Uncle Carlos. I''ll go to bed now. Have a safe drive."


    Megan knew how to manipte Carlos'' mood. As expected, his face softened at her words. He nodded


    and left the vi.


    Inside his Emperor car, Carlos leaned back against his seat with his eyes shut.


    Emmett, the driver, stole a nce at his boss and then, carefully choosing his words, said, "Mr. Huo,


    we have to attend the open tender in the nearby city tomorrow morning. When are we leaving for the


    city?"

 Chapter 139 Your Husband Seems To Be Here

    Chapter 139 Your Husband Seems To Be Here


    The open tender was very important to the ZL Group and it was why Carlos had gone out of town in the


    first ce. But after hearing Debbie say that she missed him, he''d squeezed out some time in his


    schedule and rushed back to Y City.


    Silence befell the car. Emmett could tell that Carlos was in a bad mood. Since Carlos didn''t respond,


    Emmett didn''t pursue the topic again.


    Just then, Emmett''s phone rang. With one hand on the wheel, he answered it. "Hello, this is... What?!


    When? Okay, got it. Thank you. Bye!"


    After hanging up, he cast a careful nce at his boss sitting in the back seat, then cleared his throat


    and said, "Er... Mr. Huo, something has happened to Mrs. Huo."


    Carlos'' eyes flew open, and his piercing gaze sent a chill running down Emmett''s spine. Emmett


    wanted nothing more than to hit the brakes and ditch the car to get as far away from his boss as


    possible.


    Meanwhile, the local police station was overflowing with young boys and girls, even though it was


    usually calm and quiet at this hour.


    The boys were behaving as arrogantly as ever, as if they feared nothing and no one. The girls,


    however, lookedpletely different from half an hour ago. Now, they were sitting quietly in the cell


    with their heads lowered.


    One of the policemen was interrogating Jared, whose face was ck and blue. "Why did you start the


    fight?"


    Jared raised his chin and pointed at another boy. With innocent eyes, he said, "Sir, you should ask him.


    I don''t know why they hit me. I''m confused too."


    The policeman knew how unruly these rich second generation kids could be. He banged the table and


    said in a serious tone, "If you refuse to answer, you''ll have to celebrate New Year behind bars."


    New Year was just half a month away.


    While Jared was being questioned, Debbie was sound asleep with her head resting on Kasie''s


    shoulder. No matter who spoke to her, she kept her eyes closed. Finally, when one of the policemen


    pressed her too hard, she yelled, "Why didn''t you bring that woman here as well? She''s the one who


    started the fight!" The woman she was referring to was none other than Portia. Portia had made a


    phone call to Hayden as soon as the policemen arrived at the private booth. As a result, she hadn''t


    been taken to the police station.


    Debbie wanted to leave too, but she didn''t dare to call Carlos. Besides, she was still mad at him. There


    was no way she would call him for help.


    Anyway, she wasn''t worried about herself because she believed that Jared would help her out.


    Debbie''s stubbornness gave the policeman a headache. He shifted his attention to Kasie instead.


    Unfortunately for him, Kasie wasn''t a well-behaved girl either and had been brought to the police


    station before. Like Debbie, she kept insisting that she was innocent and that Portia was the one who


    had started the fight.


    The policeman knew these people were all from prominent families, so he didn''t want to waste his time


    on them anymore. "Just ask one of your family members toe here. You can leave after we get their


    signature."


    Upon hearing that, Debbie instantly sobered up. Her eyes were red because of sleepiness. She cast a


    warning nce at Jared and firmly said, "Don''t call your brother." If Damon found out about this, so


    would Carlos.


    Initially, Jared had been nning to call Damon. He was afraid that his father would beat him up if he


    found out about this.


    But now that Debbie was asking him not to call his brother, his mother was the only person he could


    call.


    Kasie took the telephone receiver away from Jared and said, "This is all my fault. I''ll call my dad."


    "Don''t. It''s no big deal." Jared snatched it back.


    While the two were arguing about who should make the call, a man walked into the station¡ªit was


    Emmett. As soon as Debbie saw him, she grabbed her two friends and used them to shield herself


    from Emmett''s line of vision.


    Kasie recognized Emmett immediately.


    Jared, however, was too preupied with his own thoughts to notice Emmett. Shaken out of his


    thoughts by Debbie''s sudden push, he asked in a loud voice, "Tomboy, what are you doing?"


    ''Shoot! He''s such an idiot!'' Debbie cursed inwardly and kicked him hard in the shin.


    She then stole a nce at the entrance of the station, only to see Emmett approaching her.


    "Mrs. Huo, I''m here to bring you home."


    ''No! It seems that he already knows about what happened. I''m done.'' Debbie wanted to cry.


    ''Now that Emmett knows, then Carlos must know about it as well.''


    Swallowing hard to calm herself down, she turned around and asked, "Does your boss know about it?"


    A friendly smile crossed Emmett''s face. "Yes."


    ''I''m screwed!'' Debbie thought.


    After signing some papers, Emmett took Debbie, Jared, and Kasie out of the police station.


    Jared had to carry Debbie on his back. After realizing that Carlos knew about the whole mess, Debbie


    was so nervous that she could barely stand.


    At the sight of the Emperor car parked across the street, Jared whispered to Debbie, "Your husband


    seems to be here as well."


    Debbie froze immediately and tightened her grip on his neck. "Take me to your house."


    "Please! Please let me go!" Jared pleaded.


    "If you don''t do as I say, we won''t be friends anymore," she threatened.


    "I''d rather break off rtions with you than offend your husband."


    Debbie was left speechless.


    Emmett, who was closely following behind, almost burst intoughter.


    He trotted toward the car and opened the back door for Debbie. Jared carefully helped Debbie into the


    back seat. Even after settling down into the back seat, however, Debbie refused to loosen her grip on


    Jared''s neck.


    Jared felt like he was suffocating. "Tomboy, your husband''s here. Let go of me!" he said through gritted


    teeth.


    "What? My husband?" murmured Debbie, trying to y innocent. Her eyes swept around the car and


    met Carlos'' cold gaze. She shivered in fear and released her arms.


    Finally able to breathe again, Jared straightened up, closed the car door, and ran away. He didn''t even


    dare to take onest look behind him.


    Through the car window, Debbie watched as Jared ran away from the Emperor car as fast as he could.


    Fear and disappointment flooded her. ''He''s such an ungrateful ass! How could he leave me alone to


    face a tyrant?'' she cried in her mind.


    "Er... Bye, Jared. Bye, Kasie. Wow, I''m so sleepy. I need to take a rest," Debbie murmured as if she


    was talking to herself.


    Then, she leaned against the seat and closed her eyes.


    She dozed off quickly. When cold wind blew in through the car door and woke her up, she opened her


    eyes in confusion.


    Then, she found herself in familiar arms.


    It took her a second to remember everything that had happened. But in order to avoid being punished


    by Carlos, she decided to y dumb.


    "Carlos Huo, it''s you... Who am I? Where am I?"


    Carlos remained silent.


    Her heart sank; her tricks didn''t seem to be working. In a fit of desperation, she started to sing. "Twinkle


    twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high..." But before she could finish


    singing the song, she had an urge to vomit. She ran toward a tree and started vomiting.


    She felt much better after she was done. A bottle of water was handed to her. Without raising her head


    to see who it was from, she rinsed her mouth with the water.Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Now that her head was clearer, she could feel the cold gust of wind blowing past. She shook her head


    to clear her vision and found a man staring at her with piercing eyes. She was so frightened that she


    threw the bottle away. Her legs were shaking. She reached out a hand to steady herself against the


    tree and stammered, "Carlos..." ''No! Maybe I can calm him down by seducing him.'' She put on a sweet


    smile and said, "Honey, here you are. I missed you so much."


    "Are you sober now?" His voice was still cold. Obviously, her n didn''t work. Anger was written all


    over his face.


    ''What can I do? God, help me!'' But Debbie maintained the smile on her face and said, "Yes, I am.


    Honey, it''ste and freezing outside. Let''s go home and go to bed."

 Chapter 140 Bury Me In The Earth

    Chapter 140 Bury Me In The Earth


    Debbie raised her left leg to walk, but her right leg went soft. She was about to fall to the ground when


    Carlos steadied her and pulled her into his arms.


    "You are as drunk as a lord. How are you nning to get to the vi?" Carlos taunted.


    Debbie covered her face with both hands in shame. "Honey, let''s get going." She tried to act in a


    pettishly charming manner, but she felt like she was going to throw up again.


    However, Carlos didn''t buy it this time. He stared at her red lips, and became engrossed in his own


    thoughts.


    "Honey, why not bury me in the earth? That way, many Debbies will spring up next year. I know that


    you don''t like this short-tempered Debbie. If you''re lucky, you might be able to harvest an obedient


    Debbie and you''ll love her."


    Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ''Many Debbies? I can hardly deal with one Debbie.'' Carlos'' head throbbed at the thought. He rubbed


    his arched brow and said in a cold tone, "After this semester, I''m sending you to study abroad."


    ording to him, her unruly character had much to do with the environment she was living in. He


    thought that her friends, Jared and Kasie, were a bad influence on her.


    ''Study abroad? NO!'' Instantly, Debbie fumed. "You''re sending me abroad? Oh, I guess you want to


    send me as far away as you can, so that you can date women like Olga and Megan..."


    Carlos'' lips were reduced to a thin line, but he remained silent.


    Debbie raised her voice. "Why are you not responding? Say something! You are feeling guilty because


    I''m right, aren''t you?"


    "You don''t want to leave because you want to get back together with Hayden Gu. Isn''t that right?" His


    voice was as cold as ice.


    Debbie was stunned by his words. ''Hayden? What does this have to do with him?'' "You''re judging me


    by the standards of your own vile mind! I got nothing to do with him!" she snapped back.


    ''Me? Vile?'' Too impatient to argue with her anymore, Carlos grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the


    vi.


    Debbie staggered because of his sudden movement. She struggled hard to break free from his grip,


    but to no avail. "Let go of me, you bastard! Let me go! Yeah, I drank! So what? I drank from your best


    collections. I will drink all your limited-edition wine next time. And then, you will have nothing left to


    drink."


    Unable to control herself, Debbie droned on and on. "I''ll mix the wine with Sprite and beer...and c..."


    Bang! Carlos locked the bedroom door behind him and threw her onto the bed. "Mixing liquor with


    Sprite and c will harm your intestines and stomach; mixing wine with Sprite and c will harm your


    heart and cause diabetes," he said in a calm voice.


    He threw his tie on the couch and began to strip himself. "Mixing liquor with beer might cause


    duodenitis and gastric bleeding; mixing wine with beer might cause chronic alcoholism."


    Lying on the bed, Debbie watched Carlos as he threw his white shirt onto the floor. He then began to


    take off his pants. She swallowed hard and mumbled, "Er... Wh-What are you doing?" ''Wow...His


    strong chest and tight abdomen...'' Debbie drooled over her husband''s sexy body. "P-Put on your


    clothes," she stammered.


    ''Put on my clothes? I came all the way here to fuck you, '' Carlos snorted inwardly.


    Ignoring her pleas, he pressed her against the bed with his body and asked, "You want to die, don''t


    you?"


    "What?!" Debbie didn''t understand.


    "If you want to die so badly, you don''t need to down all this alcohol. I''ll do you a favor. I''ll fuck you to


    death."


    "What?! Aaaaargh! Carlos Huo is trying to murder me! Mmm..." Her voice was muffled by deep kisses.


    The next moment, she was stripped down mercilessly. She really, really regretted provoking this angry


    man. And now, she was going to pay the price. In his anger, he showed no mercy. He had rough sex


    with Debbie all night.


    Debbie quaked like a leaf in the wind. Uncontroble moans filled the room. As he came, he called out


    her name, thrusting hard, then stilling as he emptied himself into her.


    She wanted to cry and yell at him. ''You monster! You old goat!'' But she was too exhausted to utter a


    single word. She decided to let him go for now.


    She felt him slipping something onto her finger, but she was too sleepy to open her eyes and look at it.


    She dozed off soon after.


    It was already noon when Debbie woke up the next day. Her eyes swept around the empty room. As far


    as she knew, Carlos had arrived in the nearby city in the morning.


    How did she know that? She had Emmett, and she could find out Carlos'' whereabouts any time she


    needed to know it.


    ''So he squeezed out the time and came all the way here just to serve as Megan''s boyfriend? Or just to


    have sex with me?'' Debbie thought to herself, confused.


    She raised her hands to rub her aching temples, and that was when she saw it. The diamond ring on


    her finger! She gasped.


    ''Where did thise from? Did Carlos put it on? When did he...? Oh my God!


    Oh no! My head is killing me now!''


    At Economics and Management School


    Debbie slouched around on the campus, one hand on her chest. She had a ne around her neck


    with the huge diamond ring as the pendant.


    The diamond was almost the size of a pigeon egg. She was afraid that she might be kidnapped if


    someone saw it.


    She could even see the shape of the diamond through her thick sweater. Luckily, it was winter, and she


    was wearing a down jacket and a scarf. It would be highly difficult to spot the rock.


    But, she was sure that the ring was probably worth at least tens of millions of dors. It was the most


    expensive gift she had ever received. Mixed emotions flooded her. She was drowned in her own


    thoughts when she heard someone calling out her name.


    "Hey! Tomboy!" a familiar voice shouted behind her.


    Turning around, she saw Jared limping over to her. He had a dark circle around his eye as a result of


    the punch from a boy yesterday.


    "You didn''t hurt your leg yesterday. What happened?" Debbie asked, scowling.


    Frustrated, Jared shook his head and exined, "That bastard, Damon, kicked me when I got home. I


    swear he''ll pay for this. Why didn''t you attend Prof. He''s ss this morning? Was it because your


    husband punished youst night?"


    "He didn''t punish me! I-I had something else to do in the morning. Why did Damon kick you?" Debbie


    changed the topic as her face turned red at the word "punish."


    But Jared was too careless to notice the blush. At the mention of Damon, he said through gritted teeth,


    "He thought that he needed to teach me a lesson so that I wouldn''t get into fights again. Damn him! He


    really thinks he''s my brother! I don''t give a damn about that. I''ll get even with him next time!"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snapped, "Why do you hate him? He did it for your own good." Debbie


    thought of Damon as a good brother to Jared.


    Jared snapped back, "Oh really? And I think Carlos Huo does everything for your own good. But you


    hate him as well."


    "I don''t hate him at all!" Debbie defended herself, frowning at him. ''I love him, '' she said to herself.


    Although she was still mad at Carlos, that didn''t mean she didn''t love him.


    "I clearly remember you calling him a scum when we were drinking yesterday. You were saying that he


    dated Olga, Megan..." Jared had apparently heard Debbie grumblest night at the club.


    pping her hand over his mouth, Debbie yelled, "Stop talking nonsense! You obviously misheard


    me!"

 Chapter 141 A Handsome Young Boy

    Chapter 141 A Handsome Young Boy


    Jared didn''t want to bother arguing with Debbie, so he changed the topic and said casually, "There is a


    poverty relief project to support the people in the Southon Vige. Are you going to sign up for it?" If his


    memory served him right, Debbie was always enthusiastic about this sort of charity events.


    "Yes! Of course, I''m going!" Debbie replied firmly. In the past, she didn''t have much money, but she still


    actively participated in the charity activities. Now that Carlos had given her arge amount of money to


    spend as she wished, of course she would go and put that money to good use. ''I''ll just be doing charity


    on his behalf, '' she thought to herself and she was okay with it as long as she could help others in


    need.


    "I knew it!" Jared groaned. "But Southon Vige is the poorest vige in our country. The conditions


    there are awful. Besides, it''s winter and the event will go on for at least a week. Are you sure you want


    to torture yourself by doing this?"


    His words did scare Debbie a little. She hesitated, but when Carlos'' face popped up in her mind, she


    gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, I''m sure. I''ve made up my mind."


    Although Jared was dressed in a warm down jacket, he suddenly felt the whole world freeze after


    hearing her reply. A chill ran down his spine when he thought about apanying Debbie to such a


    remote ce where even a heater was a luxury. He couldn''t help but pull his down jacket tighter around


    himself as his body trembled.


    In the multimedia ssroom


    Kasie repeatedly shook her head in disbelief. "Tomboy, please. Please! Think about it. Are you even


    aware of how bad the conditions in the Southon Vige are? Most of the people in the vige speak the


    minoritynguage which you don''t understand. There will be no heater, not even an asphalt road to


    walk on, no shower..." She shuddered as she imagined being in such a ce. "Gosh! Believe me! You''ll


    turn into aplete mess after spending a few days there."


    Echoing Kasie''s words, Kristina nodded her head up and down and then nced sympathetically at


    Jared, who looked visibly depressed now. From the expression on his face, Kristina knew that Jared


    was definitely nning to apany Debbie in spite of his reluctance. Patting him on his shoulder,


    she praised him, "I admire your courage, Jared. I didn''t know that you were actually this manly."


    Unconvinced by her weak praise, Jared yelled, "Dixon, get a leash on your girlfriend and ask her to


    mind her words! What does she mean ''actually''? I''ve always been manly, okay?"


    Dixon merely smiled and pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose. Then, he said in a calm voice,


    "Kasie. Kristina. You two needn''te along. Jared and I will go with Tomboy." Dixon was born in a


    small vige and had lived there before he hade to the university. He was used to the hard life in


    the vige, so it wasn''t a big deal for him to spend a few days in the Southon Vige.


    With an apologetic look, Kasie patted Debbie on her hand and said in a mock serious tone, "Tomboy,


    as your best friend, I know that I should share weal and woe with you. However, this is a hardship


    you''re begging to be in, so I''m not going to share it. Take care of yourself."


    Debbie shrugged. She didn''t mind. She had no intention of making Kasie and Kristina go with her. "I''ll


    be okay with Jared and Dixon. The two of you can enjoy your winter vacation in peace."


    After their discussion, Dixon wrote their names on the list, signing up for the activity. There were fifteen


    students who were taking part in the project in total, and four of them were from Debbie''s ss.


    Intrigued, Debbie looked at the fourth name¡ªGregory Song.


    ''Gregory Song...'' she pondered. ''Isn''t that the docile boy who took me back home when I was drunk


    that night?


    He looks like an indoor type. Why would he be interested in going to the Southon Vige?''


    She quickly scanned the ssroom and her eyes met Gregory''s.


    Gregory flustered as they made eye contact. In a split second, he lowered his head and pretended to


    read his book. His face flushed bright red, but Debbie was too busy to notice it. She was marveling at


    his good-looking face. She pictured how charming Gregory would be if he dressed up like a hero in a


    historical soap opera. A lot of girls would fall for him.


    ''He is such a handsome young boy. He should be staying in a big city. Why would he want to go and do


    charity in Southon Vige?''


    Unable to hold back her curiosity, Debbie decided to go and ask him directly.


    As she walked up to the row of seats in front of Gregory, she gestured to the girl in the seat and she


    immediately moved to another seat, making room for Debbie. Debbie casually sat down in front of


    Gregory and asked outright, "Gregory, are you going to go to Southon Vige too?"


    Closing his book, Gregory slightly nodded. "Yes. I''m free during that week." The truth was that he


    actually had something else to do during that week, but he chose to take part in the poverty relief


    project instead.


    He knew Debbie''s hobbies and he was sure that she would go.


    Seeing Gregory nodding, Debbie suddenly felt that his face resembled someone she used to know.


    She searched her memories, but failed to identify the person.


    Time flew by and it was soon the day of their departure to Southon Vige. Wearing a ck down


    jacket, a knitted hat that matched her clothes and a pair of white sneakers, Debbie showed up at the


    high-speed rail station with Jared and Dixon. She was pulling Carlos'' 26-inch ck suitcase behind her.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    When all her schoolmates were assembled, Debbie was shocked to see an unexpected person in their


    midst. She pointed at the masked boy who was dressed in ck casual clothes and asked surprisingly,


    "Gus Lu? You areing too?"


    Gus sneered. "What? Why are you bothered by it? Can''t I go where I please?"


    He kept it to himself the reason why he was there. The truth was that he was forced to sign up for the


    activity by his brother, Curtis. Curtis had told him that he should go along and protect the girls.


    ''Debbie Nian is stronger than most men. She doesn''t need my protection.


    And even if she needed someone''s protection, it shouldn''t have to be me! She has nothing to do with


    me!'' Gus cursed angrily.


    Suspicions rose in his mind. He wondered why Curtis treated Debbie so well. ''Could it be possible that


    they are in some sort of rtionship?'' With that thought in mind, Gus stared at Debbie with contempt in


    his eyes.


    His hostile attitude quickly got on Debbie''s nerves. If he hadn''t taken the initiative to talk to her on the


    yground, she wouldn''t have said a word to him!


    But Debbie didn''t want to argue with a wimpy kid like him, so she rolled her eyes and turned around to


    leave. She spotted another interesting individual in the group and walked up to her. The girl was clearly


    pretending to be happy as she chatted away with the others. Debbie asked as she approached her,


    "Gail, does your mother know that you are on your way to Southon Vige?"


    Gail seethed with anger at Debbie''s appearance. With her back against her other schoolmates, she


    ferociously red at Debbie and cursed in a low voice, "Damn you! This is all because of you! Why do


    you have to do this goddamn charity? My father forced me to go and I am supposed to learn from you!


    Are you insane?"


    ''Who would willingly want to stay in such a remote and poor vige for a whole week? There''s


    something wrong with her pitiful brain, '' Gail thought.


    Hearing Gail''s words, Debbie instantly understood the situation. She nodded happily and said, "I think


    my uncle did it for your own good. You haven''t gone through any hardship in your life. It''s good for a


    richdy like you to experience some hard life from time to time."


    Gail wanted to vent out her anger on Debbie at that very moment. But since there were other


    schoolmates around, Gail had to pretend to be an elegant and well-educateddy. So she walked


    closer to Debbie and grabbed her arm with a fake smile. In a loud voice, she said, "Yes, you''re right!


    I''ve brought so much snack food with me. I''ll be giving it to the children there. By the way, what are you


    going to give the children, Debbie?"


    "Money." The school had already sent the donated clothes and daily supplies to Southon Vige.


    Debbie didn''t think it was necessary to bring more of that for them. But with a little money, they could at


    least buy something they wanted most. She had brought something else too. But she wasn''t going to


    tell Gail that!


    Gail''s smile froze on her face. She ridiculed Debbie, "You think you have enough money to spend on


    charity? And what makes you think that money has any use there? In a remote mountain area like that,


    what can you buy even if you have money?"


    Shaking off Gail''s arm, Debbie walked a few steps away and said coldly, "That''s none of your business.


    Remember not to drag the whole team down with you."


    Among the fifteen students, ten were boys and the other five were girls. Debbie knew most of them,


    except two or three students. She usually met them at school and sometimes greeted them on the


    campus.


    So she was excited about going with all of them. ''It''s like going on a trip with friends!''


    At Southon Vige


    Jumping off the bus, Debbie quickly ran to the edge of the road and began retching.

 Chapter 142 Rebuked By Gus Lu

    Chapter 142 Rebuked By Gus Lu


    To get to the Southon Vige, Debbie and her schoolmates had first taken a two-hour ride on a high-


    speed train. Then they transferred to a bus, which took them seven hours. By the time they arrived, it


    was already dark. The bus had bumped all the way along the rugged mountain roads, jolting the


    passengers on it badly. Debbie never had carsickness, but this time, she couldn''t help but feel dizzy.


    She bent down on the roadside and retched a few times, but didn''t vomit.


    A few of her schoolmates had begun vomiting as soon as they got off the bus.


    The pungent smell of vomit and the disgusting sight of it only made things worse for Debbie. Just when


    she felt she was safe, her stomach churned violently, and in one loud retch she threw up.


    Dixon opened the lid off his water bottle and handed it to Debbie to wash her mouth. "There''s no hot


    water right now. Just take a few sips of this bottle of water first," he said.


    Debbie took the bottle and rinsed the taste out of her mouth with the water. Now that she felt much


    better, she was finally in a mood to appreciate the scenery.


    As they stood up high and looked around, the students could see the small vige in the distance¡ª


    dozens of houses lined up at the foot of the mountain. Most of the houses were smallish one-storey


    houses, with the tallest standing only three-storey up.


    Still feeling exhausted from the journey, Debbie stretched herself. It was refreshing to finally breathe


    the clean air of the countryside.


    But the biggest problem was... the piercing coldness in the mountain area.


    A gust of cold wind blew over, threatening to freeze them into icy stumps sticking out of permafrost.


    Although they all came in warm clothing, they were not prepared for biting cold. The girls soon began to


    comin. Even some of the boys found it worse than they had expected.


    Once the vigers learnt of the students'' arrival, many of them, especially children, stood at the


    entrance of the vige to wee the group. As Debbie and her schoolmates walked towards the


    vigers, they were shocked to realize that the children''s faces and hands were turning red from


    exposure while they waited. And it really gripped Debbie''s heart that the kids wore old, worn-out cotton


    clothes, which were far from enough to keep them warm in such harsh weather. Worse still, some of


    the children wore thin, baldly beaten shoes.


    With wide eyes, the children stared curiously at the visitors from the big city. Expectation and


    eagerness to learn about the outside world were obvious on their faces.


    Behind the children, there stood a group of old or middle-aged women, wearing genuine, weing


    smiles on their tanned faces. They raised their gnarled hands and waved enthusiastically.


    The scene moved most of the students close to tears. Born and brought up in affluence, they were


    jolted,ing face to face with such abject poverty for the very first time.


    Even though they had already mentally prepared themselves before they came, the squalid living


    conditions here were way too unsettling.


    The donated relief supplies would arrive at the vige tomorrow, so the students would start their work


    from tomorrow. After greeting the students, the vige head led them to the host families, where they


    would spend the night.


    Since there were fifteen students in total, they were assigned into smaller groups for amodation in


    different vigers'' houses. And some were in individual rooms. When Debbie saw the room that was


    arranged for her, she gave a helpless sigh.


    But she didn''t want toin, because she had seen Jared''s and Dixon''s rooms too. Compared to


    their rooms, hers was much better. The conditions were indeed terrible. The room was simple with only


    a wooden bed, a rickety table, a chair, a broken desk and an old wardrobe. Everything was seen at a


    nce.


    The only thing tofort Debbie was that there was a new and clean set of bedding. She counted


    herself lucky for that.


    It was getting darker outside. After dropping off their own luggage at their different rooms, the group


    gathered at the vige head''s house and had dinner together.


    The vige head had prepared enough food for the guests. On the long table, various dishes were


    served, everything from fresh farm ingredients. There was rabbit meat, turkey, pork and fish. All


    generously provided by farmers across the vige. Although the dishes didn''t look all that decorated,


    the aroma aroused Debbie''s appetite.


    After a moment of hesitation, Gregory finally picked his chopsticks and took a bite. But the other girls


    sat still, sipping at their cups of hot tea, to get some warmth. Gus and Jared, both born into aristocracy,


    kept killing time by ying games on their phones, without even lifting their chopsticks. Debbie couldn''t


    help but nudge Jared, and persuaded in a hushed voice, "Jared, eat something. Show some respect to


    the vigers!"


    Debbie knew sacrifice it must have taken the women who volunteered to prepare the meals. ''The


    vigers would find it insulting, if we don''t eat, '' she thought.


    Reluctantly, Jared pursed his lips, put his phone aside and grabbed his chopsticks to pick a few slices


    of meat.


    However, Gus didn''t care. He remained glued to his phone. Unimpressed by his aloofness, Debbie


    rolled her eyes, but she didn''t want to wheedle him.


    As the team leader, Dixon, realized it was incumbent on him to address Gus'' indifference and maybe


    discourage anyone who might have simr thoughts. So when all the vigers went outside, he rose up


    to speak. "Hey, guys, listen to me! The vigers have devoted a lot of effort to prepare this meal for us.


    Maybe these foods are not good enough for you guys, but for them, these are the best. Probably, they


    will only have the chance to enjoy such a big meal once a year, on Spring Festival. So let''s be


    considerate enough, just like what Debbie said. Eat some and show respect to the vigers, okay?"


    After Dixon''s words, all the students obeyed him and began eating the food, except one person...


    Once more, Debbie rolled her eyes. But she came up with an idea. "Dixon, do we have anything to


    charge our phones tonight?" she asked. Maybe that would destruct Gus.


    Dixon instantly understood what Debbie meant to say. "No," he answered, his gaze fixed on Gus.


    Earlier when they dropped off their luggage, all of their attention was on how bad the living conditions


    were, so nobody noticed whether there was any socket in the room or not. Thus, when everyone heard


    Dixon''s answer, they woke up to another unpleasant reality. That was an inconvenience to their digital


    lifestyles.


    But right then, the vige head and the other vigers came in with some pots of wine in their hands.


    Seeing theming in, the students had to suppress theirints and quietly ate the food again.


    Still twiddling his fingers on the phone, Gus squinted at Debbie. "Stupid!" he spat out.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Obsessed with his phone as he was, he had taken the time to check if there was a socket in his room,


    and to his relief, there was. So he could y on his phone all he wanted without worries on where to


    recharge.


    Since Gus would not budge, Debbie took out her phone and texted him. "If you don''t eat the food, I''ll


    call Mr. Lu," she wrote.


    Before she came here, Curtis had given Gus'' phone number to her, just in case they needed to contact


    each other for the time they''d be posted in the vige. Curtis had also told her that if she had any


    trouble, she could ask Gus for help.


    When Gus saw the message from Debbie, he shot an incredulous nce at her, just in time to catch


    her returning the phone back into her pocket. "I''ve never seen such an annoying woman!" Gus cursed.


    His voice wasn''t that loud but was enough to be heard by their schoolmates. As Gus'' eyes were fixated


    at Debbie, everyone instantly understood who the annoying woman was in his mouth.


    The vigers were preparing the wine at one side so they didn''t hear it. Gail and the other girls


    chuckled under their breaths.


    What had Debbie done to earn his rebuke? Was it something major that Gus would carry the


    disagreement back to school?


    Unimpressed by Gus'' behavior so far, Jared put down his chopsticks and wanted to retort. But Debbie


    grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "Never mind. Go on with your meal," she persuaded.


    At least, Debbie''s message had gotten home. Feeling pressured, Gus had already taken his chopsticks


    and begun to take a bite of the food. As such, Debbie thought it was unnecessary to let Jared join the


    argument.


    Yet, a question suddenly rose in her heart. She didn''t understand why Curtis had to ask Gus toe


    with her.


    In the middle of the meal, the vige head''s wife came to the dinner table after finishing her housework.


    A student stood up and politely ceded his seat to her. But she shook her head and chose to sit next to


    Debbie.


    As Debbie was relishing the special vor of the peach blossom wine made by the vigers, she finally


    got to know why the vige head''s wife chose to sit next to her. She realized that she was specially


    treated by the vige head''s wife. The woman happily greeted in her local dialect and proceeded to add


    more food onto Debbie''s te.


    Although Debbie didn''t understand hernguage, she could feel the hospitality in her tone and


    suppressed the urge to stop the woman from adding food onto her te.


    Seeing how the two got along so well, Jared said jokingly whether the vige head''s wife wanted


    Debbie to stay and marry her son. Debbie would probably have a dotting mother-inw.


    Amidst amused giggles, everyone''s eyes turned to Debbie, who pretended offense at Jared''s joke.


    After dinner, the vige head took them to attend a campfire party. The bone chilling cold on the way


    made them yearn for the bonfire so much that when they finally arrived, they couldn''t hide their


    excitement.


    A group of young boys and girls dressed in cultural costumes were on the site to entertain their visitors


    with dance and song. Beaming with glee, they greeted and invited the students to dance together.


    Debbie joined the dancing group too. On her left hand was a pretty girl dressed in a yellow cultural


    costume; while on her right hand was the handsome son of the vige head, also dressed in a cultural


    costume and arge woven hat on his head.


    The young man and a few of the young vigers had basicpulsory education, so they at least had


    enough conversational fluency in standard Mandarin to have chit chat with the students. It was sheer


    fun to finally have locals to talk to, ask questions and learn about the culture.


    After the campfire party, Debbie went back to her room, feeling thoroughly entertained. But she


    shivered in cold again when she went back to her room. In a few minutes, without washing her face,


    she quickly went to her bed.

 Chapter 143 The Warm Bed

    Chapter 143 The Warm Bed


    "Rat-a-tat-tat." Debbie was startled by a sudden knock at the door. It was already well past her usual


    sleeping time and she wondered who could it be at this ungodly hour. She had just unzipped her down


    jacket. She had no choice but to zip it up again.


    "Who is it?" she called out.


    "Young girl, it''s me." It sounded like the voice of the vige head''s wife.


    Her guess was right. When Debbie opened the door, she saw the vige head''s wife and her


    handsome son standing outside.


    The woman smiled pleasantly on seeing Debbie and asked, "Young girl, did I wake you?"


    Debbie shook her head. "No, it''s okay. I hadn''t slept yet. Is everything okay?" she answered, confused


    as to why these two were paying her a visit at night.


    The woman turned towards her son. He immediately lifted up something from the ground and handed it


    to Debbie. "This is our electric warming fan. My mother and I have brought it to you so that you don''t


    get cold," he told her coyly.


    "But...no... I can''t take this. This is too generous." Debbie was deeply moved. As far as she knew, there


    was not even a water heater in the vige. How on earth did they manage to procure an electric


    warming fan for her?


    She didn''t want to prove a burden to anyone, but the vige head''s wife was having none of it and


    straightforwardly asked her son to carry the fan into Debbie''s room. Before Debbie knew how and


    what, the boy had already plugged the fan into a socket and the room was filled with the slight hum of


    its motor.


    "Thank you so much! But if I keep the fan in my room, what about you? You''ll be cold at night without


    it," Debbie protested, though she wasn''t entirely ungrateful. If she had guessed right, then this might


    have been the only electric warming fan in the whole vige.


    With a genuine smile, the woman responded, "We''re used to this weather, young girl, but you''vee


    from the big city. You can''t fall asleep at night without it. Please sleep tight. We should get going now!"


    Then, she held her son''s hand and they left together, leaving Debbie to her confused thoughts.


    With the warming fan on, the room was soon filled with a warm ambiance. Sitting at the edge of the bed


    in her thoughts, Debbie even forgot to lie down.


    She was confused. ''Why does the vige head''s wife treat me so well? Is Jared''s joke true? Does she


    really want me to stay and marry her son? Truth be told, her son is quite handsome. But...I''m married. I


    have Carlos. If that''s why this whole special-treatment-thing is going on, I''m afraid their wish can''te


    true, and it''s got to stop, '' she mused.


    As it turned out, she couldn''t be farther from the truth. This was proven when she went to get some hot


    water.


    It wasn''t only the vige head''s wife who was treating her so well. Debbie found that almost every


    person of the vige who was a part of her life at the moment was being very kind. Even the owner of


    the house which she was staying in gave her special care. When she walked out of her bedroom and


    told the hostess that she wanted some hot water, the hostess immediately brought three thermoses to


    her bedroom.


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    That wasn''t the only thing she did. Earlier, she had prepared a new basin and a clean towel for Debbie


    too. At the moment, Debbie hadn''t thought too much about these new things, because she believed


    that all the other schoolmates had the same things as hers.


    The notion was broken rather abruptly when after washing her face and wiping her body, she slipped


    into the bed again. Much to her surprise, the bed didn''t feel cold. And the fan couldn''t have warmed the


    bed; it was too low for that.


    Debbie sat up and took a careful look. It wasn''t until now that she noticed there was an electric nket


    on her bed. And moreover, someone had turned it on in advance, so it was already warm enough now.


    A suspicion rose inside her heart again. Unable to hold back her curiosity, she took out her phone and


    texted Jared and Dixon. She asked cautiously, "Hey guys! Do you two feel cold in your rooms?"


    After waiting for a long while, she received Jared''s reply. "Of course we feel cold Deb! I couldn''t bear it


    so I''vee to sleep in the same bed with Dixon."


    Before Debbie could return him a message, she received a voice message from Jared. "Dude, what


    the fuck! It is such a cold weather here and I''m freezing to death. What''s more, that jerk Dixon asked


    me to stay in the quilt to warm the bed for him. I''m so pissed!


    But I need to stay with someone to keep warm when I sleep, so I have no choice but to tolerate that


    guy." Though her friends were cold, Debbie couldn''t help bursting into a guiltyughter.


    She could vaguely hear Dixon''sint in the background of the voice message and it was really


    comical. "Jared, are you a snake? Why is the bed still so cold? You''ve stayed in it for a long while!"


    Judging from their words, Debbie was sure that they didn''t have an electric nket.


    ''Am I the only one who has it?'' she wondered. To confirm her guess, she texted Gail too. She couldn''t


    sleep right now anyway if she couldn''t figure the whole thing out. She wrote, "Gail, are you asleep?"


    Soon enough, she received Gail''s voice message. They were all too cold to type with their thumbs. "Is


    that really a question? It''s so cold in this bad ce. How the hell am I supposed to fall asleep? I


    shouldn''t have brought snacks for the kids. I should have brought something to keep myself warm,


    such as an electric nket. I don''t even want to get on this cold bed..."


    Debbie paused. After all, Gail was her cousin. Debbie didn''t want her to catch a cold or get some


    serious illness, so she returned a message. "If you can''t withstand it, how about youe to my room


    and we sleep together?"


    After waiting for about two minutes, Debbie received Gail''s reply. This time, she had resorted to text.


    "No way! I will never sleep in the same bed with you! Who knows what your body smells like! Not a


    chance. Damn! What a bad ce here! I can''t even find an electric nket anywhere."


    ''I have bad smell? Fine! Then just stay in your cold bed!'' Debbie angrily repeated Gail''s sentence in


    exasperation. She didn''t care about her anymore and decided to sleep.


    The next day, the first batch of donated supplies had arrived at the Southon Vige. Therefore, Debbie


    and her schoolmates assembled at a small school and began to distribute the supplies to each


    household. The supplies were numerous and by the time they were finished, it was already dark. One


    day had psed quickly.


    During the course of her interactions, Debbie also met a few children who didn''t have parents and were


    being raised by their grandparents. She silently gave some money to the grandparents of these


    families.


    One of the children''s grandmother was so grateful that she even knelt down in front of Debbie, which


    startled her, and she quickly lifted the old woman up from the ground. It would have been a touching


    scene, but Debbie didn''t feelfortable with someone in her feet.


    On the third day, since the second batch of the donated supplies hadn''t arrived, the fifteen university


    students took turns to give sses to the kids there. They shared a lot of things with the kids that they


    had never heard due to the poor education conditions there. They also sang a lot of popr songs for


    the kids.


    The shabby ssroom had be noisy. A lot of vigers had alsoe to the school and were even


    standing outside since there wasn''t enough space inside. With keen pleasure, they listened to Debbie


    and Jared singing songs and then listened to Dixon and Gregory telling stories. Everything the students


    talked about was new and interesting to the vigers.


    On the morning of the fourth day, the second batch of supplies arrived. There were new cotton shoes


    and clothes in this batch. The university students helped the kids wash their feet and then asked them


    to try on the new shoes.


    Debbie didn''t have any mission this afternoon, so she silently went to the yard behind the school on her


    own. She wanted a breath of fresh air for as long as she could have one. Earlier, she had told the


    vige head''s son to help her send out a few postcards. ''Have Kasie and the others received my


    postcards yet?'' she wondered.


    She had just sat down on a big rock and taken out her phone which had no signal, when a person


    suddenly showed up in front of her, blocking the cool sunlight.


    She raised her head and found that it was Gus.


    He was staring at her without saying a word. Debbie looked around and found nobody else here.


    Confused, she asked, "What do you want?"


    Gus kept his eyes on her without responding.


    Debbie got goose bumps by his gaze. "Dammit. Hey, you''re a man and I''m a woman. Don''t stare at me


    that way. I''m scared..."


    Gus rolled his eyes at her. He snorted, "You''re as stupid as all the others!"


    Debbie was rendered speechless. What did he want? ''Is he here to stir up some new trouble for me?''


    she thought.


    With that in mind, Debbie put her phone back and stood up from the big rock. She was about to leave


    but Gus stopped her. "What''s going on between you and Carlos Huo?" Gus had happened to overhear


    someone''s words. Whoever it was, the person had said that Carlos demanded people here give special


    care to Debbie.


    With Carlos'' name being mentioned, Debbie turned around and spat out, "Wimpy kid, just mind your


    own business and don''t poke your big nose where it doesn''t belong."


    ''What? Wimpy kid? Me?''


    Gus'' face darkened. If Debbie weren''t a woman, he would surely have punched her ck and blue


    now.


    After Debbie had walked away, Gus immediately texted his brother. "Curtis, Debbie called me wimpy


    kid! How dare she do that? I need to go back to Y City now. Arrange for someone to pick me up. I don''t


    want to take that goddamn bus again!"


    The signal was really bad in the vige, and Gus had to try several times before the message went


    through.


    A few momentster, Gus received Curtis'' reply with only a few words. "Debbie is right. Just stay


    there."


    Gus was angry at his cold response. He wondered why his brother always sided with Debbie.


    He was sure that Curtis loved Colleen, so there shouldn''t have been any untoward rtionship


    between Curtis and Debbie. ''When I return home, I need to ask my father if they mistook me and


    Debbie when we were born. Could it be possible that Debbie is their biological daughter and I''m the


    wrong one?''


    There were several times when Gus felt like Debbie was Curtis'' real younger sister and he himself was


    the one who had been adopted to protect Debbie.

 Chapter 144 Gregory, A Docile Pup

    Chapter 144 Gregory, A Docile Pup


    Avoiding Gus, Debbie found a quiet corner and sat down, looking nkly into the distance. She was


    immersed in deep thoughts. ''What''s Carlos doing right now? I''ve been away for a few days. Has he


    been missing me?''


    Since she was on a trip far away from the city, Debbie had left her diamond ring behind.


    "Debbie."


    Her train of thoughts was interrupted by a voice again and she snapped back into reality.


    Debbie turned to look at the person and gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, Gregory." Gregory had helped


    her several times in the past few days and she felt the need to be polite to him though she did want to


    stay alone and allow herself to indulge in Carlos'' memories.


    Gregory sat down next to Debbie. "Why are you sitting here alone? Are you feeling cold?" he asked in


    a concerned tone.


    "No, I''m okay."


    She thought about her quarrel with Carlos a few days ago, so she wasn''t in the mood to talk much.


    Gregory was a man of few words, so he didn''t know what to say next either. Awkward silence filled the


    air.


    He unwittingly stole nces at Debbie, who had loneliness written all over her face. Finally, he broke


    the silence and asked, "Debbie, you look upset. What happened?"


    "Oh...Um... It''s nothing, really." Not knowing how to exin what had happened, Debbie gave him an


    embarrassed smile and then suggested quickly, "Let''s go and find the others!" Being alone with


    someone who had nothing inmon with her made Debbie feel ufortable.


    Gregory stood still, watching his favorite girl walk away from him. He had a lot of questions for her, but


    they were all stuck in his throat.


    He wanted to ask her about her rtionship with Carlos. But he knew that he wasn''t in a position to ask


    such a private question. Left with no choice, he hurried to catch up with her to find their other


    schoolmates.


    On their way, they bumped into Gail, who wasining to another girl about how dirty the vige


    was. She was telling the girl that she was afraid of catching some infectious disease.


    Debbie had been hearing Gail''s constantint ever since the day they had arrived at Southon


    Vige. Every time she felt like rambling, she wouldin to the same girl. But in front of others,


    she would pretend to be tender and sweet.


    And once again, Debbie got to witness Gail''s instant change in character. A boy approached Gail and


    called her name while she was talking to the other girl. She instantly stopped wearing her long face.


    Forcing a tender smile, she turned around and said, "Hello, Tim. What''s up?"


    The boy named Tim Zhang sheepishly handed a hot-water bag to Gail and said, "Hi, Gail...Um... I filled


    this bag with hot water for you. Please use it and keep warm." His heart ached when he saw Gail''s


    reddened face due to the cold.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Gail epted his kindness with a sweet smile. Tilting her head down shyly, she took the hot-water bag


    from Tim Zhang. He jogged away with his face flushing red.


    As soon as the boy was out of sight, Gail looked at the bag in her hands with contempt in her eyes.


    Debbie noticed it.


    She wanted to reveal Gail''s true face to everyone so badly. Yet, she held back her anger. There were


    times that she felt helpless. If she and Gail were to be really considered as enemies, then Debbie


    would have lost the game the moment they had been born.


    Since Debbie was the elder cousin, she had to concede to Gail no matter what.


    And taking into consideration her uncle and aunt, Debbie just couldn''t get even with Gail, no matter


    how bad her behavior was. She sighed inwardly and then walked up to her. "Wow! It''s so nice to be


    such a beauty. You even get hot-water bags from your dear ssmates."


    Gail snorted at Debbie''s teasing. "Of course, I do. But what about you? Does a tomboy like you get


    anything at all from anyone? Boys never treat you well and now even Gus hates you to the bone."


    As she was taunting Debbie, she caught a glimpse of Gregory tagging along with her. A pang of


    jealousy stung her heart. She wondered why there were so many men around a tomboy like Debbie.


    Did all of the men have such bad taste in women? Shifting her gaze from Gregory to Debbie, Gail


    mocked, "You usually have a stupid puppet in tow, and now there is a weakmb following you around.


    Debbie, where did you find such men of low qualities?"


    ''A stupid puppet? Is she referring to Jared? Then the weakmb must be... Gregory?'' Debbie thought


    and looked at the emotionless Gregory for a moment.


    A retort was on the tip of Debbie''s tongue, but Gregory forestalled her. Without even sparing a nce


    at Gail, he said, "Being a tomboy means that the girl has a cute, honest and forthright personality. She


    is what she appears to be. And it''s better to be a stupid puppet or a weakmb than be a hypocritical


    bitch. Some people appear to be innocent and tender on the surface, but deep inside, they are dirty


    and vicious. I could never regard that sort of person as a human being."


    Unlike the shy and quiet boy that Debbie was used to, Gregory was now provoking Gail aggressively.


    Even though he didn''t spell out Gail''s name, everyone knew clearly who the hypocritical bitch he was


    referring to.


    His words irritated Gail and stunned Debbie. Debbie had thought that Gregory was like a cute, docile


    pup which would never bite anyone. But now, he wasn''t just biting. He was viciously tearing someone


    apart. Debbie had never seen Gregory this way, and she was taken aback.


    With her teeth clenched tight, and her face flushing red in anger, Gail pointed at Gregory with a


    trembling finger, unable to utter a single word. It took her a moment to find her voice again. "You...You!


    How dare you say that I''m not a human being!"


    Gregory smirked. "Miss Gail Mu, I never said that I was talking about you. Don''t get me wrong. Or do


    you actually think that you are one of those people I was talking about?"


    "You...You..." Her voice trailed off.


    Gail was seething in anger, while Gregory stayed calm. Seeing the exchange between them, Debbie


    burst intoughter. She walked closer to Gregory and whispered in his ear, "Gregory, thank you for the


    compliment.


    But this girl is my cousin. Could you let her go, please?" Gregory was suddenly lost in a trance as he


    breathed in her scent and gazed at her delicate face. He couldn''t say anything in return.


    Hearing no response from him, Debbie misinterpreted his expression and thought that he was angry


    with her too. Embarrassed, she stepped back and stood at a distance from him.


    Her gesture snapped Gregory back to his senses. Recalling what Debbie had asked, he said in a


    haste, "Rest assured, Debbie. I''m not petty enough to try and get even with a girl. I''m going back now."


    He quickly turned around and ran into the courtyard of one of the viger''s house.


    Soon after Gregory left, Jared showed up and slowly walked towards her. With obvious worry in his


    eyes, he shouted, "Debbie, where have you been? I''ve been looking all over for you since noon. Why


    are you just standing here? Aren''t you cold? There''s a stove inside the house. Come and warm


    yourself up."


    Debbie sniffled lightly. She felt touched by what all her friends did for her.


    Gregory had defended her in front of Gail and now Jared was worried about her health. But somewhere


    in her heart, she felt like something wascking. She wondered what it was.


    But she soon realized what she had been missing.


    When Debbie was close enough to him, Jared whispered, "Hey, I got some interesting news for you.


    Mr. Huo had apparently arranged for someone to tell the vige head to give you special care. Did you


    know about this? Okay, no need to answer that. I just saw a huge question mark pop up on your face.


    You had no idea, did you? Your husband is really warm and caring." Jared was so envious of Debbie at


    that moment. She had received some electric appliances to keep warm at night, but he had nothing. He


    only had a man to sleep together with in the same bed to keep warm, yet, the man wouldn''t allow Jared


    to hug him.


    Debbie blinked her eyes, unable to process the information. "Who told you this?" She had no idea at


    all. She couldn''t believe that Carlos'' influence could reach such a remote vige.

 Chapter 145 If A Bear Mauled Me To Death

    Chapter 145 If A Bear Mauled Me To Death


    "I heard it from the vige head!" Jared replied. He had gone to the vige head''s house in an attempt


    to get an electric warming fan or at least, an electric nket. Much to his disappointment, he hadn''t


    gotten anything. Perhaps, the only thing to help him keep warm now would be wine, which thankfully,


    their hosts had supplied in plenty. So he joined the vige head for a drink with the apaniment of


    some hearty talks. But the elder was no heavy drinker. Only a few sses down and he dropped the


    guard, turning into a bbermouth.


    In between his juicy tales, he let slip to Jared that someone had requested the vigers to give special


    care to Debbie. Although he didn''t know who that person was, he remembered someone mentioned


    about a name "Mr. Huo".


    From the vige head''s words, Jared could put two and two together. The surname Huo was a rare


    name, and even across the city, there was only one "Mr. Huo" whose influence could reach a remote


    vige like the Southon Vige.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Touched by Carlos'' gesture, Debbie shed a sweet smile. But she didn''t want to admit the happiness


    exploding in her heart. Instead she faked a retort to Jared. "No, I don''t think the vige head was telling


    the truth."


    "Oh, really? But I can see you smiling from ear to ear. Why don''t you just admit that you''re on cloud


    nine now?" Jared teased.


    Debbie turned around and red at him. "Just go and do night running. It will help you keep warm!"


    ''Do night running? No way! I would rather stay under the quilt, though I have to tolerate Dixon, '' he


    thought.


    In Y City, by the time Carlos came back, Debbie had already been away for about three days. She had


    left without giving him a phone call, not even sending him a message.


    Sulking silently, he took out his phone and called Curtis. "Have they arrived there?"


    "Yes, they arrived safely, although my brothermented the living conditions. Seems a little seedy over


    there," said Curtis on the other end of the phone. ''His brother? Gus Lu?''


    Closing his eyes tight, Carlos said in a stern tone, "It serves her right. She made her own bed." ''She


    didn''t even ask for my opinion before deciding. I didn''t know it until the name-list was submitted to the


    school, '' he thought to himself.


    "Rest assured. I''ve done as per your instructions and asked the people there to take good care of her.


    I''ve also sent Gus there to protect her. I know you feel bad, but it''s only a few more days and she''ll be


    back." Curtis understood what was going on in Carlos'' mind.


    Carlos wasn''t convinced that Gus could be of any help. "Do you think I can bank on your unreliable


    brother for anything meaningful?" he asked. If he hadn''t known that Gus had shown no interest in


    women in the past 22 years and had been suspected to be gay, he wouldn''t have agreed Curtis to send


    Gus there to help Debbie.


    The sharp manner of Carlos'' question left Curtis doubtful. He paused for a moment and then replied,


    "Well, anyway, he''s a man. Somehow, I believe, he can protect the girl should the need arise. Besides,


    Jared and Dixon went along with Debbie. So just rest assured."


    ''Rest assured?'' There was no reason for Carlos to be distressed that she might suffer some harm. If


    anything, he was pretty sure she''d be just fine. But how would she cope with the other inconveniences


    of the trip?


    It was not until she set out for the Southon Vige that he learned about the dismal living conditions


    there. It seemed like a vige abandoned by the government, with virtually no basic infrastructure.


    ''For three whole days of her stay there, she hasn''t bothered to call me. Not even once! I think I should


    just let her be. Why should I care after all?'' Carlos was angry at the thought.


    Yet much as pretended not to give a damn, for the three days of her absence, everybody around him


    could sense his palpable anxiety. For fear of getting on his wrong side, they went about work with


    caution.


    Now, seeing Carlos'' deadpan face made Emmett shudder in fear. He knew his boss must be in an


    extremely terrible mood. Before he followed Carlos to thepany offices, he took out his phone and


    secretly sent a message to the WeChat Group consisting of his colleagues. He wrote, "My dear fellows,


    attention please! A ''volcano'' is on the verge of erupting! Anyone who doesn''t want to die, please mind


    your steps and don''t step on our CEO''s toes!"


    So, when Carlos arrived at thepany building, all the staff tried their best to stay away from him


    after greetings.


    Nheless, even after Emmett''s kind warning, there were still a few managers who were unluckily


    caught by Carlos and given a tongueshing.


    The next day, the air in the CEO''s office still felt heavy and oppressive. Standing next to Carlos,


    Emmett wished the ground under him would magically open up and swallow him to save him from this


    demon. But he knew he had to finish reporting to his boss no matter how much he wanted to escape.


    "Mr...Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo is having... a good time with...a minority young boy..." ''The young boy is quite


    handsome!'' Emmett thought in his mind.


    He continued, "Mr. Huo... Mrs. Huo is dancing with that young boy."


    "Um...Mr... Mr. Huo... Mrs. Huo is taking a walk with that young boy."


    On the third day, everyone in the meeting room held their breaths. They couldn''t utter a wrong word,


    because they could feel the dangerous aura around their boss.


    When Emmett saw a postcard, he finally felt a hope. ''Oh! The senior executives and managers of the


    ZL Group finally can be saved!'' Emmett eximed in his mind.


    For the first time, as the CEO''s personal assistant, Emmett rushed into the meeting room without even


    knocking at the door.


    Carlos'' cold voice came. "Emmett, what are youughing? You have a good mood? Then how about I


    send you to the remotest ce in the world to study the market there?"


    Under everyone''s curious and nervous gaze, Emmett mustered up his courage and walked toward


    Carlos.


    Carlos'' cold voice came to a sudden stop when Emmett handed him a postcard.


    He took it and had a better look. On it was a picture of a beautifulndscape. There were words written


    on its back. "Carlos, this is my second day in the Southon Vige. Have youe back from your


    business trip? I''m freezing to death but you haven''t given me one single call. I hate you!


    Carlos, I''m still so angry with you. It is just that this postcard is very beautiful so I sent it to you on a


    whim. Then again, I think I''d better write a few words on it to jolt you out of your arrogance.


    Carlos, I said I missed you, but why haven''t you said anything back? Do you still love me? Fine, if your


    answer is no, then I''ll stay in the Southon Vige for the rest of my life. That way, you can enjoy your


    time with Miss Lan or Miss Mi. No one will ever stop you from doing whatever you wish.


    Carlos, the vige head''s son is very handsome and his mother treats me really well. I''m moved. What


    should I do? But when I remember that your mother treats me even better, I''m left at crossroads. How


    can I forget you, even if it''s only on Mom''s ount?


    Anyway, the children here are really cute. I''ve given some of your money to them in secret. Will you get


    angry with me? Some of them are orphans. If you still love me, how about we adopt one from them? I


    won''t need to experience the pain of giving birth to a baby. But...if there is a chance that you want a


    baby of our own and you still love me, then I''ll consider giving birth to a baby for you!


    Carlos, there is no more nk space for me to write anything on. I''ll stop now. Take care! But just if you


    don''t need me anymore, I''ll be OK with it. You shouldn''t let it bother whether I''ll be bored to death or


    freeze into a cold pir, nted on permafrost. It shouldn''t disturb you even if a bear mauled me to a


    horrific, painful death.


    Written from a poor girl who will be bored to death, freeze into a cold pr and be mauled to death by a


    bear."


    Finally, she signed off. "Date: Unclear. (I forgot to charge my phone. It''s already out of power. I don''t


    know the exact date, nor do I want to ask anyone. That''s it! Goodbye!)"


    From top to bottom, she had written on every single inch of the postcard, as if it was a novel she


    intended to write.


    Seeing the thin smile on the corners of Carlos'' lips, Emmett heaved a sigh of relief, as if a burden had


    been lifted off his shoulder.


    For a moment, he assumed that the postcard would restore calm to the office, but unexpectedly, Carlos


    angrily threw the postcard on the table and demanded, "Who allowed you to open my letters?"


    The smile on Emmett''s face froze. "Mr. Huo... Mr. Huo... but you..." Emmett felt wronged. It was him


    and Tristan who had been handling Carlos'' letters in thepany all the time.


    But he swore that he hadn''t read the content of this postcard when he noticed the name was "a poor


    girl". He knew it was from Debbie, so he immediately hurried to the meeting room and handed it to


    Carlos.


    Out of the blue, Carlos stood up from his seat and announced, "This project is well nned and very


    creative. The nning Department has done a good job and everyone in the department can get a


    bonus equal to your monthly wage." He then turned to Emmett and instructed, "Emmett, ask the


    directors of the charity foundations toe and discuss about the investment."


    There were some non-governmental charity foundations under the ZL Group. Emmett instantly


    understood what Carlos was going to do.


    ''Ask the directors toe and discuss about the investment? Oh, if I''m guessing right, Mr. Huo is going


    to invest in the development of the Southon Vige!'' he thought excitedly.

 Chapter 146 Love Letter

    Chapter 146 Love Letter


    When Carlos left the meeting room, he took along with him the postcard that had magically changed


    his mood. As soon as he stepped out of the room, noisy sighs of relief filled the space; some


    executives almost cried out gratefully, especially the nning department.


    "Phew! Thank God! We survived!" one of them eximed. "Not just that! Each of us gets twice our pay


    this month! Isn''t this great?" someone responded excitedly.


    Back in his office, sitting leisurely in his chair, Carlos couldn''t help but re-read the words on the back of


    the postcard. Before he knew it, a smile had appeared on his face.


    When he had finally savored the words long enough, he opened a folder on his desk and carefully put


    the postcard in the middle of it. It was made of poor quality paper, but it was his treasure nevertheless.


    ''Looks like this woman has started to take the initiative, '' he thought.


    In Southon Vige


    It was getting dark. Debbie was jogging when she heard some noise ahead of her, which sounded like


    two people were having sex.


    It was awkward, so she stopped her run and stayed away from them.


    The reception was usually awful in the vige. Unfortunately, she got signals at the spot she was at that


    moment and her phone started buzzing in her pocket. It was on vibration, so it didn''t disturb the couple.


    She hid behind a big tree to take care of the call. Panting for breath, she took out her phone and saw


    the familiar number.


    Tears threatened to roll out of her eyes. ''This grumpy, hateful man! He has finally decided to call me!''


    she thought, gratified and angry. After wiping her moist eyes, she swiped her finger on the screen to


    answer the call, but she did not speak first. Their stupid fight was still fresh in her mind. "What are you


    doing?"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Carlos asked when she refused to say anything. His tone was t. There was neither rage nor


    affection.


    Debbie was mad because she was disappointed. This wasn''t the attitude she had been expecting from


    him. She wanted to throw a tantrum, but she couldn''t find a good excuse. "Having fun," she said, after


    a long pause.


    Despite her sullen tone and short answer, Carlos smiled when he heard her voice. "I got it," he said.


    "Huh?" She was perplexed. ''Got what?''


    "The love letter you wrote me."


    ''What? What love letter? I never wrote him any love letter. This fact-twisting capitalist!'' Blushing, she


    corrected him, "It wasn''t a letter. It was a postcard." She wouldn''t write him a love letter and embarrass


    herself.


    The vige head''s son had given her some postcards with thendscape of the vige on them. She


    filled the little space with her scribble and had asked the young man to help her send them. Since the


    vige was so remote, she was surprised that Carlos had even received the postcard.


    But for Carlos, that postcard was a love letter from her, whether she admitted it or not.


    Unwilling to be fixated on such a trifling matter, he moved on. "How are you doing these days?" he


    asked, his voice full of concern.


    Debbie turned her head to listen to the two lovebirds who seemed to have gotten more passionate. ''It''s


    freezing cold outside. Why do they have to do it here? These people are so freaking weird.''


    She got up and retraced the path while holding her phone to her ear. "Not so good," she answered


    honestly.


    These past few days had been the harshest days of her entire life. The temperature dropped to at least


    ten degrees below zero at night. It was so cold that stepping out the door of their designated house


    was a struggle.


    "Hmm." Her answer was more or less what he had anticipated.


    Carlos hung up without another word.


    ''So typical! Would it kill him to talk some more?


    He hardly spoke three lines.''


    Debbie went back to her room, with a mad frown on her face. She couldn''t stop thinking about Carlos.


    Atst, she decided to text him. "Was there a reason why you called me?"


    "Yes." Again, a single-word answer. Debbie cursed him a hundred times in her head. "And? What was


    it?" she asked, trying to be patient. She was expecting a sweet response despite knowing that she


    might not get any.


    "I wanted to know if you were okay."


    That was it! That was all she needed to hear--to know that he cared. Her eyes reddened as she read


    his message. "I...I''m not okay." She missed him beyond what words could express. She missed his


    voice, his hugs, his tenderness.


    Carlos might not have been too busy because he replied very quickly, "I''m relieved."


    A hundred question marks shed across Debbie''s mind.


    ''He''s relieved to know that I''m not okay? What does he mean?


    Is he happy that I''m unhappy?! Why does he hate me so much?''


    She was too angry to continue talking to him, but what he had said lingered on, bothering her


    immensely. The more she thought about it, the angrier it made her. "I hope you have a good time in Y


    City, Mr. Huo."


    "Okay.


    " Debbie''s eyebrows furrowed while a thousand angry exmation marks jumped around her head.


    ''Aargh! This man is so irritating!''


    It had been overcast for many days in a row. The next day, the sky finally cleared up.


    Gus sat alone, enjoying the sun. Gail was helping an olddy pick out some tea leaves. Others were


    ying "Drop the Handkerchief" with the children. Jared was one of them. Since he was so tall, it was


    funny to see him running among the kids. When he started running around the circle, it set everybody


    off.


    The childrenughed while shouting, "Jared, tag Debbie! We want to see Debbie catch you."


    The kids knew how fast Debbie could run. Many of them even ran with Debbie around the vige in the


    mornings.


    Jared refused as he panted, "You''re so mean. I won''t tag Debbie. I''ll tag you."


    When he dropped the handkerchief, the kids screamed, "Aaah! Debbie, Jared tagged you! Catch him!"


    Debbie looked back. The handkerchief was indeed dropped right behind her. To make the kidsugh,


    she stood up and challenged Jared, "You, big guy! I''ll catch you and make you sing ''Old MacDonald'' in


    the middle of the circle."


    Then she started chasing Jared. To her surprise, he ran away from the circle, and she had to run after


    him. When Debbie was finally close enough to grab him, Jared stopped and pointed his finger into the


    distance and said, "Debbie, look!"


    Everyone was automatically curious and stopped ying at once to look towards where he was


    pointing at. A little boy ran towards them and shouted cheerfully, "Look! So many cars havee to


    our vige! The cool ones. I''ve only seen them on TV. What are their names?"


    Jared named the cars as he pointed at them one by one, "Emperor. Bentley. And that''s a Rolls-Royce


    Phantom."


    The boy jumped in excitement. "Right. Lice-Rice! Pepper, Shorty, Butterball! Let''s go take a look. We''ve


    never seen those cars before.


    "


    ''Emperor? Is it Carlos?'' Debbie wondered. Then the familiar car and its license te came into view.


    The ten-meter-away entrance of the vige was on a low terrain. The whole vige could see the cars


    parked there.


    Emmett got out of the car in an elegant manner. He immediately spotted Debbie among the others.


    After a few incidents that had taken ce in the past, Carlos'' employees had started seeing his cute


    and sweet wife as their savior. Emmett waved at her excitedly.


    The vigers didn''t know who he was waving at, so they all waved back at him warmly.


    Debbie only looked at Emmett briefly. Her eyes quickly shifted to the back window of the Emperor. She


    could sense Carlos'' tense gaze even with the window rolled up.


    ''He''s here. I''m sure.


    Has hee to take me home?


    He always makes me mad and then tries to make up for it by doing something nice.'' With that thought


    in mind, she looked at the car expectantly, and all her anger was gone.

 Chapter 147 Why Her

    Chapter 147 Why Her


    Among all the college students in the vige, only Debbie, Dixon, Jared, Gus, Gail, and Gregory knew


    that Emperor was Carlos'' car.


    However, not a single soul from this group knew why Carlos was here except for Debbie, Dixon, and


    Jared.


    Jared excitedly grabbed Debbie''s sleeve as soon as he saw the car, and said, "Tomboy, this is the


    moment that tests our friendship. Ask your husband to get me out of here too."


    As a matter of fact, Jared had called his dad the next day after they reached this vige. He was asking


    the older man to send him a car and take him home. He badly needed a private car because the


    minibus that had taken them to the vige made him vomit for a whole day. There was no way that he


    would ride that horrible vehicle again. It was bad enough that his dad immediately rejected his request


    without even letting him rebut the decision.


    Worse, Jasper went as far as telling all his friends not to pick his son up. He brainwashed everyone by


    iming that his son needed to experience some tough life which might help him change his frivolous


    personality.


    On the other hand, Emmett sent two of his men to discuss the details of the investment they were


    nning with the vige head. He then walked towards Debbie. His action made everyone turn their


    head curiously to them. Thus, he and Debbie decided to move somewhere else so that they could talk


    privately.


    "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo asked me to take you home. I''ve already sent someone to pack your things. You


    can get in the car and go home directly," said Emmett.


    Debbie looked at the car again with furrowed eyebrows. She then asked, "Is Carlos here or not?"


    A knowing smile crept over Emmett''s lips before he replied, "Why not go near the car and check for


    yourself?" ''How would Mr. Huo not pick you up personally when he knew that his precious wife is


    having a hard time here, Mrs. Huo?'' he thought.


    Debbie was still trying toe up with the best response she could give Emmett when a tender voice


    suddenly cut in through her trail of thoughts.


    "Hi, Emmett."


    It was Gail.


    ''What does she want?'' Debbie wondered as she gazed at the neer.


    However, Gail didn''t even look at her and just walked straight to Emmett. She exchanged some polite


    remarks with him. They were in the middle of their endless greetings when Emmett threw Debbie a


    questioning look after hearing that Gail was actually Sebastian''s daughter. Nevertheless, Debbie just


    remained silent, devoid of any expression. "Oh, so you''re Mr. Mu''s daughter. What can I do for you?"


    he asked Gail.


    "Didn''t Mr. Huoe here?" Gail responded in a casual tone.


    Emmett smiled politely and replied, "He''s busy. May I ask why you''d like to meet Mr. Huo? "


    Reluctance instantly flooded Gail''s face. Of course, she wouldn''t want Debbie to know what her real


    agenda was. Thus, she red at Debbie and sarcastically asked, "Do you have to be here?"


    Debbie nodded calmly. Her face was still unreadable when she said, "Yes. Emmett came here for me."


    That answer made Gail feel a little embarrassed. ''Why is that? Are Debbie and Emmett really married


    to each other just like what the rumor says? Then why didn''t Mr. Huo get angry with her after she


    expressed her feelings for him?


    Who on earth is really involved with Debbie? Jared? Emmett? Hayden? Or Curtis?


    Ah! Debbie is such a slut!


    On the other hand, it wouldn''t be impossible for Carlos to just let her off easily if Emmett is indeed her


    lover. Considering that Emmett has worked loyally for Carlos for a long time, it is possible that Carlos


    just forgave Debbie because of Emmett.''


    With these thoughts in her mind, Gail finally turned to Debbie and asked, "Debbie, what is Emmett to


    you?"


    Debbie was eager to find out whether Carlos was inside the car or not and hoped to finish the


    conversation as soon as possible. Thus, she rested her arm on Emmett''s shoulder and cunningly


    replied, "We''re close. As to how close? Guess."


    Since Gail had already taken her for a slut, it didn''t matter to add one more name on the list of the men


    Gail thought she had slept with.


    Debbie nced at Gail provocatively before patting Emmett on the shoulder. She then said, "I''ll leave


    my cousin with you. I have to go pack my things. Wait for me here." The possibility of seeing Carlos put


    her in such a good mood she even blew a kiss to Emmett while stepping away.


    Emmett, who was Carlos'' secretary, couldn''t be happier upon seeing how chirpy his boss'' wife was.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    He nodded to Debbie and dotingly said, "No rush. Someone is already packing your things for you. You


    can get in the car whenever you''re ready."


    "Got it."


    After Debbie left, Gail looked at Emmett and asked anxiously, "How exactly do you two know each


    other?"


    ''What does she mean by "you two"?'' Confusion flooded Emmett instantly. His eyebrows were furrowed


    as he tried to figure out what the woman before him was talking about. It took him a while before he


    finally realized that she was talking about him and Debbie. "I don''t think that''s what you are really


    interested in," he coldly answered.


    That indifferent reply embarrassed Gail all over again. However, she wasn''t going to waste the chance


    to pry into Debbie''s secrets. Thus, she asked, "Umh...When are you leaving here?"


    "Right now," Emmett deadpanned since he already knew what Gail was up to.


    Frankly, they didn''t have time for sightseeing. Every one of thepany was super busy since it was


    the end of the lunar year.


    Hearing his answer thrilled Gail a lot. It was such a relief to hear them leaving soon. Nevertheless, she


    chose to contain her excitement since she had a public image to maintain. She needed to remain


    innocent and sweet. Then she asked in a low, soft voice, "Can you give me a lift? I''m sorry to disturb


    you, but my dad is too busy to spare me any time. So... I..."


    She cleared her throat, trying topose herself and remain polite as she spoke.


    Although Emmett was just a secretary, the fact that Carlos was his boss cut him from the rest. Gail


    couldn''t afford to make a mistake, especially when she was asking for a favor, for example, right now.


    The fretful look on Gail''s face almost made Emmettugh aloud. This woman had always been rude,


    arrogant, and mean when she was around Debbie. Emmett would have turned this patheticdy''s


    request down if he hadn''t received an order from Carlos that all Debbie''s schoolmates should be sent


    home together with her.


    She had Debbie to thank for that. If it wasn''t for Debbie, Gail wouldn''t even have a chance to ask. In


    the end, he smiled slyly, "To be frank, besides the investment project in Southon Vige, my job here is


    to pick somebody up. If you want to go with us, you can ask Debbie about it. If Debbie says okay, then


    it''s fine by me."


    Gail''s smile gradually melted upon hearing Emmett. She thought, ''So he came here just to pick Debbie


    up? Huh! It is impossible that there''s nothing going on between them!''


    Those things kept Gail quiet for a while. It was only after a few seconds when she opened her mouth


    again. "Why her?" she asked curtly.


    Emmett smiled and responded, "Didn''t youe here because your dad forced you to learn from


    Debbie?"


    "Yeah, but what does it have to do with me going back with you?" Gail wondered.


    "Since you came here because of Debbie, it would be Debbie''s decision whether you can go back


    earlier or not. It''s fine if you don''t want to ask her. It''s totally your call." Time was pressing. Those were


    thest words Emmett said before nodding at her politely and walking away.


    Gail''s face turned red with anger. ''Debbie! Debbie! What''s wrong with these men? Why are they all so


    good to her? I have to ask her permission to leave this ce earlier? That''s bullshit!''


    Even though pissed, Gail decided to go find Debbie. It wasn''t like she had any other choices anyway.


    Assuming that Debbie was packing her things, Gail went straight to her ce.

 Chapter 148 Going Back Home

    Chapter 148 Going Back Home


    Gail had gone there to meet Debbie, but when she reached Debbie''s room, she saw that there were


    two people looking for something in the room. Her breathing became faster until she realized it was two


    bodyguards. And after watching them for a while, she realized that they weren''t looking for anything.


    Rather, they were packing Debbie''s things for her. What was going on?


    What surprised her even more was that there were two bodyguards packing her things. The special


    treatment wasn''t enough to make her suspicious, the number was. How much luggage could Debbie


    possibly have? Only then did it hit Gail that things were not as simple as she had thought. Something


    was definitely up, and she was curious what.


    The bodyguards saw her, but both of them seemed not to care. They merely continued with their work.


    After they had packed everything that was visible in the room, one of them flipped the covers over,


    wanting to make sure that nothing was left behind. Instead of Debbie''s belongings, a white nket


    came into view. It looked much like an electric nket to Gail.


    Sure that nothing was left behind, the bodyguards remade the bed almost oblivious to the nket. At


    that point, Gail couldn''t help it anymore and dashed into the room like a tornado. With one enormous


    swipe, she lifted the covers and the sheets. Aha! It was indeed an electric nket. Shocked, she


    looked around to find an electric warming fan in the corner as well. What was more, there were a


    number of more articles for daily use spread across the room, which were brand-new and barely seen


    in the vige.


    ''None of us got any of these things except for Debbie. Why?''


    It seemed that Debbie had more secrets than she had thought, and there was more to her story than


    she was letting on. Then Gail recalled that Debbie had invited her to sleep in her room the first night


    they were here, but she had refused, even insulting her in a way. Thinking about her stupid decision,


    she was extremely regretful. If she had said yes that night, then not only would she have slept soundly,


    she would have found out about this whole thing earlier.


    Panting, Gail went in search of Debbie once more. Thetter was saying her goodbyes to some elders


    in the vige.


    Regardless, she dragged her away from those vigers and demanded some answers. "Howe


    your room had much better facilities than ours? What''s so special about you? And tell me one thing:


    why do I need your permission to leave this godforsaken ce!? No wait. I get it. Tell me this: is it


    Emmett or Mr. Huo you are involved with?"


    Gail studied Debbie''s face after the string of questions she had thrown her way. With makeup, the girl


    had been the center of attention at the party the other day. But what was surprising was that even with


    bare face, her skin looked fantastic. Quite unusual!


    The past few days had been really tough for every one of those students and they had to make do with


    the bare minimum of facilities. However, even under such circumstances, Debbie had managed to look


    more feminine and beautiful than before. Gail hated to admit it, but that was the truth. She had noticed


    it herself.


    And she was convinced that only money, a lot of money, could bring about that kind of change.


    The puzzle was¡ªwas it Carlos or his secretary who had spent that kind of money on Debbie? Either


    way, it was clear that Debbie was close to Carlos.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Gail started trembling at the thought. If Debbie''s secret lover was Carlos, Gail believed that her


    miserable days would never end. Since Debbie was in power while she was with Carlos, she could


    make her life very miserable indeed.


    "Who told you that you have to get my permission to leave this ce?" Debbie responded with a


    question of her own. Gail noticed that she sounded a bit curious. ''My permission? Why?'' It sounded


    odd to Debbie.


    Gail bit her lower lip hard and answered resentfully after a long while, "Emmett! I don''t want to get on


    that crappy minibus again. And you know... I came here only because of you. My dad wouldn''t have


    forced me toe here if you hadn''t joined this project. If you''re leaving, then you have to take me with


    you. And you really don''t have a choice, because I am gonna tell my parents what you are. As soon as


    they find out you''ve been fooling around with so many men, you''re done!"


    Debbie valued Lucinda''s and Sebastian''s opinions quite a lot, and Gail knew that very well. What


    infuriated her was the fact that it was almost as if Debbie had managed to steal her parents away from


    her. Nothing she did seemed to be good enoughpared to Debbie. She hated every moment of that.


    Debbie took a deep breath, trying to control a wave of anger on her face. She then told her, "Gail, I can


    take you with me, but you have to promise me not to mess with me again. And don''t ever repeat that


    last sentence in front of me. I''ll have you know that there''s only one man I''m involved with."


    "Who is he?"


    "You''ll know that one day. But today is not that day. Can you do what I asked you to or not?" If Gail


    knew about Debbie''s rtionship with Carlos, the whole world would know. She wasn''t the sort who


    were too keen on keeping secrets. Debbie couldn''t tell her yet.


    Gail was left with no choice now and promised.


    When Gail finally left her alone, Debbie bid her farewell to the kids who had just yed "Drop the


    Handkerchief" game with her and her schoolmates. It was a tearful scene with the kids when they


    found out she was leaving. Her eyes watered a bit too. It was sad to say goodbye to these kids.


    Although she had not been here for too many days, she still felt a strange attraction to the ce.


    When she finally left the school, still immersed in her sorrow, Jared suddenly popped out from nowhere


    and started dragging her towards the vige itself.


    "Where are we going?" she asked, pulled along. She felt that both Jared and Gail were acting really


    weird today.


    "To where I was staying."


    "But why?"


    "To pack my things."


    Debbie wanted to kick him right in the shins when she heard that. "You can pack your things on your


    own. What do you need me for? To do it for you?" she asked in exasperation.


    "Of course not."


    The vige was tiny and it didn''t take them more than three minutes before they found themselves in


    Jared and Dixon''s room. As soon as they came to the door, Jared pulled Debbie inside and locked the


    door.


    He opened his suitcase and threw all his items in as he kept an eye on Debbie. "You can''t get in the car


    without me. Otherwise, I am going to be stuck here," he exined, noticing her curious nce.


    He believed that Carlos wouldn''t allow him to get in his car, unless Debbie was with him.


    Debbie saw his point. "Dude, you came here with me. Do you really think I will leave you and Dixon


    behind? Is that how you see me?"


    "No. Of course you won''t leave us behind," he replied immediately, "but your husband will!"


    His packing was done within minutes, usual for boys.


    While they were walking towards the luxury cars, Jared grabbed Debbie''s arm tightly, as if he was


    afraid she would run away from him anytime. Emmett was waiting by the Emperor car for her. Upon


    seeing them, a bodyguard took Jared''s suitcase and led him towards the car behind him. "Mr. Han,


    please follow me," he asked respectfully.


    Jared clutched Debbie abruptly like an insecure child while shouting, "Where''re you taking me? I''m


    going nowhere. I just want to go home!" He was sick of this ce and couldn''t stay here any longer.


    Emmett stifled hisughter somehow, even though it was really hard to do after even a fleeting nce


    at Jared, and assured him, "Mr. Han, please rx. The cars waiting behind are for you and your


    friends."


    Hearing this, Jared was relieved and calmed down. "Okay, that sounds fair. Tomboy, I''m getting in the


    car." He sounded a bit embarrassed for having made a scene.


    Looking at the Emperor beside her, Debbie took a deep breath before getting in. When Emmett opened


    the door for her, she found the overbearing man she had been thinking of the past few days sitting


    inside staring at her. "What are you waiting for?" he asked.


    Debbie''s heart started pounding, and she felt a burning sensation in her face. All the fights and


    arguments they''d ever had between them vanishedpletely from her mind. Even before she had


    gotten in the carpletely, she had already wrapped her arms around Carlos'' neck and kissed him on


    the cheek.


    Carlos was surprised by her sudden affectionate reaction.


    After the kiss, Debbie got out of the car again and smiled. "I have to go find Dixon. Be right back."


    "Flirt with me and run away right after?" Carlosined in a husky voice.


    Debbie''s face turned crimson. "No, idiot. I don''t n to do that just yet. I''ll be back soon," she retorted.


    She was about to turn around when Emmett assured her, "Mrs. Huo, all your friends have gotten in the


    cars. Please don''t worry."


    "All right, then." She found Emmett was a very considerate person. Nothing to worry about, Debbie


    bent down to finally get in the car.


    Suddenly a man in navy blue ethnic clothes called from behind her, "Debbie, wait!"


    Debbie turned around. The vige head''s son was running towards her.

 Chapter 149 On The Road

    Chapter 149 On The Road


    It urred to Debbie that she had said goodbye to everyone but him. "Just a minute," she muttered


    quietly to the man inside the car. Before Carlos could protest or ask what was going on, she had shut


    the car door and was walking towards the young man, who was breathless from all the running.


    "Debbie, are you leaving?" he looked at her sadly. From the way he was sulking and the way he looked


    at her, affection was visible clear as daylight.


    "Yes," Debbie replied with a nod. "My... My family hase to pick me up. It was nice meeting you.


    Keep in touch." Debbie didn''t want to break his heart like that and corrected herself.


    The young man took out a sachet from his pocket and handed it to her. "I made something for you. It''s


    a silver essory. I want you to keep it as a souvenir."


    Debbie looked at the sachet in surprise. It was meaningful, she knew that. Reflexively, she tried to


    decline it. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart. But it''s a very big gesture and I can''t take it."


    "It may be worth little, but I will be d if you take it. It would mean a lot to me."


    Debbie didn''t know what to say. She was saved by Emmett who walked towards her at this point. "Mrs.


    Huo, Mr. Huo is waiting. It''s time to go," he reminded her with a smile.


    ''Mrs. Huo?'' The young man was surprised and confused. He knew what that form of address meant.


    "Are you married?" he asked in disbelief.


    "Yes, I am," she admitted shortly. "Thank you for taking such great care of me these days. My husband


    is waiting. I have to go."


    The young man watched the woman he had fallen for get in the car, heartbroken.


    The fancy cars drove away one after another. From the rearview mirror, Debbie could see him standing


    there alone. She felt sad to see him so heartbroken.


    She had only stayed in the vige for a couple of days, but the vigers had been so nice to her, and


    the vige head''s family deserved a special mention. It was unfair that the young man had to face such


    heartbreak even after being so nice to her.


    "Feeling sad?" a cold voice asked, breaking into her thoughts.


    "Yes," she admitted sinctly. Humans were sensitive. It was normal to feel sad on asions like this.


    "Do you want to stay and be the vige head''s daughter-inw?"


    Carlos asked coldly. Debbie turned towards him in surprise.


    His face was grim. ''Damn! What did I do wrong in saying goodbye? I didn''t even encourage him.


    What''s he sulking about now?'' she thought.


    Pondering over what he had just said, she slid closer to him and asked, "Are you jealous? Huh?"


    Seen through, Carlos tried to save face with a poker expression. "Sit back," he demanded, though it


    was clear he didn''t mean it.


    She refused to obey. Pressing her cheek against his arm, she asked while fluttering her long


    eyshes, "You didn''t react much on seeing me. Did you reallye here to see me or what?"


    The road was bumpy, but sitting in Carlos'' car, Debbie could barely feel it. It was much better than


    riding a minibus.


    The next moment, the interior screen was rolled up so that the passengers could have some privacy.


    Confused, Debbie was about to ask what was going on when her face was lifted up gently. "Do you


    want me to react?" Carlos asked meaningfully.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Looking into his eyes, she regretted saying that. "No, no. I¡ª" She wanted to say this was not what she


    had meant.


    But actually, she wanted to kiss him too.


    Inside the Bentley behind the Emperor, Jared was sitting with an expression on his face that was as


    annoyed as if he had just eaten a dead fly. It was all because of the woman sitting next to him¡ªGail.


    He couldn''t help suspecting that Carlos had made this arrangement on purpose. Although every


    student unfamiliar to Debbie was sharing a car with others in groups of two or three, whoever was


    connected with Debbie was given a separate car. Dixon, Gus, even Gregory were enjoying a car alone.


    Only Jared had to share a car with someone. And to make matters worse, that someone had to be


    Gail!


    The most irritating part was that there were no passengers in the two Bentleys behind them and Gail


    could have been thrown in any of those two.


    Carlos must have done this to torture him!


    Jared felt that it was so unfair. He had had to apany Carlos'' wife to the remote, backward vige


    and this was what he had gotten in return. Life was so unfair, especially to men.


    "Jared, do you know what Debbie''s rtionship with Emmett is?" Gail asked, even though she had


    anticipated that most likely, Jared wouldn''t tell her anything even if he did know something.


    "I don''t know."


    "Is she sitting in the same car with Carlos?"


    "Go see for yourself."


    "What is she to Hayden?"


    "Can you just shut up? Or I''ll kick you out of the car." Jared was fed up with her questions and couldn''t


    take it anymore. Gail gritted her teeth resentfully but finally had to shut up.


    Since it was nightfall, the cars stopped in an urban district on the way. They would spend the night


    there.


    Even in such a simple area, Carlos was famous. As soon as the ck Emperor pulled up in front of the


    fancy hotel, the manager himself came out of the hotel with some foremen.


    Emmett got out first and opened the back door for the passengers inside. As soon as people caught a


    glimpse of their distinguished guest, they all began trying to please him. "Good evening, Mr. huo!


    Wee to our hotel, Mr. Huo!"


    Carlos merely nodded to the barrage of pleasantries and held out his right hand towards the car. A


    woman closely wrapped in a purple down jacket emerged from the car. She hadpletely wrapped


    herself and only her eyes could be seen. Her big eyes looked around curiously.


    She then took Carlos'' hand and jumped out of the car.


    The employees of the hotel couldn''t believe their eyes. They had received countless upper-ss


    females.


    But never had they seen anyone so unique. What shocked them more was that


    when the two were about to enter the hotel, Carlos pulled the woman into his arms, as if to tell


    everyone that the woman was his and his only.


    ''Is this the woman in the rumors?'' they wondered.


    Carlos had always told Debbie that they would keep a low-key profile, but anywhere Carlos went, it was


    never low-key.


    Right now only, five men had greeted them by the car alone. And another ten were standing in two


    lines in front of the door.


    Debbie was d that she had covered her face with her hat and scarf, even though Carlos was against


    it. She didn''t want to expose her face. Anyone could have snapped a picture and posted it online. Then


    the whole world would know.


    Two managers led the way to their Presidential Suite. In the elevator, Carlos was still holding her tightly.


    Since they were not alone, Debbie felt embarrassed to be intimate. She tried to pry his hand away, but


    Carlos wouldn''t let her get his hand off her. With two hotel managers and Emmett beside them and two


    bodyguards behind them, Debbie tried her best to keep the interaction between them inconspicuous.


    However, Emmett noticed it and gave her a knowing smile, making her blush a deep crimson behind


    the scarf.


    Soon, the modern elevator reached its destination and the managers themselves opened their suite for


    them. The bodyguards stopped the managers and the waiters from going inside.


    They themselves positioned on either side of the door. Once Carlos and Debbie had stepped inside


    their suite, Emmett closed the door and with a click, the self-locking door was closed. "Thank you, Mr.


    Yue. I think right now what Mr. Huo needs is some privacy. Are the other rooms all set?" he asked one


    of the managers.

 Chapter 150 Getting Close To The Truth

    Chapter 150 Getting Close To The Truth


    "Emmett, you''re being too polite. We''ll leave you be. You know where to find me if I''m needed," said the


    manager with a smile.


    "Thank you, Mr. Yue."


    Emmett had already made arrangements to make sure that Carlos and Debbie arrived at the hotel a


    few minutes before the others. Five minutes after Carlos had entered his room with Debbie, Emmett


    parked the car in the parking lot and then walked back to the hotel.


    When the others reached the hotel, they didn''t see Carlos'' Emperor. Jared looked around. When he


    saw neither Debbie nor the Emperor, he asked one of Carlos'' bodyguards where Debbie was. That was


    when he learnt that Debbie had arrived at the hotel a few minutes before them, and that most possibly,


    she was already in her hotel room.


    Jared hesitated a little before he decided to call her. However, she didn''t answer his call. To put it more


    precisely, she cut the call.


    ''What''s wrong with her?'' Jared wondered. After pondering over it, he whispered to one of the


    bodyguards with a goofy smile, "Mr. Huo is here, isn''t he?"


    Emmett had told the bodyguards when to talk, and when to keep their mouths shut. The bodyguard


    assumed that it should be safe to answer Jared''s question, so he nodded.


    ''That''s what I thought, '' Jared gloated.


    Deciding to leave the couple alone, he put his phone away and strolled into his room humming a tune


    as he pulled his luggage behind him.


    Just as Jared had imagined, the scene in the Presidential Suite was screeching hot. Its two upants


    had been apart for too many days. Debbie was stripped down to her bra and panties.


    Lost in Carlos'' kisses, shey in bed, enjoying their reunion. When her phone rang, Carlos turned it off


    impatiently, without even checking who was calling. His lips never left her body the whole time.


    "Wait! I have to take a shower first,"


    she said as Carlos'' breathing got heavier. Southon Vige was too cold andcked facilities. So she


    had never got the chance to have a proper shower.


    "Let''s bathe together afterwards," he moaned in her ear.


    "But I haven''t showered in days," she confessed, a little embarrassed. Knowing he was a neat freak,


    she thought that he would let her go the moment she said that.


    However, Carlos didn''t care. He continued to do what he wanted, without a word.


    He had wanted to have sex with her in the car on their way to the hotel. But Debbie had turned him


    down saying that it was embarrassing with the driver in the car.


    But he had been very handsy all the way. Frustrated as well.


    Now that they were finally alone, he was acting like a wild predator set loose on its prey.


    Seeing his hungry eyes, Debbie recalled the crazy night when she had gotten drunk. "Can I ask you


    something?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Can you be gentle, Honey?"


    ''Gentle?'' Except for the one night long back, he hadn''t been intimate with her for a while. Being gentle


    was thest thing on his mind.


    Two minutester, Debbie was pressed against the window.


    In a Presidential Suite two doors away from Debbie and Carlos'', a girl toured the suite excitedly a


    couple of times, eximing, "This is great! You get what you pay for!" She rolled on the soft bed until


    she was tired. Then with one hand propped against her chin, she said, "I should remember to thank


    Debbie someday. If it wasn''t for her, I would have never had the chance to stay in such a luxurious


    Presidential Suite."


    A chubby boy seconded her, nodding his head. "The car was so damnfortable! I''ve never sat


    inside a Bentley Mulsanne before. Five million dors! I used to be afraid to even get close to one of


    those cars. But today, thanks to Debbie, I was in it! Who could have imagined it?!"


    Hearing all the fuss, Jared joked as he leaned against the door, "You should hang out with me from


    now on. I''ll make sure that you get to ride in a luxury car every day."


    Jared had despised Gail the whole time since they had been stuck in the same car. And finally here


    came her chance to humiliate him. She took it immediately. "Ride in a luxury car every day? The entire


    city knows how strict your dad is. Nobody came to pick you up from Southon Vige. You can''t even


    get yourself a luxury car. How do you n on letting others ride in them every day?"


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    Ever since he had gotten out of the cold vige, Jared had been in a good mood. Right now, enjoying


    the heat and the luxury of the suite, he couldn''t have been happier. Even Gail''s insults didn''t make him


    lose his temper. "Your dad didn''t pick you up either. You are here because of your cousin, Debbie. Don''t


    forget that. You''re no better than me."


    Surprised gazes fell on Gail when the other students heard what Jared had said. A barrage of


    questions was thrown at her. "Gail, Debbie is your cousin?"


    "Howe you''ve never mentioned it before?"


    "How are you two rted?


    "


    Gail smiled awkwardly. She had never mentioned her rtionship with Debbie to anyone. She didn''t


    want to have anything to do with Debbie.


    Now that Jared had revealed her secret, she was forced to admit it. "Yes, Debbie is my cousin. My


    mom is her aunt."


    "What''s her family like?" a gossipy girl asked. "So many posh cars came to pick her up. She must be


    rich."


    Gail cleared her throat and acted sad. "Actually, she is from a poor family. She had a tough childhood.


    Her parents got divorced when she was little and her dad diedter."


    Gail''s words at once denied the theory that Debbie was from a rich family.


    However, they saw that Debbie was living an extravagant life. They wondered where her money came


    from. Another theory popped up into everyone''s head. Yet, no one dared to say it since her good friend,


    Jared, was among them.


    But he could sense what they were thinking. His good mood disappeared in an instant. He started


    yelling, "You bunch of pathetic nosy idiots! Debbie may be rich or poor, but what does it have to do with


    you? Debbie''s boyfriend is rich and he loves her. He came to pick her up today. Moved by the fact that


    you all had volunteered for some public good, he decided to give you people somefort. And now,


    you are all talking about Debbie behind her back! I''m ashamed to be with you knuckleheads."


    It was true that Carlos had sent the cars because the students had volunteered to help the vigers


    and kids in Southon Vige despite the cold weather. Also, he had taken care of the expenses on the


    road, including the food, hotels, and the transportation.


    Carlos somehow made the students attribute everything to Debbie.


    The students quieted down after Jared''s outburst.


    Gregory, who had been silently staring at his phone all the while, decided not to utter a word, no matter


    what. Back in the vige, he had seen Debbie get into Carlos'' Emperor and Emmett was driving the


    car.


    In the city, Carlos was the only one who could boss Emmett around.


    Considering the fact that Carlos'' car had reached the hotel five minutes earlier than them, he figured


    that they were trying to avoid the others. He assumed that Carlos had indeede to the vige and


    had been in the same car with Debbie.


    He had always refused to give any heed to the rumors about Debbie. But now, it all added up.


    Debbie''s boyfriend, whom Jared had just mentioned, had to be Carlos.


    Gregory recalled that the other night when Debbie had gotten drunk, she had gone to Carlos'' house.


    Debbie had shouted "Carlos Huo, I love you" ten times on campus. She had confessed her feelings for


    Carlos in Curtis'' presence and she hadn''t faced any punishment for doing so.


    If Debbie and Carlos were really lovers, then all of those made perfect sense.

 Chapter 151 Im Debbies Husband

    Chapter 151 I''m Debbie''s Husband


    At around 8 p.m., the elevator descended gracefully into the hotel lobby and a couple walked out, hand


    in hand. The woman had zipped her coat all the way to the top, put her hood up, and pulled the


    drawstrings tight. No one would be able to recognize who she was.


    "Mr. Huo, are you going out? Do you need a car?" the lobby manager asked with the utmost respect.


    "No," Carlos answered shortly.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo. Do you need any other services?"


    "No."


    "Sure, Mr. Huo. Goodbye." The manager always made a fuss whenever Carlos was around.


    On their way out, Carlos and Debbie had to bear the greetings from several hotel staff passing by.


    When they finally left the hotel, she heaved a long sigh of relief.


    Somehow, Carlos was not happy with her reaction. He cast a sideways nce at her and asked, "You


    feel ashamed of being with me, don''t you?"


    ''Not again! I''ve told him a dozen times.'' Debbie was exasperated at the stupid thought but decided not


    to act it out. She grabbed his arm and told him with a sweet smile, "Honey, could you please wait until I


    graduate first? I''m not mentally prepared to live under limelight just yet."


    Then she added yfully, "You know who you are¡ªthe great Carlos Huo. It''s quite a big thing to be


    your wife and sometimes, stressful too."


    Carlos'' heart went soft at her words, but he managed to maintain a straight face. "Behave yourself.


    Don''t hang onto my arm like that," he demanded frivolously.


    "It''s all your fault! My legs are killing me. I am not the one to me," she snapped back yfully. If it


    weren''t for her rumbling stomach, she would still be tormented by this old goat.


    Carlos couldn''t maintain his long face any longer, and his eyes reduced themselves to slits in his


    affection. "What do you want to eat?" he asked in a soft voice.


    "I don''t know. I''ve never been to this city before. Let''s look around and find something good to eat." She


    suddenly remembered that one of her cousins was a freshman in some university in this city, but she


    didn''t know the exact address.


    She took out her phone from her pocket and asked Carlos casually, "Hey, do you know T City Film


    Academy?"


    "Yes," he responded cautiously.


    "Do you know where it is?"


    "About a couple of miles from here. Why?"


    Debbie was ted at the news. She dialed a number and told Carlos, "I''d like you to meet someone,


    okay?"


    "You know someone here?" he remarked in surprise.


    "Uh-huh. A cousin of mine."


    The call went through, and a girl''s voice came from the other end. "Deb, you finally remember me,


    huh?"


    Debbie was thrilled to hear Sasha''s voice again. "Sasha, I''m in T City. Are you avable right now?


    How about we have dinner together?"


    Sasha, 19 years old, was Gail''s sister and Debbie''s cousin.


    Debbie had a much better rtionship with her than with Gail.


    "Really?! I''m so d. Send me your address and I''lle over to you right now." Sasha''s screaming


    was so loud that even Carlos could hear her on the phone.


    Disdain was written all over his face. He felt lucky that Debbie wasn''t as noisy as that girl.


    Poor Sasha! Little did she know that she had managed tond a disgraceful impression on Carlos even


    before they could meet.


    Debbie and Sasha decided to meet at a Japanese restaurant located inside a shopping mall nearby.


    Carlos had nned to take Debbie out to eat some local food, but she was afraid that Sasha might not


    be able to find the ce. Eventually, she chose a famous chain restaurant so that Sasha could reach


    there effortlessly.


    Debbie was waiting for Sasha at the gates of the mall. Soon, she saw the girl getting out of a taxi.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Thin and small, Sasha wasplementing her figure with a white long down jacket today. She had fair


    skin, round eyes, a high nose and a small mouth¡ªpeople often said that she looked like a doll. Her


    long hair was adorned with a brown hair band.


    "Deb!" Sasha eximed upon seeing her cousin. Her voice was so piercing people from a dozen


    meters away could hear her. "Wow! What did you do? Drink some magic water? You look so much


    more beautiful than ever before. And look at your skin, even smoother than mine. I am jealous!"


    Her exaggerated reaction made Debbie giggle. "Magic water? I only drink pure water. Why did you not


    go back home? I thought the winter vacations had already started."


    "Exactly! I guess I''m in a fake college or something. Everyone in other colleges is enjoying their winter


    vacations, while we are still taking sses. Deb, I''ve missed you so much. Did youe here alone?"


    The two girls hadn''t seen each other for months, but they were still very close. Without answering


    Sasha''s question, Debbie led her into a private booth of the restaurant.


    Sasha noticed that the booth was upied by a handsome man on a phone call. Upon noticing the


    girls, he ended the call.


    Before Debbie could introduce Carlos, Sasha yelled at the top of her lungs, "Wow! He is so handsome!


    Deb, is he the man whose picture you posted in Moments?" Debbie had posted Carlos'' figure wrapped


    by a towel in Moments on WeChat. Sasha had seen the post, and wanted to know who he was. But


    Debbie had kept it quiet. She didn''t want anyone to find it out just yet.


    Sasha had such a big mouth that Debbie''s face instantly blushed. She stole a nce at Carlos, only to


    see him chuckle. Covering Sasha''s mouth, she snapped, "No! I did no such thing. Just shut up. Let me


    introduce you to each other."


    Nodding repeatedly, Sasha was dying to know who the man was. "Let me guess. Is he your boyfriend


    or something?"


    Sasha''s bluntness would have been quite funny to some boys, but it made Debbie feel shy. She was


    getting the feeling that maybe, it hadn''t been a fine idea to invite Sasha to have dinner. At that moment,


    Carlos cut in, "Hi, I''m Carlos Huo, Debbie''s husband."


    "Husband? Carlos Huo? Aaaaaaaaargh!" Her voice rose to a scream. So prating was her pitch that


    everyone in the restaurant heard her.


    Not until a waitress entered the room to check on what was happening did Sasha realize that she was


    overreacting. She gave the waitress an embarrassed smile and mouthed an "I am sorry" at her.


    After the waitress had left the room, Sasha held Debbie''s hand and asked, "Deb, he''s Carlos Huo! I


    was just about to tell you he looked like Carlos Huo, and he IS him!"


    Debbie covered her ears andined, "Would you please lower your voice? If you keep yelling like


    this, Carlos and I are going to leave."


    Carlos, who preferred quietness to noise, was a little unhappy, but as a cultured man, he didn''t show it.


    Afraid that Carlos would get angry, Sasha shed a wry smile. Clearing her throat, she apologized to


    him in a lowered voice, "I''m sorry. Actually, I''m not that noisy by nature. I just got too excited."


    On the inside, she still believed that any girl who had met Carlos Huo in person and known he was her


    cousin''s husband would act like this. After all, he was super handsome, super rich, and super


    mysterious. He was the dream lover of countless girls, and what wouldn''t they give for one moment


    with him?


    Carlos decided to let it slide with a kind smile. "Never mind. Have a seat, please."


    Sasha sat opposite Carlos. Debbie wanted to sit next to her, but Carlos grabbed her hand and pulled


    her into a chair beside him.


    Upon seeing the two of them acting coy, Sasha covered her mouth with both hands and giggled


    naughtily.


    Debbie knew Sasha''s favorite food and had already told Carlos about it. He had ordered the dishes


    while Debbie was waiting for Sasha. This way, they didn''t have to wait long and the food was served


    soon.


    Debbie put Sasha''s favorite caviar roll onto her te and asked casually, "Your sister is in the city as


    well. We just came from Southon Vige together. Did she contact you?"


    Despite the fact that Gail hated Debbie, she was fond of her sister, Sasha. After all, blood was thicker


    than water.

 Chapter 152 Colleens Brother

    Chapter 152 Colleen''s Brother


    Sasha nodded, "Yes. Gail came to see me earlier, but she didn''t tell me that you were here."


    Debbie shrugged without saying anything. Sasha looked back and forth between the couple and asked


    curiously, "Deb, when did you get married? Why didn''t you invite me? And Carlos, when are you


    leaving T City with Deb?"


    Debbie turned to look at Carlos, who was boning a pork rib. "We''ve been married for several years


    now, and we''ll be leaving tomorrow morning," he answered without raising his head. As soon as he was


    done boning the rib, he put the meat onto Debbie''s te.


    Her eyes full of admiration, Sasha said, "Deb, you have such a caring husband. You should cherish


    him."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "I will," Debbie said with a sweet smile. She could feel his love towards her through his smallest of


    actions.


    There were more than twenty dishes on the table. Carlos knew that she had a huge appetite and


    always remembered to feed her well.


    On their way to the city, he had exined why he had served as Megan''s boyfriend back then.


    That day, he got off the ne and was about to go see Debbie when Megan called him out of nowhere.


    She wanted him to act as her boyfriend so that she could get rid of a boy who had been pestering her.


    The ce Megan mentioned was not too far away from the airport, so Carlos didn''t turn her down. He


    had nned to go to Debbie after dismissing the boy. But much to his surprise, he and Megan ran into


    Debbie and Hayden at the restaurant.


    In return for his exnation, Carlos had asked Debbie to exin why she had been with Hayden that


    day. She told him that she just wanted to tell Hayden that she had moved on and that there was no


    chance for them to get back together.


    However, Carlos didn''t buy it and bombarded her with questions. He didn''t let her go until she had told


    him every word she and Hayden had spoken, every move they had made, and every dish they had


    eaten.


    During the dinner, Debbie realized how busy Carlos was. Emmett, Tristan and some other people kept


    calling him, but he dismissed all of them and sent Skype messages instead.


    Meanwhile, he also had to answer Sasha''s curious questions. In order to not dy his work further,


    Debbie quickly gulped down her food and offered to go back to the hotel right after dinner. Two cars


    were already waiting for them as they exited the mall. Undoubtedly, Carlos had arranged them in


    advance. He asked one of his men to drive Sasha back.


    Debbie wanted to go for a stroll, so Carlos decided to walk back to the hotel with her. Emmett had to


    drive the car at a snail''s pace, following them closely behind.


    When they arrived at the gates to the hotel, they saw Gregory walking out. Although Debbie was


    wearing a hood, and her face was covered with a scarf, Gregory recognized her immediately. He


    remembered her down jacket from that morning.


    He had known for a while that Debbie was married to Carlos. But his heart still ached at the sight of


    their interlocked fingers.


    He forced a smile and greeted them, "Hi, Carlos. Debbie."


    Surprised, Debbie asked, "Seriously? You recognized me under all this mask?"


    Her reaction amused Gregory.


    Carlos checked the time in his watch. "It''ste. Where are you going?"


    "To grab some food. I didn''t have dinner." Debbie looked back and forth between Carlos and Gregory,


    confused by their casual interaction.


    Gregory had taken Debbie to East City Vi once and had met Carlos. Back then, he didn''t know


    Carlos and thought that he was Debbie''s brother.


    Carlos had always kept a low profile. Although most people in the city knew his name, very few had


    actually seen his face. Colleen and Curtis had taken Gregory to meet Carlos a couple of times after


    Gregory had first met him.


    "Why not ask for room service?" Carlos asked.


    "I have been resting all this time. I feel kinda bored and thought I''d take a stroll." If he hadn''t seen


    Debbie get into Carlos'' car, he would have invited her to go along with him for a walk.


    Debbie couldn''t hold her curiosity in anymore. She asked, "You two know each other?"


    "He''s Colleen''s brother," said Carlos curtly.


    Debbie''s jaw dropped. No wonder Gregory looked familiar. She realized that he resembled Colleen a


    lot.


    Silent misery shed across Gregory''s eyes when he saw the affection between the couple. He took a


    deep breath before saying, "I''m leaving, Carlos. Bye, Debbie."


    Debbie waved her hand. "Bye."


    Carlos nodded in response. He looked at Gregory''s retreating figure and turned to Debbie. "How long


    have you known him?" he asked, sensing that something was not right.


    Debbie looked up at Carlos for a moment and then answered, "We were ssmates in high school. We


    were not in the same ss in the first and second years at college. But this year, we''re in the same


    ss again. But I didn''t know that he is Colleen''s brother. I just realized that they actually look very


    much alike."


    "He went to Southon Vige with you as well, right? Have you attended this kind of activity together


    before?"


    Debbie wondered if Carlos was concerned about Colleen''s brother. She answered honestly, "No. This


    was the first time. I didn''t know he wasing until I saw his name on the list."


    They walked into the elevator together. Before the doors werepletely shut, Carlos pressed her


    against the wall and kissed her passionately on the lips.


    Debbie froze. Her hands were caught tightly in his, so she couldn''t move an inch.


    ''What is this all of a sudden? Is he horny? No! It doesn''t seem like that. Ouch! He''s biting me! Is he


    angry or something?'' Debbie mused, stunned.


    Once inside the hotel room, Carlos took off his ck wool coat and threw it at her. Debbie, who was


    still in a trance, saw it flying towards her and caught it by instinct. She looked at the coat closely.


    Everything rted to Carlos was super expensive, even if it was a cigarette lighter. Debbie guessed


    that the coat too might be worth hundreds of thousands of dors.


    She hung it in the closet on a hanger with utmost care and dusted it lightly before closing the closet


    door.


    When she returned to the living room, Carlos was sitting in front of the liquor cab with two sses


    of wine on the table before him. Upon seeing Debbie, he curled his finger. "Come over here. I have


    something to talk to you about."


    Talk? With a cunning smile, she approached him and asked, "What do you want to talk about? Any


    sweet words for me?"


    Carlos raised his eyebrow at her provocative words. He handed her the ss which had a smaller


    quantity of wine and pulled her into his arms. "If you want me to whisper sweet nothings to you, then I''ll


    do that as much as possible in bed from now on."


    ''I knew it! I shouldn''t have said that to him. He links everything to sex!'' "Never mind that. Let''s drink."


    She lifted the ss and looked at the liquid inside it. "Hey! You are so petty. Why am I getting so little


    wine?"


    Debbie protested, pointing at his ss.


    "Not enough?" Carlos asked.


    "Uh-huh." ''I can drink this in one gulp, '' she thought. ''But I shouldn''t be that rude in front of him.''


    Carlos took a sip of his wine and gently pulled her into a deep kiss. Debbie felt warm liquid flowing into


    her mouth and she swallowed it subconsciously.


    "Want more?" Carlos whispered in her ear, like a demon driving her to sin. "I have plenty to give."

 Chapter 153 The Password

    Chapter 153 The Password


    Debbie shook her head immediately. "Behave yourself, old man," she snapped. Who could guess that


    the aloof Carlos Huo could act that way in front of his wife?


    Carlos pulled Debbie into his arms and began to use her. "Maybe you should behave yourself."


    Seeing her puzzled expression, he continued, "How about the vige head''s son? Hayden Gu?


    Gregory Song?"


    "Huh?" Debbie raised her head, only to see the displeasure in his eyes.


    Carlos lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "You''re a siren, aren''t you? Did you flirt with those


    guys? Remember, you''re my wife. I''m the only one who can bang you."


    Debbie was stunned. ''A siren? Flirt? And he''s the only one who can...'' "You married me just


    to...er...bang me?" she asked angrily.


    "That''s not the point!" he corrected her and kissed the corner of her mouth.


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up," she said, blinking her eyes. She knew Hayden wanted her back. But


    the vige head''s son? And Gregory? What was he talking about?


    Carlos pressed her against the liquor cab, raised one brow and said, "I''m a guy, see? I know how


    they think. Keep Gregory at arm''s length. Getting the hots for my girl? Next time I see Colleen, I''ll tell


    her to bitch at her brother for me."


    ''Gregory has a thing for me?'' Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. "You got it wrong. We''re in the same


    ss, that''s all. I think you''re way off base here!"


    Debbie retorted. That would just be too much. Colleen and Gregory would think she and Carlos were


    both nuts. And that could ruin their friendship.


    "And you''re naive," Carlos sneered.


    ''Naive?'' Debbie was enraged. She disentangled herself from his arms. "Well, now that we''re getting


    things off our chests..." She took a step back and stared up at him defiantly, arms crossed.


    "What do you mean?" Carlos was confused.


    "Ha! You''re mad at me?! I''m your wife. We sleep in the same bed every night. And you told me that you


    loved me, that I was your everything, and that we''d grow old together. But look what you did. You said


    Megan was your girlfriend while I was standing right there! What? Do you think I''m stupid?"


    Sighing with profound resignation, Carlos said, "I already exined that."


    "So? You should''ve told me that Megan asked you to act as her boyfriend! Anding back to the city


    like that? Why didn''t you tell me? I''m your wife, aren''t I? Where do I fit into this? Men are all two-timers!


    Two-timers!" As if afraid that Carlos might not hear her clearly, she stressed the word "two-timers" and


    yelled at the top of her lungs. There was only so much humiliation she could stand! Her breath was


    coming in short gasps now, and she stomped to entuate certain words.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Her face was red. Before he could say anything, she added, "What did I do to make you think that was


    okay? Hell, while we''re at it, let''s talk about Olga. To make her happy, you threw me out of the Shining


    International za, andter, into the ocean. The OCEAN! What the hell were you thinking? If I


    couldn''t swim, I''d be dead now."


    Debbie could not believe how cruel Carlos could be.


    "I told you, you should have let me know who you were." Carlos defended himself.


    "So, you''re saying I deserved it?"


    Carlos was speechless. For the first time in his life, he realized that women wouldn''t listen to reason.


    The only thing he could do was apologize to his wife sincerely. "Honey, I''m really sorry. I shouldn''t have


    treated you like that. Please forgive me." He gave her a peck on her lips.


    "Humph!" Debbie rolled her eyes.


    "Better?"


    "Sort of." Pride could be seen in her eyes.


    Carlos took the ss from her hand and asked with a cunning smile, "By the way, where''s your ring?"


    He raised his finger to show that he was wearing his ring.


    He had never taken the ring off ever since she had put it on his finger.


    And he felt a little ufortable when he didn''t see her ring.


    ''Oh my God! He always has a way to get back at me, '' she cursed inwardly. With an embarrassed


    smile, she stammered, "Er... I-I put it in the safe at home. I couldn''t very well take it to the Southon


    Vige, right? What if I lost it? What if it got scratched? I''d feel bad then."


    Carlos nodded his head, but he wasn''t buying it. "No big deal. If you lost it or it got scratched, I''d buy


    you a new one."


    "I know you can afford it. But this is the first ring you gave me, and that can''t be reced. Get it? I''ll put


    it on when we''re back home. I won''t take it off. I swear..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, he stopped her by kissing her affectionately on the lips. After a


    long kiss, he said, "Okay. Forget about it. But you just called me a two-timer..." He put his hand on her


    waist, waiting for her answer.


    Debbie felt danger approaching and cursed inwardly, ''Dammit! Can''t you just let it go? You''re such a


    petty man.''


    She swallowed and with a fake smile said, "Two-timer? Who said that? Really?"


    She wanted to deny it, but Carlos'' next move suggested he was not satisfied with it. His hand slipped


    into her sweater. "Please don''t. It''s still aching there... Honey, I was just pissed. I didn''t mean it that


    way. Please forgive me, okay?"


    She stared at him, with a pair of innocent doe eyes.


    His heart softened instantly, but he managed to keep a straight face and said in a cold voice, "I don''t


    buy it."


    "Honey, I love you. I really, really love you. But it''ste. How about we get some sleep?"


    It was indeed veryte. Carlos gulped down the wine in his ss and kissed her fully, his lips gliding


    over hers. It felt like an eternity. Finally, he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.


    Lying in bed, Debbie watched Carlos, who was taking off his clothes. All of a sudden, a light bulb went


    off in her mind. "Hey you," she called out.


    He cast a warning nce at her. "Hey you? Really?"


    "Humph! I won''t call you ''honey'' until you give me an exnation. Why not add me as your WeChat


    friend? You hiding something?"


    Carlos grabbed his phone from the table and threw it onto the bed. "Check it yourself."


    ''What did he mean by that? Doesn''t he use WeChat?


    Still, if he gave me his phone, he doesn''t have anything to hide.'' She picked his iPhone XS Max up. It


    was the first time she had yed on his phone. With a sweet smile, she told Carlos, "Password,


    honey."


    "1104."


    ''What? It sounds like someone''s birthday.''


    Debbie entered the password and unlocked his phone. She heard Carlos say, "Help me change the


    password, and tell me the new one."


    "Why?"


    Carlos took off his pants and answered calmly, "Change it to your birthday."


    Blushed, Debbie looked away and asked, "Whose birthday is this?" She couldn''t help but steal a


    nce at him and met his teasing eyes. She immediately lowered her head to avoid eye contact.


    ''He''s impossible, '' she cursed silently.

 Chapter 154 Carlos Secret

    Chapter 154 Carlos'' Secret


    "Megan''s," answered Carlos as he walked towards the bathroom. Debbie''s face soured at the answer.


    She knew it instinctively, but it became more real when he finally confirmed it. As if realizing something


    wasn''t right, he added, "I lent her my phone and she keptining that she couldn''t remember my


    PIN. So she changed it to her birthday. I forgot to change it back."


    ''Is he trying to exin?'' Debbie thought.


    Carlos turned to look at her and offered, "I''ll change all my passwords to your birthday, okay?" He


    wanted Debbie to blend into every aspect of his life. She was his wife, after all, and often at the


    forefront of his thoughts. He was a busy man, though, and could only juggle so many things at once.


    He had to make any number of decisions day in and day out to keep his business running. So


    sometimes, he''d make a snap decision without necessarily consulting his wife. The man wasn''t


    ustomed to married life. It would take some time getting used to it.


    She pouted her lips. "Okay. By the way, when is your birthday?" She gave him an embarrassed smile,


    as she knew it was not appropriate to not know her husband''s birthday.


    He cast a meaningful nce at her before saying, "September 25th, Lunar Calendar."


    "What?! We have the same birth month! Mine''s September 5th. Oh no! Why didn''t you tell me about it


    earlier? I didn''t get you anything for your birthday." Feeling guilty, Debbie jumped out of bed. Despite


    the fact that he was naked now, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.


    Stroking her hair, Carlos smiled, "No, you already got me a present."


    Confused, she raised her head to look at him.


    Although Carlos hated to mention what had happened on the cruiser, he had to exin. "When I asked


    my men to throw a girl into the ocean, it was my birthday. After boarding the cruiser, the girl gave me a


    kiss. That was the gift you gave me."


    "What? No, no, no. That doesn''t count..." She didn''t know that day was his birthday, and he didn''t know


    she was his wife back then either.


    "It was the best gift I ever got," he said unreservedly. He did love her, but it was hard to find the time to


    remind her. She meant a lot to him, and he was trying to make sure that she was a part of his life. But


    why was it so hard sometimes? He scooped Debbie up into his arms, and carried her towards the


    bathroom. "You can''t even stay away from me for one second, huh? Why not take a bath together?"


    "NO! Put me down, old man. I''m not a clean freak. I already had a bath today. Hahaha... That tickles!


    Don''t bite my ear." Before they had gone out to grab some food, Debbie had already had a bath. She


    had even used the skin care products he had gotten her so she''d smell nice. He liked it when she did


    that. And she liked hearing him tell her.


    Carlos put Debbie down, pressed her against the door frame and kissed her affectionately before


    letting her go.


    Throwing herself onto the bed, she unlocked his phone, found the WeChat app and opened it.


    "Aaaaaaargh!" When she saw his WeChat name and profile, she couldn''t believe her eyes. The scream


    was unintentional, but entirely understandable, under the circumstances. Carlos could even hear her


    scream over the rush of water shower. "Carlos Huo! I can''t believe it! You calcting asshole! You


    added me as your WeChat friend awhile ago but never told me. Why didn''t I know? Because you


    pretended you were someone else..."


    She opened her Moments and checked all her updates. To her dismay, she found that she had called


    him "a wolf in sheep''s clothing" after he had kissed her in his office at school. Not only that, she had


    posted a picture of him wrapped in a towel and had even said that she wanted to date him while she


    was taking his ss...


    Many girls at Economics and Management School had posted simr updates, so her friends didn''t pay


    much attention to that update. But Gail had to be a troll.


    ''He''s an ass! He even pretended to be somebody else and told me he wanted to go out with me!''


    Truth was, the guy with the username "C" was Carlos himself.


    After changing his password to her birthday, she threw his phone aside and picked hers up. She


    opened a group chat and sent a message. "Men are all two-timers."


    "Ha! Who pissed you off?" read Jared''s reply.


    "You know who," Debbie replied.


    "Really? What did he do this time?" Jared sent a Curious Face emoji.


    Debbie wondered whether she should tell her friends about the conflicts between her and Megan. It


    was a sore spot with her, and she and Carlos constantly fought about her involvement in their lives. But


    was it really appropriate to share that? After a moment''s consideration, she decided against it. "Forget


    it. I said he was a two-timer, and he got angry at me."


    "And then what?" replied Kristina.


    "He''s such a petty man. He didn''t let me off the hook at all. He just had to punish me," answered


    Debbie.


    "Punish?" Jared sent a Dirty Smile emoji.


    "Hey, don''t take it the wrong way! I didn''t mean it like that," Debbie snapped.


    "Thedy doth protest too much, methinks," Dixon cut in.


    ''Nice, '' she thought. ''A Shakespeare reference.''


    "Exactly, dude. Come on, Tomboy. Don''t keep us in suspense. Tell us."


    "Hold on. Need snacks. BRB," Kristina typed. And then she broke off chatting to get snacks. Debbie


    might not feel like sharing by the time she got back to her phone.


    Kasie sent a voice message in which sheughed out loud for 15 seconds. They had kept the pressure


    on, and were finally going to get Debbie to crack.


    Debbie mentioned Dixon and Jared and typed, "You two better delete your messages. You know how


    Carlos is."


    "No fair! How about Kristina and Kasie too?" asked Jared.


    With a Proud emoji¡ªa grinning face with smiling eyes¡ªDebbie replied, "Because I love Kasie and


    Kristina, but not you and Dixon. Capice?"


    "Does your husband know you''re bi?" asked Dixon, along with a Winking Face emoji.


    Debbie turned to look at the locked bathroom and heard the sound of running water before replying,


    "Watch yournguage. My husband..."


    Carlos was so possessive of Debbie that he couldn''t bear the thought that other men might find her hot.


    She had begged and cajoled, and promised him things for a long time until he finally agreed to let her


    go this evening. And she knew how close he was to saying no.


    Jared was sick of Debbie talking about Carlos. He thought she was showing off. He sent her a voice


    message saying, "Come on, Tomboy! Give me a break! Quit talking about how obsessive he is. Or I''ll


    tell him you called him a scum."


    At the same time, Carlos stepped out of the bathroom.


    It was toote for Debbie to turn down the volume. Feigning calm, she mentioned Jared and said,


    "What?! Kristina called her dear boyfriend a scum? How could she say that? Dixon is so nice to her..."


    Her friends were struck speechless when they heard the voice message.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos walked over to Debbie and took away her phone.


    ''Holy crap! I''m done. What should I do?'' Debbie mused. She then saw Kristina send a voice message


    as well. ''Please don''t listen! Please don''t listen!'' she prayed in her mind. To her disappointment, Carlos


    clicked the message and it said, "Tomboy, don''t drag us into this, okay? Dixon and I are having a great


    time. You better bribe Jared so that he won''t snitch on you."


    "Er... D-Dear..." Debbie stammered.


    But Carlos wasn''t buying it. He sighed, his face stoney. The silence was agony, made all the more


    painful by Carlos'' raised eyebrow.


    "No, no, no! Honey! Honey! Darling..." Debbie put on an unctuous smile.


    Carlos locked her phone and sat on the bed, emotionless. He looked so cold it caused Debbie to


    involuntarily shudder. She threw herself into his arms and said yfully, "Honey, please don''t be angry.


    I was mad and drunk because Megan said you were her boyfriend. I was trying to forget."


    "Oh, is that all?" he asked.


    Debbie nodded.


    Sighing in defeat, he said, "Do you really think I''m such a petty man that I would get angry at you for


    such trifles?"


    Debbie nodded, then shook her head immediately. Before they had known they were husband and


    wife, he had been so mean to her. But ever since they had been together, he was much better and


    more tolerant.


    "You''re the best husband in the world," she said. Now that he was not angry, she picked up her phone


    andy down to y with it.


    "Debbie Nian," he called out.


    "What?" Debbie felt strange when he called her by her full name. ''Did I say something


    wrong?''

 Chapter 155 Talking About The Baby

    Chapter 155 Talking About The Baby


    "I''m not angry at you, but that doesn''t mean I don''t mind,"


    said Carlos as he pulled Debbie into his arms. "So you need to make me happy."


    "Okay. How about I sing a song for you?" She put her phone aside and cradled his neck.


    "What? ''Pray for You'' again?" Carlos asked through gritted teeth.


    Debbie stuck out her tongue and made a face. "No, no, no! I don''t want to be buried alive again. Grave


    mold is a bad look for me."


    Her reaction amused Carlos, who pinched her nose and ordered yfully, "Then sing."


    Debbie rested her head on his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat. "This is my favorite song.


    Hope you''ll enjoy it."


    "Uh-huh."


    Carlos moved the slider on the dimmer, and instantly the room was cloaked in darkness. The neon


    lights of the city came in through the window, bathing everything in the room in a curious cast of blue.


    Tucked in his arms, Debbie looked him in the eye and started to sing. "I''ve seen the world, done it all,


    had my cake now. Diamonds, brilliant, and Bel-Air now. Hot summer nights, mid July, when you and I


    were forever wild. The crazy days, city lights, the way you''d y with me like a child. Will you still love


    me when I''m no longer young and beautiful..."


    Carlos had long known that Debbie was a good singer. She seemed to have magic in her voice; his


    restless mind cooled down when she started singing. That was why he liked to hear her soaring vocals.


    She was able to hit some intense parts, and there were times when her voice went positively


    stratospheric. She was gifted, and he was a lucky man.


    And singing had an effect on her as well. When she hit those emotional parts, her eyes would start


    tearing up. She was able to feel what she was doing, give it some punch from deep in her lungs and


    enthrall an audience. "Will you still love me when I''m no longer young and beautiful? Will you still love


    me when I got nothing but my aching soul? I know you will, I know you will, I know that you will. Will


    you still love me when I''m no longer beautiful? Dear Lord, when I get to heaven, please let me bring my


    man. When hees, tell me that you''ll let him in. Father tell me if you can. Oh that grace, oh that


    body, oh that face makes me wanna party. He''s my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds..."


    His eyes were as deep as the ocean; she couldn''t help but lose herself in them.


    She finished off with a beautiful line. "Will you still love me when I''m no longer young and beautiful?" As


    she crooned, her voice was low and angelic, as tender as a baby''s skin, and as soft as new fallen


    snow. She rxed finally, done with her rendition of Lana Del Rey''s "Young and Beautiful". After a


    moment''s pause, she added, "Will you?"


    She was so nervous waiting for his answer.


    Carlos lowered his head, kissed her on the forehead, and whispered in her ear, "Yes, I will."


    The atmosphere between them was so tender and warm that they weren''t willing to surrender to sleep.


    They were buzzing with all the pleasant emotions the song and Carlos'' words had stirred in them. It


    was so wonderful that neither of them wanted it to end. Eventually, they agreed to close their eyes at


    the same time and fell asleep almost as soon as they did so.


    The next morning, when Carlos dug Debbie out of the quilt, her schoolmates had already eaten their


    breakfast and left for Y City.


    Debbie''s eyes were still closed. Carlos made her sit on hisp, helped her pull on her slippers, and


    carried her to the bathroom.


    "Need me to brush your teeth for you?" His voice snapped Debbie back to her senses. She looked at


    her messy hair in the mirror, and then turned to Carlos, who was already in his suit. Like being hit with


    a p, she was able to take full stock of the situation.


    "No, I''m good. When did you get up? I had no clue. Has everyone gone?"


    "Yeah. They''re on their way to Y City. I''ve been up for 3 hours already." He answered her questions


    patiently and helped her squeeze the toothpaste onto her brush.


    She sshed some water on her face, and took over her toothbrush. "Don''t worry. I''ll be quick."


    "No rush. I''ll wait in the dining room."


    Carlos left and checked the time before he started working¡ªit was 10:05 a.m.


    After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Debbie began her morning skin care routine. First, a


    skin toner to get rid of excess dirt, traces of oil and makeup, and correct and bnce the pH of her


    skin. She also didn''t want e. Then, an antioxidant serum to neutralize sun damage. Finally, an eye


    cream and moisturizer. She followed this routine dutifully¡ªCarlos wanted her to look radiant. At the


    last, she changed her clothes.


    When she showed up in the dining room, it was already 10:45 a.m.


    Although Carlos was patient, he was a little stunned and confused. ''She said she would be quick, but it


    still took 40 minutes.


    If she hadn''t rushed, how long would it have been?'' He closed the lid on hisptop and walked up to his


    wife, who was shoveling food into her mouth, devouring her breakfast like a wolf devouring its kill.


    "Take your time. Don''t choke."


    Debbie paused and asked, "You eat already?"


    "Yeah. But I can join you if you want." He sat opposite her, picked up a boiled egg, and began to peel it.


    Watching him was fascinating, because he was so good at it. He rolled the egg on the table to form


    cracks all over the shell, and then he squeezed the ends. The result was that the shell slid off in a few


    seconds, and created a minimum of mess.


    When Debbie finished her breakfast, she was quite full. She stood up from her seat, but Carlos picked


    up thest waffle and lifted it to her lips.


    She rubbed her tummy andined, "I thought you were eating too, but I pigged out on this." All he


    had done was put food onto her te.


    He had only taken a bite or two.


    "Full?" he asked.


    Debbie nodded immediately. As if she was afraid that he didn''t trust her, she lifted her sweater and


    showed him her big belly. "People might think I''m pregnant," she mumbled, pouting her lips.


    "Who cares what they think?" Carlos cleaned his hands with a wet napkin and stood next to her.


    "No! I''m still a student. If you get me pregnant, I won''t forgive you!" Debbie threatened Carlos with


    burning eyes.


    Not until then did Debbie realize something very important. She raised her fists and beat his chest


    repeatedly. "You didn''t use any condoms. Nor did I take any pills. What if I get pregnant? You promised


    me you''d use condoms. Liar! All men are sleazebags! Go buy me the morning-after pill!"


    Carlos grabbed her wrists and asked with dark eyes, "You don''t want to have my baby?"


    Debbie was scared by his fierce look. ''We''ve talked about it before. Why is he asking me again?'' she


    mused. After some consideration, she answered, "You got me wrong. If I were pregnant, I would give


    birth to it."


    He was satisfied with her answer.


    But she was not pleased, as Carlos didn''t keep his promise. All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in her


    mind. "If we have a baby in the future, I''ll teach our baby to call ''Daddy'' first."


    "Why?" Carlos asked in confusion.


    "In that case, our baby would say ''Daddy'' when wetting the bed or getting hungry. Hahaha! It would be


    you who gets up at midnight to change the diaper..."


    Carlos'' heart softened at the mention of their future child.


    He decided to y along with his wife, who was putting on her down jacket. "Honey, don''t worry. If you


    gave birth to a baby, I would hire ten nannies to take care of you and our baby. So you should teach the


    baby to say ''Nanny'' instead."


    "But I heard some nannies would hurt babies, like feeding them sleeping pills so that they won''t cry all


    day," she retorted.


    "No one would do that to MY baby!" Carlos spoke with curt finality.


    Rolling her eyes, Debbie zipped up her jacket and snapped back, "What if they did it behind closed


    doors?"


    "Well then, teach our baby to say ''Grandma'' and ''Grandpa'' first," Carlos said with a shrug.


    "So, you''re trying to tell me you won''t take care of our baby, huh?"


    A cold shiver suddenly ran down Carlos'' spine. "That depends..." He could only give her a vague


    response so that she wouldn''t be pissed off. But on the inside, he retorted, ''Of course I won''t be taking


    care of my baby. I hate babies; they''re a pain in the butt.''


    Debbie remembered Carlos was fond of boys, so she asked, "If it''s a boy, will you take care of him


    then?"


    "No," he answered shortly.


    Taking a deep breath, she continued to pry, "What if it''s a girl?" Debbie was fuming inside. ''He doesn''t


    seem to like children at all. Then why is he dying to have a baby? Does he just want to torture me by


    letting me give birth to a baby? Or does he want to have a baby with someone else?''


    ''A girl?'' Carlos pondered. The man, who had always wanted a boy, hesitated right now. ''A girl...''N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

 Chapter 156 Our New Home

    Chapter 156 Our New Home


    The couple were immersed in their own thoughts. Without giving Debbie a straight answer, Carlos held


    on to her, who had wrapped herself tight in the down jacket again, and led her outside the door. "I''ve


    arranged our trip to Maldives," he said. "We''ll go there after spending the Spring Festival in New York.


    Then, after the end of next semester, you''ll be studying in the UK."


    Digging her fingers into her ears, Debbie repeatedly nodded her head. "Okay." Since her handsome


    husband had always treated her well, of course she''d do what he wanted.


    And it was not like she''d have to do without him. Carlos would also be there, waiting for her when the


    school day was done. She would be okay with it as long as he was by her side. But her best friends


    would be sad. Next year, they wouldn''t be able to see her. She was the one who stuck up for them


    when they were wronged, and lifted their moods when they were unhappy. Of course, she''d miss them


    too.


    Seeing Debbie nodding meekly along without protest, Carlos was content. Ignoring everyone, he


    nted a kiss on her forehead. "Hey, I''ve got a surprise for you."


    "What surprise?" Debbie asked expectantly.


    Glowing with happiness, Carlos looked into her eyes and said, "You''ll have to wait till we''re back home.


    If I tell you, how could it be a surprise?"


    Debbie''s curiosity was triggered. She practically bounced in her seat in excitement. The girl racked her


    brains trying to figure out what it might be. She even asked Carlos for clues, but the stoic man would


    not give up his secrets. So she had to sit, and wait. Wait the entire four-hour trip back to Y City.


    All of a sudden, she shifted her gaze from her phone to the outside of the car window. Confused by the


    unfamiliar scenery outside, she turned to Carlos and asked, "Where are we going? Aren''t we going


    back to the vi?"


    "No..." He was busy looking over documents. He took advantage of the long ride, keeping hispany


    running smoothly. It took dedication and drive to use your spare moments to work, but Carlos had


    those in spades. His phone suddenly rang, interrupting his reply.


    As Carlos answered the call, Debbie kept quiet. She knew he didn''t like to talk to her when he was on


    the phone. So she pulled out her own phone again, and scrolled through news sites.


    Ten minutester, the car started to slow down. Up in the driver''s seat, Emmett reminded Debbie, "Mrs.


    Huo, take a look out the window. The scenery is just amazing." ''Mr. Huo really knows how to enjoy life.


    This manor has everything, '' Emmett marveled in his mind.


    Heeding what he said, Debbie rolled down the car window and looked out. She saw the manor gate a


    short distance away. "So where are we now?" she asked curiously.


    Carlos smiled, "Our new home."


    Before he moved into the vi to live with Debbie, Carlos had stayed in this manor every time he came


    back to Y City. The surroundings here were quite tranquil. It was a perfect ce for them to live.


    ''Our... home?'' Debbie repeated these words to herself.


    She shifted her attention back to the magnificent European style gate. There were tall, grey pirs on


    either side, with crystalmps on top. She looked up¡ªeach one had to be at least ten meters.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Between the two tallest pirs was a ck gate of wrought iron, and six arch doors in different sizes


    were adorned on both sides of it. A security room in the same color stood beside the gate. It was a


    gorgeous gate, with straight lines and curves existing together in symmetry. Everything was decorated


    in a simple but stunning style without any fussy designs.


    As they drove close to the gate, it opened automatically. A few well-trained security guards in uniforms


    stood at the gate and weed them.


    Debbie was mesmerized by the scene in front of her, her mouth agape. The mere sight of this splendid


    gate was enough to stun her. And if she thought that was amazing, she hadn''t seen anything yet. But


    the gate was simply beautiful, and the most astonishing thing she''d seen in a long time. Maybe ever.


    She could hardly imagine how luxurious it would be inside the manor.


    She saw that the estate was surrounded by a variety of trees, of which some were still green and


    dense even in winter. Behind the trees, there was a row of grey iron fences. And numerous power grids


    and high-definition security cameras were hidden amidst the trees.


    As the car slowly drove into the manor, Carlos opened the sunroof and told Debbie, "Stand up and


    have a look around."


    Emmett slowed down again. Debbie leaned her upper body out of the sunroof and got a full view of the


    grounds. Inside the car, Carlos carefully wrapped his arms around her waist to ensure her safety.


    She looked around, appreciating the beautiful scenery unfolding before her. Everywhere she looked,


    green leaves greeted her eyes. She felt like summer had returned. Flowers started to bloom, forcing


    their bright colors against the calming green. A warm feeling coursed throughout her whole body. She


    closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh and fragrant air. The grounds were huge, too. It was not like


    Carlos skimped on anything. There was a beautiful garden filled with well-tended nts, bushes, and


    trees. A cobblestone path wound around the garden, and in the center there was a fountain. Debbie


    took in more sights, and spotted ake to the side of the manor. As the car eased along the road, she


    took note of the hugewn that seemed it would take a lifetime to mow encircling the manor. It had


    everything here.


    Momentster, their car reached the main part of the manor, where a luxurious three-storey vi stood.


    The walls were painted white.


    Around this vi, there stood a few two-floor buildings. All the buildings were pleasingly arranged


    around the main mansion. More than that, she had also seen a helicopter and a mysterious hot-spring


    introduced from the back hill. Perhaps, there were more astonishing things hidden inside this huge


    manor, waiting for Debbie to discover.


    Finally, their car stopped on the open parking lot beside the three-storey vi. After getting out of the


    car, Carlos led Debbie to the right hand side.


    Pointing at a smaller building which upied a few hundred square meters, he said, "Can you see


    that? I had that building decorated for you."


    In front of the building, there was arge swimming pool, with clear water gleaming under sunlight.


    Next to the swimming pool, there was a beautiful garden. Various tropical, subtropical, and temperate


    flowers of which Debbie didn''t know the names were growing and blooming there. These different kinds


    of flowers could ensure the manor to be filled with fragrance through all four seasons.


    A heated, bright greenhouse was built next to the garden, in order to help some kinds of nts


    withstand the cold.


    "What? Do you mean we''ll settle down here? Then is our room on the ground floor or upstairs?" Debbie


    asked innocently.


    She was fond of this building decorated with abination of Chinese and Western styles.


    Carlos smiled tenderly. He held her hands in his and led her into the two-storey vi.


    On the ground floor, Carlos pushed open one of the doors and let Debbie go in first.


    "Wow!" she eximed the moment she entered.


    It was a huge music studio! A lot of music books were neatly lined up the bookshelves on one of the


    acoustic walls. She could see the most advanced mixer and all the necessary voice recording


    equipment.


    The room was filled with all kinds of Western and traditional Chinese instruments like guitars, pianos,


    zithers... Almost any musical instrument that you could name was here.


    Covering her mouth in shock and excitement, Debbie turned around and looked at the expressionless


    man. "What''s...this? Are you a musician too, or..."


    Carlos raised his eyebrows. "Do you think I have an interest in music?"


    Instantly, tears sprang to her eyes. In a sob, she asked, "How do you know I''m crazy about music?"


    Seeing her reddened eyes, Carlos held her hand and dragged her out of the room, while warning, "I


    know you love music. But stop crying. I installed this studio for you to entertain yourself but not for you


    to cry. Understand?"


    Debbie repeatedly nodded her head, but her effort to hold back the tears was in vain. They began


    streaming down her cheeks.


    Carlos helplessly wiped off her tears before pushing another door. "Stop crying now, or... well, you''ll


    find out!"


    "Find out what?" Debbie asked while sobbing.


    Carlos looked toward the music studio, drew closer to her and whispered yfully, "How about we have


    some sexy time in the music studio?"


    These words worked. In an instant, Debbie turned her tears intoughter and rebuked, "You jerk!" She


    patted his body several times to vent her anger.


    Then, she pulled a tissue and wiped off her tears. When she calmed down, Carlos led her into the


    second room.


    This room was totally different from the music studio. A lot of colorful bottles and containers sat on the


    shelves.


    At first, she didn''t know what they were used for, but when she noticed a set of molds and equipment,


    she finally understood. "This is to make lipsticks?" she asked.


    Carlos pinched her cheek. "Clever. Yes. This is a lipstickb. I have hired some professional


    technicians to teach you how to make lipsticks."


    Her emotions were stirred again. She could hardly find the words to express herself. "I... I don''t need...


    so many lipstick..."


    "I have registered apany for you¡ªDecar Cosmetics. You can sell the lipsticks you don''t need or


    the shades you don''t like. I''ve arranged for some designers to work on the packaging. You can pick


    your favorite designter. As for the advertising and the marketing channel, Emmett can handle


    those."

 Chapter 157 The Dog Named Hum

    Chapter 157 The Dog Named Hum


    Debbie squeezed Carlos'' hands while listening attentively to each word he said.


    "Decar..." she repeated the brand name.


    Carlos kissed her on the lips and then gently stroked the tear stains on her face with his thumb. "Decar


    is thebination of Debbie and Carlos," he said tenderly.


    ''Decar...Debbie and Carlos... What a good name!''


    Staring at him in a daze, Debbie cupped his face with her hands as if in a gentle gesture, only to pinch


    his cheeks so hard. Carlos was startled. "What''s wrong?"


    In a serious voice, she asked, "Did it hurt?"


    He shook his head. "No."


    "No? So I''m just daydreaming! Everything here is not real, right? What a good dream! I hope I''ll never


    wake up," she said, pouting.


    Carlos rolled his eyes at her.


    As Debbie was still in a confused state, he led her to another room that was specially furnished for her


    ¡ªa gym.


    There had been a gym in this vi previously but he had it renovated for her sake.


    As Debbie was good at running, he had purchased a few new treadmills with different functions. He


    also had added other equipment, suitable for women.


    Thest room they visited was a spacious dancing and yoga studio. On one side of the room was a


    French window facing awn. The other three walls were covered with floor to ceiling mirrors, giving


    the room an illusion of even bigger space.


    A few pieces of hammocks and swing straps for doing anti-gravity yoga dangled from the ceiling.


    Beautiful yoga mats and yoga ballspleted the list of essories. It was a fully furnished yoga


    studio that would rival any professional clubs around.


    Just a feel of the studio would excite even those who didn''t have interest in yoga.


    Observing their reflections in the mirror, Carlos noticed the pleased look in Debbie''s eyes.


    Affectionately, he pulled her into his arms and said, "Just hold on a little longer. After you finish your


    studies abroad ande back, we will settle down here. This will be our home forever. Okay?"


    ''Our home forever...'' Debbie felt touched.


    Through the French window, she gazed at thewn outside and indulged in a bit of fantasy. She


    pictured herself walking hand in hand with Carlos on thewn under the sunlight, probably with one or


    two kids and a cat or a dog ying around. A happy smile crept across her face as she thought about


    such a warm scene.


    Then, they headed to the three-storey vi. When they arrived at the gate, Carlos grabbed her hand


    and pressed her finger on the fingerprint lock to collect and identify her data.


    Now, she realized this three-storey vi was the ce where they would live, while the two-storey


    building they had just visited would be for recreational purposes. Carlos had chosen that building and


    renovated it into a music studio, a lipstickb, a gym and a yoga room, because there was arge


    swimming pool in front of it. Since Debbie was fanatical about swimming, that building would be the


    best choice.


    After unlocking the gate, Debbie eagerly pushed it open. But barely had she set a foot in when out of


    the blue an "attacker" charged at them. "Be careful!" she shouted. On reflex, she lifted her right leg andN?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    was about to kick hard, only for Carlos to push her aside. He caught the "attacker" in his arms, leaving


    Debbie astounded.


    When she realized clearly that the "attacker" was a dog, she rolled her eyes.


    Wiggling its tail, the dog barked at Debbie, but it was not threatening.


    Carlos pointed at the white hairy dog which was now sitting docilely beside him, and said


    mischievously, "This is a Canadian Eskimo Dog, also called a sled dog. It''s fun and very good at taking


    instructions, so I thought you''d have a greatpanion, especially for your morning or night runs.


    Would you like to take it to the manor for a walk? Its speed will surprise you, I promise."


    But Debbie was not impressed. She had never been fond of dogs or any pets for that matter. All her


    touching feelings vanished into thin air now. With her lips pursed, she said rather snappishly, "Well,


    maybe I''d like to, but not now, please! And no matter how fast it runs, I''ll be faster! Anyway, are you


    sure that you haven''t been fooled by anyone? The damn dog looks like a Samoyed rather than an


    Eskimo dog."


    She said that with an obvious attitude.


    When Carlos didn''t answer, she added, "Didn''t you see how it dashed toward us when we opened the


    door?"


    Carlos chuckled under his breath. "Well, why not give this damn thing a name?"


    "Give it a name? Haven''t you already kept it for some time?" ''It seems quite close to Carlos. I thought it


    was a pet that he had kept for long, '' she thought.


    "No. It was brought here a few days before you went to the Southon Vige. I''ve seen it only once."


    "I see. Then why did you want to keep a dog all of a sudden?" Debbie squatted down and reached out


    her hand. She wanted to touch its head. It was actually cute, with white and silky fur.


    However, as if knowing what Debbie was going to do, the dog suddenly stood up and walked away. It


    stared at her with wary eyes from a distance away.


    Debbie pouted once more and snorted. "Humph! It''s a silly dog, just as I thought at first!"


    As she finished, the dog instantly barked at her again. ''This dog is not silly but quite clever! It knew I


    was rebuking it!'' Debbie murmured in her mind.


    Carlos was amused by the exchange between Debbie and the dog. It was so funny that he chuckled.


    "Whenever I''m not here with you, you can y with it. To tame it, you need to give it strict training and


    get a leash on it."


    Debbie frowned. "What? It''s so troublesome. Not the kind of pet I can manage!"


    Caressing her hair, Carlos assured her with a smile, "The dog needs regr exercise. Almost daily.


    Just take it along as you exercise too."


    ''To exercise for what?'' Debbie turned around and stared at him. "I bet thest sentence is the whole


    point you''re driving at, right?" Her face flushed red when she remembered him teasing that she couldn''t


    keep pace with him in bed.


    To confirm the suspicion, he was smiling when her curious eyes met his. "Yes. You''re a smart girl!"


    "Humph!" Debbie snorted. She was angry but couldn''t find a way to retort. ''It''s not that I am weak, but


    you bang like a stallion on steroids!'' Debbie wanted to say, but she decided otherwise.


    "Okay, babe, I think I''ve got a name for your dog. Just call it Hum," she said, trying to steer the


    conversation to something different.


    Carlos rolled his eyes resignedly. "Well...okay, as you please."


    From now on, Debbie had one morepanion named Hum.


    In the afternoon, Carlos left for his work while Debbie stayed in the manor and continued to look around


    their new home.


    After he left, Debbie went to their bedroom. As she opened the door, she was surprised to see many


    packing bags that filled the table and the floor. Since the ce was full and a little disorganized, she


    chose to first sort out what was in those bags. She found that most of them were cosmetics and skin


    care products!


    She recognized some of the packing bags. They were the cosmetics that she bought in Shining


    International zast time, in order to get the free trip to Maldives.


    But for the other skin care products, she didn''t know who had bought them and why there were so


    many. ''Are they all bought by Carlos?'' Unable to hold back her curiosity, she called Carlos for an


    answer.


    She was shocked to know that some of the skin care products were given to her by the parents of the


    naughty boy, who had been brought to the vi by Megan the other day.


    "And some of those items were flown inst week from Paris, by Mom. She strictly instructed me not to


    tell you until you walked into your new house. They are her house-warming bash for you. There''s a


    cab next to your dressing table where you can ce your cosmetics. If the cab is notrge


    enough, just tell me and I''ll change it to arger one," Carlos told her on the other end.


    ''Oh, my goodness!


    This... This is too extravagant for me!'' Debbie eximed in her mind. The number of pleasant surprises


    Carlos had pulled on Debbie in one day were just far too many.


    After ending the call, she looked at the cab. It was a customized wooden cab with gliding ss


    doors. On the upper part of the cab, the shelves were divided into smallpartments which would


    be convenient to store different items.


    Humming in joy, Debbie didn''t unwrap any of these packages. She simply stuffed them into the cab.


    But when her mind ran back to the biting levels of poverty she had recently seen first hand in Southon


    Vige, she began to wish they could return all the items for a refund. Up to thest cent, she would


    spend the money on improving living conditions in the vige.


    Overwhelmed bypassion on the weing but poor vigers over there in Southon Vige, she


    dejectedly slumped into bed, badly in need of a rest.


    When she woke up, it was already dark outside. Carlos hadn''te back yet for he had a lot of work to


    finish before Spring Festival. She would have dinner on her own.


    When she came downstairs, she found that the chef and his beautiful female assistant were busy at


    work in the kitchen. In a few minutes, mouth-watering dinner was served.

 Chapter 158 So Hot

    Chapter 158 So Hot


    Before grabbing her chopsticks, Debbie called Carlos. Just as she guessed, he was too busy toe


    back for dinner. Despite feeling a jolt of loneliness, she understood why. He had already abandoned his


    schedule to pick her up from the Southon Vige. Earlier, he had received quite a few business calls,


    even in the car. All his time was devoted to either flirting with her or dealing with work.


    After reminding Carlos of his meal, Debbie hung up and dug into her dinner.


    She had to admit one thing¡ªwithout Carlos at the table, she was free to do anything she wanted. She


    liked to y on her phone, but Carlos rarely let her do anything other than eat and talk to him. And he


    did precious little of thetter. Sometimes, there was little to talk about, especially with a man of few


    words. And she did love to mess around with her phone...


    Debbie had just opened her Weibo app when her phone suddenly rang. It was Kasie calling.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    After quickly swallowing down a mouthful of tasty soup, she answered in a happy tone, "Hi, Kasie!"


    "Debbie! Did you see the top trending topic on Weibo?" Kasie was obviously excited, and her words


    came out in a rapid-fire jumble.


    "Not yet. I just sat down for dinner. I was about to get on Weibo when you called. Something


    happened?"


    "Yeah. Your husband made the headlines again! Carlos seems to have be a newsmaker. I don''t


    know what you did to him, but it''s almost like he''s craving the limelight now. He used to issue takedown


    notices for stories about him, but not anymore."


    ''Made the headlines?'' Debbie tensed up. "What did he do this time? Anything happened to him?"


    "Well, you''d better read the news yourself. You''re involved. You''d probably know better than I would."


    Kasie had scarcely finished her sentence before she hung up the phone immediately. Debbie had no


    chance to say a word.


    With a torrent of doubts flooding her mind, Debbie clicked the hot topics list on Weibo. The topic


    "Carlos Huo is married" ranked first. The story had gone viral¡ªa lot of people had seen this, and the


    number kept ticking upwards.


    ''Carlos Huo is married? Has our marriage gone public?'' Debbie thought.


    Her heart jumped into her throat. Losing her appetite, she put down her chopsticks and glued her eyes


    to the headline for several minutes.


    After a long pause, she took a deep breath and mustered the courage to click the title. There were a


    few photos posted at the end of the article. Instead of reading the article, she took a quick look at the


    photos first.


    The first photo was a full body shot of Carlos attending an award ceremony this afternoon. He was


    holding a trophy with a thin smile on his charming face.


    The second photo was a close-up picture of the hand holding the trophy. It was obviously meant to


    show the ring on his finger.


    And the third one was an animated GIF. It showed what happened the moment he left the venue after


    the award ceremony. He was surrounded by a throng of reporters; his face had almost been buried


    amidst the microphones. Then, he was escorted to his car by many bodyguards without answering any


    questions.


    Thest photo was the same one that someone had posted on the Inte. That one was secretly


    taken by paparazzi when Carlos walked out of the hotel with Debbie in his arms.


    Debbie scrolled down and saw a few click-bait headlines. "Better put a ring on it! Carlos Huo is a


    married man!"


    "Married? Billionaire Carlos Huo sports a wedding ring at the First Phnthropist Awards ceremony."


    The main thrust of the article was about how the photographers discovered this big secret.


    They were observant enough to notice the ring on Carlos'' finger and snapped pictures of it when he


    was on stage at the award ceremony. Even after the event, Carlos didn''t answer any of the reporters''


    questions, but he didn''t deny the allegations either. His silence seemed to be a tacit admission to the


    authenticity of his marriage.


    After the photos were posted, a flood of Carlos'' fans had writtenments on both his personal Weibo


    ount and the ZL Group''s official ount. Some of his crazy fans were heartbroken, while some


    blessed his marriage with the mysterious woman. They also hoped that Carlos could personally


    respond to the news.


    A few smartizens had even collected some information about Debbie''s two confessions of love to


    Carlos at the university. They figured that Debbie was probably Mr. Huo''s wife, and leftments to


    that effect. Tons of reporters wanted to interview the students of the Economics and Management


    School, but they couldn''t, because the school was on winter vacation now.


    But not long after Debbie found them, some of thesements began to disappear. It seemed like


    someone had them deleted.


    Debbie entered Carlos'' Weibo page and looked at thements. There were hundreds of thousands


    ofments more than thest time. This was the second time people had gotten a look at his private


    life. It seemed that people were hungry for this. There were already more than five millionments


    under Carlos'' two posts.


    Shocked, Debbie couldn''t believe that a ring on Carlos'' finger could make the Inte explode. Once


    again, it proved that he did have a huge fan base. He might be more popr than a lot of A-list pop


    stars.


    Debbie''s heart was racing as she looked at the crazy amount ofments. Her train of thought was


    interrupted by Carlos'' call. As soon as the call was connected, she asked bluntly, "Hi honey. How''s it


    going?"


    "You read the news?"


    "Hmm..."


    "What do you think?" Carlos asked. He wouldn''t mind announcing their marriage to the whole world. He


    wanted everyone to know that Debbie was his beloved wife. He had expected the news to get out.


    In fact, the gossip had already spread like wildfire, which was more serious thanst time. Carlos felt so


    helpless. The PR department of hispany had gotten a flood of calls about the viral posts. They


    were understaffed for that sort of thing, so the phone lines were all lit up, and many callers were on


    hold. The best way to stop all the chaos was to post an announcement with his personal Weibo


    ount.


    Carlos didn''t know theizens would be following his life this closely.


    "What? Why ask me?" Debbie was confused by his question. ''Shouldn''t his PR department be doing


    damage control?'' she wondered.


    Carlos sighed inwardly, feeling annoyed that they hadn''t announced their marriage. "Do you think we


    should post our marriage certificates or continue to keep it a secret?"


    Debbie hesitated. Thinking about the waves of rumors spreading on Weibo, she knew Carlos couldn''t


    keep silent anymore. He had to post something. "Then tell everyone you are married. But you''re so


    popr, especially among the girls. I bet a lot of your fans will be heartbroken this time," she joked.


    Carlos didn''t give a damn what anyone else thought. They had nothing to do with him. "So should I just


    post our marriage certificates?" he asked again.


    "No, no, no..." Debbie couldn''t voice her disapproval strongly enough. She thought it was a bad idea.


    She was still in school, and she didn''t want people trying to get close to her just to get close to Carlos.


    She didn''t need the added stress and attention. School was hard enough, and with tons of eyes on her,


    she''d be extremely nervous. She''d be hounded by paparazzi, and never have any time of her own. And


    even when she did, inevitably, there would be a hidden reporter, with a hidden camera, ready to sell his


    pic to any tabloid that would pay him.


    A few minutester, asizens were anxiously waiting for any new clues or gossip to spring up, they


    were excited to see a new post on Carlos'' personal Weibo ount.


    It was a photo


    of a couple kissing


    inside a luxury car.


    A man, dressed in a dark grey zer, squeezed a woman in a white sweater into a corner of the back


    seat, and kissed her passionately. The man looked really manly the way he handled all this.


    The femaleizens felt a thrill in their hearts when they saw the photo. ''Oh, Mr. Huo is so hot!


    Oh, his legs are long and slim. That car looks luxurious. What a romantic scene! I wish I were her!'' they


    all eximed in their minds.


    But their curiosity was not satisfied, because the woman''s face was covered by Carlos'' back. They


    could only see their fingers entwined tightly.


    The truth was, Emmett had taken this romantic photo. The car was stopped at a red light at the time.


    He initially wanted to send this secret photo to Debbie to make fun of her, but moments ago, he


    identally overheard Carlos'' phone call with Debbie.


    Knowing Carlos wanted to let people know he was married, Emmett felt this photo woulde in


    handy to solve this.


    So he sent the photo to Carlos. Emmett suddenly felt regretful when Carlos shot him a cold nce as


    thanks.


    He realized he had pried into his CEO''s private affairs.


    As a clever man, Emmett instantly excused himself by saying, "Mr. Huo... I still have work to do.


    Excuse me." Then, he fled away as quickly as he could without waiting for Carlos'' response.


    Around seven p.m., Debbie had finally finished her dinner, but it hadn''t helped her nervous mood any.


    Taking a deep breath, she opened the Weibo app again. She was shocked to see the hottest post in


    the news feed.


    It was Carlos'' post, and there were already more than five million "likes".


    She looked at the new photo carefully. Yes, that was certainly Carlos, and the woman in the photo was


    her!

 Chapter 159 Official Announcement

    Chapter 159 Official Announcement


    As she stared at the photo posted on Carlos'' Weibo page, Debbie began to recall what had happened


    yesterday. After lunch yesterday, they got back into Carlos'' car. She had just taken off her jacket when


    he suddenly pinned her down in the back seat and began kissing her. In the driver''s seat was Emmett,


    quietly sitting, as if he didn''t know what was happening. It urred to her that the partition of the car


    had been rolled down when they parked the car on highway service area. They''d forgotten to roll it up


    again, so Emmett had secretly taken a photo of them passionately kissing.


    Coming back to her senses, she scrolled through thements on the post. A few minutes after


    dinner, thements were at a million and counting. Ranking top of thements was a user by the


    ount name "J-Loves-D". "Wow!! Mr. Huo takes my breath away!" thement read.


    In second rank was Colleen''sment. "Mr. Huo, you''ve crowded your wife to the corner. Give her


    some room to breathe, boy!" she wrote.


    "This official announcement of love broke my heart!" another user wrote.


    For the next half an hour, Debbie read thements one by one, which kept increasing by the minute.


    It wasn''t until she heard the barking of the dog that she reluctantly moved her eyes away from the


    phone.


    ''Oh shit! I forgot to walk Hum, and...I even forgot to feed him!'' she thought and kicked herself.


    Squatting in front of the dog, she murmured, "Hum, I''m so sorry. I forgot about you." The dog made a


    sound between barking and yawning. It almost sounded like it wanted to speak its mind and reprimand


    Debbie for ignoring it. "Okay, Hum. You don''t have toin. I feel guilty about it already. And for


    that, I''ll prepare a double serving of meat for you. Right away!"


    At the door to the kitchen, she gestured to Hum. "Come over. Tell me how you''d want your meat


    cooked. Would you fancy spices?"


    Hum didn''t budge a little, but just stared at her discontentedly.


    Unsure what to feed the dog, Debbie took out her phone to call Carlos for confirmation. But hardly had


    she unlocked the screen when the doorbell rang. The gate of the vi was kind of far away from the


    kitchen, so she quickly ran to the living room and checked on CCTV. From the screen, Debbie saw that


    there was a woman standing in front of the gate with an anxious look on her face. Immediately, she


    pressed the speaker button andmunicated with the woman outside. "Hello, who are you?"


    The woman instantly exined, "Mrs. Huo, I''m sorry. I''m hired toe and take care of the dog. I


    should''vee earlier, but I had something urgent at home to deal with, so I amte. I''m really sorry..."


    ''So Carlos has assigned someone to take care of the dog too...'' Debbie thought.


    She pressed another button beside the screen and the door of the vi opened automatically. The


    woman rushed to the porch and changed into a pair of clean shoes before entering the living room.


    Then she hurried up to Debbie and apologized again, "I''m really sorry. My child had some trouble this


    afternoon. I won''t bete anymore. This job is really important to me. Mrs. Huo, please don''t get angry


    with me..."


    Debbie was taken aback by her humble begging for mercy. Snapping back to the reality, she shook her


    head vigorously. "Never mind. It doesn''t matter at all. Rx. Hum is hungry now. Please prepare the


    food for it."


    The woman was moved by Debbie''s warm gesture. With teary eyes, she thanked Debbie and ran to


    the storeroom to fetch kibble and chicken meat.


    Curious, Debbie stood at one side and watched the woman get down to work. Putting the chicken meat


    into a pan, she added the kibble, a little salt, and covered the pan.


    "Is that all?" Debbie asked.


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. That''s all there is to it. Actually the best for an Eskimo dog."


    "Okay, I see."


    After feeding Hum, Debbie took it for a walk in the garden. She had also missed out on her running, so


    she took this opportunity for that.


    The street lights on both sides of the cobble-path were all on, brightening up the whole garden. The


    manor looked even more gorgeous under the colorful lights. However, being alone with only a dog by


    her side made Debbie feel a little bit scared. The rustling and whispering of trees added to her fear.


    As she was lost in a trance, she didn''t hold the dog leash tight in her hand, so Hum got a chance and


    ran away all of a sudden. In a split second, Humpletely disappeared from her sight!


    Looking at her empty right hand which had been holding a dog leash a moment ago, she sighed


    helplessly. ''You cunning dog!''


    "Hum, don''t run away! Wait for me!" Debbie shouted as she picked up her pace and ran along the path.


    She was concerned that the naughty dog would damage the nts or even turn the whole garden


    upside down.


    When Carlos came back to the manor, he didn''t find Debbie in the house, so he anxiously called her at


    once, only to find that her phone was left on the table in the living room.


    He then called the security guard on duty who told him Debbie had taken the dog for a walk in the


    garden.


    When he found Debbie in the garden, he saw her ring at Hum while gasping for air. She begged,


    "Hum, please, don''t run again. Let me hold your leash, okay? Just for a while, please... Hey! Don''t


    dodge me! Come on. What''s so good for you if I''m exhausted to death? Huh?"


    But Hum didn''t listen to her. It kept dodging Debbie''s touch, giving her no chance to get close.


    Just as she was about to lose her patience, a cold and stern voice suddenly came. "Hum!"


    The dog darted toward the direction of the voice. Debbie turned around to find a smiling Carlos only a


    few meters away. With a simple order, the dog lunged at Carlos, who immediately grabbed hold of its


    leash to keep it under control.


    Watching on, Debbie got angry. She protested between gritted teeth, "Carlos, can you imagine how


    much time I''ve had to run after Hum? That''s so unfair.


    I bet it was a she. Opposite sexes attract each other, right? I''d be jealous and use her ofpeting


    with me over your love." Carlos arched an eyebrow.


    Debbie paused. ''What did I say? Did I say...Carlos and a dog attract each other?'' Realizing her


    impulsive words, she held back herughter and took to her heels after saying, "Was I wrong?"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Carlos patted Hum on the head and ordered, "Catch her!"


    To which Hum darted out like an arrow and ran after Debbie, while Carlos slowly tagged along. It didn''t


    take him long to catch up with Debbie. The dog yfully snapped at her trouser. He pulled her into his


    arms and asked with affected seriousness, "You thought you''d outrun both of us? And who is


    competing with you over my love?"


    Debbie giggled. "Oh...I didn''t refer to...Hum. I meant it''s Miss Mi or Miss Lan...and probably there''s still


    a Miss Me or Miss Fan waiting for you somewhere... Aargh! Carlos Huo! Let me down now! Okay, I''m


    wrong. Please...I...feel so ufortable...please..."


    Carlos carried her over his shoulder as he walked back to the vi. All the way, Debbie iled, trying to


    break free, but he just didn''t let her down. Hum skittishly walked behind them, watching their endearing


    banter.


    Theirughter broke the silence of night, their shadows swaying under the street lights. It was such a


    warm and romantic scene.


    However... two dayster, Carlos gave the dog to someone else. His purpose of keeping this dog was


    to help Debbie build up her physique so that she could keep pace with him in bed. But to his


    disappointment, it had the opposite effect, and on the very first day, she hade home haggard and


    fallen sound asleep as soon as she hit the hay.


    Debbie felt sad that Carlos had sent Hum away. She scolded him. But he didn''t care. They didn''t need


    a dog.


    But tofort her, he promised that if she really liked keeping a dog, he would buy her a little pet dog


    after their uing Spring Festival trip to New York.


    On that promise, Debbie finally stoppedining, much to Carlos'' relief. It was hard for him to


    understand her emotions for a dog she had only kept for two days.


    That night, before bedtime, as Debbie went to bathe, Carlos wanted to slip in and bathe together with


    her, but a phone call from New York stopped him at the doorstep.


    With no other choice, he sighed and went to the study instead. He answered, "Dad..."


    Before he could finish greeting, a thunderous rant came from the other end of the line. "Young man!


    You do remember you have a dad, right? How dare you get married without my approval? Huh? You


    even keep it under wraps. Do you have any respect to your parents?"


    Used to his father''s ill temper, Carlos silently listened. "If the media doesn''t expose your marriage, are


    you going to keep it from us for the rest of your life? Who allowed you to marry secretly, and at that, an


    unknown woman? Who gave you the courage to do so? How about Stephanie? How can I exin to


    the Li family? You''ve embarrassed me now!"

 Chapter 160 Marry Her Yourself

    Chapter 160 Marry Her Yourself


    After James finally finished his rant, Carlos said calmly, "She''s not just some random woman I plucked


    off the streets. I have the final say in my marriage, Dad. As for the Li family, go exin to them


    yourself. This has nothing to do with me!"


    His words caused James'' blood pressure to surge. Hearing the noise on the other end of the line,


    Carlos shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. He knew that his father was rummaging through the drawers,


    looking for his medicine. He patiently waited on the phone.


    After downing the pills, James gradually got a hold of himself. When he was able to speak again, he


    yelled, "Divorce! You have to divorce her!"


    In a colder voice, Carlos asked, "Anything else?"


    "Last month, I talked marriage with Stephanie''s grandfather. You and Stephanie grew up together.


    You''re 28 years old, and she''s 27. If you guys can tie the knot before you''re both 30..." James just


    wouldn''t stop. He kept urging Carlos to marry Stephanie Li as if Carlos weren''t already married. But he


    was. To Debbie. It had already been arranged, and Carlos found himself continually surprised by,


    challenged by, and head over heels in love with Debbie. He didn''t want anyone else.


    "Seems like you''re quite fond of her, Dad. How about you marry Stephanie yourself? That way Mom


    can rx too."


    "You asshole! Goddamn ungrateful..." The call was cut all of a sudden. Carlos figured that James must


    have thrown his phone against the wall or something. That was just like him, and it wouldn''t be the first


    time.


    James had broken a number of phones over the years. If he''d kept those phones in decent shape, he


    could have opened his own phone store.


    From experience, he knew what James would do next: find someone to vent his anger at. And the


    target was probably... Leaping into action, Carlos quickly dialed Tabitha''s number. He waited a long


    time for her to pick up.


    "Carlos, what''s up? It''ste. Haven''t you gone to bed yet?" Tabitha asked, though she had guessed


    what had happened. She heard the man hollering a few rooms away, and heard the unmistakable


    sounds of a phone shattering against the wall.


    "Mom, I''ll get my assistant to pick you up. Please pack a few things and move into my vi. I''m flying to


    New York soon, two days before the Spring Festival. I can bring you back home then." Carlos had


    several houses in New York. If she stayed in one of his estates, James wouldn''t be able to do a thing to


    her.


    Wiping her teary eyes, Tabitha forced a smile and said, "I''m okay, Carlos. Don''t worry about me. I''ll just


    stay in my room. Just take care of Debbie, okay? You have your own life now."


    Fretful, Carlos closed his eyes tightly. "Mom, you''ve suffered enough. Why don''t you leave him? Why


    do you put up with him? Do you want your depression to get worse?"


    As a matter of fact, a few years ago, Tabitha had been diagnosed with mild depression thanks to


    James'' temper. Carlos had identally found out about her mental health challenges and sought out


    the best doctors. After some therapybined with traditional Chinese medicine, she got better.


    However, as long as she was living with James, it would be impossible for her to recoverpletely.


    Her illness returned time and again.


    Carlos had even given Tabitha his keys to the vi in New York, but she refused to move in. She had


    been determined to live together with James and make the best of it. The Huo family had a


    distinguished status in H Country and even in New York. Thest thing she would do was dishonor the


    Huo family name.


    "No, Carlos. Your dad and I..."


    "Pack your luggage now. I''m sending my assistant over to drive you to my vi." As he finished, he


    hung up at once, without giving Tabitha the chance to refuse. Then, he called his assistant at the New


    York branch of hispany, requesting that he ferry Tabitha to his vi.


    Carlos leaned back in his seat and lit a cigarette. Contemting the view outside his window, he was


    deep in thought. Momentster, Debbie''s face popped into his mind, and he came back to his senses.


    Thinking of her, he immediately grabbed his phone from the table and opened WeChat. He tapped


    Debbie''s Moments.


    Like Debbie usually did, she had updated her status again. She was quite an active WeChat user who


    enjoyed sharing her daily life and thoughts. There were new posts in her WeChat Moments almost


    every day.


    A few moments ago, she posted another pic. You could see her cute manicured toes, and her hand


    held the ss of wine he had just poured for her. Above the photo, there was a line of text: "Cupid


    shoots me with his arrow! Lovees so fast like a tornado!"


    ''Lovees so fast...'' Carlos smiled. ''Yeah, before I knew Debbie was actually my wife, I had a feeling


    that I''d fall in love with her if I didn''t shoo her away as soon as possible.


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    And I was right. I did fall in love with her, and I love her with all my heart. Luckily, she turned out to be


    my legal wife...''


    His mood lit up as he scrolled down to see her other posts. Apparently, Debbie was still a little girl, even


    though she behaved like a tomboy. She expressed her feelings and shared everything in her life.


    For awhile now, most of her posts had to do with him, like her post today, or the one a few days ago.


    That was when they were having dinner with Debbie''s cousin, Sasha. Then, after escorting Sasha back


    to school, they walked back to the hotel, hand in hand. Debbie had taken a photo of their sped


    hands and posted it too. She had written ament, "I hope I can keep holding your hand until the end


    of my life."


    All of his unhappiness and gloom vanished into thin air now.


    After putting out the cigarette in his curved ss ashtray, Carlos left the study. When he walked back to


    the bedroom, he saw that Debbie had already hidden herself under the quilt, chatting fervently with her


    friends on WeChat.


    Carlos climbed onto bed, pulled her into his arms and kissed her damp-dry hair. "It smells good," he


    whispered in her ear.


    "Of course. I used the best shampoo and body wash made by your ZL Group. It should smell good."


    His hot breath fell on her neck, making her feel itchy, so she tried to move away.


    "Hmm. I see. The design team will see a little extra in their paychecks. I make that happen tomorrow."


    Debbie was shocked, speechless. Maybe he was too rich to use up his money, so he had to find some


    way to spend it!


    "Your hair''s still wet," he said.


    "Yes, I know. I just didn''t care." Her hair was long and thick. She didn''t have the patience to dry it all.


    Carlos raised his eyebrows. "Let me help you dry off." He wrapped his arms around her waist and


    flipped her over, making her look at him.


    Debbie moved her body to the edge of the bed, letting her hair fall straight down like a waterfall. This


    way, her wet hair wouldn''t get the bedding damp. She entwined her slender arms around his neck and


    asked with a sweet smile, "Are you really going to help me dry my hair?"


    Carlos grinned yfully. "Yes, but I need to be paid."


    Seeing the passionate look in his eyes, Debbie instantly understood what sort of payment he was


    asking for. She struggled to sit up. "No, no. I''ll dry it myself."


    "Think you can run away?" Carlos asked without stopping her. He slowly followed Debbie into the


    bathroom again.


    In the bathroom, when Debbie found the hair-dryer, she saw Carlose in too. She swung the hair-


    dryer in front of him and urged, "I''m going to dry my hair, seriously. Just go back to bed."


    Instead of leaving, he grabbed the hair-dryer from her hand. Debbie assumed that he was really


    intending to help her dry her hair. She remembered he had done this for her before. Without thinking


    too much, she turned around, back against him, and reminded him, "The cord is short. Maybe move


    closer to the outlet."


    Putting the hair-dryer aside, Carlos clung to her and whispered in a husky voice, "The cord might be


    short, but you know, a certain part of my body isn''t..."


    Debbie''s face flushed bright red. She patted him on his hand, trying to drive him away. "Go away. Don''t


    bother me."


    However, it was toote. The man''s lust was triggered. Unable to constrain himself anymore, he turned


    her around and pressed her against the sink. His hands ran up and down her body, driving waves of


    pleasure through her again and again, before they both surrendered to love''s embrace.


    The next morning, Carlos had gone to work while Debbie still slept soundly in the bed. Her phone


    jarred her awake. It was Kasie, asking her out on a shopping trip. As the Spring Festival was just


    around the corner, Carlos had given the yoga teacher and dancing teacher a holiday at Debbie''s


    request. She also wanted to enjoy a rxing holiday without any lessons. She could just sleep, eat and


    y all day long!

 Chapter 161 Every Woman Loves Mr. Huo

    Chapter 161 Every Woman Loves Mr. Huo


    "Can we go shopping this afternoon? I want to go back to sleep," Debbie asked Kasie.


    "No, we can''t. Even Jared, who is theziest among us, has gotten up. Dixon ''Doctor'' and Kristina are


    already on their way to the Shining International za. You hurry up,"


    Kasie urged. "Fine. I''m getting up. Wait for me. By the way, usually, you get upter than me. Why are


    you so early today?" Debbie mumbled as she sat up.


    Kasie giggled shyly. "My boyfriend got a promotion at work. He ising to Y City tonight. I want to


    buy him a present to celebrate this milestone."


    Speaking of Kasie''s boyfriend, Debbie knew little about that guy. The other day Kasie had gotten into a


    fight with Portia because of him. Debbie had wanted to inquire more about the man, but then she had


    been too sloshed to even make sense of it.


    "When did you get a boyfriend? Why did Portia use you of being the other woman? What''s the


    matter?" Debbie put her phone on speaker and started brushing her teeth.


    For a while, Kasie was silent before asking, "Can we not talk about it?"


    "You know, we''re BFFs and BFFs have no secrets. I told you guys about Carlos a long time ago, but


    none of you believed me. You even thought I was crazy. I had no choice but to stop mentioning it again.


    So you have to tell me everything too. We can''t be friends while using double standards on each other,"


    Debbie dered firmly.


    Defeated, Kasie began exining, "I fell in love with someone at the same time as Portia. It sucks.


    That day at the club a friend of mine was holding a birthday party. To my surprise, Portia went to the


    party too."


    A friend of Kasie''s at the party wanted to see her new boyfriend''s picture and jokingly, everyone at their


    table echoed the idea. So Kasie agreed to show them her boyfriend''s picture on her phone.


    A proud woman like Portia didn''t care who Kasie''s boyfriend was, until a mutual friend of theirs


    eximed that Kasie''s boyfriend and Portia''s looked alike.


    Portia''s face fell. She snatched Kasie''s phone and looked at the picture. Then she red at Kasie and


    demanded when she had started to fool around with her boyfriend behind her back.


    Born into a rich family too, Kasie rarely feared anyone. She always hated Portia for bullying Debbie.


    Thus, at that moment, Portia''s hostile attitude worked like an ignition. Kasie instantly exploded with


    rage. Things escted quickly. When it got ugly, Portia called some men in and Kasie countered by


    turning to Jared.


    Debbie knew the rest of the story.


    In the bathroom, she applied some cleanser to her face and muttered, "Well, are the two of you still


    seeing the same boyfriend as we speak?"


    "Of course not. I asked my boyfriend about it. He told me that he knew Portia, but that was all. There


    was nothing romantic going on between them. I wonder why you had protected that evil woman Portia


    for two years. She is always so mean to you." Kasie''s anger increased as she spoke.


    Debbieughed. "To think about it, I feel stupid too. But luckily, I''m done with the Gu family. Those two


    years is water under the bridge now." Back then, she had tried her best to protect Portia, yet Portia


    always looked down on her. But even so, Debbie had chosen to ignore all of it and tter her instead


    just because she loved Hayden and Portia was his sister.


    Memories of it drained Debbie. She didn''t hate Portia for looking down on her, though. It was her fault


    ¡ªshe shouldn''t have sold herself short in front of that wicked woman.


    "I heard that Portia''s parents and Carlos'' parents once had a meal together, at which Portia''s parents


    tried to hook her up with Carlos. Although back then Carlos was 23, Portia was only a teenager. How


    gross that was! I wonder what her parents were thinking. At the time, Carlos had just joined the ZL


    Group and wasn''t as sessful as he is now, but he knew Portia was not good enough for him. He


    gave her parents a tongueshing and left the table. How cool your husband was!"


    Debbie wiped her face and wondered, "Howe I never heard any of this?" That was five years ago


    when she and Hayden had just started dating. She had never heard about it from anyone before.


    "It was so humiliating, of course the Gu family buried it deep. But Debbie, imagine the Gu family''s faces


    when they find out that you married Carlos. I swear, it will be fun." Kasie couldn''t stopughing out loud


    on the phone. She was looking forward to the day when the Gu family would make fools of themselves.


    It would be payback time for the unfair treatment they had given Debbie.


    Debbie disagreed, however. "I don''t think Portia will care who Carlos married. She doesn''t like him after


    all."


    "You can''t be more wrong! Your husband is a ma. Show me a woman who wouldn''t want to be with


    him. It''s not that Portia doesn''t like Carlos but that she knows she isn''t Carlos'' type, so she finds it


    pointless to aim above her cut. Portia is always sticking her nose up in the air. Why is she always so


    arrogant? Even as Mrs. Huo, you are not that arrogant. On the contrary, you have kept your marriage


    secret."


    Hearing Kasie''s angry remarks, Debbie exined resignedly, "The fact that we''re married wille out


    sooner orter. In the beginning, I kept it secret because I didn''t realize I liked Carlos and I wasn''t sure


    how long our marriage was going tost. Now I don''t want it to be in the limelight. I''m not ready for


    drama. You can see for yourself how influential he can be. I bet some international movie star''s sudden


    marriage wouldn''t even be so sensational as his."


    Kasie didn''t understand what Debbie was thinking. But she was sure that if people knew she was Mrs.


    Huo, no one anywhere would dare touch her. "Do you intend to keep it a secret for the rest of your


    life?"


    "Nope, of course not. I''m also worried that many women will pursue Carlos since they think he is single.


    Carlos and I have agreed to announce our marriage as soon as I graduate from university." Too many


    women drooled over Carlos. On several asions, while she was with Carlos, she had seen his many


    curious SMS notifications from Emmett, who as a PA manned two of Carlos'' other phones. Constantly,


    Emmett kept blocking other women''s phone calls and texting to put Carlos in the loop.


    Kasie was relieved when she heard Debbie''s response. "Are you done dressing yet? It feels like


    forever. I''ve gotten to the Shining International za. Are you out of your house yet, my dear Mrs.


    Huo?"


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Almost. Let me just put on some lipstick. Today, I want to step out looking fabulous." Everyone loves


    beauty. Debbie was no exception. Taking her sweet time, she put on some foundation primer, BB


    cushion, and lipstick, before finally she was good to go.


    Right out the house, she went to the garage, where more than ten fancy cars were parked. Looking


    around a few times, she was dazzled.


    Carlos had bought her a red Porsche Cayman, but she had never driven that car once.


    One night, she had told a joke in bed, but Carlos had taken it seriously and gone ahead to buy another


    car.


    Actually, she had read that joke online and casually shared it to Carlos. "Although I''ve made a lot of


    money, I''m also good at saving. Only that today, I was tempted to ssh cash on a Maserati. Thank


    God I didn''t buy it. Otherwise, I''d have parted with a cool eight million dors."

 Chapter 162 A Fabulous Jared

    Chapter 162 A Fabulous Jared


    Carlos'' onlyment was, "What a good wife!"


    Two dayster, an eight-million-dor Maserati was delivered to the vi. Debbie realized that Carlos


    took everything seriously. After that, she made a mental note to think before opening her mouth.


    Right now, she wandered around in the garage, searching for a cheap car, but it seemed that the


    Porsche Cayman was the cheapest one among them.


    She got the keys to the car from a locker and sped away from the manor in the Porsche.


    When she reached the Shining International za, her friends were already waiting for her. She was


    thest one to arrive. Jared ced his phone close to her face andined, "Look what time it is! I


    got out of bed so we could go shopping, and I end up waiting for half an hour. My ass is frozen!"


    Dixon cast him a sidelong look and was ruthless in exposing his lie. "Actually, I and Kristina have been


    waiting that long. You just got here. You''ve been here maybe five minutes tops."


    Embarrassed, Jared took his phone back and wrapped his arm around Dixon''s neck. "I''m your friend.


    How could you do that to me? I''ll kill you."


    Debbie always had a good time when she was with her friends. "Hey, big guy, don''t bully Doctor," she


    laughed.


    "Right. You won''ty a hand on Tomboy, so you bully my boyfriend instead. Cut it out, Jared!" Kristina


    pulled Dixon out of Jared''s grip and massaged his neck.


    The rest of the group giggled.


    It took a long time for Kasie to decide what to buy for her boyfriend. Then they walked into a clothing


    shop. While the girls were trying on some clothes, the boys yed games on their phones as they


    waited. The nice thing was that the chairs had charger cords that werepatible with their phones.


    So they were able to maintain a charge while ying some of the more intensive games. The chairs


    werefortable as well.


    When the picture revealing Carlos'' marriage was exposed to the public, Debbie identally set the


    fashion trend.


    Once again, Carlos'' influence shocked her. Since she was wearing a white sweater and casual shoes


    in the pic that was posted on his Weibo page, both the shoes and the sweater had be a trend.


    Later, in the shop, while Debbie and Kristina were picking out clothes for Kasie, some women


    specifically told the shop assistants to fetch them some white clothes. She thought it was actually wild.


    Usually, people were seen mixing fashions both modern and ancient, but still this trend surprised her


    some.


    It wasn''t odd at all to ask for white clothes. What surprised Debbie was some of the conversations


    revolving around the clothing.


    "I''m not sure if Mr. Huo has a thing for white sweaters, but I''m sure he doesn''t hate them. So if I wear


    something like that, maybe he''ll think I''m hot," one of those women said with a dreamy smile.


    "Mrs. Huo and I have simr figures. If I wear my hair in a bun and put on a white sweater and a pair of


    casual shoes like she was wearing, people might think I''m her. Too bad the casual shoes in that pic


    were discontinued," another woman muttered.


    "Really? Think you could even afford those shoes? Have you seen the price tag?" herpanion


    sneered.


    Debbie blinked her eyes in wonder because even she herself didn''t know how much that pair of shoes


    cost. They were given to her. It was Carlos'' money, and he seemed to think money was no object.


    The belittled woman retorted, a trace of anger in her voice, "How much?"


    "17, 999 dors! How are you going to cough up that kind of cash?"


    The taunted woman shut her mouth when she heard how much it was, yet Debbie''s and her friends''


    mouths hung open in shock.


    Kristina''s heart was beating so fast she had to put one hand over her chest to steady it. "Wow! Mr. and


    Mrs. Huo sure are rich!" she whispered in Debbie''s ear.


    Debbie had been shocked into a daze. It was Carlos who took care of everything: her clothes, her


    shoes, her diet and so on. The walk-in closet in the manor was huge, but even so, it was packed with


    the clothes and shoes Carlos bought for her. So she just picked out what she feltfortable in, and


    wore that.


    She knew Carlos wouldn''t settle for anything but the best. Yet $17, 999 for a pair of shoes?! That


    sounded a bit ridiculous, not to mention the fact that she had tons of shoes .She had bins stacked up


    against the walls. Each one contained a pair of shoes.


    All of a sudden, Kasie hugged Debbie and pressed her cheek against Debbie''s shoulder. The shop


    assistants stared at them, weirded out. Kasie then jumped excitedly and remarked, "Hey, call me if you


    don''t want any of your clothes and shoes anymore. Even my most expensive shoes only cost $4, 300.


    How I envy you!"


    It all happened so fast Debbie was muddled. She nodded mechanically to Kasie. She had never


    imagined her closet alone would cost millions of dors. ''What was Carlos thinking?'' Debbie was no


    rare beauty, no fashion te. She knew men found her attractive, but she didn''t think she was worth all


    that fuss. There were plenty of knock-off brands that looked exactly the same as some of these


    designer ones. There was no reason to drop the kind of cash that Carlos had. She would have just


    worn what was in there, provided it wasn''t moth-eaten or tasteless.


    In addition, to make her happy, Carlos had also asked Tristan to find some rare and pricey stuff to put


    in her closet.


    As she remembered this, she was thinking that was why her closet was so expensive. Carlos had


    never told her how much any of those things was worth. He might not answer even if she asked, and


    she felt it rude to ask. So she just wore these things, blissfully unaware that everyone seemed to have


    eyes on her. Now, walking into a store, she knew.


    When they stepped out of the clothing shop, Debbie still felt the whole thing was surreal. Carlos had


    done too much for her. She didn''t even know how to repay his love for her.


    When they were wandering the streets, Jared spotted a barber shop and dragged Dixon inside without


    even asking him. When the girls saw Jared again, they almost choked. If they were carrying beverages,


    they would have done a spit take.


    With so many colors adorning his head, Jared was definitely the most dramatic person in the mall.


    Everyone was looking at him. He liked being the center of attention, and today was no exception. In


    fact, that was why he dyed his hair that way.


    Disdainfully, Dixon stepped away from him as soon as they walked out of the shop. However, as if


    oblivious to the stunned look in his friends'' eyes, Jared stalked towards the girls, gloating, and made


    sheep''s eyes at them while stroking his eye-catching, colorful hair.


    "Hey,dies, how do you like my new hairdo? Dank, huh? You want me, don''t you? The struggle is


    real."


    With his height, he stood out among people whenever he was in the streets. He dwarfed most of the


    poption, and you could usually pick him out of a crowd. Jared was rightfully proud of this fact. Now,


    with eight lines in eight different colors crisscrossing on his head, he was like a bizarre, huge walking


    ma, attracting attention everywhere he went. You could find every primary color in his hair: red,


    orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and white. Every color but one¡ªck.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Debbie''s mouth twitched. "I think you''ll break the Inte with that!"


    Kasie rolled her widened eyes. "Jared, I don''t think you need a barber. You need a shrink."


    Kristina pulled Dixon close to her and demanded, "Stay away from my boyfriend. You''re a bad


    influence. If you stay outside long enough, a unicorn wille along looking for their rainbow."


    Jared looked at them and countered, "You kids don''t get it. This is art! Besides, it''ll be Spring Festival


    soon. I want to have a festive hairdo. And my old man will be happy to see it. When Pappy''s happy, I


    get tons of cash for my allowance. Then the $10, 000 I spent on it will be worth it."


    Kristina''s eyes almost popped out. "$10, 000? For a haircut? That''s nuts!" Jared pointed at Debbie.


    "Ask her husband why everything in the Shining International za is so damn expensive. A haircut


    alone costs hundreds. But apparently it''s the going rate, since the cutting is done by A-list stylists." He


    grinned.


    Debbie reminded him, "Slow down, pretty boy. You made yourself so colorful. Sure your dad won''t


    mistake you for fireworks and set you off over New Year?"


    The others roared inughter. Jared was a little worried when he heard what Debbie had said.


    "Debbie, can youe home with meter?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Why? Do you want me and your dad to set you off together?"


    Jared scolded, "Knock it off! If you go home with me, my dad will go easy on me for your husband''s


    sake."

 Chapter 163 Hit On Mrs. Huo

    Chapter 163 Hit On Mrs. Huo


    After Jasper noticed his son, Jared, behaved well whenever Carlos was around, he knew the right


    person to turn, in case the boy got up to mischief.


    Debbie waved her hand after hearing Jared''s exnation. "Save it. If Carlos saw you like this, he would


    shave you bald and kick your face in."


    Then an idea urred to Debbie. She secretly took a picture of Jared with her phone and sent it to


    Carlos. "Honey, I want to see you in this hairstyle." She put a Grimacing Face emoticon after that


    sentence.


    Upon reading her message, Carlos called Emmett in. "Call Jasper Han. Tell him that his son is a bad


    influence to my wife and it''s time for him to teach his son a lesson."


    "Which son of his?" asked Emmett.


    "Damon spends most of his time with his fianc¨¦e."


    Emmett understood. ''It sounds Mr. Huo is getting jealous again.'' He prayed for Jared and then called


    Jasper.


    Debbie came across someone she knew before she got Carlos'' reply. It was Gus, who was hugging a


    man. At least Debbie thought so. ''The rumor that he is gay is true, '' thought Debbie.


    She took a photo of Gus too. Unfortunately, Gus noticed it. He released the person in his arms and


    walked towards Debbie. "Give me your phone," he demanded.


    Debbie shook her phone before his eyes and threatened, "You''d better lose that sour expression on


    your face next time when you see me. Or I''ll send this picture of you and your boyfriend to Mr. Lu."


    Gus'' face darkened. He turned his head towards the person he had just hugged. With short hair and


    wearing a ck jacket, she indeed looked like a man.


    Without a word, Gus called Curtis himself. "Curtis, Debbie calls me gay."


    Debbie couldn''t hear what Curtis said on the phone. After ending the call, Gus pointed at Debbie


    angrily but couldn''t manage to utter a single word for a moment. When he finally spoke, it was a


    demand. "You bewitched Mr. Huo and now you are bewitching my brother too!" he blurted.


    ''Bewitching?'' Debbieughed. "Should I take that as ttery? Carlos aside, can''t you see how much


    your brother loves Colleen? You must be blind."


    "Tell me, why does Curtis ask me to help you whenever I can?"


    Debbie shrugged while stretching her hands. "Beats me." Personally, she had been confused about


    Curtis'' obvious concern for her.


    Although Gus disliked Debbie, there was nothing he could do about her. He turned around and then


    saw Jared''stest hairdo. "What the hell is that? It''s louder than a rainbow over there! Why don''t you


    just wear Hulun Buir Grasnd on your head?" he sneered.


    Jared wanted to return fire, but before he could say anything, his phone rang. Seeing that it was his old


    man, he answered the phone impatiently. "Dad, I''m busy. Call you back¡ª"


    "Get your ass back here!" Jasper roared. Even though no one knew what Jared heard over the phone,


    there was no mistaking the fact that his caller left him shaken.


    His tone softened. "What''s the matter?"


    "Hitting on Carlos Huo''s wife, have you lost your mind?"


    Completely clueless, Jared looked at Debbie and mumbled, "My old man thinks I''ve been hitting on


    you."


    Since Debbie and Jared were like two people from two different worlds, everyone burst intoughter


    when they heard his words. Even Gus, leaning against a column, couldn''t keep a straight face


    anymore.


    Hearing what Jared had said, Jasper instantly stifled his anger and asked cautiously, "Are you with Mrs.


    Huo now?"


    "Yes, I''ve been with her for a long time."


    Jasper misinterpreted his words. He pounded on the desk angrily and thundered, "How dare you


    seduce a married woman? Not to mention she''s Mrs. Huo! Do you really think Mrs. Huo will love you


    more than her husband? Wake up! Come back immediately! Or I''ll beat you to a pulp!"


    "Dad, what happened? Why are you so angry at me all of a sudden? Why do you think I''ve been hitting


    on Mrs. Huo?"


    Jared was totally confused, but his dad wouldn''t listen to him. "I already know you are at the Shining


    International za. Stay there. I''ll send somebody there to bring you back. Don''t you dare move your


    ass!"


    The old man was not interested in Jared''s exnations, whatsoever.


    So without another word he hung up, leaving Jared in suspense.


    Jared clutched Debbie''s arm and implored, "Tomboy, help! My dad hasn''t been this mad in a long time.


    Even on phone, I could almost feel his blood boiling with every single syble of his lecture."


    "And you think I can help you? How?" Debbie asked, obvious doubt coloring her face.


    "Call your husband, please! Ask him to tell my dad the truth between you and me. Someone has to let


    him know that I''ve never hit on you." It sounded as if Jared was on the verge of crying. ''If I ever find out


    who told my dad that, I''ll roast him alive!'' he promised himself.


    The othersughed so hard they actually looked in pain. Some of them had to grip their stomach, while


    others had to bend over with theughter. After watching the scene, Gus left for his girlfriend in an


    incredibly good mood.


    Later, Debbie called Carlos, just as Carlos had anticipated. "You''re calling at a perfect timing. There''s a


    dinner tonight. I''d like you to go with me," Carlos said to her as soon as the phone was connected.


    "Hmm? Okay. Well, I''d like to ask a favor," Debbie said.


    "I remember there''s a light gray overcoat in your closet. Try it onter," Carlos continued, as if he hadn''t


    heard a single word she had just said.


    Debbie thought about what she had in her closet. There were too many clothes. She didn''t know


    exactly how many clothes she had. Then she realized that was not what she was calling for. "Mr.


    Handsome, I''m calling because of Jared."


    Carlos put his feet on the desk. "Do you like that hairdo?"


    "Hmm?" She was puzzled.


    "The picture you sent me."


    "Oh, I found it hrious, and then I couldn''t help imagining what you would look like in that hairdo." A


    laugh escaped Debbie''s lips.


    Jared turned to her sullenly. ''My life is in her hands now, and there she is, flirting with her husband. She


    was even having fun while I''m in deep shit, '' he thought bitterly.


    "What''s so funny about it?" Carlos wondered.


    "It''s hrious. Didn''t you get the picture from me? Didn''t you think it was funny?"


    "Debbie Nian! What did you mean by sending me a picture of another man and asking me to copy him?


    Did you have a crush on Jared, but he turned you down? And now you are trying to make me look like


    him?" ''Make him look like Jared?


    What did he mean?'' she thought to herself.


    Before she could speak, Carlos queried, "I''m only 1.88 m. Do I have to grow ten more cm to be Jared?"


    "Carlos Huo! What''s wrong with you?" His weird tone started bugging her.


    "You''re always close to Jared. So today, you eventually started sending me his pictures. Debbie Nian,


    are you telling me that you didn''t do it intentionally?"


    Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos retorted. Now Debbie sensed jealousy.


    "That wasn''t my intention. I just thought the hairdo was funny and wanted you to have augh. That


    was all." Standing next to her, Jared listened on restlessly. She still hadn''t gotten to the point of the call


    yet.


    ''Sending him a picture of another man to make himugh?'' Jared wondered what was running through


    Debbie''s mind. "Okay, I can forget about the whole thing, but you and Jared won''t shop together


    anymore."


    Quietly, Carlos ced an internal call. It was for Emmett.

 Chapter 164 Identity Outed

    Chapter 164 Identity Outed


    Debbie didn''t notice Carlos calling Emmett on the phone. She was too focused on ming Carlos for


    being bossy. "Jared and I are just friends. You know that. Why are you doing this?" She started to


    suspect that it was Carlos who called Jared''s dad and made him angry at him. ''Why would he even do


    that? It''s none of his business what Jared does, and he doesn''t need to stir up drama like that. The


    man is just too controlling, and it''s time he got knocked down a few pegs. Maybe if I bug him enough


    he''ll back off. Yeah, that''s what I''ll do!''


    Carlos wasn''t amused. "So this is my fault?" His voice got colder.


    Debbie shook her head and said in a hurry, "No, no. My bad. Please call Jared''s dad and tell him Jared


    didn''t hit on me. He''s really mad. He figured out where Jared is through GPS and is going to take him


    home and kick his ass."


    "Feeling bad for him?"


    Just then, Emmett walked into Carlos'' office. Carlos mouthed the words "Call Jasper." Emmett noticed


    that Carlos looked gentler than a moment ago. Immediately he knew who Carlos was talking to on the


    phone.


    Carlos'' stubbornness made Debbie feel frustrated. She lost her patience. "You going to call him or


    not?" she asked in a t voice.


    "Promise me. Promise that you won''t get too close to Jared," said Carlos, ying with a lighter.


    "Honestly, how many times do I have to tell you? Jared and I are just friends! We''ve known each other


    for years. Now you''re asking me to stop talking to him all of a sudden? No can do!" Then she turned to


    Jared and said, "Sorry, buddy. I can''t save you. It seems you''ll have to go home and face your dad. Or


    you''ll lose me forever."


    "Noooooo!" Jared was desperate.


    Kasie, Kristina, and Dixon burst intoughter.


    "Emmett has already called Jasper Han," Carlos said and hung up.


    ''What?'' Debbie looked at her phone, confused. ''He called already? So Jared won''t get beaten by his


    dad?


    Why didn''t he tell me earlier? So he was pulling my leg the whole time! Auuugh!'' Debbie opened


    WeChat and sent Carlos a message. "Honey, love you." At the end of the message was a Kiss Mark


    emoji.


    "Your husband won''t help?" asked Jared. He had decided that if Carlos didn''t help him, he would fix


    Debbie up with a ton of guys.


    "I think... he will. Maybe. Just wait." Debbie wasn''t sure.


    The Shining International za was only about ten-odd minutes from Jared''s home, if you took a car.


    Jared was still sweating bullets when he went up to the fifth floor of the Alioth Building. He could think


    of little else, and picked at his food. He was too worried that Jasper would swoop in with his men, carry


    him into the car, and then he''d really get it. But by the time he finished his meal, everyone knew that


    Jared was safe.


    Jared almost cried with relief. He ced one arm on Debbie''s shoulder and said, "You have no idea


    how much I want to kiss you and your husband right now."


    "Probably not a good idea. Carlos doesn''t swing that way, and he won''t be happy if you kiss Deb,"


    Kasie reminded him.


    "Okay, suddenly I don''t feel like kissing anyone," dered Jared.


    Everyone looked at him and shook their heads.


    The group separatedter. When Debbie came back to the manor, she found the overcoat Carlos had


    told her about, and put it on. By the time she fixed her makeup, it was almost time to go. The dinner


    party would be starting soon.


    The dinner was in a private booth on the fifth floor of Alioth Building. By the time Debbie and Carlos


    turned up, everybody else was already there waiting for them.


    After some pleasantries, they were led to the seats of honor. Somebody had already pulled the chair


    out for Carlos. Yet Carlos didn''t sit down immediately. He said to Debbie, "The heat''s on. Take off your


    coat, or you''ll start sweating."


    Debbie blushed and did as he asked.


    Everyone there was a sessful businessman. One was more slippery than another. When they saw


    how considerate Carlos was to Debbie, they all started sucking up to her. Obviously, if Carlos was


    deferent to her, then she must be important indeed.


    One man took her coat. A second pulled the chair out for her. A third poured her some wine while a


    fourth filled her water ss.


    When everybody was finally seated, someone mustered up enough nerve to ask, "Mr. Huo, I assume


    that thisdy is Mrs. Huo. Am I right?"


    Carlos smiled. He looked at Debbie but remained silent.


    Debbie was surprised at his reaction. ''What''s that supposed to mean? Why doesn''t he tell them who I


    am?''


    Since Carlos didn''t respond, everyone else kept their mouths shut. A few quiet, awkward seconds


    passed. Someone was about to break the ufortable silence when Carlos announced, "My wife


    always keeps a low profile. I promised her I''d keep our marriage secret. As to your question, I need my


    wife''s permission before I answer it."


    The others were familiar with Carlos'' personality. They had never seen him talk that much before.


    When he turned to Debbie, every one of them understood that the woman sitting next to him was Mrs.


    Huo.


    They all looked at Debbie with a smile and racked their brains topliment her. The room suddenly


    was abuzz with their unctuouspliments. Someplimented her beauty, others focused on her


    hair, dress, or her bearing. A few talked about her manners, and some more nebulous things that they


    couldn''t possibly know about the quiet woman sitting at the table with them. They were unconcerned,


    all fawning over her to get on Carlos'' good side.


    Bombarded with their expressions of praise,mendation, and admiration, Debbie didn''t know how to


    respond. It was Carlos who came to her rescue. "My wife is shy. Let''s eat," he said.


    Debbie''s face turned red.


    Immediately, his proposal was echoed. The subject was changed. Someone asked the waiter to bring


    the meals.


    During the feast, Debbie realized something. The fact that she was at a dinner with Carlos and the way


    Carlos had answered that man''s question kind of made their rtionship public.


    But under the circumstances, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the way Carlos told the others


    who she was.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Debbie stopped thinking about the issue and ate while listening to them talk about work. She had


    nothing to add, so she remained quiet as they talked shop. Some things she understood, sometimes it


    was jargon or abbreviations she was unfamiliar with. But a wise person never learned with their mouth


    open.


    Carlos barely said anything afterwards. However, even so, the other men kept asking his opinion on


    this or that.


    "I need to use the little girls'' room," Debbie whispered in Carlos'' ear.


    The bathroom in the booth was upied, so Debbie had to go outside. "Do you want me to go with


    you?" asked Carlos.


    "No, you stay. I''ll be right back."


    Debbie let out a long exhale when she stepped outside. The ambiance inside the booth was nice but


    boring.


    She kept walking. A conversation came to her ears when she passed by the smoking zone. It was


    actually whispering between two men. She wasn''t eavesdropping, but since they mentioned Carlos,


    she couldn''t help noticing.


    "We just found out yesterday that Mr. Huo was married, and today we got to see her for ourselves,"


    said one man.


    "I want to know more about her. What''s her background? I don''t want to make any mistakes talking to


    her. But really... who wants to ask Mr. Huo that?" observed hispanion.


    "What''s he up to tonight, anyway?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? Pretty much everything he did after he got here, and the words he said, indicated the


    woman was Mrs. Huo. What he didn''t say was that she had to be respected, but that was the subtext.


    Disrespecting her is like disrespecting him. I think he wanted all of us to remember that." The men that


    hade to dinner tonight might be of different levels of importance, but they were all elites in


    commerce and enjoyed a high status in Y City.


    Debbie stood there and thought, ''It''s just a dinner. How can it mean that much?''


    But what the two men said also made sense. Carlos was always serious. Everything he said or did


    meant something.


    Debbie went another way to go to the bathroom. She didn''t want it to be awkward, bumping into those


    two.


    On her way back to their booth, the door to another booth opened and the people inside walked out.


    There were a lot of them. Debbie was going to change direction again. But she spotted someone


    familiar. And almost at the same time the person saw her too. "Debbie? Debbie Nian?" called a


    surprised voice.

 Chapter 165 Be My Girlfriend

    Chapter 165 Be My Girlfriend


    It was Hayden''s mom, nche.


    Along with her were Hayden''s father, Portia, a middle-aged couple, and a young man.


    It looked like some kind of engagement meeting.


    Since nche called her, Debbie knew she couldn''t just run away. "Hi, nice to see you," she said,


    greeting Hayden''s parents politely. She really wanted out of here. Seeing Hayden''s family made her


    think of how he kept hitting on her. It was like he didn''t want to believe she was really married, believed


    that he was entitled to her simply because he wanted her. Whenever he texted, her heart sank like a


    stone. Sometimes, while talking to him, she threw up in her mouth a bit.


    "Why are you here?" asked Portia curtly, looking her up and down. She sounded surprised.


    She didn''t say it, but her tone told Debbie what she really thought was "Wow, woman, how can you


    even possibly afford this ce?"


    "Who is this?" asked the young man. Wearing a blue down jacket, he looked at Debbie the same way


    Portia had¡ªonly difference was he seemed interested. The glint in his eyes disgusted Debbie.


    But somehow, the man looked familiar. She just couldn''t quite ce his face. She racked her brains


    trying to figure out where she''d seen him, but she couldn''t figure it out. ''School? No. Maybe at one of


    Carlos'' meetings? No. Who is this guy?''


    "She''s nobody. Lewis, Let''s go," said Griffin Gu, Hayden''s father.


    Considering the history between Debbie and the Gu family, he knew nothing good woulde out of


    this chance meeting. He wanted no trouble for anyone and hoped they could leave as soon as


    possible. However, nche wasn''t done yet. "Are you here to see Hayden? No can do, sister. He''s not


    here. He''s on a date with my daughter-inw-to-be." Her voice was full of contempt.


    ''Hayden has a fianc¨¦e? But why is he still texting me every day? What a jerk!'' Debbie thought to


    herself. "It''s not what you think. I didn''te here for your son. I''m just having dinner with some


    people," Debbie exined with a smile.


    Hearing that Debbie wasn''t there for Hayden, nche felt embarrassed. Clearly, she had fallen into a


    pit she dug for herself. To save face, she turned to the aloof woman standing next to her, and said with


    a fawning smile, "Mrs. Huo, this is my son''s ex-girlfriend. My son dumped her years ago, but she still


    pesters him. Sorry about that. I''m so embarrassed."


    ''Mrs. Huo?'' Debbie looked at the aloof woman again. She had the same cold presence as Carlos.


    But there were some other people who had the surname "Huo" in the city. Debbie thought maybe she


    wasn''t rted to Carlos at all.


    However, although she was a total stranger to the woman, she could see disdain in Mrs. Huo''s eyes.


    Debbie turned to nche and retorted, "Mrs. Gu, you''re wrong. Your son is pestering me. I think I may


    need your help to get through to him. Since we''re here right now, I''ll just say this: please tell your son to


    back off. I''m married."


    nche''s face turned hideous with embarrassed rage. "What are you talking about? My son?


    Pestering you? Don''t be ridiculous! You hooked up with someone''s secretary and do some skin care,


    and then you think you''re rich and powerful? Get over yourself! You said you''re married, but I don''t see


    a ring. Maybe your husband can''t even afford one!"


    Just like her son, Hayden, nche also thought Debbie married Emmett.


    Debbie took a deep breath and decided to ignore her. She turned to Mrs. Huo instead and wanted to


    give her a heads-up. "Lady, if I were you, I wouldn''t let my son marry Portia. Look at who he''d have for


    a mother-inw. Like mother like daughter, you know."


    Mrs. Huo looked like she wanted to say something, but she thought better of it and remained silent. Her


    son had been staring at Debbie with interest the whole time. She felt so disappointed.


    Debbie''s words enraged nchepletely. She viciously yanked Debbie away from Mrs. Huo and


    warned, "Watch your mouth! Or I''ll make sure you won''t have one anymore! You slutty, nosy bitch!"


    After that, she turned to the middle-aged couple with an apologetic smile and said, "Mr. and Mrs. Huo,


    Lewis, this woman is crazy. Just ignore her."


    The couple didn''t want to get involved in the drama. They turned to leave.


    The young man, however, didn''t move. He hadn''t taken his eyes off Debbie from the moment he saw


    her. "I''m also worried that Portia would turn out like her mom. How about I call off the engagement and


    be your boyfriend?" he said to Debbie.


    Portia looked at Debbie with burning eyes. Debbie took out her ne from under her clothes and


    shook it before Lewis Huo''s eyes. "See? I''m married."


    Not wanting to be noticed, she had been wearing her huge diamond wedding ring around her neck as a


    ne.


    Of course, Carlos found out she hadn''t been wearing the ring and punished her for a long time in bed.


    So she worked up the pendant as apromise.


    Portia fixed her eyes on the ring immediately when she saw it, and knew it was precious. Certainly


    more than any of them could afford. Even an idiot could tell that ring was priceless.


    Shocked at the size of Debbie''s ring, Portia started to study her essories.


    She found out that the in-looking ear studs Debbie wore were actually worth hundreds of thousands


    of dors.


    The shoes she was in cost nearly twenty thousand.


    ''So, is Debbie really married to a secretary?''


    But Emmett was Carlos'' secretary. It made sense to Portia that he could afford these things.


    "I like stealing other men''s wives. It''s exciting. Be my girlfriend. I''ll buy you two rings just like the one


    you have. What do you say?" Lewis Huo said shamelessly.


    Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. She looked at the man who was smiling at her evilly. ''He''s flirting with


    me right in front of Portia. So did I get it wrong? Maybe they''re not here to talk about their


    engagement?''


    Her thoughts were interrupted by her ringtone. She pulled out her phone, and saw it was Carlos. She


    walked away from Lewis Huo and took the call. "I''m heading back," she told Carlos.


    When she was back inside the booth, Carlos took her hand under the table and asked, "You were gone


    for awhile. Where did you go?"


    "I came across a friend. We talked," she answered casually.


    "Okay. Are you full?"


    "Yeah."


    "Let''s go then." Carlos held Debbie''s hand and stood up.


    Debbie was speechless. ''Leaving the table as soon as he is stuffed, Carlos is so arrogant.''


    Seeing Carlos stand up, the others all followed. Someone took his and Debbie''s coats for him. A


    couple of guests helped them get their coats on, and someone else opened the door for him.


    Their enthusiasm made Debbie sick. But not Carlos. Her husband was expressionless, as if he were


    ustomed to it.


    Once they were out of the building, they got into the car. "I''ll drop you off at the manor, but I have to go


    back to the office. It''s work." He shrugged, then continued, "Be homete tonight."


    "Can''t you do it tomorrow?" asked Debbie. It was already 9 p.m. He workedte every day. She was


    worried.


    "I have work to do tomorrow too. If I don''t finish up today, I''ll just have more work to do tomorrow. I''ll


    leave work as early as I can, okay?" he exined with a smile and then kissed her forehead.


    She nodded. "Okay then. Don''t be out toote."


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    The car came to an intersection after it left the underground parking lot. There was a traffic jam. The


    Emperor slowed down. Debbie looked out the window while Carlos was on the phone talking to


    Emmett.


    Suddenly, she noticed some people pushing each other at the entrance of Alioth Building. There were


    men and women. The woman in a ck overcoat looked familiar, though. After she pushed a man and


    turned around, Debbie saw her face.

 Chapter 166 Carlos Cousin

    Chapter 166 Carlos'' Cousin


    The woman in the ck overcoat was none other than Kasie.


    Lewis was there, grabbing Kasie''s arm. Portia was standing nearby with a man and a woman.


    Debbie''s gut feeling told her that something bad happened to Kasie. She turned to Carlos and said


    anxiously, "I have to get out there. Go on ahead, Carlos. You need to get to work." She was about to


    open the car door, but he stopped her.


    "What''s going on? Why the rush?" Carlos asked in confusion.


    "I think Kasie''s in trouble. I need to check on her." Anxiety was written all over her face.


    "Location," he said shortly.


    "What location?"


    "Kasie''s location."


    "Oh, she''s at the entrance of Alioth Building."


    "Call me if you need help," Carlos nodded.


    "Sure. Come home early after work."


    After Debbie got out of the car, the traffic light changed to green. Carlos started the Emperor''s engine.


    "Call Ralph Lu," demanded Carlos.


    Ralph Lu was one of Carlos'' subordinates, the general manager in charge of Alioth Building.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," answered Emmett.


    At the entrance of Alioth Building


    Kasie was nursing a red mark on her face. She had just been pped across the face and was about


    to p back when Lewis grabbed her wrist. "Enough! Are you done? We''ve been broken up for awhile,"


    he thundered.


    A devastated Kasie smacked a gift box against Lewis and yelled, "When did we break up? You cheater!


    I''ve spent all day picking out this gift to celebrate your promotion. And this is how you repay me?!"


    Ignoring her questions, Lewis adjusted his clothes andined, "Quit making a fool of yourself.


    Leave! Now!"


    "Kasie!" a woman''s voice chimed in.


    They turned to look who it was. A woman in a grey overcoat was walking toward them at a hurried


    pace. Her eyes swept over them as she asked, "What''s going on?"


    Kasie sobered up at the sight of her. "Tomboy, why are you here?"


    Lewis'' eyes lit up. "Hey, beautiful! We meet again."


    Paying no attention to him, Debbie approached Kasie and grabbed her hands, only to see her swollen


    cheek. "Just passing by. What''s wrong with your face? Who hit you?"


    With arms akimbo, the woman standing next to Portia said coldly, "She''s a ho, and she deserved it."


    Debbie looked Portia in the eye and asked, emotionless, "Did you hit her?"


    With a scornful smile, Portia replied, "She seduced my fiance. She''s lucky I just pped her. I


    should''ve stripped her clothes off and thrown her out on the street."


    Debbie released Kasie and strode towards Portia. Smack! The p was so loud that even passersby


    stopped to look on.


    Everyone was stunned by Debbie''s sudden move, especially Lewis. He fixed his eyes upon her¡ªhis


    gaze was full of desire instead of fury.


    ''Wow, I''ve never seen such a hot chick before. She must be wild in bed, '' he mused.


    In stunned disbelief, Portia yelled at the top of her lungs, "Bitch! Who do you think you are? What are


    you two waiting for? Tie her up!"


    The man and woman then came to their senses and tried to seize Debbie. However, Portia was too


    angry to remember that Debbie was a good fighter. Within seconds, it was all over. Debbie swept the


    woman off her feet with a simple movement of her leg. The woman hit the ground hard, and it knocked


    the wind out of her. The man advanced on our heroine. "You''ll pay for that, bitch," he growled. She


    didn''t pay¡ªhe did. When he grabbed for her, she kicked him right between the legs. His mouth formed


    an "O". Then Debbie pushed on his forehead, and he fell over. Both would-be assants rolled back


    and forth on the ground, coughing and wailing in pain.


    At this moment, a man in a suit and leather shoes trotted towards them, followed by a dozen


    bodyguards. The man was surprised to see Lewis here. "Mr. Lewis Huo!" he greeted.


    "Ralph Lu! What are you doing here?" Lewis asked. Obviously, they knew each other.


    "Emmett asked me to help Miss Debbie Nian," Ralph Lu replied honestly.


    Lewis cast a meaningful nce at Debbie. ''So that''s her name. She can fight! I like her even more.''


    Debbie knew these guys must work for Carlos, so she told Ralph Lu, "I''m Debbie Nian. Since you''re


    here to help me, then beat the shit out of this scumbag!" She pointed at Lewis.


    Ralph Lu was startled at the request and decided to probe further. "Miss Nian, is there some


    misunderstanding between you two? This is the general manager of ZL Group''s New York branch."


    The general manager of ZL Group''s New York branch? "And you are Carlos Huo''s...?" she asked


    Lewis.


    Lewis'' face changed dramatically at the mention of Carlos Huo. Fear could be seen in his eyes. But


    soon it was reced by hubris. "He''s my cousin," he announced, proud as a peacock.


    ''Oh, I see. He''s Carlos'' cousin.


    Then the middle-aged couple I met earlier must be Carlos'' rtives.''


    Despite Lewis'' identity, Debbie didn''t n to let him go. She didn''t care who he was. She had kicked


    Carlos before, and she wasn''t about to surrender to a scumbag like Lewis.


    She turned to Ralph Lu and asked angrily, "You gonna help me or not?"


    ''Who is she? She''s not afraid of Carlos'' cousin at all, '' Ralph Lu mused. With an embarrassed smile, he


    said, "Miss Nian, I think there must be some misunderstanding. How about this¡ª"


    Debbie interrupted him, "How about what? If you''re not going to help, then stay out of the way!"


    Ralph Lu was struck speechless. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have done as Debbie said.


    After all, Emmett had told him to help her. But this was Lewis Huo.


    No matter what, he couldn''t afford to hit Lewis. Carlos would have his head cut off if he did that, he


    feared.


    "Fine. I knew I couldn''t count on anyone else," Debbie said, as she took off her overcoat and handed it


    to Kasie.


    Her move snapped Kasie back to her senses. She grabbed Debbie''s arm and tried to stop her. "Hey,


    Tomboy, forget it. Let''s go." Kasie pondered letting Lewis go. This might develop into something that


    she couldn''t handle. There were many bodyguards around, and Debbie might get hurt. A little


    douchebag like Lewis just wasn''t worth it.


    She hated Lewis, but she didn''t want to cause trouble. After all, he was Carlos'' cousin. If Debbie beat


    Lewis to a pulp like she wanted, Carlos might get angry, and it would end up in a big row.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Debbie tapped Kasie''s forehead and snapped, "Are you kidding me? Since when did you be a


    doormat? When Hayden dumped me, you wanted to beat the shit out of him for me."


    Hayden had broken up with Debbie years ago. Back then, Kasie and Jared had assembled a group of


    people to teach him a hard lesson.


    But Debbie had stopped them.


    Now, Kasie was deeply aware of Debbie''s feelings back then. She released Debbie''s hand and


    dropped into a fighting stance. "All right. He has thising."


    With a satisfied smile, Debbie took her coat back and threw it at Ralph Lu. "Watch and learn, guys. This


    is how you deal with an asshole!"


    With Debbie''s coat in his hands, Ralph Lu was at a loss for words. ''I''m not your ve!'' he cursed


    inwardly.


    He was about to throw the coat back at Debbie when Kasie warned him, "You better take good care of


    the coat. It''s a prototype for a clothing line produced by ZL Group. You damage it, you pay for it."


    Thetest prototype of ZL Group?


    Not until then did Debbie realize why Carlos had her wear that coat to the dinner party. No wonder


    everyone there talked about clothes all the time. Debbie clenched her fists.


    ''Carlos Huo! You used me as your model!''


    Not knowing whether Kasie was lying, Ralph Lu told one of the bodyguards, "Find out if the woman is


    telling the truth."

 Chapter 167 You Are A Wimp

    Chapter 167 You Are A Wimp


    Debbie raised her fist and threw it at Lewis'' face. Although Lewis knew next to nothing about martial


    arts, he was a fan of boxing matches, and was fast enough to dodge her fist.


    Seeing Debbie start a fight, Portia ordered Ralph in a harsh voice, "Why are you still standing there?


    The bitch dares to beat Mr. Lewis Huo! If he gets hurt, do you think you could afford it?"


    Ralph didn''t dare to offend either side, so he told the bodyguards, "Stop them!"


    Cornered by Debbie, Lewis warned, "Woman! One more step and I''ll escte this!"


    "Escte to whom? Is it Carlos you''re banking on? Shouldn''t you be ashamed of calling on another


    man to fight the stupid scuffles you started?" Debbie snapped.


    Seeing Debbie not convinced, Lewis took his phone out from his pocket. Just then, shended a punch


    in his belly. He winced in pain.


    Joining in, Kasie took the chance to p him across the face. A humiliated Lewis shouted to the


    bodyguards, "Drag them away!"


    Helpless, yet fumed with rage, Portia thought to herself, ''Who does she think she is?! She used to be


    the dog of me and my brother.'' In her high heels, she rushed to Debbie and grabbed her arm. "Debbie


    Nian, if you dare touch Mr. Lewis Huo again, I swear it will be the end of you and my brother!"


    "Huh?" Debbie''s jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? You think the Gu family is something I give a damn


    about, don''t you? To be honest, your family was even no match for Jared''s family before. It is a stroke


    of luck that Hayden has managed to improve the lot of the Gu family in thest few years. So stop


    showing off. You are just from a nouveau riche family."


    The blunt truth in Debbie''s words incensed Portia. With a sour face, she snarled, "Shut up, bitch!"


    "Your mouth stinks!" Debbie shook off Portia''s hand. "Portia Gu, I''m not the old Debbie Nian anymore. I


    don''t give a hoot about you or your stupid brother. I''m going to teach this Mr. Jerk a lesson today. Oh,


    don''t worry. Kasie won''t see him anymore. He doesn''t deserve¡ª"


    Before Debbie could finish, Portia gave her such a heavy p


    that she could feel color ming up in her cheek.


    Kasie, who was blocked by two bodyguards, heard the p and turned to look what happened. When


    she saw Debbie''s swollen cheek, she broke herself free, charged forward and yelled at Portia, "Portia


    Gu, how dare you hit Debbie! You will pay for this!"


    Not knowing Debbie''s strong backer, Portia gave Kasie a mocking smile and taunted, "Really? I don''t


    think I''ll pay for it. Debbie Nian is just a worthless bitch who used to suck up to me and my brother."


    Two bodyguards helped Lewis to his feet. As he adjusted his clothes, he scowled at Ralph and


    demanded, "Tie them up."


    Ralph held Debbie''s coat with utmost care, aware that it was worth over $300, 000¡ªnot something he


    would wish topensate for, even if he could afford. All the same, there was no way he could disobey


    Lewis'' orders. So he called on his men, "Hear Mr. Lewis Huo? Do as he says."


    Debbie got raving mad when she remembered thest time she was pped¡ªit was on ount of the


    same Portia.


    Before the bodyguards could subdue her and Kasie, Debbie grabbed Portia''s wrist tight, giving her


    such a scare that she screamed like a banshee. Debbie dragged Portia to Lewis. "Mr. Jerk, how dare


    you cheat on my friend! Look how I''m going to teach this whore a lesson."


    Ignoring Portia''s screams of terror, Debbie pped her so hard she saw stars.


    Lewis, however, had no intention of stopping Debbie at all. His eyes lit up at the sight of this. It had


    been a long time since he wasst turned on by a woman. He wished he could press Debbie against


    the wall and give her an S and M right now.


    While Portia was still reeling from the shock, Debbie gave her two more ps. Certain that the men


    around were not able to save her from Debbie, Portia tried to hit back. Flinging her expensive bag in


    the hope she''d hit Debbie, she yelled hysterically, "Screw you! I''ll kill you!"


    But Debbie was too quick and dodged with ease. Seeing that she was no match for Debbie, Portia took


    out her phone from her bag and dialed a number. "Bring guys who know martial arts to the entrance of


    Alioth Building. Quick!" she hollered.


    Debbie looked on with a derisive smile and casually asked, "Are you done with your phone call? Have


    your peoplee?"


    "Debbie Nian, just wait and see!"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Why should I wait? Am I a fool? Anyway, I hope you''ve learnt not to mess with everyone. But in case


    you still want us to dance, I''ll be more than willing. Try me!" With that, Debbie waved at a young man


    who was watching the fun in front of a beauty salon. "Hi, handsome."


    The man''s face blushed scarlet. He was too shy to say a word.


    Debbie came up to him and asked politely, "Are you an employee of this salon? Can I borrow


    something from you?"


    "What do you want?" he asked in confusion.


    After Debbie whispered in his ear, he got into the salon and before long, came out and handed her


    something.


    Debbie returned to Portia, who was trying to call Hayden. Unfortunately, he was on the ne, and his


    phone had been switched off.


    Portia was instantly alerted upon seeing the thing in Debbie''s hand. "What are you going to do?" Her


    voice was trembling.


    "Guess what I''m going to do." Debbie waved the scissors in her hand and gave her a wicked grin. "I''ll


    shave you bald right here!"


    Portia''s face paled. She covered her head and hid behind Lewis. "Mr. Lewis Huo, help me please."


    Lewis himself was no match for Debbie. But he was a man, and he couldn''t afford to see a woman


    being bullied in front of him. He tried to coax Debbie, "Beautiful girl, please. Let her go for my sake.


    Let''s put this matter to rest now, okay? It''s not safe to y with sharp objects like you''re doing. What if


    someone gets hurt?"


    Lewis was a yboy. Always too soft, too patient with beautiful women.


    Debbie, however, didn''t buy none of that crap. She pointed the scissors to his crotch and threatened,


    "On second thought, I better cut your dick off. You''ll never hurt girls again, after this, I promise."


    Lewis went numb at the sight of the menacing woman. Certain that if he tried to resist Debbie, things


    would turn nasty, he chose to cooperate. He drew Portia aside, grabbing both her hands so that she


    wouldn''t move while Debbie clipped her hair. "Don''t worry. Better the small humiliation of a bald shave


    than to think we can fight her when we both know what she''s capable of."


    Portia broke herself free and pped Lewis across the face. "You are a good-for-nothing wimp! Why


    not call your cousin? He''s Mr. Huo! And you are the general manager of ZL Group''s New York branch


    yourself! Why are you so afraid of her? Debbie Nian is just a weak woman. We have so many people


    here. Ask them to tie her up!"

 Chapter 168 Beatings

    Chapter 168 Beatings


    Lewis had been beaten by Debbie and cussed out by Portia. He was a proud man, and couldn''t stand it


    anymore. He pointed at Portia and cursed loudly, "Debbie''s right. You''re just like your mother¡ªa total


    bitch! Get the hell out of my way!"


    Everyone was so shocked they couldn''t say a word.


    Debbie was not interested in the drama. She approached Portia, grabbed her long hair and cut arge


    hunk of it off with the scissors.


    Portia''s hair fluttered to the ground along with her screams.


    "Aaaaaargh! Lewis Huo, you puss-pop! Call your cousin!" Portia yelled at him.


    Lewis was fumed with rage when she called him that. He pointed at Debbie and demanded, "Have her


    arrested! Now! Otherwise, you''re all fired!"


    The bodyguards urged Ralph to action. "Boss, we need to do something. Mr. Lewis Huo is Mr. Huo''s


    cousin. If we get hurt, it''s won''t be a big deal. But I''m sure Mr. Huo will be pissed if Mr. Lewis Huo gets


    hurt."


    "He''s right. You can just tell Mr. Zhong that Mr. Lewis Huo forced us to arrest her."


    ''They make a lot of sense, '' Ralph thought. He didn''t need much time, and something needed to be


    done here, before Lewis got hurt even more. This had gone too far. He nodded and gestured to his


    men. "Do as Mr. Lewis Huo says. Arrest Debbie Nian."


    The bodyguards swarmed around Debbie. Meanwhile, Ralph took out his phone and called Emmett.


    Debbie was busy cutting Portia''s hair. When the bodyguards approached, Kasie stood in front of


    Debbie, arms out, intended to shield her from harm. "What are you going to do? Just go away!"


    shouted Kasie.


    Debbie waved the scissors in the air and dered nonchntly, "Go ahead if you don''t mind losing


    your dicks."


    The bodyguards didn''t believe Debbie could fight. Not this girl, not any woman, really. Two men


    dragged Kasie away, and the rest advanced on Debbie.


    Debbie kicked a man in the gut, and he staggered backwards.


    There were too many of them, so Debbie had to let go of Portia. The girl almost passed out.


    No sooner had Ralph told Emmett what had happened than the secretary yelled at him over the phone.


    "Ralph! That is the dumbest thing I''ve heard all day. Don''t me me if you''re fired or something. You''ve


    really stepped in it this time!"


    "What? Why? Emmett, I only did as Mr. Lewis Huo asked."


    Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Emmett said, "Ask your men to stop and apologize to Mrs...


    er...Debbie Nian. It''s not toote. If she gets hurt because of you, you''ll be so dead. Listen to me, man."


    Ralph was not fully convinced yet. "Emmett, are you out of your mind? Debbie Nian offended Mr. Lewis


    Huo, not to mention the daughter of the Gu family. Are you sure you want me to help her?"


    "Of course, I''m a hundred percent sure. Mr. Huo asked you to help her. She''s Mr. Huo''s woman, and he


    cares more about her than Mr. Lewis Huo. Capice?" Emmett said this through gritted teeth.


    Of course, Emmett''s words came as a great shock to Ralph. ''What?! Debbie Nian is Mr. Huo''s woman?


    I know there''s a rumor that he''s married. But she could be anyone...''


    Thinking about this, he yelled at his men, "Guys, retreat!"


    The bodyguards were fighting with Debbie, who was a formidable opponent. They were too excited to


    pay attention to Ralph''s order. Of course, not like she was giving them a chance to think. One was on


    the cement nursing a kneecap, likely broken. She had also swept another with her leg, knocking him to


    the ground. And she had just finished punching one in the throat, causing him to stumble backwards,


    trying to catch his breath. She didn''t fool around when she fought. These men had underestimated her


    and were paying the price.


    Ralph was so anxious he dashed towards them and even got between them and Debbie. "Are you


    deaf? I said, retreat!"


    His sudden move stunned them. They didn''t dare to hurt Ralph, so they stopped.


    Ralph heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He turned around and put on an


    unctuous smile. "Miss Nian, I''m really sorry about all this. Are you hurt? How about I take you to the


    hospital?"


    Debbie was confused by his change in attitude. "What do you mean by that?"


    With an awkward smile, Ralph said, "Sorry, Miss Nian. I wasn''t trying to hurt you." He then turned to his


    men. "Arrest Mr. Lewis Huo. Do as Miss Nian says. Get it?"


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    At the ZL Group


    Emmett swallowed and told Carlos worriedly, "Mr. Huo, something happened at the Alioth Building." He


    knew Carlos would be angry, but he didn''t dare keep it from his boss. Otherwise, he would end up in


    hell.


    Alioth Building? Carlos raised his head and fixed his sharp eyes on Emmett. "How is she?"? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "Um...Mrs. Huo is all right. Mr. Lewis Huo is also there, and he got in a fight with her. She beat the shit


    out of him and cut Portia Gu''s hair." ''Ralph, you better start praying, '' Emmett thought to himself.


    ''Lewis Huo?'' Carlos furrowed his brows as he picked up his phone and called Debbie. The phone call


    connected soon.


    "Hey, honey." Her voice was low. Carlos guessed that there might be others around her.


    "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" he asked worriedly.


    "I''m great. Um...I beat up your cousin..." Her voice trailed off. She wondered whether Carlos would


    me her or not.


    Carlos heaved a sigh of relief and even praised her. "Nice. He deserved it."


    ''What?! Nice?'' Debbie was confused. "Aren''t you mad?"


    "Yes, I''m mad, but not at you. Get Lewis on the phone."


    "Er... O-Okay... Hey, Mr. Jerk, it''s for you!" Carlos heard Debbie''s voiceing from the other end.


    ''Mr. Jerk?'' Carlos chuckled. ''Well, she''s not wrong.''


    Confused, Lewis took over the phone. "Me? Who is this?"


    He saw the caller ID¡ªMr. Huo¡ªand wondered, ''Another Huo. Do I know him?'' He asked casually,


    "Hello, who is this?"


    "Me." The simple word scared Lewis to death¡ªhe recognized Carlos'' voice.


    He eyed Debbie up and down, wondering who she was to Carlos. "Hey, Carlos, what''s up?"


    Lewis'' words caught Portia''s attention. ''Did Carlos Huo call Debbie?''


    She looked back and forth between Debbie and Lewis and thought to herself, ''Why did Mr. Huo call


    Debbie? How are they rted?''


    After Carlos said something, Lewis nodded immediately. "Okay. I get it. I''ll be there soon."


    After hanging up, Lewis fixed his gaze on Debbie. After a long time, he decided to take her with him to


    meet Carlos. "Let''s get going." He grabbed her wrist.


    Debbie shook off his hand in disgust and snapped, "Where? Why should I go with you?"


    "I''m heading to my cousin''s office. This is your fault. And you need to tell him." Lewis didn''t know why


    he had to take Debbie with him, but he had a gut feeling that he would be much safer if he took Debbie


    to meet his cousin.


    Ralph, who had just sent two patrolmen away, approached them and offered, "Mr. Lewis Huo, Miss


    Nian, I''ll get the car."

 Chapter 169 Shes My Wife

    Chapter 169 She''s My Wife


    Debbie bid Kasie goodbye and was about to get into the car when Portia grabbed her arm¡ªhard. "No!


    We''re not done!" Portia yelled. Her men would arrive in a few minutes. She had no intention of letting


    Debbie off the hook so easily.


    Before Debbie could respond, Lewis pulled Portia away and snapped impatiently, "Get the hell out of


    here, Portia. I thought you were an ice queen, but you''re really as clingy as an octopus."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    He didn''t love Portia; he just took it as a challenge to melt the ice queen''s heart. But now she was


    getting on his nerves.


    Portia trembled with anger at Lewis'' remarks. With red eyes, she pointed at him and shouted, "Dammit


    Lewis! You''re cancelled! I''m telling my mom to call off our engagement."


    Debbie had guessed right¡ªPortia and Lewis were about to get engaged.


    "Whatever." Lewis shrugged and got into the car. Seeing Debbie remain motionless, he urged, "Hurry!


    Get in the car! You don''t want her bitch cooties, do you?"


    Portia broke out into curses. "Lewis Huo, you''re an asshole! Everyone in your family is!"


    Debbie, trying hard to suppress her giggles, got into the back seat. Lewis was not angered by Portia''s


    words. "My family? Does that include Carlos?"


    Portia stopped as soon as Lewis mentioned Carlos. She cast a murderous nce at Debbie and


    threatened through gritted teeth, "Debbie Nian, just wait and see."


    With a wide grin, Debbie pped back. "Oh, don''t forget to tell your brother¡ªI kicked your ass and cut


    your hair."


    "You!" Portia was too angry to utter aplete sentence.


    The car soon drove off, leaving Portia behind. Her long fingernails dug into her palms, leaving deep


    marks.


    At the ZL Group


    Lewis and Debbie made a beeline for the CEO''s office. Most employees didn''t know Debbie, but they


    knew Lewis.


    The elevator came to a halt on the 66th floor. Staring at the closed door of Carlos'' office, Lewis nudged


    Debbie forward and said, "Remember our arrangement. You go in first."


    Debbie was dumbstruck. ''Seriously? You''re really afraid of Carlos, aren''t you? I can understand why


    Jared is scared of Carlos. But you''re his cousin! Besides, he''s not that scary!'' she thought to herself.


    There were only two people in the secretary''s office¡ªEmmett and Zelda. Zelda stood up from her seat


    and greeted Lewis, "Mr. Lewis Huo, good evening."


    She was quite surprised to see Debbie.


    Lewis leered at her, and a wolf whistle escaped his lips. "Zelda, you''re as hot as ever." This was a


    common thing¡ªLewis was a shameless flirt.


    "Stop it," Zeldained, her face reddening. She sat back in her seat.


    Emmett came up to them and told Lewis respectfully, "Mr. Lewis Huo, Mr. Huo is waiting for you."


    Then he approached Debbie and whispered in her ear, "Mrs. Huo, why are you here with him?" If Lewis


    weren''t here, Emmett would have let Debbie know that Lewis was an asshole and advised her to keep


    him at arm''s length.


    Debbie said with a shrug, "He forced me toe here."


    Lewis got close to the office door, and then realized that Debbie wasn''t behind him. He cast a burning


    nce at her and said in a low voice, "What are you waiting for? Open the door!"


    Emmett trotted towards the office and knocked on the door. With Carlos'' permission, he pushed the


    door open and addressed his boss, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo and Mr. Lewis Huo are here."


    Lewis grabbed Debbie and pushed her into the office. Caught off guard, she staggered, almost falling


    onto the floor.


    Carlos, sitting in his armchair, saw Debbie falter. He immediately stood up, strode towards her and


    pulled her into his arms. "It''s veryte. Why aren''t you home? You okay?" That was when he saw her


    red and swollen cheek. "Who did this to you?"


    he asked in a cold voice and furrowed his eyebrows.


    "Don''t worry. I''m okay. I. . . I came here. . . because I missed you. Can I get a ride home with you?"


    Debbie held back Carlos'' waist and cast a challenging nce at Lewis, who couldn''t believe his eyes


    and ears. Why was she so familiar with his cousin?


    Carlos disentangled her from his arms and examined her cheek carefully. His face turned livid. "Who


    did this?" He shifted his gaze to Lewis, who also had a swollen face.


    Assuming that Lewis hit Debbie, Carlos released her, and before Lewis could respond, kicked him in


    the gut, knocking him to the floor.


    He then walked over to his prone body, and ced his foot on him. Then he asked in an icy tone, "You


    hit her, didn''t you?"


    Beside him was a table. Carlos picked up the teapot from the table and raised it overhead, as if he was


    going to smash it against Lewis'' head.


    Lewis'' face paled. "Rx, man! I didn''t hit her. It was Portia Gu. She pped her!"


    It was the first time that Debbie had seen Carlos lose it like this, and she was a little scared as well.


    She then realized that Carlos had always been rather kind to her when she had offended him so many


    times.


    Lewis'' pleas snapped Debbie back to reality. She grabbed Carlos'' arm and exined, "He didn''t hit me.


    I kicked his ass."


    Carlos then let go of Lewis, ced the teapot back on the table and warned him, "If she hits you again,


    don''t fight back."


    "What?! But why?" Lewis was in stunned disbelief.


    Carlos straightened his suit and said indifferently, "She''s my wife."


    ''She''s Carlos'' wife?! That means she''s my cousin-inw.'' Lewis almost choked on his own tongue.


    Ignoring Lewis, who was too shocked to stand up, Carlos buzzed Emmett. "Get in here. And bring


    some ice."


    Then he led Debbie to the couch, sat down and stroked her cheek softly. "So it was Portia?"


    His voice was soft, but Debbie could somehow feel danger.


    It came back to her now, how people used to describe Carlos¡ªcruel and cold-hearted. Debbie grabbed


    his hands and coaxed him, "Honey, cool down. I got even with her. I pped her several times, and


    even cut her hair. So just let it go, okay?"


    Carlos, however, was not easily convinced. "Leave her to me," he said.


    A cold shiver ran down Debbie''s spine, as his tone suggested that he would kill Portia. "Don''t, Carlos. I


    don''t care. It was nothing. Leave it to me, please."


    At this moment, Emmett came in with an ice pack and handed it to Carlos.


    Lewis was still lying on the floor, but Emmett didn''t even blink. However, when he spotted Debbie''s


    swollen cheek, he asked worriedly, "Mrs. Huo, what happened? Did someone hit you? Does it hurt?"


    ''Who had the nerve to hit Mr. Huo''s woman? Look at Mrs. Huo''s fair skin. That must be stinging, '' he


    thought.

 Chapter 170 Share Happiness And Sufferings

    Chapter 170 Share Happiness And Sufferings


    The concern that Emmett showed towards Debbie really touched her heart. "It''s all right. I feel much


    better now, but it''s nice of you to ask," she said with a friendly smile.


    "Emmett Zhong!" Carlos'' voice sounded as cold as ice.


    Emmett shifted his gaze to his boss and answered, "Yes, Mr. Huo!"


    "Your heart must be broken now, huh?" Carlos asked, emotionless.


    Emmett nodded honestly. He always had a tender heart for women. Besides, Debbie had always been


    nice to him.


    Debbie somehow sensed something was not right with Carlos, and winked at Emmett.


    However, Emmett didn''t get her point. Instead, he asked innocently, "Mrs. Huo, what''s wrong with your


    eyes? You got hurt? Shall we call a doctor over to check?"


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Debbie was speechless. ''I did what I could, but he didn''t get me. Can''t he see that Carlos is in a terrible


    mood right now?'' she wondered.


    "Emmett, it seems that you care about my wife very much," Carlos said casually as he dabbed the ice


    pack onto Debbie''s swollen cheek. He turned to Lewis, who had stood up from the floor, and ordered,


    "Lewis Huo, don''t just stand there while this dumbass pokes his nose into my business. Strike him in


    the face!"


    Only then did Emmett realize he had almost stepped on andmine. His face turned pale.


    With a cold smile, Carlos continued, "In this way, you can share in her happiness and suffering."


    Debbie was at a loss for words. ''Carlos is way too possessive, '' she thought.


    "Please don''t get me wrong, Mr. Huo. Ah, I remember I have something urgent to attend to. I''ll take my


    leave now," said Emmett and quickly turned to leave.


    But just as he was about to step out of the door, Lewis blocked his way. "Emmett, you know, on this


    turf, I''ll only y by my cousin''s rules." Then without a second thought, he swung his clenched fist to


    strike.


    Only by a whisker did Emmett dodge. With quick darting steps, he retreated from Lewis and cast an


    imploring nce at Debbie. "Mrs. Huo, please help!"


    The exchange at the door amused Debbie. Holding back her giggles, she clutched at Carlos'' right arm


    with both hands and pleaded in a cute way, "Honey, Emmett was just showing his concern for his boss''


    wife. Don''t get mad at him, okay? Besides, he''s your right-hand man. How will it benefit you, if he gets


    hurt?"


    "Do you think he''s that indispensable?" asked Carlos with a dismissive snort. "We have an abundance


    of talented people. His absence would make no difference."


    ''How cruel he is!'' thought Debbie.


    All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in her mind. Feigning sadness, she looked at Emmett and said,


    "Emmett, you see, it''s not that I didn''t help you. My words cut no ice with your boss."


    Instantly, Carlos knew what his wife was going to say. He watched with a raised eyebrow as she


    continued.


    Not knowing Carlos had seen through her trick, Debbie cast a sad nce at her husband and


    continued, "Emmett, I suggest you go find Miss ''Me'' to put in a good word for you. I believe her words


    will work."


    "Get out!" Carlos roared, at which Lewis and Emmett immediately left the office and closed the door


    behind them.


    A proud smile shed across Debbie''s face, as her n worked.


    Carlos sighed with profound resignation. "I''ll have my turn to even the score in bed this evening," he


    threatened.


    "What?! Why are you so obsessed with sex? Must you always link everything to what you do in bed?"


    Debbie snapped at him.


    He pulled her into his arms, kissed her on the lips and said, "Well, that''s one of the keys to a sessful


    marriage."


    Debbie pushed his hands away andined, "Stop it!"


    "Okay, okay. Is your cheek still hurting?" he asked.


    "Not at all. Just go on with your work. I''ll be fine." She took the ice pack from him and dabbed it on her


    cheek.


    It was a cold winter. Fortunately, the heating system in the building was working well.


    "I''ve finished my work already. Let''s go home now." He had nned to teach Lewis a lesson before


    going back home, but he hadn''t expected Debbie toe here along with the jackass.


    And when they had arrived, he had been distracted by her swollen cheek, which gave Lewis the perfect


    excuse to get away.


    In the evening, Carlos and Debbiezilyy in bed after taking a bath together. He told her their


    schedule in a couple of days. As thergest shareholder of Orchid Private Club, Debbie would attend


    an investors'' dinner tomorrow. After that, together with Carlos, she would fly to New York to celebrate


    New Year with the Huo family the day after tomorrow.


    But Megan would go there too. In the past few years, she had celebrated New Year with either the Huo


    family or Wesley''s family. Both families doted on Megan for her bright and bubbly personality. Other


    than that, her parents had saved Carlos'' and Wesley''s lives.


    Debbie''s heart sank when she heard Megan would celebrate New Year with them.


    Watching her carefully, Carlos noticed Debbie''s change of mood. It didn''t take rocket science to tell


    what was on her mind. In a soft voice, he coaxed her, "Actually, Megan is a good girl. I think there must


    be some misunderstanding between you and her. Maybe, you could use this opportunity to know her


    better."


    He understood why Debbie disliked Megan. Megan was wholly dependent on Carlos and his friends. It


    was perfectly normal for Debbie, his wife, to feel ufortable when she saw another girl invading her


    space.


    But Megan had juste of age. If anything, Carlos nned to send her abroad to study in a few


    years. Hopefully, that would put Debbie''s worries to an end. If all went well, Megan might as well find a


    boyfriend there.


    "Okay," Debbie answered in a low voice. She didn''t want Carlos to think she was a mean woman.


    Carlos kissed her again. "Don''t worry. I won''t let anyone cross you, okay?"


    Relieved by his promise, Debbie cuddled his neck and said, "You cannot go back on your words. If


    someone crosses me, I''ll go have fun without you."


    "Without me? How would that be?"


    "There are many things I can do. Maybe, I''d even go clubbing with a random handsome guy, just to


    blow away your money. That must be really interesting...Aargh! Carlos Huo, don''t bite my ear!"


    "Really? You still have the energy to mess around with another guy? Am I such an ipetent


    husband?" Carlos pressed her against the bed, his eyes as dark as ink. A cold shiver ran down her


    spine as she looked him in the eye. He looked more menacing than wolf now.


    "No, no, no! I was just kidding. Mr. President, don''t take it seriously. Mmm..." She was unable to talk


    anymore as Carlos gagged her with his lips, his hand rubbing her chest.


    In the Gu family''s house


    When Portia got home, Griffin and nche were still waiting for her in the living room. They wanted to


    find out how she was getting along with Lewis.


    They were freaked out when Portia appeared in front of them. nche held her daughter''s hands and


    asked anxiously, "Portia, my dear, what''s wrong with your hair? And your cheeks are swollen. What


    happened?"


    Unable to handle the questions, Portia burst into a crying fit, wailing like a baby. When Portia finally


    spoke, Griffin, who was in poor health, almost had a seizure. "It was Debbie Nian. Her friend has been


    hitting on Lewis, and when I confronted the girl, Debbie attacked me with a barrage of punches. To add


    to the humiliation, she pulled out a pair of scissors and cut my hair, while threatening dire


    consequences to anyone who''d attempt to help me. More so, people fear her on ount of Emmett


    Zhong¡ªher husband. Mom, it was so humiliating, I wished for the ground to open up and swallow me."


    "Debbie Nian?! " Both Griffin and nche were shocked to hear that name. How the hell would Debbie


    have the guts to bully their beloved daughter?

 Chapter 171 Let Go

    Chapter 171 Let Go


    nche asked a housemaid to fetch some ice for Portia. "That bitch Debbie thinks she is somebody


    just because she is the wife of Carlos Huo''s secretary," she said through gritted teeth, a murderous


    look in her eyes. "She thinks she can do whatever she wants now! Next time I see her, I''ll shave her


    bald!"


    Griffin was pissed. He pointed at Portia with a trembling hand. "Tell me the truth! What did you do? I


    know Debbie. She is a fairly reasonable girl. She wouldn''t have done this for no reason."


    He had liked Debbie a lot when she and Hayden were dating, for her natural and poised manner. He


    still remembered how much she had done for Hayden and how she always protected Portia.


    "Dad, I''m your daughter, not Debbie! Why are you always taking her side?" Portia protested angrily.


    Back when Debbie and Hayden were still dating, Portia''s dad had med her every time she and


    Debbie had a conflict. And now, he still did. Portia felt it was unfair.


    "I only take the right side. Your brother is trying to get Debbie back, but you and your mom are just


    doing him a disservice." Griffin was disappointed in his daughter. He also med himself for spoiling


    her.


    Yet nche disagreed with his words. "Don''t be absurd! Hayden has agreed to get engaged to the


    youngest daughter of the Qin family. She''s from a truly illustrious family. Debbie Nian is married. Even if


    she wasn''t, she wasn''t good enough for our son."


    Holding his hands behind his back, a reflective look on his face, Griffin exined to nche patiently,


    "How many times have I told you about the Nian family? It was an influential family in Y City when Artie


    and his father were still alive. Afterwards, Debbie''s grandpa was forced to sell thepany to pay his


    deep debts to the Lu family. Plus, Artie''s medical expenses cost at least ten million dors. It was not


    until then that the family started to run into financial problems. It was fair to say that before Debbie was


    ten, her family had been more powerful than the Qin family."


    nche wasn''t convinced. She said contemptuously, "Still, the family went down. Since the day I met


    her, she has never been refined as a good girl from a respectable family should be. Think about those


    days she practiced martial arts. A girl should be delicate and elegant, but she fought and somersaulted


    like a boy. What was she? From some savage tribe? I wonder what Hayden sees in that poor girl!"


    "You''re one to talk! Don''t you know why Debbie was practicing martial arts? To save your son and


    daughter! It was Hayden who pushed her into martial arts. Your son was a weakling who needed her


    for protection from bullies. Wouldn''t you have done the same thing if you were in Debbie''s shoes? Look


    at her now. She doesn''t have to protect your children anymore. She even married Emmett, and since


    Emmett works for Mr. Huo, by extension she also has Mr. Huo''s protection. Does she need to practice


    martial arts anymore? Look how delicate she is now. I think you have noticed that yourself." Having


    talked so much, Griffin started to breathe hard.


    But nche''s tone didn''t soften much. "You know your health condition. Why don''t you save some


    energy? No one asked her to protect anybody. As if we couldn''t even afford a bodyguard! She just


    wanted to show off and to let everyone know how capable she was."


    With his eyes closed, Griffin leaned back on the sofa to steady his breathing. After a long while, he


    opened his eyes and looked at his daughter, who was still sulking. "Do you remember the time when


    you were kidnapped? Think about how Debbie saved you."


    Portia quieted down, her hands clenched into fists. "I didn''t ask her to save me. She made that decision


    on her own. Just like what my mom said, she just wanted to show off."


    That year, Debbie and Hayden were only friends. They hadn''t started dating yet. In an attempt to save


    Portia, she was beaten up so badly by a bunch of kidnappers that her life hung by a thread. But those


    men were still not leaving her alone. When they were about to rape her, the police came and saved her,


    who was dying.


    Afterwards, Hayden scolded Portia for hanging out with punks.


    It was in the hospital that Hayden first told Debbie that he liked her. Back then, he was still a nobody in


    the Gu family. He hadn''t achieved anything yet, and every month, he depended on pocket money from


    his parents. The only thing he bought for Debbie that day was a rose, which Debbie dly epted,


    and that was how their rtionship had started.


    Hearing his daughter''s response, Griffin almost had a heart attack. He tried to contain his emotions.


    "Let go this time. If a wrong is avenged with another wrong, there would be no end to it," he persuaded


    while watching nche dab Portia''s face with ice.


    If the matter got out of hand, he was afraid that Carlos would step in himself. Not the kind of trouble the


    old man would wish anyone in his family to get involved in. But given that Emmett had worked for


    Carlos for many years, that possibility wasn''t far-fetched. It was not likely that Carlos would turn a blind


    eye to Emmett''s trouble. If Portia angered Carlos because of a trifle between her and Debbie, nobody


    would be able to save her.


    As Portia was busy massaging her stinging face, she didn''t respond. However, silently, she had already


    made a decision in her heart. ''It''s impossible for me to let go of this. That bitch is getting more and


    more arrogant. This has toe to an end, no matter what it takes!''


    Back in Carlos'' vi, he watched Debbie fall asleep. Then he got out of bed and called Emmett. "What


    exactly happened this evening?"


    Emmett was just dozing off when the iing call from Carlos shook him wide awake. For the


    hundredth time, he thanked fate for his not having a girlfriend. Otherwise, his rtionship would be


    strained by such calls from Carlos in the dead of the night.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Emmett shook his head to expel the thought from his mind and gave Carlos a blow-by-blow ount of


    what had happened at the entrance of the Alioth Building.


    "Cancel all the ads and activities she has gotten. Shut her out for some time and you give her a


    warning in person."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Emmett had already foreseen how the drama would unfold against Portia. The Gu


    family''s influence had grown rapidlytely. Many advertisingpanies tried to suck up to Hayden, by


    bringing in Portia¡ªhis sister to do theirmercials. Although she was only a freshman at college with


    lousy people skills, anyone eager to please her brother could easily get that around by highlighting


    Portia''s beauty as the main strength for engaging her.


    However, for the silly mistake of pping Debbie tonight, all those advertising gigs would go up in


    smoke. In offending Debbie, she had messed with the wrong person. If Carlos chose to flex his


    muscles, Portia''s life in Y City would turn into a living hell.


    Emmett guessed that Debbie must have pleaded with Carlos for Portia. Normally, Portia would have


    lost a finger for hitting Debbie.


    The next day, Debbie was fidgeting all day because of the investors'' dinner she would have to attend


    that evening.


    That was something new to her. Before Carlos left for work, she had asked as many questions as


    possible about the function.


    Carlos spent a lot of time calming her down.


    After he left, Debbie got dressed and left the house too.


    They were going to New York for some time the following day. She felt she should put Lucinda and


    Sebastian in the loop about her trip before she left the city.


    As soon as she arrived at her aunt''s house, Debbie noticed Gail and Victor fighting at the entrance. In


    case they saw her, Debbie didn''t get out of the car, but watched them argue and fight hysterically.

 Chapter 172 The Mu Family Learned The Truth

    Chapter 172 The Mu Family Learned The Truth


    Since they broke up, Gail didn''t pretend to be sweet and refined anymore in front of Victor. So she


    readily took him on in a shouting match.


    In a few minutes of the altercation, Victor''s words got filthier. He was going to hit Gail. Debbie couldn''t


    watch anymore.


    She drove the car forward and stopped beside the two fighting people. The brand-new Cayman drew


    Gail''s attention immediately. When she saw Debbie getting out of the car from the driver''s seat, she


    asked with widened eyes, "Debbie, whose car is this?"


    It sounded as if Debbie had stolen the car. Standing by the open door, Debbie ignored her and looked


    at Victor. The one-time vice general manager of the Shining International za now looked every inch


    azy slob. His hair looked like a roughly built bird nest, his clothes wrinkled. From the length of his


    stubble, he must haven''t shaven for two or three days.


    Upon seeing Debbie, Victor found another outlet for his frustration and anger. He stalked towards the


    Porsche Cayman and demanded, "Hey, you! I''ve been looking for you for days on end. You got me


    canned, so you mustpensate me for my loss!"


    Debbie rolled her eyes. "How is your losing the job our fault?"


    "If Gail and you hadn''t fought the other day, she wouldn''t have called me. If she hadn''t called me, I


    wouldn''t have gotten involved and thus fired." As a result of that incident, Victor was fired that evening,


    and Gail broke up with him within two weeks.


    As soon as he finished his words, Victor kicked Debbie''s car furiously, leaving a big footprint impressed


    on the red Cayman.


    ''Son of a bitch!'' Debbie cursed inwardly. ''The car cost my husband a pretty penny, you idiot!'' The sight


    of that ugly footprint gripped Debbie''s heart so forcefully, you''d think she was going to have a heart


    attack.


    Gail grabbed Victor''s arm and spat, "Hey, idiot! This car has premium equipment. It''s worth nearly two


    million. If you damage it, do you think you can even afford the fee for repairs with your jobless ass right


    now?"


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Of course Victor was aware that the car was pricey. He loosened his tie carelessly. "It''s just a car. Of


    course I can afford the fee."


    Debbie limbered up a little by wriggling her wrists, seeing which, Victor already regretted what he had


    done. He was scared, but it was toote. Debbie already came to him and clutched his cor.


    Memories of thest time when she had beaten him to a pulp shed before his eyes. He started


    shouting shrilly, "What are you doing? I''m warning you¡ª Ahhh¡ª"


    Debbie hauled him to the car, held his head, pressed his ugly face against the footprint, and rubbed it


    back and forth until the mark was gone.


    Gail, who had been watching the whole time, was stunned. For the millionth time, she felt lucky that


    she was Debbie''s cousin and had never been treated so roughly.


    When the footprint disappeared, Debbie looked at her car. Seeing no sign of damage, she pulled Victor


    up and thrust him to the ground.


    Sent sprawling out on his stomach, Victory there in a crushed heap for a moment. He groaned


    painfully, rolled, and struggled to stand up. "If you dare touch my car again, I''ll beat the living daylights


    out of you!" Debbie threatened, holding her fist up high.


    Victor was so afraid that he ignored his hurting face and started to run before he could even stand


    straight.


    In the Mu family''s house, Lucinda was watching TV in the living room. She walked to the door as soon


    as she saw Debbie walk in with Gail. "Debbie, I wasn''t expecting you toe today."


    Debbie changed into slippers and walked into the living room. "Aunt, I''m going to New York tomorrow,


    so I came to say goodbye. Is Uncle Sebastian home?"


    "He''s still at work. Why are you going to New York suddenly?" Lucinda asked a housemaid to serve


    some fresh fruit.


    Hardly had Debbie sat down on the sofa when Sasha, in pajamas, came down the stairs excitedly.


    "Debbie, you''re here! I heard your voice."


    In ecstasy, she ran into Debbie''s arms so forcefully that they both slumped into the couch. "Debbie, I


    missed you so much. Did youe here alone? Where is my cousin-inw?" Sasha asked after giving


    Debbie a peck on the cheek.


    Expecting Carlos would be there too, she looked towards the door after breaking from Debbie''s


    embrace.


    Recovering from the surprise, Debbie got up from the sofa and straightened her clothes. "Stop looking.


    He didn''te. He has work to do."


    Sasha pouted her lips in disappointment. "Fine. It''s normal for Mr. Huo to be busy. Even Dades


    homete from work, not to mention Mr. Huo."


    Gail, crunching on her snacks, suddenly stopped. She looked at Sasha in surprise. "What did you just


    say? Who?"


    Sasha blinked her eyes in confusion. "Mr. Huo. Gail, don''t you know? Debbie married Carlos Huo."


    ''Debbie married Carlos Huo?! '' Gail had suspected that, but every time she dismissed those thoughts


    as far-fetched.


    Even though now she was hearing it, she still felt it was surreal. ''How is it possible for Mr. Huo to marry


    someone like Debbie?''


    "Sasha, your head must be muddled from sleep. Go back to sleep and don''te down until your


    head is clear!" Gail snapped.


    ''Debbie married Carlos Huo?'' was the only thing lingering in her mind. ''Debbie married Carlos Huo?''


    The question lingered on.


    Her breathing became hard, her words slower, as if a lump had stuck in her chest.


    Memories shed through her mind. Over and over, Debbie had shouted, "Carlos, I love you!" in the


    grove, but she wasn''t punished at all. Instead, Gail was the one that had gotten expelled.


    When Debbie told her that she was married, Gail had never taken it seriously. Actually, she had never


    believed a single thing that Debbie said.


    She remembered that when she said that she would marry to a better man than Debbie would, Debbie


    had retorted "No need for that, because you already lost."


    It also urred to Gail the day when they came back from Southon Vige, Carlos had sat with Debbie


    the whole time. Now everything made sense!


    Every one of her questions was answered.


    "Aargh! " Gail suddenly screamed so loud her voice startled the other three women in the vi.


    Debbie looked at Gail, astonished, but Gail screamed at her again. "Debbie Nian, why did you get to


    marry Carlos Huo?! Why? Aargh! That rtionship must fail!"


    ''Gail must be crazy!'' Debbie thought.


    Lucinda knew that Gail was acting unreasonably because she couldn''t take the news well. She felt


    physically and mentally exhausted. Even she herself didn''t know how Gail had turned out to be like


    that.


    Sitting on the sofa listlessly with red eyes, Gail mumbled to Debbie, "When we were little, Grandpa


    often bought you princess dresses. When you wore your pretty little dress and ignored me with other


    kids, I swore I would marry better and be happier than you when we grew up."


    Gail''s maternal grandpa, that was, Debbie''s paternal grandpa, had spoiled Debbie when he was alive.


    He was always buying new clothes for her.


    On the other hand, Gail''s paternal grandpa was biased in favor of her male cousins and treated her


    indifferently. Therefore, every time she saw her maternal grandpa spoil Debbie, she felt jealous.

 Chapter 173 Putting Cards On The Table

    Chapter 173 Putting Cards On The Table


    When Debbie was ten, the Nian Group was given to the Lu Group in payment for debts, and then her


    grandpa passed away. Meanwhile, her father suffered from a rare illness, which cost at least ten million


    dors in two years. From then on, Debbie was no longer a princess.


    When the Nian family''s financial woes began, only Lucinda and Sebastian had helped them, and


    Debbie had been invited to the Mu family''s house very often.


    Unable to stand the attention her parents were showering on Debbie, Gail felt her space invaded, and


    soon in retaliation, she started to bully Debbie around.


    Not to trouble her aunt and uncle, Debbie had stoically endured Gail''s bullying.


    But one rainy day, Debbie''s endurance came to an end. That day, Debbie''s dad was in the hospital in a


    coma. The doctors needed an adult rtive''s signature for the operation. Debbie thought of her aunt,


    so she came to her house for help. However, it was Gail who answered the door; and she wouldn''t let


    Debbie in.


    If it had ended like that, Debbie wouldn''t have hated her so much. That rainy night, Gail had pushed


    Debbie into a kennel and kept her there with a dog for an entire night.


    The next morning, a housemaid found Debbie when she went to the kennel to feed the dog. She was


    shocked! Immediately, she woke up Sebastian and Lucinda. When the kennel was opened, in the biting


    cold ofte fall, Debbie was carried out unconscious and freezing. For three days, she remained


    hospitalized, running a fever. Shocked at the heinous act, Lucinda had given Gail a thorough flogging


    and for the next three days forced her to kneel in the ancestral temple, until Debbie was discharged.


    Debbie was surprised that Gail had brought up the things from their childhood. In Debbie''s memory,


    when she was a child, her grandpa loved her the most. The things the other kids had, her grandpa


    would make sure she had them too. She also had some things that no other kid had. Her bedroom was


    packed with the princess dresses her grandpa had bought for her, just because she liked them.


    While Debbie was lost in thoughts, Lucinda stood up, intending to lecture Gail. However, Debbie put


    out an arm to stop her. Then she turned to Gail and said, "Nobody was ignoring you. The other kids


    and I wanted to y with you, but you always acted haughty, as if you were better than the rest of us.


    Whenever we yed in the garden, you always told your mom on us. With time, nobody wanted to y


    with you anymore. You had made your bed, and you had to lie in it. It''s so unfortunate that you haven''t


    outgrown that juvenile stuff yet. Aunt Lucinda and Uncle Sebastian are so worried about you.


    Last time, to humiliate me, you recorded my deration of love to Carlos and yed the video at the


    ZL Group''s new productunch event. It didn''t take rocket science for Carlos to find out that you were


    behind the tasteless clip. As a result, you were expelled, and Uncle Sebastian''spany was affected


    too. Do you know how you were ever allowed toe back to the university again after being


    expelled?"


    Familiar with Gail''s narcissism, before she responded, Debbie assumed that she had to be thinking that


    Carlos liked her.


    Actually, Gail indeed would have said so if she hadn''t known that Carlos and Debbie were married.


    However, right now, she had to keep that thought to herself.


    Debbie looked Gail in the eye and told her word for word, "Well, the university allowed you back only by


    my pleading with Carlos on your behalf. And if it weren''t for the fact that we are cousins, he was


    categorical, you''d have spent the rest of your life in the cold." Reluctant to let Gail know too much about


    her and Carlos, Debbie didn''t tell her the whole story.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    But it was true that Carlos had agreed to allow Gail toe back to school because of Debbie.


    Since they were talking about the past, Debbie decided to discuss the matter on the table in her aunt''s


    presence. "Since I''m older than you, at least you should show some respect. I''ve never wanted to


    compete with you for anything, but you''re always making things difficult for me. During the short time I


    struggled with adolescent problems, you always snitched on me to the teachers and even spread


    unfounded reports about me. I can forget all about that. But right now, I''m married to Carlos. Our


    marriage can be found out by the press anytime. I don''t want Carlos to be embarrassed because of


    some rumor about me, so I hope you can stop starting rumors about me. If you want, we can get along,


    but it all depends on how you''ll treat me. Effectively, the ball is in your court. If you still hate me, then it''s


    fine by me. Let''s just stay out of each other''s business."


    Lucinda was moved by Debbie''s magnanimity and tolerance. She admired the sweet girl and wished


    she could do more to help such an innocent, truthful soul.


    Standing there, motionless, Gail stared at Debbie silently. The red, long cashmere overcoat Debbie


    was wearing set off her fair skin. Her long inky hair was tied up without bangs. In handmade knee high


    leather boots, Debbie stood straight in the middle of the living room.


    This was the Debbie Gail knew, but there was also something different about her. Debbie''s words were


    wholly sincere. Everyone could see how kind and big-hearted she was.


    She was no longer the rough,zy girl. Now she was so confident and refined that


    Gail couldn''t take her eyes off her.


    Suddenly, Sasha chirped, "Gail, let bygones be bygones. Debbie is already married to Carlos Huo. If


    you continue to cross her, you might only invite Mr. Huo''s wrath against our entire family."


    Debbie''s mouth twitched when she heard what Sasha had said. ''That''s exaggerated, '' she thought.


    However, Gail remained silent. She couldn''t ept the fact that Debbie had married Carlos, the most


    distinguished man in Y City.


    Without a word, she ran upstairs into her room.


    Lucinda lowered her head and propped one hand against her forehead in frustration. She had talked to


    Gail a lot of times about working things out with Debbie, but to no avail. Debbie had expressed her


    willingness to forgive and move on, but if Gail still held grudges against her, then she''d be vindictive,


    Lucinda thought.


    When Debbie was about to leave her aunt''s house, Sasha insisted on tagging along, hoping to see


    Carlos'' manor.


    Thinking that it would be a good idea to have someone at her side if she took Sasha with her to the


    investors'' dinner, Debbie texted Carlos, asking, "Sasha wants to visit the manor. Mr. Huo, does she


    have your permission?"


    "In our house, Mrs. Huo is the boss," Carlos replied.


    Debbie was amused by his message. "You''re so sweet. I want you to take the driving seat tonight."


    "Driving seat?" After a pause, Carlos added, "How about I go home and leave you in charge now?"


    Hearing that, Debbie started the car quickly and responded, "Mr. Huo, I''m driving the car. Talk to you


    later."


    Carlos, who was in a meeting with the employees of the nning department, smiled, making him look


    much milder.


    The young are fearless. A recruit of the nning department saw that smile. "Mr. Huo, you look so


    happy. Have you been texting Mrs. Huo?" she asked.


    Few of his employees had been brave enough to ask such questions, so Carlos was surprised to hear


    it, but he nodded.


    The entire nning department got excited. They were dying to know what kind of woman was able to


    win the heart of the cold, powerful Carlos Huo, but none of them dared to ask Carlos to show them his


    wife''s picture.


    "Wow! My goodness! Dear lord! Good heavens! Oh my God!" When Sasha arrived at the manor, she


    couldn''t hold her joy. She ulted and screamed her heart out, feeling grateful at her favorite cousin''s


    windfall.


    From the entrance to her bedroom, Debbie felt she was going deaf from Sasha''s high-pitching, excited


    shrills.


    She had been shocked too when she had firste to the manor, but Sasha was on another level.

 Chapter 174 The Legal Representative Of Orchid Private Club

    Chapter 174 The Legal Representative Of Orchid Private Club


    In deep admiration, Sasha looked at Debbie and praised, "You are the real Cindere! How I wish I


    could marry a man as rich as your husband. But I think that''s overambitious, because in the real sense,


    I''d be contented to find a man with half Carlos'' fortune."


    After all, sessful businessmen were few and far between, not to mention someone as young and


    handsome as Carlos.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Rest assured. You will. You are such an adorable girl. Who knows, you might find someone just as


    good," Debbie assured, gently stroking Sasha''s cheek.


    To which Sasha nodded cheerfully, "You tter me, Debbie. Anyway, let''s hope and pray that your


    wishes for me wille true. Ideally, I''d wish to make it big as a movie star. Then, even without a rich


    suitor like Carlos, I''ll still end up just fine on my own."


    "Yeah, I believe you can hack it as a movie star!" While making small talk, Debbie took Sasha to her


    walk-in closet. "I need a favor from you," she said as she opened the door.


    "Name it," dered Sasha with enthusiasm. But at the sight of Debbie''s clothes and jewelry, the girl''s


    eyes lit up.


    "I need to attend a party this evening. Apparently, Carlos is too busy toe with me. Would you mind


    lending me your lovelypany?" With a thoughtful look in her eyes, Debbie opened the closet full of


    evening dresses, and selected a pink one for Sasha.


    Blown away by the luxurious collection, Sasha picked a sexy party dress. "Trust me, Deb. You''ll rock in


    this one. Why not try it on now?"


    "For another asion, I would have loved this burgundy dress. But since tonight''s party is kind of


    formal, I think I need an appropriate one." Debbie turned Sasha down politely.


    "Okay. Then, try this white one on."


    "This one looks good. Let''s get changed together," Debbie offered.


    "Yeah!"


    The two girls spent a long time selecting dresses and jewelry. When Emmett called, Debbie was tired


    and sleepy, but Sasha was still adorning herself with jewelry excitedly.


    "Hi, Emmett," Debbie greeted. While answering the phone, she took a few steps from Sasha and sat at


    the dressing table, ying with her lipsticks. There were so many shades that she was spoiled for


    choice.


    "Mrs. Huo, I''ll drive you and Miss Mu to the party," said Emmett. ''Every employee in thepany has


    their hands full. Even Mr. Huo himself is too busy to see his wife. So he sent me to drive the queen of


    his heart to the party. She must mean so much to him.


    If he could even squeeze out half an hour, I believe he would be here to drive her to the party himself, ''


    he mused.


    "Okay. Where are you now? We''re almost done," said Debbie. She grabbed a lipstick with a low-key


    shade and walked toward the closet.


    Adorned in excessive brilliant jewels and pearls, Sasha looked like a moving disy shelf.


    Meanwhile, Emmett killed the engine and answered, "I''m waiting for you at the gate. You cane out


    if you''re ready."


    "Okay. We''ll be there soon."


    After hanging up, Debbie put on the lipstick and left the vi with Sasha in a hurry.


    In a five-star hotel, many people paid attention to Debbie and Sasha, especially to the huge differences


    in their outfits. Debbie was wearing a beige dress with little jewelry, while Sasha was wearing a light


    green one with as much jewelry as possible.


    Sasha whispered in Debbie''s ear, "Deb, everyone is looking at you."


    "I don''t think so. . ." An embarrassed smile shed across Debbie''s face.


    But the ecstatic Sasha couldn''t stop talking. "Actually, I put on much jewelry just on purpose. This way,


    people will notice your stand-out sense of fashion and persona, without breaking a sweat."


    "Whatever floats your boat. . ." It was a topic that Debbie didn''t want to dwell on.


    The guests in attendance at this party were all sessful businessmen in Y City. Among the few that


    Debbie could recognize, she saw Sebastian, Griffin, Hayden, and Olga, whose name she had often


    mentioned to Carlos. Whenever he annoyed her, she would mention Olga just to get back at him.


    As they made their way through the auditorium, Sebastian approached them and eyed his younger


    daughter up and down. "Look at you!" he reprimanded with a frown. "Why did you have toe here


    looking like a peacock? Do you think you''e on a blind date? Couldn''t you have borrowed a leaf from


    Debbie?"


    Debbie felt ttered. No wonder Gail always doubted whether Debbie was Lucinda and Sebastian''s


    daughter, because of her parents'' unfair tendency to find fault with her and Sasha over petty issues


    while flowing with praises for Debbie.


    Sasha pouted her lips grumbling, "Dad, stop it! Mying to this party was only to keep Debpany.


    Why would I get dressed as if I was going to give a speech on the podium?"


    Debbie chimed in to reassure Sebastian. "Uncle, it''s my first time ever to give a speech on such an


    asion. And I feel really nervous. With Sasha''spany, I feel much better."


    Sebastian, a hard-nosed man, cast a warning nce at Sasha and turned to Debbie asking in a low


    voice, "Under what name did youe here?"


    "The legal representative of Orchid Private Club," answered Debbie.


    Sebastian thought he heard her wrong. If she was telling the truth, then Carlos was really nice to her. "I


    thought the legal representative of the club was Brooks Huo, Carlos'' cousin. Since when did you take it


    over from him? Who''s thergest shareholder now?"


    With an awkward smile, Debbie stammered, "I don''t know either. . . Carlos just asked me toe here,


    and said nothing more. . ."


    "Okay. The host will invite some entrepreneurs to give us a short speech. I guess you''ll be one of


    them," said Sebastian. As a norm, he knew the host would introduce the most important faces.


    Among the names to be recognized, the host would no doubt have the legal representative of Orchid


    Private Club atop his list.


    After Sebastian left to chat with his friends, Debbie and Sasha joined a smaller group of people nearby.


    The two girls were unknown to anyone, so naturally people had many questionsing their way, such


    as whichpany they were from, and what their positions were.


    Debbie and Sasha had foreseen this before they came here, so they evasively fielded the questions


    with a smile. Where they couldn''tment, they simply said, "The party will start soon, and the host


    will announce it. Please be more patient."


    Now that they were unable to get any information from the two girls, they soon left one after another.


    Then, a man in a white suit approached Debbie with a ss of wine in his hand. He just smiled at her


    without saying a word.


    Sasha whispered in her ear, "Deb, he''s your ex, isn''t he? When did hee back from abroad?"


    Politely, Debbie nodded at Hayden and then looked away.


    In a low vice, she said to Sasha, "It''s been a while."


    Hayden had fixed his gaze on Debbie since he entered the hall. He had seen her chatting with the


    businessmen and joking with Sasha.


    She was absolutely stunning.


    Soon, the party started with the host going through introductions after a short opening speech. "First of


    all, let''s wee Mr. Hayden Gu, an excellent entrepreneur, the CEO of the Gu Group, one of Y City''s


    Ten Outstanding Youths, and the founder of Wayhey Electronics."


    Hayden had made a great achievement in the past few years. People nodded in approval at him when


    his des and titles were mentioned.


    Before taking to the podium, he gave Debbie a smile and went on to deliver his short speech.

 Chapter 175 A Young And Beautiful Businesswoman

    Chapter 175 A Young And Beautiful Businesswoman


    After Hayden, several key guests made their speeches as well, including Olga. It was not until then that


    Debbie knew Olga was the general manager of her family business despite her young age. Besides,


    her short resume as presented read like someone who was already carving out a name for herself in


    business.


    As Debbie followed the proceedings, her heart beat faster, her mind pondering on what she was going


    to say on the podium. Before long, it was her turn. "Thest person I''m going to introduce is Miss


    Debbie Nian, the legal representative andrgest shareholder of Orchid Private Club, legal


    representative of Angel''s Love Foundation, and the CEO of Decar Cosmetics. Let''s wee Miss


    Debbie Nian."


    To calm her nerves down, Debbie took a deep breath and let go of Sasha''s hand, who had been


    encouraging her all this time. With confidence, she then strode on the red carpet, ignoring all the heads


    turning around her and hushed whispers across the auditorium.


    "She looks so young. How old is she? For her tender age, the titles are a little too many. Must be


    through some powerful influence, somewhere."


    "I thought the legal representative and thergest shareholder of Orchid Private Club was Brooks Huo.


    Since when did this little known girl take them over?"


    "I''ve never heard of her before. What''s her real background?"


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "I guess she must be some powerful man''s mistress."


    "Stop your spections! She''s rted to Mr. Huo," said a man in a raspy, deep voice. He had had


    dinner with Carlos and Debbie before, and he knew she was Mrs. Huo. Through it all, Debbie remained


    calm. Although she correctly guessed what people were saying in hushed tones, she reminded herself


    to focus on the task at hand and not be carried away by sideshows.


    Gracefully, she made her way to the podium, keeping as calm as possible. She must pay attention to


    her demeanor; after all, she represented Carlos.


    Once she got the microphone from the host, she took a deep breath and began her speech with a


    deliberately slow, emphatic speed of delivery. The audience fell silent, eager to know what she would


    bring to the table. "Good evening,dies and gentlemen. My name is Debbie Nian. I deem it a great


    honor for me toe here and be part of this auspicious asion. First and foremost, I must


    acknowledge that I''m rtively new in the industry, and as such, I would appreciate your guidance. . ."


    In all, her words were modest and sincere. Most importantly, she was a prettydy with brains. The


    party began to warm up.


    A CEO of somepany joked, "Miss Nian, you are such a young and beautiful businesswoman. In all


    honesty, you''ll have the world at your feet. We are willing to guide you in any aspect in the future. Miss


    Nian, I hope you may give me a VIP card for Orchid Private Club."


    Most people took his words for a light moment. With a sweet smile, Debbie replied yfully, "Everyone


    here is a big shot in Y City. My humble club will be honored by your presence. I promise that you''ll all


    get a VIP card for the club."


    Debbie was nowpletely rxed. The man''s touch of humor had juste at the right time. The


    audience seemed much at home now.


    "Although she''s young, she''s already a CEO. My daughter is several years older, but she still has no


    job.


    When I get home tonight, I''ll sit her down and talk sense into her head. She must go out and find a job


    now!" another man said.


    "Despite her age, Miss Nian''s no doubt on a meteoric rise." People wouldn''t stopplimenting


    Debbie.


    Actually, they all knew that Debbie had to have a strong background. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have


    be thergest shareholder of Orchid Private Club and the CEO of Decar Cosmetics at such a


    young age, even if she was a genius in business. They were all sophisticated businessmen; they


    wouldn''t offend Debbie before they knew who was her backer.


    Debbie nodded at them and then walked off the podium.


    Hayden had been waiting for her all this time. As soon as she got off the podium, he came up to her.


    But before he could say a word, a few people began gathering around them.


    Aware of Debbie''s massive influence, they were eager to rub shoulders with her.


    "Miss Nian, you look so young.


    Have you graduated yet?"


    "Miss Nian. . ."


    Debbie would rather talk with Hayden than mingle with all these people. She felt a little uneasy now.


    After all, the des were all thanks to Carlos, and had very little to do with her own effort. She was


    only lucky to have married a powerful man.


    Politely, she excused, "I''m sorry, but now I have something to talk to Mr. Gu about."


    That caught Hayden off guard. For a long time, Debbie had kept him at arm''s length, and meeting her


    here, he hadn''t expected her to take the initiative to talk to him. But he then realized that she was using


    him as an excuse.


    It was okay by him, anyway. With a smile, he nodded at the people, then held Debbie''s hand and led


    her to a quiet ce.


    When the people were out of sight, Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief. She really hadn''t anticipated so


    much attention on her.


    ''I must warn Carlos against decorating me with faux des that make everyone run to me with


    unrealistic expectations. This is just crazy, '' she mused.


    Lost in thought, she didn''t notice Hayden had ced his right hand tenderly on her waist. Not until he


    lifted off the hand did she realize it. The way he fixed his eyes on her was revealing. Behind his gaze,


    she could see his images of regret at chances lost. Now, she was another man''s wife.


    The thought of Debbie moaning under another man in bed was torture to him.


    He clenched his fists and asked in a cold voice, "Deb, the assistant gave you all this, huh? If you need


    this, I can give you more."


    Hayden had no idea how Emmett managed to make Debbie thergest shareholder of Orchid Private


    Club. All the same, he had to admit that the man was really nice to her.


    Debbie was confused. ''The assistant? Who? Ah, I get it. He must be referring to Emmett.'' "Although I


    major in Economics and Management, I don''t like business," she said. The only reason she ended up


    at the Economics and Management School was that Carlos had arranged for it, through Philip.


    So as not to disappoint Carlos, she had agreed to switch from her preferred course without


    comining. After all, she lived in dependence on him.


    Looking Debbie in the eye, Hayden said in a sad voice, "Deb, what can I do to make youe back to


    me?"


    "Mr. Gu, I cut your sister''s hair, yet you don''t mind and even confess your love to me. Are you not afraid


    that your beloved sister will be mad at you?" Debbie asked as her eyes darted around, looking for


    Sasha.


    Hayden knew the conflict between Portia and Debbie; his mother had snitched on Debbie to him as


    soon as he got back home from a business trip.


    "Portia is a willful girl. And you didn''t hurt her. I don''t think it''s a big deal," said Hayden, making it sound


    easy. But staring at him, Debbie said word for word, "Mr. Gu, I cut your beloved sister''s cherished hair."


    Hayden was amused by her seriousness. "Deb, I''ve known you for many years. I know what kind of girl


    you are. You never stirred up trouble. She must have offended you." When Debbie was still with


    Hayden, she had been really nice to Portia. But neither Hayden nor Portia had treasured Debbie back


    then.


    Debbie cast a meaningful nce at him. ''Since when has he trusted me so much?'' But she had to


    repeat what she had said before. "I''m sorry, but it''s toote."


    Adamantly, he said, "I don''t care. I will wait for you."


    Remembering what nche had told her, Debbie was a little angry at Hayden''s words. "I will never go


    back to you. Your fiancee is a poor girl. Does she know her fiance loves someone else?" she taunted.


    Hayden was excited at her words, thinking she was jealous. "Do you mind that? Deb, trust me. I won''t


    get engaged to her. Really! I only love you."

 Chapter 176 Intimacy In The Car

    Chapter 176 Intimacy In The Car


    Hayden''s intense reaction annoyed Debbie. She tried to pull her hand away, but his grip was too tight.


    "Debbie? Mr. Gu?" a sarcastic voice cut in.


    It sounded familiar. Debbie turned her head to find that Olga was standing behind them, watching with


    a smirk on her face.


    To avoid trouble for both Debbie and himself, Hayden reluctantly released her hand.


    Debbie never liked Olga. And life was too short to spend it around people she didn''t like. She''d long


    ago promised herself that if it didn''t make her happy, make her money, or make her better, she didn''t


    have time for it. So certainly, she didn''t have time for Olga. She turned around and walked away, as if


    the neer were invisible.


    Olga''s cheeks were burning with embarrassment. ''What a snooty bitch! And right in front of Hayden,


    the most eligible bachelor in the city.'' Olga decided that she had to do something to save face.


    "Debbie Nian!" she called out shrilly.


    Debbie turned and looked at her coldly. "What? You want more? Another ss of wine on your dress


    maybe?"


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Olga reyed the events of theirst meeting in her mind. It consumed her, and she was lost in thought


    for a moment. She remembered how Debbie had humiliated her in front of so many people. She


    remembered the crushing embarrassment, the cold, wet feeling of the wine seeping through her gown,


    the looks on the faces of the other guests. The happenings of that night still burned in her mind, fueled


    her rage, and sapped her self-control. She finally gave into her feelings and lost it. Looking at Debbie


    riding on the crest of sess, she sneered, "Shut up, you showoff! Who the hell do you think you are?


    You think because you''re married to Emmett you can do what you want? When I be Mrs. Huo, I''ll


    kick you and Emmett out of ZL Group and out of Y City!"


    Her stupid words sent Debbie into a wild wave ofughter. She couldn''t stop. After a long while, she


    finally calmed herself down and said, "I think Mr. Huo is married. So you''re Mrs. Huo? Or just the other


    woman?"


    Instinctively, Olga thought it was a good idea to make Debbie think she was Mrs. Huo, so she retorted,


    "God, you must really be stupid! As a daughter of the Mi family, I would never be the other woman!"


    Raising her eyebrows, Debbie pretended to be surprised. "So, you mean you''re Mrs. Huo?"


    "And why would I tell you?" Olga snorted.


    Debbie put a hand over her mouth to stifle herughter. It was getting harder by the moment not to


    expose Olga''s lie. Then she remembered that Carlos had said he would take care of things with Olga,


    so she decided to leave it to him.


    However, their bickering confused Hayden. He looked at Debbie and asked, "You''re Emmett''s wife and


    you don''t even know who Carlos'' wife is?"


    Olga''s face turned pale. She had forgotten Debbie''s rtionship with Emmett, Carlos'' personal


    assistant. If anyone knew who the real Mrs. Huo was, it was him. And Debbie probably knew too. ''What


    if Debbie blows my cover?'' Olga was worried.


    Debbie acted as if she didn''t notice the expression on Olga''s face. It was pretty easy to ignore her


    normally, so this came naturally to her. She told Hayden conspiratorially, "Of course I know who Mrs.


    Huo is. That''s why I wasughing. Looks like someone''s pretty on the outside, but ugly and stupid


    inside."


    Debbie let out augh and turned her back to Olga. The other woman''s blood was boiling when she


    heard Debbie''sst sentence. She strode over to grab Debbie, but Hayden stopped her. "Miss Mi,


    we''re in public," he reminded her.


    Thinking of what a grand asion it was, Olga managed to fight down her anger. ''Fine, Debbie Nian,


    I''ll deal with youter!''


    "Mr. Gu, are you trying to steal Debbie from her husband?" Olga said to Hayden in a sarcastic tone


    after she calmed down.


    Watching Debbie, who was walking towards Sebastian, Hayden admitted, "I''ll wait for her. She''lle


    around."


    Envy surged in Olga''s chest like a gushing storm overwhelming and engulfing her. ''Why? Why is


    everyone hot for this woman? She''s rude, unrefined, and has no boobs! I don''t get it. Even Hayden?


    You''d think he''d have better taste. Are they all blind?'' she thought resentfully. "What do you see in her?


    She''s married," Olga couldn''t help asking.


    Hayden drained his ss. "She''s awesome. Much better than you, Miss Mi,"


    he replied coldly before standing up and leaving. She was livid. Her face a mask of fury, Olga stomped


    her feet furiously, cursing the both of them.


    Debbie didn''t like these kinds of parties. She found little to say to those CEOs, so she called Carlos to


    ask him if she could leave early. Carlos told her to wait for him. He woulde pick her up.


    Ten minutester, she got his call. He was waiting for her in the car across the street.


    Debbie took Sasha to Sebastian and left through the back door.


    Hayden''s eyes had been on Debbie all the time. When he noticed her leaving, he followed her outside.


    He got there in time to see Emmett closing the door for her after she got in the car. He didn''t go over to


    her. Instead, he told his assistant to find out what Emmett''s phone number was. He figured he''d get to


    her another way.


    As soon as Debbie got in the Emperor, Carlos enthusiastically took her into his arms and kissed her


    passionately. Debbie could feel that he could hardly control his urges. If she hadn''t been rejecting his


    advances, he would have taken her right inside the car, not long after she got in.


    The intimate moment seemed tost forever. How long it actuallysted, no one could say. "Hi Mr.


    Handsome. I pissed off your dear Miss ''Me'' today," she said, nestling in Carlos'' arms.


    ''Miss Me?'' Carlos was puzzled for a moment. Then he realized she was talking about Olga. "She''s not


    dear to me. Don''t say that again, or I''ll punish you like never before." Anger shed in his eyes.


    Emmett, who was driving the car, was embarrassed by what he had said. ''Mr. Huo, please, even if you


    don''t care, I do. I don''t enjoy watching that kind of scene.'' But Emmett didn''t dare express his thoughts,


    so he silently rolled up the interior screen to spare himself the awkwardness.


    Although the interior screen had been rolled up, Debbie covered Carlos'' mouth tightly in case he said


    something cheekier.


    Carlos smiled and took her hand in his. "Why''re you embarrassed? Emmett doesn''t mind. Look, he


    even put the privacy screen up."


    "Is this why you''re acting like this?" Debbie rolled her eyes.


    Carlos moved closer to her with a mischievous smile. "How would I ever get lucky with my wife if I


    cared what anyone else thought?"


    Debbie cupped his face and said, "Seriously, I made Miss ''Me'' very angry today."


    Carlos took her hands away. "How?"


    "Last time, I poured wine onto her dress. This time I threw shade at her and called her out on her lie."


    "What lie?"


    "She said she was your wife. Is it true?" Debbie looked at him, expressionless.


    "You want to know who my wife is? How about I show you? That would be more convincing." With that,


    he pressed Debbie against the back seat and climbed on top of her.


    Meanwhile, he med Emmett in his heart. ''Next time, I''ll pick up my wife by myself. And once again,


    I''ve missed the chance to have a moment with my wife in the car, thanks to Emmett, the third wheel.''


    "Dammit honey, just wait. I fought with that chick a lot. And today I didn''t reveal we were married. But it


    felt like I was ying her. What will happen when she finds out? "


    Carlos grabbed her hands, trying to stop her from pushing him away. "I don''t think we need to worry


    about Olga. I told her grandfather I''m married. I didn''t stutter. He promised me he wouldn''t try to fix me


    up with her anymore."


    Debbie replied, "There''s another problem. She likes you. Great, you got her grandpa off your back. But


    you need to let Olga know."


    "I''ll tell her you''re my wife next time. I''ll keep my distance." He was d to do that. He had been waiting


    to tell everyone Debbie was his wife.


    "Okay." She didn''t like Olga and couldn''t be happier to keep her away from their lives. The further away


    she was from Olga, the happier she''d be. She and Carlos had enough problems to fill a lifetime, and it


    would be nice to get some peace and quiet every once in awhile.


    After driving Carlos and Debbie back to the manor, Emmett went back to his own house. On the way,


    he got a call from Hayden. So apparently Hayden''s assistant came through and found the number for


    him.


    Emmett answered the call, wondering why he didn''t recognize the number on the caller ID. Hayden


    didn''t mince words. "Emmett, I''ll give you five million. Divorce Debbie Nian."

 Chapter 177 Going To New York

    Chapter 177 Going To New York


    Emmett was always on the ball and a quick thinker, but at this moment, Hayden''s abrupt words


    confused him. "Mr. Gu, what do you mean?"


    "Not enough? How about ten million? I can tell you don''t love Debbie. I want her back. So just give me


    a chance with her."


    ''Of course I don''t love Debbie. How could I?'' Emmett mused. "Mr. Gu, there must be some


    misunderstanding," he said.


    "What is it? More money? Just say the word. If you''re worried that you won''t be able to find someone


    else, I''ll help you out. With 10 million burning a hole in your pocket, you''ll be married in a sh."


    Emmett wanted to cuss this guy out. He was stupid¡ªthis man on the other end of the phone. He


    wouldn''t stop talking, for one, and he wouldn''t let Emmett get a word in edgewise. He kept outbidding


    himself to boot. Even if Emmett were in a position to bargain, the man just kept going. Emmett couldn''t


    even ept his offer. Finally, he interrupted him. "Mr. Gu! I know I''m just a secretary, but I can''t be


    bought. Besides, I don''t care about your money. If I were you, I''d spend more time with Miss Qin. It''s


    late. Good night, Mr. Gu."


    Emmett hung up the call without giving Hayden time to respond.


    Everyone in Y City knew that Hayden was getting engaged to a daughter of the Qin family.


    Hayden was furious and tossed his phone on the desk. He hated being hung up on. He rubbed his


    cheeks in frustration and sighed heavily. ''How do I get Debbie back?''


    The next morning, Carlos and Debbie were going to make the trip to New York. Before leaving for the


    airport, Carlos went to his office to delegate his duties. Other people needed to pick up the ck. He


    wasn''t going to have hispany fall apart simply because he wasn''t there. Debbie slept in. She didn''t


    start packing until she finished herte breakfast.


    Still, when she was done packing, Carlos hadn''t made it home. She waited. And then she even took a


    nap. It was not until nearly noon that she heard the sounds of a car pulling up. Debbie got out of bed


    swiftly and dashed onto the balcony. Carlos was back! She waved at the car happily. Emmett got out


    and opened the back door. Carlos looked at her as he stepped out of the car.


    "Mr. Handsome!" Debbie shouted to him.


    Carlos stretched out his arms. Debbie dashed through their bedroom and across the hallway. From


    there she raced down the stairs into the living room, threw open the main doors to the vi, and ran into


    the arms of the man who strode towards her.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "Wow, you''re sure in a good mood. Is it because we''re going to New York?" asked Carlos.


    Debbie shook her head. "Nope."


    She had time off sses the past couple days, and it was getting boring. She had nothing to do. But


    now that she saw Carlos, she wished she were a cuff link, going with him everywhere.


    Debbie opened her mouth, trying to say something else when a joyful voice came from behind them,


    "Aunt Debbie, are you done packing?"


    Debbie craned her neck to see around Carlos. When she looked at the car, she saw a girl sitting in the


    back seat¡ªMegan.


    ''Oh, right. She''s going with us to New York, '' Debbie remembered.


    She nodded to the girl. Just then, a servant carried Debbie''s luggage out of the house.


    Debbie thought it bad form to whisper in front of someone, but there was something she just had to say


    to Carlos. She needed to get this off her chest, and she didn''t care about what kind of strange looks


    she got from others. This was extremely necessary. She stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "I


    want to sit in another car with you, just the two of us. Want to?"


    Carlos knew exactly what she was up to, but he loved how flirty she was being right now. He started to


    get horny.


    He beckoned Emmett toe closer and said to him, "You and Megan go ahead."


    Emmett was confused, but he was too afraid to ask. He remembered how vengeful Carlos could be, so


    he didn''t question his orders. "Yes, Mr. Huo," he nodded.


    When the car was started, Megan stuck her head out the window and asked, "Uncle Carlos, aren''t you


    getting in the car?"


    "Go on. Your aunt Debbie and I will be along soon."


    The Emperor left. Carlos called his driver, Matan, and soon another posh car was driven out of the


    garage and stopped in front of them. This one had some serious dramatic ir, the Maserati


    Quattroporte. She climbed into the sumptuous, leather-lined cabin. The seats were exquisitely padded,


    covered in brown leather, along with a grey subcushion of memory foam for optimalfort.


    Carlos sat next to Debbie.


    The glossy ck car drove slowly out of the manor. Debbie leaned against his shoulder and started


    asking all kinds of questions. "Is Grandpa awake yet? Will Grandma and Dad like me? Who else is


    living in the house besides Dad and Mom? Where will we live? Will you stay with me every day after we


    get there?"


    Carlos was totally speechless. He swore this wasn''t the flirty moment he was hoping for.


    Although resigned, he didn''t lose his patience. "Grandpa is getting better, but he still hasn''te


    around yet. My family will like you. You and I will live in the manor in New York just like everyone else in


    my family. I''ll work there, but I''ll also make as much time for you as possible."


    Then Carlos gave Debbie a general rundown of his family members. "My dad is a hothead. You''d better


    not talk to him alone. If there is something that requires you to talk to him, tell me first, and I''ll do it for


    you," he added.


    "Got it," Debbie replied. She was curious. ''How short-tempered can my father-inw be? Is his temper


    worse than Carlos''?''


    When they got to the airport, Megan had already checked in. Emmett was waiting for them at the


    luggage consignment area. After checking the luggage, Emmett turned to them and said, "Mr. and Mrs.


    Huo, happy New Year! I look forward to seeing you soon!"


    "Huh? Aren''t you going with us?" Debbie asked. Ever since she met Carlos, Emmett had been around


    him every day. Now that he wouldn''t be around, Debbie found it weird. She had gotten to like the fellow.


    Knowing that Debbie was disappointed, Emmett was moved. "Don''t worry, Tomboy. All of my family


    members are in Y City, so it would be bad form to leave. The secretaries in New York will pick you up


    when you get there. I''ll see you next year. I''ll miss you," he joked, which was rare.


    "Tomboy?" Carlos asked icily. "Since when are you and my wife so close? It''s Mrs. Huo to you."


    Emmett had no words, spending his time in stunned silence. He had gone over all the other forms of


    addresses in his head. "Tomboy" seemed to be the least likely to make his boss jealous. However,


    obviously, he was wrong. Carlos was way too possessive. Emmett looked at Debbie sympathetically


    and said, "I feel for you, Mrs. Huo."


    "What?" Carlos asked immediately before Debbie could say anything.


    Emmett wasn''t stupid enough to share what he really thought. He chuckled nervously. "I feel for Mrs.


    Huo because she has such a wonderful husband. Right, Mrs. Huo? The man of your dreams."


    It didn''t make sense. Carlos knew it. If Emmett really thought he was a good husband, he wouldn''t


    have used the expression "feel for her." "I hear that your family is trying to arrange blind dates for you.


    I''ll call Prof. Dou."


    Hearing this, Emmett became fretful. "Hey, it''s almost New Year. Do you have to be so cruel?"


    Hmm? Debbie looked back and forth between the two. ''Why call Prof. Dou?'' "Which Prof. Dou?"


    Debbie couldn''t help asking.


    Carlos pulled her into his arms and ignored Emmett. "Prof. Marc Dou," he answered while they walked


    towards the VIP passage.

 Chapter 178 Meeting The Huo Family

    Chapter 178 Meeting The Huo Family


    Then Debbie learned that Carlos was Prof. Marc Dou''s student too, which came as a surprise. And


    Emmett turned out to be Prof. Marc Dou''s stepson.


    When Emmett was 13, his mom remarried Marc. And Emmett had lived with his mom in the professor''s


    house afterwards.


    As Emmett''s stepfather, Marc didn''t spoil the boy. On the contrary, being an educator, he was strict with


    him, especially about his education, which turned the rebellious adolescent against him. Emmett vowed


    that he would never call Marc "Father," nor would he ever use Marc''s family name. To this day, Emmett


    kept his family name Zhong. Therefore, despite being father and son, Emmett and Marc had different


    family names. That was why the connection between them had never urred to Debbie.


    But as Emmett grew up, he realized that Marc cared about him a lot. When it came to Emmett''s


    marriage, he was even more concerned than Emmett''s mom.


    He had sent Emmett on more than thirty blind dates within a couple of months. If Emmett hadn''t been


    so busy, Marc would have made it three blind dates a day for him.


    When they walked out of the VIP passage for first-ss passengers, Carlos took out his phone and


    called Marc just as he had said. "Prof. Dou, Emmett has been so idletely he has even started to


    sabotage my rtionship with my wife. If you run out of candidates for his blind dates, I can have


    Tristan send you the name list of all the socialite divas and rich girls in Y City. You''re wee,


    Professor. Yes, my wife is with me right now. We''re flying to New York. We''ll visit you after the New


    Year. Please send my regards for your wife and wish her a ''Happy New Year!'' for me. We''re boarding.


    Bye, Professor."


    When the call ended, Carlos turned his phone off.


    "Mr. Huo, are you sure you haven''t gone too far? Aren''t you worried that Emmett might rise in revolt?"


    "Not far at all." Carlos had kept his cool in Debbie''s presence. If she weren''t around, he would have


    humiliated Emmett with useless errands, just to remind him who was in charge here.


    For getting too close to Debbie, Carlos would use every opportunity to put that man in his right ce.


    Seeing how jealous her husband was, Debbie was lost for words.


    On the ne


    Since Carlos'' private jet was in New York, the mighty CEO had ordered Emmett to charter the entire


    first-ss cabin. Two flight attendants led them through the bar full of refreshments and into the first-


    ss cabin.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Megan had a separate seat with a curtain, while Carlos and Debbie had a private booth with a sliding


    door that could be locked from inside.


    The booth wasrge enough for the two of them. It was a pleasant surprise for Debbie that she could


    have some alone time with Carlos on the ne.


    Before getting on the ne, she had been troubled. She was thinking, ''What if Megan insists on sitting


    next to Carlos? Should I go ballistic or put up with it?'' Thankfully, she didn''t have to worry about it


    anymore.


    Although Megan''s seat was near their booth, the privacy of the booth was priceless.


    It was twelve hourster that the ne touched down. In New York, it was evening already.


    To pick them up from the airport, Carlos had some of his staff from thepany offices in New York on


    standby. After some pleasantries, everyone got in the car.


    They went straight to the Huo family''s offshore manor.


    When they arrived, the gates were wide open, in a traditional Chinese decor, withnterns on either


    side, heralding the arrival of the New Year.


    It was past 7 p.m. Knowing that Carlos wasing with his wife, the whole family was waiting to have


    dinner together.


    As soon as the car stopped in front of the main building, a servant came immediately to open the door


    for them. Debbie gripped Carlos'' hand nervously and followed him into the house.


    Nevertheless...


    Bang! A porcin teacup was smashed into pieces at Debbie''s feet. It would have smashed her if


    Carlos hadn''t pulled her away.


    Everything in the living room turned silent all of a sudden. It was not until then that Debbie noticed that


    more than ten people were sitting in the living room. Even "Mr. Jerk" Lewis, who was always frivolous,


    was now sitting nicely with a serious look on his face. When he saw Debbie, he seemed excited.


    Debbie''s eyes eventually fell on the middle-aged man in front of the table. His face was red with rage.


    When her eyes met the man''s, she could see that his eyes were filled with nothing but disgust.


    ''It was him. It must have been him who smashed the teacup. Who is he? What a head-on blow at our


    first encounter!''


    Carlos'' menacing presence seemed to grow. Unknowingly, he squeezed Debbie''s hand.


    Ignoring the broken teacup, he took Debbie to a distinguished olddy with silver hair. "Grandma, I''m


    back with Megan and Debbie. This is Debbie Nian, my wife," he said to the olddy. Then turning to


    Debbie, he said, "Deb, greet Grandma."


    The grandma wore a long ga cashmere sweater, top-notch pearls around her neck and her wrists.


    She had been gazing at Debbie, stone-faced, since she walked in.


    Just sitting there quietly was enough for her to intimidate everyone. Both her stern face and sharp eyes


    were telling Debbie, "Don''t mess with me!"


    Debbie had to keep herself calm by all means. She took her hand out of Carlos'' hold and smiled at the


    old woman. "Good evening, Grandma. I''m Debbie. Nice to meet you."


    Valerie Cheng only smiled at her perfunctorily and said nothing. But when she saw the two people


    behind Debbie, she blossomed. "My dear grandson and little Megan, let me have a look at you. How


    have you been?"


    She smiled, she cared, she stroked their faces affectionately. It seemed all of a sudden she had turned


    from the icy cold witch into a cordial, loving grandma. It struck Debbie that the Huo family didn''t care for


    her. Neither the dad nor the grandma.


    It sucked.


    The olddy''s smiles lightened the atmosphere in the living room. Megan ran to Valerie Cheng and


    hugged her tightly. "Valerie, I missed you so much! I''ve been thinking abouting to visit you all


    along, but Uncle Carlos had been busy, so we weren''t able toe until today." It was the lunar New


    Year''s Eve in China.


    Gradually, everybody lightened up. Lewis, the chatterbox, began, "Megan, Grandma has missed you


    and Carlos. She just couldn''t stop talking about you. Grandma, now that they are here, can we eat? I''m


    starving."


    Valerie Cheng nodded, holding Megan''s hand. "Carlos, Megan, after a long flight, you must be hungry


    and tired. Let''s go eat," she said.


    Carlos didn''t respond. He pulled Debbie, who had been slighted and embarrassed, close to his side.


    His eyes swept over the others in the room. "Wait!" he said coldly.


    His icy tone brought everyone to a halt. Nobody dared to take one more step.


    Valerie Cheng, who had just gotten up, slumped back into the couch at Carlos''mand. Everyone


    could see that the dad and grandma didn''t like Debbie. Watching Carlos, they all wondered what he


    was going to say.

 Chapter 179 Shes Not Welcome Here

    Chapter 179 She''s Not Wee Here


    It was Carlos who provided everything for the entire Huo family, so whenever he spoke, both his dad


    and his grandmother listened. At least those two, James and Valerie, were less authoritative in front of


    him.


    Sensing Carlos was about to say something, Megan suggested, "Uncle Carlos, Valerie hasn''t eaten


    dinner yet. But she wanted to have dinner with us. Why don''t we eat first? Do it for Valerie?"


    Carlos ignored her. He pulled Debbie into his arms and announced, "I only need three minutes.


    And I''m going to say this only once. If any of you has a problem with Debbie, you have a problem with


    me! She is my wife, and I love her. If you can''t treat her nicely, then we''re not staying."


    There was dead silence in the living room. Valerie sighed. After a while, James roared, "Shut up, you


    ungrateful son of a bitch! Did I say you could marry her? She''s not wee here!"


    Carlos was going to talk back, but Debbie pulled at the corner of his shirt and shook her head when he


    looked back at her.


    He knew she was worried about him. After giving Debbie aforting look, Carlos told James,


    "Grandpa blessed our marriage. Although he''s sick and in hospital, he''s still the head of the family. He


    speaks for all of us. Grandpa''s blessing means that she''s part of this family. Dad, if you think I should


    listen to you, you should listen to your dad too. If you have a problem with his decision, take it up with


    him. Huo men are gentlemen. You should treat women with more respect."


    James pointed at him furiously. His mouth opened and closed, but words failed him.


    They knew Carlos never backed down, so Valeriepromised. "James, calm down. If your dad made


    the match, it isn''t the kids'' fault. Carlos did the right thing, defending his wife. Okay, enough. Time to


    eat."


    Debbie blinked in disbelief. ''Has Carlos'' grandma actually epted me? My husband is awesome!''


    Tabitha, who had been quiet the whole time, echoed, "Mom''s right. It''s New Year''s Eve. James, please


    stop. Let''s have dinner first."


    She barely ever spoke in James'' presence. However, as Debbie''s mother-inw, she thought it wrong


    to remain silent any longer.


    Since Tabitha had spoken up, Wade Huo, James'' elder brother, spoke up too. He looked at his three


    sons and reprimanded, "Are you blind? Escort your uncle James to the dining room!"


    Debbie now started to understand how these people were rted to each other.


    Wade Huo was Lewis'' dad, Carlos'' uncle. He and Lewis'' mom, Miranda Shu, had no daughters, only


    three sons.


    Their first born, Frasier Huo, was kind and honest. Both he and his wife, Gloria Mo, were professors.


    Their second son, Brooks Huo, was awyer. Being a hothead, he tended to go from one extreme to


    the other. But his heart was in the right ce. He was soft-hearted. His wife, Connie Feng, was a


    photographer.


    The youngest son was Lewis, who wasn''t married and had tons of girlfriends. All yboys, yet Lewis


    was different from Damon and Jared. The Han brothers had new girlfriends from time to time, but they


    weren''t lewd. Lewis, however, was disgusting, despicable, lewd, and a total loser. He dated many


    different women at the same time. The other day, he was almost engaged to Portia. But then he split


    that one off. And Portia was better off not being around him.


    Carlos had warned Debbie to stay away from Lewis whenever she saw him.


    Back in the present, Wade Huo''s remark annoyed James. "I''m not crippled. Why do I need anyone to


    take me to the dining room?


    "


    They started to take seats around the table. Debbie sat next to Carlos. Connie Feng came to Debbie


    and wanted to sit next to her, but someone beat her to the punch. It was Lewis. He rushed to the chair


    and elbowed Connie Feng away. "Debbie, I didn''t expect you toe here for New Year''s. It''s been


    only a couple of days, but you''re even more beautiful than thest time I saw you," he said impishly.


    "Ahem!" Someone coughed heavily, interrupting Lewis. Debbie turned to look, only to find that Lewis''


    mom, Miranda Shu, was staring at her youngest son coldly.


    Lewis was afraid of his mom. He grinned and said, "I know, I know. More eating, less talking.


    " Finally, dinner began.


    At the table, Megan busied herself with picking up food anddling soup for Valerie. The olddy just


    couldn''t stopughing. It looked as if they were grandma and granddaughter.


    Then suddenly, Megan looked at Carlos and said, "Uncle Carlos, I would like some of the Dong-jiang


    salt-baked chicken." The bratty charm was obvious in her voice, as if you could see it.


    Debbie looked at the dish Megan mentioned. It was right in front of Carlos. Since she asked, Carlos


    picked up the serving chopsticks and grabbed some chicken for her.


    "Thank you, Uncle Carlos." Megan smiled like a sunflower, at which Carlos simply nodded.


    Debbie puckered her lips. ''Ugh! I can''t believe it! Carlos is my husband. I didn''t even ask him to pick up


    food for me. You did it on purpose! I hope you choke on it!''


    As soon as dinner was over, Valerie and James called Carlos into the study, and a housemaid took


    Debbie into Carlos'' room, at the end of the second floor. Diagonally opposite Carlos'' room was


    Valerie''s.


    Debbie wandered around Carlos'' bedroom, trying to know more about the man she loved. The decor of


    the room was exactly the same as that of their bedroom in the manor in Y City. Many of the items she


    simply left in their ces as she walked around the room, hands behind her back. But soon, the urge to


    be proper was overwhelmed by her curiosity. She started to pick up various items to look at them in


    more detail. On the bookshelf were the trophies Carlos had won when he was a teenager and the


    medals he had been awarded in the army. There were medals for first-ss merit, second-ss merit,


    and third-ss merit. Looking at the medals and trophies, Debbie found her husband was outstanding.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    In the study of the manor in Y City, there were more than one hundred trophies which he had won in


    the past few years. Now in this bedroom, there were dozens of trophies. He even started winning


    trophies in kindergarten. He was a remarkable man, driven from the earliest age to excel in everything


    he put his mind to. A lot of this exined his exceptional nature, and some of his control freak


    tendencies. He had to be in control or dominate every aspect of his life. And sometimes that was a


    charming trait, other times quite frightening. None of this urred to Debbie at the time.


    ''How lucky I am to be married to this exceptional man!'' Debbie thought to herself.


    She took a picture of those trophies and medals and sent it to her friends through the group chat


    function on WeChat. "Carlos is so awesome! I feel inferiorpared to him," she eximed.


    Jared saw the picture andined, "Shit! How could you put me in such an envious mood by


    posting this so early in the morning? Damn! He was even awarded medals for first-ss merit. That''s a


    state-level honor! Is your husband even human? He is under thirty, for God''s sake! How can I ever be


    as aplished as him?"


    Kristina asked, "When did you touch down in New York, Tomboy? It has to be night there, right?"


    Before Debbie could reply Kristina''s question, amotion started in the study. ''Carlos'' dad must have


    exploded with rage again, '' Debbie thought.


    ''Never mind. Since Carlos is there, he should be able to handle it. I''d better stay away, in case his dad


    gets even angrier when he sees me.''

 Chapter 180 Call Me Mom

    Chapter 180 Call Me Mom


    As Debbie thought about it, she added in the group chat, "Guys, Carlos'' family doesn''t like me."


    For a moment, no one said anything. It was Dixon who first chipped in, "It doesn''t matter as long as Mr.


    Huo likes you."


    Later, Kristina cut in, "You never know howplicated life in rich families can be. Before you left, I


    had thought to caution you, but I downyed it. Ignore the others. Just as Doctor said, all that matters


    is that Mr. Huo loves you."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Tomboy, since when do you care about other people''s opinions? This isn''t you," frankly wrote Jared,


    alongside an eye-rolling face emoji.


    Debbie''s eyes turned teary as she read through her friends''forting words. In such trying moments,


    it was enough that her friends were always there for her.


    There was a knock on the door. Debbie calmed herself down and opened the door, only to meet


    Megan, with her usual pesky attitude.


    Without waiting for Debbie''s permission, she walked in uninvited and locked the door from inside.


    ''She acts as if she was the hostess of the Huo family, '' Debbie sneered. "What do you want?" she


    asked indifferently.


    Megan stared at her curtly. "If I were you, I would leave the Huo family this instant."


    The ridiculous way she sounded made Debbie chuckle. "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Since there were only the two of them in the room, Megan took off her masquerade and snorted, "Don''t


    you see? You have turned the family into a war zone. Uncle Carlos'' dad got so angry he almost passed


    out. It''s New Year''s Eve today and everyone is having a crappy mood, just because of you. Don''t you


    feel bad for what you''ve done?"


    "Why should I feel guilty when I did nothing wrong? Carlos'' dad almost passed out because he has a


    bad temper. Do you think I don''t know that?" Debbie retorted. She wondered why James hated her so


    much.


    "Did you just say Uncle Carlos'' dad had a bad temper? I can''t believe you''ve been talking about people


    behind their back, and you don''t think it''s rude? No wonder nobody likes you. I don''t understand why


    Uncle Carlos is defending you all the time."


    Debbie was having a meltdown. "When did I talk about people behind their back? Stop making things


    up! Is this what you''re here about? Are you done? Now get out!"


    "No, I''m not yet done! Debbie Nian, do you know?" That was just the provocation Megan was looking


    for. In an instant, her face flushed red, taking on a threatening aura like a cobra ready to strike.


    Through gritted teeth, she blurted, "If it were not for you, I would definitely marry into the family."


    ''I knew it! I knew she liked Carlos, '' Debbie thought. "Which one exactly do you want to marry among


    them four? Carlos? Mr. Lu? Wesley? Or Damon? Because sometimes it''s really confusing."


    Megan raised her voice. The look in her eyes was weird. "What the hell are you talking about? I''ve


    always only liked Uncle Carlos from the beginning."


    "Only liked Carlos? Don''t think I haven''t seen you hug and kiss Wesley and Curtis! You want them all,


    don''t you? You act like an innocent little girl. But who can imagine that deep down you are such a loose


    little slut?! You have deceived them all, using your pure, sweet facade. What a scary, maniptive


    bitch!" Debbie looked Megan up and down in disbelief.


    Megan''s face twisted with fury and embarrassment. "I''m going to tell Uncle Carlos that you not only


    said his dad was bad-tempered but also defamed my rtionship with him and his friends."


    "So now you are going to tell Carlos on me? Stop fooling yourself! Don''t you know how much your


    uncle Carlos cares about me?"


    "Yes, he cares about you. But he spoils me more. Just because he married you doesn''t mean he loves


    you. Debbie Nian, Uncle Carlos loves me, not you. If you think he loves you, you can stop dreaming."


    Debbie burst into derisiveughter. "You like my husband, don''t you?"


    Megan neither admitted nor denied it.


    "You want my husband to love you, don''t you?"


    "I don''t have to want anything. Your husband loves me from the beginning. If you hadn''t popped into


    the equation out of nowhere, he would have been my husband."


    From the time she arrived to the hostile reception, Debbie had been wondering if she had killed


    someone from the Huo family lineage in her previous life to be hated so much by her hosts in this life.


    Carlos'' dad had smashed a teacup as soon as she entered the house. Now even an 18-year-old was


    trashing her right to her face. Did they see her as a pushover? Debbie sighed. "Calling Carlos ''Uncle''


    isn''t enough to show how important he is to you. Since he''s fostering you, why not call him ''Dad?'' And


    since I''m his wife, you should call me ''Mom.'' I''ll spoil you more than he does."


    "You! You!" Megan''s face turned livid. She stomped her feet and finally managed, "You''re taking


    advantage of me!"


    "I am, so what? Come,e. Call me ''Mommy'' and live with me from now on. Then you can see your


    daddy every day."


    In a fit of rage, Megan stormed out of the room in tears. But before she left, she warned, "Debbie Nian,


    you are dead meat!"


    "We''ll see!" Debbie snorted.


    Then with a bang, Megan closed the door, leaving Debbie with so many questions. ''Gail, Portia, Olga,


    and now Megan, why do they all hate me so much? Is it something to do with my personality?'' Then


    she thought of Carlos'' family. ''Oh heck, what have I done to deserve this?''


    As soon as Megan left the room, she ran into Tabitha, who was lingering outside the study. "Megan,


    what''s wrong? Why are you crying?" Tabitha asked.


    But Tabitha''s questions only made things worse. Intent on creating drama, Megan wailed even louder.


    "Hey! Stop crying and tell me what''s wrong, Megan," Tabitha demanded, genuinely concerned. "Who


    upset you?"


    Since she realized how furious James was, Connie had been hiding in her room to stay out of trouble.


    But Megan''s wailing made her curious. "Why is Megan crying?" she asked Tabitha, who unfortunately


    had no idea either.


    "For the life of me, I can''t tell. She has been crying from the time she walked out of Carlos'' room. But


    when I tried to find out from her what the matter was, she wouldn''t say a thing."


    When the little brat finally stopped weeping, she said to Tabitha, between sobs, "I saw that James


    seemed angry to see Aunt Debbie, so I went there tofort her. But Aunt Debbie didn''t appreciate it


    at all. And she even called me names. Boo...hoo..."


    "Debbie called you names?" Incredulous, Tabitha looked at the door to Carlos'' room and asked,


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe she was in a bad mood. But how could she take it out on me? It wasn''t my fault.


    To make it worse, she even had the nerve to tell me that James was cranky and I shouldn''t be here,


    because I am nobody to the family; I''m just a freeloader. Can you imagine? She boasts that she''ll only


    be nice to me if I call Uncle Carlos ''Dad'' and call her ''Mom.'' Boo...hoo..." Tears welled in her eyes once


    again.


    Just to create a scene, she started panting for breath; her face so downcast, you''d think she was going


    to pass out any minute. Even Tabitha who had been skeptical at first was moved. ''Could she be telling


    the truth?'' But then it didn''t seem possible that Debbie would stoop so low.


    Just then, the door to another room opened and Miranda walked out.


    Casting a cold nce at Megan, she demanded, "What are you doing here? Don''t you need sleep?"


    Tabitha smiled, "Miranda, Megan and Debbie had a squabble. We''re trying to sort the issue out, before


    she goes to bed."

 Chapter 181 Youre Not Part Of The Family

    Chapter 181 You''re Not Part Of The Family


    Miranda furrowed her eyebrows, annoyed by Megan''s crying. "Stop crying for heaven''s sake! It''s New


    Year¡ªa day of celebration. Crying is bad luck. Besides, are you a snowke or something? I hate


    people bawling all the time. You should learn something from Debbie. Now, get back to your room and


    get some shut-eye."


    Instantly, Megan stopped crying. With a pitiful expression, she apologized to Miranda. "I''m sorry,


    Miranda. I''m leaving now. Have a good night."


    Connie helped Megan walk to her room. When they walked past Miranda, Connie said softly, "Mom,


    have a good rest."


    Miranda nodded at Connie and then went back to her room. Despite Connie''s humble family


    background, Miranda was pretty happy with her¡ªConnie was kindhearted and was never a


    troublemaker. No drama was Miranda''s rule, and Connie adhered to that.


    When Tabitha and Connie left Megan''s room and walked past the study, they could still hear James


    roaring.


    Tabitha shook her head with profound resignation.


    Debbie was unpacking when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it and saw her mother-inw.


    "Mom, why aren''t you in bed? It''ste," she said with a smile.


    Tabitha looked at her, not as close to Debbie as before. Hearing Megan trash-talking Debbie definitely


    changed the way she saw the woman. "What are you doing?" she asked.


    Pointing to the luggage on the floor, Debbie replied, "Unpacking."


    "Don''t mind James. He''s short-tempered. Don''t take his words to heart," said Tabitha.


    Debbie was stunned for a while. Then she nodded, "Mom, I can understand...Dad. Maybe to him, I''m


    just some rando off the streets. Maybe he just can''t ept it."


    Back on the ne to New York, Debbie had secretly practiced addressing Valerie and James as


    "Grandma" and "Dad" hundreds of times. Unfortunately, she didn''t have the chance to call them that to


    their faces.


    "Yeah, I think you''re right," Tabitha smiled. Then she pretended to mention Megan casually. "By the


    way, how well do you know Megan? Her parents saved Carlos and Wesley. Did you know that?"


    Debbie didn''t know why Tabitha suddenly talked about Megan''s parents. After short consideration, she


    realized that Megan must have snitched on her to Tabitha. She nodded honestly, "Carlos told me about


    that. Mom, don''t worry. I''ll be nice to her and treat her like my own niece."


    Tabitha was at a loss for words; she didn''t know whom she should trust¡ªMegan or Debbie. "Megan is


    an adorable girl. We all like her, especially Carlos'' grandma. She''s like family. You''ll like her when you


    get to know her."


    ''I''ll like her? A girl who said she could have been married to my husband? Not a chance!'' Debbie


    thought. If they weren''t in the Huo family''s manor, she would have already taught Megan a lesson. But


    she decided to be obedient to Tabitha. "I''m three years older than her. I will humor her as much as


    possible. Don''t worry, Mom."


    Debbie''s conciliatory attitude reassured Tabitha, who nodded in satisfaction. There wasn''t much more


    she could ask for, and Debbie seemed sincere. At least there''d be less drama this way, she hoped.


    Tabitha didn''t like family fights much.


    After a long pause, Tabitha stammered, "D-Debbie, why don''t you go to the study and get Carlos out of


    there? You know James'' temper... If I go there, I don''t think...he''ll listen to me."


    Debbie''s heart sank when she heard James'' roaringing from within the study. ''If James wouldn''t


    listen to Tabitha, then why does she think he''d listen to me?'' Debbie thought.


    But now that Tabitha had asked, Debbie decided to do as she was bidden. She didn''t want the Huo


    family members to argue with each other over her.


    Perplexed, she knocked on the door to the study. "Come in," came Wade''s voice.


    Debbie pushed the door open and saw Carlos leaning against a couch, smoking. Valerie and Wade


    were sitting opposite Carlos, and James stood before a desk. The floor was a mess¡ªpapers, pens,


    pen holders, knick-knacks, paperweights, paperclips, and staples. There was barely any ce to step


    on that wasn''t covered with debris.


    "Grandma, Uncle, Dad, sorry to interrupt you," said Debbie.


    James got even angrier at the sight of the girl. "What are you still doing here? Get the hell out of our


    house. Go back to Y City!" he thundered.


    "James Huo!" Carlos called out his father''s name as he stood up from the couch and put an arm


    around Debbie. He had kept silent all this time in the study, not giving a damn about what James said.


    In fact, he had even dozed off during James'' tirade. He had heard it all before, and it bored him silly.


    But he couldn''t bear to see James belittling Debbie.


    James didn''t expect his son to argue with him over a woman. He pointed at Carlos with a shaking hand


    and said through gritted teeth, "Ungrateful cur!" Hardly had his voice faded away when he threw a thick


    book at Carlos.


    "Watch out!" Debbie shouted, and held Carlos to protect him. The book hit her arm and then fell to the


    floor.


    She gave a choked cry; that really stung. Luckily, it was winter, and she was wearing thick clothes.


    Otherwise, she might have gotten hurt.


    "Debbie!" Carlos grabbed her arm and rolled up her sleeve to check if she was okay.


    Debbie heaved a sigh of relief and gave Carlos a wide grin. "I''m okay. Don''t worry. It doesn''t hurt


    much."


    "Why did you do that?" he asked through gritted teeth. ''Why did you try and protect me? Why didn''t you


    move out of the way? You know kung fu. Silly woman!'' he cursed inwardly.


    With an embarrassed smile, Debbie replied in a low voice, "I was too nervous to remember you know


    kung fu as well." Carlos was better at kung fu than Debbie. He had had several years of formal


    instruction, and was a 2nd dan ck belt. It was a piece of cake for him to dodge the book.


    He was tense and worried until he saw that Debbie''s arm was okay.


    It only made James feel worse when he saw the couple care for each other so much. "Stop showing


    off! Debbie Nian, I''ll be frank. You''re not part of the family. If you promise you''ll divorce him when you''re


    back in Y City, you can stay here for a couple of days."


    Carlos was about to say something when Debbie grabbed his hand. She knew it was time for her to


    make a stand.


    She stood straight with her head held high. "Grandma, Uncle, Dad, sorry I make you unhappy," she


    began, looking at them with no fear. "I don''t know why you don''t like me, but I''m Carlos'' wife. We''ve


    been married for more than three years, and we love each other. We''ll go through thick and thin


    together. Whether you ept me or not, I won''t give up on him as long as he doesn''t ask for a


    divorce."


    Carlos held her hand in his, and this bolstered her courage. She went on, "No one gets a say in our


    marriage, except me and Carlos. And my temper''s short. Dad, if you keep on treating us like this, I


    won''t put up with it just because you''re his father."


    James was stunned, while Valerie stared at her like a poisonous snake. Debbie, however, didn''t flinch.


    "Sorry, I guess I said too much. In short, no one is gonna split us up. And I''lle at anyone who tries


    to harm Carlos. Family members should care for each other. You should be happy to see Carlos have a


    happy married life. But on the contrary, you''re all mad at him. You just want him to marry a woman that


    you like, even if he doesn''t want to. Are you really Carlos'' family?" Confusion could be seen in Debbie''s


    eyes.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "How dare you!" Valerie bellowed and banged on the desk.

 Chapter 182 Poor Mrs. Huo

    Chapter 182 Poor Mrs. Huo


    Debbie shut her mouth immediately. As the saying goes, "He who talks much errs much." She


    wondered whether she had said something wrong that caused Valerie''s fury. But she didn''t say


    anything wrong.


    "Debbie Nian! You are so rude! Didn''t your parents teach you about self-esteem and self-respect?"


    Valerie''s words cut Debbie''s pride like a sharp knife.


    Her face was hot as she felt both sad and humiliated.


    "Grandma, Deb¡ª"


    Before Carlos could finish, Debbie interrupted him. ''Carlos has been yelled at by his family this whole


    time because of me. I should do something, '' she thought. Looking Valerie in the eye, she shed a


    smile and said, "Grandma, I don''t think it''s a big deal to leave self-esteem and self-respect behind to be


    happy."


    Carlos had done a lot for her, and she should repay him. And this was the best way she knew how. By


    carefully choosing words that they couldn''t argue over, maybe she could stop them from fighting.


    Maybe she''d even win one for Carlos. Who knew? But it was important that she stood up for herself


    and for Carlos, not to mention for their marriage.


    Carlos'' eyes lit up when he heard this. Meanwhile, his heart ached as Debbie had to fight against three


    elders.


    James knew he was in the wrong, so he had to find another excuse to yell at her. "Debbie Nian! Who


    do you think you are? We''re older than you. Show some respect!"


    Debbie blinked and sighed with resignation. "I wanted to respect you, but respect is a two-way street.


    You haven''t shown me any respect at all."


    No one had ever dared to talk to James like that before. His face twitched as he said through gritted


    teeth, "Fine! You have guts! Aren''t you afraid that I''ll drive you out of the Huo family''s house?"


    Upon hearing that, Debbie held Carlos'' arm and said yfully, "Honey, your father wants to throw me


    out of the house. Protect me?"


    "Hahaha..." Wade burst intoughter at Debbie''s reaction.


    The tension in the study was eased a little by Wade''sughter. However, Valerie and James still wore


    long faces. It would take more than just that to change their minds.


    Carlos pulled Debbie into his arms and said to his family, "I hope you''ll be nice to my wife from now on.


    If someone dares hurt her while I''m away, Grandma, Dad, Uncle..." He left it there, an unspoken threat.


    More menacing than anything he could have said.


    After that, he took Debbie''s hand and left the study.


    "Ungrateful retard!" James roared behind Carlos'' back, but Carlos paid no attention to him.


    When Carlos and Debbie went back to their room, she shut the door behind them and rested her head


    against his chest. "Honey, I just pissed off your whole family," she grumbled pouting her lips.


    Carlos kissed her forehead and said, "That was awesome. You should get a medal."


    "Will you be serious? This isn''t funny. When you were in the study, I made Megan cry. Mom looked


    unhappy too. And I even talked to your grandma, dad, and uncle like that. Did I go too far?" For some


    reason, she regretted what she had said in the study. After all, they were Carlos'' family.


    "I know you were trying to protect our marriage. You didn''t say anything wrong. Deb, you did a great


    job." When James lost his temper, Carlos wanted to leave the study. But Tabitha had urged him not to


    argue with James, for he had been taking blood pressure medicine these days.


    ''What?! Is this really happening? He just praised me for fighting against his family!'' Debbie thought to


    herself. "If Dad heard this, he would throw another book at you," she remarked.


    Carlos took her to the bedside and took off her down jacket. "Why are you wearing this? Aren''t you


    hot?" he asked in confusion. The central heating in the vi worked very well. Debbie wiped her


    forehead, which had grown damp.


    "Of course I''m hot. But I was trying to be respectful by dressing decently," said Debbie. She was


    wearing a short knit T-shirt and jeans inside the down jacket.


    Carlos'' heart broke. His dad wanted to drive Debbie out of the Huo family''s house, while she wanted to


    show respect to his family. Stroking her smooth face, he said softly, "I know it''s a holiday, but I still have


    to go to the branch office here for work. Are you going to be okay here? Don''t hesitate to call me if


    anyone tries something. No one''s going to harass you if I have anything to say about it."


    "Sure. Don''t worry. I don''t think they''ll harass me. They didn''t call me into the study, did they? You''re


    overreacting."


    Carlos shook his head, smiling. ''Deb is so simple-minded.'' He changed the topic. "So what happened


    between you and Megan?"


    "She came to my room and tried to piss me off. Then she left, crying. I don''t know why she cried."


    Debbie looked at Carlos carefully, wondering whose side he would take.


    Carlos stroked her hair and asked casually, "What did she say?"


    "I don''t want to talk about it. Can we go for a walk now? I''m not tired yet." Although it was already


    midnight, it was still daytime in Y City. She was still suffering from jetg.


    "Me neither." Carlos shed a grin.


    Debbie thought he agreed to go for a walk; she was thrilled and cradled his neck asking, "Where are


    we going? To the beach?"


    "Beach? No problem. We''ll go there tomorrow," said Carlos with a dirty smile. His thoughts were not


    about going anywhere, though he could take her to the privately-owned beach and have wild sex with


    her there. His family owned that beach and didn''t let just anyone go out there. But it was winter now.


    He didn''t want her to catch a cold.


    "Tomorrow? Then where are we going now?"


    "Now... we''re going to...bed."


    Hardly had his words faded when he pressed her against the bed and kissed her lips.


    Meanwhile, a picture posted on Weibo had caused a flurry of rumors in Y City.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    A paparazzo had taken a picture of Carlos and his wife waiting for their flight in a VIP lounge. Megan


    was there as well.


    Debbie''s face was blurred and indistinct. No one liked that, least of all theizens.


    ording to the news, Carlos had taken his wife to New York to meet his family and celebrate the New


    Year. He had also taken Megan with them. People believed that Megan was the apple of Carlos'' eye.


    By the time Kasie saw the post, there were already hundreds of thousands ofments. She couldn''t


    help but feel sorry for Debbie, so she left ament. "Poor Mrs. Huo. There''s always a third wheel


    between her and Mr. Huo. Miss Lan, why were you looking at your uncle like that? Like you have a


    thing for him. I heard Miss Lan always pestered her uncle even if Mrs. Huo was there. Miss Lan, you


    are not a little girl anymore. And the winter vacation started a long time ago. Can you please fly to New


    York alone next time? Mr. Huo is busy, and I''m sure he wants some alone time with his wife."


    Debbie hadined to Kasie before that she felt there was something wrong with Megan''s feelings


    towards Carlos.


    Kasie had also warned Debbie not to let Carlos and Megan stay with each other alone. After all, Carlos


    and Megan weren''t rted by blood¡ªit was perfectly normal if she had a thing for him.

 Chapter 183 Shes So Delicate

    Chapter 183 She''s So Delicate


    Actually, Debbie was never a troublemaker. If Megan hadn''t gone too far, Debbie wouldn''t have cussed


    her out. No woman was willing to give up her husband without a fight, and Debbie was no exception.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Any news rted to Carlos was a hot topic. Before long, Kasie''sment on Weibo was in the top 3,


    with a ton of likes.


    Many people agreed with Kasie. When Carlos hade out of the hotel with Debbie in his arms back


    then, paparazzi had asked him whether the girl was Megan. But Carlos, the man of few words, had


    simply said, "Megan is my niece."


    Megan''s name had always been linked with Carlos, and many people actually thought she would be


    Mrs. Huo¡ªor worse, already was Mrs. Huo. As the saying goes, "There''s no smoke without fire." If


    Megan really treated Carlos like her uncle, things would never have developed like this. The truth was,


    they had spent too much time together, and the press was on that. And tabloids love to spread


    scious rumors.


    Kasie''sment had been shared a countless number of times. Weibo users leftments under


    Carlos'' and Megan''s Weibo posts asking about their rtionship.


    When Kasie opened her Weibo again, she was startled by the number of likes andments. She was


    thinking of deleting thement, as she didn''t want to offend Carlos. But it was already toote. She


    herself became a hot topic, as herment was shared via screenshot to all the online gossip rags.


    Some staff at these websites even sent her private messages about her rtionship with Mrs. Huo.


    What was more, her post had caught the attention of the ZL Group''s PR department.


    It was Emmett who was responsible for dealing with news rted to his boss. After all, he was Carlos''


    right-hand man. When Emmett saw thement, he thought something wasn''t right and asked the


    technology department to find the poster''s profile. That was when he found himself staring at Kasie''s


    information.


    Many Weibo users leftments under Megan''s posts and asked her, "Why are you bugging Carlos


    Huo? Are you trying to seduce him?"


    The next morning, Carlos got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast. Debbie had just fallen


    asleep. The Huo family was having breakfast in the dining room¡ªeveryone was there except Lewis


    and Debbie.


    Valerie cast a nce at Carlos and then at the stairs. "Where''s your wife?" she asked in a cold voice.


    Carlos sat at the table and answered casually, "Sleeping off the jetg."


    James banged his chopsticks on the table and shouted, "Then why didn''t Megan have to sleep off the


    jetg? I swear that woman is so delicate!"


    Megan was sitting opposite Carlos. Her face went pale. At the mention of her name, she began, "I... I


    didn''t... get any sleepst night."


    "What happened? I thought you had gotten used to New York time," said Valerie, concern in her voice.


    Megan looked at Carlos, who was cing a table mat in front of himself. He raised his eyes and saw


    her reddened orbs. "Why are you crying?" he asked indifferently.


    His words caught everyone''s attention. Tabitha''s heart broke when she saw how sad Megan was. She


    handed Megan a tissue and asked, "Sweetheart, what happened? Are you okay? Just tell us if


    anything is wrong."


    Megan was always a cheerful girl, and the Huo family seldom saw her cry. They all looked at her,


    wanting to know who had bullied their beloved girl. Miranda, however, was an exception. She always


    thought Megan was a troublemaker and disliked her. She thought this woman was two-faced and


    cozied up to Carlos too much. As if she heard nothing, she continued eating her breakfast.


    "I... I got cyber-bulliedst night..." Tears streamed down Megan''s cheeks. She dropped her chopsticks,


    her voice choked with tears.


    Valerie was anxious. "Tell us what happened."


    Megan wiped her tears with the tissue and said with a sad smile, "I''m sorry, Valerie, James, Tabitha. I''m


    okay now. Please¡ªjust keep eating."


    Carlos furrowed his eyebrows, but he said nothing. He just ate his breakfast silently.


    After the breakfast, Tabitha dragged Carlos to a corner out of earshot and told him, "Megan criedst


    night. And now she''s crying again. Put your people on this. Find out who this cyber-bully is and deal


    with it."


    Tabitha treated Megan like her own daughter and couldn''t bear her beloved girl suffering from any kind


    of bullying.


    The moment Megan said she suffered from cyber-bullying, Carlos knew why she was crying. He had


    already knew that the media had talked about him flying back to New York with his wife.


    Emmett kept him informed as well, and let him know that Kasie was the one who had caused this stir.


    "You got it," answered Carlos. He then cast a nce at his family; they were busy consoling Megan.


    Then he walked up the stairs.


    "Uncle Carlos!" Megan called out in a choked voice.


    Carlos stopped and turned to look at her.


    Megan stood up from the couch, her eyes and nose red. "Uncle Carlos, I know she''s Aunt Debbie''s


    friend. Just pretend that you don''t know anything, okay? I don''t want you and Aunt Debbie to end up in


    a fight."


    "Keep Grandmapany," Carlos nodded.


    Then he turned around and left, saying nothing more.


    When she heard this had something to do with Debbie, Valerie kept on prodding Megan, "Tell me what


    happened."


    "Grandma, it was all my fault. I should''ve flown here alone. Some paparazzo took pictures of Uncle


    Carlos, Aunt Debbie and me waiting for the flight. Aunt Debbie''s friend was so mean. She said I... I


    wanted to seduce Uncle Carlos... But I never thought anything like that..." Megan started crying again.


    Valerie''s heart broke at the sight of her tears. "It''s okay. Don''t cry. I trust you. Before that Debbie Nian


    popped up out of nowhere, you flew here with Carlos every time. Don''t worry, Megan. I won''t let that


    woman off the hook so easily."


    James snorted, "I knew it. Debbie Nian is just a drama queen. Birds of a feather flock together. She


    and her friend are both troublemakers."


    It was the first day of the Lunar New Year. No one in the Huo family had to work today. They were all


    gathered in the living room, listening to the conversation. Most of them chose to remain quiet until they


    could find out more.


    Megan pretended to be anxious and began to defend Debbie. "James, you don''t get Aunt Debbie.


    She''s nice. Can she control what her friend did? I don''t think so."


    James shook his hand. "You don''t need to put in a good word for her. She''s rude and doesn''t respect


    her elders at all. She certainly wasn''t raised right. She''s not my daughter-inw!"


    Miranda had changed her clothes and walked down the stairs. When she heard James, she taunted,


    "It''s toote for you to disagree. They''re already married."


    James was shocked speechless. His sister-inw always had a way to shut him up.


    Miranda put on her sunsses and left the house with her head held high.


    Meanwhile, Carlos pushed open the door to his bedroom, and Debbie was still sound asleep inside. He


    kissed her softly on the forehead and entered the adjacent study.


    He closed the door behind him and called Emmett. "Delete everything that says something negative


    about Megan¡ªall the news posts, and all thements."


    Emmett opened hisptop and beganining to his boss. "Do you know where I am right now?"

 Chapter 184 You Like My Wife

    Chapter 184 You Like My Wife


    "I don''t care where you are," Carlos answered nonchntly.


    Emmett''s heart broke. "You should care. I''m your assistant, and I''ve worked for you for so many years,"


    he retorted.


    Carlos lit a cigarette, took a drag on it and blew it out. "I heard you''ve been at the cafe near the office


    thest couple days."


    Covering his chest, Emmett said excitedly, "Boss, it''s the first day of the Lunar New Year, yet you


    expect me to work. There''s a reason I''m at this cafe. This is my 36th blind date, and she''ll be here in


    ten minutes."


    It was alreadyte at night, but he couldn''t even go back home.


    "That can mean only one thing," Carlos said.


    "What?" Emmett asked while working on hisptop.


    "Your taste in women has improved after you started working for me."


    "Isn''t that a good thing I have better taste? As for my future wife, I hope she''s at least half as pretty as


    Mrs. Huo, and at least half as cheerful. She doesn''t need to know anything about martial arts. I hope


    she can learn yoga and dance...like Mrs. Huo..."


    Carlos knitted his brows as he felt like Emmett had some special feelings towards his wife. "You like my


    wife, huh?" he pried.


    Emmett was too focused on deleting negativements under Megan''s posts on Weibo to figure out


    what his boss was getting at. "Of course. She''s a ssydy. She''s so special, the one and only. You


    are so lucky, dude," he said casually.


    "Emmett Zhong." Carlos'' voice was as cold as ice.


    A shiver ran down Emmett''s spine. He raised his head to look at the central heating, which was still


    working. "Boss, I''m deleting thements on Miss Lan''s Weibo. These kids are so mean..."


    ''Why am I cold? That''s weird, '' he thought.


    "After the Lantern Festival, I''m reassigning you to L City''s branch in D Country. Gay marriage is legal in


    D Country, and you can find a husband there. I''ll ask the manager there to introduce you to some


    excellent men. I remember you seem to like... muscr men like Dwayne ''The Rock'' Johnson. Don''t


    worry. You''ll find the perfect husband there," said Carlos.


    Emmett was stunned into silence. He couldn''t believe his ears. "What? Mr. Huo, why would you do


    that? Did I say anything wrong? I''m really sorry if I¡ª Wait, wait! Don''t hang up!"


    Staring at the phone, Emmett was desperate. Carlos had already hung up.


    Then he dialed Debbie''s number. She must know how to cool Carlos down.


    However... she had turned off her phone. It went straight to voicemail.


    Emmett pped himself across the face. ''I was such a fool. Why did I say anything like that?


    He''s super possessive when ites to his wife.''


    At the same time, Kasie arrived at the cafe. When she found the table, she saw Emmett pping


    himself.


    "Mr. Zhong? Why are you doing that?" she asked.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    ''Is this Taylor''s date? Emmett Zhong?'' Kasie was shocked.


    Emmett cast a nce at the girl before him and asked casually, "Why are you here?"


    Kasie looked around the cafe, then back at him. "Are you Taylor Mo''s date?"


    Emmett took his phone out and checked the name¡ªit was Taylor Mo. "You''re her friend, huh? Where is


    she?"


    "She asked me to tell you she couldn''t make it," Kasie answered. Then a thought urred to her. "Wait


    a minute! You''re Mr. Huo''s assistant! Why do you need a blind date? Didn''t Mr. Huo arrange someone


    for you?"


    Emmett shivered at the thought of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and changed the topic. "None of your


    business. But I have something to ask you. You know you''re in big trouble?"


    Of course she knew. Herment regarding Megan had caused a stir. She was scared to death¡ªwhat


    if Carlos asked his men to kill her, just to please Megan? All she could do now was call Debbie and ask


    for her help. But she couldn''t get through to Debbie on the phone. Kasie stroked her hair to conceal her


    nervousness. She gulped and replied, "Big trouble? What are you talking about?"


    She didn''t think Emmett had any proof against her.


    Emmett was amused by her reaction. On the one hand, he knew she was the one on the Weibo


    ount. On the other hand, her reaction had already sold her out. He turned hisptop and pointed at


    the screen. "See? You posted ament, and I''ve been busy solving the problem for thest two days


    because of you. I had to do damage control on Mr. Huo''s public image yesterday, and I''ve been hard at


    work deleting thements and news posts rted to Megan Lan today."


    "You''re Mr. Huo''s assistant. Isn''t this IT''s job?" Kasie asked in confusion.


    "Come on! It''s the Spring Festival. No one is still working but me! What''s more, Mr. Huo only trusts


    yours truly." Emmett had a perfect reason to neglect his dates¡ªhe had to work for Carlos and had no


    time to chat. It made it hard to have a social life when he was on call 24/7.


    Looking at Emmett, Kasie pried, "Can you please not delete myment?"


    "Why not?"


    Now that Emmett already knew she had posted thement, she decided to admit it. "I said nothing


    wrong. Megan Lan is the third wheel."


    "Well, true or not, it has nothing to do with me. I have my orders."


    Kasie rolled her eyes. ''He has his orders? He thinks he''s a soldier, huh? The struggle is real¡ªnot.''


    She stood up from her seat and said, "I only came here to pass on Taylor''s message. I''ll leave you be.


    Bye."


    "Wait!" Emmett stopped her.


    "What?"


    "Just stay. Maybe have a cup of coffee?" Emmett suddenly had an idea.


    Kasie rolled her eyes at him. "Do you think I need you to buy me a cup of coffee?"


    "Just do me a favor. Please?"


    "Huh?" In Kasie''s mind, Emmett was a sly fox. She needed to be more careful.


    After a moment''s consideration, Emmett said, "Let me take a picture. Then I''ll put in a good word for


    you to Mr. Huo. That way you''re in the clear, and he won''t pursue charges of nder. Deal?"


    Kasie was enraged. "I didn''t nder her! Yes, I posted thement. But what I said is the truth. Watch


    your tongue."


    "Okay, okay. My fault. Miss Zheng, the problem is not whether you ndered her. The problem is


    cyber-bullying. Megan is distraught, and Mr. Huo is very angry. He might have mee after you. You


    get it?" If Kasie weren''t Debbie''s friend, Carlos would have already asked Emmett to get rid of her.


    But the problem was that Kasie was one of Debbie''s best friends, and Carlos did what his wife wanted.


    Emmett had no idea whether his boss would punish Kasie or not.


    He just wanted to frighten Kasie using Carlos.


    After some hesitation, Kasie argued, "I don''t care. Debbie will help me."


    "Mrs. Huo? She''s sleeping off jetg. When she wakes up, you could be dead."


    His words did make sense. Kasie had called Debbie countless times, but her phone had been switched


    off.


    She pried, "Will you put in a good word for me?" Little did she know that Emmett was unable even to


    fend for himself.


    "Of course!" Emmett promised without hesitation.


    "Great. Okay. You can take a picture of me. By the way, why do you want my pic?" she asked in


    confusion.

 Chapter 185 Id Rather Find A Boyfriend

    Chapter 185 I''d Rather Find A Boyfriend


    Emmett told Kasie honestly, "I''m really fed up with blind dates. I can''t stand them anymore. I''ll send my


    father your pic and tell him we''re dating. Then at some time in the future, I''ll tell him we''ve broken up.


    Sounds good?"


    "Get bent! You think I''m that desperate?"


    Emmett stared at her, eyes wide. He really knew next to nothing about women. "But I''m not asking you


    to be my girlfriend. It''s just... Ah screw it! Name your price," he offered, resignedly.


    "Well, you buy me a bunch of roses, a handbag and some clothes. Do that, and you won''t just get my


    pic, but we can take selfies together. Way more convincing. Okay?"


    ''What?! That''s some serious time and money! This woman''s gone too far! I''d rather find a boyfriend


    who can support me, '' Emmett cursed inwardly. But the more he thought about it, the better it sounded


    ¡ªKasie''s demands, not the boyfriend part. Maybe then his dad would get off his case. Despite his


    thoughts, he said through gritted teeth, "Deal! You''re Mrs. Huo''s friend, after all. I just need to make


    some arrangements and pay the bill here. Then we''ll go to the mall."


    He called the IT manager and assigned some tasks to him before leaving the cafe with Kasie.


    After they arrived at Shining International za, Kasie led Emmett to a store, picked up a handbag


    which she''d had her eye on for a long time, and put it in Emmett''s hands. "Just buy this. I don''t need


    roses or clothes."


    The handbag stood out because of its strange shape. Emmett was a little shocked by Kasie''s taste, but


    said nothing. He needed this, so he just went along with whatever she wanted. He took it to the


    cashier''s desk, and much to his surprise, it only cost him around $200, 000. He had thought it would


    cost more than 1 million dors.


    Then he went back to Kasie and handed the well-packed handbag to her. She kissed the package


    cheerfully. ''He''s not a bad guy at all. Even more generous than my dad, '' she thought. "Hey, Mr. Zhong.


    If you buy me a handbag every month, I''ll be your girlfriend," she offered.


    "Really? A handbag a month is enough to buy you?" Emmett retorted, rolling his eyes. "I thought you


    loved Mr. Lewis Huo. What would he think? Do I look like a fool to you?"


    With a serious look, Kasie exined, "Lewis? I broke up with him a long time ago. Besides, you do look


    like a fool to me..." If he wasn''t a fool, then why would he buy such an expensive handbag for a woman


    he''d only met a handful of times?


    It was the first time that Emmett had been called a fool, and he was hot with rage. He reached out his


    arm and put it around her neck as if he were going to strangle her. "Let''s get a selfie together. My dad''s


    already called a couple of times. I better send a pic to him."


    Kasie struggled trying to loosen his grip. "You want to kill me, don''t you?"


    Emmett didn''t let go of her, but took out his phone and started taking pictures of them.


    Kasie put on a fake smile and leaned in close to Emmett. After taking some pictures, he was about to


    let her go when a familiar voice came from behind them. "Mr. Zhong? Kasie?"


    Kasie and Emmett turned around in confusion, only to see Hayden, followed by his secretary.


    Emmett released Kasie, straightened his clothes and greeted him. "Mr. Gu, what a coincidence!"


    Hayden looked back and forth between Emmett and Kasie, his nce settling on each. With a sneer,


    he said, "I wonder whether Deb knows her husband is tight with her bestie."


    Kasie couldn''t figure out what he meant. ''What is he talking about? Since when was I close with Mr.


    Huo?''


    With a tiny smile, Emmett responded, "Mr. Gu, this is a private affair. Kindly butt out."


    Hayden snorted, and cast a scornful nce at Kasie. "You''ve always been Deb''s best friend. And now


    you try to seduce her husband?"


    "Hayden Gu! Watch your tongue. When did you see me seduce Mr. Huo? You... Mmmph..." Emmett


    quickly covered Kasie''s mouth, but it was already toote.


    Hayden heard Kasie mention Carlos, and was confused. "Carlos Huo?"


    Unable to speak, Kasie stared at Hayden with burning eyes. She thought Hayden knew Debbie was


    Carlos'' wife. But apparently, she was wrong.


    "Okay, Mr. Gu, we''re leaving now. Buh-bye!" said Emmett.


    He dragged Kasie away, leaving Hayden behind.


    Staring at their retreating figures, Hayden was lost in thought. As a man who was able to develop the


    Gu Group to such an extent in only a few years, he was never a fool. He was renowned for his


    business acumen, and his sharp mind. He began to recall all the asions he had seen Debbie, and


    tried to link them with Carlos.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    ''Debbie is celebrating the Spring Festival in New York now. And ording to the news, Carlos took his


    wife to New York to celebrate the Spring Festival with his family...''


    Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. Debbie wasn''t married to Emmett! Instead, her husband was


    actually Carlos Huo!


    ''If she''s married to Carlos Huo, that would exin why she wore a priceless diamond ring, and why


    Curtis Lu and Damon Han protected her at that party. Not to mention why she''s thergest shareholder


    of Orchid Private Club, '' Hayden mused.


    Only Carlos was able to spark a change in Debbie in such a short time¡ªshe was much more graceful


    and elegant than in the past, and one of the most prominent figures in Y City.


    No wonder Hayden had never seen any kind of affection between Debbie and Emmett.


    ''I was such a fool!'' he thought.


    His face paled at the thought.


    In the past, he was sure that Debbie woulde back to him, despite the fact that she had already


    married. After all, he was practically a princepared with Emmett.


    He really thought her husband was Emmett, who couldn''t hold a candle to him. But now he knew


    Debbie''s husband was Carlos Huo¡ªthe richest and most powerful man in Y City.


    Hayden clenched his fists tightly; he didn''t think Carlos would actually fall in love with Debbie.


    It was not that Hayden looked down on Debbie; he just thought that no matter what she did, she didn''t


    deserve Carlos.


    ''There must be a reason behind this. Maybe Carlos is hiding something? Like sexual dysfunction?


    I guess so. No wonder he won''t tell the public who his wife is, '' Hayden thought to himself.


    He took out his phone and dialed Debbie''s number to ask her something. But to his disappointment,


    her phone was off, and the call went straight to voice mail.


    As soon as they left Shining International za, Kasie asked Emmett, "Hey, why the hand over my


    mouth?"


    Emmett turned to look whether Hayden was behind them. Then he looked Kasie in the eye and


    exined with resignation, "Mrs. Huo doesn''t want everyone to know she''s married to Mr. Huo."


    "I know. Tomboy is my best friend, and we have no secrets between us."


    "Then do you know Tomboy turned Hayden Gu down? Told him she was a married woman?"


    Kasie nodded, "Yeah. So? Get to the point."


    "Mr. Huo loves his wife, and he wants the whole world to know Tomboy is his one and only. But she


    doesn''t like the limelight. So Hayden thought I was her hubby. I let him think that, because I want


    Tomboy to be happy. And if she''s happy, so is Mr. Huo."


    Kasie was totally confused. "Okay, so why did you shush me?"

 Chapter 186 I Always Stand By Your Side

    Chapter 186 I Always Stand By Your Side


    "Remember, mum''s the word. It all rests on Tomboy''s decision. Anyway, I''m just helping them to cover


    their marriage. And I can''t do anything until I get the green light to let everyone know. So I have to


    pretend that she''s my wife, until she says otherwise," exined Emmett.


    Kasie finally made a sense of the situation. "So, you mean that everyone thinks you''re Tomboy''s


    husband, even though you never said anything. You just let people think what they want, right?"


    "Exactly." Emmett sighed helplessly. His boss''s wife wanted to keep a low profile.


    "But still...Why keep it a secret from Hayden Gu? Isn''t it better to let him know? If he knew Mr. Huo was


    Tomboy''s husband, he might stop pestering her." Emmett and Kasie continued to walk along the road,


    engrossed in a talk centered around Carlos and Debbie. She asked, and he felt it was only fair to let


    her know what was going on. That way, she might not let anything slip either. Carlos wasn''t happy with


    her at the moment, and maybe if she understood more about the situation, then she might even be able


    to help.


    After pondering Kasie''s question for a short while, Emmett said, "Maybe Tomboy just didn''t bother


    exining anything to Mr. Gu."


    Emmett had always been impressed by Debbie''s unique personality. There were many reasons why.


    But what impressed him most was her attitude toward the title of "Mrs. Huo." If any other woman were


    in Debbie''s position, they probably would let the whole world know that Carlos was their husband.


    But Debbie was different. She had silently kept it a secret for three years, and more surprisingly, she


    had even wanted to divorce Carlos.


    She was actually trill, not a faker, not just trying to attract Carlos'' attention. Luckily, Carlos had figured


    out who she really was and had done everything to win her over. Or else, they probably would have


    already divorced.


    Emmett and Kasie kept carrying on like this until they reached the gate of Kasie''s apartment building.


    Before they bade each other farewell, Emmett tried to call Debbie onest time. To his surprise, the call


    went through.


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Kasie''s jaw dropped when she saw how Emmett''s face changed all of a sudden. With a pathetic


    expression on his face, he begged in a feigned sobbing voice, "Mrs. Huo, you have to help me!"


    "Emmett?" Debbie stifled a yawn, trying to wake up. "What''s wrong?" she asked in confusion while


    rubbing her sleepy eyes. She had just woken up and powered her phone on when Emmett called.


    Hearing the noise from the bedroom, Carlos guessed that Debbie was finally awake. He put aside his


    work and walked out of the study, only to find that she was on the phone. Then, he called a housemaid


    downstairs and asked her to prepare food for Debbie.


    "I was onlyplimenting you, but Mr. Huo got angry with me and intended to send me to D Country.


    You know there are too many strong men there. What if I get hurt? Mrs. Huo, you know I always give


    you my full support. I''ve hidden your marriage from others like you asked. I''ve even tantly gone


    against my boss for your sake. You have to save me!" Emmett eximed.


    Kasie shook her head when she realized Emmett was also in trouble. ''Didn''t he say he''d help me out?


    Looks like he stepped on Mr. Huo''s toes too!''


    Debbie caught a glimpse of the man approaching her. "Uh-huh," she said to Emmett while staring at


    Carlos curiously. She was trying to hide the fact that it was Emmett on the other end.


    Carlos was confused by her curious gaze. He shifted his gaze to her phone screen and saw the caller


    ID. It was Emmett.


    In an instant, he understood what was going on. ''Emmett, you idiot...''


    He leaned toward Debbie, trying to grab her phone away, but she dodged him, rolling her eyes at him.


    Surprised and amused, Carlos couldn''t help but burst intoughter.


    "And then maybe you can make Mr. Huo happy in the bedroom, and put in a good word for me..."


    Before Emmett could finish his sentence, Kasie suddenly kicked him in his shins, reminding him of


    what he had promised to do. "Oh! Wait, wait! And Kasie... I think you need to help her out of hot water


    too."


    A torrent of doubts flooded Debbie''s mind. "What''s going on with Kasie?" She could hardly process his


    words. It seemed that a lot of things had happened while she was asleep.


    "Long story. I''ll exin it to you when you get back. Anyway, Mrs. Huo, do you think you can do us this


    favor?"


    Debbie stole a nce at the man who was lying next to her and running his fingers over her body. She


    was pretty sure she could convince Carlos to let them off, but she didn''t want to do it by having sex with


    him. This man had tortured her for a few nights, and she could hardly keep pace with him.


    Hearing no response from the other end, Emmett became more anxious. Regardless of Kasie''s


    presence, he suddenly cried out, "Mrs. Huo! Please! You have to help me this time. You know I always


    stand by your side like family!" Again, Kasie was stunned, her mouth agape, and her eyes popped out.


    This Emmett waspletely different from the usual stern assistant when he was with Carlos. She


    didn''t expect to see his childish side.


    He looked even funnier than Jared now.


    "Ah... Is there a reason you''re calling my wife on her cell? Huh?" a cold voice chipped in all of a


    sudden.


    ''Oh, crap! I''m dead meat!'' Emmett panicked.


    Debbie pushed Carlos aside and asked, "Emmett, is Carlos really sending you to D Country over


    nothing?"


    "Yes!" Emmett nodded.


    "Wow! What a shit boss!" Debbiemented.


    ''That''s right! Exactly!'' Emmett wanted to speak out loud, but knowing that his boss was listening in next


    to Debbie, he had to keep these words to himself. He nodded his head vigorously to echo her words.


    "Okay, I see. I''ll give it a try. But if I fail, maybe you can go find Miss Mi, or Miss Me..."


    Debbie said,ughing. She knew this would work, and she was right. Next second, Carlos'' cold voice


    came into Emmett''s ear again. "You''re such a pest. I trust my orders are being carried out! And you


    need to be in the office after the Spring Festival!"


    Carlos gave an unhappy nce at Debbie as he said it. Nothing had ever happened between him and


    Olga, but every time Debbie deliberately mentioned her, it sounded like he was in the wrong and he


    had to surrender to her, no matter what.


    Realizing that Carlos meant to let him off, Emmett gave Kasie the thumbs up. He cleared his throat,


    pretending to be serious, and answered formally, "Yes, Mr. Huo. I''ll be sure to clock in on time after the


    holiday!"


    A relieved sigh escaped Emmett''s chest after he hung up. He turned to Kasie and said excitedly,


    "Tomboy has helped us out! We''re saved!"


    Kasie rolled her eyes at him. It didn''t surprise her at all. She had seen it many times before. Carlos was


    head over heels in love with Debbie. Of course he would do everything she asked.


    Emmett admired Debbie even more. "You know? Debbie is even better than I thought. She has turned


    a cold and scheming CEO to a docile husband! Can you believe that?"


    Kasie nodded in agreement. Then she thought of how Debbie behaved in front of Carlosst time, and


    said, "But I think Mr. Huo is really great too. Debbie used to be a strong tomboy with no filter, but he


    has turned her into a sweet girl now."


    After a moment of silence, Emmett looked up at the sky, sighing with sentiment. "As long as Mrs. Huo


    is willing to undress herself in front of Mr. Huo, I bet he wouldn''t mind giving her his life!" He had


    witnessed their love story from the start to this moment. He had seen clearly how Carlos had changed


    from a cruel and imperious CEO to a loving husband who spoiled his wife to the hilt.


    Kasie wasn''t convinced though. "Aren''t you exaggerating?"


    Emmett squinted at her. "No, I''m not. I''m telling the truth. You''re too young to understand these kinds of


    things." He still remembered how passionately Carlos stared at Debbie on their way back from Southon


    Vige. ''Mr. Huo was like a beast stalking its prey the whole way. If I hadn''t been there driving the car


    and Debbie hadn''t been too shy, he probably would''ve had sex with her straightaway in the car. I think


    he must have had a hard time controlling himself back then, '' Emmett thought.


    Kasie let out a cold hum. "What did you say? I''m too young? Huh! I''ll be an undergraduate very soon.


    Don''t take me for a kid, okay?"


    "Yes, yes. You''re not a kid, but I''m a few years older than you. In my eyes, you''re just a kid. By the way,


    could you please dye your hair ck again? You don''t look good with the yellow hair."


    ''Yellow hair? But this is brown!'' Kasie sulked. "I think we have nothing inmon. Goodbye!" she said


    and turned around to leave. In fact, she had intended to dye her hair ck before the new semester,


    because students were not allowed to dye their hair.


    Right then, a middle-aged woman in pajamas came downstairs. Seeing Kasie, she asked curiously,


    "Kasie, who''s this guy?"


    Emmett assumed that this woman might be one of Kasie''s neighbors. In a good mood, he decided to


    make fun of Kasie. "Hi! Nice to meet you," he said yfully. "I''m Kasie''s boyfriend."

 Chapter 187 Missed Out On Her

    Chapter 187 Missed Out On Her


    Kasie was taken aback by Emmett''s mischievous joke. She hastily exined to the middle-aged


    woman, "He''s just kidding. He''s only a friend."


    Emmett smiled and waved at her. "I should get going. Bye Kasie."


    "Hey, wait! Young man, don''t leave!" the woman suddenly called out to stop Emmett.


    Confused, Emmett turned around. The woman stepped forward, observing him from head to toe, and


    asked, "So how long have you two been dating? How old are you? Come inside, please. Have a drink.


    You can meet her father too."


    ''What? Meet her father? So this woman is Kasie''s mother? Oh, Jesus!'' Regret filled Emmett''s heart. He


    shouldn''t have made a joke like that! He had told this woman he was Kasie''s boyfriend. ''Well, that''s


    another fine mess you''ve gotten yourself into, Emmett.''


    He straightened up, returning to his usual calm and serious self, just like at work. He said to the woman


    politely, "Oh, so you''re Kasie''s mother. Nice to meet you. I''m sorry for my joke. I''m actually one of her


    friends, but not a boyfriend. Sorry for the misunderstanding."


    Despite his denial, Kasie''s mother didn''t mind it at all. Instead, a happy smile crept across her face as


    she studied his own. She was satisfied with the way he behaved and talked. He seemed quite


    respectful, and maybe her daughter might take up with him. He seemed to be a working man as well,


    and she could do much, much worse. "Never mind. Even if you''re just her friend, you''re wee to


    come to our house and have a cup of tea too!" As she finished her words, she grabbed hold of his arm


    and led him into the elevator of the building. She didn''t give him any chance to refuse.


    Shocked, Kasie raised her hand but put it down immediately when she realized it was toote to stop


    them.


    Watching the elevator door close, Emmett began to wonder how big a fool he really was. ''Now I''m


    really in it. All because I can''t keep my big mouth shut. How could a fool like me be Carlos''


    personal assistant? I may have to thank Mr. Huo for not firing me all these years.''


    But in fact, Emmett was pretty straightforward and effective in the office. He never made these sorts of


    stupid mistakes at work.


    He would only y the bad boy in private, but unfortunately for him, each time he made fun of


    someone else, it backfired on him.


    On the other hand, in New York, Debbie was leaning back, held in Carlos'' arms. "What on earth


    happened? And how was Kasie involved?" she asked.


    Carlos gently kissed her cheeks and said in a muffled voice, "Nothing happened."


    ''Nothing? Don''t bet on it, '' she thought.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Fine. Anyway, I should get up now. I may sleep until dark if I don''t get up now." She had already


    missed out on breakfast. If she skipped lunch again, the elders of the Huo family would hate her more.


    Not like they hated her for any rational reason anyway, but there was no need to add fuel to the fires of


    their rage. She was already on thin ice as it was.


    Thinking of it, she threw an angry nce at the man. ''Huh! It''s all your fault, you bad boy. You tortured


    me until the wee hours and even turned off the rm clock, '' she thought, pursing her lips.


    Unaware of theining look on her face, Carlos whispered, "It''s fine if you want to sleep till


    tomorrow." He didn''t mind it at all.


    "Till tomorrow? Are you kidding? I''d be thrown out of the house along with my luggage, and your father


    and grandmother would be waiting there to m the door."


    Debbie pushed him away and got out of the bed to dress herself. Leaning against the headboard,


    Carlos watched her put on her clothes and said, "They wouldn''t!"


    Unconvinced, Debbie answered perfunctorily, "Yes, dear."


    Carlos smiled, "Freshen up and get something to eat. I''ll take you out after that."


    "Great!" On hearing that she could hang out with Carlos, Debbie got excited.


    Momentster, at the dinner table downstairs, Carlos sat next to Debbie and they had lunch together.


    All the other family members ate their food silently. No one dared to speak a word against Debbie at


    Carlos'' presence. It has been said that if you can''t say anything nice, don''t say anything at all. They


    chose thetter option.


    When the couple left the house, Valerie finally broke the silence and told James, "Just live with it. Don''t


    start a fight with Carlos. He''s going back to work tomorrow. We can deal with her then."


    James let out a cold hum. "But that means I go back to work, too! I''m not that free."


    Holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, Valerie murmured an "Amitabha".


    The living room was quiet with only the sounding from the TV. Valerie cursed Carlos'' grandfather


    in her mind, ''Dous, why do you make me hate you so much even when you''re ill and in the hospital?


    You''ve kept Debbie''s grandmother in your heart for your whole life. You''ve missed out on her but you


    still tried to make her granddaughter marry into the Huo family.


    When you wake up, you''ll realize what a big mistake you''ve made...''


    It wasn''t too long before Debbie began to feel exhausted and sleepy. She hadn''t fully gotten over the jet


    lag yet. It was about two o''clock in the morning in Y City. Her body wanted sleep ording to her


    biological clock.


    On returning to her bedroom, Debbie dove onto the bed and hit the hay immediately.


    Shaking his head helplessly, Carlos had no choice but to head to the study and catch up on his work.


    The next day, Carlos went to work in his branchpany. Since he wasn''t at home, Debbie thought


    she''d better stay in the bedroom and avoid the other family members.


    So shey in the bed, and yed on her phone inside the bedroom. After looking through the news on


    Weibo, she finally figured out what happened. In no time, she dialed Kasie''s number and so she could


    talk to her by phone. "I haven''t gotten over the jetg yet. Is it bedtime there yet?" Debbie asked.


    "No, it''s still early. I''m having fun outside," Kasie said. Hearing the loud music and cheering on the


    other end, Debbie guessed that Kasie might be having fun in a bar. But soon enough, the noise


    subsided¡ªprobably because Kasie had walked to a quieter corner to talk on the phone.


    "I saw yourment. I''m touched, really. Thanks, Kasie. You always got my back!" Debbie expressed


    her gratitude sincerely.


    "Of course! We''re best friends. Though Emmett deleted myment and handled everything, watch


    out for Megan. That girl is bad news."


    Debbie had been aware of it. But to reassure her friend, she said, "Oh, I know. Carlos is always busy,


    too busy to take care of stuff like this. He doesn''t care that much as long as I''m not hurt." To stop


    Megan''s flood of tears, Carlos had asked Emmett to do damage control and delete all thosements


    against her. But that was all he did. He even told her that Kasie was Debbie''s good friend and that


    Debbie would handle it herself.


    ''Kasie''s my best friend. She pissed off Megan because of me. Of course I''ll defend my friend. Yeah, I''ll


    deal with her, alright¡ªI''ll buy her a drink, '' Debbie thought happily.


    Kasie entered a quiet and empty room, turned on the lights and closed the door while protesting,


    "So...are you calling me from thousands of miles away just to brag about how well your husband treats


    you? We''ve suffered enough, Tomboy. Cut it out. Have mercy on a single woman!"


    Debbie chuckled. "Just deal with it. When you score a sweet boyfriend one day, I won''t mind listening


    to all your stories."


    "Sounds good. I should go out and find a boyfriend, then."


    "I''m looking forward to hearing the good news!"


    Kasie paused and then begged, "Okay, okay. You win! Don''t make fun of me anymore. How are you


    doing in New York? Everything okay?"


    "Not too bad. I''m not wee here. Most of the Huo family members don''t like me, especially Carlos''


    grandmother and father. I don''t get why. This is my first visit, and I''m not sure how I offended them,"


    Debbie said gloomily as she rolled to and fro in the bed.


    "Eh? Really? Doesn''t Carlos'' mother like you?" Kasie asked, confusion in her voice.


    "Yeah, but it doesn''t help. She just keeps quiet. And she seems to be scared of her husband. It''s too


    complicated for me to understand."


    "Is it? I''m sorry, dear. Oh, let me tell you one thing¡ªEmmett bought me a handbag yesterday..."


    Debbie wasn''t sure she heard her right. Confused, she asked, "Emmett bought you a handbag? Why?"


    She couldn''t understand how all these things came together. ''Jeez! I go nap for a bit, and the world


    turns upside down.''


    Then, Kasie told her everything that happened yesterday. She summed it all up by saying, "you weren''t


    there to see this. My parents treated Emmett like their son-inw. They''re really happy with him. I was


    close to fainting from embarrassment!"


    ''Emmett and Kasie? Is there anything romantic going between them?'' Excited, Debbie sat up and


    suggested, "I think Emmett is way better than Lewis Huo. Carlos said that he had an annual ie of


    at least a million dors. And he just can''t seem to find a girlfriend. How about you give it a try and date


    him?"

 Chapter 188 Its Not Like Were An Item

    Chapter 188 It''s Not Like We''re An Item


    "No way. We''re not a good match. Emmett is a weird guy when he''s not working. What''s more, I enjoy


    being single. I don''t need a man. It''s my parents. They want me to find a nice guy," Kasie said on the


    other end.


    Debbie pursed her lips and defended Emmett, "So why did you ept the expensive handbag he


    bought?"


    "For the selfies. Those are worth more than the price of a handbag. We took some cute pics to


    convince his parents we''re dating."


    Debbie sighed helplessly. "Fine, as long as you guys are okay with it."


    "Yeah. Oh! Can you guess who we bumped into at Shining International za?"


    "Who?"


    "Hayden. By the way, why haven''t you told him who your real husband is? He thought you were


    married to Emmett."


    Debbie knew Hayden had mistaken Emmett for her husband. Yet she wasn''t interested in exining


    anything to him, and he likely wouldn''t even believe it. "I don''t need to exin anything to him. Anyway,


    it''s not like we''re an item," Debbie replied firmly.


    "Sounds about right. I''m looking forward to the day Portia finds out you''re Mrs. Huo. I can see the look


    on her face. Aha...ha..." Kasie leaned against the sofa, bursting into wildughter.


    Right then, the door of the empty VIP room was pushed open. A group of businessmen walked in as a


    man said politely, "Emmett, this is the room we reserved..."


    The group of neatly dressed businessmen were shocked to see a woman lying casually on the sofa.


    When she spotted them, Kasie hastily stood up from the sofa and tidied her clothes.


    Emmett asked curiously, "Kasie? Why are you here?"


    Kasie swung her phone in front of him. "Too noisy out there, so I wanted a quiet spot to talk on the


    phone. I''m leaving now," she exined briefly.


    Emmett nodded and moved aside to let her out. But the next second, he remembered something and


    stopped in her tracks. After pulling her out of the room, he said, "Hey, my dad invited you to have a


    meal at my house."


    Kasie widened her eyes in shock. "What did you say? A meal with your parents?"


    He nodded casually, confirming her words. "Yeah. I have no choice. Rx, this is a paid gig. When you


    have some free time, I can buy you a handbag, cosmetics, whatever you want."


    ''What?'' Kasie felt weird. All sorts of thoughts were going through her head right now, none of them


    good. He was paying her to go out with him? Wouldn''t that be like a prostitute? If theparison was


    valid, then did that make her a whore? And what did that do to her image? What if someone found out?


    And was that all she was to him? A paid escort? He seemed friendly enough, but his offer of "a paid


    gig" just set her on edge.


    As Debbie was still on the phone, she could hear Emmett''s voiceing from the other end, so she


    spoke loudly to get Kasie''s attention. "Hello, Kasie? Kasie? Put Emmett on the phone. I need to talk to


    him."


    When Emmett took the phone from Kasie''s hand, he noticed that the caller ID was "Tomboy" and that


    they had already been on the phone for 18 minutes. Realizing this, he grinned broadly and said


    yfully, "Hi, Mrs. Huo. Emmett here. Miss me yet?"


    Kasie rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please. What would Mr. Huo think if he heard you?"


    Debbie had wanted to get on his case too. Now, hearing Kasie''s remark, she couldn''t help but burst


    intoughter. She fought the urge and stoppedughing. She needed to know. "So, what do you think


    of her?"


    He thought carefully. This was her best friend Kasie, after all. "My parents are happy with her after


    seeing the photo," he answered in an official tone.


    Debbie chuckled. "Very polite. But what about turning this lie into reality?"


    Emmett paused, shifting his gaze to the girl casually leaning against the wall. "I''d like to give it a shot.


    But she loves Mr. Lewis Huo..."


    His sentence was interrupted abruptly by Kasie''s angry shout. "Hey, who loves Lewis Huo? You mean


    me? Bullshit! I was done with him a long time ago. Cut it out!"


    Emmett thrust his arms forward, palms out. "Okay, okay. Mea culpa." Getting back on the phone, he


    said, "Mrs. Huo, I have a meeting. I''ll call Kasieter to talk about her visit to my house, okay?"


    "Wow! So soon?" Debbie eximed. She was taken aback. ''Seeing parents? Are they talking


    marriage?''


    After returning the phone to Kasie, Emmett drew close to her and whispered in a mysterious voice,


    "The contract tonight is important to thepany. If I can''t seal the deal, half of my bonus goes bye-


    bye. I''ll call you when I''m done."


    His closeness made Kasie nervous. With a stiff smile on her face, she stuttered, "I-It''s... none of my


    business."


    He tried to get her on board by saying, "There will be a lot of new and fashionable products at the za


    after the Spring Festival. I''ll buy you two things and youe to my house to have a meal, okay? Just


    one meal. That''s it!"


    ''I get two things and I get fed...'' Kasie hesitated. This was tempting because her mother had tightened


    her purse strings recently. ''Fine, just one meal. I''m not marrying him. There''s nothing to worry about.''


    With that thought in mind, she nodded, "Deal!"


    Emmett smiled happily, showing his white teeth. Before entering the room, he patted her on her


    shoulder and promised, "If I get this contract, I''ll buy you dinner."


    Kasie wondered, ''Buy me dinner? Since when did we get so close? Why would he buy me things, invite


    me to his home and treat me to a meal?''


    Lost in deep thought for a moment, she finally came back to her senses, realizing that the call was still


    connected. "Tomboy, hear me?"


    "Yeah. I heard everything. Look, Emmett''s a nice guy. Think about it, okay?" Debbie persuaded.


    Kasie paused. After a while, she said, "I... Let me think about it."


    As Debbie was chatting fervently with Kasie over the phone, a knock at the door interrupted her. It was


    a housemaid, informing her that Carlos'' grandmother wanted to see her. The olddy was waiting for


    her downstairs. It seemed that Debbie had been too naive. She thought that as long as she stayed in


    her room, nobody would mess with her.


    ''What does she want?'' she thought. Ending the call quickly, she asked the housemaid curiously, "Did


    she say why she wanted to see me?"


    "Sorry Mrs. Huo. But Mrs. Valerie Huo didn''t tell me," the housemaid replied.


    Despite her reluctance, she had no choice but to follow the housemaid downstairs. It would be impolite


    for her to keep an elder waiting.


    In the living room, Valerie and Megan sat on the sofa while a few housemaids were busy with


    housework.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Valerie was sulking silently. Seeing Debbiee downstairs, Megan asked, "Aunt Debbie, have you


    seen a string of Buddhist prayer beads made of lobr red sandalwood?" The main feature of lobr


    red sandalwood was the wood grain which looked like stars on each bead.


    ''A string of Buddhist prayer beads?'' Debbie frowned. "No, I haven''t seen it. I''ve been in my room the


    whole time. Why do you ask?"


    Megan gave Debbie a meaningful nce before answering in a regretful voice, "Grandma''s string of


    Buddhist prayer beads is gone. It was here yesterday, but we can''t find it now. We''ve been looking for it


    for a while."


    Debbie nodded andforted Valerie, "Grandma, please take it easy. In my experience, the more you


    try to look for something, the less likely it is you''ll find it. But if you stop worrying about it, it will show up


    one day, out of the blue!"


    Valerie sneered and gave her a cold nce. "Did you mean to say I shouldn''t look for it?"


    Under Valerie''s cold re, Debbie felt utterly speechless. ''Fine! Everything I say is wrong. Better zip


    my mouth.''


    A loud yawn broke the awkward silence in the living room. Debbie turned around and saw Lewis


    coming downstairs.


    Lewis'' eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of Debbie. He picked up his pace and ran up to her.


    "Debbie, you''re home today?"


    "Yeah." The contempt was obvious in her voice.


    But Lewis didn''t care a bit even if he had sensed it. Instead, he tried to butter her up. "I can show you


    the hottest spots in town. How about I take you out for a drive? Or do you want to go shopping? I can


    buy you anything you want."


    ''Doesn''t he know I''m his cousin''s wife? How can he be so tantly obvious?'' "No way!" Debbie refused


    bluntly.


    "Now wait. Don''t be so quick to turn me down. You know I''m a hottie, right?" Lewis said as he ran his


    fingers through his hair. A confident smile appeared on his bratty face.

 Chapter 189 The Idiot

    Chapter 189 The Idiot


    Debbie shifted her gaze toward Valerie and Megan, who were both pretending to ignore Lewis.


    Frowning, she wondered why they paid no attention to his lewd behavior.


    Lewis put a hand in front of her eyes, blocking her view, and asked, "Debbie, why are you looking at


    them? Eyes on me, okay? I''m hot, right?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and turned around to go upstairs. "Want me to lie or tell the truth?" she asked,


    walking past him.


    Catching up with her, Lewis said, "Lie to me, then."


    "You''re not hot," she replied purposefully.


    Lewis tittered. ''That''s a lie, so she means I''m a good looking guy!'' But he didn''t want her to beat around


    the bush to praise him. He wanted to hear it from her lips directly. "And the truth?" he asked


    expectantly.


    Debbie turned around and looked into his eyes. "The truth is¡ªyou''re so ugly that when you walk into a


    bank, they turn off the cameras."


    Lewis was stumped by her words.


    Seeing the frustrated look on Lewis'' face, a few housemaids in the living room giggled under their


    breaths. Even Megan couldn''t help but cover her mouth to stifle herughter.


    As Debbie continued to walk toward the staircase, she was shocked to spot a woman standing on the


    landing of the staircase.


    It was Miranda, who was dressed neatly. It seemed like she was going out.


    Embarrassed, Debbie forced a smile and greeted, "Hello, Aunt Miranda."


    Oblivious to Debbie''s greeting, Miranda fixed her eyes on her son, who was ready to run away, and


    reproached in a cold voice, "Lewis, you idiot!"


    Scolded by his mother in front of others, Lewis lowered his head in shame. He walked to the sofa, sat


    down next to Valerie and asked, "Grandma, what did you need?"


    Valerie kept silent while Megan answered instead, "Grandma lost her string of Buddhist prayer beads.


    No one can find it. Have you seen it?"


    "Nope. I couldn''t care less about things like that. Why would I take it?" Lewis replied nonchntly as he


    stroked his messy hair. Seeing Miranda finally leave the living room, he quickly stood up and rushed


    upstairs.


    Debbie had just closed her bedroom door when she heard a knock. She opened it, but in a split


    second, flung the door to close it.


    However, Lewis reacted so fast that he had already squeezed part of his body in before she could


    close the door. Wearing a lewd smile on his face, he said, "Hey, wait. Debbie¡ªugh! Don''t close the


    door. Let me in!"


    No one knew how much Debbie wanted to kick this guy out of her room. Gritting her teeth, she


    swallowed her anger and flung the door open straightaway. "What do you want now?" she yelled.


    "My cousin left you here alone. You must be lonely, so I just want to keep youpany. I''m so


    considerate, aren''t I? Don''t bother to thank me," he said, winking at her.


    Debbie had never known anyone more shameless than him. He actually thought he was a great guy.


    When really, he was a creep. "Thanks. Please go. I need to be alone."


    With an even more obscene smile, he teased, "Please don''t kick me out. I heard you''re a very naughty


    girl. C''mon sis-inw, let''s have some fun!"


    Anger was written all over her face. She wanted to say, "tell that to your brother''s wife." But on second


    thought, she remembered that his brother''s wife was actually a nice person, so she swallowed those


    words. Instead, she threatened, "Get out! Go downstairs! Or I''ll send you there the hard way!"


    ''His parents seem to be well-educated, but how did they raise such an asshole?'' she thought to herself.


    Knowing that Debbie was skilled in martial arts, Lewis finally restrained himself and retreated from the


    room. Standing at the doorway, he still tried to get in her pants. "Come on! You have to admit my


    cousin is a cold guy. What''s so good about being his wife? Cut him loose and marry me. I promise I''ll


    stay with you every minute. Never leave you alone!"


    To avoid misunderstanding, Debbie had no choice but to walk out to the corridor, since Lewis hadn''t


    stopped his pestering. In a cold voice, she ridiculed, "You want to marry me? Look at your thin, weak


    body. And that fat chin. Find a gym."


    "Why?" Lewis asked.


    "Why? Because you need exercise. If you''re gonna be like that, at least be manly enough to take the


    punches you''re asking for!" As she spoke, she dropped into a fighting stance, and cracked her neck,


    getting ready to teach this bastard a lesson.


    Sensing danger emanating from Debbie, Lewis stepped backwards and leaned against the wall.


    "Debbie, this is the Huo family''s house. I wouldn''t try anything if I were you. Remember, you''re not


    exactly popr here," he said in a trembling voice.


    Debbie snorted, "Even if I stayed quiet, they still wouldn''t change their minds. This is going to be fun!"


    Then, without saying anything more, she darted toward him.


    In a panic, Lewis quickly ran toward his own bedroom, following a wave of screams. Eventually, he


    managed to shut the door behind him, putting his back into it. He quickly locked it before she could get


    at him. Leaning against the door, he gasped for air.


    His heart was racing fast as if it could stop beating any time. ''She''s such a hard woman. I can''t


    understand how Carlos can keep her under control.


    But...a woman like that has to be great in bed. Damn! I really want some of that action!'' He couldn''t


    help but swallow a little saliva as he fantasized about having sex with Debbie.


    After frightening Lewis away, Debbie returned to her bedroom. These people were all so different from


    each other. It had to make life difficult.


    For instance, Valerie was strict; James was ill-tempered; Tabitha was docile; Carlos was cold; Lewis


    was frivolous and Miranda was arrogant...


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    At dinnertime, the ambience of the dining room was as odd as usual. Everyone sitting at the dinner


    table was immersed in his or her own thoughts.


    But for Debbie, it was lucky that James wasn''t having dinner at home, thanks to work.


    As usual, Megan took any chances to stir up trouble during meal time. "Uncle Carlos, I want to eat that


    dumpling, but I can''t reach it," she said with a pitiful look on her face.


    Debbie discreetly rolled her eyes. Megan always wanted to eat the food in front of Carlos! Obviously,


    the food wasn''t the point. If Carlos gave in to her and helped her dish up food, then she could pretend


    she was his girlfriend.


    Debbie wasn''t the only one who got it, but everyone else could see through her too. However, no one


    dared to make ament because each time, Valerie would look at Megan affectionately and nod


    approvingly.


    Carlos was eating soup when Megan spoke to him. On hearing her, he put down his spoon, took up his


    chopsticks and reached for a dumpling.


    As he was about to pick up the dumpling, Debbie suddenly stretched out her chopsticks, picked it up


    and put it in her mouth.


    Carlos didn''t think anything of this and moved his chopsticks toward another dumpling.


    However this time, Debbie thrust her chopsticks forward and snatched the dumpling from his own.


    Then, the couple began the "pick-and-snatch" game. Debbie had stuffed nearly an entire te of


    dumplings into her mouth. Fortunately for her, the chef had made each of the dumplings fairly small, so


    it wasn''t a problem for her to fill her mouth with one after another.


    On the other hand, Valerie and Megan had been watching the couple the whole time, their faces


    deadpan. Lewis tried so hard to stifle hisughter that his face went red.


    Tabitha remained silent, but just asked a housemaid to fetch Debbie a bowl of soup.


    In the end, Carlos stopped trying to pick up any dumplings. He was afraid Debbie would choke to


    death.


    He ced the whole dish of dumplings in front of Debbie and looked at Megan. "Megan, your aunt


    Debbie likes eating dumplings. Maybe try another dish," he requested.


    Debbie stared lovingly at Carlos, her eyes glittering. She felt her heart melt. Her husband looked


    extremely handsome in her eyes whenever he tried to protect her.


    Megan inhaled deeply, trying to keep the smile on her face. "Never mind. Since Aunt Debbie likes


    dumplings, just let her enjoy them. Uncle Carlos, please have a bite of this meat," Megan said as she


    picked up a slice of roasted meat and put it on a clean te. Then, she asked the housemaid to carry it


    to Carlos.


    Debbie felt gloomy. ''Can''t you just eat quietly? Why all the drama? Maybe Carlos should enroll you in a


    drama academy since you''re so talented at acting. You''ll surely be an A-list actress, Megan!'' she


    thought angrily.

 Chapter 190 His Wife Is Pregnant

    Chapter 190 His Wife Is Pregnant


    As soon as the housemaid put the te in front of Carlos, Debbie thrust her chopsticks in to pick up the


    slice of roasted meat. Shaking the meat in front of the angry Megan, she said in a naughty tone, "Oh,


    I''m sorry. You know, your uncle Carlos is a germophobe. You touched the meat with your chopsticks, so


    he won''t eat it. I''d better eat it instead."


    Before stuffing the meat into her mouth, she looked at the meat while adding, "But...do you have... Are


    you healthy?" She managed to swallow the words "infectious disease" before she said them out loud.


    That would have been tant, and Debbie was too clever for that. She wanted her attack to be well-


    nned, well-timed, and well-executed, and being too brazen would have knocked all that off kilter.


    She tried not to smile while chewing her food. That would have given her away.


    Exasperated, Megan began to breathe faster. Short of breath, she stuttered, "Aunt Debbie, what are


    you... talking about... I... I..."


    It seemed to Debbie that Megan''s asthma attack always came at the best times. Debbie''s n had hit


    a snag, instead of staking her im to what was rightfully hers¡ªCarlos himself. But yet again, it looked


    as though Debbie was bullying a patient.


    "Enough! Why are you being so noisy at the dinner table?" Seeing Megan struggling for breath, Valerie


    immediately gestured to a housemaid, instructing her to take care of Megan. In the meantime, she cast


    a stern nce at Debbie. Of course, Debbie wasn''t about to take that lying down.


    ''I''m being noisy? But who started it?'' Unconvinced, Debbie pursed her lips and focused on eating her


    food.


    Carlos put down his chopsticks and called in the steward. When the steward came into the dining


    room, he ordered, "Tomorrow, swap this table out for a rotating table."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," the steward answered and left.


    Carlos put a piece of cabbage in Debbie''s bowl and looked at Valerie. "Grandma, Debbie''s part of this


    family too. If you y favorites, you''ll hurt Debbie''s heart. As time goes by, she may develop


    psychological problems. If that happens, you might find it harder to be a great-grandmother."


    ''A great-grandmother?''


    Valerie looked toward Debbie with hatred, while thetter blinked her innocent eyes at her. Debbie


    didn''t expect Carlos to mention having a child all of a sudden.


    "Just eat your food," Carlos ordered her in a hushed voice. He moved more food to her te before


    eating his own.


    On the other side of the table, Valerie heaved a sigh of relief when Megan''s breathing had improved. It


    seemed like her asthma attack was going away. Debbie saw it too, and red at her briefly. She


    believed that Megan used it to get attention, and might even be faking to the whole ordeal. Quite the


    usation!


    After dinner, Valerie excused herself, and asked both Carlos and Megan toe into her room. She


    wanted to talk with them privately.


    Obviously knowing that Debbie was watching, Megan cheerfully closed the door.


    Left outside, Debbie made a face at the closed door. ''Huh! I don''t give a damn what you will talk about,


    '' she thought, gritting her teeth.


    When she turned around, she saw an emotionless Miranda standing right behind her. In an instant, the


    grimace on her face was reced by a polite smile. "Aunt Miranda," she greeted, sounding courteous.


    The reason why Debbie showed so much respect to the arrogant Miranda was not because Debbie


    was scared of her. It was just that Miranda was an elder. And besides, she hadn''t done anything overt


    to Debbie, nor did she seem to side with the other family members whenever they got mad at her.


    Miranda gave her a cold nce and said slowly, "I''d like you toe with me to visit Carlos'' grandpa in


    the hospital. Today or tomorrow."


    ''What?'' Shocked, Debbie raised her head and looked at Miranda with disbelief in her eyes.


    Her reaction made Miranda unhappy. She queried in a cold voice, "Is that a no?"


    Shaking her head vigorously, Debbie promised, "No. I didn''t expect to be asked. It would be an honor


    to go with you." It was just that she hadn''t ever imagined that Miranda would invite her to tag along


    when she visited Carlos'' grandfather.


    Without responding to Debbie, Miranda turned around and returned to her own bedroom, leaving


    Debbie alone with her thoughts. Why did she do that? Was this a way to reach out, maybe an olive


    branch? She didn''t have long to think about it, though.


    A bitter, Carlos went back to their bedroom too after listening to Valerie''s lecture. Debbie had given


    up thinking about the invitation, and had been chatting happily on WeChat with her friends. Jared


    suddenlyined, "Damon''s getting married. His wife-to-be is pregnant. My dad is busy preparing


    the betrothal gifts. Maybe I should get hitched. Otherwise, my dad might break the bank buying gifts for


    Damon and his wife. If he did that, I would have to start eating air for breakfast."


    Debbie wrote, "Ha! Think your brother cares about your dad''s money?"


    Jared replied with a zipper-mouth face emoji. But she was right, Damon was rich enough himself, so he


    wouldn''t care about his dad''s fortune a bit. Then he asked Debbie, "Do you remember Oscar? The man


    you had a fight with at the Orchid Private Club."


    Debbie sent a nodding-head emoji.


    "I''ve told you something about himst time, but you were too drunk to listen. I''m not sure you heard


    anything I said. So... I heard Damon say he sent Oscar to the police station at your husband''s request.


    And in the end, the court gave Oscar a life sentence."


    Debbie was taken aback. "Seriously? Life-imprisonment? But it wasn''t that serious..."


    Jared wrote, "Yeah, no shit. But he deserved it. The guy was a punk. Hemitted crimes like kids eat


    candy. Any one of these would have dumped him in jail for the rest of his life. He''s lucky he didn''t get


    the death penalty."


    Debbie didn''t text back.


    Shey prone on the bed, deep in thought. When Carlos walked into the room, this was what he saw¡ª


    a meditating Debbie. He climbed onto the bed, pressed on her back and asked, "What are you doing?"


    He kissed her long hair.


    Putting her phone aside, she struggled to roll over and looked into his eyes. They were in a rather sexy


    position now.


    But she was so deep in thought and had so many doubts that she didn''t even have time to care about


    it. "Is it true? Did Oscar get life in prison?" she asked outright.


    ''Oscar?'' Carlos slightly frowned, racking his brain to recall who this guy was. But he failed. "Who''s


    Oscar?" he asked in confusion.


    "Last time at the Orchid Private Club, I got in a fight with a guy and a woman. The guy was Oscar."


    After her reminder, two blurry faces popped into his brain. Yet, he didn''t give it much thought and shook


    it off quickly. He wouldn''t bother dealing with a guy like that personally. "I told Damon about it. I don''t


    know the rest. If you want, I can ask Damon now."


    Debbie shook her head. After a moment of meditation, she pinched the handsy man''s ear and asked,


    "He got the sentence because of his past, not because of me, right?"


    It seemed like this woman wouldn''t let it go. After giving her a quick kiss, Carlos pulled out his phone


    and called Damon.


    The call went through in no time. Damon''s voice was clearly heard in the quiet bedroom. "Carlos? You


    finally remember that I exist. You''ve been a hermit since you fell for Debbie."


    Oblivious to hisint, Carlos got straight to the point. "How did you deal with the guy I handed to


    youst time?"


    "Which one?"


    "The man who offended my wife at the Orchid Private Club!"


    "Well, that guy. O...Oscar, right? He''s just a scumbag. I just called a friend of mine, a cop, and got him


    arrested. They found outstanding warrants and the rest was history."


    Carlos hung up the phone as soon as he made sure that Debbie had an answer. Putting his phone


    aside, he asked, "Happy now?"


    "Hmm," Debbie nodded. So Jared was right. It was reasonable to lock Oscar in jail for his entire life,


    regarding the tons of crimes he hadmitted.


    Carlos pulled her into his arms and whispered, "If they mess with you, I won''t let them off the hook."


    Debbie nted a kiss on his forehead. "Hmm. Honey, thank you!" she beamed at him.


    "Thank you? Why so formal?"


    "Me?"


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Yes!" He raised his eyebrows.


    Debbie smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, asking, "By the way, what did Grandma talk to


    you about? Did she try to talk you into divorcing me again?"


    "Hmm." He didn''t hide it. "I''m not giving you up, no matter what."


    Wearing a sweet smile on her face, Debbie pretended to be angry and grabbed him by his cor. She


    rested one leg on top of him and threatened in a condescending manner, "Promise me...or else."


    Carlos put his hands under his head on the pillow and looked at her, a tender smile adorning his


    handsome face. Finally, a single word left his lips. "Promise." For the first time in his life, he had


    willingly allowed himself to be weak. Most willingly.


    "I''m happy!" Debbie blew him a kiss, and then tried to push him into the study.


    But he shook his head. "I''m not working tonight. Let''s go out for fun instead."

 Chapter 191 Piggyback

    Chapter 191 Piggyback


    When she heard that Carlos was going to take her out, Debbie was thrilled. "Awesome! Let''s go!"


    Just as they stepped out of their bedroom, they came across Valerie and Megan who had juste


    upstairs.


    Seeing Debbie and Carlos both fully dressed, Megan asked, "Uncle Carlos, Aunt Debbie, are you going


    somewhere?"


    Debbie ignored her. Carlos nodded. "Grandma, we''re going out for a bit."


    "What for?" Valerie asked.


    "A movie," Carlos replied. It was Debbie''s suggestion. Her idol''s new movie was just released. She had


    been talking about seeing it for a couple of days now. It was about time that he took her out on a date,


    and the theater seemed like the perfect excuse.


    Megan''s eyes lit up. "A movie? Uncle Carlos, I want to go. Can I go with you?"


    ''Bitch, we''re on a date. Can''t you see that?'' Debbie thought.


    "Next time. I don''t think you''ll like this one," Carlos said, tly refusing. Debbie was relieved. She had


    been worried that Carlos would have agreed to everything Megan asked.


    Megan trotted to Carlos and held his sleeve. "Uncle Carlos, I''m bored here. I want to go to the movies


    with you. Grandma Valerie will go to sleepter, and then I''ll have nobody to talk to and nothing to do.


    Please let me go with you. Please."


    Valerie knew Megan''s intent. She decided to help her. "Yes. To keep mepany, Megan''s been


    cooped up here for days. As her uncle and aunt, you should take her out for some fun."


    Several minutester, Debbie, Carlos and Megan left the house together.


    In the cinema, Debbie took Carlos to the self-service machine to get the tickets through her phone,


    while Megan went to buy some snacks and drinks.


    ording to the tickets, Debbie''s seat was right between Megan and Carlos, yet in the theater, Megan


    took somebody else''s seat and sat beside Carlos.


    So now, Carlos sat between the two women.


    "That''s somebody else''s seat," Debbie reminded Megan.


    Megan responded casually, "Nobody else ising. Uncle Carlos'' assistant rented the entire theater."


    Debbie was surprised. ''Howe I didn''t know that?''


    "My assistant arranged that when you were in the bathroom," Carlos exined.


    ''Fine. I knew I shouldn''t have gone to the bathroom. I needed to keep my eyes on Megan!'' Debbie


    thought regretfully.


    The movie started. It starred Ramona Lu, a fantastic singer who became an actress. Her sess as an


    actress proved that she could not only sing but also act. It was a period piece, and Megan had to stifle


    a groan. Megan hated those kinds of movies, where everyone wore robes and even funny headgear,


    and they had so many rules about the roles of women and society. Even more than today. She much


    preferred the more fantastic ones, with mighty magics and eye-popping special effects, but she was left


    with this. It was called "The Heart Abides"¡ª about two star-crossed lovers. One a prince in exile, the


    other a pce servant. Of course, it was scandalous in the days of the Song dynasty. At least she was


    with Carlos. Debbie, of course, was delighted. She had been waiting for this since it went into


    production, and she heard that her favorite actress was starring in it.


    Looking at the middle-aged woman on the screen, Carlos told Debbie, "Your idol is Curtis'' sister."


    "Huh? Mr. Lu''s sister? But they don''t look anything alike. Is it because she is wearing makeup?"


    "Nope. She''s his half-sister, so odds are they wouldn''t share any family features.


    " Debbie remembered that Jared and Damon were half-brothers. ''It seems that there are a lot of half-


    siblings in rich families, '' she mused.


    She popped a chip into her mouth and asked, "So Damon''s dad married Jared''s mom, but only after


    Damon''s mom had passed away. What about Mr. Lu''s dad?"


    Last time when she and Jared were at the Lu family''s cruiser party, they had seen very few Lu family


    members.


    "The Lu family isplicated. Outsiders know little about it. Maybe next time you can ask Curtis to tell


    you about his family himself." Carlos assumed that Curtis actually was concerned about Debbie. He''d


    made some reference that made it sound like Debbie was rted to him in some way. Thinking about


    that, Carlos nced at Debbie, who was focused on the movie. He decided to do some investigation


    about the connection between Debbie and the Lu family.


    Having no chance to cut in, Megan took out a bottle of lemon-vored C100 and handed it to Carlos.


    "Uncle Carlos, I can''t open it. Please help me unscrew the lid."


    Carlos looked at the beverage and handed it to Debbie, who seemed to be on the verge of going


    ballistic. "Honey, you open it."


    Debbie tore her eyes away from the film, and had put her full attention on Megan and Carlos as soon


    as Megan opened her mouth. She wasn''t going to let anything Megan did get between them. Debbie


    was surprised by Carlos'' reaction, but she reflexively took the bottle. ''Why did he do that? Does he


    think I''m his servant or something?''


    With the bottle in her hand, for a long moment, Debbie was too stunned to react. "Here, let me help


    you," Carlos said.


    He quickly opened the bottle and gave it back to Megan.


    Both Megan and Debbie were surprised.


    Hence, Carlos was actually helping Debbie instead of Megan.


    Megan was embarrassed. And not only that, she had created an opportunity for Carlos to express his


    affection for Debbie. He threw it right in her face. She had no one else to me but herself.


    When the movie was over and the end credits were rolling, they walked out of the cinema. They were


    caught by a gust of cold wind that blew on them right when they hit the streets. Megan crossed her


    arms over her chest and trembled. "It''s so cold," she said.


    "Are you cold?" Carlos asked Debbie.


    She shook her head. She was wearing a down jacket while Megan was sporting a reversible cashmere


    overcoat with few buttons.


    Carlos walked to the car and opened the door. "Get in the car first if you''re cold," he told Megan.


    After giving Debbie a look of triumphant satisfaction, Megan got in the car.


    Just then, Carlos closed the door and said to the driver, "Megan is cold. Turn the heat up and drive her


    home."


    The driver was hesitant. "What about you and Mrs. Huo?"


    "I''ll ask my assistant toe and pick us up."


    Megan was deeply disappointed.


    Through the lowered passenger seat window, Debbie snickered at Megan.


    After the car had driven away, Debbie wrapped her arms around Carlos'' waist and sang and screamed.


    "I pray to be with you through rain and shiny days. I''ll love you till I die. Deep as sea, wide as sky. The


    beauty of our love paints rainbows everywhere we go."


    Carlos smiled and kissed her on the lips. "Love me that much, huh?"


    "Of course," Debbie answered firmly.


    With a wider smile, Carlos bent over and patted his back. "We might not have a car right now, but you


    have me. You gotta be tired. Come on. I''ll give you a piggyback ride."


    Debbie stared at Carlos'' broad back. Warmth spread through her body. She raised her head to look at


    the sky as she tried to hold back her tears.


    Carlos carried her easily.


    Riding on his back, she called out, "Carlos."


    "Yes?"


    "Why are you so good to me?"


    "Because you''re my wife, silly."


    Although Carlos'' gentleness was nothing new to her, at this moment, Debbie was still intoxicated by his


    tenderness. The man was nothing short of amazing sometimes. She pressed her cheek against his


    back to feel his warmth. "Would you have done this for me if I weren''t your wife?"


    Carlos smiled. "No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You''re my wife, my one and only. I''ll treasure you forever.


    Remember that."


    "Okay. If you go back on your word, I''ll... I''ll... I''ll jump into the sea with you." Debbieughed.


    "No problem. If I ever break my promise, you can punish me however you want."


    "Remember, a promise is a promise."


    "Yeah."


    It started raining as they approached the Huos'' residence.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Worried that Carlos was tired, Debbie got off from his back. "You''ve worked all day. I don''t want to wear


    you out in the evening too."

 Chapter 192 Don’t Be Shy, Grandma

    Chapter 192 Don¡¯t Be Shy, Grandma


    Carlos pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Don''t worry about me. I can carry you home and still


    show you a good time. I can prove it to you."


    "Stop it." Debbie covered his mouth with her hand.


    Carlos pulled her hand away and kissed her on the lips. "What? Can''t I say this stuff to my wife?"


    "Maybe. And maybe you should be locked up for saying things like that."


    "Just think about how lonely you''d get if I were put in prison. Not a good idea. You''d miss me way too


    much."


    "You''re so modest!" she giggled. He was right. She was getting a bit tired.


    The rain was starting toe down in earnest. It was drizzling and their hair was starting to get wet.


    They ducked under an overhanging roof, trying to stay dry. Carlos took off his overcoat and spread it


    over her head.


    Debbie pulled it off again. "No. This is your favorite overcoat. And very expensive. I can''t let you do


    this. It''ll get ruined." She knew how much Carlos liked that particr article of clothing.


    Carlos put it back over her head. "I can always buy a new coat. I don''t want you to get sick."


    He was so considerate. Debbie was enormously moved. What was happening reminded her of a song


    which goes, "For the rest of my life, I want only you, for better or worse."


    If Emmett knew Carlos had protected Debbie from the rain with his favorite overcoat, he would have


    marveled at how important Debbie was to Carlos. He already thought of Carlos as Debbie''s ve, and


    that would have proven it even more. That was something new to Emmett, and he figured that bending


    over backwards for someone wasn''t healthy. But then again, he had never been in love, at least not


    that kind of deep, enduring love, so he wouldn''t know until he fell that deeply.


    The rain was getting heavier. Worried that Debbie might be cold, Carlos called his assistant to ask him


    to pick them up.


    The next day, Debbie didn''t show up downstairs until eleven, still yawning.


    The first thing she saw was Valerie''s grim face. Standing next to Valerie was Megan, who waited on her


    like a maid.


    "Grandma," Debbie said.


    "So you still know to get up? Do you know what time it is?" Valerie berated her, pounding her cane on


    the floor.


    Debbie poured a ss of water for herself and took out her phone to check the time. It was eleven


    o''clock. "I''m sorry. I still haven''t gotten over the jetg."


    The olddy snorted loudly, refusing her exnation. "You can''t sleep in anymore. I won''t allow it."


    Debbie fluttered her eyshes in disbelief. "You should discuss this with your grandson."


    "Carlos went to work early this morning. How am I supposed to discuss this with him?" Valerie asked


    angrily.


    Debbie yawned and exined helplessly, "Your grandsones homete from work every day. And


    he usually brings some work home and doesn''t go to bed until the small hours. I try to get some sleep,


    but every night, he kisses me until I wake up, and then has sex with me."


    Not giving the other two any chance to interrupt her, she continued, "Normally, he falls asleep in the


    middle of the night, but sometimes, he won''t leave me alone until the birds start chirping. So you see,


    Grandma, you have to talk to him about this. I used to practice martial arts, but even so, I can barely


    walk..."


    "Enough!" Valerie''s face turned red with embarrassment as she was listening to Debbie. "So rude!"


    Megan blushed and kept her head bowed the whole time. "Aunt Debbie, maybe you should keep this


    kind of stuff to yourself in the future."


    Megan supported Valerie with her hands as the olddy walked towards the door. Debbie watched


    them, confused. "That''s my husband I was talking about. Isn''t it normal for couples to have sex? Don''t


    be shy, Grandma. We''re all family here."


    Valerie hadn''t even made it to the living room yet when she turned back and reprimanded, "Shut up!"


    Debbie picked up the ss of water and put it to her mouth. Valerie''s red face made her want tough


    so much. She stifled herughter and somehow thought the olddy was adorable at that moment.


    Spending days in the Huos'' house was quite boring for Debbie. She was despised every day. The


    family always directed meanments at her, and it didn''t seem to matter if she pped back or not.


    She wanted to have some fun outside, but it was very cold. It was snowing outside, and the kes


    rested on the ground and nketed the countryside in bright white. It probably wasn''t the best idea to


    go out when you could see your breath in the air. Maybe she should have asked Carlos to assign her


    as his bodyguard.


    After lunch, Debbie bundled up warmly, and decided to go outside and have some fun. But Valerie


    stopped her by saying, "The help has the day off. The first floor is dirty. Go clean it up."


    Debbie was shocked to hear her say that. The first floor was at least two hundred square meters, which


    usually took a few servants to clean it. Now Valerie wanted her to do all the work by herself? This


    wasn''t a reasonable expectation of work. This was a punishment.


    Valerie cast her a disdainful look. "What? You have a problem with it? Or is it too hard for you? As the


    daughter-inw of the Huo family, you can''t even handle something simple like this?"


    ''Huh! So you finally acknowledge that I''m the daughter-inw, '' Debbie sneered in her heart. "I can


    clean it. But I need her help." Debbie pointed at Megan who wore a smug smirk on her face. It was


    obvious she was enjoying this.


    Megan didn''t care, because she knew the olddy would help her out.


    Sure enough, Valerie said, "Megan has better things to do. What you need to do is clean.


    " For Carlos'' sake, Debbie decided to put up with it, pretending that she was killing time.


    She fetched the tools from the shed and started doing the work.


    It had been a long time since thest time she did housework. She had been treated like a queen ever


    since she married Carlos. Soon after she had started, she began panting. Her shirt clung to her


    ufortably, and she started to perspire. It didn''t take long before she got really tired. She wanted to


    take a break, but she wasn''t sure that Valerie would allow even that.


    Megan and Valerie, on the other hand, were chatting andughing in the living room. ''So, Megan''s job


    is to keep Valeriepany while eating fruit and talking with her?'' Debbie couldn''t help but wonder


    inwardly.


    Later, Connie saw Debbie doing the cleaning and tried to help her, but Valerie sent her away. When


    Lewis saw her mopping the floor, he held her hand and tried to take her away from the family, but he


    was scared away as his grandma hit the floor with her cane.


    It took her three hours to finish all the work.


    When she put the tools back in the shed and walked out, Valerie said, "You forgot the bathroom. Go


    clean it."


    Debbie felt anger rise inside her, but once again, she chose to push it down deep inside her. ''Cleaning.


    No big deal!''


    However, the size of the bathroom frustrated her as soon as she saw it. It was huge, with multiple sinks


    and a huge mirror running the length of the wall. It not only had many sinks, but also several stalls.


    There were store bathrooms that were smaller than this one.


    ''Why do they need such a big bathroom? Do they have to waste money like this just because they


    have it?''


    "Call me and ask me out, now!" Debbie texted Carlos secretly.


    She started waiting hopefully, but after a long while, Carlos still didn''t reply to her message. Then the


    olddy came to check on her. "It''s taking you forever! Give me your phone!"


    ''Am I really the daughter-inw of the family, not a servant?'' she thought.


    She tried to talk the olddy out of it. "Grandma, I''ll be more efficient if I watch a video while cleaning."


    "You should be more focused. Hand it to me!"


    Debbie wanted to toss the rag onto her old, wrinkled face. ''Calm down. This is Carlos'' grandma. My


    dearest husband''s grandma.'' She tried topose herself.


    It was veryte when Carlos came back. Exhausted, Debbie had gone to bed early after grabbing a


    bath.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    When he came in, she looked at him and closed her eyes once more. She had been worked to the


    bone, and she definitely needed to rest.

 Chapter 193 Eruption

    Chapter 193 Eruption


    Carlos loosened his tie and sat on the edge of the bed. "Why did you call? Something happened? I was


    in a meeting. I called backter, but why did Megan answer your phone?" he asked as he touched her


    chubby cheek.


    Debbie held his hand and asked casually, "What did she say to you?"


    Carlos let her know what Megan had said. "She said you left your phone in the living room and you


    were upstairs, sleeping. She told me nothing happened."


    Debbie adopted a conciliatory attitude. To avoid further trouble, she lied, "I missed you. It''s New Year


    and you''re still busy. I''ve always said you work too hard. I''m worried about you."


    Carlos smiled and kissed her forehead. "Don''t worry. I''m used to it. I''ll ask someone to take you outside


    when you want, in case you get lost if you go on your own."


    Debbie agreed to his suggestion readily.


    The next day, when Debbie was about to leave the house with Carlos, Valerie suddenly piped up,


    "Debbie, you''re young and have good eyesight. Come help me."


    Carlos was still changing his shoes. Debbie looked at him, and his reply made her happy. "Ask Megan,


    Grandma. Debbie and I are taking off."


    Debbie nodded to Valerie and felt her handsome husband was awesome.


    Valerie sighed, "She''s not feeling well. Besides, she''s taken care of me every day. It''s someone else''s


    turn." After casting Debbie a disgusted nce, she asked Carlos, stone-faced, "Can''t I ask your wife to


    do anything?" To prevent the matter from escting, Debbie waved at Carlos and said, "Just go to


    work. Come home early. I''ll go out after I help Grandma."


    Carlos smiled and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "Okay. The driver''s waiting for you outside. Call me


    if you need me."


    "Okay, bye."


    Carlos left, and the olddy guided Debbie to the storage room.


    Standing at the entrance to the storage room, one hand holding her cane and the other twirling the


    beads, Valerie began, "Go find the string of Buddhist prayer beads of mine and clean this room."


    ''I knew it wouldn''t be that simple with her. She really wanted me to clean this room, ''


    Debbie thought to herself. ''Cleaning again!'' Cleaning had be her nightmare.


    "Grandma, didn''t you say that you lost that string of beads?"


    "Yes, I lost it. That''s why I asked you to find it. One of my ancestors came to me in a dream and told me


    it''s in here. Go look for it."


    ''Her ancestor told her that in her dream? What a load of bullshit!''


    But what could she say? For Carlos'' sake, she decided to be stoic and do as she was told.


    The storage room was dusty and crammed with all kinds of things. When she was finished, Debbie was


    on the brink of tears. But she didn''t find the string of beads. When she emerged from the room, she


    was covered in dust from head to toe.


    She walked into the living room to tell Valerie that she couldn''t find the beads, only to see Megan and


    Valerie sitting on the sofa enjoying fruit, as well as each other''spany. As soon as she showed her


    face in the living room, Megan ordered, "Hey, you, pour me some water. I need to take my medicine."


    Containing her anger, Debbie shot her a cold nce and snapped, "Do it yourself."


    Megan wondered in fake shock, "Aunt Debbie? Why do you look like that? Your hair''s mussed and your


    face is dirty. I didn''t even recognize you."


    ''Didn''t recognize me? Lying bitch!'' Debbie cursed. "Why do I look like this? Try cleaning the storage


    room for two hours." ''Even if your dead parents came out of the grave, they wouldn''t recognize you!''


    "Oh, Aunt Debbie, I didn''t know you were cleaning. You must be tired. Come, sit down. You work so


    hard." Megan looked at her in a fawning manner.


    Then she turned to Valerie. "Grandma Valerie, my aunt Debbie is so hard-working. She cleaned the


    living room and bathroom yesterday, and today she cleaned the storage room. But I...I can''t do


    anything. I''m useless."


    Valerie patted her hand and said lovingly, "What are you talking about? How is that possible? You''re


    like a granddaughter to me. My precious granddaughter will never have to do this kind of work."


    Valerie''s words were like a needle piercing Debbie''s heart. She threw the rag into the bin in frustration.


    "Grandma, from now on, if there''s work to be done, just tell me. My husband will hire a dozen servants


    for you. Money is no object for him. As long as the pay is good, someone will clean, even at midnight


    on New Year''s."


    The smile on Valerie''s face faded. With a stern stare, she asked Debbie, "What? Can''t do a little


    cleaning? Telling your husband? That''s my grandson! Who do you think he''ll side with? Where are your


    manners? Didn''t your parents teach you not to talk back to your elders?"


    Megan shook Valerie''s arm and reminded her, "Grandma Valerie, Aunt Debbie''s dad died a few years


    ago and her mom ran away from home a long time ago."


    Debbie''s face darkened as soon as she heard her parents mentioned.


    Valerie sneered, "No wonder she''s so rude. It turns out that both of her parents were irresponsible and


    taught her nothing."


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Debbie''s eyes burned with rage. She stalked towards the two on the sofa. Megan and Valerie were


    scared when they saw her angry face. Yet the olddy managed to remain calm despite her fright.


    "What do you want?" she demanded.


    "What do I want? Olddy, you''re lucky that you''re Carlos'' grandma, so I won''t do anything to you.


    However, Megan is not my elder..."


    Debbie grabbed Megan''s cor abruptly and pulled her up. "As her aunt, I''ll teach her a lesson."


    Since Debbie had just done the cleaning, her dirty fingers left ck streaks on Megan''s white cor.


    Megan screamed, "Yikes. Gross. Let go of me!"


    "Gross?" Debbie sneered. "You think that''s gross? You should be used to it. Why are you so


    condescending? My husband treats you well, so you think you''re a princess? Listen up: you''re trash!


    From now on, show some respect. I have a temper."


    With that, she pushed Megan so forcefully the girl staggered and fell onto the sofa.


    Furious, Valerie started panting for breath. Seeing Megan was thrown to the sofa, she trotted over to


    pull the girl up. "Dear, are you okay?" she asked in worry.


    Megan trembled in the olddy''s arms.


    Watching the two, Debbie remarked indifferently, "I don''t owe this family anything. Even though you


    treat me like shit, I''ll still call you ''Grandma, '' because you''re Carlos'' grandma and I love him. I don''t


    want any problems between us, because he''ll have to take sides."


    After a short pause, not long enough for the olddy and the girl to respond, she continued talking.

 Chapter 194 You Married Carlos Huo

    Chapter 194 You Married Carlos Huo


    "But there''s a line. I hope for your sake you don''t cross that line again. As an elder, you should know


    better. I''ll let Megan off the hook this time, but if she talks about my parents again, things won''t be so


    easy for her, I swear."


    After that, Debbie turned and went upstairs.


    Valerie was too furious to say anything. If it were possible, steam would have poured from her ears.


    Back in her room, Debbie decided to getfortable. She drew a nice warm bath and washed the


    grime away. She had hardly put clean clothing on before her phone rang. She knew the number by


    heart, even though she didn''t have him in her contact list. It was Hayden. ''Why''s he calling?'' she


    wondered.


    In a bad mood, Debbie decided not to answer it, just let it go to voicemail. She wasn''t very good


    company right now. Then she got a text message from him. "I''m in New York. I need to see you. It''s


    important."


    ''Hayden is in New York?'' Debbie was a little worried. "Why are you here? What''s so important?" she


    asked in a text.


    "I''ll give you the details when we meet up. If you don''te and meet me, I''ll go to the Huos'' residence


    to find you,"


    he threatened. ''What the heck?'' Debbie cursed inwardly. She figured she''d better do as he said. After


    all, it might cause a scandal inadvertently. She called Carlos to let him know.


    "I want to go out for a while," she told him.


    "Okay, I''ll ask the driver to take you wherever you want to go."


    "Okay. Carlos..." Debbie intended to tell him that she was going to meet Hayden, but remembering how


    jealous he could be, she decided not to.


    "Yeah?"


    "Oh, nothing. What time are youing home tonight?"


    Carlos smiled. "Since you miss me so much, I''lle home early."


    To his surprise, Debbie didn''t scold him this time for hitting on her. "Okay," she replied sweetly.


    On Broadway Avenue


    Debbie got out of the car at an intersection, sent the driver away, and walked to the coffee shop where


    she was supposed to meet up with Hayden.


    When she got there, Hayden was already waiting for her. Seeing her walk in, he waved at her.


    It was a very cold day. She could see her breath in the air. Debbie felt she could hardly stand the cold


    after stepping out of the Huos'' house. They kept that ce hot like summer with the heat on all the


    time. She took off her hat and scarf, unzipped her down jacket, and sat opposite Hayden before


    ordering atte for herself.


    For a moment, neither of them spoke. Debbie''s coffee came. "Thank you," she said to the barista who


    had just brought her the coffee. Hayden just leaned against the sofa and watched her.


    It made Debbie feel ufortable. "Mr. Gu, I''m here, so just say what you have to say."


    "You married Carlos Huo."


    It was not a question but a statement.


    Debbie nodded, "Yeah."


    Though he knew the truth earlier, Hayden felt a pang in his heart when he heard her admit it in person.


    Heposed himself and stated, "I''ve heard that there''s an arranged marriage in the works. The Huo


    family and Li family. Carlos and the daughter of the Li family grew up together and make a perfect


    couple. Everyone thinks that they''ll get married sooner orter. James told the press a few days ago


    that the daughter of the Li family would be his daughter-inw."


    Just now, Debbie finally understood why James didn''t like her. She represented a threat to their


    business interests. It turned out that he had chosen a daughter-inw a long time ago. Debbie was an


    unpleasant surprise to him. And his decision was based purely on the business advantages it would


    bring.


    "I know. Not a problem. Carlos and I love each other. We''ll convince his father to ept me." Carlos''


    family might have some problems with her right now, but that was no reason for her to give up.


    "And Carlos'' grandma likes his niece, though she''s not a blood rtive." Hayden had done some


    research on Carlos. Although there wasn''t much, he found out something about his family.


    Debbie was not blind. She could see that Valerie liked Megan a lot. "It doesn''t matter." She believed


    that the love between her and Carlos was strong enough to ovee any obstacle between them.


    They would pass this trial.


    Hayden sighed, resigned to his fate. He still couldn''t win her back. He said in a defeated tone, "Fine.


    Tell me why you lied to me."


    Debbie held the coffee mug to warm her hands. "When did I lie to you?" she wondered.


    Hayden smiled wryly. "I thought you were married to Emmett, and you didn''t deny it." He felt yed, felt


    that he made a fool of himself in front of Emmett and her. He didn''t like that feeling, not one bit.


    "You and I broke up. Remember? So I have to tell you who I married? None of your business!" Debbie


    retorted with a sneer.


    Her brutal tone stung. Hayden felt his heart was bleeding. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand


    resting on the table. "Deb..."


    "Get your hands off me!" Debbie said angrily, trying to pull her hand out.


    Hayden didn''t move his hands away. He held her hand tighter and pulled it close to his face to smell


    her scent. "Deb, don''t cancel me. Please."


    Debbie looked around the coffee shop and found that Hayden and she were all the customers the shop


    had. She raised her voice and demanded, "Let go of my hand! Don''t push me. I''m getting pissed!"


    Hayden looked up at her. "What''s the worst that can happen? You already left me a long time ago


    anyway." Sensing her anger, Hayden conceded, "Fine. I''ll let you go, but don''t walk away, okay?"


    Debbie gritted her teeth and nodded. As soon as he let go of her, she asked a barista to bring her a wet


    towel to wipe her hand.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Embarrassed, Hayden gave a bitter smile.


    Debbie wiped her hand again and again before asking, "What''s so important that you have to tell me in


    person? What are you up to?"


    "Does Carlos Huo treat you right? Why did you marry him? Did you two make a secret deal or


    something? How much is he paying you? Tell me, Deb. I''ve been worried about you ever since I found


    out you married him."


    "I''m sorry to disappoint you, but he really treasures me. And there''s no deal between us. We''re in love.


    Got it? Oh, my mistake. I forgot you never loved anyone, so you might not know what it is."


    When they were dating, Hayden always thought he was better than Debbie and despised her on every


    level. Soon after, he hooked up with some rich girl and often showed up as a happy couple in front of


    Debbie. That was when Debbie realized he had never loved her.


    "Come on, Deb, our breakup was mutual. Don''t act all innocent." Hayden sighed, trying to defend


    himself.


    "What do you mean? I poured my heart into our rtionship. Wasn''t that enough?"


    Hayden shook his head. "I didn''t say you weren''t good to me. You were great to me. But, in that time,


    we only held hands. We were a couple, but we didn''t even kiss. Not fair."


    That was something Hayden hated to mention. He had only kissed Debbie on the cheek. That was all.


    Debbie replied, "I was too young." She hadn''t evene of age yet when they started dating. She


    thought she was progressive and free-spirited enough to do that. But she had standards, and she


    wasn''t going to vite those.

 Chapter 195 Catching Up

    Chapter 195 Catching Up


    Debbie thought that kissing was only appropriate for adults, so she had rebuffed Hayden''s requests all


    the time when they were dating.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Once, he attempted to forcibly kiss her on the lips and promptly found himself on his back with the wind


    knocked out of him. She had thrown him over her shoulder. Afterwards they gave each other the silent


    treatment for months.


    It was Debbie who caved. She started to make up for what she did, but their rtionship was a shadow


    of what it was previously.


    "Deb, we live in the 21st century, for crying out loud." Hayden was at a loss for words.


    Debbie felt she was maybe in the wrong about that, so she changed the subject. "That''s in the past.


    We''ve been apart for a long time. And I''ve found my true love, so let''s move on."


    Hayden''s heart ached when she said she had found the one. "If he really loved you, he would have


    announced your marriage and told everyone that you are his wife. But he didn''t. He doesn''t love you,


    Deb. Open your eyes!"


    "Wrong! I''m the one who wants it kept under wraps," she told him. Her face betrayed no emotion.


    Hayden was so shocked he couldn''t even speak. "Deb, you know I love you. But Carlos Huo? In the


    circles I run in, he''s known to be cold, distant, and calcting. Don''t get taken in by him. There is no


    such thing as the modern Cindere. So be realistic, okay?"


    Debbie withdrew her gaze from outside the window to look at him. "You don''t know me. You don''t know


    us. How can you be so judgmental?"


    Hayden was reduced to silence again. After a while, he stood up, came to her, pulled her to her feet,


    and embraced her tightly. "Did you know I was so worried about you when I learned you married Carlos


    Huo I immediately booked a ticket to New York? Do you really think he can manage a bigpany like


    ZL Group without being underhanded and scheming? Impossible. He''s known as a ruthless


    businessman. Even if you don''t love me, let me in. Don''t push me away. I''ll wait for you, until the day


    you finally figure out who he really is. You''lle back to me.


    " Debbie was only human. When someone she had once loved whispered to her how much he cared


    about her, she froze and didn''t know how to turn him down.


    Hayden went on, "I won''t get married to anyone else. I''ll wait for you. When Carlos Huo hurts you, I''ll be


    waiting. My arms are your harbor. You loved me once, but I never stopped loving you.


    Babe, I know it''s toote, but I won''t give up. My life is a dark ce without you. I''m a walking zombie. I


    work my ass off at Gu Group. I do it for you. I used to be a jerk, I know. That''s why I want to make


    money, a lot of money. I want to give you everything."


    Words like "no," "never," "can''t" were on the tip of Debbie''s tongue, but she didn''t have a chance to cut


    in. She was waiting for him to calm down and then to turn him down.


    However...


    "Mr. Gu, I see you came to New York to dere your love for my wife. How touching!" a familiar and


    cold voice said. His voice was like a thunderbolt over Debbie''s head.


    She pushed Hayden away in a fluster. Nheless, when she turned around, she saw Carlos sitting


    comfortably in an armchair. He seemed to have been there for a while.


    Her face went pale. She trotted over to Carlos and said, "Carlos¡ª" Before she could continue, Carlos


    took her hand, stood up, and strode towards Hayden with her.


    Hayden, however, wasn''t nervous at all at Carlos'' sudden appearance. He held out his right hand


    confidently to shake hands with him. "Mr. Huo, what a coincidence!"


    "Yeah, it is." They shook hands just as they had the other day in the restaurant. Debbie watched them,


    her mouth agape.


    As if nothing had happened, Hayden invited them to sit with him. "Care for a cup of coffee?"


    Carlos shook his head and wrapped his arm around Debbie''s waist. After giving her an affectionate


    look, he replied, "No, thanks. My wife is kinda snacky, and I have another cafe in mind. If you''ll excuse


    me. Bye, Mr. Gu."


    ''When did I say I was hungry?'' Debbie wondered.


    But she was more confused by the weird interaction between the two men. She watched them, holding


    her breath, and didn''t dare to say anything. She knew how this looked, and she knew Carlos'' temper.


    Debbie was extremely surprised that her husband had found her here, much less was behaving quite


    cordially to Hayden. This man had practically proposed to her, bared his soul, and begged Debbie to


    ditch Carlos ande with him. As possessive as Carlos was, he didn''t have any further reaction. That


    shocked her.


    "I see. Then I''ll leave you to it." Hayden looked at Debbie and continued, "Deb says that you two love


    each other very much. I can tell. You should spend more time with her. Did you know she loves to


    travel? Doesn''t look like she gets out much, though."


    Carlos tightened his hand around Debbie''s waist. "Of course. We''re nning to go to the Maldives in


    February, heading to H Country in March, and A Country in April. I''ll go wherever she wants."


    Debbie pulled Carlos'' arm and whispered in his ear on tiptoe, "I knew about the Maldives, but H and A?


    When did you decide on those?"


    He turned towards her, just a bit. "Just now," he answered.


    Debbie was dumbstruck.


    Seeing them together, Hayden smiled resignedly. "Awesome! Take care."


    When Carlos passed by the cashier''s desk, he released Debbie''s hand and took care of the bill.


    Before they walked out of the coffee house, he wrapped Debbie''s scarf around her neck and zipped up


    her down jacket. Everything he did seemed so natural and gentle it worried Debbie even more. What


    was going on in his head?


    She followed Carlos to a spacious, bright, and well-equipped minivan.


    He sat on the couch, and then forcefully pulled Debbie into the seat next to him. "Drive," he told the


    driver.


    Debbie sensed the coldness around him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and exined, "I...


    He... We were just catching up."


    "Catching up?" She felt he was about to explode with rage. When he spoke, it felt as if the carriage


    were a missile silo.


    Since Carlos had seen Hayden holding her in his arms, Debbie understood why he was mad. "I don''t


    love him anymore. So tell me, Mr. Handsome, why were you there?"

 Chapter 196 At Arms Length

    Chapter 196 At Arm''s Length


    Carlos rolled down the car window and cast a sideways nce at a building across the road. "Check


    that out," he said.


    Confused, Debbie tried to look where he was looking, only to see the building towering into the clouds


    with the giant letters "ZL Group." "So, you can see the cafe from your office?" she asked.


    He gave her a cold look and said, "The Huo family has eyes everywhere in this city." Debbie figured out


    how he knew.


    It wasn''t hard to figure this out. One of James'' men had seen Debbie being with another man and told


    his boss. As a result, James had barged into Carlos'' office and demanded his son divorce her. So it


    was only natural Carlos would be furious. Conversations with his father never went well under the best


    of circumstances, so with his dad in a confrontational mood only made matters worse. He had enough


    time to stew walking out of his office, waiting for the elevator, getting into the car, and getting to the cafe


    across the road. Steam was practically pouring out his ears by the time he got there.


    On the way home, Carlos said nothing, his face sullen. Knowing that he was in a bad mood, Debbie


    didn''t dare to say a single word either.


    As the car drove into the Huo family''s manor, she couldn''t bear it anymore. "Don''t you need to work?"


    she asked.


    "Work? What for? My wife was about to fuck another man." His voice was as cold as ice.


    Sighing with profound resignation, Debbie exined, "Come on, Carlos, listen to me. I know I shouldn''t


    have gone to see Hayden. But I wasn''t going to sleep with him. Damn, you''re paranoid!"


    Carlos said nothing, his face still livid.


    The car came to a halt at the gates to the vi. Carlos got out and walked to the vi without even


    looking back. Without a word, he just left her there. He wanted her to do the walk of shame.


    Seeing Carlos'' figure receding, Debbie felt her heart break. If they weren''t fighting, he would have


    scooped her up in his arms and carried her into the vi.


    "Carlos Huo!" she called out.


    Carlos stopped, turned around and looked at her, still silent.


    Debbie bit her lower lip and demanded, "Carry me into the house."


    Carlos couldn''t believe his ears. He was the one that was mad at her, yet she still acted like a little brat


    instead of apologizing.


    His reply was simple and sharp. "No!" After saying that, he turned around and entered the vi.


    How Debbie wished she could stop him and beat him up!


    ''Fine! You want me to make the first move? No way!'' She picked up her phone and texted Carlos


    saying, "If you don''t carry me into the vi, I won''t get out of the car!"


    She had made up her mind that she wouldn''t move from this spot unless Carlos came back for her. ''His


    whole family loves Megan more than me. I guess they''ll be happy if I freeze out here.''


    The very thought made Debbie''s heart ache.


    She knew why Carlos was so angry; after all, she was caught with Hayden at a cafe. But she didn''t


    think she was wrong. They were just friends. ''It was all Hayden''s fault. He acted so messed up that I


    couldn''t help but go soft on him.''


    Thinking of it, she decided to send Hayden a text message.


    "Get a clue, Hayden! You and I are not a thing. Even if I divorced Carlos, I still wouldn''t go back to you."


    Hayden, on the other hand, was still at the cafe. Debbie''s message made himugh. He could tell how


    angry she was now. "What happened? Did he get pissed at you for meeting me?" he replied.


    Debbie''s reply came soon. "None of your business. Just leave me alone. I don''t want to see you again.


    Got it?"


    Hayden giggled and thought, ''Deb is getting more and more adorable.''


    Now that Debbie refused to get out of the car, the driver could only wait quietly.


    More than ten minutes had passed, but Carlos still didn''te back for her. Debbie was sad and


    dejected.


    ''What should I do?'' she mused.


    ''I guess I''d better get out of the car and get inside. Carlos has always been nice to me. I get why he''s


    mad. If I were him and saw my wife with her ex, I would get mad too.'' She took a deep breath and got


    out of the car.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    She pushed the gate to the vi open and changed into her slippers. Just past the entryway, she saw


    something she couldn''t ept.


    Carlos was having a talk with Valerie. Megan went down the stairs and ran towards him.


    She had already changed into clean clothes.


    Carlos caught and steadied Megan, and thetter held his waist tight. "Uncle Carlos, you''re back! I was


    so bored here."


    ''Dammit! You call him Uncle Carlos and act like his wife! Show some restraint!'' Debbie thought angrily.


    Instead of pushing Megan away, Carlos stroked her hair and offered, "There''s a party this evening. If


    you''re bored, you can go."


    Megan raised her head and looked at Carlos asking, "Are you going too?"


    Sensing Megan had no intention of letting go of him, Carlos pulled her away from him and answered, "I


    need to work. You can ask Connie to go with you."


    Megan stole a defiant nce at Debbie, but Carlos didn''t notice. Then she held his arm intimately and


    said, "Uncle Carlos, I want you toe with me. But if you are busy, then I will stay home as well."


    Hayden told Debbie that Valerie wanted Megan to be Carlos'' wife, and it looked like he wasn''t wrong.


    Valerie acted like Megan and Carlos were the most natural thing. Worse, she tried to create more


    opportunities for the two. "Carlos, don''t work yourself to death. You should spend more time with


    Megan. Just y hookey and go to the party with her."


    ''I thought Valerie and Megan would tell Carlos about my "rude" behavior. But they act as if nothing


    happened. That''s really weird!'' Debbie thought to herself.


    "I have a dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Smith this evening," said Carlos. He pulled his arm away from


    Megan and was about to walk back out to the car when he saw his wife standing at the entryway.


    "Come here," he said coldly.


    Obediently, Debbie came over to Carlos and stood before Megan. "Megan, do you remember what I


    said before?" she asked.


    Since Valerie and Megan didn''t mention what she had done earlier, Debbie wouldn''t bring it up either.


    Megan was confused, and had no idea what Debbie was talking about.


    With a tiny smile, Debbie began, "Since you are Carlos'' niece, you should keep him at arm''s length.


    You shouldn''t hug my husband tight like that. I might get angry. You get it?"


    Debbie had made up her mind¡ªsince they didn''t care about her feelings at all, why should she care


    about theirs?


    Megan''s face paled at Debbie''s words. With red eyes, she lowered her head and apologized in a sad


    voice, "Aunt Debbie, I''m so sorry. I didn''t know...I''ll keep that in mind and stay away from Uncle Carlos.


    Please don''t be mad at me."


    She put herself in such a low position anyone would think she was intimidated by Debbie.


    Valerie banged the table and shouted, "Debbie Nian, this is how you treated Megan in Y City? Bullying


    her?"


    ''Bullying her?'' Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. She thought she needed to exin it. She took a deep


    breath and said calmly, "Don''t get me wrong. I know Megan''s parents saved my husband''s life. I take


    care of her like Carlos does. But Carlos is a married man. Don''t you think she''s being too


    flirty?"

 Chapter 197 Leave Me Alone

    Chapter 197 Leave Me Alone


    "Megan is family. Why should she not be so close to Carlos?" Valerie snapped.


    Before Debbie could respond, Carlos held her hands and told her in a calm voice, "Deb, Megan is just


    a kid with a lot of enthusiasm. You''re overreacting. Let''s go upstairs."


    ''An 18-year-old kid? With a lot of enthusiasm? She has a thing for you. Why can''t you see it?'' Debbie


    retorted in her mind.


    With red eyes, Megan apologized again, "Aunt Debbie, please don''t be mad at me. If you''re not happy,


    I will keep that in mind and stay away from Uncle Carlos."


    Debbie was fuming with rage. ''So you all think I''m the bad guy here? Fine! I''ll be the ck sheep.''


    Debbie shook Carlos'' hands off and walked up the stairs. He started after her. She suddenly turned


    around and shouted at him, "Don''t follow me. Leave me alone."


    Before Carlos could say anything, Megan stepped backwards as if she were intimidated by Debbie,


    and Valerie stood up from the couch. "Debbie Nian!" she shouted imperiously. "Don''t talk to my


    grandson that way! He''s your husband! The husband is always right!"


    ''The husband is always right?'' Debbie rolled her eyes secretly. ''This woman is positively medieval!''


    She wanted to say something back. But on second thought, Valerie was Carlos'' grandma, so she bit


    back the words she would like to have said.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Putting his hands in his pockets, Carlos chimed in, "Grandma, you''re wrong. It''s the 21st century, and a


    wife has as much power as her husband when ites to family. Please stay out of it, Grandma.


    Megan, keep Grandmapany."


    After saying that, he grabbed Debbie''s hand and walked up the stairs.


    Although Debbie had lost her temper at him in front of his family, Carlos made his stand clear and


    defended her. Valerie couldn''t believe her ears. ''Carlos used to be a proud man. I didn''t expect him to


    defend such a rude woman.''


    She grabbed her walking stick tighter. "Women have as much power?" she retorted. "Only when she''s


    from a family of equal social rank. What kind of family does shee from? A rich and powerful one?


    " ''Ah, that''s why no one in his family likes me, '' Debbie mused. Bitterness flooded her as she lowered


    her head to hold back her tears.


    Carlos was angered by Valerie''s words. Despite the fact that he was still mad at his wife, he felt he


    should defend her against his own grandma. And he also felt he shouldn''t have to. Debbie was his


    wife. He chose to love her, marry her, and spend his life with her. This was his choice, not his family''s.


    And it was ridiculous to think that he didn''t have a say in this. Why did they think they had a say,


    anyway?


    Carlos looked Valerie in the eye and said in a serious tone, "You know what? I don''t care if she has


    money or power; I love her. We had dated for a long time before she finally agreed to be with me. My


    wife is hot, and doesn''t love me for my money. If it weren''t for the marriage certificate, she might have


    been another man''s wife. Grandma, will you please stop poking your nose in my business? If Deb


    leaves me because of you, it will cost me a lot of time and energy to get her back. She''s my one and


    only."


    Carlos just wanted his grandma to stay away from Debbie. He wanted to remind Valerie that even if


    she seeded in driving Debbie away, he would by no means ept another woman as she wished.


    Valerie was exasperated. Pointing at Debbie with a shaking hand, she yelled, "What''s so good about


    her that you had to date her for a long time? Do you know what she did to me and Megan? She bullied


    us, and then went out on a date with another man. She''s nothing but a ho! She even has a lover in


    New York. How could you be so blind?"


    She banged her stick on the floor; the sound reverberated in the living room.


    ''Bullied Grandma and Megan? Impossible!'' thought Carlos. His eyes darkened as he said, "Grandma,


    Debbie has always respected you. Bully you? Ha! And Megan, you just held my waist, right? Your aunt


    Debbie just overreacted. She doesn''t hate you. Grandma, please don''t mess with my family."


    Debbie''s anger vanished when she saw Carlos defend her like this. His words touched her heart


    deeply.


    Carlos felt Debbie brush his hand away, and got confused.


    Before he could respond, Debbie walked towards Valerie, took a deep breath and said in a soft voice,


    "I''m sorry, Grandma. Maybe I''m not the granddaughter-inw you want. But I can assure you I love


    Carlos. A lot. I would never cheat on him. What''s more, we''ve been married for more than three years.


    If you really hate to see us together, I''ll try to not show any public disys of affection. Okay?"


    Debbie decided to make peace with Valerie for Carlos'' sake. He had done a lot for her, and she should


    do something in return.


    ''Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. When I first knew the Huo family didn''t like me, I should''ve tried to


    make them like me instead of standing up to them, '' Debbie mused.


    Now that Debbie had already made a concession, Valerie didn''t think she should press her luck.


    Otherwise, Carlos would think she was crazy. She decided to let Debbie go for now, and she would find


    a new way to deal with her. Sitting back on the couch, she snorted, saying nothing more.


    Debbie gave Valerie a smile and went back to Carlos. They went up the stairs, hand in hand.


    After they entered the bedroom, Carlos shut the door behind them and then walked to the study


    adjoining the bedroom. He opened hisptop and began to work, without saying a word to Debbie.


    ''What?! I thought he wasn''t mad anymore.


    Turns out I was wrong, and he''s still angry, '' Debbie thought.


    She sat on the bedside, wondering what she should do to cool him down. Suddenly, a light bulb went


    off in her mind. She entered the study quietly and sat on the couch.


    All of a sudden, she held her back with her right hand and cried, "Aaaargh! It hurts! My back!"


    Carlos stopped typing and stood up. He strode towards her and asked anxiously, "What''s wrong? Your


    back hurts? Let me take you to the hospital."


    "No... No... No need for that. I can handle it."


    "No! I must take you to the hospital." He scooped her up in his arms and was about to leave.


    Debbie cuddled his neck and said quickly, "Don''t take me to the hospital! I just feel like I''m sprouting


    wings."


    Carlos stopped and looked at her in disbelief.


    His reaction amused Debbie, and she wanted tough out loud. But she knew he would get angry


    again if she did. So she said yfully, "Honey, I''ve developing wings."


    Instead of putting her down, Carlos took her to the bed and threw her onto it. He began to strip off her


    clothes while saying, "Well, I''d like to check how your wings areing along. What kind of bird are


    you, anyway? Never mind, let''s have fun finding it out."

 Chapter 198 I Want To Be A Father

    Chapter 198 I Want To Be A Father


    Carlos'' words amused Debbie. She rolled on the bed and said, "No need to check what kind of bird I


    am. I was a humble sparrow in the past. But after I got married to you, I became a shining phoenix."


    Carlos was in no mood to banter with her any longer; he needed to teach her a lesson in his own way.


    He pulled her into his arms and began to take off her clothes.


    "Don''t, Carlos. You are hurting me. Aaaaargh! Stop taking off my clothes. I was kidding. I don''t have


    wings."


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Debbie''s cries were so loud they traveled outside the bedroom.


    "Why are you kissing my back? I said I didn''t have wings!"


    "Shut up!" Carlos demanded coldly.


    "No. I know what you''re trying to do. This is daytime, and I''m not in the mood." Debbie knew more


    about Carlos after she had spent months with him. When he was mad at her, it would be torture to have


    sex with him¡ªhe would bang her like a stallion on steroids.


    Without stopping, Carlos said through gritted teeth, "How could you meet your ex behind my back? And


    you were in his arms! Were you going to cheat on me?" The more he thought about it, the angrier he


    became.


    Debbie shook her head immediately and tried to mollify him. "I''m sorry. I was really, really wrong. I


    won''t see him again. Please forgive me, old man."


    "Old man? Who''s old? When he held you in his arms, what did you call him? Mr. Gu? Hayden Gu?


    Hayden? Or honey?"


    Debbie kept her mouth shut. Otherwise, she would be unable to hold back the impulse to yell back at


    him.


    "What''s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Did he do this?" he asked, caressing her breasts.


    "Carlos Huo! You''re an ass! Aaaargh! He didn''t! He didn''t do anything to me!" Debbie struggled hard,


    but to no avail. She was no match for Carlos'' strength. Why was he still angry with her? Nothing


    happened, and it was all Hayden''s fault. Well, maybe not entirely true. She did agree to meet him,


    knowing that he still carried a torch for her. If she hadn''t gone to meet with Hayden, Carlos wouldn''t


    have been alerted, and he wouldn''t have witnessed anything.


    She felt wronged. ''I gave my first kiss to Carlos. Why doesn''t he believe me?''


    After what felt like an eternity, Debbiey in bed, motionless. Her body was killing her. Carlos, however,


    was donning his clothes again.


    She couldn''t understand why Carlos, an aloof CEO before the outsiders, would turn into a sex maniac


    when he was alone with her.


    "Waah..." Debbie burst into tears as she pointed at Carlos, who was now in a suit. "We need separate


    bedrooms now. I can''t stand it anymore."


    Carlos cast a cold nce at her and asked casually, "Still want to argue? I guess I need to bang you


    more so that you won''t have the energy."


    Debbie shook her head immediately and covered her face with the quilt. "No, no, no. I''m not going to


    argue with you. Just go to work."


    When Carlos descended the stairs and entered the living room, Valerie was sitting on the couch,


    watching TV. When she saw Carlos, she snorted and snapped, "It''s the middle of the day. What were


    you thinking? Even the servants heard her cry. What are you, a sex fiend?"


    Without slowing his pace, Carlos said, "Grandma, I know you already have a great-grandson, and you


    may not want another. But I''m dying to be a father."


    ''Great-grandson?


    Of course I want another great-grandson, '' Valerie retorted inwardly. She had a great-grandson¡ªher


    eldest son Wade''s grandson, who was a junior middle school student. The boy had a fight with his


    father Frasier, and went to his maternal grandpa''s home to celebrate the New Year.


    Brooks, Wade''s second son, had some health problems and had no sons or daughters.


    Lewis, Wade''s third son, was a yboy, and hadn''t gotten married yet.


    She really wished that Carlos, son of her youngest son James, could have a baby. But she didn''t want


    the baby''s mother to be Debbie.


    After Carlos left, Valerie turned off the TV and began to ponder on how she could drive Debbie out of


    the Huo family.


    When Debbie woke up again, it was already dark outside. She struggled out of bed and went to the


    bathroom to take a bath.


    Her jaw dropped when she saw herself in the mirror¡ªshe was ck and blue all over.


    ''That asshole!


    He was worse than a dog in heat!'' she cursed inwardly.


    Despite the anger, she didn''t dare curse him to his face.


    The next morning, she didn''t wake up until noon. She readied herself and took a deep breath. ''Once


    more unto the breach, '' she thought, echoing the speech in the ssic y. She had to steel herself


    every time she was together with that family. She went down the stairs to have lunch. Much to her


    surprise, no one in the Huo family was hostile to her.


    After lunch, she went back to her room. ''Did Valerie decide to make peace with me after I stood up to


    her? Thank God. Finally, '' she thought.


    In the afternoon, Miranda invited her toe along and visit Carlos'' grandpa in the hospital.


    Miranda and Debbie had nomon interests, so they didn''t chat on the way. The old man was still in


    aa. After that, Miranda asked the driver to send Debbie back to the Huo family''s manor, and she


    herself hailed a taxi and went off to work.


    Debbie was really confused. ''Why did she invite me to visit Grandpa?


    I mean, it''s normal to visit him. But it''s not normal for us to visit him together. We barely know each


    other.''


    Despite the confusion, Debbie didn''t ask Miranda for an answer. She went back home obediently.


    When she arrived at the manor, Valerie was taking a stroll with Megan. They saw Debbie and looked


    away as if she were invisible. Debbie greeted Valerie out of politeness, but she didn''t respond.


    Debbie went back to the bedroom and felt something was not right. ''This is weird. It''s like the calm


    before the storm. Is Valerie nning something behind my back?'' Debbie mused. And she was right.


    After supper, Valerie asked everyone to sit down in the living room.


    She even called Carlos back from work. He wasn''t finished, but he did as she asked anyway.


    Since Debbie had been caught seeing Hayden, Carlos had been terribly cool towards her. When he


    entered the living room and saw the family waiting for him, he came up to Debbie and sat next to her


    naturally.


    Since Carlos was now here, Valerie cleared her throat and began, "Debbie, I heard your academic


    performance was not good."


    Debbie was confused. "What?" ''Is she going to yell at me in front of everyone or something?'' she


    thought to herself.


    With a mocking smile, Valerie continued, "I don''t care whether you''re a bad student or not. But I won''t


    have a thief as a granddaughter-inw. Your behavior has brought shame on the Huo family."


    "A thief? What do you mean?" Debbie couldn''t believe her ears.


    Valerie said with a cold smile, "Ever since you set foot in this house, things have gone missing. I lost a


    string of Buddhist prayer beads, Megan lost a limited-edition lipstick, and Miranda lost a limited-edition


    handbag..."


    Debbie finally got it. "So, you think I stole them?"


    "I don''t think. I know," said Valerie firmly.


    Debbie was at a loss whether tough or to cry. Taking a deep breath, she defended herself by saying,


    "Grandma, you may not know it, but your grandson treats me very well. He''s given me a ton of precious


    gifts. Each of them is much more expensive than your string of beads. As for Megan''s lipstick, your


    grandson built a lipstickboratory for me. Well, Aunt Miranda''s limited-edition handbag might be


    valuable. But use your head. Your grandson provides for me quite nicely. Why would I need to steal


    anything?"

 Chapter 199 I Know My Woman Well

    Chapter 199 I Know My Woman Well


    Pride was written all over Debbie''s face. Not until now did she realize that Carlos had given a lot to her,


    and she felt so grateful.


    With knitted eyebrows, Carlos stared at his grandmother and said angrily, "Debbie may be a bad


    student, Grandma, but she''s better than that. Quit trying to frame her."


    Valerie scowled at him and snapped back, "I''m not lying! Before she came here, we never lost


    anything. She must be the thief! Besides, she always tries to bully Megan. If I hadn''t been with Megan,


    this woman would''ve probably beaten her. She eats too much. She''szy, and doesn''t respect her


    elders. She doesn''t wake up until noon. What''s worse, she even cheated on you. Carlos, I won''t ept


    this woman as my granddaughter-inw."


    Debbie was shocked at Valerie''s words¡ªshe never imagined she thought so low of her. Bitterness


    flooded her at this moment.


    She had done so much housework to please Valerie, but she thanked her by calling her a thief.


    ''I don''t give a rat''s ass what they think of me. But I do care about... Carlos'' opinion. Does he think of me


    like that too?'' she thought to herself.


    She didn''t dare to look Carlos in the eye, as she was afraid that she would see disappointment glinting


    there.


    Carlos leaned against the couch, his face deadpan. When he heard Valerie''s usations against his


    wife, he held Debbie''s hand and began to y with it.


    Debbie was left speechless. ''What''s he doing? I thought we weren''t on speaking terms. Is he trying to


    defend me?


    Or is he only doing this to save face?''


    Just when Debbie was lost in her own thoughts, Carlos spoke in a cold voice. "I don''t know why you


    think of her that way, Grandma. But she''s a good girl. You just won''t give her a chance. You said she


    had bullied Megan. If she really wanted to do that, she would have beaten her up whether you were


    there or not. See any bruises? No. So you just overreacted."


    Valerie''s face turned livid. Ignoring her, Carlos continued after a short pause, "You said she didn''t


    respect her elders. In my eyes, she always treats our family members with the utmost respect. You


    guys, on the other hand, are shitty to her. She doesn''t wake up until noon? Well, she suffers from jet


    lag. And it''s my fault. She''s up until the small hours because of me. If you do mind that, I''ll try to let her


    get to sleep earlier. She cheated on me? I already exined it, and I don''t want to talk about it


    anymore. You said she stole things? Haha! You must be kidding. My wife would never want your cheap


    things."


    Disdain could be seen in Carlos'' eyes.


    A myriad of emotions flooded Debbie at this moment. She was so moved by Carlos she wanted to cry.


    She didn''t think she was good enough to catch his eye, but he treated her like the most precious thing


    in his life.


    Valerie was too angry to utter a single word. After a long time, she finally cooled down a little and asked


    in a sad voice, "Carlos, how did she bewitch you? Why are you going on like this?"


    "Because she''s my wife," Carlos replied.


    "Don''t you think you''re focused on the wrong person? How about Megan or Stephanie? But why


    Debbie? She''s a thief and a cheater!" James thundered, as he couldn''t bear Carlos'' attitude any longer.


    ''Stephanie? Who''s that?'' Debbie thought to herself.


    Carlos stood up from the couch and dragged Debbie along with him. "Don''t call me out of work again


    and then run this...this circus! I''m super busy, and I don''t have the time to deal with stupid shit. As for


    your lost things, I''ll have my people look into it. And you, Grandma, you need to apologize to her once


    the air is clear."


    Then he and Debbie went up the stairs, hand in hand. No one dared to stop them.


    Valerie hadn''t expected things to go down like this. She thought once she said Debbie was a thief,


    Carlos would get angry and hate Debbie. But it turned out she was wrong.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The moment they entered the bedroom, Carlos told Debbie, "I still have work in New York, and we can''t


    go back to Y City now. If you don''t feel happy here, how about we move out?"


    After she thought about it a bit, Debbie shook her head. "We''re going back to Y City in a few days. Why


    go to the trouble? I''ll go out for the day while you''re at work." She decided to keep herself away from


    Valerie as much as possible.


    Then she fell into his strong arms, and she could smell his cologne. With dark eyes, Carlos asked, "Go


    out? Is Hayden Gu still around?"


    Debbie got a headache thanks to Carlos'' words. ''I thought he forgot about Hayden. Turns out I was


    wrong.'' "I don''t know whether he''s still here or not. It has nothing to do with me. I''m not going out to see


    him. Let me guess, you don''t want me to go out, do you? You want to ground me?"


    With a snort, Carlos released her and warned, "I don''t want to find out that you pulled something like


    you did with Hayden again."


    Sticking out her tongue, Debbie teased, "Fine! I won''t tell you."


    The next moment, she was scooped up and thrown onto the bed.


    "Trying to piss me off?" he asked in a hoarse voice as his hand began to stroke her waist.


    Debbie went rigid. "It was just a joke. I''m sorry, honey," she apologized immediately.


    Carlos stood up, adjusted his clothes, took out his phone and dialed a number. "It''s me, Carlos. A


    number of things have gone missing in the Huo family''s manor. I trust you can look into this."


    Debbie turned over on her stomach on the bed, looking at Carlos with pitiful eyes. After he hung up the


    phone, she asked in a low voice, "Carlos, do you really believe I didn''t do it?"


    Carlos undid his tie and cast a sidelong nce at her. "I know my woman well," he said shortly.


    Debbie was so touched that she stood up and jumped at Carlos. He caught her and held her tight. She


    kissed him repeatedly on both his cheeks. "I love you so much, honey."


    His heart softened, but he managed to maintain a poker face. "Don''t try to fool me. I will always


    remember what you did behind my back."


    ''Why does he sound like I cheated on him?'' Debbie cursed in her mind.


    "What a petty man!" she grumbled, pouting her lips.


    "Petty?" he repeated.


    "No, no, no! You misheard me. You''re so handsome that I¡ª Aargh! Don''t bite me. I was wrong. My


    husband is the most wonderful man in the world!"


    Deep inside, she began to curse, ''Carlos Huo! I swear I''ll make you stand barefoot on a porcupine.''


    In the Gu family''s house of Y City


    Portia was on a phone call on the balcony of the living room, taking in the snow-coveredndscape.


    "Tell me why all my activities have been cancelled! It took me a long time to set them up. And now,


    you''re telling me that all of them have been cancelled! What on earth is going on?" she shouted angrily


    into the phone.

 Chapter 200 Im Going To Be Carlos Huos Woman

    Chapter 200 I''m Going To Be Carlos Huo''s Woman


    "What? I thought Light Shade Entertainment was going to sign me after the New Year. Why did they


    decide against it all of a sudden? Who reced me?" Portia yelled into her phone.


    "What? Don''t tell me you don''t know! Mr. Zhong? Emmett Zhong! Could he be behind this?" Portia


    suddenly stopped shouting when the person on the other end of the line said something. "I didn''t


    expect a little assistant to be so resourceful..." she murmured in disbelief.


    All hermercials and modeling contracts had been cancelled. What was more, Light Shade


    Entertainment also decided not to sign her.


    After hanging up, Portia went back into the living room and threw her phone onto the couch. It bounced


    obligingly among the cushions beforending again, finally still.


    Hayden had juste back from New York and entered the house, overcoat in hand. Portia trotted up


    to him and asked anxiously, "Hayden, you''re friends with the CEO of Light Shade Entertainment, right?"


    Hayden was about to take a warm bath after a long journey. He didn''t miss a beat and asked in reply,


    "Yeah, I am. What''s up?"


    "Then call your friend and ask him why he didn''t sign me." Light Shade Entertainment was the leading


    internationalpany in the entertainment industry in Y City. It was Portia''s dream to be an entertainer


    of thatpany.


    With Hayden''s help, the CEO of Light Shade Entertainment had agreed to sign Portia after the New


    Year celebrations were done. But Portia''s assistant had just called, and told her that all her


    commercials and modeling contracts had been cancelled and Light Shade Entertainment had decided


    not to sign her.


    "Really?" Hayden asked, as he stopped and turned to look at Portia. "But why?"


    Portia''s eyes reddened. She took a deep breath and said in a choked voice, "I don''t know either."


    "Don''t worry. I''m calling my friend now." Hayden took out his phone and dialed a number.


    He hung up inside two minutes. He stared at his sister and was lost in his own thoughts, saying


    nothing.


    Portia was impatient. "Hayden, what did he say?"


    "Have you seen Debbie recently?" he asked.


    Before Portia could respond, a sharp voice chipped in, "Hayden, why talk about that bitch? Are you


    really that hung up on her? You want to piss me off, don''t you? Why did you suddenly go to New York?


    You should''ve stayed and celebrated the New Year with us."


    Hayden turned around to see nche walking down the stairs, d in a night gown. Fury was written


    all over her face.


    Ignoring her questions, Hayden repeated his question. "Have you seen her?"


    "Yes," Portia nodded, and wondered whether it had something to do with Emmett.


    Hayden had long known that Portia couldn''t stand Debbie, but he hadn''t taken it seriously before. He


    didn''t want to be caught between his sister and his beloved woman. But maybe he should have. A


    niggling doubt tickled the back of his brain. He wondered if it wasn''t so much about Portia, but instead


    hisst liaison with Debbie. Carlos seemed like he was okay with it, but what if he wasn''t?


    Now that Hayden knew that Debbie was Carlos'' wife, he thought he''d better remind his sister. "Portia,


    Debbie isn''t a doormat now. Don''t mess with her. Just be nice to her for my sake, okay?"


    Of course, Portia would not listen¡ªthere was no way she''d buy this. "Why should I be nice to her?


    Hayden, I don''t care if you still like her or not. You''ve gone too far," she said in a cold voice.


    ''Yes, her husband is Carlos'' assistant. So what? I don''t give a damn about that, '' she thought.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    nche pointed at Hayden and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Debbie Nian! Debbie Nian! What''s so


    good about her that you''ve carried a torch for her for so many years? Hayden, you are now the CEO of


    the Gu Group. You need to marry a woman from a family of equal status. That bitch doesn''t deserve


    you!"


    "Mom is right, Hayden. Just forget that woman," Portia echoed. She never liked Debbie, and she would


    do everything to make Hayden hate her. Her efforts came to naught, of course. While Debbie was a


    perfect vision, the woman of his dreams, these women just came off as hateful and wrong. They just


    didn''t know Debbie like he did. She was a delicate flower, a gleaming jewel to be plucked, and the best


    thing that ever happened to him. They just couldn''t ept that.


    Unable to stand it anymore, Hayden said to Portia, "You pissed Debbie off thest time you saw her,


    and now her husband is avenging her." After saying that, he turned around and walked up the stairs.


    Although Portia had thought of this possibility before, she still couldn''t believe her ears. ''Emmett is just


    an assistant. How was he able to do that to me? Ah, I see. Maybe he mentioned this to Mr. Huo, and


    Mr. Huo did all of this...''


    nche then noticed something was not right with her daughter. She held Portia''s hands and asked


    anxiously, "What happened? Your face is so pale."


    After a long time, Portia finally came back to her senses. She looked at nche in the eye and


    murmured, "Mom, all mymercials and modeling contracts have been cancelled. And Light Shade


    Entertainment decided not to sign me..."


    "Why?" nche raised her voice, and her face changed dramatically. Themercials and modeling


    contracts were very important to Portia, and determined her future in the entertainment circle. nche


    had even unted her daughter''s achievements before other richdies at a tea party the other day.


    If Portia was unable to sign with Light Shade Entertainment, nche would have made a fool of


    herself.


    "Emmett Zhong is avenging Debbie Nian," Portia said through gritted teeth. ''Debbie Nian! You thought


    you were something after marrying Emmett Zhong, huh? How could you do this to me?'' Portia cursed


    inwardly.


    nche''s face twitched with anger. "What?! That bitch again? How dare she! She thinks she can do


    anything she wants just because of Emmett Zhong?! He''s only an assistant! Bah! I swear I will beat her


    to a pulp."


    A light bulb went off in Portia''s head. "Mom, please get me in touch with Carlos Huo," she said.


    "What for?" nche asked in confusion.


    Looking nche in the eye, Portia said with determination, "I''m going to be his woman." That was the


    only way she could step on Debbie and teach her a hard lesson that she would never forget.


    "NO! Don''t you know Mr. Huo is married? You''re not going to be anyone''s mistress," nche snapped.


    There was no way that would end well. Men made endless promises to their mistresses about how


    they''d divorce their wives and marry them. They rarely did, and if the mistresses got pregnant, well,


    that was all over.


    Portia was not willing to be an ordinary man''s mistress. However, Carlos Huo was not an ordinary man.


    Being his mistress was much better than being an ordinary man''s wife. Portia said in a calm voice,


    "Mom, I don''t think Carlos Huo loves his wife. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have kept her a secret from the


    public. He has gone to parties with Olga a couple times. Besides, he walked out of the hotel with a


    college girlst time, and I''m sure that wasn''t Olga. See? He has so many women. Men are all


    unfaithful. And Carlos is no exception. Have you ever heard of the daughters of the prominent families


    in Y City getting married? No! Of course, Carlos'' wife is not from a powerful family. Do you think I can''t


    drive Mrs. Huo out of the Huo family and rece her?"


    "Um..." nche hesitated. She had to admit that Portia had a point, but she was afraid that people


    might gossip behind her back. After all, it would be disgraceful if Portia was a mistress.


    Portia knew what was on her mother''s mind. "Mom, don''t worry. I don''t think people would gossip about


    me. Carlos is so rich and powerful, nobody will trash talk him or his woman. After I be his woman,


    our family will be more respected."


    ''After I be Mrs. Huo, I''ll ask him to fire Emmett Zhong!'' she swore to herself.


    nche had been thinking of marrying her daughter to Carlos instead of Lewis. Despite being the


    general manager of ZL Group''s New York branch, Lewis wielded little power in thepany. But the


    truth was, Carlos had turned this offer down without hesitation. Left with no other option, she then


    decided to marry Portia to Lewis. After all, Lewis was Carlos'' cousin. The Gu family could still benefit


    from an association with Carlos.

 Chapter 201 Scandal

    Chapter 201 Scandal


    Portia''s exnations made nche feel better about her n. She was still wary, but Portia seemed


    logical about this. "But it''s not easy to get close to Mr. Huo," she said to her daughter.


    "I know. From now on I''ll work harder to stand out. You and Dad can try your best to get me the


    invitations of the parties, dinners, andmercial activities Carlos will attend," said Portia.


    She had been trying to be a better woman all the time. It used to be just for show, but now it was for


    Carlos.


    She understood that only an exceptional woman deserved to stand by him.


    In New York


    The next morning, some professionals came to the Huos'' house to investigate the case involving the


    missing items. Debbie just wanted to get out of there, so she left the house with Carlos without asking


    the men anything.


    She felt much better after wandering around and having some fun.


    When the sun started to set, it was time to go back. She wanted to find Carlos to go home together with


    him, but then she learned that he wasn''t in the office, so she had to head home alone.


    Since it waste, she ate dinner outside. When she went back inside, not a single soul was around.


    The chandelier in the living room had been switched off. Only some dim wall fittings in the hallway were


    on. The ce was almost eerie now. Debbie paused. She could almost hear ghosts, but she wasn''t


    sure what it was. The shadows on the walls did little to dispel the unsettling feeling. She peered into the


    gloom, trying to see into adjoining areas, but had little luck. She changed into slippers at the vestibule.


    Just as she walked into the living room, some noises startled her. This wasn''t her imagination this time.


    Debbie looked towards the sound.


    A shadow was descending the staircase, trying to be stealthy. Debbie swiftly hid herself behind the


    shoe cab and watched. It was a man, she was sure of it. And the man seemed to be...


    At the corner of the stairs, he knocked over a potted nt but was quick enough to catch it.


    He looked around carefully. Seeing that no one was around, he moved on.


    Debbie followed him cautiously. To her surprise, the man walked towards the storage room she had


    cleaned.


    He walked into the room and locked it from inside after looking left and right shiftily.


    Pressed against the wall, Debbie walked quietly to the door of the storage room and listened carefully


    as she held her breath.


    Someone was talking. Too bad she couldn''t hear clearly. But one thing was clear¡ªthere was a woman


    inside!


    Debbie had a nasty feeling something bad was going to happen. Sure enough, obscene moans hit her


    ears shortly afterwards.


    ''Crap! Why do I have to be the one to find out about this?'' Debbie thought in frustration.


    The two inside were getting noisier. Debbie covered her ears and started to walk back to the living


    room.


    She felt bad about the storage room. It had taken her a couple of hours to clean it, and now it was used


    to sneak some nookie.


    As soon as she reached the living room, Lewis spotted her.


    His sudden appearance scared the life out of her. He trotted over to Debbie excitedly and said loudly,


    "Deb, Deb, you''re home. I came downstairs to grab a can of pop¡ª" He was so loud


    Debbie had to cover his mouth with her hand and drag him aside.


    "Shh! Keep your voice down! The others are sleeping. Do you want to wake everybody up?"


    Lewis'' eyes narrowed into thin lines as he stroked Debbie''s hand with a grin. Debbie let him go


    immediately and smacked his head. "Touch me again and I''ll gut you like a fish!" she warned.


    Lewis asked with a goofy smile, "Deb, did youe home alone? Where''s Carlos? He isn''t home yet?"


    Reluctant to talk to him, Debbie wiped her hand on his clothes and went upstairs.


    Lewis watched her and swallowed hard.


    "Lewis, why are you even here?" a man''s voice asked casually. It seemed he wasing from where


    the storage room was.


    Lewis turned to him and looked behind him. "I came down to get a pop. But Uncle James, why did you


    come that way?"


    James smiled. "Oh, I came down to get a ss of water, but then I had to answer the call of nature, so


    I went to the bathroom first."


    The bathroom and the storage room on the first floor were the same way, so Lewis didn''t think anything


    of it and went to the kitchen.


    James looked upstairs while pouring himself some water. He asked, "Who were you talking to?"


    "Oh, it was... it was Debbie." Lewis intended to say Deb but changed it, considering it sounded a little


    too intimate.


    James'' face fell when he heard that. "Oh? What did shee down for?" he asked, pretending to look


    at Lewis casually. Lewis wasn''t buying it. The old man couldn''t conceal his contempt for his daughter-


    inw. He was tense, too.


    "I don''t know. When I saw her, she wasing that way." Lewis pointed to the bathroom after he


    closed the refrigerator door. Thinking that James had juste from the bathroom, he added, "Since


    you were in the bathroom, maybe she had been to the storage room."


    Except for the bathroom and storage room, all the rooms on the first floor were guest rooms.


    James lost his cool when the storage room was mentioned. "Did she say why she went there?"


    Lewis was confused. He shook his head and wondered, "No, she didn''t. Uncle James, what''s wrong?


    You look nervous."


    Realizing he was overreacting, James forced a smile. "Nothing. Just curious. You know some things


    have gone missing in this house recently. We all should be more careful."


    James thought about it for a while, and an idea popped in his head. "Carlos won''t be back for awhile.


    Why don''t you go to her room and ask her why she went there? And tell her not to wander around. It


    looks suspicious as all hell."


    All Lewis heard were "Carlos won''t be back for awhile," and "go to Debbie''s room." He swallowed and


    nodded immediately, "Sure, Uncle James. I''ll tell her."


    A trace of contempt appeared in James'' eyes as he found out how horny Lewis looked when it came to


    Debbie. He concealed his emotions and suggested, "Let''s go upstairs."


    "Yes, Uncle James." Lewis took a huge gulp of soda and followed him.


    As soon as they left the living room, a figure snuck out of the storage room, left by the back door, and


    walked towards the servants'' quarters.


    Once she was back in her bedroom, Debbie wondered if she should tell Carlos about the disgraceful


    affair she had discovered.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Should she pretend nothing happened or tell Carlos the truth?


    If she kept her mouth shut, she would feel bad about keeping something this big from him.


    But if she said anything, surely the matter would turn the house upside down like a torpedo.


    She had started thinking about the question the minute she walked in. She thought about it during her


    shower. She thought about it when she was brushing her teeth. After being mentally tortured by the


    question for more than half an hour, she felt like she was having a meltdown. "Oh, whatever." She


    finally gave up and pushed the thought aside. Lying in bed, she started reading updates on Weibo.


    That was much more fun.


    She typed the name Carlos Huo in the search bar, and saw all the news about him.


    Most posts were focused on his marriage.


    The night deepened. It was past 11 p.m., and yet Carlos was still not back. "Mr. Huo, honey, when are


    youing home?" she couldn''t help asking him in a text.


    But there was no reply. She waited around for about five minutes. Then she texted him again. "Don''t


    work toote. I''m waiting for you to tuck me in, honey."

 Chapter 202 Carlos’ Rage

    Chapter 202 Carlos¡¯ Rage


    It was midnight, but Debbie still hadn''t heard from Carlos. Before long, she drifted off.


    In the dead of the night, someone opened the door to her bedroom silently.


    That someone walked in stealthily and nced around the room. The fragrance in the air filled his


    nose. He sniffed greedily.


    In her sleep, Debbie felt that mysterious figure slip into her bed. Assuming that it was her husband, she


    didn''t open her eyes and held him tightly. "Honey, finally, you''re back," she muttered.


    Without a word, the man tried to kiss her lips, but Debbie happened to slide down a little, so he kissed


    her hair instead.


    She opened her eyes a little and found the room waspletely dark. Unable to see anything, she


    closed her eyes again and snuggled into the man''s arms. "Mr. Handsome, did you just take a shower?


    You smell good. Is that new cologne?" The scent was a bit strong.


    The man didn''t answer. He turned over and threw himself on top of her.


    Sensing what he was about to do, Debbie woke up. "No, Mr. Handsome, I''m good. I''m still sore from


    last time."


    ''Wait. Something''s wrong, '' Debbie realized.


    ''This doesn''t feel right. The weight and scent are both wrong!''


    Debbie''s eyes snapped open. She reached for themp on the nightstand, fumbling with the switch.


    Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the man''s face.


    Angry, she pushed him off of her forcefully, and the man was dumped unceremoniously onto the lushly


    carpeted floor. "Ow! Dammit! What''s wrong?" he howled.


    Debbie straightened her pajamas quickly. Usually, she slept naked. But tonight, she had been so


    sleepy that she had dozed off in pajamas. Lucky for her, otherwise he would have felt something he


    had no right to. This man was no Carlos. Indeed, he could never match up to that powerful, handsome


    presence. Instead, this guy would forever be in Carlos'' shadow, no matter where Carlos was at the


    time.


    She jumped off the bed and grabbed Lewis'' ear furiously. "How dare you sneak into my room!"


    "Ouch! Easy, easy! Carlos is always busy. I was worried about you. I thought you might be lonely, so I


    came in to give you some lov¡ª Ah¡ª"


    Before Lewis could finish his words, Debbie released his ear and gave him a hard scissor kick in the


    chest.


    ''This guy just walked into my room, devil-may-care, even though most of the others are here. They all


    think I''m a pushover, don''t they?'' Debbie thought to herself.


    Little did she know that someone had snapped a picture of her and Lewis earlier and sent it to Carlos.


    When Carlos got the picture, he was on his way home. His face darkened instantly. "Drive as fast as


    you can,"


    he ordered the driver sternly. "Yes, Mr. Huo." At that moment, they were already near the manor. A


    couple of minutester, they arrived at the house.


    Before the driver could reach the door and open it for him, Carlos already got out of the car and strode


    into the house quickly and purposefully. He was fully enraged.


    The second floor was supposed to be quiet with everyone deep in sleep. However, right now, each


    room was bright with the lights on. His family were crowded in the hallway at the door of a room,


    everyone in nightwear. Everyone heard themotion.


    "What''s going on?" Carlos demanded. Spotting him, they all made way for him.


    With everyone out of his way, now Carlos could see clearly. Lewis was lying on the floor, cupping his


    face. Beside him was Debbie with a coat draped around her shoulders. Her eyes reddened as soon as


    she saw Carlos.


    The elders of the Huo family had scolded her harshly without listening to her exnation. Carlos was


    the only one that could provide her withfort right now.


    But she didn''t move. She was waiting for him to go near her.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Carlos was stone-faced. Lewis was too afraid to lift his head. James, on the other hand, thundered,


    "What shameful behavior! She''s a disgrace to this family! Carlos, look what your wife did! Trying to bed


    your cousin while you weren''t home! We wouldn''t have known, but they were too loud. This is the


    woman you''ve been protecting! How can we ever show our faces anywhere if word gets out?"


    Lewis got to his feet and looked fearfully at Carlos. "C-Carlos, Debbie...she told me that... you weren''t


    home tonight and... asked me to... to ce to her room. S-so I did..."


    With a hideous face, Valerie berated, "You married well this time! God, what a whore! Even though your


    father and I don''t approve of your marriage, you still take her side!"


    No one else said anything. Some were too scared to speak, others were too angry, like Miranda.


    She looked at Lewis with a livid expression on her face, as if she wanted to beat him to death right now.


    If looks could kill, Lewis would have been a smoldering corpse.


    Carlos walked towards Lewis, stood in front of him, and then without a word, sent him flying to the wall


    with a heavy kick. The beaten man screamed painfully.


    The others gaped at the sight. Worried about Lewis, Valerie panicked. "What are you doing? Why hit


    Lewis? It''s your wife who did this!"


    Not responding, Carlos grabbed Lewis by the cor and gave him two heavy blows to the face. The


    disgusting man''s squeals pierced the air. And blood covered his whole front side, red, wet, sticky; all


    gushing from his broken nose and ruined lips.


    Both Frasier and James walked over to Carlos to calm him down. "Carlos, chill."


    Carlos brushed them aside, took off his coat, and threw it to Debbie, who had been stunned into a


    trance by his sudden outburst. She caught his coat reflexively.


    Lewis fell onto the floor, but Carlos lifted him up and punched him again. Now Carlos'' fists were


    covered with the pathetic loser''s blood. Some of it flecked onto Carlos'' clothing as well. He appeared to


    pay no mind to that fact.


    Everyone panicked.


    Since he couldn''t stop Carlos, James suddenly stalked towards Debbie and pped her hard across


    the face.


    Focused on Carlos, Debbie didn''t see the ping.


    Her cheek was burning. Her ear rang.


    Everyone froze at the sound of the heavy smack.


    Even Valerie hadn''t expected James to hit a woman.


    Realizing that it was Debbie who had been hit, Carlos balled his hands into fists. The red p mark he


    saw felt like it was on his own face. His eyes med as if they would catch on fire any minute.


    James had never seen his son this angry. He was afraid and regretted pping Debbie immediately,


    but he summoned up his courage and managed to argue, "Your slutty wife cheated on you with your


    cousin! She''s no daughter-inw of mine! She''s a femme fatale and should be kicked out of this


    house!"


    As soon as the middle-aged man finished his sentence, Carlos dashed towards him, raised his fist and


    smashed it against his face while the others screamed in shock.


    "Carlos! He''s your father!" In tears, Tabitha blocked the second blow by standing in front of James.


    Carlos looked at James as if there were decades of hatred between them. He pulled Tabitha away and


    swung his fist again.


    Dizzy, James slumped onto the floor and had difficulty getting up. Wade and his other two sons tried to


    stop Carlos but failed. Because Carlos was far different than the man he had been seconds earlier.


    How do you stop a force of nature?

 Chapter 203 Megans Declaration Of Love

    Chapter 203 Megan''s Deration Of Love


    Seeing so many people had failed to stop Carlos, Megan thought she''d give it a shot. She approached


    him and tried to talk him out of it, but she only got one single tug at his sleeve before she herself was


    pushed away. The push was so fierce she stumbled backwards to the wall. Holding her injured arm,


    she stood there and didn''t dare to take another step towards the enraged man.


    By now, the house was a total mess. Everything was in disarray. The potted nt was tipped over, and


    dirt spilled onto the carpet. The little decorative table was knocked over, and the knickknacks it once


    held were all over the floor. Pools of blood stained the carpet darkly in ces where Carlos'' victims had


    bled. Even the wall hangings were knocked crooked. This was the worst anyone had ever seen the


    ce, but anyone who might want to try and clean up the ce was held in check by Carlos'' white-hot


    rage.


    Tabitha walked to Debbie and pulled her arm. The young woman was still at a loss. Caught off guard,


    she staggered and managed to steady herself by pressing her hand against the wall. "This is all your


    fault! Everything was okay before you married him. But look what''s happening now! Because of you,


    Carlos is beating his own father! What kind of monster have you turned him into?!"


    That brought Debbie to her senses. She handed Carlos'' coat to Connie, trotted over to him, and


    grabbed his raised hand, now balled into a fist, covered with blood both fresh and congealing. "Carlos,


    Carlos, please stop. He''s your father..." she sobbed.


    The madman regained his sanity when he heard her cries.


    "Carlos, listen to me. There''s nothing wrong with elders scolding their kids. Please don''t hit him again,


    okay?"


    Valerie was so angry she could barely stand, even though Frasier and Gloria were supporting her on


    either side. She pounded on the floor with her cane and shouted, "Sinful! This is utterly sinful! Carlos,


    he''s your father! How could you do this?"


    Carlos nced at the others nonchntly and ignored all of them. He pulled Debbie closer to him and


    asked, "Does it still hurt?" That was the second sentence he had said the whole evening.


    Shaking her head, Debbie answered, "No. Let''s go to our room."


    "Your room?" Valerie walked over and red at Debbie. "Debbie Nian, you saw it yourself. Not that we


    don''t wee you, but you ruined the peace in this family.


    " It seemed true. Debbie forced her tears back and apologized, "I''m sorry¡ª"


    As soon as the words came out, Carlos squeezed her hand.


    Valerie gazed at her grimly. "I don''t need your apology. I''m sure you''ve shaved years off my life.


    Divorce Carlos if you''re not trying to make me die soon."


    ''Divorce!'' Debbie''s heart twisted into a knot.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Here''s what you do. Call thewyer. Now. Ask him to write up the divorce papers. As long as you sign


    the papers without making a fuss, we may consider paying you alimony."


    Debbie was lost for words. Carlos pulled her behind him protectively and confronted the olddy.


    "Since when does any of you get to make decisions about my marriage, Grandma?"


    Valerie met his eyes. "Carlos, you used to be loyal to the family, but now you disrespect me again and


    again, all because of this woman. You hit Lewis! You hit your father! I won''t allow this woman to


    confuse you anymore."


    Carlos sneered, "You''re the confused one. Who has been stirring shit up ever since Debbie got here?


    You know Lewis as well I do. Do you really think this is Debbie''s fault? Dad shouldn''t have hit Debbie.


    He should be thankful he IS my dad. Otherwise, I would have cut his arm off. You protect your son, and


    I''m just trying to protect my wife. What''s wrong with that?"


    "Carlos, you¡ª" Valerie was too furious to go on.


    Carlos nced at the others and dered, "Debbie and I will never get divorced, never. All of you, just


    forget about it, because you''ll only be disappointed. We''re only living here because we want to keep my


    mompany. But now it seems it''s not necessary. My mom''s willing to take insults lying down, but


    there is no way that I''ll let my wife be somebody''s doormat. Debbie and I are moving out."


    With that, he took Debbie''s hand and started walking towards the stairs.


    "Carlos! Carlos Huo!" Watching her grandson''s cold figure, Valerie wanted to ask him to stay. However,


    Carlos only quickened his pace. He didn''t want to be there a minute longer than he had to be. If this


    was the way they were going to treat his wife, he didn''t want any part of it.


    When they came to thending, he suddenly stopped and said to the others, "And my wife isn''t a thief,


    either. My men figured out it wasn''t her. Grandma, keep an eye on your dog."


    Valerie kept a medium-sized dog. She would let him y and run around in the manor at regr times.


    ''Is the dog responsible?'' they all wondered.


    A car was parked at the entrance to the house. Before getting in, Debbie suddenly stopped. Carlos


    looked back at her.


    "Maybe I should move out. You can stay here..."


    Carlos affectionately pulled the coat draped on her shoulders closer to her. "You think I''ll agree to that?"


    "I¡ª"


    "Uncle Carlos!" a ringing voice interrupted Debbie.


    They both turned their head. In the dim light, they could see Megan running towards them like a


    butterfly. She threw herself into Carlos'' arms and started crying. "Uncle Carlos, please don''t go. I don''t


    want you to go. Boo-hoo...hoo..."


    Carlos disentangled himself andforted her. "We''re leaving for Y City in three days. Take care of my


    grandma for me."


    "Uncle Carlos, I want to stay with you. Don''t leave me alone. Can I go with you? Uncle Carlos, Aunt


    Debbie, please."


    Megan''s crying was too real. Tears streamed down her face, her voice was hoarse from grief. For a


    moment, even Debbie almost believed her. She was worried that Carlos would go soft and agree to


    take the vicious girl with them. Then she would have to not only cry but also bleed inside!


    Carlos took Debbie to the car and said, "Wait for me inside. It''s cold out here."


    It was indeed cold outside. Debbie got in the car and sat by the window.


    Nheless, as soon as Carlos closed the door, Megan embraced him again and sobbed, "Uncle


    Carlos, I know you think I''ll get in the way if I stay with you and Aunt Debbie. Besides, Aunt Debbie


    doesn''t like me. But you know what? I don''t like her either, because she stole you. Uncle Carlos, I''ve


    liked you since the day you took me in." Her deration of love caught Carlos off guard. His brows


    knitted.


    "I was going to tell you on my 18th birthday, but that day, you told me you were married. Uncle Carlos,


    can you imagine how heartbroken I was? I like you so much, but you married someone else..."


    Words failed Carlos.


    He was always resolute and cold when he handled things with the women that were obsessed with


    him. Debbie used to be the only exception.


    But now there was Megan.


    "Megan, listen up," he said seriously.


    "Yes," Megan nodded, her eyes and nose red.


    "I love your aunt Debbie, and she is my one and only. I only love her. Do you understand?"

 Chapter 204 Call Him

    Chapter 204 Call Him


    Carlos'' ruthless refusal was a shock to Megan. She felt as if she''d been struck by a thunderbolt. Her


    face turned pale. "Uncle Carlos, don''t you like me at all?" Her lips trembled.


    "I like you, but that''s not love. I see you as family."


    Megan couldn''t take it. This was not what she had expected. She took a few steps back while shaking


    her head in disbelief. "No, no! Uncle Carlos, you are always so good to me. You love me! I know you


    do!"


    Carlos sighed deeply. "Megan, listen to me."


    He tried to calm her down, but in the end, Megan''s illness reared its head again. She slumped onto the


    ground, gasping for air.


    Carlos closed his eyes tightly in resignation, scooped her up, and started walking towards the house.


    Sitting in the car, Debbie watched her husband carry another woman in his arms all the way to the


    manor. That wasn''t what she wanted. Not even what she needed. She was hoping to get away from all


    this, away from Carlos'' family, away from creepy Lewis, who had plucked the straw that broke the


    camel''s back. From judgmental Valerie and James, two oldsters who didn''t like her because her family


    wasn''t rich. Because there was no advantage for them if Carlos stayed married to her. They even


    suggested she divorce Carlos.


    A couple of minutester, Mr. Handsome himself called her.


    She slid her finger along the screen of the phone to take the call but didn''t speak.


    "Honey, I''ll get my assistant to drive you to the vi first. Megan is sick. I can''t leave right now. I''ll be


    there as soon as possible."


    Debbie smiled bitterly. There was little she could say. After a while, she replied gently, "Okay. But you


    have worked all day. Take care of yourself."


    Carlos was exhausted. Debbie''s tender words were the cure for everything. He smiled, "Okay. Just rest


    when you get there. Don''t stay upte."


    "Got it. Bye, honey."


    "Bye."


    The car stopped in front of a white vi. Debbie had expected to see an empty house, but when she got


    out of the car, she could see lights were on inside the house through the windows. She assumed


    Carlos must have told someone to turn the lights on for her.


    Carlos'' assistant led her inside. Two maids were waiting for her. "Good evening, Mrs. Huo," they


    greeted her with a bow at the main entrance.


    Debbie nodded with a smile and asked, "Is the room ready?"


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. The room is upstairs. Please follow me."


    "Thank you."


    It was already past midnight. Debbie was tired and was in no mood to tour the vi. She plopped onto


    the bed as soon as she walked into the bedroom. She just wanted to be one with the night, close


    her eyes, and forget the events of the past few days. She could swear that the Huo family members


    were trying to drive her mad. Fortunately she was made of sterner stuff than that. But now, she was just


    exhausted. Her eyes had already started to close when the maid drew close and started to speak.


    "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo asked us to prepare this for you. Please move closer so that I can apply the ice,"


    she said quietly. Apparently the maid followed her inside the room holding a tray in her hands. She was


    too tired to notice.


    "Okay, thank you," Debbie agreed. Actually, her face didn''t hurt much right now, but she was too weary


    to speak much or do anything. Her head was full of thoughts. She justy there and let the maid do her


    job.


    The things that had happened tonight hit her like a ton of bricks. Only the dull pain in her face reminded


    her it was all too real.


    ''Was the Huo family too mean or was I a lousy daughter-inw?


    Maybe both.


    Carlos hit Lewis and James because of me. I was so moved by that. But then I saw Megan in his


    arms... and he isn''t home yet... Oh, God, this is so frustrating and stressful, '' she thought.


    She took the towel and ice from the maid''s hands. "Go to sleep. I can do it myself," she told the maid.


    After the maid left the room, Debbie ced the ice onto the tray and called Kasie. She would know


    what to do. Or could at least give her moral support.


    "Hey, Tomboy, Why are you calling sote? It''s midnight in New York. Shouldn''t you and your husband


    be doing the dirty-dirty in bed?"


    Debbie felt sadder when Kasie mentioned Carlos. "I had a bad day today. Kasie, I want to go home."


    Kasie captured her sad tone. "What happened?"


    "Too much. That''s what happened. I don''t even know where to start. Kasie, they don''t like me. What


    should I do?"


    Kasie was relieved. "I thought it was something serious. Why do you even care? As long as your


    husband likes you, nothing else matters."


    "I know. And it should be like that. But when Carlos got in a fight with his family because of me, I felt so


    awful. And Megan, his not-by-blood niece, loves him in a romantic way. It bugs the hell out of me, but I


    can''t get mad at Carlos because of it." Debbie started to channel her depression and told Kasie what


    had happened over the past two days.


    Kasie listened to her quietly and then asked, "So, Mr. Huo hit Lewis and James to defend your honor,


    and then Megan''s asthma acted up, and Mr. Huo carried her back to the manor and hasn''te back


    yet now. Am I right?"


    "Yeah."


    "How can you be so stupid to leave your husband alone with another woman? And in the middle of the


    night? What if something happens between them? I don''t think Mr. Huo is a scumbag, but some


    women are. Your husband is an extraordinary man. A maniptive bitch like Megan will try everything


    to make him hers. Hang up with me. And call your husband and ask him toe back, you silly girl."


    Kasie was really worried about Debbie. Debbie didn''t know how to handle rtionships yet. She was


    too new at this. Maybe she married Carlos too soon?


    "But... I don''t want to call him. He must be busy banging things out with his family right now. What if he


    gets upset? "


    "He cares for you too much to do that. You call him to show your concern, to tell him how much you


    care about him, not to grill him for the details. Got it? "


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Debbie nodded her head, even though Kasie couldn''t see her. But she only caught part of Kasie''s


    meaning. "So I try calling him? What if something is happening between them? My phone call will¡ª


    No, that''s impossible. Kasie, what were you thinking? You put this crazy thought in my head. Carlos


    isn''t that kind of guy. He won''t cheat on me. Whatever Megan tries, it won''t work. A proud man like


    Carlos won''t fall for her. "


    "You''re right. Your husband won''t cheat on you¡ªintentionally. But I''m not sure about Megan. What if


    she kisses him? "


    ''Kiss him?'' Megan had kissed Carlos more than once before. The scenes yed out in Debbie''s head.


    The longer she visualized it, the more anxious she became. What if Megan got Carlos in bed? What if


    he liked her better than Debbie? "Call youter. Bye. "


    She hung up the phone immediately and called Carlos.


    The phone was connected soon, but Megan answered it.


    "Aunt Debbie, it''s sote. What''s up?"


    Debbie sneered, finding her question ridiculous. ''Do I need a reason to call my own husband?'' "Where


    is your uncle Carlos?"


    "Uncle Carlos was worried that I might be hungry, so he went to the kitchen to cook something for me."


    ''She''s gloating, '' Debbie realized. ''She thinks she''s won.'' "What makes you think he wants you to


    answer his phone? And why are you keeping him up sote? You know he has to work, right?" she


    asked, trying to keepposed.


    "What''s wrong with it? Uncle Carlos and I are in love. You''re the other woman trying toe between


    us. Now you are telling me what''s okay?" Megan provoked.


    Debbie was going mad. She sneered, "You two are in love? Then why didn''t he marry you? Why did he


    marry me instead? "


    "Don''t you know? Uncle Carlos married you because of his grandpa. He is nice to you just because his


    grandpa asked him to. He has to. You think he loves you? Haha! That''s hrious. Uncle Carlos loves


    his grandpa very much. Everything he did for you is just to make his grandpa feel better so that he


    could wake up earlier. "

 Chapter 205 Bring It

    Chapter 205 Bring It


    ''She even used Carlos'' unconscious grandpa as a pawn in her game. She would really use everything


    she could, '' Debbie thought. She took a deep breath and snorted, "You''ve finally shown your true


    colors. You dering war on me? "


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "War? Don''t be stupid. You''re not even a worthy opponent. I can make Uncle Carlos spend the night


    here if I want. Want proof?" Megan asked in a weird, creepy voice.


    "Huh! Who on earth do you really like? Carlos? Wesley? Curtis? Or Damon?" Debbie asked.


    "I like them all," Megan answered simply. "You''re absolutely the biggest ho I''ve ever known. Too bad for


    you, Carlos''s married. I''m his wife, and you''re just one of many women who want him."


    "I warned you, but since you''re so stupid, don''t cry when things get tough." Meganughed like a happy


    witch over the phone.


    Debbie had never feared anyone before except Carlos. An 18-year-old was definitely no threat to her.


    What was she thinking? Besides, Carlos wouldn''t cheat on her. He had many opportunities to, and


    hadn''t done so yet. So was Megan just a madwoman chasing a dream she could never have? Or was


    there something to what she was saying? After all, Carlos'' family seemed to like Megan a lot more than


    they liked Debbie. On the other hand, Carlos had beaten his own family members in defense of


    Debbie, so maybe this was really woman to woman. "Bring it, Miss Lan!"


    "Good!"


    "Can you hand the phone to my husband now?"


    "Of course, Aunt Debbie!" Magically, Megan''s voice was back to the usual sweet one. She was good at


    sounding bubbly and innocent. Probably the weapon she used well against Carlos, and on the family if


    anyone called her out on her actions.


    She walked downstairs and came to the kitchen, where Carlos was cooking for her. "Why did youe


    downstairs?" he asked when she showed up at the door.


    With a sad face, Megan raised the phone so that he could see the screen. "Aunt Debbie wants to talk


    to you. I didn''t want toe down. But she said it''s urgent. I told her you were cooking, and then she


    started yelling at me. Uncle Carlos, you should try and calm her down."


    Debbie heard everything. ''She''s pretending to be soft and innocent again, that evil, maniptive bitch!''


    she cursed.


    Seeing that Megan had answered his private call, Carlos was a bit annoyed. "Go wait outside," he said


    to her.


    Megan read the annoyance on Carlos'' face. She left the kitchen obediently.


    Left alone, Carlos asked tenderly on the phone, "Why aren''t you asleep yet? It''ste."


    Little did he know how hard Debbie was trying to suppress her anger. Remembering Kasie''s advice,


    she answered gently, "I couldn''t sleep. I was worried about you. Did your dad and grandma get mad at


    you again?"


    "No. Megan got sick, and they were all worried about her, so they dropped it for now,"


    he replied while adeptly cracking an egg into a bowl with one hand.


    Listening to the sound of whisking eggs, Debbie felt her heart was soaked in bitterness, but she


    pretended not to mind. "I didn''t know you could cook. When did you learn that?"


    Carlos paused shortly. "I''ll cook for you someday soon, okay?"


    "No need for that. The servants can cook. By the way, you worked all day. Where are the servants?


    Aren''t they supposed to do that?" Debbie''s eyes started tearing up. Carlos was busy every day. She


    didn''t have the heart to ask him to do anything for her after work. But right now, another woman was


    having him work in the middle of the night.


    "Megan didn''t feel well. She wanted to eat the noodles I cooked for her before," he exined briefly.


    ''Huh!'' Debbie held back her tears without one more word.


    She didn''t know since when she''d always been trying to reign in her temper.


    But it was only around Carlos that she would suppress her anger time and again.


    "Megan said it was urgent. What is it?"


    "I want to go back to Y City alone tomorrow," she blurted out.


    Carlos put down the bowl and chopsticks. "We''ll only be here for three days. I''ll be finished with work by


    then. What''s the matter? I gave you a private vi all to yourself. I promise no one will disturb you


    there."


    Debbie was conflicted. She appreciated what Carlos had done for her, from the bottom of her heart, but


    meanwhile, she couldn''t stand him being nice to other women, even if the woman was his supposed


    niece. Especially a niece who wanted him for herself!


    She wanted to be mad, but she also thought she shouldn''t be.


    It might make her seem petty.


    She wanted to cry, but she didn''t know exactly why she was hurt.


    "Okay, can youe back now? I miss you, honey. I can''t sleep without you by my side."


    Carlos missed her too, but the meal wasn''t finished yet. He didn''t like leaving things half done. "I''ll be


    back in half an hour."


    The manor was very close to the vi. He could get there in very few minutes. He always finished what


    he had started. The noodles would be ready in a dozen minutes.


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you."


    "All right, bye."


    After hanging up the phone, Debbie got a message from Kasie. "How''s it going, Tomboy?"


    "The bitch showed her true colors and made it clear she''d steal my husband from me. Carlos is cooking


    for her."


    "Holy crap! Mr. Huo is cooking for her?"


    "Yes, she''s so weak right now she needs special care, so my husband has to take good care of her,"


    Debbie responded, sounding a little jealous.


    "The key is to stay calm. The bitch is trying to trap you, so she can say you were mean to her. Don''t fall


    for it, okay?" Kasie reminded her.


    "Got it. Carlos said he''d be home soon," Debbie replied.


    Kasie thought for a while and continued, "When your husbandes back, don''t fight with him. The


    bitch has been around him for five years. She won''t just go away all of a sudden. Besides, she''s his


    niece and pretends to be sweet, lovely, and understanding. Maybe Mr. Huo will be taken in by it and


    even me you. So be patient. We need a n to take the bitch down."


    "We''ll see. I don''t want to start a fight, because my husband has been so good to me. He works all day


    and is tired by now." It''s just that I never ask anything of my husband, and what right does that bitch


    have to tell him to do this or that? I''m so irritated." If Megan weren''t Carlos'' niece, Debbie would have


    knocked her head off.


    "She didn''t really want noodles. Who would want to eat noodles in the middle of the night? She just


    wanted to piss you off, okay?" Kasie exined to Debbie and sent her a Face With Rolling Eyes emoji.


    Debbie was struck speechless.


    She thought about it and found it seemed Megan was just trying to stir things up between her and


    Carlos.


    Debbie decided not to let her get her wish. "I''ll just pretend to know nothing. When Carloses back,


    I''ll give him a big hug and sleep with him."


    "Um, whatever you want, Mrs. Huo," Kasie replied yfully.


    Carlos was usually on time, and now was no exception. Twenty-eight minutes after their phone call, the


    door to the bedroom opened.


    He put his suitcase down and came over to the bed. Debbie threw her phone aside and embraced him


    excitedly. "Mr. Handsome, I''m so happy you''re back!"


    Seeing her smile, Carlos felt much happier. He looked at the p mark on her face and asked, "Does it


    still hurt?"


    "No. Sorry, honey. I wasn''t a good daughter-inw. I put you in a difficult position."

 Chapter 206 Dont Be Kind

    Chapter 206 Don''t Be Kind


    Carlos shook his head and pecked her lips. "I should be the one to apologize. Sorry for making you


    suffer like this. Did Lewis do anything bad to you?"


    "No, but he climbed onto my bed and I discovered it wasn''t you..." Debbie hadn''t expected Lewis to be


    so bold even in the Huo family''s house. At first, she had thought that the guy who climbed on top of her


    was Carlos. But then the difference in weight and the scent of Lewis'' cologne made her realize that it


    definitely wasn''t Carlos. She got really crept out, and even now, when talking of it, she still felt her heart


    race.


    mes of rage shed through Carlos'' eyes. He asked between gritted teeth, "And then? What did he


    do?"


    Though embarrassed, Debbie mustered the courage to tell him in a hushed voice, "He... climbed on top


    of me and wanted to...touch me, but I figured it out and stopped him at once."


    At this point, Carlos'' face hadpletely darkened. He suddenly broke his embrace, removed Debbie


    from his arms, and strode toward the doorway.


    "Hey! Where are you going?" Debbie shouted anxiously. Without time to put on her slippers, she ran


    after him in bare feet. Thankfully, he hadn''t gone outside, and the carpet was warm and soft.


    Carlos turned his head around and spat, "To deal with him!"


    Seeing the fuming rage in his eyes, Debbie got flustered. It looked as if he was going to eat someone.


    To stop him, she grabbed hold of his arm, shook her head and persuaded, "No, no. See, I''m safe and


    sound now, right? He didn''t do anything. And you''ve already taught him a lesson. Come on, calm down,


    okay? I promise I''ll be more careful next time."


    It took him a moment topose himself. Letting out a deep sigh, he noticed her bare feet and


    immediately, carried her in his arms. "Where are your slippers?" he rebuked. He didn''t like it when she


    went barefoot. Not only was it unseemly, but it could be unsafe.


    Debbie threw her arms around his neck, staring into his eyes. "You just got here. I have you all to


    myself finally. Don''t go anywhere now, okay? I''m tired. Come to bed?" she said, using her cute tone in


    her favor. She knew Carlos was a man of his word. Once he made a decision, it would be hard to


    change his mind. Even though Lewis was his cousin, he would still find him and jump him.


    Most of the Huo family members already disliked her. And earlier tonight, Carlos had punched Lewis


    and James in front of the other family members. After tonight, they hated her even more. Now, if Carlos


    did anything terrible to Lewis, the Huo family would never forgive her!


    "Okay, I hear you," Carlos promised, regaining hisposure. He tucked her into bed and covered her


    with the quilt. Then, he shed his clothes before entering the bathroom.


    Lying prone in the bed, Debbie whined, "Mr. Handsome, it''s less than ten below zero outside. You didn''t


    sweat today and you change your clothes every day. Why shower now? The water will go to waste!"


    Carlos stopped his steps and looked toward theining woman, feeling baffled. Hesitantly, he


    replied, "I need to wash my feet."


    "Okay, be quick!" Debbie nodded happily.


    However, much to Debbie''s frustration, that germophobe still chose to take a long shower in the end...


    When he finally climbed onto the bed, Debbie clung to him and joked, "Next time, I''m going to quit


    showering for a whole week and hug you like this. So have I turned you off, seeing that I''m unwashed?"


    Breathing in the fragrance of her hair, he said casually, "So what? Even if you don''t bathe for a whole


    week, I still can kiss you all over!"


    Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. ''Mr. Huo, aren''t you a germophobe?'' she wondered.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Stroking his short hair, she recalled what happened earlier. In a jealous voice, she asked, "You''ve been


    busy all day long. You must be absolutely bushed. Why did you cook for Megan?"


    Carlos tightened his arms on her and exined slowly, "For the past five years, I''ve been looking after


    her like this. I didn''t think much of it tonight. But if you don''t like it, I guess I can stop." He had never


    turned down Megan for anything she wanted in the past five years. Cooking a bowl of noodles wasn''t a


    big deal, so of course, he didn''t refuse to do it either.


    ''Don''t like it? Of course I don''t like it!'' Debbie sulked. "Yes, I hate that you put yourself out for her. You


    work hard all day, and then you take care of another woman after work!" she protested with concern in


    her voice.


    Smiling, he kissed her on her forehead. "It''s sweet that you worry about me."


    "Of course. You aren''t her husband, so she doesn''t worry about your health. But I feel my heart ache!"


    Yes, her heart ached when she knew Carlos personally cooked for Megan. But it wasn''t just about his


    health, but also for the jealousy. The jealousy was really killing her.


    Clever as Carlos was, of course he couldprehend the subtext of her words. "Sorry, sweetheart. I


    didn''t know it bugged you so much. I''ll take note of it and never let it happen again, okay?"


    Debbie couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. She leaned over his chest, hearing his heartbeat. There were


    times that she felt this man was actually a fool who tried his best to make her happy. Yet, maybe he


    was not stupid at all because his strategy always worked. Even though she had almost drowned in


    jealousy, how could she be angry with him anymore after hearing his sincere apology?


    On the third day, an unexpected guest came to visit Debbie in Carlos'' private vi.


    It was Miranda.


    "Hi, Aunt Miranda," Debbie greeted her with courtesy.


    "Hmm," Miranda responded nonchntly and went straight into the living room.


    Watching the woman walking in, Debbie wondered, ''Why did Miranda show up all of a sudden? Did


    Carlos know anything about her visit? Or did shee here to seek justice for her son?''


    Miranda turned around when she reached a sofa. Staring at the confused girl, she sat down and said,


    "Carlos has deprived Lewis of his position in thepany."


    "What?" Debbie asked, trying to understand what was going on.


    A housemaid came and served a cup of tea to the guest. After smelling the strong tea aroma, Miranda


    took a sip, relished the lingering vor in her mouth and then put down the cup.


    Elegantly, she crossed her legs and continued, "It wasn''t easy for Lewis'' father to make him a general


    manager. But yesterday, Carlos fired him from that job and set him up in the secretarial department.


    Lewis has to start at the bottom and work his way up by himself."


    ''So...her purpose is to seek justice for her son?'' Debbie asked in her mind.


    She suddenly felt the air pressing in around her as she could sense the coldness and arrogance


    radiating from Miranda. Even though she spoke in an elegant way, there was a hint of power in her


    voice, just like Carlos.


    Awkward, Debbie cautiously sat opposite her, cleared her throat and replied, "Aunt Miranda, I never


    meddle inpany affairs nor do I understand... Since it''s Carlos'' decision, I can''t interfere..."


    Miranda stared at her. "I''m not asking you to interfere. I just came to inform you of it."


    This left a question hanging in the air. ''What did she mean? Isn''t she telling me this on purpose?


    Isn''t she asking me to put in a good word for Lewis so that Carlos would give him his old job back?'' A


    lot of questions went through Debbie''s mind.


    Awkward silence filled the living room. Debbie wasn''t a talkative girl in front of unfamiliar people, and


    Miranda too was aloof with few words, which made the atmosphere even weirder to Debbie. However,


    it didn''t seem to affect Miranda at all, as if she were used to silence. She went on to enjoy the cup of


    tea in a rxing mood. In order to stifle the silence, Debbie had to start a conversation herself.


    "Um...so... Are Lewis and Dad doing well now?" she stammered.


    Miranda nodded her head without saying a word.


    Debbie cried in her mind, ''Honey,e back now! Save me!''


    "Is your flight tomorrow?" Miranda finally opened her mouth to ask.


    As if she were being saved from this awkward situation, Debbie nodded her head vigorously and


    replied enthusiastically, "Oh yeah. We''ll take a flight tomorrow afternoon and arrive in Y City the day


    after tomorrow."


    Miranda took out her phone from her handbag. "Add me on Facebook. Contact me in private if you


    need my help."


    "Okay!" Debbie hastily pulled out her phone, opened the app and shot Miranda a friend request.


    Her ount name was exactly her own name: Miranda. After that, Miranda suddenly looked into


    Debbie''s eyes and requested, "Don''t tell Carlos anything about James. Just pretend you know nothing."


    Her words dumbfounded Debbie. She wondered if Miranda also knew something about James'' secret.


    Before she could formte a response, Miranda stood up from the sofa. "You can probably guess


    what''s going on. Whatever you think, you''re right. And that''s why Tabitha has depression," she said,


    sounding sarcastic. With her eyes bing sharp, she cautioned, "And be careful of Megan. She''s a


    great actress. Don''t be kind to the family. Don''t cut them any ck, or you''ll have dug your own grave."


    After tidying her clothes, she walked toward the door in an arrogant and graceful demeanor. Before she


    left, she turned around and left herst words. "Don''t feel bad. That night, Carlos did a good job. Lewis


    and James deserved it. I''m going back to work. Goodbye."

 Chapter 207 Death Barbie Pink

    Chapter 207 Death Barbie Pink


    "I hear you. Goodbye, Aunt Miranda." After bidding farewell to Miranda, Debbie began to think about


    her parting words. ''Carlos did a good job? They deserved it? Did she mean what she said? Is Miranda


    really Lewis'' mother?'' Watching Miranda''s receding figure, Debbie couldn''t fend off the barrage of


    doubts from intruding on her thoughts.


    That night, Carlos picked up Megan from the Huo family''s house and drove her to the vi. Megan was


    going to spend the night with them. Since they were all flying back to Y City tomorrow, it would be more


    convenient to have her there.


    When Megan stepped into the vi and spotted Debbie, she ran briskly and gleefully toward her. With


    an innocent look on her face, she said, "Aunt Debbie. Guess what I bought you?"


    Debbie smiled sarcastically as she stared at her innocent look. It was exactly the same look as when


    she met Megan for the first time. Miranda''s words came unbidden to her mind¡ª"And be careful of


    Megan. She''s a great actress." And wasn''t that the truth? Megan had managed to hoodwink both


    Carlos and her, intending to steal Carlos away from her. Back then, her fake innocent expression


    blinded Debbie''s eyes, making her believe that Megan was a pure, sweet girl. It turned out that she


    was just a hypocritical and cunning woman.


    Oblivious to Debbie''s indifferent attitude, Megan lifted the shopping bag with an international brand


    logo printed on it. In a more excited voice, she revealed the answer. "Lipsticks! Thetest ones! Uncle


    Carlos and I picked out the colors for you. Come on. Open it and take a look."


    ''Uncle Carlos and I...'' Debbie repeated this sentence in her mind. ''Interesting that you''d bring Carlos


    into it. You always follow him around like a lost puppy dog, '' she thought angrily.


    She shifted her gaze past Megan to the man walking towards them. ''Wasn''t Carlos busy wrapping up


    his work here before leaving New York? How could he spare any time to go shopping with Megan?'' she


    wondered.


    Devoid of emotion, Debbie took the shopping bag from Megan and said tly, "Thanks." Then, while


    Carlos and Megan watched, she opened the exquisite, high-ss packing box.


    There were three shades of lipstick inside the box. When she unscrewed the lid of the first one and saw


    the color, she was overwhelmed by an urge to punch the pair.


    She couldn''t believe her eyes. The first one was Death Barbie Pink!


    Her lips twitched, totally at a loss for words. Everyizen knew about that shade, and many jokes


    were told about it. It was supposed to be a hue simr to a Barbie doll''s lips. But this shade was


    completely unsuitable for most Chinese women. All it did was make their faces seem darker and dirtier.


    Some actresses tried it, but they also failed to pull it off and were roundly mocked. Thus, it came to be


    known as ''Death Barbie Pink.'' And the second tube of lipstick was blue.


    This was getting bad! She had lost all her strength toy a finger on the third lipstick. Instead, she


    red at Carlos. The man was obviously confused by her expression.


    Finally, she mustered the courage to unscrew the lid of the third lipstick. Thank God! This one was at


    least normal. It was orange.


    She asked Carlos, "How much did this set you back?"


    Her question embarrassed Megan and she apologized, "I''m sorry, Aunt Debbie. You know, I can''t get a


    job yet..."


    Debbie paid no attention to her, but kept her eyes on Carlos. Confused, he asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "How much did they cost?" She insisted on an answer.


    "Eighty thousand, give or take," Carlos replied honestly.


    His reply sent a chill down her spine. Her eyes popped out in shock. "Dors? Eighty thousand dors


    for three lipsticks?!" she confirmed again.


    Perplexed, Megan replied, "Yeah. Was that too much? But Aunt Debbie, the manager told us that it was


    a limited edition. There are only two sets of these in the entire world. Now you have one in your hands!


    Cool, right?"


    Bang! Debbie mmed the box heavily on the table and red at the fake innocent girl. "Cool? No,


    more like a fool. Of course they had only made two sets of these particr shades. If they made


    hundreds of thousands of these lipstick colors, thepany would''ve already gone bankrupt! And you


    think eighty thousand dors isn''t expensive? It''s a sky-high price for lipstick. Much higher than market


    price. You think money grows on trees or something? How about you go and earn eighty thousand


    dors for me now? Huh? And, you take it for granted to waste my husband''s money. Take it back to


    wherever you got this!" she shouted out a barrage of words in one breath.


    Hearing Debbie''s rant, Megan was startled and staggered backward. Tears instantly sprang to her eyes


    and streamed down her face. Yes, she shed crocodile tears again.


    On the other hand, Carlos still couldn''t make sense of the situation and had no idea why Debbie got


    pissed. As a straight man and a workaholic, he didn''t understand colors of lipstick. "Why get mad? You


    don''t like them? I think pink fits you." He remembered she looked quite lovely in a pink dressst time


    he saw her wear it.


    As for the blue color, he remembered Debbie had worn a blue down jacket once. She looked good in it


    too.


    Then for the orange color, she had two orange pajamas and they both were quite ttering.


    Debbie tried her hardest to hold back her anger. "Yeah, pink is a nice color. But Carlos, not everything


    in pink is good and not everyone looks good with pink lipstick. And blue, yeah, you may have seen


    some people put on blue lipstick, right? But they are mostly models who need special make-up for a


    fashion show. You want me to be a model? Okay, the orange lipstick is a normal shade, but since I


    don''t like the other two, you should go and return the whole box," she said, trying to make her voice


    sound calm. Yet again, Megan''s nonstop crying got on her nerves. She turned to Megan and rebuked,


    "Megan, dear spoileddy, why are you crying? Are you hurt? I can give you a reason to cry... Don''t


    bother buying me any gifts from now on. And would you please kindly stop wasting my husband''s


    money? I''d really appreciate it!"


    "Honey," Carlos called out in a helpless voice, trying to stop the angry woman.


    Debbie red at him with widening eyes. "What? Don''t tell me you don''t care about eighty thousand


    dors. But I care! Give me your wallet now. You need my approval before spending a penny!"


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Debbie said as she stretched out her hand in front of him. Sighing, he obediently took out his wallet


    from his pocket and handed it to her.


    "Megan, you''ll get the same allowance for your living expenses every month, as you used to get from


    my husband. Not one penny less. But if you squander the money again, half of your allowance goes


    bye-bye!"


    Megan was frightened by Debbie''s threat and quickly hid herself behind Carlos. Nodding her head, she


    tried to soothe her aunt''s temper. "Yes, yes, Aunt Debbie... Please don''t get mad."


    ''Don''t get mad? How can I not be pissed off by these two?'' she thought angrily.


    Then, Debbie put the three lipsticks back into the box and lifted it, asking, "Now who''s going to return


    this?"


    Carlos frowned in embarrassment. He had never done a thing like that. It would be ridiculous for a CEO


    of an internationalpany to return a box of lipsticks and take back eighty thousand dors. After a


    pause, he begged, "Honey, please let it go this time!"


    Debbie''s words were believable. He finally realized that it wasn''tmon for women to put on pink or


    blue lipstick in daily life. With that epiphany, he was determined to fire the sales manager who had


    rmended these colors to them.


    "Fine, I''ll let it go if Megan promises to wear this pink lipstick tomorrow, all the way back to Y City. After


    all, Megan is such a young and beautiful girl. She''ll look gorgeous in this color. Honey, what do you


    think? Am I right?" Debbie asked in a threatening voice as she put a hand on his arm, getting ready to


    pinch him heavily if he said a no.


    Getting the hint, Carlos had no choice but to nod and tell the girl behind him, "Megan, your aunt Debbie


    doesn''t like them, so you can keep them. And she''s right. Don''t waste money anymore. I''ll arrange a


    stylist toe and bring you a dress that matches the lipstick. You''ll look stunning in both."


    "Uncle Carlos..." Megan called out, feeling wronged.


    Seeing the grief on Megan''s face, Debbie finally felt happier. She held his arm and said blissfully,


    "Honey, let''s go to sleep now!"


    Carlos nodded and followed her upstairs.


    Megan seethed with anger as she watched them going away. Undeterred by the defeat, she yelled,


    "Uncle Carlos, seems like Aunt Debbie doesn''t want me here. I''d better leave now ande back


    tomorrow!"


    Debbie''s head was pounding. ''Why is Megan so annoying? Why all the drama?''


    Carlos turned around and looked at Megan''s red and tearful eyes, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.


    "You''re already here. No need to go anywhere," he said.


    Megan deliberately caught a glimpse of Debbie and asked in a shaking voice, "So is Aunt Debbie still


    angry with me?"


    Debbie clenched her fists. ''Jesus! I can''t tolerate this hypocritical bitch one more second!''


    In an instant, she loosened her grip on Carlos'' arm and jumped downstairs, rushing toward Megan.


    Carlos was taken aback. ''Oh my!'' He hastily followed her.


    Megan screamed seeing Debbie dashing toward her. Thetter grabbed her by her cor and


    threatened furiously, "Dare you pretend to be weak in front of my husband again? Try again! I''ll tear you


    apart!"


    "Uncle Carlos, help! Uncle Carlos..."


    "Stop it! Carlos won''t save you!" Debbie turned to stare at the man who had caught up with her. "Both


    of us can''t stay here. It''s either her, or me! Choose!"


    Carlos tried talking her down in a calm voice, "Let go of her first."


    But Debbie didn''t loosen her grip. Instead, she shoved her against the wall. "You love my husband,


    right?"

 Chapter 208 Why Hasnt She Gotten Pregnant

    Chapter 208 Why Hasn''t She Gotten Pregnant


    Megan kept shaking her head, her face turning pale.


    "Didn''t you dere war on me? Why so afraid now?" Debbie confronted her. Carlos stepped forward,


    pulling them away from each other.


    As soon as they were separated, Megan weakly leaned into Carlos'' arms, her body trembling. Debbie


    sneered, "Carlos Huo, you feel your heart ache, don''t you?"


    Carlos shut his eyes. "Don''t make a fuss out of nothing!"


    ''Make a fuss? Me? She''s got her hooks in you, '' Debbieughed ironically in her mind.


    She felt like she was suffocated by her anger. "Fine, I''m in the wrong. I''m a troublemaker!" she yelled, a


    lump in her throat.


    Ignoring them, she turned away and ran upstairs.


    To prevent the two women from fighting again, Carlos had a housemaid prepare a guest room for


    Megan on the ground floor. After confirming that Megan was fine, he turned around to leave. It was


    better this way. Debbie was stopped from doing much at the Huo family''s house. But here, away from


    all the elders who disliked her, her anger had free reign. Tomboy''s rage was a terrible thing to behold.


    Carlos thought he''d better make them stay away from each other for the moment.


    "Uncle Carlos..." Megan called out, her body curling up in the bed. "I''m sorry if I make you and Aunt


    Debbie unhappy. Maybe I should fly back to Y City alone tomorrow."


    Carlos nced at her, shaking his head. "No. Stay here. Sleep tight."


    Before he left, he turned off themp. But all of a sudden, Megan jumped out of the bed and rushed to


    him. She threw herself into his arms, stopping him from leaving the room. "Uncle Carlos, trust me. Aunt


    Debbie doesn''t love you at all..."


    "Megan!" Carlos cried out sternly. He tried to pull himself away from her.


    Megan raised her voice. "It''s true! Think about it. You''ve been with her awhile, but why hasn''t she


    gotten pregnant yet? Don''t you think something is wrong?"


    Her words froze Carlos.


    Meganposed herself and continued, "I saw...saw Aunt Debbie take birth control pills. I didn''t want


    to tell you this. But I don''t want you to hate me because of her! I want you to know who she really is..."


    Carlos asked, "When did you see that, and where?"


    "At the Huo family''s house. I saw her do it three times there..."


    Seeing Carlos pull away to leave, she hastily added, "Don''t just ask her outright. She won''t admit it.


    Uncle Carlos, you can take her for a blood test and see if there''re anymon steroidalpounds in


    her body, like the kinds that are used in birth control pills. Or maybe figure out why she can''t get


    pregnant."


    Carlos stopped walking now.


    Megan held her breath and cautiously added fuel to the fire. "I''m a woman and I know how women


    think. If I married a man I truly loved, I''d want to have kids with him. But if I don''t want babies, then it


    means I don''t love the guy at all..."


    Her words reminded Carlos of all the times when Debbie told him that she didn''t want a baby right now.


    "I told you that I saw Hayden Gu kiss her, but you didn''t trust me. Truth is, they''re still in touch.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have dated him behind your back. Uncle Carlos, I never tried to drive a wedge


    between you and Aunt Debbie. I just care about you. I don''t want you to be fooled by this woman. I feel


    bad that you''ve fallen into her trap. Uncle Carlos..." she said with a sob and grabbed him by his sleeve.


    Without turning his head, Carlos pulled her hand off and strode out of her room.


    He mmed the door heavily behind him. As soon as the door was closed, Megan turned her tears into


    a big and cunning smile.


    When Carlos walked upstairs, he found that their bedroom was double locked. He couldn''t get in. He


    could unlock the doorknob, but not the deadbolt on the inside.


    As he stared at the closed door, Megan''s words resounded in his head, making him even more


    annoyed.


    A housemaid came behind him and reported in a low voice, "Mr. Huo? Mrs. Huo requested... you sleep


    in the guest room tonight. I have it ready for you."


    His face darkened. Kicking the door, he roared, "Open it!"


    The noise was loud enough to be heard by the woman inside. But she didn''t budge even a little.


    Carlos raised his head to stare at the ceiling, pressing his lips tightly to stifle his anger. ''Debbie, you did


    a good job!''


    In the end, the couple slept in separate rooms. Ever since they confirmed their rtionship, this was


    the first time they spent the night in different rooms, though still under the same roof.


    The next morning, as Carlos knew that Debbie liked to sleep in, and since they were flying back to Y


    City in his private ne, there was no need to hurry. So he called in a housemaid to tell her not to wake


    up Debbie.


    However, the housemaid told him Debbie had already left for the airport an hour ago. She''d bought a


    ticket for herself and asked Carlos not to worry.


    Carlos'' eyes burned with fire as he listened to the housemaid pass on Debbie''s words. The housemaid


    almost fainted when she saw the fire in his gaze.


    At the airport


    Wearing a pair of sunsses and sipping a bottle of milk tea bought at the airport, Debbie sent a


    message to their friends on WeChat. "Hey guys, good news! The return of the queen! See you soon."


    Jared echoed her joke and wrote, "Long Live Queen Debbie!"


    Kristina wrote, "Your majesty, we, your people, call to you."


    Kasie wrote, "Party time! I''ll book a room so we can do that tomorrow."


    Dixon wrote, "Bon Voyage, Tomboy!"


    Debbie sent a "goodbye" and put away her phone reluctantly.


    She had bought an economy ticket. Though she had control over Carlos'' wallet now, she still didn''t


    want to waste money.


    And she didn''t feel guilty taking his wallet away, sparing him not a single cent. She was justified


    keeping a tight grip on his purse strings, or he would spend all the money on another woman.


    After boarding the ne, she went into the economy cabin and looked for her seat following the signs.


    However, when she found her seat number, she was surprised that her seat was already upied.


    "Excuse me, sir. I think this is my seat!" she said to the man sitting in her seat.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The man looked at her and said apologetically, "I''m really sorry. I want to sit next to my girlfriend. Can


    we change seats ?"


    Debbie nodded understandingly. "Okay, so where''s your seat?"


    The man gestured to a stewardess and showed her his ticket. After exchanging a few words with the


    stewardess in fluent English, he said to Debbie, "Thank you. The stewardess will guide you to my


    seat."


    Then, Debbie followed the stewardess to walk along the passage. When she walked through the


    economy ss, she felt something wrong. ''Wait, is the stewardess taking me to the first-ss cabin?''


    Her guess was right. The stewardess led her to an empty seat and said with a smile, "You can sit here."


    Stunned, Debbie looked around the sumptuous first-ss cabin. ''My guess was right!


    What an idiot! Why would he give this up?''


    It wasn''t until she was settled down in her new seat that she realized the real idiot was none other than


    herself!


    It turned out he had an ulterior motive, for who would be willing to give up a seat in first-ss and


    change to a much cheaper seat in economy? Now she finally got it.


    Instantly, she stood up to leave, but the man sitting next to her quickly stopped her. He had wanted to


    hold her hand, but in the end, he grabbed her by her sleeve. "Deb, seems like we''re destined to meet


    here."


    Debbie shook off his hand and said coldly, "Hayden, you stalker! Why do I see you everywhere?"


    "I don''t know. As I said, it must be fate," Hayden said innocently, throwing his hands in the air and


    shrugging his shoulders. The truth was, he had spotted Debbie when he was waiting at the VIP lounge


    earlier. He had someone look into it and found that she had booked an economy ticket herself.


    Ignoring him, Debbie took her bag and intended to get back her original seat in economy, like her ticket


    indicated.


    Hayden stood up and stopped in her tracks. He tried persuading her. "The ne is going to take off. It''s


    just a seat. I promise I won''t bother you nor will Iy a finger on you. Okay?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes. But seeing two stewardesses look curiously at them, Debbie had no choice but


    to sit back in the seat. ''Forget it. It''s just a seat. He won''t be able to do anything on a ne, '' she


    thought, sighing helplessly.


    After sitting back, she pulled out her phone and said to him formally, "It''s not in Airne Mode yet, so I


    can transfer the money to you now. I owe you the price difference between Economy and First


    ss."

 Chapter 209 Stalk Them And Report Everything To Me

    Chapter 209 Stalk Them And Report Everything To Me


    Hayden smiled resignedly. Aware of Debbie''s stubborn personality, he had to back out gracefully. "My


    assistant booked it for me. I don''t know the price of a first-ss ticket. How about this? When we return


    to Y City, you can buy me a meal or something. Then we''ll be even-steven."


    Debbie hesitated. After a moment, she nodded, "Okay." Then, she put her phone in Airne Mode and


    put on the headset, ignoring the man next to her.


    Hayden was true to his word. They''d been on the ne for hours, but he hadn''t bugged her once.


    It had been a sleepless night for Debbiest night thanks to her fight with Carlos. She couldn''t fall


    asleep until the wee hours and then she woke up quite early this morning to catch her flight. She tried


    watching a movie to pass the time, but she was soon overtaken by drowsiness, her eyelids drooping.


    She turned off the video and rested her head on the seat back to take a nap.


    She fell sound asleep at once. Seeing that, Hayden pressed the button to call in a stewardess, asking


    her to fetch a nket. He carefully covered Debbie with the nket, and tried not to wake her.


    For a moment, he kept staring at her sleeping face, eyes glimmering with affection. He wished that time


    would freeze this moment forever. As the affection in his eyes grew, he couldn''t help but nt a kiss on


    her forehead.


    The sleeping Debbie was disturbed, her forehead itchy. She frowned. But the itchy feeling was gone


    soon, and she drifted off to dreand again.


    She had been asleep for only a few moments before it was dinnertime.


    As the stewardess began to deliver the food, Hayden woke her up and asked her what she would like


    for dinner.


    The stewardess had been waiting at one side. In a haze, Debbie mumbled, "What do we have?"


    Her sleepy look and mumbling amused Hayden very much. With no choice, he repeated what he had


    said. "Fruit sd, fish and rice, Australian steak... Which one do you want?"


    Debbie lowered her head to look at the nket in confusion. Absent-minded, she casually answered,


    "Fish and rice, baked chicken wings, seafood, spaghetti... and a ss of orange juice and a Haagen-


    Dazs. Thank you."


    The stewardess was taken aback by the amount of food she had ordered. Yet, with professionalism,


    she managed not to show the surprise on her face and replied politely, "Yes, please wait for a moment."


    Hayden, of course, was absolutely stunned. He knew she could eat a lot and liked to, and her


    metabolism somehow managed to let her burn all those calories and there wasn''t a trace of fat on her,


    not even a belly. How she did this was a mystery. Hayden was also secretly delighted, because it was


    one new thing he didn''t know about this goddess before. And he loved finding out new things about


    her.


    As a man, he had only ordered a garden variety steak. No wonder the stewardess was so shocked to


    hear Debbie''s order.


    Debbie was well aware of her ownrge appetite, and she didn''t think it was necessary to hide it from


    Hayden. She didn''t care what he thought. After cing the order, she went to thedies'' room.


    At night, Debbie came to realize that their seats were actually for couples. There was a small curtain


    around theirpartment. If they pulled it closed, it would separate them from the others, giving them


    privacy and independent space. She could join the mile-high club if she wanted. But she wasn''t that


    type of girl, even though Hayden found himself wishing that she was.


    But that wasn''t something she really wanted to do with Hayden. So, she kept the curtain open, adjusted


    her seat and closed her eyes again.


    As she closed her eyes, Carlos'' face came to mind. She suddenly felt resentful. That bad man hadn''t


    called her once after knowing she took a flight alone.


    Was he having a good time with Megan on his private ne?


    Debbie suddenly felt sorry for her impulsive decision. She shouldn''t have given them the chance to


    stay together.


    Thinking of it, she patted her own forehead, feeling annoyed.


    Hayden noticed her gesture and turned to ask with concern, "What''s up? Are you okay?"


    Debbie hid her emotion and said, "I''m okay. Just a little bit dizzy. Maybe I''m too sleepy."


    Hayden slightly pulled the corner of her nket as he said, "Then get some sleep now. The ne will


    arrive at Y City early tomorrow morning."


    "Hmm. Thanks." Debbie turned to one side with her back against Hayden and fell silent.


    Hayden stared nkly at her back for a long while until he could hear her light and steady breathing.


    Knowing that she''d been sound asleep, he pulled the curtain closed, separating them from the outside


    world.


    Content, he smiled happily. He really cherished this precious moment when he and Debbie were the


    only people in this private little space.


    After the nended in the airport of Y City, Hayden and his assistant followed Debbie out of the


    ne. A few momentster, he pointed in a direction and told her, "The luggage im area is over


    there."


    Debbie nodded, "Thank you."


    They proceeded to get their luggage together. After that, Debbie suddenly felt a stomachache. She


    caught a glimpse of thedies'' room a short distance away. Embarrassed, she called out, "Hayden!"


    Hayden turned around and looked at her in confusion.


    She pointed to thedies'' room and said awkwardly, "I need to use the facilities. Could you please


    watch my luggage for a moment?"


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    There was a ck handbag on top of herrge suitcase. In it were all kinds of snacks bought in New


    York, which were gifts for Kasie and Kristina. Debbie didn''t think it a good idea to take that handbag


    with her into the toilet. Some of the snacks were not even packed in sealing bags. It would be


    unhygienic. Left with no choice, she could only turn to Hayden for help.


    Hayden understood. He took her luggage and urged, "Okay, go now. We''ll wait for you here."


    When Debbie got to thedies'' room, she found that her period hade. She felt confused. She


    hadn''t eaten anything bad or done anything bad to her health recently. When did her menstrual circles


    be irregr? And the menstrual amount wasn''t normal either...


    She wondered if anything was wrong with her body. If this continued, she thought she''d better go to the


    hospital to have a check-up.


    When Debbie emerged from thedies'' room, Hayden was on the phone. Seeing here out, he


    didn''t return her luggage but instead, walked straight out of the lobby, dragging her luggage behind


    him.


    Debbie had wanted to take over her luggage, but since she was still wiping her wet hands with a tissue,


    she gave up the idea.


    She tagged along with him to the exit of the airport. There, Hayden insisted on driving her back home


    no matter how she tried to turn him down. She told him she could take a taxi herself, but using the poor


    public security of Y City as an excuse, he insisted on taking her back himself. "C''mon Deb. It''s not safe


    out here. Just get in."


    In the end, Debbie reluctantly got in his car.


    As bad timing would have it, Tristan, responding to Carlos'' orders toe pick Debbie up from the


    airport, had just arrived. He was supposed to get there before Debbie''s flightnded. However, due to


    the heavy snow in Y City and a couple of car idents on the way, his car had been stuck in the traffic


    jam for a few hours. He grew more and more annoyed the longer he was dyed. That was why he


    waste, and the moment he arrived, he saw Debbie getting into another man''s car.


    In an instant, he unfastened his seatbelt and got out of his car, intending to call out to Debbie. But it


    was toote. Their car started and drove away as soon as Debbie and Hayden got in it.


    Tristan hastily pulled out his phone to call Debbie, but voicemail was all he got for his trouble. Sighing


    helplessly, he got back in the car. Then he started the engine and followed their car.


    Meanwhile, he called Carlos. As soon as the phone was connected, Tristan reported to him in a


    cautious voice, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo... has gotten off the ne."


    "Okay," Carlos simply responded. This was as expected. ''Why do I feel a "but"ing?'' he thought.


    "But..." Tristan paused.


    Hearing him stammering, Carlos frowned and asked, "But what?"


    "It''s just that... I got stuck in a traffic jam so I got herete. I saw Mrs. Huo... get in Mr. Gu''s car." As he


    finished, he thought in his mind, ''Jesus! No wonder Mr. Huo asked me to grab a contract that the Gu


    Group was bidding on.


    I thought it had something to do with Mrs. Huo. And I''m right!''


    There was a moment of silence on the phone. Tristan assumed that Carlos must be trying topose


    himself. He could well imagine his boss with steaming out of his ears.


    "Stalk them and report everything to me," Carlos coldly ordered.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo!"


    In the sapphire Porsche, Debbie wasn''t able to contact anyone because her phone died. She hadn''t


    had a chance to charge it, and 12 hours was a long flight. Yet, she didn''t want to talk to Hayden either.


    The only thing she could do was lean toward the window and look out of it, watching the world go by.

 Chapter 210 Have Something To Do With Debbie

    Chapter 210 Have Something To Do With Debbie


    Hayden had been talking about work with his assistant the whole way. He hadn''t intended to interrupt


    Debbie either. He respected her space, and sometimes it was just enough for him to catch a glimpse of


    her. They were downtown before he finally took the initiative to talk to her. But this time, he had a pretty


    important question to ask.


    "Where''s your house?"


    Debbie hesitated at the question. ''Should I go back to the manor? Carlos and Megan are probably


    there already.'' Not in the mood to see Megan, she replied, "Please drive me to East City Vi."


    Hayden raised his eyebrows. "Oh, what a coincidence! I have a house there too," he said to Debbie.


    He turned to his assistant. "Alfred, I''ll stay in East City Vi tonight. Have someone ready the house for


    me," he instructed.


    "Yes, Mr. Gu."


    Debbie''s breath caught in her throat. If she had known he had a house there too, she wouldn''t have


    rattled off that destination.


    Even so, they remained silent again all the way to East City Vi. She didn''t feel much like talking, and


    she was hoping Carlos wouldn''t figure out where she was right now, or that she''d caught a ride with


    Hayden.


    A few momentster, the Porsche pulled up in front of Debbie''s previous vi. Hayden personally


    helped her remove her luggage from the trunk.


    Debbie reached out her hands for the luggage while saying, "Thank you for the ride, Mr. Gu. Goodbye!"


    Instead of handing the luggage to her, Hayden suggested, "I figured out what you could do to repay me


    for the ticket. You used to make the most wonderful egg tarts. I haven''t had any in a long time. How


    about you make some for me now? Then we go our separate ways, and you owe me nothing. What do


    you think?"


    Frankly, this was rather a far-fetched excuse. He knew it, and so did Debbie. It was just an excuse to


    spend more time with her. And she didn''t want to do that. She wanted to talk to her friends, and be


    alone with her thoughts. Hayden was a constant¡ªand dangerous¡ªdistraction.


    Of course Debbie turned him down and refused bluntly, "If I recall correctly, you don''t like egg tarts, do


    you? On top of that, I don''t know how to make egg tarts. I think I''d better buy you a meal some other


    time."


    The truth was, she could make egg tarts if all the ingredients were ready-made. There were pre-made


    egg custard, pastries and tart tins sold in the supermarket. She just needed to fill the tart tins with the


    egg custard and put them into an oven to bake for a while. But she didn''t feel like doing that now. She


    didn''t have the energy to do much at all.


    Back when she and Hayden were dating, she had once made egg tarts for him. But he''d just looked at


    the egg tarts with contempt in his eyes without taking a bite.


    "Deb, I didn''t cherish what we had. I''ve been regretting ever since. Please, I''m not asking much now.


    And we''re already at the door of your house. Don''t refuse me, please?" Hayden stared at her


    expectantly.


    Debbie pulled a long face, annoyed. "I don''t have any ingredients at home."


    He immediately turned to his assistant and instructed, "Go to a nearby supermarket and buy a full set


    of egg tart ingredients and tools. And a new oven too. Be quick!"


    "Yes, Mr. Gu."


    Debbie was at a loss for words. Hayden was bing bolder and more annoying now. He had always


    done something that made her hard to turn him down. Now he was not only buying all the ingredients


    for egg tarts, but a brand new oven as well. Never let it be said that he wasn''t one for grand gestures.


    Eventually, she opened the gate of the vi and allowed him in. Julie and the other housemaids were


    still on a vacation for the Spring Festival and hadn''te back yet.


    Debbie impatiently led Hayden into the living room. In an angry voice, she warned, "Just sit there and


    wait. Don''t speak to me. Or else I''ll spread your nose across your face!" She raised her fist in front of


    him as she said it.


    Haydenughed and nodded. Inside, he felt remorseful again. ''She''s so cute when she''s like this! What


    an idiot I was! I''ve lost her...''


    Leaving Hayden alone in the living room, Debbie lugged the bags upstairs to her bedroom first. He had


    wanted to help her carry the luggage upstairs, but she rejected his help.


    She had been kind enough to allow him to enter the vi. That was enough for her. By rights, she


    should have sent him home. But there was always a small part of her that wanted to care for the


    smallest parts of his soul. He was like a lost child now, and seemed as pitiful as anything else.


    However, letting him help her with the bags would mean letting him into her bedroom. That would be


    too ridiculous.


    Shortly, his assistant had bought all the needed items for making egg tarts. Looking at the clean


    kitchen, Debbie felt at a loss. ''What should I do first?''


    It urred to her that this situation was simr to what her husband had done a few days ago. That


    night, Carlos cooked noodles for Megan, and now, she was going to make desserts for Hayden. She


    smiled bitterly. ''It''s so ironic.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    If anyone saw this, they might think I''m deliberately doing this to get revenge on Carlos.''


    Taking a deep breath, she shook off all these thoughts and began to wash the tools. Then, she clumsily


    ced the crust on the tart tins and filled them with the egg custard.


    It proved again that Debbie wouldn''t be a good housewife. Now, she had poured too much egg custard


    into some of the tart tins and it spilled out. And then again, her elbow identally swept some of the


    tart tins off the table onto the floor. The kitchen was already a mess even before she put the unbaked


    egg tarts into the oven.


    Unknowingly, Hayden had alreadye into the kitchen. He asked with worry, "Need my help?"


    In a tearing hurry, Debbie nodded and said, "Yeah. Help me preheat the oven first."


    Hayden then opened the box and took out the new oven. Quickly ncing over the instruction book, he


    switched it on and pressed the preheat button.


    Finally, Debbie finished the first step and put all the unbaked egg tarts on a tray. Steadying the tray in


    her hands, she carefully moved it to the oven. When she drew back her hands, her bare left hand


    identally touched the hot oven grilling pan. With no oven mitt, she was definitely asking to be


    burned.


    "Ouch!" she groaned and stepped back.


    Unexpectedly, Hayden was standing right behind her and she fell into his arms...


    On the other hand, Carlos had hurried back to his office after getting off his private ne. He had just


    sat down in his seat when Tristan called him and reported to him that Debbie was in Hayden''s car.


    After hanging up, he immediately called Emmett in, his face darkened. "Besides bidding for the contract


    of the Century Group, what else has the Gu Group been working on recently?"


    Emmett quickly checked the documents in his hands and replied, "They held a new product release


    event. A few international A-list stars attended it and endorsed the products for them."


    Carlos looked out of the window, overlooking the whole Y City, and instructed calmly, "Now, go and


    prepare a spring fashion show from ZL Group. What''s more, some time ago, there was a rumor that the


    Gu family and the Qin family would be allied by marriage, right? Do something to push forward the


    arrangement..."


    Emmett silently swallowed his spit as he took note of his boss''s orders. ''Mr. Huo is causing a lot of


    trouble for Hayden!''


    Half an hourter, Carlos got another call from Tristan. This time, the report from the other end of the


    line made Carlos leap up from his seat. Kicking the seat away in fury, he strode out of his office while


    holding the phone in his hand.


    Outside the office, when Emmett noticed Carlos'' deadpan face, he knew something terrible had


    happened. He quickly gave a few instructions to his men and followed Carlos to the elevator at a rapid


    sprint. At thest second before the elevator door closed, he squeezed inside, breathless and panting.


    ''Is Debbie in danger?'' Emmett wanted to ask but he didn''t dare to, because the man standing next to


    him was on the verge of going ballistic. The atmosphere inside the elevator was heavy and oppressive.


    In the parking lot, Emmett gestured to Carlos to take a seat in back.


    But when Emmett had just sat in the driver''s seat and fastened the seatbelt, Carlos suddenly got out of


    the car and opened the door of the driver''s seat. He pulled him out while yelling, "Move!"


    Emmett obediently moved to the passenger seat.


    Thanks to Carlos'' excellent driving skills, the engine of the pricey and high-end Emperor roared to life,


    and handled like a dream. The gleaming high-performance engine could be heard clearly as the car


    raced through the city streets. As the car zigzagged along the road, Emmett held tightly onto the


    interior handrail, fighting the urge to vomit. His eyes were fixed on the windshield and his lips were


    zipped.


    Undoubtedly, Carlos'' mad behavior must have something to do with Debbie.


    About twenty minutester, the Emperor rolled to a stop at the East City Vi. Seeing the sapphire


    Porsche and Tristan''s car parked in front of Carlos'' vi, Emmett was even more certain about his


    guess.


    ''Mr. Huo always loses hisposure when ites to Debbie, '' he thought smugly.


    Using the fingerprint lock, Carlos silently pushed open the door and walked toward the living room. He


    didn''t even bother to change his footwear from outside shoes to ones more appropriate for the house.


    In the kitchen, holding Debbie''s hand tightly, Hayden asked anxiously, "Deb, does it hurt? I''m taking


    you to the hospital now!" That said, he gathered her into his arms straightaway, giving her no chance to


    refuse. He started to carry her out of the kitchen.


    Feeling her body leave the ground all of a sudden, Debbie reflexively wrapped her arms around his


    neck. "No, put me down first..." ''It''s not that serious!'' she thought.


    Hayden ignored her protests and rushed out of the kitchen, carrying her in his arms. Just as he stepped


    out, he saw a man in the living room and slowed his pace.

 Chapter 211 Hayden Is A Crazy Guy

    Chapter 211 Hayden Is A Crazy Guy


    Carlos'' tall figure came into view. Realizing she was in Hayden''s arms now, Debbie felt the blood


    rushing to her head. She knew that she had done wrong, and she was now in apromising position.


    Carlos would be angry with her, she knew that. And he had no sense when it came to Debbie. It was


    like she knew exactly which button to push to drive him crazy, but didn''t know she was doing it until it


    was toote.


    ''I''m so screwed!''


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    She released Hayden''s neck and jumped out of his arms. She was so anxious that she staggered


    when shended on the floor. Luckily, Hayden steadied her and kept her from a nasty fall.


    ''Dammit! I promised Carlos that I wouldn''t hang around with Hayden.''


    Carlos stood where he was, wordless. His eyes fixed upon her, as cold as ice.


    Debbie opened her mouth to exin, but nothing came out, and she shut it again. After recalling what


    he had done for Megan, she decided otherwise.


    She turned and walked into the kitchen, without saying a word.


    Now, Hayden was sure that there must be something wrong between Debbie and Carlos.


    He gave Carlos a smile and sat on the couch naturally, almost as if he were not a guest. "It''s not what it


    looks like, Mr. Huo. I''m here for egg tarts. I helped Deb on the ne earlier, and she wanted to make


    egg tarts for me in return. Nothing happened. You seem like a reasonable man..."


    Resting his hands in his pockets, Carlos cast a cold nce at Hayden and said indifferently, "You seem


    to have a lot of free time, Mr. Gu. Do you want a lot more?"


    As a clever man, Hayden instantly heard the warning in Carlos'' words. "Thank you, Mr. Huo, but I''m


    good. We''re really busy these days. After all, we''d been preparing bids on a specific contract for a


    while, but ZL Group suddenly stepped in and outbid us. We have to stay alert, right?" Hayden said.


    Carlos turned to look at Debbie, who was pretending to be busy in the kitchen. "You like egg tarts, Mr.


    Gu?"


    Hayden didn''t know why Carlos asked, so he simply answered, "Deb''s making them."


    "Then just sit here and wait. Remember, don''t take off."


    After saying that, Carlos walked past the couch, and into the kitchen. He turned off the tap and pulled


    Debbie, who was washing a rag, into his arms. His moves were quick and smooth.


    Debbie was startled. "What are you¡ª Mmm..." Carlos kissed her rudely on the lips. His kiss was fierce


    and deliberate, showing disdain for his guest, and showing this rival for his true love''s affections exactly


    who was in charge. By telling him to stay put, he was subjecting him to more torture, as the love of his


    life was in the arms of another man.


    The sliding door to the kitchen was wide open; Hayden, who was sitting on the couch in the living room,


    could clearly see what was going on in the kitchen.


    The heating system in the vi was working. Debbie had taken off her down jacket when she got home.


    She was now wearing a knit shirt, under which Carlos'' hand was caressing her breasts. It was obvious


    what he was doing, and Hayden was a captive audience.


    Realizing what Carlos was about to do, Debbie couldn''t believe it, her eyes wide. ''Carlos must be


    crazy. He wants to bang me right in front of Hayden!''


    She used all her strength to push him away, but to no avail. His hands were like the arms of an


    octopus, and every time she broke free she was grabbed again. He was determined to make out with


    her.


    Hayden''s smile froze when he saw Carlos acting like this. He thought of himself as a well-educated


    man, with an aristocratic background. Not the kind of creep who would enjoy a live sex show.


    He stood up and walked out the door, heading for the gates to the vi. After pausing briefly and


    casting a sad nce back at the vi, he left. Carlos finally let go of Debbie''s lips and was about to take


    off his pants when Debbie blurted out, "Cut it out. My aunt Flo is visiting."


    "You''re kidding, right? You think I''m an idiot? Your aunt Flo has already been here this month," Carlos


    taunted.


    Debbie felt quite frustrated, as her aunt Flo had already visited her twice this month. "I''m not lying," she


    said earnestly.


    And then, Carlospletely lost it.


    Outside the vi, Emmett looked at Hayden''s secretary with a mocking smile and taunted, "Hey, man.


    Why is your boss always pestering Mrs. Huo?"


    With a fake smile, the man answered in a diplomatic manner, "That''s Mr. Gu''s business. If you really


    want to know, ask him yourself."


    Emmett snorted and said, "Some advice: tell your boss not to be the third wheel. It''s messed up that a


    CEO can''t find his own date and has to go after a married woman."


    The secretary kept smiling. "If Mr. Gu and the girl truly love each other, then your boss is actually the


    third wheel."


    ''What?!'' Emmett was shocked by his words. "I always knew Hayden Gu was kind of a crazy guy. I


    didn''t think his assistant would also be that way."


    His words destroyed the smile on the secretary''s face. "Mr. Zhong, watch your tongue," he warned.


    "Haha! Oh, forgive me for not acting all proper. Should I bow to you now?" Emmett taunted.


    The secretary was fuming with rage at Emmett''s attitude, but he didn''t dare snap back. After all,


    Emmett was Carlos'' secretary, and he couldn''t afford to offend Carlos.


    Then the gates to the vi were opened, and Hayden walked out, a nk expression on his face.


    Emmett took a closer look, and found that Hayden''s eyes were bloodshot and he clenched his fists


    tightly.


    ''Ha! You wanted to mess with Mr. Huo, and now you''re paying the price. Young man, you''ve bitten off


    more than you can chew. You better start grovelling, '' thought Emmett.


    With a cheerful smile, Emmett greeted him, "Hi, Mr. Gu."


    Hayden, who was always a polite man, cast a sidelong nce at Emmett and got into his car without


    saying a word.


    Emmett didn''t mind at all; he knew Hayden was in a bad mood, and he was happy to see it.


    After the Porsche left, Tristan approached Emmett, who said, "That guy''s a real tool, hitting on Mrs.


    Huo! I don''t know whether he has balls of steel or if he''s just a fool."


    Tristan patted his shoulder and said, "Gotta go. By the way, I''ve dismissed the¡ª"


    He stopped as he was shocked by the scene unfolding before him.


    Debbie put on her down jacket, and before she could zip it up, Carlos grabbed her wrist and dragged


    her out of the vi, causing her to stagger. "Let me go, Carlos! Where are you taking me?" Debbie


    yelled.


    Carlos, however, gripped her wrist tight all the way to the Emperor car, and without saying a word,


    pushed her roughly into the back seat.


    Emmett and Tristan were struck speechless. ''What''s going on? Why''s he treating her like this?


    Does he forget how hard he worked to make her happy before?'' both the secretaries thought to


    themselves.


    Emmett pushed Tristan aside and told him, "Bro, we''ll talkter." He trotted towards the Emperor and


    started the engine.


    Carlos sat beside Debbie in the back seat. In a cold voice, he demanded, "Drive to the hospital."


    Hospital? Emmett couldn''t help but turn his head to check if Debbie was hurt.


    "Go!" Carlos'' sharply barkedmand startled both Debbie and Emmett. Emmett turned back his head


    and drove towards the hospital under ZL Group.


    Debbie rubbed her aching wrist and asked angrily, "What are you doing? Why take me to the hospital?"


    Carlos didn''t respond.


    Debbie felt wronged. She held back her tears and snarled, "Stop the car! I''m not going anywhere."


    Carlos cast a burning nce at her and repeated the question he had asked her before. "Your aunt Flo


    has visited you twice this month. Why?"


    Debbie yelled back, "I don''t know! What are you implying? Maybe I got sick. Are you taking me to the


    hospital? Are you deaf? I''m not going there. And this is how you treat a sick woman?"


    She really couldn''t understand why Carlospletely lost it when he heard she''d had her period.

 Chapter 212 A Matter Of Trust

    Chapter 212 A Matter Of Trust


    Carlos took Debbie''s chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look him in the eye. "You still


    have the guts to yell at me after I caught you making out with Hayden! Make egg tarts for him? If I


    hadn''te back, he would have already fucked you. Huh?"


    Smack! The sound of a p reverberated in the car.


    Startled, Emmett almost lost control of the car and crashed into a tree. He didn''t think his boss would


    p Debbie, so the person who got hit was...


    Maybe Carlos had really spoiled Debbie. She pped him, and she was not afraid of what he might do


    next. Sometimes, she really acted like a little brat. Still not willing to make a concession, she went on,


    "You thought I wouldn''t hit you, didn''t you? Don''t you forget what you did the other night¡ªyou were at


    the manor cooking noodles for Megan in the freaking middle of the night. If I hadn''t called and asked


    you toe back, you would have banged her that night. Am I right, Mr. President?" She said his title


    acidly, indicating that she did not approve, and was mocking him.


    Although his face didn''t swell, somehow she still felt ufortable after she pped him. She wished


    she could stroke his face, but she was too proud to do so. Besides, that would be conceding to him,


    and she wanted him to know how mad she was.


    Carlos'' gaze was so cold, so piercing that Debbie thought she would be dead if eyes could kill. "Why


    are you looking at me like that? I''m telling the truth. Don''t say things like that. I won''t take it lying


    down..." Her voice trailed off.


    He pulled her into his arms rudely. Caught off guard, Debbie was shocked and yelled, "What are you


    doing? Let...ugh...me...go!"


    Carlos pressed a button, and the interior screen rose. Then he lowered his head and bit her lips


    savagely. At this point, he was beyond reason. Not a savage, but a thoughtless, brutal animal. She was


    his woman, and needed to be taught a lesson.


    The car stopped at the entrance of the hospital owned by ZL Group. Two minutes passed, and the two


    people got out of the car.


    Debbie''s lips were red and swollen, while there was a tooth mark on Carlos''.


    ''Wow! They must have really gone at it, '' thought Emmett.


    Carlos took Debbie to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Upon seeing the sign, she thought he


    took her here because he cared for her, and her heart softened. She regretted pping him.


    ''He does care for me. He just has a short fuse, huh?'' she thought to herself happily.


    Two older doctors stood up and came over to greet Carlos. Carlos, however, dragged Debbie to his


    side and said coldly, "There''s something wrong with her period."


    The doctors immediately got his point. Debbie blushed, and stammered, "It''s not a big deal. It''s


    probably because I always stay upte." She decided to make peace with Carlos.


    That was not how it looked to Carlos, however. He was thinking she said this only to hide something.


    With a livid face, Carlos left the exam room in silence. Debbie had to go through the check-up alone.


    Debbie sighed with resignation as she watched his retreating figure. ''Maybe I should apologize to him.


    After all, I shouldn''t have pped him.''


    Since the hospital belonged to Carlos as well, it didn''t take a long time to finish the exam. After several


    minutes, Debbie walked out.


    She saw Carlos smoking at the end of the corridor. Instead ofing up to him, she found a bench and


    sat down.


    She turned things over in her mind. ''We''re both right. Each of us is too possessive, but it''s because we


    love each other so much.


    He''s bossy, and I''m no pushover. He had to take me to the hospital by force to have me checked out.


    Maybe things will be better if I learn to be tenderer.''


    Carlos didn''te back until the results came out.


    One of the doctors told Carlos, "There''s no problem with Mrs. Huo or her periods. We tested for the


    commonpounds found in birth control pills and her results were positive. That''s why her periods


    might be a little off. Mr. Huo, I suggest you use condoms instead. After all, birth control pills¡ª"


    "Wait!" Debbie interrupted the doctor. "What did you just say?"


    "Mrs. Huo, birth control pills aren''t the right contraceptive option. If you don''t want a child for now, you


    can choose¡ª"


    Again, Debbie interrupted him. "That can''t be right. I only took it once, a long time ago. Would it still be


    showing up in my system?" Meeting Carlos'' cold gaze, Debbie felt her heart hit rock bottom.


    She had only taken the birth control pill once. And after she had promised Carlos that she would give


    birth to their baby once she got pregnant, she hadn''t taken any since.


    But now, the doctor said that she had been taking the pills. It was all too much.


    The two doctors looked at one another, and one of them told Carlos apologetically, "Mr. Huo, here are


    the results. You can have a look. And we can run the test again if you think they''re in error."


    "No need for that."


    "Let''s try this again!"


    Carlos and Debbie spoke at the same time.


    Despite Carlos'' objection, Debbie looked at the doctors and said in a stern voice, "Think very carefully


    about what you''re saying. I need another test. If it turns out I haven''t been taking the pills, I''ll sue you!"


    Carlos cast a nce at her and said, "I said, there''s no need for that. Let''s go home."


    "No! I''m not going home. I need another test! They can''t just lie about me like that." Debbie had seen


    disappointment in Carlos'' eyes when the doctor said she had been taking birth control pills. She


    wanted to clear her name.


    Carlos, however, turned around and left.


    Debbie overtook him and said anxiously, "Carlos, I only took the pill once. Trust me."


    "Trust you?" Carlos stopped. "I wanted to trust you. But someone saw you taking the pill."


    Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. "Really? Who? Where did I take the pill? East City Vi? I just took it


    once!"


    Carlos reached out his hand and stroked her face while asking, "It''s been years. But you still can''t


    forget him, right?"


    Her gut feeling told her that he was referring to Hayden. "God, you just won''t let that go. I broke up with


    Hayden years ago, and I¡ª"


    Withdrawing his hand, Carlos interrupted her. "I didn''t even say who I was referring to, but..."


    Disappointment was written all over his face.


    Debbie was at a loss for words.


    Carlos left the hospital, but Debbie didn''t. She insisted on having another test.


    They got the results quickly. When Debbie saw the papers, Carlos had just been gone for half an hour.


    The doctor pointed to a graph and said, "Mrs. Huo, this index suggests that you''ve been taking birth


    control pills a lot. Not once, not twice... How could you not know about it?" Obviously, he didn''t believe


    what Debbie said.


    ''A lot?''


    Debbie was dumbstruck.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    She sat on the bench in the corridor for a long time, papers in her hands. She really couldn''t figure it


    out. ''Is there a possibility that the food I ate had some of the same ingredients?'' she thought.


    She went to the doctor and asked him about that. The doctor said, "Even if some shady vendors


    powered the pills and sprinkled them onto vegetables and fruits to make them grow faster and you


    happened to have eaten them, the index still wouldn''t be that high. We can only conclude you have


    been taking the pills frequently.


    "


    When a sad and dejected Debbie walked out of the hospital, Emmett was waiting for her.


    Upon seeing her, he trotted towards her and asked, "Mrs. Huo, are you alright?"


    Instead of answering his question, she asked, "Where''s Carlos?"


    With an embarrassed smile, Emmett stammered, "Mr. Huo... had something he had to deal with. He


    asked me to drive you back home."

 Chapter 213 This Has Nothing To Do With Love

    Chapter 213 This Has Nothing To Do With Love


    ''Carlos left instead of waiting for me, '' Debbie thought, heartbroken and sad. She folded the papers,


    stuck them into her pocket, and reached out her hand. "Emmett, give me the car keys. I can drive


    myself home. You''re free. Do whatever you want."


    "I''m avable now. Why not let me drive?" Emmett offered as he could tell something was not right with


    her.


    "Thank you, but I''m good. Don''t worry. I just need to go to the East City Vi first to fetch my luggage,


    and then head to the manor." Debbie took a deep breath, pretending to be calm.


    Left with no choice, Emmett handed her the car keys. "Mr. Huo has the Emperor. This Mercedes-Benz


    belongs to thepany. Just leave it in the manor, and I''ll grab itter."


    "Sure. Thank you, Emmett." Debbie took over the car keys and cranked the ignition. After hearing a


    satisfactory roar from the engine, she drove off.


    Little did she know that Emmett walked into the hospital as soon as she was out of sight. He went


    straight to the obstetrics and gynecology department.


    Several minutester, Emmett called Carlos. "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo just drove herself back."


    "Mmm." After a short pause, Carlos asked, "The test results?"


    Recalling what the doctors had told him, Emmett swallowed before stammering, "Mr. Huo, the pills


    would harm a woman''s health. The doctors suggested Mrs. Huo stop taking¡ª"


    Before he could finish, Carlos hung up the phone.


    Emmett looked in the direction where Debbie left, and wondered, ''I thought Mr. and Mrs. Huo loved


    each other. Why take the pills?


    What''s more, everyone knows long-term use of birth control pills is harmful. Why did Mr. Huo allow his


    wife to take them?''


    On her way, Debbie was absent-minded. She kept going over it in her head. What foods had she eaten


    recently? Could any of those foods cause the results to skew?


    She had eaten a lot of seafoodtely. And scientists had recently found contraceptivepounds in


    fish. Could the doctors be detecting that, instead?


    Sometimes, she would pull over and think about whether there were the same steroidalpounds in


    seafood and what kind of seafood might have the same chemicals.


    But she had to admit that she knew next to nothing about this.


    When she arrived at East City Vi, she plugged her phone in to charge it, since the battery died. It was


    lunchtime; she ordered some food delivery on Meituan app. She sat down for a quick meal, then


    checked to make sure she had all her luggage, and drove towards the manor.


    On her way to the manor, she kept thinking about what the doctors had told her. ''There must be


    something wrong with the two doctors. Is it possible that they were bribed? Maybe I can get a second


    opinion somewhere else.''


    There was anotherrge hospital not far away. Debbie decided to turn around and drive to the hospital.


    She stopped at a red light.


    That was when her phone rang. She saw the caller ID, and it was an unknown number.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    She connected the Bluetooth and then answered, "Hello?"


    "It''s me." Megan''s voice reverberated in the car.


    "Why did you call?" Debbie asked in a cold voice. ''Is she in the manor with Carlos right now?'' she


    mused.


    "Ha!" Meganughed out loud. "You know what? Uncle Carlos came to me after leaving the hospital.


    He told me I was the one he truly loved. Oh, it turns out you always take birth control pills. You don''t


    want to have his baby, do you? I really feel sorry for him."


    "So?" Debbie acted calm, but her long fingernails stuck into the leather steering wheel, leaving deep


    marks. ''So the thing he had to deal with was to be with Megan!''


    "Debbie, I feel bad for you. Uncle Carlos told me that he would never leave me and that we''d be


    together forever." There was a trace of smugness in her voice.


    The traffic lights turned green, but Debbie paid no attention to it. Not until the driver behind her honked


    at her did shee back to her senses and start the engine. "You''re the daughter of the ones who


    saved his life. He''s supposed to treat you like his own niece and take care of you. This has nothing to


    do with love. You understand?"


    "Really? Then why did Uncle Carlos tell me that he would take care of me after sending you abroad?


    You did know you would be studying abroad soon?"


    ''No way! This is like a bad dream! I can''t believe it, '' Debbie thought. "No, you got it wrong. My


    husband''s going abroad with me, and will live with me while I''m studying there," she snapped back.


    "Ha! Debbie Nian, you''re so naive. I''m here, in Y City. Do you really think Uncle Carlos will leave me


    behind? Especially after I told him that you took birth control pills..."


    "What?" Debbie interrupted her. "You''re the one that told him about it?"


    "Yep!" Megan answered in a cheerful voice. "I told Uncle Carlos that I saw you taking the pills all the


    time and that you didn''t want his baby. And he believed it. He took you to the hospital to have an exam,


    didn''t he?"


    "Megan Lan! You¡ª" Debbie was boiling over with rage. She guided her car over the bridge, the river


    surging madly under it. When she saw a car galloping at full speed towards her, she wrenched the


    wheel to the right.


    It was a serious miscalction. She lost control of her car, and the ck Mercedes-Benz flew straight


    at the guardrail.


    Bang! After a loud sound, the car crashed right through the guardrail and fell into the river. Bubbles


    rose for a bit, before the rapids once again reasserted themselves and the water covered the car like


    nothing had happened.


    The cars on the bridge all stopped, and some drivers got out to see if they could help. A few of them


    called for an ambnce, hoping against hope that the driver would be alright. They hadn''t seen much


    before the actual crash, and who knew if the currents had already carried the car far from where they


    saw it go off the bridge?


    Hearing the loud banging from the other end of the line, Megan suddenly had a bad feeling about


    this. She heard a piercing scream and took the phone away from her ear. When she put her ear to the


    receiver again, she heard Debbie say in a calm voice, "Looks like you''ll get your wish. I''m dying. Enjoy


    living with your uncle Carlos..." Debbie''s voice trailed off. "Megan, if I''m not dead... ahem... I swear I''ll


    kill you."


    Silence ensued.


    Not knowing what happened to Debbie, Megan was frightened. She pried the back off the phone, took


    out the SIM card and dumped it into the trash bin.


    Under the water, Debbie tried to calm herself down. She had to save herself! She pried her white-


    knuckled hands off the steering wheel and covered her bleeding forehead. The water around the car


    was as ck as ink. She picked up her phone, opened the shlight app and looked for the lifesaving


    hammer with the light.


    The posh car was well outfitted. In just a few minutes, she found just what she needed. Good thing,


    since the air inside the car was getting thinner. A sigh of relief escaped her chest as she lifted the


    hammer out of the box under the seat.


    The cabin would soon be devoid of air. Debbie was winded and shaken. Her head wound was still


    bleeding, but she paid it little mind. ''Not much time left. Need to break the window.''


    She held the hammer, and put a ding in the window. At this point, she might run out of air before she


    got through. But she swung the hammer, again and again, with strength born of desperation. It didn''t


    take long before a crack formed. Then, a spiderweb of cracks. Finally, the window exploded inward as


    torrents of water gushed into the cabin.


    Holding her breath, she swam out of the car and made her way upwards.


    The water was deep, and she had to hurry up.


    Theck of oxygen made her feel dizzy. Although she had escaped the car, she had no idea whether


    she could make it all the way to the surface.


    How she wished she could call Carlos and listen to his voice. She wanted to tell him that she loved him


    and wanted to have his baby. But she couldn''t right now.


    The water was muddy, and she was unable to open her eyes. She only heard a honking from far


    away.


    It was winter, and the water was freezing. Luckily, she had taken off her down jacket in the car. Her


    soaked sweater alone was so heavy.


    She struggled to take it off, and then she felt lighter.


    She kicked her legs hard and saw the blue sky.


    But then, the rapids washed over her, and the currents dragged her under again, as she gulped a


    mouthful of water.


    Myriad feelings gripped her¡ªcold, hurt, terrified, sad... ''Carlos Huo... Save me...''


    Although she could swim, she gradually lost consciousness after staying in the water for so long. She


    wasn''t cold anymore. Instead, she feltforting warmth embrace her. It was a fiction, though¡ªshe


    knew the end was near.


    ''No! I can''t die here. I haven''t had a baby with Carlos yet. I haven''t found my brother. I haven''t said


    goodbye to my friends...''

 Chapter 214 Saving Grace

    Chapter 214 Saving Grace


    Carlos had been nice to Debbie all this time, and she really couldn''t die like this.


    Her will to live was so strong that she found the strength to swim upwards again.


    After what felt like an eternity, she could breathe again. She took several breaths and shouted for help.


    "Help me..." Her voice could hardly be heard. She grabbed onto one of the concrete supports of the


    bridge and hung on for dear life.


    Many people gathered on the bridge, and more people were arriving. A first-aid team arrived as well.


    The moment she emerged from the water, someone saw her. "Look! Someone''s there!"


    Debbie was too tired, and when her fingers slipped from the concrete and she sank into the water


    again, she heard several people jump into the river.


    Her chest burned like fire. She had no strength left at all; she closed her eyes and stopped struggling.


    ''Carlos Huo, I''m sorry...'' Then she lost consciousness.


    Debbie was awakened by the cold. She blinked, but the light was so blinding that she closed her eyes


    to stop the headache she felting on.


    She heard people talking in her ear. Opening her eyes slowly again, she saw the blue sky.


    ''Am I still alive?'' she thought.


    "She''s awake!" said a strange voice. "Is the ambnce here? She woke up!"


    "Girl, are you all right?"


    Debbie nodded by instinct. But she felt very cold, both physically and mentally. She was shivering, and


    for some reason, she was getting hot shes. She wasn''t sure why.


    Someone helped her to her feet. She then noticed that she was wearing a man''s coat. It was part of a


    uniform and had patches on it as well as a name badge. It must belong to someone on the first-aid


    team. Underneath, she was still wearing her wet knit shirt.


    She heard the ambnce approaching, and some men gathered around her when it arrived. She was


    bidden to lie down on a stretcher and was carried into the ambnce by several men.


    In the hospital


    Sitting on a bench in the corridor, Debbie looked up and down the intake hall. The wards were fully


    upied, and even the hall itself was overflowing with patients. A nurse bound her head, and then set


    her up with an IV. The IV rack had wheels, so she could walk with it if she had to.


    "Miss Nian, we need you to contact your family. They need to pay for your treatment!" the nurse


    demanded in a loud voice with a wad of test results in her hand.


    Debbie was still not entirely with it, and didn''t hear the nurse at first. Not until the nurse called her


    several times did shee back to her senses.


    "Pay the bill now, or you can''t have another bottle of IV fluid," the nurse said impatiently. She was


    practically yelling, like Debbie was deaf or something. Debbie opened her mouth, but before she could


    respond, a familiar voice met her ears.


    "I''ll pay. How much is it?" She raised her head to see Hayden.


    ''We have to stop meeting like this, '' she thought.


    Behind him was Portia, staring at her with burning eyes.


    "$1, 600. If she needs more IV fluids, that''s a total of $2, 100. Here''s the bill. The cashier''s window is


    on the first floor."


    Hayden took the bill from the nurse and said with a friendly smile, "Thank you for taking care of my


    friend. I''m going to pay now."


    The nurse, who had been impatient towards Debbie, was charmed by Hayden''s handsome face and


    his impable manners. Although she was wearing a mask, you could tell from her reddened ears that


    she blushed with shyness. "I-It''s my pleasure, sir."


    After bidding goodbye to Hayden, the nurse left. He squatted down and looked at Debbie. "Are you


    okay? What happened? And whose coat is this?" Concern was written all over his face.


    In no mood to talk, Debbie just shook her head.


    "I''m going down to the first floor to settle the bill. Wait for me here," he said softly and stood up.


    "Thank you," she croaked. After her experiences, she was still shook.


    Hayden left, followed by Portia. Debbie could hear Portia berating Hayden. "Why did you help her?


    Look what she''s done to you! Hayden, you''re a damn fool!"


    "Portia, I''ll ask the driver to send you back home, okay? You don''t need to be here," Hayden coaxed.


    Not until Hayden and Portia were out of earshot did Debbie look away.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    She really wanted to stop Portia and ask her what she had done to Hayden.


    Sitting next to her was a woman with a baby in her arms. With an embarrassed smile, Debbie said to


    her, "Excuse me, miss, may I borrow your phone? I fell into the river and lost my phone. I need to call


    my family."


    She was rather difited¡ªshe was soaked to the bone, and there was a blood-stained bandage


    around her head. The woman took out her phone and gave it to Debbie. She had no doubt that Debbie


    needed it badly.


    Debbie thanked her and dialed Carlos'' number.


    Carlos, on the other hand, went directly to his office after he left the hospital.


    Under great stress, he decided the best way to bleed off this stress was to light up. After he lit the first


    one, he took a drag and let his chagrin float away with the smoke. He was still smoking when some


    unexpected guests entered his office.


    Damon whistled at his buddy and sat on the desk. "Hey, bro. It''s rather smoky in here. Isn''t there a


    smoke detector in your office?"


    Before Carlos could respond, Damon spotted something and approached him. "Wow! Guys, look at his


    lip! Who had the guts to bite you? It had to be your wife. She used to be so wild."


    "Looks like he''s in a bad mood. I wouldn''t tease him," said Curtis. He knew Carlos well, and he felt he


    should remind Damon. He didn''t want Damon to get hurt if Carlos flew off the handle.


    He sat on the couch and fixed his eyes on Carlos, wondering why he looked so upset.


    Wesley and Megan sat opposite Curtis, and both of them stared at Carlos, who had just tapped his


    cigarette on the ashtray to get rid of the cherry. He still sat wreathed in smoke.


    Carlos remained silent as if he didn''t hear Damon.


    Curtis crossed his legs gracefully and adjusted his sses. "We heard you came back from New York,


    so we came here to meet you. Where''s Debbie? In the manor?" he asked.


    At the mention of his wife, Carlos still remained quiet.


    The rest of them looked at each other, puzzled.


    "Hey, bro! Did you have a fight with your wife?" Damon pried.


    Curtis couldn''t keep his cool any longer. He stood up from the couch and came up to Carlos. "You two


    were fine when I called you yesterday. What happened?"


    Still, Carlos said nothing. At this moment, his phone rang, and it was Emmett calling.


    They couldn''t hear what Emmett said. Carlos just uttered a few words and then hung up.


    Silence nketed the office again. Megan walked towards Carlos, and coughed because of the acrid


    smell of tobo. "Uncle Carlos, did you guys fight because of what happened that evening?" she


    asked in a concerned voice.


    While shaking his head, Carlos stood up from his seat, walked past Megan and stood in front of


    Wesley. "Take care of Megan for me, okay? I need to deal with my wife. You know, she''s tough."


    ''You don''t want my baby, so you simply took the birth control pills. You think that will do? Certainly not!


    You''ll have my baby if I want you to!


    I won''t let you go that easily.


    You don''t like Megan. Fine! I get that. I can ask Wesley, Damon and Curtis to take care of her, '' Carlos


    mused.


    Upon hearing that, Wesley furrowed his eyebrows. "Did you fight because of Megan?" he asked.


    "No, that''s not it. She doesn''t want to have my baby," answered Carlos. ''And she hasn''tpletely cut


    off rtions with her ex.'' But that was too embarrassing for Carlos to admit in front of his buddies.


    The rest of them were rendered speechless.


    Curtis walked towards the wine cab and took out a bottle of red wine. He poured everyone a ss


    of wine and asked casually, "Debbie is still a student. It''s not a big deal if she doesn''t want a kid now.


    Why fight about it?"


    Damon nodded and patted Carlos'' shoulder. "Does it bug you that I''m going to be a dad first?"


    Carlos cast a murderous nce at him and said coldly, "Fuck off!"

 Chapter 215 Be More Tolerant Towards Her

    Chapter 215 Be More Tolerant Towards Her


    Delicately holding two sses of wine, Curtis walked towards his buddies. "I''ve managed to bring only


    one extra ss," he said while taking a sip from the ss in his right hand. Then he ced the second


    ss on the desk before them and added, "Whoever grabs this first will have it. The rest of you can


    fetch your own."


    They all took it as a joke. Since when did they have topete for a ss of wine?


    But even before he loosened his grip, Damon grabbed the ss, went to the couch and said casually,


    "Well, seems I''m the lucky one." Then in the same casual manner, he sat next to Megan and offered


    her the ss. "Little angel, you can have this," he said with a sideways nce at Curtis.


    "Hey, are you trying to impress her with the wine that I''ve just brought for you? Shame on you!" Curtis


    reprimanded.


    "Thank you, Uncle Damon, but I don''t feel like drinking." Megan declined his offer politely. She sat with


    her fingers interlocked under her chin, seeming very preupied.


    "You were fine just a moment ago. What happened?" Damon asked curiously.


    Casting a pitiful nce at Carlos, who was still smoking, Meganined, "Aunt Debbie doesn''t


    seem to like me. She even had a fight with Uncle Carlos over me. I feel so sad..."


    Carlos flicked the ashes from his cigarette and said indifferently, "It has nothing to do with you."


    Poor at reading moods, Damon consoled Megan, "It''s okay. Pepper Nian is an odd woman. As far as I


    know, she has only a few friends. Besides, our Megan is so adorable. I can''t see how anyone could not


    like you. Don''t think about it too much." He stroked her hair gently.


    But thements rubbed two of his friends the wrong way. Carlos looked at him with burning eyes and


    asked, "Who is the odd woman? I dare you to repeat it."ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Gruffly, Curtis snatched the ss of wine from Damon''s hand, poured the wine into his own ss, and


    snapped, "Boy, you have the nerve to speak ill of Debbie before Carlos! Try that one more time, and I


    swear, he''ll beat the crap out of you!"


    Instantly, Damon regretted his mistake. Why would he cross Carlos? To make up for his error, he went


    to the wine cab and brought the other sses of wine that Curtis had poured for them. "I''m sorry,


    Carlos. You know how clumsy I sometimes get in expressing myself. Guys, let''s forget that dry joke and


    drink."


    They clinked sses and settled down to some chitchat.


    Turning to Curtis, Carlos asked, "I''ve already gone through all the formalities for Debbie to study


    abroad. How about you?"


    But Curtis, somewhat not in favor of the idea, made an incredulous face and asked, "You want her to


    go there alone?"


    Stubbing out the cigarette, Carlos shook his head. "No."


    Although he was mad at Debbie for her refusal to have his baby and her insistence on taking birth


    control pills, he didn''t want to have her study abroad alone.


    While the men were chatting, Megan went to the bathroom, inserted an anonymous SIM card into her


    phone, and dialed a number.


    When she came back to Carlos'' office, the men were almost off, heading to the Orchid Private Club


    together.


    Wesley was the first to notice something was not right with Megan. "You look pale. What''s wrong?" he


    asked.


    Megan was startled to see everyone staring at her with curious eyes. Flustered, she looked away and


    covered her face with both palms. "Nothing. I''m perfectly okay..."


    Since she looked calmer and moreposed when she dropped her hands, no one around bothered


    to press further. Briefly, Carlos consulted with his secretary about some work rted issues, and then


    they all left the ZL Group''s offices together.


    They had hardly left the building when the employees began to gossip about them. "I envy Miss Lan so


    much. Lucky girl! She''s surrounded by some of the finest eligible bachelors all the time."


    "Now, she''s in thepany of not one, not two, but four high-ss men, everyone eager to please her.


    How lucky of her!"


    "Our very own Mr. Huo must dote on her the most. Did you hear the rumor that Miss Lan was the other


    woman between Mr. and Mrs. Huo?"


    "Maybe Mr. Huo is nicer to Miss Lan than to Mrs. Huo. Miss Lan must have saved the world in her


    previous life. What else could exin her never ending streak of luck?


    "


    At Orchid Private Club


    After supper, Wesley answered a phone call and bade his friends adieu, unable to stay with them any


    longer.


    Being a military officer sometimes denied him time for his taste for the fine things of life.


    The members of his crew settled down to whine, amid chitchat. But Damon didn''t stay long either.


    About two or three ssester, he too excused himself. "Hey, guys, will you excuse me? I need to go


    back home and keep my wifepany. See you tomorrow."


    That left only Curtis, Megan and Carlos in the private booth.


    In a bad mood, Carlos was inclined to seek sce in drink. After he and Curtis finished a bottle of fine


    Chinese spirits, thetter got a call from Colleen. As he stood to leave, Curtis had a hunch that Carlos


    might want to stay at the booth a little longer, so he reminded Megan to watch on him. "In case he gets


    two extra sses after I''m gone, please don''t let him drive. I know Emmett will be on standby, so you


    can call him to drive the two of you any time," he advised and walked out of the club as well.


    "Uncle Carlos, why are you not happy? Is it something that you could get over by talking? Should you


    feel the need to kindly talk to me, I''ll be more than willing to listen." Megan propped her hand against


    her chin and looked worriedly at him.


    Staring at his ss, Carlos asked, "How did you know she took birth control pills? Tell me the truth."


    Although he was not staring at Megan, sternness was obvious in his voice.


    Her heart skipped a beat at the question. "I-I saw it... with my own eyes. Uncle Carlos, you don''t


    believe me, do you?" she stammered.


    At the beginning, Carlos didn''t believe Megan''s words. But after he had taken Debbie to the hospital,


    he could only ept the bitter truth that his wife had been taking birth control pills.


    After a long pause, he spoke. "Your aunt Debbie is short-tempered. Please be more tolerant towards


    her."


    Megan couldn''t believe her ears. She looked Carlos in the eye, wondering whether he was already too


    drunk to reason. ''I''m only 18, yet Debbie is 21. Does he expect me to be the one to tone down and


    amodate an older woman''s whims? This can''t be more sarcastic!''


    "If... this can make Aunt Debbie happy... I''ll do it. Uncle Carlos, I can do anything for you as long as


    you''re happy." Tears welled up in her ears as she spoke.


    To change the subject, Carlos stroked her head lovingly and asked, "Have you decided what to major


    in when you go to university?"


    The question piqued Megan''s interest. "Of course I''ll go for Economics and Management, like Aunt


    Debbie. Hopefully, after graduation, you''ll find me a slot for work in yourpany. It would be exciting


    to be part of your team at work," she enthused, smiling from ear to ear.


    Mulling over her excitement, Carlos cast her a meaningful nce. "Okay. An Economics and


    Management School in the United States is pretty good. You can¡ª"


    Before he could finish, she interrupted him. "Uncle Carlos, thanks for the generous offer. But I''d prefer


    going to the Economics and Management School right here in Y City. I don''t want to study abroad. That


    would be like sending me away from you. I don''t know how I could live far from here," Megan pleaded


    earnestly as she grabbed Carlos'' sleeve and looked at him with innocent doe eyes.


    But Carlos simply drew his sleeve out of her delicate hands and poured himself another ss of wine.


    "We''ll see," he said, sounding distant. Takingrge gulps, he downed the ss without another word.


    He was watching, trying to see what she''d say next.


    "Uncle Carlos, you''ve had too much already. Let''s go back home," Megan suggested, looking at Carlos,


    who was leaning against the couch now, his eyes shut as if in deep contemtion.


    When he opened his eyes, he took the phone out from his pocket and handed it over to Megan. "Call


    Tristan and ask him to drive me home."


    "Sure."


    Megan input the password, but to her surprise, it was wrong. Jealousy flooded her as she knew it must


    have had something to do with Debbie. She took a deep breath and said, "Uncle Carlos, I have no


    password."


    With his eyes closed once again, he told her the numbers without even bothering to look at her.


    On call, Megan seemed to have poor connection in the private booth. Tristan couldn''t hear what she


    was saying.

 Chapter 216 Find Her

    Chapter 216 Find Her


    Holding Carlos'' phone, Megan said to him, "Uncle Carlos, the reception in the room is bad. I''ll take the


    call outside."


    "Okay," Carlos responded.


    Megan hung up the phone and walked out of the private booth. She was about to call Tristan again


    when Carlos'' phone started ringing. It was an unknown number.


    Megan stared at the number, wondering, ''Who''s this? Why are they calling on Carlos'' private number?''


    She decided to answer the call. "Hello?" she said.


    At the other end of the line, Debbie recognized the girl''s voice. She smiled bitterly and said, "Put my


    husband on the phone."


    Megan had been nervous the whole afternoon, worrying that she would be held responsible if Debbie


    was dead. Now that she heard Debbie''s voice, she heaved a sigh of relief. ''Thank God. She''s not


    dead.''


    "Uncle Carlos doesn''t want to talk to you right now." Megan lowered her tone to a whisper. As far away


    as Carlos was, he was definitely out of earshot. The whisper was a voice that only she and Debbie


    could hear. The girl nced around warily.


    But Debbie wasn''t happy. ''Doesn''t want to talk to me? Who''s this bitch to decide whom he talks to?!''


    "Put him on the phone!" Debbie demanded, balling her hands into fists. If Megan were standing in front


    of her right now, she would put one of those fists to good use¡ªpunching her in the face.


    "Uncle Carlos is in a bad mood. He really doesn''t want to talk to you. It took hours for me to make him


    smile even a little. Just leave him alone. Moreover, Uncle Carlos told me to answer the call for him. He


    even told me how to unlock his phone. Just go away."


    "So... how do you unlock his phone?" Debbie doubted what she said. Anything Megan said was


    suspect at this point.


    To her surprise, Megan recited the new password to get into Carlos'' phone¡ªDebbie''s birthday. She''d


    set it only a few days ago. Now, she had to believe Megan was telling the truth. Heartbroken, she hung


    up the phone quickly.


    But Megan''s performance had only just begun. Still holding the phone to her ear, she pushed open the


    door to the private booth and said in a persuasive tone, "Aunt Debbie, hang on. Why don''t you tell


    Uncle Carlos that yourself? Hello? Aunt Debbie?"


    Carlos opened his eyes suddenly when he heard Megan''s words. Megan showed him the conversation


    log while holding the phone with trembling hands. "Aunt Debbie called from an unknown number. I


    thought it was Tristan, so I answered it, but it turned out to be Aunt Debbie. She asked me to tell you


    that she wouldn''t be home tonight and then hung up."


    Carlos took the phone and red at the number silently for a long moment before he called Debbie, but


    he didn''t get through; it went straight to voice mail.


    He hung up in disgust and then dialed the unknown number. A woman answered the phone. "Hello?"


    "Where is Debbie Nian?" Carlos asked coldly.


    "Oh, you mean the young girl who borrowed my phone? She left with her boyfriend."


    ''Boyfriend?'' Carlos stood up abruptly from the couch. "Where did they go?"


    The woman smiled. "I don''t know. Her boyfriend carried her in his arms. It was so sweet. Lucky her! My


    husband and I were talking about the happy couple."


    Jealousy and anger filled Carlos, recing the disgust he had felt before. These were rawer and more


    powerful emotions, and Carlos was no stranger to them. In fact, he felt more powerful, more physically


    imposing when he was upset.


    At the hospital, Debbie gave the phone back to the woman holding the baby. Just then, Hayden was


    back with the receipt after paying the bill.


    Doctors were not far behind. "Deb, I asked them to get you a ward. Come with me," he said to her.


    Sitting there, Debbie looked pale and felt groggy. She nodded to Hayden and attempted to stand up.


    However, a surge of dizziness forced her to thump back into the chair again.


    Hayden scooped her up as soon as he noticed how weak she was. He made herfortable in his


    arms and hurried towards the ward. The hospital had been packed with patients recently. There hadn''t


    been a ward avable in a long time. Right now, even the corridors of each floor were crammed with


    hospital beds.


    After pulling some strings, Hayden managed to get Debbie into an upscale double ward.


    When they got to the ward, Hayden ced Debbie on the bed carefully and tucked her in. A nurse took


    her temperature¡ª39.6¡æ. A high fever.


    In Orchid Private Club


    Carlos couldn''t be indifferent to Debbie, no matter how mad he was at her. He still cared for the


    woman, though sometimes he thought only God knew why.


    "Find out where she is! Now!" he told Emmett on the phone. Emmett knew exactly who he referred to.


    When he and his men found Debbie, it was already past midnight.


    In the inpatient department of Y City Second General Hospital


    A bunch of men in ck stalked through the corridor, breaking the rtive quiet of the hospital.


    The man in charge looked grimly at the hospital beds on either side of the hallway. Imagining Debbie in


    such terrible surroundings, he quickened his already hasty pace.


    Those menacing men drew most of their attention from the patients and their families. Their looks and


    presence made people wonder who they were and what they were doing there.


    Emmett pushed open the door to a double ward, after which Carlos walked in steadily. There were two


    beds and four people inside.


    A womany in the bed closer to the door, and a man sat next to it, head resting on the edge of the


    same bed, asleep. Carlos gave her a nce and walked on. She wasn''t Debbie.


    In the other bedy a woman with a bandage around her head. She was in deep sleep. She was


    hooked up to an IV, a needle taped to her arm.


    Hayden sat on the sofa beside the bed, working. Seeing Carlos walk in, he smiled at him but didn''t


    speak.


    The two men''s eyes met. With a stern look on his face, Carlos said nothing to Hayden either. He strode


    over to the bed and stared at Debbie. She was the point. She was what he hade for.


    Her face was a sickly red. The bandage around her forehead was blood-stained. The fluid in the


    infusion bottle was mostly gone.


    Carlos promptly peeled back the tape and plucked the needle out of her wrist. Hayden stood up and


    tried to stop him, but Emmett walked over and kept him where he was.


    When Carlos lifted the covers away, he saw that underneath, Debbie was only wearing hospital


    clothing. Quickly, he took off his overcoat and wrapped her tight. Without a word, he picked her up from


    the bed.


    Maybe it was the warmth of his arms. Just then, Debbie slowly opened her eyes. In a blur, she thought


    she saw Carlos.


    "Mr. Handsome..." she muttered. The ice around Carlos'' heart melted. The tough man softened. The


    tenderness in his eyes went rogue. Nothing could conceal it anymore.


    He lowered his head and nted a kiss on her forehead. "Don''t worry, I''m getting you out of here." He


    was so gentle, so caring, Debbie thought she was having a beautiful dream. Slowly, she closed her


    eyes again. If she stayed in that dream, she would rather never open her eyes again.


    Since the moment Carlos walked into the ward, Hayden hadn''t been able to get much work done. He


    stood aside and watched Carlos'' every move. Being a gentleman, before leaving, Carlos said to


    Hayden, "Thank you, Mr. Gu, for taking care of my wife tonight."


    Hayden nodded in response.


    The whole thing was done rather quietly. The other patient never stirred.


    Onlookers gathered at the door as they left the ward.


    The bodyguards cleared the way for them ahead, so Carlos and Debbie got to the parking lot without


    disturbance.


    Emmett trotted to the car and opened the back door for him. After he and Debbie got in, Emmett sat in


    the passenger seat.


    They were heading for an affiliated private hospital owned by ZL Group. A VIP ward that was three


    times as big had been arranged.


    Two chief physicians along with a few nurses were waiting for them at the entrance to the intake


    department. They walked up as soon as Carlos'' car arrived.


    After a thorough examination, a doctor said to Carlos, "Nothing serious except the fever. The injury on


    her forehead was caused by some kind of blunt force. Looks unintentional. The bruises on her legs?


    Just scrapes."


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Carlos reminded him with a furrow, "She''s on her period. Be careful with the medicine. I don''t want her


    harmed."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    When everything was settled, it was already past 2 a.m. Carlos sent Emmett home to get some rest


    and he himself sat on the wide bed.

 Chapter 217 Let Me Starve

    Chapter 217 Let Me Starve


    Sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard, Carlos carefully took Debbie in his arms.


    He took special care with the hand that was hooked up to an IV. Stroking her other hand, he noticed


    how pale her hands were. Her face was pasty white. He had never seen her so fragile. His every


    movement was made with extreme care, like she would break if he moved too fast or forcefully.


    A tough guy, he rarely showed his feelings, much less adopt a different facial expression. But when


    Emmett told him that Debbie had a car ident and her car fell into the deepest river in Y City, all the


    blood drained from his face.


    When Carlos and his men reached the ident site, Debbie''s car hadn''t been retrieved yet. Some


    professionals were working on it. The site was thronged with people, but few of them had witnessed


    exactly what had happened. Anxious to know how Debbie was, he told Emmett to ask around, see if


    anyone knew what happened to the driver. It took a long while before he found someone. They told him


    that the woman driving the car had been rescued and taken to the hospital.


    Then Emmett checked all the hospitals nearby. It took him a bit to cut through the red tape, but that


    was what he was hired for. He finally found Debbie in Y City Second General Hospital.


    Debbie had been asleep for quite a few hours, and had quite a few dreams to match that extended


    time. She remembered seeing Carlos in her dream. He told her gently that he came to get her out of


    that ce.


    A man''s exasperated growl interrupted her wandering thoughts.


    "Didn''t you say she''de around this morning? Do you know what time it is? 2 p.m.! Why is she still


    unconscious? You call yourselves doctors? I spend a ton of cash on this hospital every year. I pay you


    good money. And what do I get in return? A bunch of idiots! "


    "Please don''t worry, Mr. Huo. Mrs. Huo is only sleeping. "


    "Sleeping? She''s been asleep sincest night! You tell me that''s normal? "


    "Carlos, why are you yelling? " a feeble voice scolded.


    Hearing her, Emmett said to himself, ''Thank God, Mrs. Huo''s finally awake. If she slept any longer, Mr.


    Huo would probably tear this hospital down around our ears.''


    As soon as he heard Debbie''s voice, Carlos'' anger vanished like smoke on the wind.


    He and the others all rushed to her bed. The doctors looked at her, thankful and anxious. Now they


    knew their jobs were safe. At the same time, they prayed Debbie would be fine so that they wouldn''t


    get another round of sturm and drang from Carlos. Debbie was surprised to see so many doctors


    surrounding her. One might think she was dying or had contracted some weird and highly-contagious


    disease. But she knew that it was all because Carlos had lit fires under these doctors'' backsides. They


    knew that their jobs were on the line, so they gave her the very best care. One of the perks of owning


    the hospital, Debbie figured.


    The director of the hospital himself examined Debbie, listening to her heart and lungs, checking her


    vitals, making sure that her reflexes were good. Afterwards, he assured Carlos repeatedly and


    unctuously that there was nothing serious with his wife. Only then did Carlos allow the doctors to leave


    the ward.


    Looking at Debbie''s colorless face, Carlos was deeply worried. "Bring the food," hemanded


    Emmett.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Emmett turned to fetch the food.


    The couple were left alone in the ward. Carlos seemed a little distant, while Debbie was silent. The


    atmosphere in the room turned awkward.


    "What happened?" Carlos finally broke the ufortable silence.


    Debbie turned her back to him. "Isn''t it obvious? Can''t you see for yourself?"


    Her car had been retrieved. After going over the car, they determined the brakes were working. The


    other parts of the car were all functioning fine. So the only thing Carlos could think of was Debbie''s


    driving. "Since you''re such a bad driver, don''t get behind the wheel. The driver can take you wherever


    you want to go."


    Debbie turned to look at him with a sneer. "Your bedside manner needs work." She had been expecting


    him to say how worried he had been, maybe even treat her gently andfort her, just as he had in


    her dream.


    But it turned out nothing was like the dream. Noforting words. No gentle voice. All she got was his


    using tone. She was beginning to think maybe she shouldn''t have woken up. Just stay nice and


    warm and loved in her dream world. She was thinking maybe she should say she was tired and shoo


    him out of the ward. At least it would shut him up. She normally liked his voice, but now she just


    preferred silence.


    This wasn''t how he used to treat her.


    Staring at her ghostly white face, Carlos didn''t say a word. Indifferently, he turned around, leaving. His


    hands were in his pockets, balled into fists.


    Only he knew how much he wanted to hug her. But he had been telling himself not to.


    "Carlos Huo!" Debbie shouted, exerting all her strength to sit up.


    Carlos paused and turned. "You''re still too weak. Don''t sit up. Get some rest."


    Without waiting for a response, he continued with a frown, "Lie down."


    "''Lie down'' my ass! Don''t you even care how I fell into the river? Where were you when I fell? Were you


    having a sweet moment with Megan, with her in your arms? The first thing I heard after waking up was


    you ming me for being a bad driver. Was I ever a bad driver before? Why now? Did it ever ur to


    you that something happened before the ident? Or maybe you were hoping I died so that you could


    be with another woman." Debbie started panting after this. Only now had she stopped to take a breath.


    Carlos walked to the bed and made her lie down. "I think you must have bumped your head. You''re


    talking crazy. Maybe a CAT scan will reveal something."


    Debbie wanted to punch him in the face. While Carlos was tucking her in, she pped his hands and


    snarled, "Thank you, Mr. Huo. Save your energy. I''ll do it myself."


    At this moment, Emmett walked in with the hot meal. This happened to be at the exact same time she


    pped Carlos'' hands away.


    It gave him great joy. Stifling hisughter, he put the food on the edge of the bed and said to Debbie


    with admiration, "Mrs. Huo, let me adjust the bed for you so you can eat morefortably." He reached


    for the button to elevate the head of the bed.


    "No, thanks," Debbieshed out. "I don''t want to eat. Let me starve. Someone would be happy to see


    me die."


    Emmett persuaded, "It''ll break Mr. Huo''s heart to see you starve. You can''t imagine how happy Mr. Huo


    was to see you wake up."


    "Emmett!" Carlos shouted. Immediately, Emmett shut his mouth.


    Debbie retorted, "Emmett, I bet you don''t know that your boss fell in love with someone else! Wait,


    that''s not it. He''s always loved someone else."


    "It seems that you''re well enough. I guess we don''t need the food. Emmett..." Carlos'' order was


    implied.


    Emmett was surprised to hear it. He had seen how upset Carlos had been when he heard Debbie had


    an ident.


    He had seen Carlos holding Debbie in his arms in the middle of the night and kissing her repeatedly,


    worry written all over his face.


    He had seen how Carlos roared at those doctors when Debbie didn''t wake up like he was hoping.


    ''Mr. Huo, clearly, you care about your wife more than anything.


    Why can''t you justpromise and humor her a little?'' Emmett was disappointed to see two people


    who were obviously deeply in love hurting each other. Even though he knew one day Carlos would


    regret these stupid fights with Debbie, it was not his ce to do or say anything. That was why he


    didn''t, even though he wanted to. In spite of Carlos, in spite of himself, he found he liked Mrs. Huo


    more and more each passing day. He didn''t like the way Carlos treated her, but he had to keep silent.


    He followed Carlos'' orders and took the food away.


    Debbie''s mouth had been watering at the delicious smell of the gourmet food, but right now she had to


    watch them being taken away. So this was how Carlos punished her? So unfair!


    "Emmett,"


    Debbie called when Emmett reached the door.


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo," Emmett responded loudly.


    Debbie sat up in bed and asked, "Can I borrow your phone?"


    "Of course, Mrs. Huo. Someone you want to call?" Emmett walked back with the food.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Yeah. I want to call someone and ask her to get me out of here. I know someone doesn''t want to see


    me here."


    Emmett stole a nce at Carlos. The man''s gloomy face made him hesitate.


    As he was wondering if he should lend Debbie his phone, the door to the ward opened. Emmett saw


    the people that walked in. "Mr. Lu, Miss Song," he greeted.


    Too worried to respond to Emmett''s greetings, Curtis hurried to the bed. After examining Debbie


    carefully with his eyes, he asked anxiously, "How did this happen? How''s your forehead? Still hurting?


    Is anything else hurting?"

 Chapter 218 Call Mrs. Huo For Help

    Chapter 218 Call Mrs. Huo For Help


    Curtis'' concern opened the floodgates for Debbie''s tears. Compared to Carlos'' cold tone, Curtis''


    sounded so warm. Debbie embraced Colleen, who was standing next to him and was equally worried.


    "Finally, someone cares about me. Mr. Lu, Colleen, please take me with you. Can''t stay here anymore.


    My husband loves another woman. He won''t let me eat and talks to me coldly all the time,"


    she sobbed.


    Curtis rarely got mad. But upon hearing what Debbie had said, he turned to Carlos with a sullen face


    and demanded, "Carlos, is this true? Don''t you know she just had a near-fatal experience?"


    Carlos nced at Debbie and said, "It''s all bullshit and you know it."


    Not having the heart to watch his boss make a bigger mistake, Emmett walked to Carlos and reminded


    him in a whisper, "Mr. Huo, with all due respect, don''t say anything you''ll regret."


    Carlos red at Emmett. The dutiful secretary''s voice trailed off.


    Assuming the couple were fighting, Colleen rolled her eyes at Carlos. "Debbie, don''t cry. Gregory''s not


    busy. So if your husband can''t take care of you, I''ll call my brother and ask him toe and look after


    you," she said, trying tofort Debbie.


    Recently, Colleen learned her brother had a crush on Debbie¡ªCarlos'' wife. She knew that Gregory


    stood no chance and that it would go nowhere. She felt sorry for her brother.


    Now that there was an opportunity for Gregory to show how much he cared, Colleen grabbed it for him.


    And with both her and Curtis around, she believed Carlos wouldn''t be tough on her brother.


    Colleen took out her phone and was about to dial the number, when Carlos observed. "Colleen, you''re


    a bride-to-be. Don''t you have a wedding to n?"


    His tone was full of warning.


    Colleen stared at him and put her phone away. After twitching her lips unhappily, shemented,


    "Debbie just had a serious ident. Why do you have to be so mean? Couldn''t this wait until she''s


    well? You''re so rude. Honestly, I don''t know how Debbie puts up with you."


    Then Curtis took the tray out of Emmett''s hands and put it beside the bed. He sat down on the edge of


    the bed and picked up a bowl of congee. Gently, he spooned some food out of it and ced it to her


    mouth. "Here, eat something. We''ll get you to another hospital."


    "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Lu," Debbie said sweetly.


    Carlos watched and listened.


    Just as Debbie was about to take a bite, the proud man who had just been criticized by everyone else


    in the ward snatched the bowl and spoon away from Curtis and snapped, "She''s my wife, Mr. Lu. Now,


    go away!"


    Curtis was simply pushed off the bed. Looking at the overbearing man, he shook his head. ''This man''s


    ego sometimes makes him lose his head. But at least, now the reverse psychology is working. If he


    won''t take care of her, we''ll make a show of it. Then, he''ll be forced by his jealousy to act, even if he


    wants to punish her instead of cherishing her.''


    "Open your mouth!" Carlos ordered bluntly.


    Debbie snorted, "Since you''re so gant, I guess I''ll have to open my mouth." A spoon of warm congee


    was put into her mouth.


    "Shut your mouth!"


    "One minute, you ask me to open my mouth, and the next, you ask me to shut my mouth. You''re so


    high-maintenance. Mr. Huo, if I shut my mouth, how will you feed me?" asked Debbie, blinking.


    The man of few words was again rendered speechless, while Colleen and Emmett burst intoughter.


    This was too good. She was giving as good as she got.


    Another group of visitors came sauntering into the ward while Debbie ate. They were Jared, Damon,


    and Damon''s wife Adriana.


    Damon walked beside Adriana protectively. This was the first time Debbie had met Adriana. She hoped


    she was good for him. Jared had made some questionable choices when it came to girlfriends. But


    then again, Damon was not Jared.


    This woman was almost nine months along.


    Thanks to the pregnancy, her face was round and chubby. Her almond-shaped eyes were bright and


    beautiful. A smile lingered around her lips.


    She wore a simple orange designer down jacket and soft ts.


    Her long hair was tied back casually. Debbie''s first impression of her was that she was a high-flier.


    Their eyes met. When Adriana saw Carlos himself feeding Debbie, she was very curious about the


    woman in the hospital bed.


    Jared saw the gauze around Debbie''s forehead. Before anyone could say anything, he dropped


    everything and sprinted towards Debbie. "How ya feeling, Tomboy? I was worried to death when I


    heard about the ident. I couldn''t sleep. I even lost my appetite. How are you? Let me have a look¡ª"


    He approached Debbie to hug her, but Carlos pulled him away by the sleeve, putting the boy at a


    distance from Debbie.


    ''I haven''t even gotten to hug my wife yet today. You? Back off!''


    Everyone was stunned by Carlos'' possessiveness.


    With his hands around Adriana''s waist, Damon kicked Jared in the leg and berated him, "Behave


    yourself around Mrs. Huo. Otherwise, next time if Carlos gets pissed and throws you into space, I won''t


    help you."


    Jared scratched his newly dyed yellow hair and exined, "Mr. Huo, I was just worried about Tomboy.


    Don''t get me wrong."


    Carlos only threw him a cold nce and continued to feed Debbie.


    With one arm around Adriana''s waist, Damon moved closer to the bed and said, "Debbie, let me


    introduce my wife, Adriana Mu, CEO of ZL Group, New Zend branch. Sweetie, this is Carlos'' wife,


    Debbie Nian, a student from Curtis'' university."


    Debbie swallowed the food in her mouth and eximed, "CEO? Wow! You''re a sessful woman. Hi,


    Adriana. Nice to meet you."


    Adriana walked over and shook hands with her. "What sessful woman? I only got this position


    because your husband felt bad for me. But you, you even melted Carlos, the Iceberg. That''s


    impressive."


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "No..." Debbie wanted to ridicule Carlos. On second thought, it seemed to be inappropriate on such an


    asion, so she said instead, "Me too. I got the title of ''Mrs. Huo'' only because Mr. Huo felt sorry for


    me."


    The others hooted, but Carlos'' face darkened. He picked up a cookie and put it into Debbie''s mouth to


    shut her up.


    Damon nodded his head. "Mrs. Huo, you''re my heroine. Few people dare to talk about Carlos like that."


    Carlos cast Damon a cold look.


    Damon wrapped his arms around his pregnant wife protectively and took one step back. Pretending to


    be afraid, he said, "I''m warning you. Don''t be a smart-ass. Your wife is here today." All of Carlos'' good


    friends felt bullied by him all the time. Today, they all wanted to see how weak he was in front of


    Debbie. It was a sight for sore eyes, and they enjoyed every minute of it. She was the only one who


    could really mess with him and not get hit for it. Anyone else, well, they knew better.


    Colleen smiled at Emmett and said, "Emmett, if Carlos gets angry at you guys again, call Debbie. She


    knows how to calm him down."


    Emmett gave Colleen a thumbs-up and whispered, "Works like a charm." He had tried many times. It


    never let him down. By word of mouth, "Call Mrs. Huo for help when Mr. Huo is mad," had be a


    well-known secret in the offices. Debbie, actually, wanted to say, "No use calling me. Call Megan." But


    in the end, she swallowed those words and simply smiled awkwardly.

 Chapter 219 The Truth

    Chapter 219 The Truth


    As soon as Debbie finished eating, Carlos peeled a banana and handed it to her.


    Damon saw this. He looked at Carlos earnestly and said, "Bro, I''d like a banana too."


    For the first time since Jared, Damon and Adriana had walked into the ward, Carlos spoke. "Beat it!"


    Seeing his brother getting bullied, Jared snorted, "Don''t be so bossy. Your wife''s here."


    The othersughed.


    The atmosphere inside the ward was pleasant. Everyone was happy, except Carlos.


    "Tell us what happened," Curtis said to Debbie.


    The smile on Debbie''s face froze when the ident was suddenly brought up. She looked at Carlos.


    He was confused by her look. "If you have something to say, just say it."


    "It''s true. I mistook the gas pedal for the brake."


    They were rendered speechless by her careless mistake.


    Debbie, however, was wondering if her friends would believe her if she told them that Megan was


    involved in the ident. And Carlos... Would he trust her words?


    Luckily, Wesley wasn''t in the ward. Among the four, Carlos and Wesley valued Megan the most. If


    Wesley were there, he would be pissed at her if she told them that the ident was caused by Megan.


    ''Should I tell them that Megan not only provoked me, but also purposely told Carlos that I had taken


    birth control pills?''


    Debbie pondered silently.


    She med herself for being too weak. She shouldn''t have let Megan get to her so easily. She had


    learnt her lesson. Even if she decided not to tell the others the truth, she would get back at Megan


    sooner orter. She promised herself.


    Noticing that she was in a bad mood, Colleen patted her hand and said, "It''s okay. If you don''t feel like


    talking, just forget about it now. You are fine, that''s all that matters."


    Adriana chipped in, "Get some rest. When you are ready to talk, Mr. Huo will be here beside you. If


    there''s some problem, I''m sure he''ll fix it for you."


    Debbie was still silent.


    Jared couldn''t hold his tongue anymore. "Tomboy, you have never been so hesitant before. What''s


    wrong with you?


    " It was true. She used to speak her mind anytime, anywhere. That used to be her trademark.


    But now, she couldn''t. And it was because of Carlos. She was wondering if he would believe her. If he


    didn''t, then whatever she said would be pointless. And he might even think that she was trying to frame


    Megan.


    When that thought hit Debbie, she forced a smile and said, "This is just the result of me being a bad


    driver. It''s nothing else. Rx, everybody."


    They could tell that she was definitely hiding something, but no one forced her to share.


    The others left the hospital together after spending some time with her.


    Left alone with Carlos, Debbie fell silent once again and slept immediately after.


    When she woke up, it was already dark.


    The ward was quiet. Debbie was alone. Bored, she stared at the half empty infusion bottle. "Hello?


    Anybody there?" she shouted after clearing her throat.


    Carlos walked in from the next room.


    He walked to the bed and pressed the nurse-call button. They were engulfed inplete silence as


    they waited. Soon after, two nurses walked in and Carlos said, "Bring her dinner."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    The nurses turned to leave, but Debbie said, "Please wait."


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. What can I do for you?" asked one of the nurses.


    "Could you help me get out of bed?"


    Since Carlos was standing right beside her, the nurses were confused by her request. They stared at


    him in search of an answer.


    ''She is ignoring mepletely!'' His face clouded over in anger.


    "Get out!" he ordered icily.


    Seeing his furious face, the nurses fled from them quickly.


    "Hey! You scared them away! I need their help!" Debbieined with a frown.


    Carlos walked over to her, rolled the bed up for her, and put a pillow behind her back so that she could


    lean against itfortably.


    Debbie threw the covers aside impatiently and tried to get out of bed on her own. "Where are you


    going?" Carlos blocked her way.


    "The bathroom! It''s urgent. What? You have a problem with that, Mr. Huo?" Debbie yelled. ''If you don''t


    want to be here, then leave! Why the long face? No one forced you to stay!''


    Carlos walked around the bed and picked up the infusion bottle. He slowly hung it on the mobile rack.


    Debbie wanted to do everything herself, but Carlos refused. He led her towards the bathroom,


    supporting her with one hand and pushing the rack with the other.


    After she was done, Debbie washed her hands and walked out of the bathroom.


    Carlos was waiting at the door. Silently, he escorted her back to the bed, one arm protectively around


    her waist.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    It was unnecessary, but he insisted. So in the end, she was kind of carried back to her bed.


    As soon as she sat on the bed, her dinner arrived. It was a huge meal.


    Since her hands weren''t injured, it never urred to Debbie to ask Carlos to feed her.


    She told the nurses toy the table for her, and began eating.


    However, Carlos was angered because he thought that as her husband, he wasn''t being relied upon at


    all.


    He closed his eyes to suppress the anger building inside him. When Debbie finished eating, he sat on


    the bed and said, "Now, tell me."


    Debbie stared at him and asked, "Tell you what?"


    "How did you fall into the river?" The car window had been broken. It seemed that she had been smart


    enough to break the window with the emergency hammer to save herself under the life-threatening


    circumstance.


    "Where were you when I fell into the river?" she asked as she wiped her mouth and studied his face


    carefully.


    Carlos thought about it. The ident had taken ce yesterday afternoon. So he was... "In my office."


    During the time she had her ident, he hadn''t arrived at Orchid Private Club yet. But he was about to


    leave.


    Debbie sneered, "Is it so difficult for you to tell me the truth?" She knew that he had gone to Megan''s


    ce and had told her about the examination result as soon as he had left the hospital.


    Carlos'' brows knitted tightly. He didn''t understand what she was talking about. "Have I ever lied to


    you?"


    "You''re lying to me NOW!" If he wasn''t lying, how would Megan have known that they had gone to the


    hospital?


    "Debbie Nian, why are you trying to push my button? What good does it do you to make me angry?"


    Carlos lifted her chin and forced her to look at him in the eye.


    Debbie wasn''t afraid. She brushed his hand away and retorted, "Push your button? How? Are you


    angry because I exposed your lie?"


    Carlos stood up, trying to calm down. "Sleep. We''ll talk when you have a better attitude." He started


    walking towards the door.


    "Carlos Huo!" Debbie called from behind him.


    Carlos stopped, but didn''t turn.


    "If I tell you that the ident had something to do with Megan, will you believe me?"


    Carlos turned around now. Debbie looked serious. "What do you mean?" he asked with a frown.


    "While I was driving, I got a call from Megan. She told me that you went to her ce after you left the


    hospital, and that you told her you were very disappointed in me." Debbie stressed every word and


    spoke slowly.


    "She also said that you told her that you''d realized that she was the one who loved you the most and


    that you would never leave her. And she was the one who told you about the birth control


    pills."

 Chapter 220 Lying Son Of A Bitch

    Chapter 220 Lying Son Of A Bitch


    That was when Debbie had been stimted. In a fluster to avoid the vehicleing in the opposite


    direction, she had mistaken the gas for the brake. As a result, the car veered out of control and ran into


    the river.


    Sounding morose, Carlos said, "Although I was disappointed in you, I didn''t go to Megan''s ce. It was


    indeed Megan who told me about you taking birth control pills, though." It was also true that he had told


    Megan he would take care of her forever¡ªas her uncle.


    "Did you lose yourposure because your lie was exposed?" he asked.


    Debbie looked at him in disappointment. "So, you think this has nothing to do with her?"


    At the moment, Carlos wasn''t sure how much he should trust Debbie. It had just been confirmed that


    she had been taking birth control pills behind his back. Besides, Hayden was never out of her life.


    "You''re a grown woman. You should take your own responsibility when there''s a problem instead of


    ming others, understand?"


    Apparently pissed off, Debbieughed sarcastically. Grabbing the pillow from behind her back, she


    threw it at Carlos angrily. "To hell with your ''ming others''! Get out of my sight! I don''t ever want to


    see you again! Ever!"


    Unppable, Carlos didn''t duck. The pillow softly hit him.


    "Get some rest." With those three words, he picked the pillow up, tossed it on the sofa, and left.


    Left alone, Debbie''s eyes reddened. One of the most enjoyable feelings she had with Carlos was his


    constant reassurances. It was a priceless part of the rtionship. Made her feel like a princess. But


    when he ignored her, it made her feel like a weed in his backyard. Something which he didn''t give a


    damn about and could as well be trampled under feet.


    Her phone had been destroyed in the ident, so when Debbie was left alone in the ward, she had


    nothing to do but aimlessly switch between TV channels. Yet, she didn''t find anything of interest.


    When she finally got bored with the telly, and Carlos had been gone for more than one hour, she


    decided to get out of bed to y on theputer in the ward.


    Leaving the TV on, she heavy-heartedly dragged herself out of bed and sat at theputer. That was


    when the TV in the background drew her attention. "CEO of ZL Group, Mr. Carlos Huo, is present at


    the fashion show." Instantly she turned to check what was on the news.


    On Y City Fashion Satellite TV, an international fashion show was being broadcast live.


    Countless cameras were on Carlos, the grim-looking, well-dressed man. His date wore a cloud dress


    and white stilettos. Arm in arm, they walked on the red carpet towards the venue.


    Watching all this, Debbie couldn''t help but move closer to the TV.


    But there was no mistaking the woman next to him¡ªPortia!


    Walking beside Carlos, the ever proud and aloof woman enjoyed the envious gazes from everywhere,


    obvious excitement written all over her porcin face.


    Clenching her hands tightly, Debbie wanted to smash the TV.


    ''Didn''t he say he always kept a low profile? Didn''t he say he never allowed the media to take pictures


    of him? Then what the hell is this?! Everything he says is a lie!


    He is a lying, cheating son of a bitch!''


    Even after he and Portia had sat in their VIP seats, the reporters kept on taking pictures of the two.


    After all, it was rare for Carlos to be willing to face cameras. Besides, he and Portia looked great


    together.


    ''Previously, there was Olga, and then Megan, and now, Portia! Mr. Huo, aren''t you a phndering old


    dog?!'' Debbie cursed inwardly.


    Portia was never nice to her. And now she was wrapping her arm around Carlos'' in public, for the


    whole world to see!


    Unable to take in the eyesore anymore, Debbie grabbed a ss form the bedside cupboard and


    smashed it angrily against the TV, sending the nurses gasping in shock.


    In a short while, still on the set at the fashion show, Carlos got a call from Tristan not long after he had


    sat down. "Mr. Huo, Mrs Huo..."


    "What''s wrong?" a panicky Carlos asked. Although he tried as much as he could to remain calm, the


    anxiety was detectable in his tone.


    "Mrs. Huo smashed the TV."


    "Why? What happened?"


    Regretting havinge here, Tristan turned to Debbie, who had wrapped herself in the covers in bed.


    Disturbed, he tapped his middle finger at the side of his forehead, now sinking deeper into thoughts.


    Why did he have to walk into the ward just when Debbie was about to smash the TV? Now he had to


    be the one telling his boss what she was up to. While he fumbled for words, Debbie shouted in the


    background, "Well, do you ever get tired of fooling around with all kinds of women? Aren''t you such an


    amorous wild flower that entertains anything and everything, from poisonous bees to deadly butterflies?


    You phndering, thoughtless scumbag!"


    Tristan listened on without a word; his anxiety only grew worse. Carlos said calmly, "Ask her if she had


    a good time smashing things. If one set is not enough, give her more sets to smash." It had only been a


    short while since he had left, but she had already started creating drama.


    He was livid. He couldn''t even find the right words. "Yes, Mr. Huo," Tristan answered respectfully.


    Sitting next to Carlos, Portia listened carefully to the conversation on the phone. She couldn''t hear


    anything from the other end of the line, but she got every word that Carlos had said.


    ''Who is this "her"? Is she Carlos'' wife?''


    Behind the scenes, Portia''s parents had pulled a lot of strings to get her this opportunity to attend this


    fashion show as Carlos'' date. And since the chance was here, she had decided to use it to its fullest,


    making sure she left a favorable,sting impression on Carlos. The very best she possibly could.


    When Carlos hung up the phone, she asked in affected confusion and thoughtfulness, "Mr. Huo, is


    anything the matter?"


    But in an unreadable mood, Carlos simply put away the phone and responded coldly, without even the


    courtesy of looking at her, "Nothing happened." In an instant, it all began to sound as if he were talking


    to a stranger rather than his date.


    Meanwhile, in the hospital, Tristan moved another TV set into Debbie''s ward, just as Carlos had


    ordered. This infuriated Debbie.


    ''Carlos Huo, what''s this supposed to mean? You don''t have time for me, do you? What do you want me


    to do? Tear this hospital down?''


    As soon as thest bottle of IV fluid ran out, Debbie immediately asked the nurses to pull out the


    needle in her wrist. "I can''t stand this ce any longer. I want to be out there going about other things.


    Discharge me right now!" she demanded, on the verge of turning hysterical.


    It took Tristan a long while to calm her down. "Mrs. Huo, the gauze is still on your head, and the


    stitches in your forehead haven''t been taken out yet. Why not wait until the cut heals before you start


    throwing tantrums?" he urged.


    "I don''t give a damn about the stitches. My husband is showing off out there as a couple with another


    woman! Do you want me to sit here and wait? Get me an invitation to the show! I have to get in there


    and personally witness whatever mischief he is up to!"


    Without waiting for an answer, Debbie got out of bed and started searching for clothes in the cupboard.


    Looking at her, Tristan began to regret his thoughtless promise to Emmett that he''d take care of Debbie


    for him.


    After a moment of searching in the room, she found there were no spare clothes she could wear, not to


    mention a suitable outfit for her to wear to the event. "Your boss'' wallet was lost in the river. Get him a


    new card when you can. Wait, didn''t Carlos tell you to get me some clothes? There''s nothing here," she


    bitterly grumbled. By now she was getting very frustrated.


    Tristan shook his head and responded, "Mr. Huo intended to let you stay in the hospital for a week.


    There are still five days to go, so I haven''t prepared the clothes yet."


    ''Me being here for a week, while he ys around with his other women?'' At the mere thought of it,


    Debbie was on the verge of ripping the gauze off. How would she convince him that she had recovered


    and was ready to leave the hospital soonest?


    But then as she studied the anxious nurses around her, she had an idea. "Fine. Then I guess I''ll have


    to stay."


    Half an hourter, Tristan called Carlos again. "Mr. Huo, is this a good time?"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    To which Carlos snappishly replied, "Go ahead." Just a nce at the model on the runway and he


    almost lost his temper.

 Chapter 221 Stop Her

    Chapter 221 Stop Her


    "Mrs. Huo... ran out of the hospital," Tristan stammered on the phone.


    "How?!"


    Watching the hospital surveince footage, Tristan cleared his throat and answered, "Mrs. Huo asked


    me to grab some real food for her. After I left, she snatched a nurse''s uniform, changed into it and ran


    off."


    Carlos closed his eyes with resignation. He felt as if the old rebellious Debbie was back, always giving


    him a headache.


    "Where did she go?" asked Carlos. His voice betrayed no emotion.


    "The camera shows she hailed a cab at the entrance, and the cab drove towards Skyline Road. You


    know, she lost your wallet in the river. With no money on her, where do you think she went, Mr. Huo?"


    Tristan wondered how Debbie paid the fare, since she didn''t have a penny on her.


    Carlos stood up from his seat and left the venue quietly.


    Portia grabbed her handbag and followed.


    The manager of the fashion show had kept an eye on Carlos the whole time. The moment he saw


    Carlos leave the show, he tagged along.


    "Tell Emmett to call Kasie. Tell her to stay put until I get there!" Carlos ordered on the phone.


    Portia trotted after him. She almost sprained her ankle, thanks to a strap on her heeling loose, but


    she didn''t darein. She followed him all the way to the parking lot. Seeing Carlos hang up the


    phone, she asked, "Taking off, Mr. Huo?"


    He nced at her and said, "Yeah. Zelda will drive you home after the show."


    Portia refused thoughtfully, "Thanks, Mr. Huo. No worries. I''ll call my brother."


    Carlos got in the car. Without one more look at Portia, he ordered Zelda to start the car.


    When the manager of the show came out to the parking lot, Carlos'' car was already gone.


    Cautiously, he asked the woman standing there with an awkward expression on her face, "Miss Gu, Mr.


    Huo left because..."


    Portia regained herposure and answered, "He had to leave for work."


    "I see," the man replied. Then he pried, "Miss Gu, are you a close friend of Mr. Huo''s?"


    Portia cast him a cold look. The manager grinned and shut up.


    Since Carlos had left, Portia decided not to go back to the show. She called the driver and asked him to


    pick her up.


    When Debbie arrived at the gate of Kasie''s block of ts, she told the driver with embarrassment that


    she didn''t have any money.


    The cabbie was annoyed. "Are you screwing with me? Nurse, don''t you know you have to pay for the


    ride?"


    Debbie smiled awkwardly. "Just a minute. Can I borrow your phone? I''ll call my friend and ask her to


    meet me here. She can pay you."


    Left with no other option, the cabbie reluctantly handed Debbie his phone. It was either that, or risk not


    getting paid. At this point, he still wasn''t sure if he would.


    "Kasie, where are you?" she asked, once Kasie answered.


    "Outside. d you''re awake. What''s up? Kristina and I went to the hospital to see you this afternoon,


    but you were snoozing, so we left without waking you up."


    Hearing that Kasie wasn''t home, Debbie was flustered. "You''re outside? Where? I took a cab to your


    ce, but I have no money to pay the fare. I''m at the entrance to your block."


    "What? Emmett and I are having dinner outside," Kasie replied. Then Debbie heard her say to Emmett,


    "Emmett, don''t answer your phone yet. Tomboy went to my ce. Let''s head back now." When Kasie


    answered Debbie''s call, Emmett''s phone started ringing too.


    Debbie asked, "Have you eaten yet? If you''re not finished, I can find you at the restaurant¡ª if you don''t


    mind me being the third wheel."


    There was a moment of quiet on the phone. Then Emmett said on Kasie''s phone, "Mrs. Huo, we''re on


    our way back. Tell the cabbie we''ll be right there."


    Without giving it too much thought, Debbie said, "Okay, hurry please. Bye."


    She gave the phone back to the driver and exined, "My friends areing. You''ll have to wait a


    moment. But I''ll pay you double the fare."


    At that, the anger disappeared from his face, and he visibly rxed. He even chatted a little with


    Debbie. He had quite a few questions, but she must have presented quite a sight. She didn''t have time


    to gather up winter clothing, and some of her clothes were lost in the ident, anyway. Her scalp had


    stopped bleeding, but she still had the bandage on, which people''s eyes were naturally drawn to. And


    of course, with nurse''s scrubs, you couldn''t really tell where she worked. Debbie had eschewed the


    name tag when she donned the nurse''s outfit. "Which hospital do you work in? That looks like a nasty


    wound. It''s freezing cold. Why are you not bundled up? Aren''t you cold?"


    Debbie looked at the clothes she was wearing and feigned embarrassment. "I spilled water on my own


    clothes. These clothes belong to my friend. And I came to borrow some clothes from another of my


    friends."


    "Oh, you should be more careful. You could catch a cold dressed like that."


    Ten minutester, Debbie saw someone approaching. It wasn''t Kasie, but Carlos.


    When Zelda got out of the car and paid Debbie''s fare, her first thought was, ''Holy Crap! Run!''


    She opened the back door quickly and ran away from the Emperor like crazy.


    Watching her fleeing figure, Carlos took out his phone and ordered, "Mrs. Huo is running down


    Riverside Lane. Stop her!"


    Soon enough, a Bentley pulled up in front of Debbie, blocking her path. She almost ran into it, and had


    to put her hands on the door to steady herself.


    Two bodyguards walked out of the car and stood in her way. "Good evening, Mrs. Huo," they greeted


    her respectfully.


    ''Good? Nothing good about this evening, '' Debbie thought in frustration.


    She turned her head. The Emperor rolled up alongside her.


    The car window was rolled down. Carlos looked at her and asked, "Where do you think you''re going?"


    d in only the nurse''s oufit, Debbie trembled from the cold, but still, she rolled her eyes at Carlos and


    responded stubbornly, "None of your damn business."


    ''Gosh, why is it so cold? I''m freezing.''N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Zelda stared at the shaking woman with mixed emotions. Recently, she had learned that Debbie was


    Carlos'' wife.


    She had seen Carlos with Megan. And word had it the Huo family and the Li family were going to form


    a bond by marriage. So shouldn''t Mr. Huo marry Megan or Stephanie? Why did he marry Debbie Nian?


    Lifting her head high in defiance, Debbie walked past the Bentley and the Emperor and continued


    walking down the road towards Kasie''s building.


    Carlos opened the door and got out.


    Even though her teeth were chattering from the cold, the stubborn girl didn''t intend to yield.


    Steady footsteps came from behind her. Suddenly, she was scooped up and fell into familiar arms.


    "Hey... Let...go of...me. Now..." ''So damn cold.''


    "If you don''t want to freeze to death, shut up!" Carlos scolded.


    Debbie''s anger red. "You''re the one...fooling around ...with another...ugh...woman while I was in the


    hospital suffering. You don''t get to be mad, Mister. Put me down," she said, struggling with him, while


    he held her fast. Although she was furious, due to the cold, her words sounded weak. She felt as if her


    lips were not hers anymore. She had lostmand over them.


    Carlos was at a loss. He had only gone to a fashion show. Why was Debbie using him of fooling


    around with another woman? ''This woman is unbelievable!''


    He came to the Emperor and put Debbie down. The woman, however, gave the car a heavy kick. "No, I


    won''t g-get in. I''d rather f-f-freeze to d-death out here". Her teeth ttered as if they wereposing a


    special symphony. She was far from shivering now. Great convulsions rocked her body.

 Chapter 222 The Big Plan

    Chapter 222 The Big n


    The innocent Emperor was the one to receive the kick. Zelda sat stiffly in the driver''s seat, not daring to


    move. This was her boss'' favorite car.


    Carlos'' aura got grimmer. "Debbie Nian," he warned.


    Debbie wasn''t scared. ring at Carlos, she snapped, "What?"


    Somehow, her angry tone made himugh. "If you''re angry about something I did, then be mad at me.


    Don''t take it out on the innocent."


    ''The innocent?'' "Mr. Huo, by ''innocent'', did you mean your car or Megan?"


    Carlos'' anger had worn out. He wondered since when he had be so patient. "For thest time, get


    in the damn car!"


    Making sure nobody was around them, Debbie kicked Carlos in the shin while saying, "No problem. I''ll


    take it out on you!"


    Looking at the footprint on his suit pants, he asked, "Are you happy now?"


    "Yes, I am," she replied. She could hardly stand the cold anymore. Besides, she had just nerved herself


    to kick Carlos. She had had enough.


    Without waiting for Carlos'' reply, she got into the warm car.


    After she was driven back to the hospital, Debbie walked to the changing room silently and changed


    into her hospital clothing. She shoved the nurse''s uniform at Carlos'' arms, but the man just stood and


    stared at it.


    Debbie red at him stubbornly. Her bright wide eyes read, "Are you going to take it or not? If you''re


    not, I''ll be very mad."


    Carlos looked at the uniform in disdain and said, "This is another woman''s clothes. I don''t want to touch


    it."


    Debbie was lost for words.


    Debbie grumpily walked to the next room and said to the nurse on duty, "Please return this to your co-


    worker and apologize for me. Thank you."


    Then she ran back to the bed and slipped under the covers without another word.


    Again, Carlos was neglected.


    After some time, how long Debbie couldn''t say, she was about to drift off when Carlos said to her,


    "Here, take this."


    She didn''t respond.


    Carlos lifted the covers. Debbie opened her eyes and gave him a cold look.


    In his hand was a new high-end phone developed by ZL Group. "Your SIM card is already in it."


    She grabbed the phone from him quickly without so much as a "thank you" and tucked herself in again.


    The first thing she wanted to do was talk to her friends on WeChat.


    She thought that she might have to log in first. To her surprise, when she opened WeChat, her ount


    had already been logged in. She wondered if Carlos had logged into her WeChat ount.


    There was no chat log. And it didn''t seem that anyone had browsed through her messages or her


    updates in Moments.


    She opened the group chat with her closest friends and typed, "Jared, Kasie, Kristina, Dixon! Let''s do


    something crazy after I am discharged from the hospital."


    Jared didn''t respond.


    Kasie sent an emoji which had a face with a question mark.


    Kristina sent an astonished face emoji.


    Dixon said, "I heard you had an ident. I called you, but your phone was switched off. How are you?"


    "I''m fine now, but I can''t leave the hospital yet. Dixon, are you back in Y City?"


    "Not for another two days." Dixon had gone to visit his hometown for the Spring Festival. They still had


    several days to go before the new semester began.


    Debbie had slept a lot during the day, and since chatting with her friends was so much fun, she was still


    busy typing on her phone past midnight.


    After his evening routine, Carlos came into her room. As soon as hey on her bed, Debbie covered


    her phone with her hands, as if she was hiding something from him.


    "What are you doing?" she asked warily, rolling her eyes.


    "Sleeping," Carlos said, stone-faced. He knew what she was doing with her phone. He decided to


    ignore it. He had read her updates in Moments.


    Just as he had anticipated, she had gone straight to WeChat and other social media as soon as she


    had gotten her hands on the phone.


    She had posted an update in Moments. "I won''t forgive you."


    She didn''t care whether Carlos saw it or not. Actually, she hoped he would. Then she wouldn''t have to


    tell him again.


    "Why don''t you go home? How am I supposed to sleep if you stay here?" Debbie locked the phone


    screen and stared at him instead.


    Carlos ignored her attitude. "I''m married. I''m supposed to sleep with my wife, and this bed is big


    enough for two people."


    "We''re having a fight."


    "I didn''t fight with you," he shrugged.


    ''If this isn''t a fight, then what is it?'' Debbie wanted to ask him. On second thoughts, if she chased


    Carlos away, she might get frightened at night to be alone in a hospital. So she dropped the topic.


    Turning her back to him, she unlocked her phone screen again and continued replying to her friends''


    comments.


    However, Carlos grabbed her phone from her clutches and said coldly, "It''ste, and your wound hasn''t


    healed yet. Go to sleep."


    "I slept too much during the day. I''m not sleepy now. Give me back my phone. I have to reply to my


    friends'' messages."


    Carlos put the phone aside and pulled her into his arms. "Do it tomorrow."


    "Hey! We''re having a fight! You can''t hug me like this. I''m mad at you. Mr. Huo, You¡ª" She was


    silenced by his kiss¡ªa long, gentle kiss.


    "You''ll make me lose control over my urges. You''re on your period. I don''t want to be an inconsiderate


    asshole. So, stop moving," he warned in a husky voice.


    In the darkness of the hospital room, Debbie smirked. ''Am I that sexy, turning a universally acimed


    good man into a horny asshole?''


    Debbie wanted to talk to him, but she was afraid that the topic might be upsetting and that the


    conversation might go ugly.


    She would end up sleeping alone in the hospital. She decided to silently fall asleep in Carlos'' arms


    while listening to his steady heartbeat.


    Debbie behaved well in the hospital the next day since she had her phone.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    In the afternoon, Kasie, Kristina and Jared came to see her. They talked for the whole afternoon.


    While Carlos and his secretaries were working outside her ward, Debbie and her friends were hatching


    a big n.


    Debbie began in a conspiratorial tone, "Wanna take someone out?"


    The other three looked at each other and then shook their heads vigorously.


    Debbie rolled her eyes. "You don''t have to kill anyone."


    "Then, don''t say ''take someone out''," Kristina corrected her, sighing.


    "Fine. How about doing something really crazy? Interested?"


    Jared nodded. "Of course. How could I miss that?"


    Since nobody needed to die in their little operation, Kasie and Kristina nodded too. "As long as it


    doesn''t go against thew, count us in."


    ''Against thew...'' Debbie thought about it. ''Does it?''


    "It doesn''t, I suppose," she said with a grin.


    For a moment, her friends stared speechlessly at her.


    Kristina finally said, "I doubt it."

 Chapter 223 She Looks Quite Happy

    Chapter 223 She Looks Quite Happy


    Debbie scratched her head in hesitation, mulling over her n. "No. I don''t think it''s anything criminal,


    but we''ll be stepping on Carlos'' toes. Will you guys still do that for me?"


    Her friends all looked perplexed at her words. Kasie couldn''t bear hearing Debbie speak in riddles


    anymore, so she asked, "Okay, Tomboy, justy it out. What are you nning?"


    "Get this. I''m lying in a hospital bed, wearing these ugly patient clothes, and I''ve been put on a drip and


    had stitches in my forehead. This is all thanks to one woman! So I need your help to teach her a


    lesson!" Debbie said between gritted teeth.


    ''Her...'' Even though Debbie didn''t explicitly spell out the name, they all knew who she was talking


    about.


    Familiar with upper-ss circles, Jared and Kasie were both well aware of the consequences. They


    simultaneously shook their heads disapprovingly. Jared blurted out, "Don''t do that. Mr. Huo and Mr. Li


    are protecting her. She''s the apple of their eye."


    Kasie pped Jared''s shoulder to stop him. "Shut up! That was then and this is now. Tomboy is Mr.


    Huo''s wife!"


    Jared noticed a dash of sadness sh through Debbie''s eyes. Realizing that his words had hurt


    Debbie, he was full of remorse and hastily apologized, "Yeah. My bad. Tomboy, I''m in! Whatever you


    want. Okay?"


    "Count me in. Anyway, Mr. Huo will probably take your side. There''s nothing to be afraid of! Look what


    that bitch has done to you. She needs a whooping," Kasie said. She knew most of the story. She


    couldn''t swallow her anger over what Megan had done to her best friend.


    Hearing them, Debbie pped her leg and said resolutely, "Exactly! I''m tired of being a doormat. I


    never did anything to get back at her because I didn''t want to hurt Carlos. But she''s crossed the line.


    She''s sabotaging our marriage. My husband and I are being driven apart because of her. I won''t let her


    off the hook!"


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ''On top of that, I almost died thanks to Megan''s phone call!'' she thought angrily.


    "Kasie, you can swim, right? I may need your help for this. And Jared, I just need you to do me a little


    favor. Kristina, you don''t have toe with us. Just stay at home and wait for the good news." Then,


    Debbie told everyone her n and assigned a task to each of them.


    Atst, Kristina looked at Debbie, embarrassed. "Debbie, I... I want to go with you too." She also was


    angry with Megan and wanted to watch this good show. However, she didn''t have someone that had


    her back once things turned serious. Everyone else had wealthy parents that could pull some strings.


    Touched by Kristina''s gesture, Debbie patted her on the shoulder. "Kristina, don''t follow bad examples.


    It''ll make you a bad girl. I know your heart. Thank you. Just wait for us at home and prepare a big meal


    to celebrate our sess. Okay?"


    Kristina had no choice but to nod. "Okay. Take care, all. Especially now..."


    When the three of them left Debbie''s ward and saw Carlos sitting outside, they all bade farewell to him


    politely and formally. "Goodbye. Mr. Huo!"


    "Bye Mr. Huo, see you!"


    Carlos felt suspicious of them. His intuition told him these kids were nning something behind his


    back.


    They had always been courteous to him, but this time, it was more than that. They seemed to want to


    butter him up, as if trying to get on his good side. Especially Jared. He had even sped his hands in


    prayer when he left the ward.


    With that thought in mind, Carlos turned to Emmett and instructed, "Go and get some information from


    your girlfriend."


    Emmett understood what he meant. "Yes, Mr. Huo!"


    But... He suddenly felt baffled. Kasie was on Debbie''s side, and so was he! Besides, Kasie was one of


    Debbie''s best friends. Not exactly a reliable source, especially if she was part of the n. No matter


    what information he had gotten wind of, he wouldn''t betray Debbie. He liked the girl, though he was


    curious what she was up to.


    As a protest against Carlos, Debbie was determined to endure a long, boring stay in the hospital rather


    than bow down and beg him to take her back home.


    A weekter, Debbie was finally discharged from the hospital.


    Breathing in the fresh air outside, Debbie felt a surge of excitement coursing throughout her body. ''No


    more smell of disinfectant in the air! Amazing!'' she eximed in her mind.


    Truth was, if it weren''t for the new semester starting in two days, Carlos wouldn''t have allowed her to


    be discharged from hospital until the scar on her forehead vanished. So she felt really lucky.


    After leaving the hospital, Carlos drove her back to the manor.


    Much to her disappointment, he left for his office at once, even before she''d been properly settled


    there.


    Watching him slowly disappear from sight, she could do nothing. She searched her brain, but found no


    excuses to make him stay a little longer.


    The rhythm of an old song began to y in the back of her mind. She tried to recall the lyrics. ''Yeah, I


    remember now!'' Then, she cleared her throat and began to sing. "I hide my tears from you to y cool.


    I give you a cold shoulder, however I care. Never thought you''d leave me along the way. My heart is


    dripping blood, but I have no courage to make you stay. I watch, you go to a world, far, far away..."


    As she sang the sad song, Debbie felt much better. Sad songs sometimes had a way of doing that,


    curiously. They were cathartic, in a way, and sometimes more effective than all the anti-depressants a


    pharmacy had to offer. Then, she remembered Carlos told her to buy whatever she needed because


    her luggage had been lost. They weren''t going to drag the river to find someone''s dresses or makeup


    collection. Besides, she had stayed in the hospital for so many days. She needed to break out, hang


    out, and do some shopping.


    "Your tenderness is nowhere to be found, and I lose all reasons to be strong..." Debbie continued to


    sing to herself as she slowly made her way upstairs. Funny enough, she suddenly sped up the rhythm,


    changing the sad melody to a cheery tune.


    Meanwhile, Carlos had made a call to a housemaid before driving out of the manor. He asked the


    housemaid what Debbie was doing at the moment. Withplicated feelings, the housemaid looked at


    the woman who was singing happily, and replied honestly, "Mr. Huo... Mrs. Huo is singing."


    Carlos was surprised. ''Singing? So she''s quite happy even without me, '' he thought, upset.


    Unsatisfied with the answer, he hung up the phone at once, his face darkened. He was as gloomy as


    ever, and the mood around him darkened as well.


    Debbie went to the music studio and enjoyed herself there for a short while. She even got the


    inspiration to write a few lines for the song she was putting together. After that, she asked the driver to


    get her to the Shining International za.


    Debbie spotted a hair salon after getting out of the car. She touched her long hair. The idea of having a


    haircut came to mind. ''It is about time for a change. Maybe they can make me look like a million bucks.''


    In the hair salon, a handsome man with grey-dyed hair greeted Debbie enthusiastically, "Hi, pretty girl!


    Wee! What''ll it be?"


    Debbie scanned the spacious studio and replied casually, "My hair is a bit too long. I want it cut a little."


    She hadn''t expected the interior of the salon was this luxurious. The price should be quite high.


    "Okay, pleasee this way. Let me wash your hair first!"


    Then, she followed the handsome man to another room to have her hair washed.


    "So, just a haircut, or...? What about a dye job or perm too? Actually, you''re lucky you came in today.


    We''re running a special offer now. It''ll be cost-effective if you buy a VIP card..."


    Debbie paused. "Just a trim and perm the ends of my hair a little. And how do I get a VIP card?"


    As the grey-hair man dried her hair, he gestured to another young man, asking him toe over.


    When Debbie saw another young maning up to her, she couldn''t help but marvel in her mind,


    ''Wow! Another handsome boy. Why are all the hairdressers here so handsome? Do they need to win a


    beauty contest before bing a hairdresser?''


    When Debbie knew that the price of a simple haircut was already 1, 200 dors, she was taken aback.


    Her lips twitched. ''God! I''ll never get a haircut in the Shining International za again. That''s way too


    expensive!


    Are they hoodwinking the customers? How can Carlos allow such a hair salon to open here?'' she


    wondered.


    "But if you apply for a VIP card and save 10, 000 dors in it, you''ll get an extra 5, 000. And we have


    different bonuses at 30, 000, 50, 000 or 100, 000 dors. Besides, we''ll give you a coupon for one free


    hair dye and hair perm which is worth 3, 888 dors... It''s our 10th anniversary, so that''s what we have


    for you. It''s really a bargain. You look so beautiful, and toe here more often would only add to your


    beauty."


    Debbie felt a little dizzy hearing the young man''s endless prattling. They were doing the hard-sell here.


    It seemed that it would be a better deal to buy a VIP card. She would actually get a 50% discount, if her


    calction was right. And moreover, she''d have a free dye and perm...

 Chapter 224 Is She Saying Im Old

    Chapter 224 Is She Saying I''m Old


    "Okay, please help me apply for a 10, 000-dor VIP card," Debbie said to the young man. Deep down,


    she wondered if Carlos made her be bolder in spending money. This guy talked her into buying a


    10, 000-dor card, and that was not chump change. He appeared to have done so easily, like he had


    a gift for fast talk. It only took three minutes for her to be 10, 000 dors poorer.


    Even before Debbie''s hair was dry, the handsome hairdressers had quickly fetched the VIP application


    form for her to fill in and sign.


    They couldn''t show more hospitality to Debbie by entertaining her with fresh fruits and beverages. In no


    time, a POS machine was put in front of her. So, without moving an inch from her seat, Debbie sealed


    the deal.


    So, with her new hairdo, Debbie was warmly sent off by the handsome young men. Her hair was dyed


    brown, yet it looked ck; it was trimmed, yet it looked as long as before. Well, the so-called new


    hairdo didn''t seem that different at all.


    In a daze, Debbie stepped out of the hair salon holding the Gold Card in her hand. This Gold Card was


    given to her by Carlos. She hadn''t brought this bank card to New York and had kept it in another


    handbag.


    She never expected to waste 10, 000 dors so soon.


    She mourned a bit, feeling sad to waste money so impulsively.


    Then, she opened the WeChat app and posted an update in the Moments. She wrote, "Wow,


    nowadays, hairdressers are all young and handsome, but with mad sales skills! They got me to buy a


    VIP card. Aww, poor me! My heart is aching, and so''s my wallet. If I could turn back time, I would''ve


    never stepped into that store..."


    She then put two Crying Face emojis below the words.


    On the other hand, working in his office, Carlos heard his phone beep when Debbie posted her update.


    He had set her ount as the Top Focus, so he would get her updates right away.


    He immediately tapped Debbie''s Moments. However, as he read the content, his frown deepened.


    ''Young and handsome? She always calls me old man. Is she saying I''m old?'' he wondered.


    ''And why was she sad for buying a VIP card?'' He was intrigued. How much money had Debbie put


    down on that card that made her so frustrated? He called Emmett in and asked, "Emmett, check how


    much money Debbie spent just now and where. All ounts."


    Ten minutester, Emmett reported, "Mrs. Huo spent 10, 000 dors on a VIP card in a hair salon at


    the Shining International za."


    ''What? Just 10, 000 dors? And she''s sad?'' Carlos couldn''t help bursting intoughter.


    "Go and upgrade the card. The highest amount they have," he demanded.


    "Um...yes, Mr. Huo," Emmett replied.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    He hadn''t made it to the office door yet when Carlos added, "Don''t let her know."


    Emmett nodded.


    While she was hanging out at the shopping mall, Debbie chatted with her friends on WeChat. She


    comined, "I should''ve asked you guys along. You could have stopped me." It was just that she didn''t


    want to bug her friends to keep herpany all the time. So she decided to set out on her own, and do


    her shopping that way. It would give her time to think, at any rate.


    Dixon sent a voice message. He said, "Bad idea. If Jared and Kasie were there with you, you would''ve


    spent 100, 000 dors."


    Dixon was right! Jared and Kasie led a more extravagant life than she did. But she didn''t like


    squandering money, for the most part. Money was to get something you needed, not everything you


    ever wanted.


    Kasie sent a Rolling Eyes emoji to Dixon and said, "You kidding? She''s Mrs. Huo. If anyone knew who


    she was, and that she was crying over 10, 000 dors, they''dugh at her! Tomboy, it''s only 10, 000


    dors. Show off a little. Money''s no big deal for your husband. Remember, Megan spent 80, 000


    dors for three shades of lipstick. She didn''t even feel bad..."


    They might be right! Debbie sent a Heart emoji to Kasie and wrote, "You''re right. If I don''t spend my


    husband''s money, Megan will use it up sooner orter. I shouldn''t give Carlos any chance to waste


    money on her!"


    Seeing the two women''s words, Dixon felt that he''d better zip his mouth.


    Then, as Debbie walked into a cosmetics chain store, she tapped thements in her WeChat


    Moments. There were already dozens ofments under the new post.


    Gail''s and Portia''sments caught her attention. Gailmented, "You bragging about something?"


    Portia wrote, "I have a VIP card with 50, 000 dors, for thergest hair salon at the Shining


    International za. Go ahead and use my card."


    Debbie could sense the sarcasm in Portia''sment.


    Portia had be more and more aggressive against her. She seemed to smell blood, and like any


    shark, was attracted to it. Debbie didn''t know why. ''I''ve been done with Hayden for a long time. Why is


    she still pissed?'' Debbie wondered.


    "Thank you for your kindness, Portia. But I have..." Debbie was typing a reply. She paused and


    wondered what was the highest amount of the VIP card in that hair salon. She giggled mischievously.


    Anyway, Portia didn''t know any better. Debbie decided to brag about it. She continued to write, "I have


    a VIP card with 200, 000 dors in it. If your 50, 000-dor VIP card isn''t enough, you can call me and


    we can use mine together."


    Portia didn''t take the bait and reply instantly. Instead, she asked her man to confirm it.


    Emmett had already upgraded the card of the hair salon by the time Portia''s men called the receptionist


    there. The worker had already put the money into Debbie''s VIP card five minutes before the call. After


    getting the answer, Portia''s man reported to her, "Miss Gu, Debbie Nian''s VIP card indeed has 200,


    000 dors, and together with the 50, 000-dor bonus, she has 250, 000 in total."


    Portia was dumbfounded, her mouth agape.


    Clutching her phone tightly, she hung up quickly. She wondered, ''Why does Emmett have so much


    money to spend on Debbie? He''s just an assistant. Maybe he takes bribes?''


    Now, the thought of hitting on Carlos burned stronger inside Portia''s heart.


    She began to fantasize the day when she would be the new Mrs. Huo. The first thing she would do was


    ask Carlos to investigate Emmett. If he was found out to have epted any bribes, he''d be locked up.


    That way, Debbie would lose everything. She grinned broadly as she pictured the scene.


    There was still no reply from Portia. Debbie didn''t care, either. She closed the WeChat app and shifted


    her attention to the various lipsticks inside the lit ss counter. There were tons of shades, and ents


    on top of that. With exotic names like After Midnight, Love Bites, Everglow, and A Little Magic, there


    was a lipstick for practically every mood, if your mood was to attract a guy, of course. And with


    selections in matte, satin, or metallic finish, it was difficult for Debbie to make a choice.


    ''No, Debbie. You have more than enough lipsticks at home. Leave now and stop spending money!


    But this color is so beautiful...'' Debbie battled with herself in her mind. In the end, she couldn''t resist the


    temptation and bought one more shade of lipstick. In the end, she decided on Moonlit Night, a mauve-


    ish shade that promised to give her a refined and elegant look.


    Debbie had eaten dinner outside beforeing back to the manor. Carlos hadn''te home from


    work yet, so she went to the yoga room. After doing a few poses, like Tree Pose and Downward Dog,


    she decided to head to the music room afterwards.


    Carlos didn''te back until eleven o''clock at night. He found Debbie in the music studio and she was


    concentrating on writing a song.


    He caught a glimpse of her scribbles on the paper. There were crosses or dots under most of the


    words. It seemed that she wasn''t satisfied with the lyrics she hade up with.


    Carlos stood behind her and patiently waited for a few moments. Yet, she didn''t notice his presence.


    He stayed silent, even held his breath, trying to make himself as unobtrusive as possible.


    "You..."


    "Aargh!" Her high-pitched shriek interrupted his unspoken words.


    Debbie jerked around to stare at the man who had sprung up from nowhere, her face white as a sheet.


    His sudden voice startled her so much that she felt like she was having a heart attack. As it was, she


    was still trembling.


    Carlos inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Am I that scary?"


    Debbie nodded, but then shook in panic. "No, you''re handsome..."


    A dash of satisfaction shed through his eyes, but soon it vanished into thin air as he heard her say,


    "As handsome as a vampire."


    Carlos sighed.


    He threw a cold nce at her and demanded, "Go to bed now. Don''t stay upte!"


    "That''s none of your business. Anyway, I can use my husband''s money to buy the most expensive eye


    cream. I can use my husband''s money to keep healthy no matter howte I stay up!"


    Her words made Carlos happy but also angry at the same time.


    In the end, he grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her out of the music studio to keep her from


    talking any more nonsense.

 Chapter 225 This Is Your Home

    Chapter 225 This Is Your Home


    "Let go of me. My legs work just fine!" Debbie yelled as she struggled in an attempt to break his grip.


    But Carlos didn''t loosen his forceful grip on her hand until they reached the edge of the bed. With


    strength, he freed her hand, throwing her onto the soft bed.


    Debbie awkwardlyy prone on the bed, bouncing a bit while shouting angrily, "Carlos Huo! Are you


    nuts? If you don''t want to see me, then don''te back home! Oh, well. This is your home, not mine.


    I''ll get out."


    As she said this, she got out of the bed and trotted toward the doorway.


    "Stop!" Carlos ordered coldly.


    With his authoritative voice, he always could assert power over everyone but Debbie. It urred to him


    that she was the only person in this world who dared to go against him time and again.


    The angry woman had disappeared from the bedroom after mming the door loudly, leaving Carlos


    alone with himself. Why did she constantly get angry with him when he only wanted the best for her? It


    seemed to him that their rtionship was a bit like a child and a parent. He would make a rule or re-


    direct her, and she would throw a fit because she wasn''t allowed to do what she wanted right then and


    there. Sometimes, she would bring him to the end of his rope.


    She had only gotten a few steps away when Carlos caught up with her and carried her in his arms.


    Feeling her legs leave the ground all of a sudden, she yelled, "Let go! You jerk! I don''t want to see


    you..." Her voice was suddenly muffled. The man had kicked the door closed and pressed her against it


    to kiss her bbering lips.


    Realizing his intent, Debbie took the chance to ridicule him while gasping for air, "You want to have sex


    with me? But aren''t you angry with me for taking birth control pills? Aren''t you worried I''ll take them


    again?"


    Thanks to this topic, Carlos red up more. He red at Debbie intently, warning, "Debbie, if you eat


    just one more pill, I won''t let you have even one bite of food."


    "Whatever, no sex anyway, then. Since you don''t trust me, why sleep with me? Get lost! Get away from


    me... Aargh! Ouch! You''re hurting me..."


    Debbie stopped her attempt to wriggle out of his arms by his sudden gesture.


    Carlos tightened his grip on her waist. "Why are you turning me down? For Hayden?"


    Debbie really wanted to pop him in the face. Why was he talking about Hayden? What did he have to


    do with this? In a huff, she snapped, "Are you high right now? Hey, stop, stop! I was wrong... I didn''t..."


    Debbie was now shrieking, her deafening pleading sounds echoing through the house, even though


    their bedroom was well-insted.


    Until the wee hours in the morning, the pleading, moaning and heavy breathing sounds finally subsided


    and everything returned quiet again. Weakly lying prone on the sofa, Debbie felt really remorseful. She


    felt like a fool. She shouldn''t have angered a night beast who hadn''t tasted its prey for a long time. She


    had reaped the consequences herself now.


    Some people say that fight sex of a couple is some of the best sex you can ever have. Your blood is


    already surging through you, your adrenaline is high, so why not? Angry sex can sometimes make you


    feel better. But not in this case. They had sex for a whole night, but Carlos wore a cold face the whole


    time. Even when they reached climax, he didn''t affectionately call her "Deb" or "Honey" as he usually


    did. Thinking of it, Debbie felt even more frustrated. ''Whoever talked about fight sex never met my


    husband. It''s not true at all!'' she thought gloomily.


    The next afternoon, Debbie woke up from her long sleep, and she slept even longer due to her


    exhaustion. Like usual, Carlos had already gone to work.


    She raised her sore arm, grabbed her phone and texted Carlos. "Shouldn''t you go visit my uncle and


    aunt during Spring Festival?"


    When they were in New York, Lucinda had called Debbie, inviting her to have a meal together with


    Carlos. Debbie had promised to go.


    She had intended to visit her aunt and uncle aftering back from New York. However, she''d had a


    fight with Carlos even before flying back and had even experienced a near fatal ident. So she hadn''t


    had the chance to visit them. Since she had almost recovered now, it was time to show respect to her


    elders.


    On the other hand, when Carlos received Debbie''s message, he had just arrived at Megan''s house.


    He took a look at the message and put his phone away.


    Megan put a cup of coffee in front of him and said happily, "Uncle Carlos, this is fresh-brewed coffee. I


    made it for you. Have a sip, please!"


    As she said it, she suddenly noticed a love bite on his neck. Her face flushed bright red in an instant.


    She found it hard to take her eyes off it because it was... too obvious.


    Sensing Megan fixing her eyes on him, Carlos already knew what she was looking at. The truth was,


    he had gotten a lot of curious and strange nces from his staff all morning.


    He remembered Debbie did it on purposest night. And she got what she wanted thanks to this little


    trick. Now everyone knew Carlos had spent a crazy and romantic night with a woman. They believed


    that the couple must have been so passionate that they gave each other love bites in the heat of the


    moment.


    Thinking of Debbie, Carlos couldn''t help but grin tenderly. He grabbed the coffee mug and took a sip,


    trying to hide the affectionate look in his eyes.


    Then he put down the mug and nodded, "It''s good."


    Megan came back to her senses and smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Uncle Carlos. I''m d you like it."


    But the next second, what Carlos asked made her smile freeze on her face. "I''m curious...when and


    where did you see your aunt Debbie taking birth control pills?" That was his purpose of visiting Megan''s


    house today.


    "I... I already told you about it. In New York, in the Huo family''s house. Uncle Carlos, why do you ask?"


    Megan stammered.


    Carlos cast her a sidelong nce and said in a very stern voice, "Megan, be honest with me. You know


    I hate liars!"


    Megan was frightened by his stern tone. Carlos had never talked to her like this. Unable to take it, she


    felt hurt, her eyes reddened. "I...I''ll tell you the truth. Your... your mom told me..."


    ''My mom?'' Perplexed, Carlos continued to interrogate her, "What did she tell you?"


    Bowing her head in fluster, Megan uneasily yed with her fingers. She looked baffled. "Uncle Carlos...


    please stop asking me. I don''t want to betray your mom."


    Seeing the flustered expression on her face, Carlos did stop asking about it. He changed to another


    topic, which in fact, brought more unease to Megan''s heart. "Did you call Debbie before her car


    ident?"


    "N-no..." Megan replied, her lips trembling.


    "Megan!" Carlos shouted, his tone bing stern again. Unlike Debbie, Megan couldn''t resist this


    man''s powerful demeanor, and he broke her resolve.


    This time, she couldn''t hold back her tears. They flooded her eyes and poured down her cheeks.


    "Uncle Carlos, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to do it. I didn''t think she''d get in an ident. That day, I knew


    you had a fight with Aunt Debbie and that you were unhappy. I felt really guilty, so I went out to call her


    in order to soften her anger. At first, she didn''t answer, then I used another phone to contact her. When


    the call finally went through, I apologized to her sincerely. Instead of epting my apology, she


    confronted me about telling you about the pills. I admitted it, and then she hung up on me. I didn''t think


    she''d have an ident after the call. Uncle Carlos, please don''t get mad at me. Please?"


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Stone-faced, Carlos stared at her and continued to ask, "What else did you talk about?"


    "Aunt Debbie said... that you loved her the most. So she warned me to stay away from you. That I''ve


    been pestering you all the time, annoying you. I promised her. Uncle Carlos, I feel bad now. I know it''s


    wrong to hang around with you so much since you''re married. But I just can''t get you out of my head.


    I''m sorry. It''s all my fault..."


    Megan sobbed, her breath bing short. Carlos massaged the upper part of his nose near the eye-


    sockets, feeling his head pounding for the trouble. To avoid her asthma attack, he had no choice but to


    comfort her, "Don''t cry. I didn''t mean to me you."


    "Hmm... Uncle Carlos, I hear you. I won''t cry as long as you don''t get angry." She turned her tears into


    smiles as she went to get a tissue.


    After leaving Megan''s house, Carlos got in his car and called Tabitha. "Mom, it''s me."


    "Carlos, what a surprise! You''re not busy now?"


    "No. Mom, when did you see Debbie take birth control pills?" Carlos asked outright.


    There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Tabitha figured that it must be Megan who


    told Carlos.


    Carlos waited on the phone patiently. After a while, Tabitha finally opened her mouth. "I think it''s good


    she took a contraceptive, since your grandma and dad don''t like her. It''ll be a problem divorcing her if


    she gets pregnant with your child..."

 Chapter 226 Lets Have A Talk

    Chapter 226 Let''s Have A Talk


    "Mom!" Carlos'' powerful voice interrupted Tabitha''s mumbling. "Whether they like Debbie or not has


    nothing to do with me. Just answer my question. When did you see Debbie taking birth control pills?"


    "Carlos!" Tabitha raised her voice. His cold voice stung her heart. "You''ve never talked to me like this


    before! You''ve be distant from me because of Debbie. I''m heartbroken by your coldness."


    Carlos remained silent. Suspicion rose in his heart. It wasn''t a difficult question to answer if she had


    indeed seen it with her own eyes, but she kept jumping over this issue. It dawned on him that things


    were not as simple as he had thought it to be. "Sorry, Mom. I have work. I''ll call youter. Bye!"


    "Carlos! Carlos..." Tabitha wanted to talk to her son for a while longer, but he had ended the call without


    waiting for her reply.


    She sat staring nkly at her phone for a while beforeing back to her senses. She stood up and


    walked to James'' study.


    James was talking to someone on the phone with a smile on his face when she pushed open the door


    and walked in. At the sight of her, he instantly pulled a long face and ended the call in haste. The smile


    had vanished from his face.


    In a cold voice, he asked, "Anything?" He returned to his seat and randomly grabbed a file which was


    on his desk.


    The expression on his face had changed so abruptly that it was impossible for Tabitha to not have


    noticed it. Her face went pale. "Carlos knows about Debbie taking contraceptives," she said, trying to


    sound calm.


    James put aside the file and asked with a frown, "So soon?"


    She merely nodded without saying anything. The truth was that she was the one who had blurted it out


    to Megan. But she couldn''t dare tell James that, afraid of his ill-temper.


    There was a moment of silence in the study. James lit a cigar, took a drag and slowly blew out a stream


    of smoke. Tabitha wanted to stop him from smoking for the sake of his health. Yet, the words were


    stuck to her throat. She dared not interfere with his business.


    After a few moments, she vaguely heard him muttering, "It looks like it wouldn''t be that easy to get rid


    of Debbie Nian. I might have to finish her off for good."


    Tabitha stared at the man in a daze. His face was emotionless as he said those devilish words. She


    wondered if she had heard it right...


    In the manor


    Debbie changed into a set of clean and casual sportswear, and was all set to go out.


    Before she left, she called Emmett to inquire about Megan''s new address.


    Megan wasn''t living in her previous residence anymore. Carlos had arranged another expensive house


    for her in a high-ss neighborhood.


    Debbie felt gloomy when she saw the beautiful houses sh by her as the car drove through the


    neighborhood. It was like her husband was keeping a mistress in broad daylight with no concerns.


    Emmett had informed the entrance guards about their visit beforehand. So Debbie, Jared and Kasie


    were able to smoothly pass through the heavy security.


    Jared, who was driving the car, stole a nce at the sumptuous houses in the neighborhood and


    marveled at their beauty. "Tsk, tsk," he clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Tomboy, your husband


    is so wealthy that he bought a house in this prime location for someone unrted to him. I bet even the


    smallest house here upies at least a hundred and fifty square meters, and it would be worth tens of


    millions of dors!"


    Debbie angrily hit his head. "I know that! No need to rub it in my face."


    Of course she knew how expensive this area was. This was the center of Y City. The average housing


    price in Y City was already high even for a standard middle ss house, not to mention a house in this


    prime location.


    Kasie, sitting in the back seat, rolled her eyes. ''Jared, you idiot!'' she cursed in her mind. She quickly


    comforted Debbie, "Tomboy, Mr. Huo has bought you a vi in East City Vi. That one is much more


    pricey than any house here. And the manor you''re staying in now is probably more expensive than this


    whole neighborhood. So, don''t go too much into it. Your husband loves you far more than her."


    East City Vi was well known as a brownstone district. Each of the vi there was valued at at least a


    hundred million. Everyone in the city knew about its sky-high price.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Debbie understood Kasie''s intention tofort her. She leaned against her seat, remaining silent.


    When they reached building number eight, Debbie asked the other two to wait outside, and walked


    towards Megan''s apartment by herself. She rang the door bell and waited.


    She said to herself that she was strong enough to deal with a weak woman like Megan on her own.


    As she waited for Megan to open the door, Debbie caught a glimpse of the two tall and sturdy


    bodyguards who were standing in front of the door and staring vigntly at her. They were arranged by


    Wesley and Carlos to protect Megan. Debbie smiled ironically. They did treat Megan well.


    If the bodyguards hadn''t known Debbie''s identity, they wouldn''t have allowed her toe an inch close


    to the door.


    Then again, she was confused. Carlos and Wesley spoiled Megan so much; why didn''t either of them


    get engaged to her while they were still single? That way, things would have been simpler.


    As Debbie was lost in herplicated thoughts, the door opened and Megan stood in front of her,


    wearing pink pajamas with bunny ears and a pair of pink slippers. She looked like a lovely young girl.


    Megan was surprised to see Debbie at her door all of a sudden. But she returned to her usual self and


    greeted her with a sweet smile, "Well, if it isn''t Aunt Debbie? What brings you here today?"


    Debbie wasn''t in the mood to pretend to be on good terms with her. She snorted coldly and cut to the


    chase. "I just happened to drop by. Come with me. I will buy you a drink and we can have a good talk."


    Megan frowned upon hearing her invitation. But she hid her emotion and smiled again. "I''d love to.


    Pleasee in and wait till I get changed."


    She stepped back from the doorway to allow Debbie to enter. Debbie had had no intentions of going


    into her house, but then she was curious to know if there would be any of Carlos'' belongings in there,


    or if she might find some clue regarding their past. She decided to go in and find out.


    At the hallway, Megan brought a new pair of slippers for Debbie to put on. After that, they walked into


    the living room.


    "Wait here," Megan said indifferently and went straight to her bedroom without giving Debbie a second


    nce. The fake smile had faded away from her face the moment they had walked in and closed the


    door behind them. She dropped her pretense since there was nobody else here except the two of


    them.


    Debbie didn''t care about her cold attitude. She stood in the middle of the living room and scanned the


    space.


    The decor was the sort of style most girls would have loved. The walls were painted in pastel hues and


    pink. Even the furniture was colored in either baby pink or light blue.


    Exquisite and rare ornaments were ced on the tables and the cabs. Everything looked pricey.


    But Debbie didn''t find anything strange or special.


    Suddenly, a photo frame on the table caught her attention. Curiously, Debbie walked towards it. She


    stood there and looked at the picture without touching it.


    There were three people in the picture¡ªCarlos, Wesley and Megan.


    It must have been taken a few years back, judging from theplexion of Carlos'' face. He looked


    tanned. Besides, he looked much younger in the picture.


    Carlos and Wesley were both wearing a set of camouge clothes. They had a thin smile on their


    usually calm faces. A short and young Megan stood in between them with a sweet smile, wearing the


    same camouge uniform. In the background was a blue sea. It was a warm picture...


    Debbie already knew how Carlos looked in camouge uniform because he had a lot of group pictures


    of himself and other big shots hanging on the walls of his study in the manor. Those pictures were


    taken while he was serving in the Special Force.


    "That picture was taken five years ago. Uncle Carlos had just fostered me and had been taking care of


    me for a while at the time." Megan''s voice came from behind her.


    Debbie turned around and saw her wearing a blue, long overcoat. In a sincere tone, Debbie praised as


    she turned back to look at the picture once again, "It''s a nice photo. Two handsome men and a


    beautiful mixed girl. Breathtaking." Debbie couldn''t help but think that if Megan hadn''t fallen in love with


    Carlos, she would have been fond of this girl too.

 Chapter 227 Anything Rash

    Chapter 227 Anything Rash


    Megan remained emotionless even after hearing Debbie''s praise. "I''m ready," she said tly.


    They went out together. Megan''s bodyguards followed close behind them and got in another car.


    It wasn''t until Megan opened Debbie''s car door that she was shocked to see the other two guys sitting


    there. After a pause, she climbed into the back seat without a word.


    Kasie shot her a cold nce and moved over, and then looked back down at her phone. That showed


    Megan the proper amount of contempt and disdain Kasie was going for.


    Jared was in the driver''s seat, and he turned around to re at Megan. "Well, you do have the guts to


    come along. You think Mr. Huo will back you up so Tomboy won''t do anything to you?" he remarked


    with sarcasm.


    Debbie settled down in the passenger seat. After fastening her seat belt, she grabbed Jared''s head


    and made him look at the road ahead. "Let''s go!" she ordered.


    "Hey! Watch the hair!" Jared protested. If it were someone else other than Debbie, who dared toy a


    finger on his new hairdo, he would''ve kicked the guy away. Or at least he would''ve given him a good


    punch to remind him.


    It wasn''t easy to manage the new hairdo. He had spent more than an hour making it look just right


    before he went out today.


    He anxiously looked at his reflection in the rear-view mirror and carefully smoothed the tousled hair,


    making sure he looked as handsome as usual. After two minutes, the mboyant guy still hadn''t started


    the car. Impatient, Kasie kicked the back of the driver''s seat and yelled, "Are you going on a date? Quit


    messing with your hair. You already have a tons of pretty girls around you. Let''s get going!"


    Jared finally started the engine. Heined, "But it''s you guys¡ªnot my Mrs. Right. I''m not looking


    for a friend or a girlfriend. I''m looking for a wife."


    "A wife?" Debbie mocked. "You? The eternal bachelor? Dream on," she said, as she yed on her


    phone.


    Jared sighed helplessly. "Come on Tomboy. Have some respect."


    On the other hand, Megan showed no interest in their bantering and secretly texted Carlos. "Uncle


    Carlos, are you free now?"


    She waited awhile, but there was no reply. Megan assumed that Carlos was busy with his work at the


    moment, so she texted him again. "Aunt Debbie is taking me somewhere. She wanted to have a talk.


    But she''s bringing a couple friends alone. Uncle Carlos, I''m scared..."


    In no time, Carlos t out called her. Seeing the caller ID on her phone screen, Megan instantly


    silenced the ringer. She didn''t answer the call.


    Shortly, Debbie''s phone rang. Confused, she shot a nce at Megan, who was just sitting quietly with


    her phone in herp. The screen was off, so she wasn''t ying with it. After a little hesitation, Debbie


    decided to answer the call. "What''s up?"


    "Where are you now?"


    Debbie''s lips twitched. "Why do you ask?"


    "Where are you taking her?" Carlos asked as he leaned back in his chair, massaging his aching


    temples.


    "I just want to talk to her. What are you worried about?" Carlos could sense the irony in her tone.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    "Don''t do anything rash. Her health is bad."


    "Haw-haw!" Debbie chuckled ironically. "Let me guess. You''re worried that I''ll hit her?"


    ''Since her health is bad, why can''t she just behave and stop pissing me off?'' Debbie thought to herself.


    A bad feeling rose in Carlos'' heart. He knew Debbie too well. There was a good chance she wouldn''t


    let Megan off the hook easily this time. He tried his hardest to control his emotions and did his level


    best to calm her down. "Debbie, listen¡ªshe''s innocent." What caused this mess was that Debbie was


    used of taking birth control pills. Megan was the one who told Carlos about it, but he already knew


    that there was something moreplicated behind the usation. Megan might have been a pawn in


    a game that someone else was ying, trying to get rid of Debbie. He had asked Emmett to investigate


    the truth.


    "She''s innocent? Then what about me?" Hearing him defend Megan disappointed Debbie. She felt she


    was owed at least the same amount of respect, and he definitely wasn''t showing it. He just grew


    enraged and colder when he found out the result of the blood test, and didn''t even listen to her side of


    it. True, with the steroidalpounds showing up in her blood, it didn''t look good for her, but there had


    to be some other exnation. Maybe someone had ground it up in her food, or something else. But


    Carlos had jumped to conclusions immediately. She was his wife, dammit! He should believe her over


    Megan.


    ''Have I done anything to her that deserved all the pain she put me through?'' Debbie thought sadly.


    Whatever he said, she couldn''t swallow her anger this time. She had almost died because of Megan''s


    call.


    "I won''t let her go this time." As she finished this sentence, she hung up at once. She wasn''t interested


    in hearing any more excuses.


    Everyone in the car remained silent and held their breath the whole time. They were all well aware who


    Debbie was talking to.


    Debbie''s phone rang a few more times but every time, she rejected the call as soon as it rang.


    Carlos called one of Megan''s bodyguards and figured out where they were going. Realizing her intent,


    he hurriedly drove out with Emmett, tracing their routes.


    But a few minutester, the bodyguard called again, reporting to Carlos that they had lost track of their


    car.


    Carlos immediately called Tristan and asked him to check Debbie''s GPS position.


    Jared finally stopped the car by the side of a river. This location was carefully selected by Debbie. She


    had personallye to study the surroundings beforehand. It was quiet here with no cars passing by.


    No one to see what was going on. No one to call for help.


    Megan was forced to get out of the car. At the sight of the surging waves of the river, she was


    frightened, feeling the colors drain from her face. ''This was how Debbie almost lost her life, '' she


    thought. ''Does she have a simr fate in mind for me?'' She was hoping to rely on Carlos, but she


    wasn''t sure he''d be able to find Debbie, or get here in time if something drastic happened.


    She tried topose herself. "You wanted to talk, so talk now." But Debbie remained silent. "Why did


    you bring me here? It''s so cold outside," Megan said, hoping to break the awkward silence.


    Debbie grabbed her by her wrist, dragging her closer to the riverbank.


    Megan''s legs were trembling. "What are you doing? If Carlos and Wesley hear about this..."


    When Carlos was mentioned, Debbie chuckled. "Carlos will love me like he always has. Only this time,


    you won''t be in the way."


    Flustered, Megan quickly looked around, hoping to find anyone to turn to for help. But there was


    nobody else except the four of them. She didn''t even see her bodyguards.


    She inhaled sharply and shouted to the three surrounding her, "This is a crime!"


    Debbie found a block of stone and sat on it. Squinting at Megan, she said casually, "I know my


    husband cares for you, but don''t forget, he cares for me more. Do you think my husband would lock me


    up if I killed you? Worst case scenario, I still have someone else to save me like Mr. Lu, Hayden Gu..."


    Of course, Debbie just brought up these two names to brag. She didn''t really think that Curtis and


    Hayden would get themselves in trouble for her sake, had she been locked up in jail. But Megan didn''t


    know that, and it was possible they might be able to pull some strings and get her out. Of course, she


    might lose Carlos in the deal, and she wasn''t willing to bank on that.


    Megan got even more frightened, her face now white as a sheet. "Just calm down!" she said in a shaky


    voice.


    "Calm down?" Debbie snorted. She stood up, drew closer to her and looked into her eyes as she


    whispered with resentment, "When I fell into the river with my car, I was really calm. You know why?


    Because I felt despair. I was ready to give up and quietly waited for myst breath!"


    Overwhelmed by the great fear, Megan slowly stepped backward with each word Debbie said. "Why


    did I bring you here? I want you to feel the same way I did. Megan, do you want to have a talk with


    death?"


    Debbie said as she backed her to the edge of the river where there was no guardrail. A one-meter tall


    warning sign was visible on one side with the words: DANGER! DEEP WATER!


    Megan tightly clutched a branch of a small tree, her heart pounding. Taking a deep breath, she


    apologized. "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry. Please, I didn''t want you to get into an ident..." ''No. I don''t


    want to die now...'' she eximed in her mind.


    "You''re sorry?" Suddenly, Debbie heard a car squeal to a halt behind her. Somebody came. If her


    guess was right, it should be Carlos who hade to save Megan.


    And she was certain of her guess when she saw Megan shed crocodile tears again. Debbie had


    threatened her for a bit now, but she didn''t even shed a tear. Now, as soon as her Prince Charming


    came, she began to cry...


    The next second, a familiar voice came to Debbie''s ears, "Debbie, get over here now!"

 Chapter 228 Just Being Rebellious

    Chapter 228 Just Being Rebellious


    Debbie turned her head around to nce at Carlos. The sullen man stood on higher ground some


    distance away, ring at her with his sharp and piercing eyes, his face serious.


    Emmett, worry written all over his face, also tried to persuade her. "Tomboy, cool your jets. It''s not..."


    He wanted to say it wasn''t worth risking her future just to get revenge on Megan. But he swallowed his


    words as Carlos was right next to him. He didn''t think much of Megan, but Carlos did. And it wasn''t


    worth letting his boss know. His personal feelings weren''t necessary for him to do his job, and he knew


    that. He also knew that he could be reced at a moment''s whim, and he''d been on thin ice more than


    a few times where Carlos was concerned.


    He hurriedly tagged along with Carlos, rushing towards the group.


    Seeing Carlos darting towards her like an arrow flown from a bow, Debbie got anxious. She lost her


    composure and red at Megan with resentment. "I meant what I said."


    "Aargh¡ª"


    Ssh!


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Following a shriek, Megan fell into the river, making a loud ssh.


    By the time Carlos reached them, Debbie had already pushed Megan into the river. He red at


    Debbie angrily, eyes burning with rage. "I thought you were just being rebellious. I never knew you


    could be this evil," he scolded.


    Debbie stared at him without uttering a word.


    Seeing that Carlos was about to take off his coat, she got flustered, demanding, "What are you doing?


    Don''t save her!"


    Her words added fuel to the fire. His body radiated a frozen aura, which made Jared, Kasie and


    Emmett all hold their collective breath.


    Without taking his eyes off Debbie, Carlos decisively barked orders to the group. "All of you. Jump in


    now. Save her!"


    In fact, the reason why Debbie had to include Kasie and Jared in her n was that they could save


    Megan at thest moment. Kasie was a good swimmer and Jared was a strong guy who could easily


    carry another person. She didn''t truly intend to kill Megan, so she had people back her up in case


    Megan couldn''t easily save herself. She wasn''t going to kill her, but she was sure going to put the fear


    of God into Megan.


    So Kasie had already been on standby from the moment Megan fell into the river. Now as soon as


    Carlos gave his order, she instantly jumped in. It wasn''t wise to disobey Carlos, despite the fact that


    she might not be entirely ready. She steadied her strokes, and angled her body so that the currents


    might not carry her away too. She had no intention of drowning today.


    Seeing Kasie jump, Emmett followed her. He had to obey Carlos. Moreover, he wanted to make sure


    Kasie was safe. He didn''t care too much about Megan, but Kasie was his girlfriend. While they hooked


    up over a few bribes, God helped him, he was starting to have feelings for the girl. He could see why


    Debbie liked her.


    Megan kept struggling after falling into the river. She finally surfaced, but was only able to stay afloat for


    a second or two, coughing up water. Then, she went under again, dragged down by the strong


    undertow. She wasn''t a strong swimmer to begin with, and being wet, cold, and suddenly dragged into


    the water really didn''t help things.


    The very second she surfaced, Emmett spotted her and swam towards her. His sleek body cut through


    the darkened, menacing waves. He knew this was a life-or-death situation, and one slip meant he''d be


    in danger too.


    On the riverbank, Carlos grabbed hold of Debbie''s wrist. "You crossed the line this time!" he yelled


    angrily. He held her hand tightly, so it hurt. He was beginning to lose control of his anger, and it bubbled


    to the surface now that Megan was in danger.


    Surprisingly, Debbie broke his grip. "She just fell into the river, and now you''re worried? What about


    me? I could have died! I nearly did!"


    Carlos'' face became livid. Feeling the tension between the couple which was like the calm before the


    storm, Jared felt like a tornado was on its way toe and destroy everything.


    As Carlos responded with silence, Debbie continued to mock him, "Aren''t you always soposed? I


    remember you being quite calm when you had me tossed overboard."


    Carlos coldly cast her a sidelong nce and took off his coat while roaring, "It''s a life-or-death matter. I


    can''t just sit back and watch!"


    "Then why did you just sit back and watch when I was in danger? Huh? Carlos Huo, if you jump down


    to save her now... you...marry her." Debbie didn''t dare to spit out the phrase "we divorce."


    "You trying to piss me off?" He flung his coat to one side and grabbed hold of her wrist, pulling her


    closer to the edge. "Then we go down together!"


    He was determined to teach her a lesson. Otherwise, he was afraid she might kick Megan off a


    skyscraper next time.


    Before Debbie got what he meant, he had dragged her down to the river with him...


    Everything happened in a split second. Jared waspletely taken aback, his jaw dropped. There


    were six people who hade here, and four of them had jumped down to save one woman. What in


    the world was going on?


    The icy-cold water pierced Debbie to her bone, but that was not why she was cold. It was not her body,


    so much as her heart. She struggled to break Carlos'' forceful grip on her wrist. In a muffled and weak


    voice, she said sadly, "Carlos, I''m so cold. It''s not my body... but my heart..."


    After spitting out a mouthful of water, she tried to speak again. "You said... you had my back...no matter


    what. But now, wig snatched!"


    As Debbie kept surfacing and sinking, her words were lost in the flurry of activity. "Dammit...this is how


    you back me up?


    Carlos, did you lie? Do you really love me?" Her voice trailed off. She felt drained of energy and didn''t


    want to swim anymore. The cold water closed around her throat, suffocating her, which brought back


    the horrible memory of her sinking into the riverst time. All of a sudden, she felt like she was


    drowning in an ocean of fear and loneliness. Why was Carlos choosing Megan over her? Didn''t she


    have a im to him, too?


    Carlos had initially wanted to swim toward Megan, but now regretted having done such an impulsive


    thing. Debbie looked like she''d lost the will to do anything.


    He immediately approached Debbie, wrapped his arm around her waist and swam towards the bank.


    After getting Debbie onto dry ground, he quickly took off her wet clothes and wrapped her in his


    overcoat. At the same time, he ordered Jared, "Turn on the heater in the car!"


    Snapping back to his senses, Jared rushed towards his car, started the engine and turned the heater


    on high. He hoped that the heat rushing through the vent could warm up the pair. This was getting too


    weird. It was just supposed to be a prank they yed on Megan.


    Right as Carlos carried Debbie to the car, Emmett also pulled Megan from the water.


    At the hospital


    With a dark face, Carlos leaned against the wall of the corridor, deep in thought. Curtis and Damon


    soon arrived there in a rush.


    "What''s going on? Is Megan okay?" Curtis asked, confused.


    Carlos looked at him. A single word left his lips. "Debbie."


    Curtis was more confused. He ventured a guess. "Did Debbie push Megan into the river?"


    Carlos made no response this time. Curtis dropped into silence and even the talkative Damon kept his


    mouth shut. Pin-drop silence filled the air around them.


    Since Megan was still in aa, they couldn''t visit her now. Then, Curtis asked Carlos about Debbie''s


    ward number and found out it was just a few steps away.


    When he pushed open the door of Debbie''s ward, he saw the girl lying in bed, looking rather annoyed.


    Hearing the footsteps, she instantly sat up. "Hello, Mr. Lu," she said by way of greeting.


    Curtis nodded to her.


    Debbie shed an awkward smile. "Mr. Lu, let me guess. Is this about me pushing Megan into the


    river?"


    The four most respected men in Y City had always spoiled Megan, so Debbie had already mentally


    prepared for any me from them before she carried out her n.


    Unexpectedly, Curtis touched her head and smiled to her tenderly. "What are you talking about?


    Debbie, you have a far more important ce in my heart than Megan."


    ''What? Wait, wait. What''s that affectionate look in his eyes? Does he...'' In a fluster, Debbie moved


    away to avoid his touch and stared at him. "Are you...you...a two-timer?" she stammered.


    Curtis was amused by her question. He slightly patted her head and said, "Wow, you definitely took that


    wrong. You aren''t scared of Carlos, but I''m scared of Colleen throwing me out of the house!"


    Debbie wanted tough, but with Carlos'' name being mentioned, she suddenly pulled a long face.


    Seeing the gloom on her face, Curtis sat down next to her and pulled the corner of the quilt. He said


    helplessly, "Didn''t Colleen tell you not to fight with Carlos over Megan? Why can''t you get that through


    your head?"


    Debbie smiled bitterly. "Megan went too far this time. There wouldn''t have been so many fights if it


    weren''t for her."


    Their rtionship was worsening these days because of Megan stirring up trouble all the time, and


    besides, Carlos seeing her and Hayden stay in the vi together also made things worse.


    "Carlos has been in a pickle because of you two girls. But he already knew you and Megan were like


    water and fire, so he granted guardianship of Megan to Wesley, asking him to spend more time taking


    care of her. I''m sure you''re much more important to Carlos than Megan," Curtis said, patiently


    comforting her. There were a lot of things that Debbie didn''t know. But Curtis had seen with his own


    eyes how much Carlos cared about her. So he thought he should at least tell her that much.


    Before Debbie came into Carlos'' life, Carlos had almost devoted all his spare time to Megan.


    But after he fell in love with Debbie, Megan was no longer his top priority. Especially knowing that


    Debbie didn''t like Megan, Carlos had always tried his best to keep his distance from Megan. Curtis saw


    all of this. He knew for that to happen, the cold, proud man must care deeply for her.

 Chapter 229 Carlos, Kettle, Black

    Chapter 229 Carlos, Kettle, ck


    Besides, Curtis had never heard Carlos trash Debbie in front of them, and likewise, no one was allowed


    to speak badly of Debbie.


    "Mr. Lu, did youe to defend Carlos?" Debbie smiled helplessly. Curtis was indeed Carlos'' loyal


    friend. She still remembered when they had a fight the other day, Curtis did the same thing and kept


    putting in a good word for Carlos. He would go to the mattresses for him, and wasn''t likely to abandon


    him even in difficult circumstances. Which was exactly what a good friend was supposed to do.


    Curtis shook his head. "No, I''m telling the truth."


    "Can you get me out of here?" she asked expectantly. She was safe and sound without any injury this


    time after being saved from the river. But much to her frustration, Carlos stuck her in the hospital again.


    She couldn''t bear another boring stay in the hospital. She was tired of inhaling disinfectant.


    Curtis raised his eyebrows. "You don''t want to stay here?"


    "No, not another second!" More importantly, she also didn''t want to see Carlos for the time being.


    Momentster, Debbie tantly stepped out of the ward, tagging along with Curtis.


    Carlos and Damon were busy chatting in the corridor. They stopped talking all of a sudden when they


    heard the footsteps.


    Curtis walked up to Carlos and said, "Hey Carlos, Colleen has something to say to Debbie. You''ll get


    her backter."


    Carlos didn''t say anything, nor did he look back at Curtis. He had kept his eyes glued on Debbie the


    moment she walked out of the ward. Debbie, of course, had sensed his intent gaze, but she just looked


    away, trying to avoid eye contact with him.


    Curtis looked between the silently bickering couple andughed. He shook his head helplessly while


    patting Carlos on the shoulder. "She''s still young, so childlike. Do you have to be so serious with her?"


    Carlos finally broke the silence. In a cold voice, he snapped, "Childlike? Have you seen any of your


    students do something like this?" ''Beyond all her bad habits and outrageous behavior, she''s gone


    overboard. She tried to kill Megan... in broad daylight!'' Carlos thought angrily.


    Curtis wasn''t able to find the best words to defend Debbie.


    Hearing his reply, Debbie finally shifted her gaze to Carlos. She sneered and taunted him, "Carlos,


    Kettle, ck. You had the guts to have your wife thrown to the sea to feed the sharks. I was lucky to


    survive, but then you wanted to bury me alive. Again, I was blessed by God and escaped your deadly


    grasp. But then you dragged me into the river to drown me. Am I your wife, or your enemy?"


    Carlos lost control of his temper and darted toward Debbie to grab her. "Calm down," Curtis said. He


    hastily moved and blocked Carlos standing in between the couple to stop things from escting.


    Debbie stuck her head out from behind Curtis and smiled at the angry man. "Oh wait, Mr. Huo. I almost


    forgot. Congrattions on marrying Megan. Granted, if I''m your ex, then it makes sense that you did


    this... So now we see who you really are. Resorting to violence?"


    "Debbie!" Curtis stopped her. He had been signalling her with his eyes the whole time.


    Carlos, who was controlled by Curtis, slowly shut his eyes, bearing his anger. A momentter, without


    parting his eyelids, he urately pointed at Debbie and ordered between gritted teeth, "Get her out of


    here, now!"


    He didn''t know how far he''d go if she didn''t disappear from sight as soon as possible.


    "Fine. I know how to follow orders. I should get going now! Just leave me alone!" As she was finished,


    she turned around and headed for the elevator.


    Thanks to her parting words, Carlos was now overwhelmed by an urge to tie Debbie to a bed and


    punish her good. She always knew how to push his buttons and get his blood boiling in seconds. He


    wondered why he put up with her sometimes, but he also knew that the moments where he felt deep


    affection for her made it all worth it. She was his one and only, but sometimes she pushed him to his


    limits. Finally, he broke free of Curtis'' grip, and shouted to Debbie, "You, stop there!"


    Hearing the heavy footstepsing from behind her, Debbie picked up her pace to rush toward the


    elevator.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    When she began to run, the usually mature man also started to run after her. They looked like two kids


    ying cat-and-mouse in the corridor.


    Curtis and Damon were both dumbfounded by the funny scene. Fortunately, this was the VVIP floor of


    the hospital, so there was no one else here.


    Debbie quickly slipped into the elevator and pressed the button. The door closed at the very moment


    Carlos reached it.


    Carlos quickly moved to another elevator, but it was still going up. This was the 18th floor. He couldn''t


    catch up with Debbie if he chose to descend the staircase on foot.


    Left with no choice, he called one of the bodyguards on the ground floor, asking them to head to the


    elevator and stop in Debbie''s tracks.


    However, two minutester, the bodyguard called him and reported, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo got away..."


    Still waiting for the elevator, Carlos asked in a cold voice, "How?"


    "Um... She ran too fast and we couldn''t overtake her..." the bodyguard stammered, embarrassed.


    Carlos tried his hardest to hold back his anger. "So get in a car."


    Gasping for air, the bodyguard looked in the direction where Debbie had disappeared and replied,


    "Mrs. Huo ran into the garden as soon as she saw us. Then she stopped a car on the road and jumped


    inside."


    "Stopped a car?"


    "Yes... Unless I miss my guess, that was Mr. Gus Lu''s car."


    Carlos turned to stare at Curtis, his face fell. After a while, he said, "Okay, I see. Just report to your post


    and stand by for more orders."


    Confused by his stare, Curtis asked with doubt, "What happened?"


    Carlos put his phone away and tidied up his clothes, returning to his stoic and imperious self. He said


    calmly, "Mr. Gus Lu... Curtis, why did youe here? Are you and your brother trying to make trouble,


    or..."


    ''My brother? Gus?'' Curtis suddenly realized that Gus hade to the hospital for another checkup


    today. He chuckled under his breath. "Gus didn''t mean anything by doing this. He had the stomach flu


    two days ago. He''s recovered, but the doctor asked him toe back to make sure..."


    ''So Deb got lucky!'' Curtisughed in his mind.


    Damon had been silently watching the show the whole time. He wasughing, because the situation


    was so absurd. Debbie was definitely giving Carlos a taste of his own medicine. Now he walked up to


    Carlos and rested his hands on Carlos'' shoulders, looking into his eyes. A momentter, under the


    stoic man''s cold nce, Damon finally said, "I''m sorry."


    As amused as he was, he did feel sorry for Carlos. Debbie was such a troublemaker. Meanwhile, he


    felt lucky that his own wife was mature,posed and charming.


    Outside the hospital


    In the driver''s seat, while driving the car, a young man took a nce at the cars behind them in the


    rear-view mirror. When he confirmed that there was no suspicious car following them, he finally let his


    guard down. ring at the panting woman in the passenger seat, he confronted her, "Hey, Debbie, you


    running from someone?"


    Debbie patted her chest to steady her breath. "Yeah." ''My husband!'' she eximed in her mind.


    Gus snorted. He wouldn''t believe her words. He didn''t bother saying anything more about it. Instead,


    he said outright, "Get out of my car at the next intersection. And remember the fare."


    "You''re charging me for the ride? Should I call Mr. Lu now?" As she said this, she pulled out her phone


    from her pocket.


    Gus shouted with anger, "Hey! If it weren''t for me, those guys would have caught you! Is this how you


    thank me?"


    Debbie rxed her whole body and leaned back weakly in her seat. "Can a ride a little while longer?


    Long enough for a few phone calls?"


    Then, she called Jared first. "Hey, Jared, drinks tonight!"


    Unexpectedly, it was Jared''s dad who answered the phone. "Debbie? It''s Uncle Jasper."


    "Oh...hello, Uncle Jasper!" Debbie said politely.


    Jasper smiled and replied in a more formal and courteous voice, "Hello Debbie. I''m afraid Jared isn''t


    free tonight. Take a rain check?"


    Debbie felt that something was strange. But she couldn''t put her finger on it. "Okay, doesn''t matter.


    Uncle Jasper, I shouldn''t take up more of your time. Goodbye now."


    "Hmm. Don''t be a stranger. Come to our house to have fun next time. I''ll have Jared''s mom make your


    favorite desserts," Jasper said.

 Chapter 230 Banned From Drinking

    Chapter 230 Banned From Drinking


    Debbie had been to Jared''s house a couple of times. Faye Ji, Jared''s mother and Damon''s stepmother,


    had been very nice to her, as she thought Debbie was Jared''s girlfriend. They corrected her, and she


    was somewhat embarrassed by her mistake. Nheless, she still treated Debbie very well.


    "Okay. Thank you, Uncle Jasper. Goodbye," said Debbie.


    "Bye, Debbie.


    " After hanging up, Debbie called Kasie. But unfortunately, her phone was off.


    She sighed and then tried to contact Kristina. But before she could do that, her phone rang. It was


    Colleen.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Hi, Colleen," Debbie called out in a depressed voice.


    Colleen could tell that she was in low spirits. "Hey Debbie! What are you doing now? You free? How


    about we go out for drinks?"


    This was exactly what Debbie wanted! She pped her thigh and agreed cheerfully, "Sure. Why not?"


    She was trying to find someone to hang out with when Colleen called.


    "I''ll book a ce and send you the location on WeChat," said Colleen.


    "Mm-hmm. I''ll be waiting for you."


    Debbie heaved a sigh of relief as she could drown her sorrows this evening.


    "I thought you weren''t allowed to drink," Gus said to Debbie in confusion.


    Puzzled, Debbie asked in reply, "What? Who told you that?"


    "Curtis. He told me your husband banned you from drinking," he answered honestly. His brother also


    told him that if he saw Debbie drinking, he should not only pay her tab, but also get her to a safe ce


    so that Carlos couldn''t lecture her.


    Debbie was left speechless. ''Really? Ban me from drinking? Well, he might be someone else''s


    husband soon. And he has no right to tell me what to do anymore.'' She was more convinced than ever


    she was right about that. Carlos chose to defend Megan over her, so as far as she was concerned,


    they were done. Besides, she thought it was a stupid rule that she couldn''t go out and drown her


    sorrows in alcohol. How else was she supposed to bleed off stress? Meditate?


    Not knowing where else to go, Debbie asked Gus to drop her at a shopping mall.


    She had originally nned to visit her aunt and uncle with Carlos. But now it seemed impossible. The


    stubborn girl didn''t want to even think about her errant husband right now.


    Debbie went on a shopping spree, walking past all the things the mall had to offer. Movie theaters with


    thetest releases, karaoke lounges, lively gaming arcades, tranquil beauty spas, indoor ice rinks, not


    to mention the hottest restaurants in town. It seemed a great ce to kill some time, but she knew what


    she had her heart set on. She took a cab to the Mu family''s house with loads of shopping bags. Only


    Lucinda and Sasha were home.


    Lucinda opened the gate and got confused when she saw Debbie''s haul. "Why all the bags?" she


    asked.


    With an embarrassed smile, Debbie told a lie. "I...wanted to visit you and Uncle...with Carlos, but...he''s


    too busy to make it. So I came here alone."


    "Really?" Lucinda was still not convinced. "Carlos called me and said he was too busy to visit. He


    already sent us gifts. Why did you buy more?" Debbie was shocked. "Gifts? When did he send them?"


    Lucinda helped Debbie put the bags in a corner and led her to the living room while saying, "Yesterday.


    Emmett dropped by and left gifts, along with Carlos'' apologies. Your husband said you guys would


    come by when he wasn''t busy. You didn''t know?"


    Sasha was lying on the couch, a facial mask covering her face. She greeted Debbie in a mumble,


    "Deb!"


    Debbie nodded at her, and then said to Lucinda, "He didn''t tell me. Forget it. I can still bring you gifts,


    even if he already did. The more, the merrier!" Carlos didn''t reply to her message, so she thought he


    didn''t want to visit Lucinda with her.


    Lucinda rolled her eyes at Debbie. "Come on! Don''t say it like that. You''re husband and wife, and you


    should behave like a couple. Come here. Have some fruit. Emmett brought all kinds of fruit¡ªflown from


    overseas. So sweet!"


    Debbie was again speechless. She was still mad at Carlos, and didn''t want to eat anything he sent.


    However, she didn''t want her aunt to worry about her. So she picked up a slice of mango with a fork,


    pretending to enjoy it. She couldn''t deny that it was sulent and delicious.


    In a few minutes, Debbie got Colleen''s WeChat message along with a location. It said, "6 o''clock. We''ll


    grab some dinner first. Then clubbing. Cool?"


    Debbie replied, "Cool. See you then."


    She didn''t have other ns, so she stayed there until nearly 5 p.m. She then bade Lucinda and Sasha


    goodbye.


    At the Han family''s house


    As soon as Damon got home, he went upstairs to find Jared.


    The door to Jared''s bedroom was open. Damon could hear Jasper lecturing Jared. "What? You thought


    you were 3 years old? Do you know what you did? How dare you offend Mr. Huo!"


    Covering his head, Jared tried to avoid his father''s strikes. "Just stop, okay? You grounded me and


    took my phone. I just wanted to get some sleep, yet you came in and started hitting me."


    Faye Ji was standing off to one side, looking anxious.


    When she saw Damon, she grabbed his hand and said, "Stop your dad and cool him down."


    Damon rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall, thinking, ''They can''t pay me enough to do that.''


    Watching the scene, he said casually, "Why not enjoy the show? Dad should teach him a lesson so that


    he won''t mess around with Debbie again."


    "Hey, what? I didn''t mess around. You messed around! Your whole family messed¡ª Aaaargh!" Jasper


    caught him off guard and gave him a heavy blow with his duster.


    He stared fiercely at Jared and said through gritted teeth, "Your whole family? Are you cursing me? You


    ungrateful cur!"


    Damonughed out loud at his father''s words. "Jared, listen to Dad. Mom, don''t worry about it. Do you


    know what he did today? He pushed a young girl into the water. Ten-meter-deep water! That girl was


    Megan, Carlos'' niece. See, Carlos would probably stick up for Debbie. But a prick like Jared? Hah!"


    "Watch yournguage. Megan deserved it. She caused Tomboy''s car ident," Jared retorted angrily.


    Damon rolled his eyes. "You believe whatever Pepper Nian says, don''t you? Megan wasn''t there when


    she had the car ident, anyway. How could she have caused it? Come on. Pepper Nian was just


    jealous and tried to frame her."


    Jared fumed with rage when he heard Damon. He pushed Jasper away, who was about to hit him


    again with the duster. Jasper staggered and fell onto the bed.


    Jared grasped Damon''s cor and shouted, "You said Debbie framed Megan? Don''t talk about her like


    that!"


    "Dude, I''ve known Megan for more than five years. She wouldn''t do anything like that," said Damon


    angrily.


    "Dammit! I''ve known Debbie for seven. She wouldn''t do that, either." As he said this, Jared raised his


    arm and threw a punch towards Damon''s face.


    Damon was quick enough to dodge the attack. Now that Jared started a fight, he wouldn''t take it lying


    down. He aimed a hammerfist at his brother.


    Jared blocked it. Then, the brothers began to fight in earnest. Fists flew and tempers red.


    Jasper and his wife stared at the two, mouth agape. The brothers fought over girls. The funny thing


    was, those girls weren''t even their girlfriends.

 Chapter 231 Its A Date

    Chapter 231 It''s A Date


    Faye was freaked out when Damon and Jared came to blows. She grabbed Jasper''s arm and said


    anxiously, "What are they doing? Don''t just stand there. Do something!"


    Jasper was boiling over with rage. He rubbed his arching brows and cursed, "Stop! Why are you


    fighting over this? Cut it out, you idiots!"


    Damon and Jared didn''t stop, though. It was as if they hadn''t heard their father''s barkedmand. Left


    with no choice, Jasper decided to threaten Damon. "Damon, if you don''t stop right now, I''ll tell Adriana


    that you fought for another woman."


    Adriana was out shopping with her friends. Damon was supposed to pick her up at the mall tonight.


    Jasper''s threat worked. Upon hearing that, Damon immediately stopped. Jared didn''t care, and seized


    the chance to give his brother a sucker punch. Despite his fury, Damon didn''t fight back.


    Jared wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and with a sly smile taunted, "When Adriana


    comes back, I''m telling. Damon, get those knee pads ready. You''ll be spending a lot of time kneeling."


    "Dammit! Jared, I''ll tell your future wife all your one-night stands," Damon said through gritted teeth.


    "Hah!" Jared sneered. "I don''t even have a girlfriend, not to mention a wife." Jared was a yboy, and


    he didn''t want to settle down yet. He swore to himself that he wouldn''t get married until he was more


    than 30 years old.


    Before Adriana came back home, Damon had already paid Jared 100, 000 dors to keep his mouth


    shut.


    Jared had been paid off. Jasper and Faye wouldn''t say anything about this to their daughter-inw.


    Besides, Adriana was with child. No one wanted anything bad to happen to her. As a result, the fight


    was soon forgotten. When Adriana asked about the fat lips and bruises, the brothers mumbled


    something about dropping a heavy chest their parents asked them to move.


    Debbie, on the other hand, arrived at the restaurant at 6, just like she and Colleen had agreed.


    When she found the table, a boy was already there. Upon seeing Debbie, he stood up and greeted her


    cheerfully, "Hi, Debbie."


    She looked at Gregory in confusion. "Gregory! Why are you here? And where''s Colleen?"


    Gregory knew Debbie would being, so he dressed up and decided to get here first. Carlos wasn''t


    in the picture anymore, right? He was wearing white casual clothes and a pair of Adidas Yeezy 350s,


    bouncy and full of energy. He knew Debbie usually wore casual clothes, and he was right¡ªthey looked


    like a young couple.


    Polite to a fault, he pulled out the chair for her and said with a smile, "Colleen''s stuck in a traffic jam.


    She''ll be here soon. Here''s the thing. I owed her a meal, and she happened to be free this evening. So


    I offered to buy her supper. She didn''t tell me untilter that you''d be here."


    "Really? I hope I''m not intruding," Debbie said with an embarrassed smile.


    "No, no, no," Gregory denied instantly. "I should be the one to apologize. It''s a girls'' night out, right?"


    Debbie shook her head. "No. It''s just a meal."


    She liked him, at least what she saw so far. ''It wouldn''t hurt to have a meal with him, '' she thought.


    Gregory called over a waiter and handed Debbie a menu. "Get whatever you want. It''s on me."


    His serious expression amused Debbie. "I have a big appetite. I''m afraid you might burst into tears


    when you see the bill," she teased.


    Gregory replied with augh, "I saw how you packed it away at Southon Vige. I don''t think you have


    a big appetite at all. I probably eat more than you."


    As if she didn''t want the waiter to hear her, she covered her face with the menu and approached


    Gregory whispering, "I''m a hundred percent sure I have a bigger appetite than you. Once I ate more


    than ten dishes dining at the Alioth Building."


    Back then, Carlos was having dinner with his business partners on the fifth floor of Alioth Building. He


    called her over, and ordered a full table of dishes for her in another private booth. Although the dishes


    were small, there were still more than ten. Even Carlos, a tall and strong man himself, was unable to


    finish them alone.


    After bidding goodbye to his partners, he went to her booth and was shocked to see she''d polished


    them off. He gave her a thumbs-up, sincerely convinced.


    "Shh-shush!" Debbie shushed Gregory with a forefinger to her lips, embarrassed.


    Suddenly, an idea struck Gregory. With a cunning smile, he offered, "How about this? If I eat more than


    you tonight, you owe me a meal."


    "Okay. Why not?" Debbie agreed without hesitation. She thought it an interesting game.


    Gregory took another menu from the waiter and said, "How about we order the same set menus, just to


    make it fair?"


    "Fine with me. But Colleen hasn''t arrived yet." Debbie began to read the menu.


    "Don''t mind her. You know what? She''s alwayste." Gregory was used to Colleen''s tardiness.


    Debbie burst intoughter. "Are you throwing shade at Colleen right now?" she joked.


    Gregory was about to say something, but he lost his voice when he saw someone.


    Debbie saw his change of expression and asked, "What''s up?" She turned her head to check what


    made Gregory''s smile disappear.


    A man entered the restaurant, followed by a woman in a long beige coat. Debbie''s face soured as the


    two approached.


    Her eyes met the man''s, and then she looked away and turned back. She pretended to ignore him and


    read the menu.


    Gregory stood up from his seat, because the man not only saw them, but also came up to their table.


    Gregory greeted them with a friendly smile, "Hi, Carlos, Olga."


    Carlos fixed his eyes upon Debbie, who neither stood nor raised her head. "A date?" he asked in a cold


    voice.


    Debbie''s hand came up between her and him. ''Talk to the hand, Carlos!'' she thought.


    Embarrassed, Gregory tried to exin, "It''s not what you think, Carlos. We¡ª"


    Before he could finish, Debbie raised her head and looked Carlos in the eye. "Yes, it''s a date. You''re on


    a date as well, right?"


    ''I shouldn''t have trusted him. He told me he had nothing to do with Olga. But now, he''s dating her


    again, '' she thought angrily.


    Olga was a little taken aback by Debbie''s defiant manner. ''Who does she think she is, talking to Mr.


    Huo like this? Does she forget how he punished her before?''


    Fury could be seen in Carlos'' eyes. Gregory tried to keep the peace, saying, "Hey man, Debbie didn''t


    mean it. She¡ª"


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Carlos raised his hand to stop Gregory from defending Debbie. Then he told the restaurant manager


    standing behind him, "Clean the table for us." He pointed to the table next to Gregory and Debbie''s.


    The manager called several waiters over and began to set the table.


    The two tables were so close together that the four of them could easily hear each other.


    Carlos and Olga took their seats inside a minute.


    The more Debbie thought about Carlos and Olga, the angrier she got. She finally figured out what she


    wanted, and consulted with Gregory over the selection. When he readily agreed, she decided to ce


    the order.

 Chapter 232 I Like Chubby Girls

    Chapter 232 I Like Chubby Girls


    Gregory looked at the set menu Debbie was pointing at, and felt his stomach grumble. In order to not


    be a killjoy, he gulped and told the waiter, "Same for me."


    The waiter''s jaw dropped at their request. Trying to suppress his astonishment, he offered with a smile,


    "The dishes you have ordered are a bit too much. How about I take you to a bigger table?"


    Debbie turned him down politely saying, "No, thank you. This table is just fine."


    Carlos and Olga were sitting at the nearby table. Debbie wanted to see how her husband was going to


    flirt with another woman right before her.


    Soon, a couple of waiters walked to their table, pushing trolleys of food, and served the dishes. Olga


    was shocked.


    Looking at the three small tes before her, she said to Carlos in a whisper, "Oh my God! How can a


    woman eat so much? Just one of those set menus she ordered is enough tost me three days, and


    two of them willst me a week!"


    Carlos cast an indifferent nce at her and replied, "A good appetite is a blessing."


    Olga hadn''t expected him to defend Debbie. She gave him an awkward smile and shut her mouth. After


    a pause, she added, "She''s already big-boned. If she keeps eating like this, no man will like her."


    "I like chubby girls," Carlos said with a stern face.


    Olga didn''t know how to respond. ''Why is Carlos defending Debbie again?


    Or does he say that because he doesn''t like my skinny body, '' she wondered. Olga said nothing more,


    and began to eat her food in a graceful manner.


    Debbie swallowed a mouthful of spaghetti and began to stab the beefsteak with her fork. She looked at


    Gregory, who seemed dumbstruck, and said, "I''m gonna consider this beefsteak as my husband, and


    I''m gonna stab him and tear him apart."


    She cut through the meat with so much anger. But that was all she could do. She sliced a piece and put


    it into her mouth.


    "Your husband? He..." Gregory stole nervous nces at Carlos from time to time. He knew that the


    couple had a fight, and he was afraid that Carlos might lose his temper and take Debbie away any


    time. But his sister had once told him that Carlos was his wife''s ve. Gregory thought his worries


    were uncalled-for.


    Debbie swallowed the meat and cut Gregory off. "My husband? He eloped with an old woman."


    "Ahem!" Gregory choked on his drink and coughed violently. He stole a quick nce at Carlos, curious


    to know his reaction.


    Carlos looked at the woman in front of him and thought, ''Although Olga is not even thirty yet, she does


    seem like an old womanpared to Debbie.'' His face twitched at that thought.


    Olga didn''t know Carlos was Debbie''s husband. She almostughed out loud when Debbie said that


    her husband had eloped with an old woman, and thought that she deserved such a fate.


    She hated Debbie because thetter had spilled wine all over her dress and had made a fool of her


    before Hayden.


    But she felt much better now. She even thought that Carlos had brought her here to watch Debbie


    make a fool out of herself.


    "Gregory, are you all right? That''s so careless of you! Waiter!" Debbie patted Gregory''s back softly in


    an attempt to help him.


    Gregory, however, coughed more fiercely because of her actions.


    He really wanted to tell her, "I''m all right. Don''t do this. Your husband will be jealous."


    But every time he opened his mouth, he began to cough harder.


    Eventually, Debbie had the waiter bring a ss of water. Gregory finally stopped coughing after


    drinking it.


    Embarrassed, he apologized to Debbie, "I''m really sorry. I made a show of myself."


    She shook her hand. "It''s no big deal. Are you okay now? How about another ss of water?"


    "No, no. I''m good. Let''s just eat."


    Now that Gregory was fine, Debbie got back to her food once again.


    It was Carlos'' turn to stir up some trouble. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and told Olga, "There are


    sometest cosmetics in Shining International za. Why not pick some after the meal?"


    Overjoyed by his generous offer, Olga didn''t know how to thank him. She looked at him with


    affectionate eyes and said in a sweet voice, "Thank you, Mr. Huo. You are so kind."


    Debbie stopped eating once she heard that. How she wished she could overturn his table and hit it on


    his handsome face! She put down her knife and fork, and told Gregory tly, "I''m going to thedies''


    room. Be right back."


    "Okay," Gregory nodded.


    Debbie stood up and walked towards thedies'' room.


    Olga put down her knife and fork casually and told Carlos, "Mr. Huo, I need to go to the bathroom for a


    moment."


    "Mm-hmm." Carlos didn''t raise his head to look at her.


    Olga didn''t mind his cold response, she knew he was a man of few words. She grabbed her purse, and


    walked towards thedies'' room as well.


    Debbie sat on the toilet seat, boiling with anger. She opened WeChat and sent Carlos a message


    saying, "Carlos Huo, you not only n to marry Megan Lan, but are also buying cosmetics for Olga Mi.


    I really can''t live with you any longer. Name your price and we''ll have a clean break-up."


    Carlos'' reply came almost immediately. "A clean break-up? Why don''t you stay where you are and I''ll


    come to you? We''ll discuss our future in thedies'' room."


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ''He''sing in here? Discussing something in thedies'' room? He is so weird!'' she thought. "Just


    discuss it on WeChat," she typed angrily.


    "You want to have a clean break-up with me so that you can be with Gregory Song, don''t you?" he


    replied.


    Debbie gripped her phone tighter. It took her several deep breaths to calm herself down.


    To piss Carlos off, she answered shortly, "Yes!" Then she readied herself and walked out of the cubicle.


    Olga was smoothing her hair standing before the wash basin. Seeing Debbie through the mirror, she


    sneered, "Debbie Nian, you are really good at seducing men. First, you hooked up with Mr. Gu, and


    now you are with the son of the Song family."


    ''And she had even hugged and kissed Mr. Huo. Good thing that Mr. Huo doesn''t like her. Otherwise, I


    wouldn''t have been able to mock her like this now, '' Olga thought with a smirk.


    "You should feel lucky that I''m not interested in Carlos Huo. Otherwise, you wouldn''t be hooking up with


    that unfaithful man," Debbie snapped back in a cold tone.


    Olga fumed with rage when she heard Debbie call Carlos "an unfaithful man." Stepping on her high


    heels, she walked up to Debbie and red at her. "How dare you call Mr. Huo an unfaithful man! I''ll tell


    him about this. He will definitely wipe you from the face of this world. Just wait and see!"


    Debbie grabbed a tissue to dry her hands. Feigning terror, she mocked a plea, "Oh, please don''t do


    that, Miss Mi!"

 Chapter 233 Ill Sleep With Gregory

    Chapter 233 I''ll Sleep With Gregory


    Olga was pleased when Debbie looked frightened. She cast a disdainful nce at her and mocked,


    "Well, if you beg for mercy sincerely, I won''t tell Mr. Huo what you just said."


    "Beg for mercy? Why would I do so? You''re not Mrs. Huo," Debbie said with a raised eyebrow as she


    stared at Olga.


    A hint of embarrassment shed across Olga''s face at the mention of "Mrs. Huo," but she stood


    upright. "Yes, Mr. Huo is married, and I''m not Mrs. Huo. But he doesn''t love his wife. So what''s the


    point of being Mrs. Huo? He loves me, you know. Beg me for my forgiveness, and I''ll put in a good


    word for you," she said with a smug expression.


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Debbie couldn''t help but burst intoughter. She eyed Olga from head to toe and taunted, "He loves


    you? Come on, Auntie! You look even older than him. He should be blind to fall for you. Besides, he


    has had so many women. Who do you think you are?"


    Olga''s face twitched when Debbie called her "Auntie." "You... How dare you! I''ll tell him that you called


    him an unfaithful man!"


    "Go ahead. Tell him," Debbie shrugged. ''Megan, Olga, Portia... He has been with so many women!'' she


    cursed inwardly.


    How Olga wished she could point at Debbie and call her names at that moment! But someone entered


    thedies'' room just then, and she had to leave to keep her image.


    Debbie started after her. "Auntie, you''d better hurry up. If I reach Carlos Huo first, I''ll snitch on you."


    Since Debbie was wearing sneakers, she trotted towards the dining hall effortlessly.


    Olga believed her threat, so she quickened her pace.


    Debbie had almost reached Carlos'' table, while Olga was still pretty far away from him. She started


    running to catch up to her.


    Her six-centimeter leather heels gave away as she stumbled and fell to the floor, spraining her ankle.


    And yet again, tragedy struck Olga.


    "Aargh!" she screamed, lying on the floor in the middle of the dining hall. Everyone turned to look at


    her.


    Even the pianist stopped ying and stared at the woman on the floor with his mouth agape.


    Olga was too embarrassed to even raise her head. Debbie cast a sidelong nce at the emotionless


    Carlos, and feigning surprise, she said in a loud voice, "Oh! Is that Miss Olga Mi? The general manager


    of the Mi Group!"


    If she remembered correctly, that was how the host at the investors'' dinner she had attendedst time


    had introduced Olga to the crowd.


    This was a top notch restaurant in Y City, and the guests were all rich and famous. The Mi Group was


    one of the leading enterprises in the city. Olga was not only the general manager of the Mi Group, but


    had also appeared on TV with Carlos before. So many people knew her.


    Hearing Debbie''s words, many of the guests took a closer look at Olga. "It is indeed Miss Mi!" someone


    echoed.


    "Yes. Her grandfather is the famous Mr. Mi. How did she end up like this? If you''re not used to wearing


    high heels, then don''t wear them, Miss Mi."


    "Exactly! This is so embarrassing!


    "


    Debbie didn''t expect all these rich people to be so... rude.


    Carlos sighed with profound resignation. He put down his knife and fork, and was about to stand up.


    Debbie looked him in the eye and threatened, "If you dare help her, I swear I''ll sleep with Gregory."


    Gregory froze instantly. ''I should''ve listened to Colleen. I shouldn''t have interfered in Carlos and


    Debbie''s problems, '' he thought, shaking in his boots.


    Carlos cast a cold nce at Debbie, stood up from his seat and walked towards Olga. As he walked


    past Gregory''s table, he said, "Gregory, keep an eye on her."


    He swore to himself that he would teach his relentless wife a hard lesson this time.


    "Gregory, let''s go. My husband has no problems in me sleeping with you." Debbie''s words made Carlos


    stop in his tracks. He cast a warning nce at her before walking towards Olga again.


    Everyone was shocked when Carlos carefully scooped Olga up in his arms.


    "I told you! It is Mr. Huo," someone eximed.


    "Wow! He''s so handsome! So manly!"


    "Is Miss Mi his wife?"


    "Who knows?


    "


    Olga cuddled Carlos'' neck, and pouting her lips,ined, "Mr. Huo, this is all Debbie Nian''s fault.


    She said that you were an unfaithful man and that she dumped you. I was so angry at her, and I


    wanted to defend you. I ran after her, but tripped."


    ''Stupid bitch! You have embarrassed me again! I swear I''ll make Mr. Huo get rid of you from this city!''


    she thought to herself.


    "Hmm," was Carlos'' short reply.


    Not knowing what was on his mind, Olga continued to snitch on Debbie. "Mr. Huo, I bet Debbie is trying


    to seduce you. You don''t know how flirty she is. I saw her making out with Hayden Gu at the investors''


    dinnerst time. And now, she''s dating Gregory Song. Mr. Huo, you need to¡ª"


    Before she could finish, Carlos interrupted her. "You want to seduce me as well, don''t you?" he asked


    in an emotionless tone.


    Olga didn''t expect Carlos to ask her such an embarrassing question. In a shy voice, she replied, "Mr.


    Huo, I''ve been in love with you for years. You know¡ª"


    Again, Carlos stopped her. "Olga, I''m a married man, and you know that. Go to the Shining


    International za and buy whatever you want. That is my thanks to you for apanying me to


    dinner tonight. We won''t be seeing each other anymore," he said coldly.


    Earlier this evening, Curtis had told him that Debbie and Gregory were going for dinner at this


    restaurant. He had then called Olga and invited her to dinner.


    Olga panicked when she heard his abrupt words. "Mr. Huo, I¡ª" She tried to say something to save the


    situation.


    In the parking lot, Carlos'' driver held the car door open for them. Carlos ced Olga in the back seat,


    straightened his suit and said in an icy tone, "And do not offend Debbie Nian ever again."


    The fierce look in his eyes told Olga that he was not joking. Besides, Carlos was never a man to joke.


    His threat was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky to Olga. She didn''t know how to respond.


    Watching Carlos retreat, Olga had a bad feeling. ''Is it possible that Debbie Nian is Mrs. Huo?


    No, no, no! That''s impossible. Mr. Huo would never marry a woman like her!''


    When Carlos returned to the restaurant, Gregory and Debbie, who had been busy with their eating


    contest earlier on, were nowhere to be found.


    He rubbed his arching brows and dialed Colleen''s number. "I''m at the restaurant. Why didn''t you


    come?"


    With a guilty conscience, Colleen exined, "I''m stuck in traffic."


    "You better ask your brother to send my wife back right now. If he fails to do so in the next ten minutes,


    he will be missing some very important parts of his body," he threatened.

 Chapter 234 Im Not Happy Either

    Chapter 234 I''m Not Happy Either


    ''Gregory will be missing some very important parts of his body?'' Colleen was taken aback by Carlos''


    threat. She knew Carlos meant it, and figured she''d better warn Gregory. After all, whenever it came to


    Debbie, he was a raging, jealous mess.


    She hung up on Carlos, and immediately dialed Gregory''s number. To her dismay, his phone was off,


    and the call went straight to voicemail.


    She dialed the number again and again, but to no avail. She didn''t dare to call an angry Carlos;


    instead, she sent him a private message on Facebook saying, "I''m sorry, Carlos. Both Gregory''s and


    Debbie''s phones are off."


    Of course, Carlos knew it. He had called his wife five times, but couldn''t get through. Thest time, he


    mmed the phone down on the seat next to him in disgust. He''d seen his dad ruin enough phones to


    know that when he was that mad, he needed a cushion he could throw his phone at. He couldn''t call


    with a broken phone.


    The tall, proud man sat in the back seat of his car, visibly upset. Suddenly, his phone rang, and it was


    Wesley. "I''m at the hospital now. Megan just woke up, and she''s asking for you. Where are you?"


    Rubbing his arching brows, Carlos felt a little annoyed when Wesley mentioned Megan. "I can''t make it


    now. Just keep her busy till I get there." His wife was about to sleep with another man, and he was


    eager to find her. He had no time for anything or anyone else.


    "Hmm," Wesley answered. "What happened? How did Megan fall into the river? Was it Debbie?" His


    voice was as cold as ice.


    "It''s not what it looks like. Debbie might be a brat, but she''s not psycho. She wouldn''t kill anybody."


    Carlos'' head cleared after he took some time to cool himself down. Debbie had always been square


    with him before, so he saw no reason not to defend her now. She tried his patience¡ªa lot¡ªbut in the


    end she always had a heart of gold. And now, he knew her spirit was broken. And her heart. He figured


    that maybe if he could clear the air, she''d believe that she was his one and only.


    Wesley paused as ir''s words entered his mind. "If Megan''s so important to you, then marry her!"


    She had once yelled at him like this.


    None of the two men hung up, nor did they say anything. They were both lost in their own thoughts.


    On the other hand, when Debbie and Gregory left the restaurant, she got into his car and made sure


    both of their phones were powered down. "If our phones were on, Carlos would call and find us, and


    then we''d be screwed," she said.


    Gregory couldn''t do anything but glumly retort, "I don''t think it''ll help."


    He knew Carlos far too well. Everyone did. The arm of his vengeance was long, and he had men who


    were quite efficient at carrying out his orders, whether they were to seize someone, break up a fight, or


    finish one. They were pretty ruthless, often as efficient as Carlos himself. If he couldn''t handle a


    situation personally, he put his assistants or bodyguards on it. Could he find two people with ease?


    Does a bear poop in the woods? Even if you hid in those same woods, it was just a matter of time


    before he found you.


    Gregory''s words did make sense to Debbie. But she was stubborn... She murmured, "Carlos Huo is too


    busy to look for us. He''s holding Miss Mi in his arms right now. And he might go to the hospital to keep


    Miss Lanpanyter."


    Gregory looked at the sad and dejected girl, and felt it necessary to console her. "I really think you''re


    taking all this wrong. Carlos treats Megan well just because she''s his niece. But you''re different..."


    "Gregory, you don''t know her..." Megan had once told Debbie that she would''ve married Carlos if it


    weren''t for her. She even tricked Debbie once, making her think that Carlos had chosen Megan over


    her. But Debbie didn''t tell him, as she didn''t think it was anyone else''s business.


    Whenever Megan wasn''t around, Debbie was one hundred percent sure that Carlos loved her very


    much. She was sure the man thought of her often. However, as long as Megan was around, Debbie


    was not so sure anymore.


    Silence befell the car. Gregory was a young man of few words. He wanted tofort Debbie, but didn''t


    know how. He wasn''t even sure he could. But he was sure of one thing¡ªeven with tear stains lining


    her face, she was a lovely sight.


    "Gregory, if Colleen''s busy and can''t make it, just drop me off here," Debbie said. "I''ll figure something


    out."


    "Colleen''s not busy. She called me when you were using thedies'' room. She''s at the Rock Bar now,"


    Gregory said quickly. He didn''t want to leave her alone.


    "Oh, really? Awesome. Thanks for driving me there," she said with a smile. She felt a little


    embarrassed. Gregory had paid for dinner this evening, and now he was driving her to the bar. She felt


    like a leech.


    "Come on. It''s no big deal. We''ve known each other for years." Gregory shed a smile.


    "Yeah. From school. That was you: Gregory Song, a straight-A student, always made the Dean''s list...


    It took me awhile to figure out it was you." That was the reason why his name came up so often¡ªthe


    teachers always praised him. Although she''d heard the name, she hadn''t paid any attention to him.


    Gregory had always kept a low profile¡ªhe was never a ss monitor or student body president. She


    hadn''t gotten to know him until her third year of college.


    The traffic lights cycled to red, and Gregory eased the car to a stop. "Seriously? Was I that low-key?


    Maybe I was just an ordinary, boring guy that you wouldn''t look at twice in high school." He cracked a


    joke, if only to make her smile.


    Truth was, Gregory would ask the head teacher to remove his name from the rolls when he was voted


    into a student body position.


    After all, his mother was his father''s mistress, and he didn''t want to attract too much attention. His


    family''s reputation was on the line, and he didn''t want to do anything to drag their names through the


    mud.


    "An ordinary, boring guy?" Debbie eyed him from head to toe. "You''re tall and handsome. You could be


    a model." Women of all ages would think Gregory was hot. He could be famous overnight if he


    wanted.


    Gregory burst intoughter. "Hah! As if."


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Believe me. You''d be a heartthrob." Debbie shook her head, sighing.


    ''I thought that was actually what Gregory wanted¡ªto be a star, but his family forced him to major


    in economics and management, '' she thought.


    When they arrived at the bar, Colleen was already there, waiting for them in a booth.


    Before they sat down, Colleen couldn''t resist asking, "What''s wrong with you two? Debbie, your


    husband is super angry. What happened?"


    Debbie got more depressed at the mention of Carlos. "I don''t care. I''m not happy either," she grumbled.


    Colleen poured Debbie a ss of beer and pried, "Why not call him back?" She was really frightened


    by Carlos'' threat. If he did something bad to Gregory, how could she face their father?


    Debbie pouted her lips. "No! I want some wine. Let''s get drunk tonight." She drained her ss and


    asked the waiter for two bottles of Cassia wine.


    Both Colleen and Gregory were startled.


    After several sses, Debbie began to curse Carlos. "Go to hell. You piece of trash!" she kept


    repeating. The siblings didn''t know what to do. This didn''t seem to be easing her depression. Instead, it


    seemed to be making it worse.


    Half an hourter, Emmett entered the bar and walked over to them. "Mr. Song, Miss Song," he said in


    greeting. Then he turned to Debbie, who was leaning over the table. She could barely hold her head


    up, so she used her elbows to keep herself steady. Emmett said in a loud voice, "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo


    asked me to drive you back home."


    The music was deafening. Debbie raised her head and looked at him asking, "Emmett, what did that


    asshole tell you to do?"


    Despite discouragement from those around her, she emptied her ss rapidly.


    Emmett wanted to answer "That asshole asked me to drive you home," but he didn''t dare to say so.


    After all, walls have ears. "Come on Mrs. Huo. You can''t escape. Mr. Huo has men at all the exits. Just


    come with me."


    To be honest, Emmett sympathized with his boss. Carlos had to ask people to surround the bar to get


    his wife back home.

 Chapter 235 He Has Changed

    Chapter 235 He Has Changed


    Debbie was already drunk. She put a hand over Colleen''s shoulder and told Emmett, "I''m not going to


    see Carlos. Just leave me alone. Colleen, let''s drink some more."


    The two women had had a happy evening drinking together. Colleen was a little drunk as well. Resting


    her head on Debbie''s shoulder, Colleen dismissed Emmett saying, "You may leave. Debbie is mine


    now."


    Emmett was left speechless. He wanted to leave, but his boss would kill him if he left without Debbie.


    "Mrs. Huo, it''s veryte, and you must be sleepy. Juste with me for now, okay?" he coaxed Debbie


    patiently.


    She tried to open her sleepy eyes and fixed her gaze on the anxious secretary. "Okay... No! Okay..."


    ''Is that a yes or a no?'' Emmett wondered, feeling defeated.


    Eventually, he managed to carry Debbie out of the bar with Gregory''s help.


    Carlos'' Emperor was parked at the entrance. The man sitting in the back seat instantly had a headache


    at the sight of the drunk woman on Emmett''s back.


    He got out of the car and retrieved his wife from Emmett. He frowned when he smelled the alcohol


    emitting from her.


    Debbie opened her eyes and found herself in the car. She then spotted Carlos sitting next to her, but


    she was too drunk to keep a cool head. "Ah, it''s you! Asshole Huo! Mr. Asshole... Urgh...I''m so full.


    Another sip will make me burst."


    How Carlos wished he could throw her into the snow to cool her down! But that was just a thought.


    He pulled his wife into his arms and listened to her constant grumbling.


    "Why are you here in front of me?" she asked.


    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    "You don''t want to see me, do you?" he asked in reply. His voice was low as he asked that.


    "Hmm..." Debbie nodded and blurted out, "Carlos Huo has changed. He no longer treats me like he


    used to. I''m not going to love him either. I''ll marry someone else."


    "Whom do you want to marry?" Carlos tried his best to suppress his growing anger.


    After a moment''s consideration, she answered, "Gregory! Or Curtis, or Gus, or Hayden, or Emmett!"


    The names she uttered shocked the two men in the car. Emmett, who was driving, was unwillingly


    dragged into their fight. He trembled and almost lost control of the car.


    Carlos sat there quietly as his wife told him that she was going to marry someone else. His face was


    ashen with fury.


    "Whom do you want to marry the most?" he pried.


    "Um...I want to marry... Gregory the most..." she grumbled. Carlos cared so much for Megan. Curtis


    had Colleen, and Emmett had Kasie. Only Gregory was single.


    Little did Gregory know that Carlos was growing a grudge against him because of Debbie''s drunken


    talk.


    When the car slowly rolled into the manor''s parking lot, Debbie pushed the car door open and jumped


    out. She ran towards the swimming pool without even noticing that she had lost one of her shoes.


    Carlos picked it up and ran after her.


    Standing before the wide pool, Debbie pointed to the water and yelled, "I hate water. I hate swimming. I


    hate this pool! Get out of my way! Get out of my way, you stupid pool!" If she didn''t know how to swim,


    she would have gotten drownedst time. Then she wouldn''t have to face all these annoying things in


    her life.


    Carlos squatted down in front of her, raised her foot, and coaxed, "Hold my shoulder."


    The lights around the swimming pool were off. The roadmps were too dim for Debbie to see who was


    in front of her. She bent over and cupped his head in her hands, rubbing her cheeks against his head.


    "Since when is there a puppy in the manor? Hi, little puppy! You''re so fluffy."


    ''Did Carlos buy this puppy for me?'' she thought in her drunken state.


    Carlos went rigid when she called him a puppy. He tied her shoces quickly, stood up and pulled her


    into his arms. "Do I look like a puppy to you?" he asked angrily.


    Debbie squinted her eyes to look clearly and then screamed, "Aaaaargh! It''s you! Carlos Huo, you


    asshole! Let go of me!"


    She struggled hard to break free, but to no avail. Eventually, she burst into tears. In a choked voice,


    sheined, "Why are you so annoying? Let me go! Just go and date your dear Megan or Olga. I


    don''t want to see you again. Go ahead and marry Megan. I''ll be with Gregory! I''ll sleep with him!"


    Carlos believed he would be driven mad if he allowed Debbie to continue talking, so he scooped her up


    into his arms and threatened, "One more word about Gregory and I''ll throw him into the Pacific for the


    sharks to feed on! Then you won''t see him ever again."


    He hated Gregory more than Hayden now. There was a crisis in Hayden''spany, and he hadn''t left


    his office for a couple of days.


    As for Gregory, Carlos didn''t want to deal with him for Curtis'' and Colleen''s sake. He could only


    threaten Debbie with his life.


    Debbie was restless in his arms¡ªshe cried, yelled and thumped him with her fists. When he finally


    managed to get her into the bathroom, he broke out in a sweat despite the cold winter.


    After stripping her clothes off, he put her in the bathtub and then took off his own clothes as well.


    Debbie shivered when she was dipped into the warm water. "Old man, where are your clothes? Are


    you going on some fashion show?"


    Carlos just stared at her. ''Did she go to some fashion show with naked models?''


    "Argh... It''s so cold. Hold me in your arms." She threw herself into his arms and held his waist tight to


    keep warm.


    Carlos was instantly turned on. With intense passion rising inside him, he kissed her mercilessly, while


    his hands ran all over her body.


    And she was so obedient this time that he couldn''t help but have sex with her in all kinds of positions


    again and again...


    The next morning, when Debbie woke up, her head was killing her.


    She turned over in her bed; she felt like her body had been run over by a truck. When she yawned, she


    found that her mouth was sore.


    ''What the hell happenedst night? Why am I feeling so tired?''


    She sat up, looked around and then realized that she was in her and Carlos'' bedroom at the manor.


    ''How did I get back here? When did I get back?


    Why can''t I remember a single thing?''


    Rubbing her aching temples, she threw back the covers in an attempt to look for her phone.


    "Aaaaaargh!" she screamed in a hoarse voice.


    She was shocked by what she saw.


    Marks! Marks all over her body!


    ''This is Carlos Huo''s work!!'' she thought angrily.


    She found her phone and dialed Carlos'' number¡ªa spur-of-the-moment decision. When it connected,


    she yelled into the phone, "Carlos Huo, what did you do to mest night?" She sounded as if she had


    beenpelled to engage in prostitution.


    Carlos curled his lips as he remembered what had happenedst night.


    Wesley, who was sitting opposite him, snorted upon seeing his reaction. ''That must be his wife calling!''


    he thought.

 Chapter 236 No One Lays A Finger On My Wife

    Chapter 236 No One Lays A Finger On My Wife


    Carlos cast a sidelong nce at Wesley, who was feeding Megan, and left the ward with his phone.


    Entering an empty room, he locked the door behind him and put the phone to his ear. "Last night, you


    kept insisting you were freezing, and asked me to hug you. Then you threw yourself into my arms..."


    Surveying Y City from the window, he shed a broad smile and went on resignedly, "I just wanted to


    help you take a bath, but you started hugging and kissing me nonstop. I''m your husband. You think I


    was going to say no?"


    N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Carlos'' words made Debbie blush.


    "That''s not possible!" Debbie denied rapidly, eyes wide open. Deep down inside, she asked herself,


    ''Really? Am I that horny when I''m drunk?''


    "Nope. It''s true. I was d to oblige," he said in a serious manner. "So I did what you wanted. And then


    you asked to try something new. Variety''s the spice of life. You taught me a few things."


    Debbie''s mouth was so sore that she suddenly had a bad feeling. "And?" she pried.


    "You gave me a blow job," he said, stifling hisughter.


    Debbie wanted to kill herself when she heard this.


    "You''re lying! I''d never do that!" Debbie retorted in a loud voice. Her face was as red as a tomato.


    ''He has to be lying. I''d never...'' she thought.


    "No lie. I have to say, you were pretty wildst night. Thanks for the memories," said Carlos with a


    laugh.


    ''Thanks... for the memories? Go to hell, Carlos Huo!'' she yelled inwardly. "How dare you take


    advantage of me when I was drunk! Now you''ve gone too far! You asshole!" she yelled into the phone.


    "Tell you what..." His voice was cold. After a moment''s pause, he added, "Visit Megan. Apologize. Then


    I''ll forgive you." Megan had cried to him and insisted Debbie apologize to her. Carlos really had no


    other choice.


    "Visit her? Apologize? Forgive me?" Bitterness flooded Debbie. "In your dreams! I don''t give a damn


    about your forgiveness. Stay with Megan. See if I care."


    After saying that, she hung up the phone.


    Carlos called her back, but she rejected it. She even sent him a text message saying, "If you have


    Megan apologize to me, I might go to the hospital to see her. Otherwise, don''t talk to me."


    Having read the message, Carlos simply put his phone back in his pocket and came back to Megan''s


    ward.


    When she saw Carlos, Megan asked, "Uncle Carlos, was it Aunt Debbie?"


    Carlos nodded.


    "If Aunt Debbie won''t apologize to me, just let it go. Uncle Carlos, please don''t be mad at her. I just


    want you to be happy. I''ll keep you at arm''s length, and maybe she won''t be jealous." Tears welled up


    in her eyes.


    Wesley frowned when he heard Megan. "Your wife pushed Megan into the river. I don''t think it''s too


    much to ask her to apologize," he said in a cold voice.


    Instead of replying, Carlos turned to Megan and said, "Megan, I''ll ask her toe here. She had a car


    ident and fell into the river because of your call. When she gets here, you need to apologize."


    Wesley and Megan couldn''t believe their ears. "What the hell?" Wesley swore through gritted teeth.


    "Uncle Carlos!" Megan cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I just called her. I didn''t cause her to


    crash her car and fall into the river!"


    Carlos looked away, and said coldly, "If you won''t apologize, I won''t force you. Wesley, take care of her.


    I still have work to finish."


    With that, he started to walk to the door. Megan pulled off the tape with a grunt, removed the IV, and


    jumped out of bed.


    Wesley tried to stop her, but she pushed him away and gave Carlos a back hug. In a choked voice, she


    said, "Uncle Carlos, I''m sorry. I''ll apologize. Please don''t leave me. Uncle Carlos, you used to care for


    me. Don''t do this."


    Wesley pulled Megan away from Carlos, and into his own arms. His eyes were red with fury, his


    expression dangerous. "If you don''t get Debbie to apologize, I''ll drag her here myself," he said slowly,


    every word dripping with menace.


    Carlos cast a warning nce at Wesley and said coldly, "No oneys a finger on my wife."


    Wesley snorted, "She''s a killer, yet you still defend her. Are you crazy?"


    "Megan is fine, isn''t she?" After saying that, Carlos left the ward without looking back.


    "Stop!"manded Wesley, but to no avail. He wanted to catch up to Carlos and teach him a lesson,


    but Megan stopped him.


    She wiped her tears and said, "Uncle Wesley, don''t fight with Uncle Carlos over me."


    Wesley sighed and stroked her cheek. "Don''t worry, Megan. I''ll make that woman apologize to you."


    At the manor


    When Debbie walked out of the vi, she saw people working feverishly, and heard several motors


    droning. Drawing closer, she could see the motorized pumps and people holding hoses into the pool''s


    dwindling supply of water.


    Confused, she asked a maid who was trimming trees, "What are they doing there?"


    The maid put down the shears and answered respectfully, "They''re pumping the pool, Mrs. Huo. Mr.


    Huo asked them to fill it in with concrete." Debbie''s jaw dropped. "With concrete? Why?" ''Does he hate


    to swim? Or did he almost drown?''


    The maid shook her head. "I have no idea. Why not ask Mr. Huo?"


    "Okay. Thanks. I''ll let you get back to work." Despite her curiosity, she didn''t n to ask Carlos.


    She came to the parking lot, and stared at the cars, wondering whether she should drive on her own.


    She was still a little gun-shy, given what happened thest time she was behind the wheel.


    She decided to ask Matan to drive her for now.


    Matan came by soon, and Debbie got in the car he drove. As the car approached the gates to the


    manor, they opened to admit a military car. It was a GAZ Tigr 4x4 Infantry Mobility Vehicle,


    manufactured by the Russians. This was the closest thing the army had to a HUMVEE. There were


    only 3, 000 of those things made. Many were still roadworthy.


    ''Wait, could it be?'' Debbie realized who it was.


    She was about to ask Matan to pull over so that she could say hi to Wesley, but then the Tigr stopped.


    It was blocking the way.


    "Mrs. Huo, it''s Wesley Li," Matan reminded her.


    Debbie nodded as she pushed the car door open and got out.


    Wesley also jumped out of his car, and fixed his sharp gaze upon her. Despite his reluctance, he


    greeted her politely, "Hi, Debbie."


    Noticing his livid face, Debbie guessed this was about Megan. "Hello, Colonel Li," she said with a


    smile.


    Wesley nodded and got straight to the point. "I''m here for you."


    "Oh, really? Why?" she asked.

 Chapter 237 Dont Lay A Finger On My Wife

    Chapter 237 Don''t Lay A Finger On My Wife


    "I want you to apologize to Megan. She''s very unstable right now," Wesley said bluntly. Talking


    obliquely was never his thing.


    Raised at the military residential quarters and having grown up to be a serviceman, he was even less


    tactful than Carlos. Debbie didn''t know whether she shouldugh or cry at his words.


    "Colonel Li, Megan should be the one apologizing, not me." Even Carlos couldn''t make her apologize.


    Wesley was just wasting his breath.


    He said in a serious tone, "Megan is just a little girl. You should be more tolerant with her. Besides,


    she''s the one in the hospital right now, not you."


    "Wesley, you and your friends are all biased towards her. You don''t even care who''s right and who''s


    wrong when ites to Megan, do you?" Debbie asked with a re. Just because he and Carlos


    treasured Megan didn''t mean that they could cover for all her mistakes. And there was no way that


    Debbie would apologize to her.


    Wesley cast Debbie aplicated look. Then he said, "I''m sorry, Debbie." With that, he trotted towards


    the military vehicle in a standard military style and opened the back door, as if saying, "Get in, please."


    Debbie''s anger grew. ''What the hell? Is he gonna force me to apologize to Megan even though she is


    the one who is in the wrong?


    Does he think I will dly get into the vehicle just because he asked me to? I don''t even listen to my


    own husband. What makes him think that I will ever listen to him? How big a pushover does he think I


    am?'' "Colonel Li, new semester begins in two days. I''m going to buy some new stationery. Show


    yourself around the manor if you want."


    Debbie turned to walk towards her car.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Wesley, however, caught up with her after several strides and closed her car door which she had just


    opened. He stood rigidly in front of it.


    "What? You want a fight?" asked Debbie. She didn''t give a damn about his status or rank.


    Wesley was about to say something when his phone rang. He took the call and simply said, "I''m at your


    manor."


    "I know," responded Carlos, as he walked into the elevator. "I''m warning you, don''t you dare harm a


    hair on my wife''s head."


    Wesley looked at Debbie and then replied, "Don''t worry, I respect her. That''s why I''m politely asking her


    to get into my car."


    Debbie guessed it had to be Carlos on the phone. Hearing Wesley''s reply, Debbie scoffed. ''Politely?


    Thank you, Wesley, for showing so much respect.''


    The doors to the sightseeing elevator closed. The view of the city shed before Carlos'' eyes. "She


    does what she likes. Even I can''t force her to do anything she doesn''t want to. Your words are not


    gonna budge her," he continued.


    Wesley''s lips twitched scornfully. ''Can''t force your own woman to do what you want? I''m sure you''re


    just unwilling to force her, '' he sneered within. "She muste to the hospital with me today."


    "If you take her to the hospital forcefully, you will only make her angry. She won''t apologize to Megan.


    Instead, she will tear the ward down, and she will make you watch as she smashes the ce into bits.


    Is that what you want?" Though they hadn''t lived together for too long, Carlos knew his wife very well.


    Wesley hesitated. ''Why are women so troublesome? She''s just like that woman, the one that left me.''


    "Since I''m already here, I will take her to the hospital."


    "Don''ty a finger on her. I''m on my way. Don''t do anything until I get there." Carlos hung up quickly.


    He drove the car himself and sped towards the manor.


    Wesley put his phone away and looked at Debbie, who was standing in front of him silently. "You can''t


    deny the fact that you pushed Megan into the river. Now she''s suffering from the aftermath trauma and


    is hospitalized. You must follow my orders. I order you¡ª" When he saw that Debbie''s expression was


    quickly changing into something ferocious, he realized that she wasn''t one of his soldiers. He changed


    his tone immediately. "Debbie, you must apologize to her."


    "What did Carlos say?" asked Debbie.


    Wesley''s face twitched. "He asked me not toy a finger on you. So I won''t. Please, get in the car


    yourself."


    Debbie scoffed. Carlos wasn''t a heartless asshole after all. "Even if I go to the hospital with you, I won''t


    apologize to Megan," she dered.


    "Get in the car first." Wesley felt that time was pressing. He was losing his patience.


    Unfortunately, Debbie sensed his impatience. "You''re the one forcing me to get into your car. What are


    you impatient about?"


    Wesley was speechless. ''Women are so touchy.''


    Without another word, he walked back to the military vehicle and opened the back door again for


    Debbie.


    She snorted. After telling her driver to go back, she walked to the car and climbed into the big vehicle.


    On the way, Debbie scanned the interior of the car. She asked, "Wesley, this vehicle is so cool. Can I


    borrow it some time?"


    Wesley replied honestly, "Military vehicles can''t be used for civilian purposes."


    That was an expected reply from Wesley. Debbie didn''t mind. She changed the subject. "Did Carlos


    serve in the same unit as you when you were in the army? Why did he leave the army?"


    "We both served in the special force." That was all Wesley divulged.


    Curiosity getting the better of her, Debbie asked again, "Why did he leave the army and be a


    CEO?" She remembered asking Carlos the same question. ''What was his answer again? Crap, I


    forgot.''


    Wesley steered the vehicle as easily as breathing. "Why don''t you ask him that directly? He can


    answer it better than anyone else."


    Debbie felt defeated. ''Soldiers are so tight-lipped and vignt, '' she thought, sighing.


    Silence engulfed them. After a while, Debbie asked, "You''re unmarried, right? Since you like Megan so


    much, why don''t you just marry her?"


    Wesley was caught off-guard by her sudden question.


    The woman he had loved used to say the exact same words. Those words had rung in his head


    countless times even after she had left. Hearing them again, the words struck him hard. He said


    solemnly, "She''s not the one I want to marry."


    Debbie was intrigued. "Is there someone else you like? Who is she? Where is she now? Have you


    been dating her?


    "


    Silence was the only reply she got from him.


    Sensing the change in Wesley''s mood, Debbie figured that she might have identally rubbed in a


    sore spot. She refrained from asking any more personal questions.


    Both of them remained silent till they reached the inpatient department. It was Carlos who opened the


    door for Debbie when she got out of the vehicle.


    She wanted to jump to the ground herself, but Carlos was quick to catch her as she jumped down.


    He held her hand and wasn''t going to let go, but Debbie pushed him away, blushing. "Don''t touch me,"


    she reprimanded.


    Carlos grabbed her wrist and said tly, "That''s not what you said in bedst night."


    Wesley, who had walked around the vehicle to meet them, happened to hear their little conversation.


    ''Why? All I did was bring his wife to the hospital. Did he have to punish me by making me listen to


    that?''


    Debbie tried to cover Carlos'' mouth, but it was toote. The words were already out in the open.


    She shook off Carlos'' hand and said sarcastically, "Shall we go inside now, guardian


    angels?"

 Chapter 238 Terms Of The Apology

    Chapter 238 Terms Of The Apology


    "Oh, I''m not talking about me. How could I tter myself like that? Only Megan deserves your ultimate


    care. Everything about her is such a big deal. What perfect guardian angels you make when ites


    to Megan!" Debbie scoffed.


    Carlos and Wesley exchanged a look as they walked behind her silently, and quickened their pace to


    catch up with her.


    When they reached the ward, Damon was talking andughing with Megan, who looked nothing at all


    like a sick person. Nor did she seem like someone who had just fallen into the river.


    "A-Aunt Debbie." Seeing her, Megan looked frightened. She grabbed the covers nervously and moved


    to the corner of the bed.


    Debbie sneered. ''She makes it look like I am about to kill her. Bravo, Megan! They owe you an Oscar


    for this act.''


    She did want to kill her, but Debbie knew better than to spend the rest of her life in prison just for a


    lesser, evil bitch like Megan.


    Damon noticed how scared Megan was. He stood between Megan and Debbie, ring at thetter


    with hostile eyes.


    Debbieughed. She ignored him and asked Megan, "Didn''t you want me toe and apologize? Now


    that I''m here, why are you hiding from me, huh? What is this, Damon?"


    Damon had hardly ever been serious, but at that moment, he gritted his teeth and asked, "You don''t


    sound like you are here to apologize."


    Debbie snorted, "When did I say I came here to apologize?" ''Me apologize to Megan? That''s not gonna


    happen even in my next life!''N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Then why is she here?" Damon asked Carlos and Wesley, who were standing behind her.


    Debbie walked around Damon and tried to reach the other side of the bed, but Wesley strode ahead of


    her and stood in front of Megan.


    The two men were blocking Debbie''s path on either side as if she were some kind of beast.


    Their fear was hrious to watch. Turning to Carlos, who was standing nearby quietly, she asked,


    "Honey, are you going to jump over here to protect her if I make another move?" She pointed to the


    other end of the bed.


    "Move away, you two!" said Carlos, giving Damon and Wesley a cold nce.


    Damon looked at him in disbelief. "How can we? Do you see how arrogant she is? What if she hurts


    Megan again? Don''t forget that she knows martial arts."


    "Damon, you tter me. Don''t forget that Wesley and my husband used to serve in the special force."


    They could easily throw her out of the room if they wished to.


    Wesley figured that he might have overreacted a bit, so he stepped aside a little.


    Debbie finally came to the bedside. Megan clutched at the covers tightly. She watched a stone-faced


    Debbie approaching her bed, and her eyes widened with fear.


    "Are you so frightened of me? It''s very unlike you. I still remember howcent you sounded when


    you called me that day. What happened to that side of you?" Debbie wanted to throw her to the floor


    and step on her lying mouth.


    Megan shook her head. Even before Debbie could see how she did it, tears streamed out of her eyes


    magically. "Aunt Debbie, I don''t know what you are talking about. You have already pushed me into the


    river. Wasn''t that enough for you? Why are you still trying to frame me for something I didn''t do?"


    Slowly, Megan removed the covers to reveal her tearful face. "I saw how angry Uncle Carlos was and I


    felt bad. I didn''t want you two to fight over me. You fell into the river because you were bad at driving.


    How could you take it out on me by pushing me into the river too? I know that you don''t like me, but


    what you did was vicious."


    The next second, regardless of the needle in her hand, Megan pushed the covers away and knelt on


    the bed. "I''m sorry, Aunt Debbie. I was wrong. Could you please let this go? Please, please, I''m sorry."


    "Megan, get up! Why are you kneeling in front of her?" Damon asked angrily. He rushed over and sat


    Megan back onto the bed. Wesley pulled the covers back and tucked her in. It was a scene out of a


    fairy tale.


    Debbie gaped at Megan''s performance. She apuded. "Megan, I beg you too. Please do be an


    actress after college. There''s no doubt that you will make it big."


    "Deb." With a frown, Carlos stopped her from saying more. He strode to Debbie''s side and said to the


    others, "Whether the ident happened because of Debbie''s bad driving or because of Megan''s


    provocation, both of them have been hurt equally. So, let''s just move on and stop talking about this."


    Debbie let out a sigh. This whole thing had been stressful and irritating from the beginning. She didn''t


    want to waste more time on Megan either.


    However, Megan acted surprised and cried, "What? Uncle Carlos, I am innocent. How could you


    protect a murderer? You know I can''t swim! I would be dead if you hadn''te to save me in time.


    How can you let me suffer like this after what my parents had done for you?" Megan got agitated as


    she thought about her parents.


    "Calm down, Megan. Don''t get too excited," Damonforted her.


    Megan inhaled deeply to steady her breathing. Then she looked at Carlos in the eye and said in a


    choked voice, "All I want is an apology. Is that too much to ask? Uncle Carlos, you used to give me


    everything I wanted. But now, I can''t even get an apology?"


    Carlos wanted to put the whole thing behind him. Besides, he didn''t want to lose his friends over this


    matter. He took Debbie into his arms and whispered to her, "Honey, you pushed Megan into the river


    after all. And she''s younger than you, isn''t she? Could you just apologize to her?"


    Debbie wrenched herself free from his arms and dashed towards the bed. She tossed the covers away


    as Megan screamed.


    Wesley grabbed Debbie''s arm and pushed her aside forcefully. Luckily, Carlos followed her and caught


    her promptly. Debbie bumped into his chest. Carlos embraced her, as he red at Wesley furiously. He


    dered in a raised voice, "Wesley, I dare you to touch my wife again!"


    ''And now he is protecting me! Who was it that asked me to apologize to Megan just now? Huh!''


    Once again, Debbie squirmed out of Carlos'' arms and yelled at him, "Save your hypocrisy!" Then she


    pointed at Damon and Wesley. "You, and you! You''re both acting in collusion with him. You two y the


    bad cops and he ys the good cop, just to make me apologize to her. But guess what? I am not as


    gullible as you three. Damon Han, Carlos Huo, Wesley Li, you three idiots are all being yed by this


    venomous, maniptive bitch, and you don''t even have a clue! I wonder how you became a colonel or


    a CEO. Damon, if I were Adriana, I would have left you too."


    The three men''s faces had turned coal ck. Never had a woman given them such a harsh tongue-


    lashing in their whole lives.


    Debbie took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "Apologize? No problem!" She walked towards


    Carlos and grabbed his hand, trying to remove the ring from his finger. "I''ll apologize to her right now.


    But after that, you will have to send me abroad for further studies as soon as possible. Or we get a


    divorce."

 Chapter 239 It Will Be Enough When I Say So

    Chapter 239 It Will Be Enough When I Say So


    Carlos wouldn''t let Debbie take his ring off. He grabbed her hands that tried to snatch the ring, and


    said, "Enough!"


    "It will be enough when I say so! She has been making trouble for me from the very beginning. This


    ends today!" Debbie tried to free her hands from Carlos'' grip, but failed. Furious, she bit into his hand.


    It hurt, but Carlos didn''t let go. He gritted his teeth to swallow the pain while she bit deeper.


    But Debbie''s heart softened. She let go. He was her husband after all. But her anger didn''t settle. She


    was mad at herself for being such a sucker for Carlos.


    She let out a sharp sigh and then turned to Megan. "You want me to apologize to you? Beg me. If you


    beg, I will not only apologize, but will also give you my husband¡ª Ow!" Carlos'' hand squeezed hers


    hard. It hurt so much that she grimaced and closed her eyes tightly.


    But she didn''t stop talking. "Megan Lan! If you don''t apologize to me and admit that you have been


    defaming me, I will tear this ward down!"


    Carlos squeezed her hand again and tried to persuade her. "Calm down."


    "Calm down? My husband is protecting the other woman. Tell me, how am I supposed to calm down?"


    Her words "the other woman" stirred Wesley''s and Damon''s anger again.


    Damon shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at Debbie with a devil-may-care attitude. "Debbie


    Nian, Megan met Carlos long before you did."


    Debbie froze. A trace of despair flitted over her eyes. "What do you mean? Are you saying that I am the


    other woman?"


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    "Damon, shut up!" Carlos snapped. His eyes shot icy cold daggers at Damon.


    Debbie felt her heart sink to a ce that was as dark and cold as the bottom of ake which had been


    frozen for a thousand years. She looked at Carlos and asked in a low voice, "Please, send me abroad


    now. Can you?" She couldn''t afford to study and live abroad on her own, so she had no choice but to


    rely on Carlos for the moment.


    "No," was all he said, his eyes cold as usual.


    "No?! Fine! Then watch the show and do enjoy." Rage consumed her. She straightened up and walked


    towards Megan''s bed. A weird smile hung over her face.


    She reached out her hand and lifted Megan''s chin. Wesley intended to intervene, but since Debbie was


    being calm, he stepped back.


    "Megan, I have a suggestion. This drama is crazy. Let''s make peace." Debbie''s offer took the three


    men aback.


    Megan acted happy to hear it. Instantly, her eyes reddened. She said excitedly in a trembling voice,


    "Oh, Aunt Debbie! Really?"


    "Really? Of course... NOT! Today, I''ll show you what happens if you mess with me!" Her smile


    disappeared. Her tone changed. Before anyone could realize it, she hauled Megan out of her bed.


    "Aargh!" Unprepared, the girl slumped to the floor. The needle in her hand was plucked out forcefully


    during the fall.


    It happened so fast that none of the men was quick enough to stop her.


    Wesley and Damon ran towards Megan to help her to her feet. Debbie ignored them and demanded,


    "Megan Lan, apologize to me!"


    It took Megan a long while to realize what had happened to her. Her leg was hurt. Immediately, Damon


    pressed the nurse-call button, and Wesley scooped her up and ced her back on the bed gently.


    Feeling an oing headache, Carlos pinched the middle of his brows helplessly.


    Disappointed at how things had turned out, Wesley shouted at Carlos, "If you can''t stop your wife, allow


    me to do it for you. I can''t stand by and watch her bully Megan!"


    Carlos replied nonchntly, "I warned you not to bring her to the hospital, didn''t I? Now that things


    have gone out of control, you want to make it all her fault? If you touch her, you will only make the


    situation worse."


    Wesley didn''t understand. It was clear as day that Debbie attacked Megan. He wondered why Debbie


    and Carlos were acting as if justice was on their side.


    The doctor came running with two nurses close behind him. He was surprised to see so many people


    inside the ward. "Mr. Huo, Colonel Li, Mr. Han," he greeted them.


    Anger had been building up inside Damon''s chest. The doctor served as a good outlet for his fury. As


    soon as he saw him, Damon roared, "What are you waiting for? Come in and examine her injury.


    Check her hand and leg."


    The doctor and the nurses trotted over to the bed immediately. Their faces were pale from fear, but


    Debbie wasn''t scared. She strode towards the bed and stood in front of it. "Don''t even think about


    giving her a checkup until she apologizes to me," she said slowly and furiously.


    Damon''s eyes med with rage. He pointed at Debbie and cursed, "I''ve been putting up with you just


    because you''re Carlos'' wife. Don''t push me!"


    "Damon!" Carlos stopped him before his words got any harsher.


    Unable to vent his anger, Damon walked back and forth restlessly with a twisted, irritated face. "Fine!


    You''re the boss. You make the final call. I''ve had enough of this shit. I''m out of here! My wife is waiting


    for me at home. Wesley, you don''t have a wife or girlfriend. You stay all you want. Carlos, you''re so


    bossy around us. Why can''t you handle your wife for once? Whatever, I''m off!


    " With that, he left.


    Hands pressed against her hurting leg, Megan apologized in a feeble voice, "Please calm down,


    everybody. I apologize. I''m sorry, Aunt Debbie. I vilified you. Sorry."


    Sincere or not, Megan''s apology satisfied Debbie. When she walked by Wesley, Debbie said tly,


    "Unattached Young Man, I''ve heard that your ex-girlfriend left you and married someone else because


    of Megan. As a serviceman with glorious achievements in war, how are you so easily deceived by a


    girl? Such a shame on your family which has generations of valiant servicemen."


    Saying that, Debbie left the ward with panache, not giving the others so much as a second look.


    Wesley stared at her straight back, deeply embarrassed.


    ''She called me Unattached Young Man.''


    Everything in the ward went back to normal after Megan''s apology. And Debbie had left contentedly.


    Wesley had brought Debbie to the hospital to apologize to Megan. How ironically things had ended.


    As the doctor started examining Megan, Carlos told her, "Recuperate well. Study hard after you leave


    the hospital. You will have to study abroad too after your graduation."


    Megan wanted to give it another try to win over Carlos. "Uncle Carlos..." Sadly for her, Carlos walked


    out of the ward without hearing her out.


    Wesley fell into deep thought as he watched the doctor examine Megan.


    The doctor concluded eventually that Megan was perfectly fine. Wesley made sure she didn''t need


    anything else and then said, "Get some rest. I''ll drop by some other time." He strode out of the hospital.


    Once she was alone, Megan removed her masks of emotions and stared at the ceiling.


    ''Debbie Nian is a handful, more than I thought.


    But only because Carlos loves her too much.''

 Chapter 240 Blair Jing

    Chapter 240 ir Jing


    ''Carlos promised that he would protect and take care of me for the rest of my life, but why didn''t he stop


    Debbie when she was bullying me?


    He said that he would ask her to apologize to me, but when she forced me to apologize to her, he didn''t


    even try to stop her, '' Megan thought.


    She knew it was not that he couldn''t stop her, but that he didn''t want to. If Carlos wanted to prevent


    something from happening, he could. Be it Debbie or anyone else, it didn''t matter. What mattered was


    whether he really wanted to or not.


    So on the surface, it seemed like he was protecting Megan, but actually he was on Debbie''s side.


    In the end, neither Wesley nor Damon stopped Debbie from attacking her. ''Debbie called those three


    men idiots. They aren''t. Maybe they already know what I did and what I have always been doing.


    Huh! Men are such liars!'' Megan thought resentfully.


    Wesley drove around on the streets aimlessly. He couldn''t stop thinking about that woman.


    When his mind finally came back to the present, his car had alreadye to a stop at the entrance of a


    run-down housing estate.


    This was where her fiance lived. Wesley had heard that she was pregnant. She was only twenty years


    old. But she was willing to have a baby.


    The man she was going to marry was several years older than her and had no money or power. Why


    was she willing to marry him? Was she happy with him?


    Wesley parked the car across the street and killed the engine. He rolled down the window, lit his


    cigarette and took a drag on it. Several people came and went through the entrance.


    After a long while, a cab came to a halt at the entrance. A man in histe twenties walked out.


    A woman of the same age got out of the cab, following him. They walked into the housing estate


    together intimately.


    Wesley squinted his eyes at the sight. The man looked like her fiance.


    But in his arms was another woman. ''I thought she was living a happy life after she left me. Looks like


    that ising to a shattering end.''


    A sad smile crept over Wesley''s lips.


    He took out his phone and called someone. "Find a way to make here to her fiance''s ce right


    away."


    Twenty minutester, a bus stopped near the entrance of the housing estate. As the bus left, a


    flustered girl sprinted towards the entrance.


    Wesley frowned. ''Isn''t she pregnant? How is she able to run like that? Does she have a death wish? Or


    is she trying to kill the baby?''


    Without giving it much thought, he got out of his car and followed her inside.


    She dashed through a door and took the stairs to the second floor. From the first floor, Wesley could


    hear her insert the key and open the door to her fiance''s apartment.


    Soon enough, angry voices came from inside. The man said, "She came here for work. Can you stop


    being so paranoid?"


    Then Wesley heard a familiar female voice. "Work? Who does their work in the bedroom? I can see


    how messy the bed is! Do you think I am blind or do you take me for a fool?" she retorted furiously.


    The apartment was quiet for a few minutes. Next thing, the door was mmed shut, and hasty


    footsteps were heard rushing downstairs.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    When she reached the first floor, ir Jing put her seven-decimeter-long suitcase on the floor and tried


    to drag it out of the building.


    A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.


    "Ah!" she gasped in surprise. But she quickly regained herposure when she saw the familiar army


    uniform.


    Her eyes were red and swollen. Clearly, she had been crying. Without asking her, Wesley took her


    suitcase and walked ahead.


    For a moment, she was in a daze. When she came to her senses, she trotted to catch up with him.


    "Why are you here?" she asked. "Give me back my suitcase."


    Without a word, Wesley walked out of the housing estate and stopped next to the military vehicle. He


    put the suitcase in the trunk and opened the passenger door for her.


    When she didn''t move, he walked to her silently and scooped her up in his arms. He gently ced her


    in the passenger seat and buckled her up.


    "Wesley, why are you here? What is this? Where are you taking me?" It had been a while since their


    last meeting. Looking at him, ir Jing bit her lips and tried her best not to let her tears fall.


    Wesley didn''t answer. He sat in the driver''s seat and started the vehicle.


    Scenes from theirst meeting came flooding back to him. It was two months ago. With her arm


    wrapped in her fiance''s, she had told Wesley happily, "We''re engaged. This is my fiance."


    But now, the engagement ring on her finger was gone. She had taken it off and thrown it at her bastard


    fiance''s face. He was the one who had cheated on her, yet she was the one who had to pack


    everything and leave the apartment.


    She had been living there for several months. The vehicle finally came to a stop in front of an upscale


    block of ts.


    Wesley pulled up into the parking lot and took her to an apartment that was muchrger and fancier


    than her ex-fiance''s. "You''re pregnant. You need a quiet and serene ce to take care of yourself and


    the baby."


    ir Jing waited a moment to calm herself down.


    Then she gave him a puzzled look and asked, "Pregnant? When was I ever pregnant? What made you


    think that? And whose baby am I carrying? Yours?" Her voice wasced with sarcasm.


    "We never slept together,"


    he said in a low voice.


    "Right. I never slept with you. But I bet that woman did," she said casually.


    Wesley gave her a long look but didn''t bother to exin anything. "You know the entry password. You


    can stay here. I won''t disturb you unless there is something important. Bye."


    He turned to leave.


    ir Jing said hurriedly, "Of course you won''t disturb me. You hate me, after all. I was wrong all along. I


    shouldn''t have disturbed you and your precious Megan in the past."


    Wesley paused, but he didn''t look back. He opened the door and strode out without a word.


    Looking around the empty apartment, she slumped into the couch and buried her teary face into her


    hands.


    Every time he saw her, she was in some kind of embarrassing situation. When she had gotten


    engaged, she had thought that finally she had something to be proud of in front of him. But now, even


    that was gone, and he had seen her leave her fiance''s ce in defeat.


    ''Wesley, you idiot. Why did you have to leave so soon? I didn''t even get a good look at you, '' ir Jing


    thought.


    When Carlos came out to the hospital entrance, once again, Debbie was nowhere to be found. He


    closed his eyes in frustration and thought that maybe one day his wife would set a new Guiness record


    in running.


    He called her. To his surprise, the call was answered only on the third ring. "Yes, Mr. Huo? How may I


    help you?"


    "Where are you?"


    "In a cab."


    "Where to?"


    "Going home to pack and get the hell out of your life."


    "Wait for me at home."


    He said that much and hung up.


    Carlos was always quick to act. Before they had headed for the hospital, Debbie had heard Carlos


    telling Wesley on the phone that he was going back to the manor, but when she and Wesley reached


    the hospital, Carlos was already there waiting for them.


    And now, when the cab arrived at the manor, Carlos'' Emperor was already parked at the entrance. The


    man was leaning against the car door, smoking.


    Once the cab stopped, Carlos walked over to it with the cigarette in his mouth. He opened the door for


    Debbie, who was still paying the fare.

 Chapter 241 The Silent Treatment

    Chapter 241 The Silent Treatment


    As soon as Debbie left the cab, the smoke filled her nostrils. She could taste the acrid vapors, stale,


    with a hint of bitterness. "Ugh...Carlos... ugh..." She coughed violently, tears threatening toe out.


    She hated the smell, hated the taste, and most of all hated not being able to breathe. Carlos did this


    deliberately. He knew she hated the habit, yet he exacerbated the problem. He couldn''t stop ying


    pranks on her, and she walked into them all the time.


    Carlos smiled mischievously.


    The cab didn''t leave immediately. The driver rolled down the window and stared at Carlos. After a


    while, he asked, "You look familiar. Are you Mr. Huo?"


    Carlos nodded indifferently, at which the driver pushed the door open excitedly and rushed over to


    Carlos. He stammered out a request, nervous at finally meeting the man. "I...my daughter... my


    daughter worships you very much. Can I get an autograph for her? Her birthday''sing up. It would


    make an awesome present."


    It was a request from a loving father. Hard to refuse. Carlos wanted kids, and his heart softened around


    them, indeed, at the very mention.


    Carlos held Debbie tight in his arms and said, "Okay."


    The driver ran back to the cab and rooted around in there for a long while, but he found nothing that


    Carlos could write with or on.


    He turned back and looked at Carlos, eyes full of disappointment. "Never mind. I don''t have a pen or


    paper. Thank you, Mr. Huo."


    Carlos raised his eyebrows and released Debbie. He motioned the security guard to bring him some


    paper and a pen.


    Then Carlos wrote, "Happy birthday! ¡ªCarlos Huo."


    The driver was moved. While Carlos was writing, he took out his old phone and snapped a pic.


    Carlos saw that, but he decided not to take it seriously. He was a fan, after all. What was the harm?


    After handing the paper to the driver, he put his arm around Debbie''s waist and walked back to the


    Emperor with her.


    "Thank you, Mr. Huo! Bye, Mr. Huo!" the driver said. He watched the car drive into the manor. When the


    car couldn''t be seen anymore, he spent a few minutes standing there to admire the grand house. There


    was a lot of square footage to be impressed with. He drank it all in with his eyes.


    Inside the manor


    Debbieined in the car, "You blew the smoke in my face as soon as I got out of the cab. What


    were you thinking? If you hate me, just tell me. I can handle it."


    Carlos leaned against the seat and looked at her silently while she threw her tantrum. The longer he


    looked at her, the cuter he found her. If he thought she was beautiful normally, he hadn''t seen anything


    yet. This took her loveliness to a whole new level.


    "What? Not saying anything? You don''t want to talk to me, do you? Okay, then get out and go back to


    your precious Queen of Maniption!"


    "Queen of Maniption?" Carlos wondered.


    Debbie sneered, "See? You''re interested as soon as I bring her up. I can''t stand it anymore. Give me


    the ring back. I want a divorce! I want a divorce!"


    With that, she started to grab for the ring Carlos was wearing. He grabbed her hands and said, "You''re


    not getting this back. You already gave it to me."


    "I will! Got a problem with that?" Debbie red at him stubbornly.


    "I do. Why did you say you couldn''t stand it anymore? Stand what? Besides, you think we can get a


    divorce if you get the ring back?" Carlos wanted tough. ''How naive.''


    Debbie slipped her hands out of his grip and sat up straight. "Of course. I''ll give it to another guy. Then,


    off you go. Out of the picture."


    Once she finished her sentence, the Emperor came to a sudden stop, and the driver killed the engine.


    Carlos grabbed her wrist tightly and dragged her out of the car.


    The smile on his face was reced by a look of intense gloom.


    He dragged her into the manor and then upstairs. He didn''t stop to make sure she was alright. Even


    though she stumbled, he simply lifted her up and continued his climb.


    He had been so tender to her before. But right now, the fierce man holding her wrist so tightly seemed


    a different person entirely. Debbie wanted to cry, but didn''t have time as he wasn''t done yet.


    ''How did ite to this?'' she thought sadly.


    The door of the bedroom was thrown open violently, banging the wall on the opposite side. Debbie was


    tossed onto the bed. Luckily, the bed was soft.


    She sat up. Before she could say anything, Carlos demanded, "Another guy? You already have


    someone in mind, don''t you? Who is he?"


    Debbie was shocked. She raised her head to look at the man standing over her. "Just because you


    have a mouth doesn''t mean you can say whatever you want. Listen, I did some thinking when I was in


    the cab. Aren''t you going to send me abroad to study after my junior year? I don''t want to wait till then. I


    wanna go now." A new environment was what she needed right now. New faces, new ces. She


    needed to stay away from Carlos, away from Megan. If she had to wait a few more months, it would


    drive her crazy.


    Hearing what she said, Carlos stepped forward and stood right in front of her. Awkwardly, if she looked


    straight on, her eyes fell right on his crotch. That was ufortable, to say the least.


    Debbie turned her head away immediately.


    However, as if he hadn''t even noticed her embarrassment, Carlos turned her head back to make her


    look at him.


    Debbie''s eyes wandered to avoid looking straight ahead.


    He suddenly spoke. "Okay."


    The anger Debbie had felt a moment before turned swiftly to sadness. This was crazy! Though it was


    her idea, she hadn''t expected him to agree to it so quickly.


    It sounded like he wouldn''t feel sad that they weren''t together. If that was the case, then what was she


    doing hanging around here?


    "Oh, okay then. So, that''s it. It''s...it''s all settled. I''ll go pack," Debbie said, still in a daze. She couldn''t


    believe this was happening. It was all too fast¡ªall too real. She pushed Carlos away and stood up.


    Carlos grabbed her wrist and demanded, "Can''t wait to leave me, huh?" ''Leave him? Why does he


    think I want to leave him?'' Debbie turned to look Carlos right in the eyes. She wanted him to know that


    she loved him, and he needed to hear this. "Carlos, I love you. I don''t want a divorce. But we''ve been


    fighting a lottely. I''m tired. Sick and tired. I think we need some space."


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    She loved him. Divorce was never really an option for her, no matter how bad the fight was. And she


    knew she belonged at his side. It was the only ce she belonged in.


    His grip on her wrist tightened. It hurt, but she didn''t say anything.


    Eventually, without a word, he let go of Debbie and left the room, mming the door behind him. Quiet


    spread across the room. Debbie sat back on the bed.


    nkly, she looked out the window. But she really didn''t see anything. She was exhausted and wanted


    nothing more than sleep. Slowly, shey down and drifted off.


    To her surprise, for the next three days, she didn''t even see Carlos once. The sun rose and set, just


    like it always did. But she endured. She prepared her meals robotically, not having much of an appetite.


    She would have thought he had gone missing if Emmett hadn''t re-posted a news article saying that


    Carlos had negotiated a contract with an overseas-funded enterprise.


    This was the longest game of the silent treatment they had ever yed.


    In New York


    Carlos'' car sped into the Huos'' residence. He got out of the car gloomily and went straight to the study


    on the second floor.


    On his way, he saw Tabitha, but he only greeted her tly. The grimness on his face told her that


    something was wrong. Her heart tightened. She followed him all the way up the stairs. She knew


    something was going to happen. Everyone could feel it¡ªa tension in the air.


    Sure enough, as soon as he saw James in the study, Carlos dashed over and greeted him with his fist.


    Covering the side of his face that Carlos had struck, James red at him and shouted, "Have you lost


    your mind? I''m your father!"


    Carlos grabbed James'' cor and stared at him fiercely. "How are you a father? Did you earn respect


    from your family? What kind of father would hurt his own daughter-inw?"

 Chapter 242 Bad News

    Chapter 242 Bad News


    Tabitha screamed and ran towards Carlos. She tried to hold him back. "Carlos! Carlos, what''s this


    about? Listen to me, son. Calm down."


    Carlos gave his mother a cold look and asked, "How could you do this to my wife?" He gritted his teeth


    in anger and added, "Debbie has always respected you. Is this what she deserved from my parents?"


    James still didn''t think he did anything wrong. "I never epted her as my daughter-inw. I won''t


    allow her to give birth to your child."


    "So you told the servants to put crushed birth control pills in her food?" asked Carlos, grinding his teeth


    to suppress his growing anger. His eyes zed and seemed to stare deep into James'' ck rotting


    soul.


    James attempted to wrench free, butpared to his son, he was too weak. Pretending to be


    composed, he said, "They were just birth control pills, not poison! Did you have to fly all the way from Y


    City for this?"


    ''Just birth control pills?'' Within Carlos'' heart, his father''s image sank to a new low. "Yes, they were


    poison. You''ve been feeding her cumtive poison!"


    Saying that, he swung a second fist towards James'' face.


    Only Tabitha and James were home at that moment. There was no time for Tabitha to rush downstairs


    to ask the servants for help. She had to stand in front of James to stop Carlos from hitting him again.


    "This family was never happy while she was here. And she even tried to kill Megan in Y City. Why are


    you still protecting her? Can''t you see how vicious she is? Divorce her already."


    Carlos closed his eyes to hide the misery he felt from those words. He let go of James and


    straightened his own clothes.


    Regaining hisposure, he told his parents, "From today, I will not enter this house anymore, unless


    Grandpa wakes up or you ept Debbie as a member of this family."


    Tabitha panicked. There was no sign of Dous waking up yet. Did this mean that Carlos would never


    come back if his grandpa didn''t wake up? No! Tabitha couldn''t ept it. "Carlos, listen to me..."


    Carlos nced coldly at the weeping woman and said, "There''s nothing more to say here. If my wife


    has a baby some day, our child will have nothing to do with any of you."


    He turned to leave. Tabitha shouted desperately, "Carlos, are you willing to turn your family and friends


    against you for that woman?"


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Carlos said, "Just my family. Unlike you, none of my friends did anything heartless to Debbie even


    when they found out that she had pushed Megan into the river." Debbie had had to bear all the


    mistreatment and insults from Valerie and James just because she had married Carlos. Now, they had


    even set her up to take birth control pills without her knowledge. She had suffered too much for him.


    "She is a murderer! Why are you still protecting her?" Tabitha yelled at her son''s cold back,


    heartbroken.


    Carlos turned around and looked his mother in the eye. "Debbie is not a murderer. We all know what


    kind of person Megan is. We just choose to ignore some things about her out of gratitude towards her


    parents. Debbie fell into the river because of what Megan told her on the phone. She only pushed


    Megan into the river for revenge. And she has been merciful in the act. Besides, Megan didn''t die."


    That only served to prove that however angry Debbie had been at the time, she had never intended to


    take Megan''s life.


    "Let me warn you onest time, Father. If you dare hurt my wife again, I will make sure you suffer."


    Without waiting for his parents'' response, he left the study.


    There was a loud bang from the room. As soon as he walked out of the study, an ashtray was smashed


    against the door.


    Then James was heard roaring, "Bastard! This is what I get for keeping him! If I had known that he


    would be so ungrateful, I would have..."


    Carlos couldn''t hear the rest of his words clearly, nor did he want to. Fists clenched, he left the house.


    Back in Y City, it was the seventh day that Carlos had been away from the manor. Debbie sat in the


    music studio and read the lyrics which she had revised a hundred times.


    "In the dim street lights, in each other''s arms, we expressed our feelings.


    Snowkes swirled around us, and fell on our hair.


    Would this momentst forever?


    You kissed my hair and told me that you love me.


    "


    That was all she had written.


    ''Should I also write down what Carlos said to me?'' she wondered. Her phone rang, breaking her


    thoughts.


    It was Kasie.


    "Debbie, bad news! Guess what I saw just now!"


    Debbie was confused. "What is it?"


    "I came to Orchid Private Club to find Emmett. And I saw your husband, Mr. Lu, Damon, and Wesley


    walk into a booth. They were not alone. Each of them had a woman alongside them. Megan was with


    your husband."


    Bam! Debbie mmed the pen on the table. "Did you see it for yourself?"


    "Yes! I checked it with Emmett too. He gave me the room number. Are youing?" Kasie knew that


    Carlos had crossed the line. He was fooling around with another woman while her friend had been


    staying at the manor all alone for seven days.


    Debbie''s friends would have thought that Carlos had forgotten about her if Emmett hadn''t gone to the


    manor to get Debbie''s ID card for her overseas study papers.


    ''Should I go?'' Debbie asked herself. After giving it some consideration, she said, "I''m noting. He''s


    in Room 888, isn''t he?" That was his exclusive booth.


    "Right. What are you going to do about it? I''ll go with you, if you like."


    "No. Let him be. I have to go."


    Debbie hung up and immediately called someone else with gritted teeth.


    In Orchid Private Club


    After entering the exclusive booth, the four men sat down around the automatic mahjong table, with


    their women sitting next to them.


    Beside Carlos was Megan. Colleen looked at him with a raised brow. "Mr. Huo, where is my good


    friend, Debbie?" This was supposed to be a get-together of Carlos and his closest friends. However,


    instead of Debbie, he brought Megan along. Colleen was pissed.


    Carlos lit a cigarette and took a drag. After exhaling the smoke, he said, "She''s home."


    Colleen knew that Carlos and Debbie had a huge fight after Debbie had pushed Megan into the river.


    Things wereplicated between the couple right now. So, Colleen didn''t feel the need to pretend to


    be cordial with Megan anymore. "Mr. Huo, I have to say, you are in the wrong here. This is an asion


    for the people closest to you. Why didn''t you bring Debbie? You should learn from Wesley. He brought


    his girlfriend. As for Damon, he gets a free pass. He has always been a yboy. Even when his wife is


    about to give birth to their baby, he is here messing around instead of taking care of her at home. He


    has made his own bed and he will have to lie in it."


    Damon snorted and replied defensively, "Don''t get me wrong now. Your man said that we were having


    a get-together, so my wife gave me permission to have some fun. Since they all had a woman with


    them, how could Ie alone?"

 Chapter 243 Which Of You Has The Surname Huo

    Chapter 243 Which Of You Has The Surname Huo


    Eyes fixed on Colleen, and one hand propped against her chin, the girl sitting next to Wesley exined


    in a low voice, "You misunderstood my rtionship with Wesley. I''m not his girlfriend."


    Demanding an exnation from Wesley, Colleen was irritated by his silence and the way he avoided


    her unblinking eyes. At longst, obviously running out of patience, she asked, "How can that be


    possible? You know, you''re the first girl Wesley has ever brought to¡ª"


    "Colleen." Finally Wesley interrupted her. "Weren''t you asking about Debbie?" he snapped, eager to


    change the subject.


    "OK. Alright! Mr. Huo, you haven''t answered my question yet." At Wesley''s hint, Colleen pretended to


    realize she was off the topic. Promptly, she tuned her gaze to Carlos, the look in her eyes unrelenting,


    waiting for him to answer her earlier question.


    "She''s at home, expecting all the papers to be ready, so that she can go abroad," said Carlos,


    determined to keep everything asconic as possible.


    As he spoke, Curtis could see the gloom on his face. Of course, he knew Carlos and Debbie were still


    not reconciled yet. So in an attempt to broach the subject with caution, he said, "I''ve heard that ZL


    Group''s business has been boomingtely. The employees have been working extra hours. I hope you


    haven''t been sleeping in your office." He added thatst bit with slight emphasis. The gist of his


    question was to find out why Carlos had not been sleeping at home. Then he added his piece of


    advice. "You don''t have to burst a nerve working overtime, man. If it''s for money, do you think it''s wise


    of you to drive yourself so hard at work that you don''t even have time to return home?"


    Hearing his question, the others exchanged a look.


    Damon drew a tile and chipped in sullenly, "It''s not like Carlos Huo is short of money. No! That''s


    ridiculous. I suspect, the person driving him hard is his wife. You know how demanding somedies


    can be." The tongue-in-cheek way he phrased his words left everyone in stitches. But Damon ignored


    the giggles and carried on. "Only she can throw him into a vortex of emotions."


    Although Damon was known for his wise cracks, Curtis took him seriously on what he had just said. He


    discarded two dots and with a curious gaze at Carlos, inquired, "What did Debbie do to get on your


    nerves this time?"


    Carlos took a puff on his cigarette and blew the smoke forcefully, betraying his inner tension. Amid the


    fumes, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words escaped his mouth.


    Noticing that mood around the ce, Megan, somewhat embarrassed, excused herself. "Uncle Carlos,


    maybe I should go home. You have fun with your friends," she said in a shaky voice.


    In her pockets where nobody could see, her hands had been balled into fists. ''These people...Huh!


    Now they are all on Debbie''s side. It looks like that woman is taking my ce in their hearts. No! I won''t


    have any of that bullcrap!''


    But while she cursed inside and was about to leave, Carlos ordered her to sit down. Without saying it,


    he thought to himself, ''I have ignored Debbie for seven days, and now she knows that I brought Megan


    with me to this ce. I don''t believe she will take it well and won''t do anything about it.


    For all I care, I''d silently standby and watch her level this booth to the ground, if she broke in here, right


    now. I just want to know she cares.''


    Just then, someone started to kick the door of the booth from outside. "Hell no!" he murmured, fearing


    Debbie had indeede to fulfill his silent wishes. But when the door finally burst open, a group of


    men noisily stormed in. The women in the booth were scared stiff.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    "Policemen?" Colleen wondered loudly.


    The men ying mahjong only paused for a second at themotion. Then ignoring the intruders,


    they calmly went on with their activity.


    A young policeman feeling insulted by the way his team''s arrival was casually ignored raised his gun


    and shouted, "Police! Stop what you are doing right now! Someone reported that you were gambling."


    ''Gambling?'' The four mahjong yers were amused.


    Damon looked at Wesley, who was wearing casual clothes. Then he gave a wicked smile.


    "Which of you has the surname Huo?"


    the young policeman roared. ''Huo?'' All of Carlos'' friends shifted their eyes to look at the shameless


    intruder.


    The enthusiastic cop continued, "Someone reported under their real name that the person with the


    surname Huo was doing an illegal transaction and activity here. Pleasee with us. And thedy


    beside you." The young policeman turned to Megan and asked, "Miss, what do you do? Where do you


    go to work? How did you two meet? How long have you known each other?"


    Megan''s face turned pale with embarrassment. Everyone could tell that the policeman thought she was


    a prostitute.


    "Plbbt! Ha ha." Damon burst intoughter.


    Even Curtis and Wesley, who were much more unppable, found it hard to stifle theirughter. Clearly,


    the police were there for Carlos. Reporting him for doing illegal activity and Megan for prostitution...


    In Y City, there was only one person daring to do that. Among the eight of the party, everyone knew


    who it was, except ir.


    "Stopughing. This is as serious as your lives!" the young policeman reprimanded with a red face,


    pointing his gun at Damon, who seemed to be having a good time. Obviously, the moment wasn''t quite


    enjoyable for Damon. He didn''t like it when his authority was challenged.


    Stone-faced, Carlos tossed the tile in his hand away and looked at the young policeman. "You said the


    report was done under the person''s real name? Who was it?"


    The young policeman looked very serious. "Carlos Huo''s wife, Debbie Nian. Now, stop stalling. Come


    with us."


    At this point, the policeman next to the overzealous young chap pulled his sleeve and cautioned,


    "Boss, we''re in trouble. This is the...the very Mr. Carlos Huo."


    The young policeman was barely in his twenties, but already made the team leader. The young are


    fearless. Learning that the man he had been talking to was Carlos Huo, he was only a tad bit surprised.


    But then he carried on, "We have to do our job. All of you have toe with us."


    Carlos took out his phone and asked casually, "Which police branch are you with?"


    The young man presented his badge and replied, "The city bureau."


    Carlos patted Wesley on the shoulder. "He has great potential. You can consider transferring him to the


    army so that you can groom him." Meanwhile, he dialed a number on his phone.


    It was connected soon. "Uncle Noel, I''m sorry to disturb you at thiste hour, but your men here are


    trying to take me to the station."


    ''Uncle Noel?'' the young policeman wondered. The name of the COP of the city bureau was also Noel.


    And he was old enough to be Carlos'' uncle. ''Could it be...?''


    Not half a minuteter after Carlos hung up the call, the young policeman''s phone rang. With shaking


    hands, he answered, to which Noel Li went straight into a dressing-down. "You are an idiot. Get your


    men back here as fast as your legs can carry you! Do you have any idea what and whom you''re


    messing with?"


    "I know who he is, but someone reported that he organized gambling. Also, there is a prostitute with


    him¡ª"


    "Shut the fuck up! Do I have to exin to you whoever Mr. Huo is with? You''re stupid enough to jump


    into action without even confirming the reports you get? Who the hell came up with the idea of raising


    such an asshole to your position? Get the hell out of there now!"


    Now with a mixture of panic and embarrassment, the young policeman looked at the four men in the


    booth. Resignedly, he put his gun away and replied on the phone, "Yes, Chief Li."


    Before he left with his men, he looked at Wesley. Confusion was written over his tan face. "You look


    very familiar. Do you know Colonel Li the God of Warriors?"


    irughed. "Handsome, this is Colonel Li."


    ''This woman called another man "handsome" right before my eyes.'' Wesley''s face darkened.


    The young policeman''s eyes glistened with excitement the minute he realized he had met the God of


    Warriors. Instantly, he stood at attention and saluted Wesley. "It''s a great honor to meet you, Colonel


    Li."


    Wesley nodded in response.


    The excited young cop wanted to get an autograph, but afraid that he might cause more trouble, two of


    his co-workers got him out of there quickly.


    The booth finally regained its quiet. Carlos tossed the chips on the table and stood up. "Damon, you''ll


    have to drive Megan hometer."


    Damon stared at the man who was putting on his coat. "Eh? We''ve just started. Where''re you going?"


    After ncing at him, Carlos replied tly, "It seems my wife has be unbridled. I''m going home


    right away to deal with her."

 Chapter 244 Dont Struggle

    Chapter 244 Don''t Struggle


    ''Deal with Debbie?'' Damon rolled his eyes at Carlos and snapped, "Come on, Carlos. Just admit it.


    You''re a ve to your wife. You do whatever she wants. I guess Debbie will get you to stand barefoot


    on a porcupine. I''d like toe with you. See how you''re going to deal with her."


    Carlos was about to snap back at him when his phone started to ring. The small rectangr phone


    buzzed insistently on the desk. Damon looked at the caller ID¡ªit was Emmett. Before Carlos could


    pick it up, Damon answered and put it on speakerphone. Emmett''s anxious voice came from the other


    end of the line. "Bad news, Mr. Huo! Mrs. Huo went to a nightclub! She is going to buy a rent boy!"


    Silence reigned in the private booth.


    Everyone turned to look at Carlos. Gloom clouded his expression, but soon disappeared. He picked up


    his phone and asked calmly, "Which nightclub?"


    "The one opposite Orchid Private Club," Emmett answered honestly.


    "Okay, got it." Carlos disconnected the call and put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at the


    group. "You guys have fun."


    Then he strode towards the door in a hurry.


    Everyone looked at one another in stunned disbelief.


    Curtis stood up from the couch and said, "I''d better go along, keep him out of trouble." He was afraid


    that Carlos might lose his head and hurt Debbie. He knew Carlos quite well, and knew that when it


    came to Debbie, he did lose his head quite often. Carlos was insanely jealous, and wouldn''t abide a


    man so much as casting a lustful nce in her direction. Having a pretty wife was both a blessing and


    a curse for him.


    Colleen, of course, stuck by her boyfriend. This was fun to Damon. He was a pleasure-seeker and


    decided toe with them.


    Wesley was not interested in this kind of thing, and all he wanted to do was just go back home. But


    when he turned to ir and saw her excited expression, he sighed inwardly and followed after his


    buddies. He guessed she wanted to see blood. In the end, all of them walked towards the nightclub


    across the street.


    Of course, Debbie had a n. She called Kasie after phoning the police with a tip-off, and they decided


    to meet at The No. 1 Nightclub.


    Carlos once promised her that he would always have her back. But he broke that promise and hurt her,


    so she decided to get back at him.


    She had deliberately chosen the tight ck dress that Carlos loved so much, and put on thick make-up.


    Every man''s eyes were glued to her as they admired her pretty face and hot body.


    After entering thergest private booth, Debbie threw a bank card on the table and told the manager


    indifferently, "Call some handsome guys over."


    Kasie grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear, "I thought you were just kidding, Tomboy. Sure you


    want to do this? Your hubby''s across the street."


    "One hundred percent sure," Debbie nodded. She turned to the manager and said, "I just saw some


    guys with blond hair and light blue eyes walk in. I like them."


    She had warned Carlos before about this¡ªif he hurt her, she would leave him and y with other men.


    She kept her word.


    The manager recognized the card on the table¡ªit was the Diamond ck Card issued by the bank


    under the ZL Group. Only three of those cards had been made. That meant she was super important,


    and needed to be treated with the utmost respect. Whatever she asked for, he had to provide it. Not


    only that, but that card provided a near-limitless line of credit. She could rack up the biggest bill ever


    seen in that nightclub and she''d still be good for it. He bowed respectfully and said, "No problem.


    They''ll be here before you know it."


    After leaving the booth, he told his men over the inte, "Outfit Room 206 with the best snacks, a


    fruit te with imported fruits and a bottle of vintage wine..."


    Within three minutes, the manager came back to the booth, followed by several tall, handsome men


    with blond hair and light blue eyes.


    Debbie looked at those men, eyes wide open. She just wanted to make Carlos jealous. It had seemed


    like a good idea. But now that they were right there, she got cold feet.


    "Ladies, these are the guys who our guests have enjoyed the most. Like what you see? I''m sure any of


    them will...er...measure up," the manager offered.


    Debbie gulped and poked Kasie. "Kasie, which one do you like?"


    Kasie rolled her eyes and answered, "It was your bright idea. Why ask me? No thanks."


    Debbie forced a smile and said, "We''re best friends. We should do things together. Go ahead. Knock


    yourself out." Then she nudged Kasie and pointed at the men.


    Helpless, Kasie looked at her friend and said resignedly, "Fine. Just wait here."


    She decided to do as Debbie asked. Standing in front of a row of handsome men, she gestured for


    three of them to go to Debbie. "Serve her."This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .


    Before Debbie could say anything, the three men sat beside her. They had stic grins, as they were


    paid to smile. They also had thirsty eyes, which disconcerted her somewhat. She was hoping this


    wouldn''t go too far. One of them with pale skin opened his mouth saying, "Hey pretty girl. I''m David.


    First time here? You look a bit nervous."


    ''Nervous? Is it that obvious?'' Debbie was not used to the perfume they were wearing and tried to move


    away from David so that she could take a deeper breath. But she forgot that there were two more men


    sitting next to her. "Um...yeah," Debbie answered.


    Kasie had two men to herself, holding their arms. Her fingers wouldn''t even fit around their biceps. She


    gave Debbie a dirty smile. "Tomboy, don''t be so shy! We came here to enjoy ourselves."


    Debbie was speechless. ''I''m not here to have fun. I just want to piss Carlos off. He should be here by


    now. After all, Orchid Private Club is just across the street, '' she thought.


    Coming back to reality, Debbie said to Kasie, "I''ve never been here. What do I do?"


    Kasie and her twopanions sat on the couch, and she was about to answer when someone opened


    the door to the booth from the outside.


    A group of people stormed in.


    Unlike the handsome men in the booth, these people had a strong aura.


    The manager could tell from their dresses and demeanor that they were rich and powerful. He asked a


    dozen people to stand outside, in case these guests needed anything. He himself followed them so that


    he could give them split-second service if necessary.


    Carlos'' eyes swept over the people in the booth. They narrowed when he caught sight of the woman


    leaning against a man and sipping her wine.


    Despite the cold winter, the booth was quite warm. The investment in the heating system paid off. The


    woman was dressed in a tight ck dress and wore heavy make-up. She was a sexy, spicy siren.


    "Throw them out!"


    he demanded coldly. Emmett gestured for the bodyguards to throw the rent boys out of the booth.


    Debbie grew bolder when she saw her husband. She grabbed David''s arm tightly, and snapped at


    Carlos, "What are you doing? You have your mistress, and I have my guy. Fair''s fair!"


    Although David didn''t recognize Carlos, he was intimidated by his menacing aura. He told Debbie in


    fluent Chinese, "Miss, this man is pretty scary. I think I should jet. Hit me upter?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snapped, "I''m not scared. You''re a man! Act like it!"


    Carlos was fuming mad as he thought they were flirting. That wasn''t eptable. That was his wife


    David was talking to.


    He came up to them, grabbed David by his cor and punched him in the face. His head lolled.


    "Aaaargh!" David yelled at the top of his lungs. "Help me! Help¡ª"


    Debbie immediately grabbed Carlos'' arm to stop him. "Why are you hitting him? Let him go!"


    The manager was frightened. He rushed over to David and said, "Don''t struggle, David. Let Mr. Huo


    beat you. I''ll pay you double your hourly rate..."


    Everyone in the booth was struck speechless.

 Chapter 245 This Is Unfair

    Chapter 245 This Is Unfair


    Carlos cast a sidelong nce at the woman holding his arm, and then let go of David.


    He shook off Debbie''s hands, pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Uncle Noel, it''s me, Carlos.


    You may have to inspect The No. 1 Nightclub. I suspect they are engaging in organized prostitution."


    The manager was shocked to hear his words. ''Dammit! We''re so screwed!'' he thought. Putting on a


    pitiful look, he pleaded, "Mr. Huo, David was wrong. Please don''t be mad at him."


    Carlos gave him a cold re and said, "Get out."


    The manager didn''t dare disobey his orders. He shut his mouth and quickly left the private booth with


    David.


    Only Debbie, Kasie, Carlos and his friends were left behind in the booth.


    Curtis was aware that Carlos was about to teach Debbie a good lesson. To protect her, he pulled


    Debbie to his side and stood between her and Carlos.


    "Carlos, why not let Debbie stay with Colleen for a couple of days? Her visa has been issued already,


    right? How about we drive her to the airport then?" Curtis offered.


    Debbie was amused by the current scenario in the booth. She was now standing behind Curtis.


    Everyone else, except Carlos, stood behind her. Damon''s date was long gone. There were nine people


    in the booth. And Carlos was confronting eight of them. But strength wasn''t always the solution for


    victory.


    Carlos straightened his suit and looked at Debbie, who was standing behind Curtis. "Come here!"


    Debbie was not afraid of him¡ªshe was boiling over with rage. She wanted to ask him whether he had


    been with Megan the past week. "What do you want with me now? You can do whatever you want, but


    you deprive me of mywful rights. Don''t you think it''s unfair?"


    Carlos looked her in the eye and retorted, "It is not yourwful right to hang around with other men."


    Staring defiantly at him, Debbie snapped back, "My husband is cheating on me, while I am left to stay


    alone at home. I can''t live like that!"


    "Stop your nonsense! When did I cheat on you? I was just hanging out with my friends."


    "Hanging out with your friends?" Debbie sneered. "Mr. Lu has brought his fiancee along. Wesley is with


    his girlfriend. Damon hase alone. You are the only one who is here with your mistress. Shame on


    you!


    " The rest of them were at a loss for words. Even Damon, who was hostile to Debbie most of the time,


    had nothing to say to her now. He wasn''t stupid enough to correct Debbie at the moment to tell her that


    he had also brought a woman with him. What if she snitched on him to his wife? So, he chose to ignore


    herment.


    Both Wesley and ir were embarrassed by Debbie''s words; their faces had gone tomato red. Wesley


    really liked ir. He felt a tingle when Debbie mentioned that ir was his girlfriend, and didn''t want to


    refute her.


    Curtis and Colleen always had Debbie''s back.


    But the man whom Debbie cared for the most only had time to lecture her. "It''s Megan! Not my


    mistress. Stop making trouble out of nothing," he snapped.


    Megan was the apple of Wesley''s eye. He pretended to be ignorant of the fact that Debbie was


    referring to Megan as Carlos'' mistress, and chipped in calmly, "Debbie, there''s obviously been a


    misunderstanding. Carlos didn''t bring any mistress. He came with Megan."


    Debbie, however, turned around to face Wesley and said in a cold tone, "Colonel Li, you are the one


    who has misunderstood. I AM talking about Megan. I''ve underestimated this girl. I didn''t expect that she


    would be able to keep my husband to herself for seven whole days. She is really something! I shouldn''t


    have taken her lightly.


    " People in the booth were dumbstruck. They admired Debbie''s guts¡ªshe not only dared to argue with


    Carlos and Wesley, but also had no qualms in speaking ill of their beloved Megan.


    Colleen and ir were thrilled¡ªMegan''s true colors were finally being exposed. ir looked at Debbie


    with admiration. ''Debbie is my idol from now on!'' she swore to herself.


    Wesley looked at ir and saw the look in her eyes. He didn''t understand why she was staring so


    intently at Debbie. ''I really know next to nothing about women, '' he thought with a sigh.


    Megan was fuming inside. But she was a good actress, and so, she quickly managed to squeeze out a


    few drops of tears and exined weakly, "Aunt Debbie, that''s not true. I didn''t know that Uncle Carlos


    hadn''t been back home in a week."


    Emmett put in a good word for his boss as well. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo has been staying in thepany


    for thest week." Emmett was telling the truth. Carlos hadn''t seen Megan in the past week at all. It


    was Damon who had decided to take her to their gathering to cheer her up.


    But then, he met one of his old ssmates and had asked Carlos, who didn''t have a date, to take care


    of Megan.


    Carlos didn''t refuse¡ªafter all, in his eyes, Megan was his niece. Also, he wanted to use this


    opportunity to make Debbie jealous. When it came to his hot-headed wife, the smart CEO tended to


    lose his sense.


    But he hadn''t expected that he would be at the receiving end of this jealousy pang.


    Debbie cast a stern nce at Emmett. Her sharp ck eyeliner made her look like a strong woman.


    "Did you sleep in thepanyst week? What if he had slept with other women in the middle of the


    night?"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Emmett stepped backwards and shook his head. "I... I don''t know...Mrs. Huo, please go on with your


    reprimanding. I better shut up now." He was immediately freaked out by Debbie''s question.


    Carlos didn''t know how to exin himself; Debbie always found a way to retort.


    Even Damon was defeated by Debbie''s chopping logic. ''I''m really lucky that Adriana is not hard to deal


    with, like Debbie. Otherwise, it would have been such a headache. Adriana is such a good wife; I need


    to treat her well, '' he mused.


    ''Go on reprimanding Carlos?'' The others were amused by Emmett''s frightened reaction.


    Carlos was short-tempered, and they had never dared to offend him. But Debbie was not afraid of him


    at all; she was clearly throwing a tantrum in front of him. Although he tried to threaten her, she didn''t


    give a damn.


    Everyone looked at them with sheer excitement.


    ''Reprimand Carlos?'' Debbie rolled her eyes. In a mocking tone, she told Emmett, "No, no, no. I


    wouldn''t dare reprimand the great Mr. Huo. Why would I even try to? He always chooses other people


    over me. Did you know that he even filled my favorite swimming pool? Unbelievable, right?" ''And


    what''s more...he knew I was mad at him, yet he banged me again and again while I waspletely


    drunk. He is an asshole! A pervert!


    '' Carlos sighed with profound resignation. "Debbie, can you stop this nonsense? It was you who had


    wanted to fill the swimming pool."


    Debbie was confused. "You are lying! I never said that," she snapped back.


    Carlos was too tired to argue with her. He said coldly, "Let''s go back home and talk."


    He grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her to the door.


    Debbie was startled by his sudden move. "No! I''m not going anywhere with you. Let go of me! I''m


    staying with Colleen!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.


    She broke herself free and hid behind Colleen''s back.

 Chapter 246 Debbie Gives In

    Chapter 246 Debbie Gives In


    The livid look on Carlos'' face scared Colleen stiff. If anything, she knew Carlos well enough not to cross


    his line.


    She immediately clutched at Curtis'' arm and huddled for cover behind him.


    With profound resignation, Curtis patted Carlos'' shoulder and tried to appease him. "Man, we both


    know Debbie well. She deliberately chose this club, just to piss you off. Come on! She''s just acting like


    any other woman in a situation like this. As a man, you should try and understand."


    Although Debbie was embarrassed at how her scheme n had been so easily exposed, she still


    stubbornly refused to admit her fault. Instead, she tried to downy her mistake with a joke. "Mr. Lu,


    you took it wrong. I came here because I knew there would be handsome rent boys around. Lately,


    Carlos has been drab, boring. I wanted to try someone new... Aaargh! Carlos Huo, what are you doing?


    Let me go!"


    In the twinkling of an eye, Carlos pounced on Debbie, forcefully pulling her over from behind Colleen''s


    back, his face dark and threatening. The look on his face alone scared the bejesus out of Debbie.


    ''Dammit! Why did I have to piss him off?'' "Help! Help! Mr. Lu, Damon, Wesley...please somebody, help


    me out..."


    "Shut the hell up!" Carlos wondered what hade over Debbie.


    Leaning against the wall, Damon shook his hand and said casually, "For all the trouble you have


    caused everyone, we''ll leave Carlos to deal with you whichever way he sees best. So you two had


    better sort out your differences without involving any of us." ''Why would anyone want to have a


    girlfriend as bold and reckless as Debbie?'' he wondered.


    Looking deeply thoughtful, Wesley spoke his thoughts out. "I can only imagine what it would be like if


    she had fooled any of us into her mischief."


    Adjusting his sses, Curtis chimed in with a smile, "The disagreements you two are having only prove


    how deeply you love each other. Colleen and I can only sincerely wish you well after this is over."


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Now Debbie realized she was alone in dealing with her own mess, and no one was willing to intervene


    on her behalf. In desperation, she turned to Emmett. Perhaps he would be herst hope. "Emmett,


    please, help! If you can, please..." She paused, not knowing what to say next.


    But Emmett too was careful to not meddle in the private issues of his boss. Pretending not to care


    about Debbie''s request, he turned to Kasie instead and held her close in his arms. "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Lu is


    right. You and Mr. Huo are just getting to know each other. It''s part and parcel of love. The only


    challenge is that it takes time and lots of patience in how you deal with each other."


    By now, Carlos had already dragged Debbie to the door. Not willing to give up, she clung on to the


    door-frame and yelled, "Why do you leave me in the lurch? You should at least allow me the little


    courtesy to invite the girls to the manor. Colleen, Kasie, Wesley''s girlfriend...why don''t you guyse


    have a drink at my ce?"


    Surprised at the way Debbie had addressed her, ir smiled sweetly and declined the invitation


    politely. "Thank you, Debbie. But today is not the right time. We''ll visit you next time."


    In Emmett''s arms, Kasie waved her hand at Debbie and said, "Tomboy, it''s veryte now. Just go back


    home with Mr. Huo. See you tomorrow."


    "Oh, Kasie, you have always gotten my back in times like this. Why don''t you put in a good word for me


    when Carlos is about to bite my head off?"


    "Tomboy, I''m sorry for letting you down. Don''t worry. Mr. Huo won''t beat you. Oh, by the way, you may


    want to stay at home tomorrow because of your hickeys..."


    That wisecrack form Kasie immediately diffused the tension in the air.


    While everyone giggled, Debbie rolled her eyes, and turned to Colleen, who burst outughing the


    moment their eyes met.


    "Well, I guess Kasie''s right. Just be girly and see how Carlos will quickly forget about your


    disagreements."


    "Be girly? Hell no! I don''t think I can, Colleen..." Debbie was still holding on to the door-frame,


    struggling to wriggle herself from Carlos'' arms.


    "You know how to do it. Good luck," said Colleen.


    "Oh, please, I really can''t..." protested Debbie, obviously still mad at Carlos.


    "Girl, you can. Not unless you underestimate yourself," Colleen kept urging. Of course Colleen knew


    how a little charm and ttery could disarm a man.


    Even an impatient, forceful man like Carlos would easily fall for such tenderness. But since Debbie was


    bent on maintaining her hardcore stance, Carlos finally ran out of patience. He scooped her up into his


    arms and carried her to the parking lot. No matter how much she kicked and iled, he wasn''t going to


    let her break free.


    Feeling tipsy after having one too many, Debbie was nauseated from the struggle. Finally, Carlos put


    her in the back seat and closed the door.


    At once, he got into the driver''s seat, locked the car doors and started the engine.


    "Carlos Huo, drop me off!" Debbie shouted, leaning against the car door.


    But Carlos didn''t respond.


    "Leave me alone. I don''t want to go back to the manor."


    Carlos slowed down, put on the Bluetooth and dialed Emmett''s number. "Book a hotel room for me,


    and buy me a few items for the night. Get a pen and write down the following list. I need..."


    The moment Debbie heard the very first item of what Carlos asked Emmett to buy, she sprung to her


    feet. Forgetting she was in a small space, she bumped her head into the roof of the car. Her face


    turning red, she snapped, "Why did you ask Emmett to buy them?"


    After hanging up, Carlos said indifferently, "Let''s try something new."


    "Are you kidding me, Carlos?" Debbie was totally freaked out. What the heck was Carlos up to,


    ordering for sex toys? "Listen! If that''s your idea of fun, you''d better not involve me," she sneered. "And


    I mean it. Call Emmett and exin away your silly joke."


    "Nope," Carlos curtly replied.


    Not in the mood to argue, Debbie took out her phone, dialed Emmett''s number and told him in a hurry,


    "Emmett, I think your boss has had one too many. He''spletely sloshed. Don''t listen to him. You


    may go back home now."


    Emmett, who was on his way to the sex toy shop, answered the call with some hesitation. On hearing


    Debbie''s anxious voice, he put in, "But Mr. Huo told me to... I don''t think it would be wise of me to take


    instructions contrary to what my boss has told me. Besides, what is the harm in trying something


    different?"


    This was driving Debbie crazy. "Shut the hell up and listen to what I''m saying! If you want to try, then


    well and okay, that''s up to you and Kasie. But don''t lecture me on what I want."


    At her suggestion, Emmett looked at Kasie, who was even more excited than him, and answered, "I


    haven''t gotten to second base yet. After we get married, we will give it a try. Mrs. Huo, don''t worry.


    They are not scary at all..." ''What''s Carlos thinking of to order for things that he and Debbie couldn''t


    agree on?'' he wondered.


    "I hope my instructions are clear, Emmett," Debbie said when she realized the other end of the line had


    gone silent for a moment.


    "Um...how about I just buy some candles?" he offered.


    ''Candles? What for? This is getting weird!'' Debbie thought. "Are you high on something, Emmett?


    Okay. Whatever you''re on, I hope you have gotten me clear."


    "Mrs. Huo, I''m Mr. Huo''s secretary," Emmett stammered. Judging from the way the party had ended, he


    knew Carlos was mad, and there was no wisdom in trying to side with Debbie when everyone knew


    she was the cause of trouble.


    Meanwhile, Debbie waited, taking time in the hope that Emmett would relent. But just when she wanted


    to say something, Carlos snatched her phone away.


    She hadn''t even noticed the car stopping at a red light. That was when Carlos took the chance to


    stretch his hand and take the phone from her.


    In frustration, Debbie slumped back into her seat and pursed her lips. She was lost for words.


    Eventually, Carlos stopped the car at the underground parking lot of the hotel. Debbie, however,


    refused to get out.


    Carlos got in the back seat, pressed himself against her and looked her in the eye. In a cold voice, he


    asked, "Hayden Gu, Gregory Song, and now three rent boys...Debbie Nian, are you that horny?"


    "No, I''m not." She shook her head vigorously. On the contrary, she couldn''t even stand Carlos'' sexual


    needs.


    With a mocking smile, Carlos raised her chin and ordered, "Wipe your lipstick off."


    To which Debbie simply waved her hand in dismissal. She knew he was a clean freak and that lipstick


    alone was enough to turn him off.

 Chapter 247 Dont Provoke Me Again

    Chapter 247 Don''t Provoke Me Again


    ''She thinks I won''t kiss her if she refuses to wipe the lipstick off? Humph! How naive!'' Carlos thought.


    He lowered his head slowly and kissed her on the lips.


    An hourter, with the lipstick mark still on the corner of his mouth, Carlos scooped Debbie up in his


    arms and went to the room which Emmett had booked for them earlier. She was exhausted.


    There were different kinds of sex toys on the nightstand. Carlos put Debbie onto the bed, and began to


    study the toys.


    Debbie turned over and got in between the sheets. She covered herself with the quilt, not wanting to


    look at the man.


    But when she heard one of the toys buzzing, she couldn''t keep her cool anymore. She held out her


    head from under the quilt and pleaded, "Carlos, I already apologized to you. Please don''t torture me


    anymore, okay?" ''He already forced me to apologize to him back in the car, but he wants to torture me


    even more. What an asshole!'' she cursed inwardly.


    Carlos cast a cold nce at her and continued to read the manual of the toy in his hand.


    Debbie was angry again.


    She turned her back to him and swore to herself that she would never beg him for mercy again. When


    Carlos finally began to use the toys on her, she clenched her teeth, not letting out a sound.


    However, after a while, she couldn''t bear it any longer. She cried out and begged, "Aaargh! I''m sorry,


    Carlos. Please! Please forgive me. Carlos...don''t..."


    Carlos didn''t stop, so she continued to beg, "Honey...I''m really, really sorry. Please let me go..."


    Carlos was really mad at Debbie this time. He had no ns of going soft on her just because of her


    pleas. He thrust his finger inside her, and she cried out. He did it again and again and enjoyed her cries


    of pleas and pleasure. He palmed her clitoris, and she yelled out once more. He pushed inside her


    harder and harder. "Don''t provoke me ever again, okay?"


    "Okay... I won''t." Deep inside, she cursed, ''Pervert! Sex freak!''


    When she woke up again, she felt like she had slept for an eternity. The strong rays of the sun hit her


    eyes. It seemed like it was already afternoon.


    She turned over to reach for her phone on the nightstand. It was ten past three.


    "Okay. That''s all right." Carlos'' voice suddenly broke the silence and startled Debbie. She had thought


    that she was alone in the room.


    She looked around and saw Carlos standing by the window in his suit. He was on the phone, but his


    eyes were fixed on her.


    Debbie looked away; she didn''t want to look at the man. She hadn''t gotten out of bed for two days and


    one night because of him, and didn''t even know when and how she had gotten back home.


    Seeing Debbie awake, Carlos walked towards the bed and looked at her sleepy eyes.


    His call was still connected. "Okay. She''ll be there in three days. No need to arrange a dorm for her. A


    house has been bought for her near the college. Okay, bye."


    ''So, he has already gone through the enrollment procedures for me. He wants me to leave as soon as


    possible, doesn''t he? He hates me so much. I said I wanted to go abroad ahead of time, and he agreed


    without hesitation. Doesn''t he know that when women say yes, they actually mean no?''


    Debbie thought, her heart aching.


    After hanging up, Carlos dialed another number and demanded, "Bring my wife''s lunch."


    Then he sat on the side of the bed and threw back the covers. Looking her in the eye, he said casually,


    "Go to an expo with me this evening."


    "No." She turned him down without a second''s hesitation.


    Carlos'' face darkened. "Why not?"


    ''Why not? When I told you I wanted to go abroad ahead of time, you should''ve coaxed me into staying


    instead of agreeing with it. And you tortured me mercilessly at the hotel!'' she thought angrily. "I''m not


    feeling well." She made an excuse.


    Concern crowded his face. He held her waist gently and said, "Let me take you to the hospital." He sort


    of regretted having all that wild sex with her.


    "No, thank you. You go to work." Debbie shook off his arm and turned her back to him.


    Carlos bent over and whispered in her ear, "Honey, do not provoke me again."


    Bitterness flooded Debbie''s heart. She gave him a mocking smile and taunted, "Seriously? It was¡ª"


    ''Never mind. I don''t want to argue with him any longer.'' She took a deep breath and said, "Rest


    assured, Mr. President. I''m leaving this country soon. I won''t have the chance to provoke you again."


    "Sure, you will be going abroad ahead of me. But don''t worry, I''ll be there with you soon enough. I''m


    not gonna leave you alone," he coaxed her. He had alreadyid out his ns for dealing with some of


    the major issues at hand. He would then leave the rest of his work to his trusted subordinates before


    going abroad to keep his wifepany.


    ''There will be no Hayden, no Gregory, and no more Megan. We won''t have to continue these stupid


    arguments with each other over there...'' he thought with a small smile.


    "No need for that, Mr. Huo. I''m good on my own. Just keep your niecepany. She''s a delicate girl


    and needs you the most. I''m different. I''ve been practicing martial arts for more than ten years now. I


    can protect myself," she said sarcastically.


    Carlos closed his eyes to calm himself down. Ignoring her taunts, he said, "I''ve found out who and


    where your brother is. He''s in Z Country. If you want to visit him, I''ll take you there."


    He sessfully shifted her attention to a more delicate subject.


    Debbie hesitated for a long time. "Do you know who my mom is?" she asked, her voice shaking.


    Now that Carlos knew her brother''s information, he should''ve found out who her mother was as well.


    "Yes. If you want to know¡ª"


    "No!" Debbie interrupted him quickly. "I don''t want to know who she is. Don''t tell me anything." She was


    not mentally prepared for that information yet.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Carlos sighed, "I have your brother''s information in my office. If you want to take a look at it, I''ll ask


    Emmett to fetch it for you."


    Debbie didn''t respond.


    Her lunch arrived. She washed her face and brushed her teeth before having her lunch quietly.


    Before he headed to work, Carlos gave her a set of high-end skin care products. "These were specially


    made for your skin. Try them to see if you like them."


    ''Is this his way of apologizing?'' she wondered.


    She epted the gift. After all, she would be leaving soon. She might not be able to receive gifts from


    Carlos in the future.


    After having a warm bath, Debbie put on her pajamas and threw herself onto the bed. She just wanted


    to stay at home and y on her phone.


    About ten minutes passed, and she received a call from an unfamiliar number.


    She answered it. "Hello?"


    "Debbie. It''s me, Gregory."


    "Oh, hi, Gregory. What''s up?"


    After a moment''s pause, he asked, "Are you busy now?"


    "No, I''m not. What is it?"


    "There''s a jewelry and watch exposition at the New District Exhibition Center. I happen to have two


    invitations. Would you like toe with me?" he offered, holding the invitations tightly in his hand. He


    was so nervous that his palms became sweaty.


    ''A jewelry and watch exposition?'' Debbie already had many jewelry and watches in her walk-in closet.


    They were all sent to her by Carlos, and most of them were brand new. "I''m sorry, Gregory, but I don''t


    feel like going out today..."

 Chapter 248 Let My Wife Know

    Chapter 248 Let My Wife Know


    Debbie''s sudden refusal made Gregory''s heart ache, but he was reluctant to give up. "Debbie, this


    expo is being held by the ZL Group, and many international celebrities will be attending. Invitations are


    hard toe by. Emmett, Kasie, and Jared will be there as well. You''ll be going abroad soon, right?


    Why not take this opportunity to have some fun?" After a pause, he added while feigning indifference,


    "If you really don''t want to go, it''s fine. I''ll go with Colleen and her boyfriend. I hope they don''t give me


    the cold shoulder for ruining their date."


    Debbie was confused. "I thought you didn''t like these kinds of activities. Why are you mad keen to go


    this time?"


    "Oh, here''s the thing. I collect watches. And this is a world-wide expo. There will be many limited-


    edition watches. I really need to see them in person."


    Debbie began to wonder, ''It''s held by ZL Group. Carlos just asked me to go to an expo with him. Is it


    the same?'' "Will Carlos be there?" she asked.


    After some hesitation, Gregory murmured, "He will be there, but..." He didn''t know if he should tell her


    the truth. He didn''t want to drive a wedge between the couple.


    Debbie''s heart skipped a beat when he said "but," and she asked, "But what?"


    "Nothing. Didn''t he tell you about the expo?" he asked curiously. The whole world would have its


    attention turned to the expo, and Carlos should be taking his wife to it. Yet...


    "He told me, but I refused to go with him," she said honestly. Now, for some reason, she regretted


    having turned Carlos down.


    Since Debbie had already declined Carlos'' offer, Gregory didn''t think she would ept his invitation.


    "Well, since you want to stay home, I better leave you be. Bye, Debbie."


    "Wait!" Debbie stopped him. "Gregory, did Carlos do something to you after he had seen us together at


    that restaurant?" On one hand, she was afraid that her petty husband would''ve done something to hurt


    Gregory. On the other hand, she sort of knew that he wouldn''t because Gregory was Colleen''s brother.


    "No, he didn''t. Carlos is always nice to me," he replied. The truth was, when the new semester began,


    most of the teachers began to pay more attention to him.


    They left him with more homework, and made him the ss monitor andmissary in charge of


    literature and art. He was much busier than before.


    They had said that they were doing this for his own good, but he didn''t like it at all.


    "Great!" Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief. "By the way, you said ''but.'' But what? What did you want


    to tell me?"


    Gregory hesitated for a while before answering honestly, "I heard from someone that Carlos was


    attending the expo with... Portia Gu."


    Debbie couldn''t believe her ears. ''What?! Portia Gu? That woman again? She is everywhere!''


    She gulped and asked, "Why Portia Gu?" She hated that woman.


    "Sorry Debbie, but I don''t know why either. I''m curious too. After all, Carlos had shut her out from the


    entertainment circle before. And now he is attending the expo with her. It is really confusing."


    Portia was a college student, and was not rted to Carlos in any way. But he had taken her out as his


    date a couple of times recently.


    Gregory wondered, ''Is it because Portia is pretty?


    But Debbie is more beautiful than her.''


    Debbie frowned at his words. ''Carlos had shut her out before? Why didn''t he tell me about this? Why


    did he do it? Was it for me?''


    "Gregory, I''ll go with you," she said all of a sudden. She wanted to keep an eye on Portia in case she


    seduced her husband.


    She had already rejected Carlos, and thetter had decided to attend it with Portia. So she had to go to


    the expo with Gregory.


    After hanging up, Debbie went to the walk-in closet to pick out her dress. She left her phone in the


    bedroom.


    In the meantime, Carlos kept calling her. He had earlier switched her phone to mute mode while she


    was asleep. She was only able to answer Gregory''s call because she happened to be ying on her


    phone at the time. Carlos called her several times, but she wasn''t aware of it.


    At ZL Group


    Carlos stood by the French window, his phone in his hand. Zelda stood before his desk, holding her


    breath.


    After a long time, Zelda swallowed hard and broke the silence. "Mr. Huo, Miss Gu has been waiting for


    you for thirty-five minutes now," she said nervously.


    Since Debbie wasn''t answering his call, Carlos had no other choice. "Fine, I''ll go with her."


    Zelda nodded and was about to leave when he added, "Let my wife know."


    She couldn''t believe her ears, so she had to confirm. "Let Mrs. Huo know that you are attending the


    expo with Miss Gu, sir?" She really couldn''t believe that the intelligent CEO would be so childish


    sometimes.


    Well, Emmett and Tristan had already gotten used to their boss''s abnormal behaviors when it came to


    his wife. However, it was Zelda''s first time dealing with this.


    "Hmm." Carlos put his phone on the desk and walked towards the lounge.


    He knew what was on Zelda''s mind, but didn''t bother to exin. ''I have a possessive wife, and I have


    to y along, '' he thought. He didn''t realize that he was the same as well.


    Last time, when he had gone to the fashion show with Portia, Debbie saw it on TV and smashed it into


    pieces.


    He didn''t want to piss her off this time, so he tried calling her many times. But she didn''t answer.


    Zelda would have to tell her on his behalf. ''If Debbie calls me after learning about this, I''ll pick her up


    and dere something important to the public using this opportunity.


    If she acts as if nothing happened... No. That won''t happen. I know her well, '' he thought with a smirk.


    At the New District Exhibition Center


    Most of the rich and powerful people in Y City had gathered at the venue. The ce was flowing with


    all kinds of people.


    The jewelry and watch exposition was being held by ZL Group. Thepany had been preparing for


    this event for months. Vintage jewelry and limited-edition watches produced by the ZL Group were to


    be disyed at this event.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The two spokesmen at the exposition were popr international stars.


    Hundreds of security guards were responsible for the security of the venue. The parking lot was


    upied by luxurious cars. Some people had to park their cars about two kilometers away from the


    venue because of the immense crowd.


    Prominent figures from various industries were pouring in¡ªofficers, businessmen, and celebrities. Men


    were in their best suits, and women in beautiful dresses.


    When Debbie and Gregory arrived at the venue, they had to park their car a kilometer away and walk


    to the building.


    Debbie had chosen a pair of five-centimeter stilettos to match her evening dress, which rubbed her


    heels all the while she walked.


    Many who didn''t have invitations stood outside the building. They were mostly fans of celebrities, and


    hade a long way to support their idols.


    Gregory showed the guards their invitations, and led Debbie inside. The ce was decorated


    extravagantly. The jewelry and watches were separated from each other by individual ss cases.


    There were thousands of people in the building already.

 Chapter 249 He Can Date Anyone He Likes

    Chapter 249 He Can Date Anyone He Likes


    Some people were giving interviews, while some were still checking in. Everyone wore a broad smile.


    Debbie was excited; you could hear it in her voice. "Holy cow! Would you check out all the star power?


    Look! Isn''t that Lady Jasmine from ''The Story of Yanxi Pce?'' Wait..." She pointed at another


    handsome guest dressed from head to toe in elegant formal attire. "He...he...That''s the guy from ''The


    Wandering Earth''!" She couldn''t remember who he was, but he certainly looked like a leading man.


    Gregory was amused. "Come on, Debbie. You''re the most important guest today¡ªwife of the CEO of


    ZL Group. It''s my honor to be here with you," he joked.


    Debbie gave him an embarrassed smile. The main reason she came here was to keep an eye on


    Carlos and his date. "Let''s go find Jared and Kasie," she suggested.


    She had called them before she came here. She found Jared soon enough. The girl on his arm was


    none other than her cousin. "Sasha!" she eximed.


    Sasha was thrilled to see Debbie. She jumped to her and took her arm. "Deb, I knew you''d be here. I''m


    here with Jared."


    ''Sasha and Jared?'' Debbie was confused. She turned to Jared, who seemed a little impatient, and


    asked, "I had no clue you knew each other. When did this happen?"


    Jared rolled his eyes and answered, "It''s all thanks to you."


    "Me? Why?" Debbie was more confused.


    Sasha beamed, "He was on a phone call back then, and I heard him say ''Debbie.'' So I went to him and


    asked about it. Then we realized that we both knew you. He''s a great guy." Saying that, she squeezed


    his hand.


    "Wow, such a coincidence!" Debbie was amazed.


    Jared cast a casual nce at Gregory and asked, "Why are you guys here together?"


    Gregory reached out his hand and greeted him politely, "Hi, Jared."


    Jared reached out, shook his hand, and nodded.


    Then he said to Debbie, "I thought you''d be here with your hubby. Where is he?"


    Before she could answer, the host on the stage announced, "And now to give the opening speech,


    here''s Mr. Carlos Huo! Put your hands together,dies and gentlemen."


    Upon hearing that, everyone turned to look at Carlos, apuding enthusiastically.


    Our hero was in a tailored ck suit and dark brown leather shoes. His pace was steady, his bearing


    confident and unhurried. He was the picture of poise, handsome and cold all at once.


    Many noticed that Portia stood by him offstage.


    In a beige evening dress, Portia fixed her affectionate eyes upon Carlos. The guests began to talk


    about her, gossiping about whether she and Carlos were an item. Some even ventured a guess she


    might be Mrs. Huo.


    After all, Carlos had kept his wife a secret from the public. Debbie wanted it that way, but she was


    starting to regret her decision. She didn''t want the attention, but he had no small amount of female


    admirers. He spent his time with too many of them. And far too few people knew Debbie was his wife.


    Standing in the middle of the stage, lights bearing down on him casting long shadows, Carlos began


    his speech. Every eye in the room was glued to the figure on that stage. But Carlos'' eyes rested on


    another figure, intimately familiar to him.


    When their eyes met, Carlos gave her a smile, and Debbie''s heart skipped a beat. Blushing, she


    grumbled, "Why the smile? Don''t look at me! You have your own date."


    Soon, the speech was done. When he strode off the stage, Portia immediately took his arm. She felt


    like a queen, others looking at her with admiration and envy. She could get used to that.


    Out of nowhere, Kasie appeared and grabbed Debbie''s wrist. "Debbie, what''s going on? Why is Portia


    with your hubby? Why are you just standing here? Go and take his arm. Look at Portia! It''s like she


    thinks she''s Mrs. Huo."


    "I don''t care. He can date anyone he likes. It''s not my business!" But deep down inside, she regretted


    having turned Carlos down. She loved the man, and it did hurt to see him with another woman. First it


    was Megan, now Portia. He was taking Portia to public events like this one, and she was showing off.


    But she had every right to. Debbie pushed him away, and he was too proud to go stag. He had an


    image to maintain.


    Kasie poked Tomboy''s forehead with her index finger andined, "Are you nuts? Look at these


    people. Why let Portia get away with this? You''ve changed. Where''s the Debbie I used to know and


    love?"


    Debbie was enraged, and pinched Kasie''s cheek hard. "Some friend you are! I''ll find Emmett a new


    girlfriend." After saying that, she looked around to look for Emmett.


    But to her surprise, she saw Wesley. She also noted that he was not with ir, but Megan! Why was


    Megan everywhere?


    ''Where''s ir? Why isn''t she here with Wesley?'' Debbie wondered.


    She also saw Olga, smiling from ear to ear. Then she spotted Gus with a petite girl with short hair. They


    were staring at a watch.


    ''So Gus isn''t gay...''


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Meanwhile, Kasie held Debbie''s arm and said in a whisper, "Really? Great! When Emmett finds


    someone new, I can start dating younger guys."


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snapped, "Hot for younger guys, huh? How about Jared? He''s in his


    twenties..."


    "No! Stop! I''d rather be with Emmett."


    "Hah!" Debbieughed at Kasie''s reaction.


    Gregory stood there, listening to the girls banter. To him, Debbie''sugh was so magical that it lifted his


    mood and warmed his heart.


    "Deb!" a familiar voice said, interrupting Kasie and Debbie.


    Debbie turned her head to see Hayden, a woman in a gorgeous yellow gown at his side. She was the


    daughter of the Qin family, and Hayden''s fiancee.


    Debbie greeted him in a polite yet distant manner, "Hi, Mr. Gu, Miss Qin."


    Hayden cast a sidelong nce at Carlos, who was surrounded by a group of people, and then looked


    at Gregory. "You''re here with Mr. Song?" he asked Debbie.


    Debbie wanted to nod, but Gregory opened his mouth before she could reply. "You''ve got to be kidding,


    Mr. Gu. I could never have the honor to be Debbie''s date on such an important asion. We''re old


    friends from school."


    ''Why is he lying?'' Debbie was confused. ''Why not just tell Hayden the truth?''


    Hayden gave him a smile and clinked sses with him. No one knew whether he believed what


    Gregory said or not.


    Despite his fiancee''s presence, he told Debbie softly, "I was going to ask you to the expo, but


    something happened... Please choose whatever you like. It''s on me."


    Hayden''s fiancee cast a burning nce at Debbie. Debbie cried inwardly, ''What''s he trying to pull? Is


    he trying to get her to hate me?'' When Debbie and the woman hadst met at a party, she had


    destroyed her evening dress with a ss of wine. So she didn''t need a reason to dislike Debbie. And


    now her date was trying to make nice with Debbie. It woulde as no surprise to Debbie if she woke


    up to find this woman holding a knife to her throat.


    Debbie took a deep breath and tried to ease the tension. "Thank you, Mr. Gu, but I''m good. My


    husband is here. He''s got this."


    Hayden, however, acted as if he heard nothing. He looked around and offered, "I saw a set of jewelry,


    and you''d look dazzling in it. How about we go have a look?"


    Debbie''s smile froze as she insisted, "No, thanks. Save your money. In fact, why don''t you see how it


    looks on Miss Qin?"

 Chapter 250 Is Mrs. Huo That Tough

    Chapter 250 Is Mrs. Huo That Tough


    Hayden stood still with a calm face and swirled the red wine gently in his ss.


    As Debbie was hesitating to leave, a man swiftly walked on to the stage, a microphone in his hand. He


    started, "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m sorry to take up more of your shopping time..."


    Carlos'' voice boomed through the microphone. Again, it proved how influential he was in the city. As


    soon as he had started speaking, the noisy crowd turned pin-drop silent, with their eyes glued to him.


    With his eyes fixed on a certain individual, Carlos shed a smile and continued, "I would like to take


    this opportunity to pick a unique wristwatch for my wife, as an apology to her..."


    This time, the hall erupted in an uproar. Finally, it was time to meet the mysterious Mrs. Huo! The crowd


    cheered and eximed as they scanned the hall to look for ady who would most likely be Mrs. Huo.


    Debbie''s heart skipped a beat. She clutched her wine ss tightly, holding her breath.


    ''What in the world... is he trying to do?'' she wondered, nervously.


    She shifted her gaze towards the stage, only to find that he had been looking at her all this time. Their


    eyes met. The affection in his eyes was so evident; Debbie waspletely mesmerized.


    But she was nervous and worried. ''Why did he mention me all of a sudden? Is he nning to really


    apologize to me in front of so many people? He is a CEO! Doesn''t he care about his self-esteem? Isn''t


    this going to be a disgrace for him?'' she wondered with a frown.


    "Tomboy, Tomboy! Mr. Huo is going to profess his love for you in public!" Kasie eximed excitedly as


    she shook Debbie''s shoulders. However, Debbie didn''t take in any of her words; she wondered what


    Carlos was up to.


    Ignoring themotion among the guests, Carlos spoke again. "But... my wife has..." he paused and


    smirked before continuing, "a very short temper. I''m afraid she won''t forgive me even if I give her all the


    priceless valuables here."


    The guests grew restless. More and more spectators began to whisper to each other. Inevitably,


    Debbie heard the people next to her talking. "Oh, my God! Who on earth is his wife? She''s so daring


    that she would show her anger towards Mr. Huo," a guest wondered loudly.


    "Is Mrs. Huo that tough?"


    "I was wondering the same. If I were his wife, I would try my best to make him happy around the clock.


    How could I possibly get angry at him?"


    The chatter continued fervently.


    As Carlos'' eyes were fixed on Debbie the whole time, some people began to crane their necks and


    look in the direction where he was looking.


    On the stage, Carlos continued, "So...I want to give my wife a small gift today, which I hope, will please


    her. And it would be great if you guys could do me a favor and put in a good word for me."


    The hall erupted inughter and screams at his romantic words. "Aargh! Mr. Huo, I am sure she will be


    utterly pleased! You''re so romantic. Even I can''t resist your charm..."


    "My goodness! Who on earth is this Mrs. Huo? She''s so lucky to be loved so deeply by this stoic man!"


    "Mrs. Huo, where are you? Come on! Show yourself please!"


    "Jesus! I''m dying to see her now!"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie felt her heart jump to her throat as she listened to the crazy screams around her.


    Wearing a pair of white gloves, Emmett climbed on to the stage with a brocade box and passed it to


    Carlos.


    As he carefully picked up the luxury watch from the box, the big screen on the stage began to disy


    the high-resolution pictures and details of the watch in his hand.


    The watch was mechanical, coborated by 101 outstanding designers of the ZL Group.


    It contained a total of 520* dazzling VVS diamonds, and it was equipped with an epicyclic gear system


    timer.


    (*TN: The number 520 sounds like "I love you" in Chinese.) The watch featured a ssic track-type


    dial. A capsule containing a Martian meteorite fragment sat upon the brass dial. The date was shown in


    a window at the three o''clock sub-dial and a moon phase indicator was disyed at the aperture of the


    dial. Most importantly, this watch was unique and was the only one avable in the whole world.


    To the guests'' exmation and cheers, Carlos descended the stage with the watch in his hand.


    As he walked through the crowd, everyone spontaneously moved aside and made way for him to pass


    through uninterrupted. As they witnessed, Carlos stopped in front of a woman.


    But to everyone''s shock, this woman was neither Portia nor Olga. At that very moment, the two women


    widened their eyes in disbelief as they watched Carlos walk up to Debbie, the woman they despised so


    much. At this point, the two shocked women had be aughingstock in the crowd''s eyes.


    Debbie was wearing a blue evening dress with a fluffy bottom. It was embroidered with baby blue floral


    patterns. Ayer of thin blue chiffon was draped from her shoulders to her ankles. From a distance, she


    looked like a fairy in a blue gauze dress.


    Her ck hair shone with a little brownish color under the light. It was tied back in a simple style. She


    had put on some light make-up with a red shade on her plump lips.


    She looked lovelier than ever with her big eyes popped out in shock.


    Although she was dressed in a simple, low-key manner, she was charming enough to attract people''s


    attention. Carlos found it hard to take his eyes off her.


    Portia was stunned and muttered in a shaky voice, "Why? Why her? How? Wasn''t she married to


    Emmett?"


    Portia and her mother had been so excited when Carlos'' assistant had contacted Portia, inviting her to


    attend the event with him. They had even celebrated, hoping that she would be Mrs. Huo in the near


    future.


    But now, her blood was boiling with jealousy. Recalling the scenes where she had deliberately taunted


    Debbie made Portia blush out of embarrassment.


    She balled up her fists, and gritted her teeth in rage. She seemed ugly as she turned green with envy.


    ''Debbie Nian, that annoying woman! Why can''t she just go to hell? Why is she married to Mr. Huo? And


    moreover, Mr. Huo spoils her so much. My brother had dumped her in the past; how did she be


    Mrs. Huo now?


    Why? Why?! This is so absurd!!''


    Portia cursed in her mind, unconvinced by the sudden turn of events.


    As everyone watched on, Carlos pulled Debbie into his arms and kissed her gently.


    This caused a rumble of excitement in the hall. A round of thunderous apuse, screams and whistles


    arose from among the guests.


    Carlos broke his embrace and looked at the stunned woman. With a thin smile, he grabbed her left


    hand and put the watch on her wrist as he apologized, "Honey, I''m sorry. Forgive me, please?"


    The watch fit Debbie''s wrist perfectly because Carlos knew her size already.


    Kasie pinched Debbie''s arm to remind her excitedly, "Debbie, wake up! Forgive him! Come on!"


    Jared had already been squeezed a few meters away from them by the cheering crowd. But thanks to


    his height, he was still able to see everything clearly. He eximed, "Debbie, forgive him! Say you love


    him!"


    Hayden clenched his fist tightly and snapped, "What are you so excited for? She''s not your wife."


    "Hey!" Jared yelled angrily. He really wanted to pop Hayden in the face, but seeing the happy couple


    amidst the crowd, he suddenly understood why Hayden was so pissed. Jared grinned. He casually


    rested his arm on Hayden''s shoulder and mocked, "Pal, you''re only ying a walk-on part in Debbie''s


    love story. Quit being jealous."


    Hayden responded with silence.


    The dumbstruck Debbie finally came back to her senses after being pinched by Kasie several times.


    She lowered her head to look at the watch on her wrist. It was beautiful and dazzling.

 Chapter 251 They Were A Couple Now

    Chapter 251 They Were A Couple Now


    But Debbie wasn''t intending on forgiving Carlos so easily just because he had given her a luxury


    watch. After all, he had been so cruel to her for the past few days. She raised her head to look into his


    eyes, and said in a clear voice, "I do hope I can forgive you, but you have been so insufferabletely.


    But, since you''ve spent so much money to make this watch for me, I''ll ept it. But whether I''ll forgive


    you or not depends on how you behave hereafter."


    Some of the people around them who had heard Debbie''s words were amused and burst intoughter;


    some were shocked, eximing loudly, and the others were just in jealous and criticized her for


    being arrogant.


    Carlos didn''t mind at all. He kissed her hand affectionately and turned around to announce to the


    crowd, "This is my wife, Debbie Nian. From today, anyone in Y City who dares to go against her will


    be my enemy as well. I will not let anyone who hurts her off the hook!"


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    He revealed Debbie''s identity in such a high-profile way that it made everyone understand how much


    he loved her. He obviously doted on her to the hilt.


    And with his announcement, no one would dare offend Debbie anymore, and a lot of people would


    even try to butter her up.


    "Mr. Huo, it seems that you''ve irritated Mrs. Huo yourself. So, are you going to let yourself off the


    hook?" a voice from the crowd asked.


    There was a second''s silence and then the hall erupted inughter.


    Debbie recognized Colleen''s voice and looked in the direction from which it hade. She spotted


    Colleen who was holding Curtis'' arm, a little far away from where she was.


    Their eyes met. The two women smiled at each other with an air of quiet understanding between them.


    Carlos raised his eyebrows at Colleen. He replied with a smile, "That''s why I''m very sincerely


    apologizing to her in front of everyone here."


    Again, the guests were dumbstruck by Carlos'' attitude towards his wife. What he did and said today


    had subverted his usual cold public image. From now on, people would begin to see more sides of his


    personality¡ªa good man, a ve to his wife, a loving husband...


    Theughter and cheering came wave after wave. Embarrassed, Debbie blushed red and stared at the


    man beside her. "Stop it. Aren''t you embarrassed?"


    Carlos shed a wide smile. "Are you still angry with me?" To make her forgive him, he had put away


    all of his pride and self-esteem. If she still couldn''t let the past go, then he wouldn''t know what to do


    next. He might need to consider offering a humbler apology.


    "Of course I''m still angry!" Debbie said with a pout. ''I''m not that easy to be coaxed, you know!'' she


    thought.


    Another familiar female voice came from the crowd, "A couple''s quarrel can be mended in a heartbeat.


    Young girl, Mr. Huo has apologized to you so spectacrly. Please forgive him."


    Debbie tilted her head towards her right. Awkwardly, she looked at Lucinda who had just spoken.


    Standing next to her was Sebastian, who was smiling happily.


    She greeted them in a hushed voice, "Hello, Uncle Sebastian, Aunt Lucinda."


    The crowd nearby heard her address the middle-aged couple and realized that Sebastian, the


    chairman of Mu Group, was Debbie''s rtive, and byw, he would be Carlos'' rtive too.


    The smart businessmen of Y City had already begun to mull over how they should fawn on Sebastian


    so that they could get close to him and attain more business resources from Carlos.


    Carlos wrapped his arm around Debbie''s slim waist and greeted the two elders with respect, "Nice to


    meet you, Uncle Sebastian, Aunt Lucinda."


    The two of them nodded to him with a smile. Sebastian drew closer to Debbie and said in a low voice


    so that only she could hear him, "Debbie, your aunt is right. Mr. Huo has already apologized to you in


    front of all these people. Don''t be headstrong now. Give your answer."


    As arrogant and mighty as Carlos was, he had eaten the humble pie and publicly apologized to Debbie.


    Sebastian didn''t understand why she was still being so stubborn.


    Debbie was rendered speechless. She rolled her eyes at Carlos. She wondered if this crafty man had


    done it on purpose, using the public to force her to forgive him. He was the famous and respectful Mr.


    Huo. How could she not forgive him now after he had publicly made his apology? It would disgrace him


    if she were to be rude to him.


    Left with no choice, she nodded and said, "Since Uncle Sebastian and Aunt Lucinda put in a good word


    for you, I forgive you. For now!" Then she leaned closer to Carlos and whispered in his ear bashfully,


    "Only because I love you too much!" She made sure that herst sentence was only heard by him. She


    wasn''t as shameless as Carlos.


    Although the others couldn''t hear what Debbie had whispered in his ear, they all noticed the big, happy


    smile on Carlos'' face. He kissed his wife once again and said, "Thank you."


    Sasha shouted loudly from behind, "Wow, you are such a sweet couple! I''m so jealous!"


    A lot of women echoed her words and began topliment them. "Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Huo are so in


    love with each other. You''re a match made in heaven."


    One of the guests asked jokingly, "Mrs. Huo is so charming and beautiful. Mr. Huo, is that why you


    didn''t want to reveal her identity to us before now? Were you afraid of her being snatched away by


    someone else?"


    Those words reminded Carlos of someone. He didn''t deny it. Instead, he casually shifted his eyes to


    the man standing some distance away from him and dered in an aggressive voice, "Indeed. My wife


    is so beautiful that I have to make one thing absolutely clear to every man here. This is MY woman. No


    one is allowed to covet her anymore."


    Caught off guard, Hayden had no choice but to return a thin smile.


    He realized that Carlos was unbelievably possessive of Debbie. Some weeks ago, Carlos had taken


    some serious measures to put the Gu Group deep in crisis. It was meant as a warning to Hayden for


    pestering Debbie. Hayden had just managed to get hispany through the crisis and now, he was


    being provoked by Carlos tantly.


    No matter how much he refused to ept the reality, the fact was that they were a couple now. He


    could do nothing at the moment except force a bitter smile.


    As everyone cheered, Debbie pulled the corner of Carlos'' clothes and hissed, "Hey! My uncle and aunt


    are still here. And there are so many people here too. Stop saying these things!"


    Carlos whispered in her ear, "You''re my wife. Did I say something wrong?"


    The show was finally over when the couple began whispering to each other without minding the people


    around them. The security guards came and dispersed the crowd quickly.


    "Huh, I wouldn''t know." Debbie made a funny face at him.


    Carlos chuckled, "Do you like it?"


    "What?" Debbie was confused when he changed the subject abruptly.


    Carlos threw a nce at her wrist. Debbie got the hint and answered with a fake frown, "It''s not too


    bad. I love this fragment of Martian meteorite. And for that alone, I would say I like this watch."


    Her answer was nothing like he had expected. He had to admit that Debbie was really special. Most


    women would have focused on the diamonds, but Debbie was attracted by the Martian meteorite.


    Later that night, thanks to Debbie''sment on the watch, the designer who had put forward the idea


    of adding the element of the meteorite in the design, was praised by Carlos and was promoted to vice


    design director. In fact, this designer''s idea was initially disapproved by many other designers. But


    Carlos had liked the idea, just like Debbie had.


    For the rest of the night, Carlos kept Debbiepany and showed her around the exposition to


    appreciate the jewelry and designer watches.


    Each time someone approched Carlos to talk business, he would refuse them saying that it was his


    private time. He enjoyed spending time bantering with his dear wife. That was far more interesting than


    any business deal.


    Looking at a men''s watch in one of the counters, Debbie faked a smile and whispered between gritted


    teeth, "Carlos, don''t think that I''ve forgiven you yet. It''s not that simple." Meanwhile, she was battling


    with herself, ''Should I buy a watch for Carlos? But these are so expensive...''


    Carlos had gotten addicted to showing off their love in public. Even though there were people watching


    them, he still intimately rested his lips on Debbie''s earlobe and whispered, "You won''t forgive me?


    That''s not what you said in bedst night. Don''t you remember how you begged me to spare you? Who


    was apologizing to whom?"

 Chapter 252 Hows the Jewelry

    Chapter 252 How''s the Jewelry


    Debbie was embarrassed into silence. Thanks to Carlos, some x-rated scenes shed through her


    mind, making her blush bright red. In a huff, she silently tried to pinch him, but to no avail. The man


    was so slender that there was nowhere to pinch, only solid muscle. Frustrated, Debbie faked a smile


    and warned him, "Get your hand off me, or I''ll give you hell!"


    In contrast to her anger and frustration, he felt really good after finally going public with his wife''s


    identity. He''d been waiting for this moment for months. He''d wanted to do it long before, but Debbie


    didn''t want all the paparazzi following her every move. She didn''t want to worry about going out in


    public, or attending school. She didn''t want to worry who was pretending to be her friend only trying to


    get close to Carlos and his money. For every piece of jewelry or watch that Debbie had looked at with


    keen interest, he would secretly signal his assistant, instructing him to buy and pack up the item. In the


    meantime, he kept bantering with his wife. "I''ll let go if you kiss me," he teased yfully.


    Debbie took a deep breath to contain her anger. She felt like a pot about to boil over, and all Carlos


    was doing was increasing the heat. She closed her eyes, kept the feigned smile on her face and


    muttered between gritted teeth, "Carlos, I''m serious. Let go of me now. My foot hurts. Do you want a


    high heel in the face? Imagine what a scar might do to your poprity with the girls."


    When what she said sank in, Carlos frowned and loosened his grip. The next second, he squatted


    down in front of her and asked with concern, "Which foot?"


    ''My wife is hurting. Who cares about everyone else?'' he thought, not in the mood to carry on with the


    joke now.


    He reached out his hand to touch Debbie''s ankles, trying to check for a wound. In the process, he kept


    his back straight. It wasn''t hard to tell he used to be a soldier.


    His sudden gesture startled Debbie. She hastily tried to pull him up. "Hey, not here. Everyone''s


    staring!"


    Seeing Carlos obediently stand up, Debbie heaved a sigh of relief. Yet he scooped her up all of a


    sudden.


    Under everyone''s shocked gaze, Carlos strode towards the lounge, carrying Debbie in his arms. No


    one expected the gesture, so they stared in rapt fascination as he left.


    On their way, Debbie noted the crowd''s reactions. When she saw some of the women re at her with


    resentment, she wanted to cry. "You''re doing this on purpose, old man?" sheined.


    Carlos lowered his head to look at her. "What do you mean?"


    "Well, you told everyone who I was. I don''t remember telling you that was okay. Then you tried to make


    out with me in front of all the guests. And now? You carry me in your arms. In front of everyone. You


    have a lot of fans! Don''t make them hate me out of jealousy." Debbie was well aware of Carlos''


    poprity. If she guessed right, they might have already hit the headlines.


    Unfortunately, Debbie''s guess was right. Moments ago, someone uploaded photos. The news went


    viral. The news headlines read, "Mrs. Huo''s identity," "Carlos Huo apologizes to his wife in public" and


    "the Huos showed off their love at the exposition."


    And what was more, someizens even dug into Debbie''s past and found out more about her past.


    Like how her ex-boyfriend was Hayden Gu, the CEO of Gu Group.


    And her best friends were Jared, the second son of the Han family in Y City; Kasie, the daughter of the


    Zheng family; Dixon Shu, the straight-A student of Economics and Management School; and Kristina


    Lin, Dixon''s girlfriend. On top of that, a lot of Debbie''s personal info was also leaked. Everyone wanted


    to know more about the recently-revealed Mrs. Huo.


    But since Debbie didn''t have a chance to do anything with phone at the moment, she still had no idea


    of what kind of uproar they had caused on the Inte.


    In the lounge


    Carlos gently put Debbie on a sofa and squatted down again. This time he didn''t draw curious stares.


    He took off her high heels and found that her right heel was chafed raw by the shoe. If she had walked


    any longer, the shoe might have caused nasty, painful blisters on her right heel or even scraped off her


    skin.


    Seeing that, Carlos furrowed his eyebrows and stood up. He pulled out his phone and called Emmett.


    "Get me a pair offortable sneakers and some band-aids. Quickly," he ordered.


    Debbie didn''t want to bother him. "Hey, cut it out. I''ll be okay after a little rest here." ''Or I can go back


    home early, '' she thought.


    But Carlos didn''t listen to her. After ending the call, he sat down next to Debbie and asked, "Hungry?"


    "Um...no. Look, people are lining up just to talk to you. You have to go talk with them. Leave me alone


    here. I''ll be okay," Debbie urged again. She had been trying to drive this man away mainly because she


    didn''t want any more attention than she''d gotten already. Carlos was a walking attention ma,


    drawing stares wherever he went.


    So to stop any more curious nces, she desperately wanted this man to go away now.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Besides, Carlos was in charge of this exposition. He needed to be there to smooth out the kinks. Since


    Debbie had insisted, Carlos had no choice but to agree. "Okay, but don''t go anywhere. Just stay here.


    I''ll be backter when Emmett arrives." Before he left, he gestured to the waiter near them and ordered


    some desserts and beverages for Debbie.


    Just as Carlos exited the lounge, a group ofdies immediately came and crowded around Debbie. Not


    asking if Debbie wanted to chat or not, they began to spit out a barrage of questions one after another.


    "He left you alone here?"


    "Wow, I never imagined Mrs. Huo would be so beautiful! But Mrs. Huo, what happened to you? I saw


    Mr. Huo carry you the whole way."


    "How long have you been Mrs. Huo? Which family are you from? What do your parents do?"


    Debbie felt a surge of dizziness due to the never-ending questions. This was exactly what she was


    trying to avoid. What was Carlos thinking? And why didn''t he ask her before he did it?


    And she had no interest in answering any of them. Nheless, known as Mrs. Huo now, she had to


    keep a polite smile on her face. She grabbed a te of desserts that the waiter had brought to her and


    apologized, "Ladies, I''m sorry. I''m starving. Ta ta for now."


    She was obviously saying goodbye to them. A quick way to end the conversation. But strangely


    enough, they didn''t get the hint. Or maybe they feigned ignorance so they could stay longer. The


    questions stopped, and the nagging began.


    "It''s toote for you to be eating anything, Mrs. Huo."


    "Oooh! That looks sinful! You should watch your figure."


    "Are you trying to put on the pounds?"


    "You''re in such good shape! Why would you want to be fat?"


    "Careful, Mr. Huo may not like you if you put on weight."


    "You definitely need to watch your weight¡ªa rich handsome man like Mr. Huo has a lot of girls to


    choose from."


    "Is Mr. Gu really your ex-boyfriend?"


    Debbie''s head started to pound. She needed to either flee or get rid of them, otherwise she might go


    mad. This evening was not going well, certainly not the way she envisioned. What were these women


    doing here? Why weren''t they at least window shopping for all the jewelry and watches at the


    exposition? Why were they poking their nose into her business? Why couldn''t they just leave her


    alone? All these women were such a pain and¡ªwait... Maybe Carlos revealed her identity so that she


    wouldn''t be able to keep tabs on him.


    In the end, Debbie put down the desserts, deliberately ttering the tes on the counter. She was


    loud, trying to get their attention. She ran her eyes over the group and asked, "How''s the jewelry?"


    Confused, the women answered in chorus, "The jewelry is amazing!" Everything on disy was


    beautiful and luxurious. From sparkling tiaras to gem-encrusted hairpins, from nes, chokers, and


    earrings to diamond-studded bracelets. A dizzying array of gems, rubies, emeralds, opals, pearls, and


    polished pieces of jade. Even rings and cuff links. And some of the finest timepieces expertly crafted by


    Swiss watchmakers. But the prices were too high.


    If their husbands were as rich as Carlos, they would have already bought all of the jewelry here and


    brought their favorites home with them.


    "And what about the watches?" Debbie continued to ask.


    Again, the women replied in confusion, "The watches are great!"


    "Since everything looks awesome, maybe you should spend more of your precious time appreciating


    them. I''m not as interesting as all that ice out there. I shouldn''t be the focus here. Please!" Debbie


    waved at them with a smile.


    "You''re being modest, Mrs. Huo. You''re more attractive than those jewelry and watches..."


    "Yes, I think so. Mrs. Huo, are you still a student? Where do you go to university?"


    Meanwhile, more and more spectators arrived, adding to the group gathered around Debbie. Debbie


    was on the brink of a meltdown. ''Jesus! Save me from idiots! Please!'' she eximed in her head.


    She knew it. That was why she didn''t want to expose her identity. Now, where was the bad man who


    had let the whole world know about it? Couldn''t he see that she was surrounded by arge group of


    people? Why didn''t hee back and save her?


    Left with no choice, Debbie put on her high heels again and squeezed through the crowd that had


    gathered in the lounge. "I''m sorry. I need to look for my friends. Please enjoy yourselves!"


    She broke free of the hangers-on, practically pushing her way through the crowd. Debbie limped


    through the hall to look for Carlos, Kasie or her other friends.


    But she didn''t see any of them. Instead, she spotted Wesley and Megan.


    She had no interest in talking to those two, so she walked in the opposite direction. "Good evening,


    Mrs. Huo!" a guest greeted her.

 Chapter 253 Marry Me

    Chapter 253 Marry Me


    "Hello, Mrs. Huo," a guest greeted Debbie.


    Wherever she went, people greeted her politely. Wearing a rigid smile on her face, she nodded to each


    of them.


    Finally, Debbie found Kasie and Sasha in front of one of the watch counters. They were happily


    selecting their favorite watches.


    "Hey, you two¡ª"


    "Mrs. Huo, good evening!" Before Debbie could call out to Kasie and Sasha, people started gathering


    around her once again. Even the saleswoman at the watch counter stared at Debbie with sparkly eyes.


    Debbie felt so helpless. She wanted to leave the ce as quickly as possible and go back home. She


    didn''t want to stay there any longer.


    "Debbie, perfect timing! Come here! I need your opinion on something," Kasie said excitedly as she


    pulled Debbie closer to her. She and Sasha were confused as to which watch to buy.


    Sasha looked at her cousin with so much admiration and marveled at her poprity, "Debbie, you''re


    living an amazing life! You know, I was really interested in some of these watches, but Mr. Huo had


    already bought them for you before I could even get to them. I''m super jealous of you right now! Oh,


    when will I meet such a wonderful husband?"


    Debbie was a little taken aback. ''Carlos bought me more watches? When? I didn''t see him buy any, ''


    she wondered. Confused, she asked, "What are you saying? He didn''t buy any more watches except


    the one on my wrist." They had been together the whole time. But she never saw him buy any other


    watch.


    Sasha nodded firmly. "He did! I saw it with my own eyes. Every item you looked at for more than a few


    seconds was immediately bought for you by his assistant."


    Debbie''s jaw dropped. She hadn''t noticed it at all. It was such a waste of money! How could Carlos


    squander money like it was nothing?


    In an instant, Debbie turned around and ran her eyes around the hall. She was going to look for Carlos


    and lecture him about the importance of money.


    But Kasie grabbed hold of her arm to stop her from going away. "Don''t leave yet! Tell me which of these


    to buy first!"


    Debbie quickly looked between the two watches Kasie was pointing at and chose the one on the right.


    "This. It fits your image and temperament."


    Kasie sighed helplessly. She said, "Yeah, I thought so. I prefer this one too... But it''s really expensive.


    My mom gave me five hundred thousand dors, but this watch is worth seven hundred thousand."


    Although she had saved some money in secret, it was still not enough to buy the limited edition.


    Debbie turned to the saleswoman and inquired, "Hi there. Do you think you can give us a discount on


    this watch?"


    Before the woman could speak, Kasie answered for her, "No, I already asked her."


    "Please wait for a moment, Mrs. Huo. I will consult my manager," the saleswoman said quickly and


    then picked up her inte to call her senior.


    Kasie and Debbie exchanged curious nces with each other.


    Soon, the saleswoman returned and said, "Mrs. Huo,dies. The manager said that you could just sign


    the bill first and pick whichever watch you like. We will apply the discountter."


    Kasie rested her arm on Debbie''s shoulder and sighed happily. "Oh, Mrs. Huo. It''s my honor to be your


    friend."


    Debbie didn''t expect that the title of "Mrs. Huo" was this powerful. They could even get discounts for


    luxuriousmodities at an exposition such as this.


    When Emmett found Debbie, he saw Kasie signing her name on a bill. But she didn''t make the


    payment after signing it. Perplexed, he approached her and asked, "You are not paying for it?"


    It wasn''t like her. He had gone shopping with her a few times and generally, whenever she liked


    something, she would pay for it without hesitation.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Without taking her eyes off the beautiful watch, she said cheerfully, "Thanks to Tomboy, the manager


    promised to give me a discountter."


    ''A discount?'' Emmett thought, confused. ''All themodities at the exposition are limited editions.


    How could she possibly get a discount? Since the manager said that he would give her a discount, it


    probably meant that someone must have paid the bill for Kasie, as a way of showing respect to Mrs.


    Huo.''


    At the thought of that, Emmett was determined to pay the bill for Kasie himself. He was her boyfriend!


    He should make the payment for her purchases rather than let some stranger pay for it. He handed the


    sneakers to Kasie. "Walk Tomboy to the lounge. Mr. Huo is waiting there."


    "Why? Debbie, what''s wrong?" Kasie asked with concern as she looked at the shoe box in her hands.


    "It''s nothing much. My heels are rubbing against my feet. Give the sneakers to me. I''ll go find Carlos


    myself," Debbie said. Her right heel was a litte red, but she wasn''t fragile enough to need others'' help


    to walk. She reached out for the shoe box.


    But Kasie refused to give it to her. "Emmett has asked me to help you. So, it would be better if I walk


    you to your husband," she said, smiling.


    "Cut it out. I suggest you turn your attention to your Emmett. See what he''s doing!" She snatched the


    box from Kasie''s hands swiftly.


    Debbie had been in the spotlight the whole evening, and if people saw Kasie hold her arm and walk her


    to the lounge, they would gather around her again, asking her this and that to show their concern, even


    though they would just be doing it to gain Carlos'' favor.


    To avoid being surrounded by the mob again, Debbie refused Emmett''s and Kasie''s kindness.


    Meanwhile, Emmett was swiping his credit card to make the payment. He had with him the bill with


    Kasie''s signature on it.


    "Hey, Emmett! Emmett!" Kasie finally noticed what Emmett was doing. Ignoring Debbiepletely, she


    hastily ran up to Emmett to stop him.


    He had already bought her a lot of things. She couldn''t let him pay the bill for her any more than this.


    But it was toote. The payment was done and the receipt was printed. Frustrated, Kasie took out her


    phone in an attempt to send him the money. She said gloomily, "You''re just an assistant. How much


    money do you earn every month? I''m transferring you the money right away. My dad is rich anyway. If I


    don''t spend his money, it''ll all go to his mistresses or some bastards."


    Emmett took her phone away, closed the payment app and locked the phone screen. "I don''t get many


    chances to spend my money. Besides, Mr. Huo gives me a ton of money. It''s more than enough to


    open a supermarket. So if I don''t spend the money on you, I might end up taking it all to my grave


    when I die."


    Kasie paused, blinking. "But this watch is seven hundred thousand dors, not seven hundred or


    seventy dors."


    If the person spending that much money like water was someone like Carlos, she wouldn''t have given


    a damn about it. But Emmett was just his assistant.


    Kasie felt sorry for him.


    Seeing the gloomy look on her face, Emmett drew closer to her and whispered, "Honestly, I have only


    dated one girl in the past, but I never bought her anything. So I''ve saved up quite a lot after working for


    Carlos all these years. If you promise to marry me now, I can even buy a new house in the


    neighborhood next to your home."


    ''Marry him? Buy a house in the neighborhood next to my home? If I remember right, the price of that


    property is at least fifty thousand dors per square meter.''


    Kasie burst intoughter at the thought. She held his arm and teased, "Emmett, are you proposing to


    me? That was not formal at all. I will not say yes to such a flimsy proposal!"


    Emmett put his wallet back. "You have to promise that you''ll marry me first. If I formally propose to you


    and you say no, then I''ll be so humiliated."


    "You''ve got that backwards! If you don''t propose to me first, how can I promise you anything? So you


    should make a formal proposal first."


    "Fine, I''ll do it. I''ll propose, and you have to marry me. Deal?"


    "Deal. You do it and then I''ll maybe say yes!"


    Emmett smiled and threw a nce at Debbie who was some distance away. Carlos was helping her


    put on the sneakers. He looked back at Kasie and said, "Mr. Huo is taking care of Debbie now. You


    come with me."


    "Where are we going?" Kasie asked.


    Emmett held her hand and led her to a jewelry counter. There were a few dazzling diamond rings inside


    the ss case. He raised an eyebrow and told the stunned Kasie, "Go on, pick your favorite."


    Carlos apologizing to Debbie had already be the focus of that night''s event. But Emmett wouldn''t


    mind stealing Carlos'' thunder and proposing to Kasie as long as she chose a diamond ring right away.

 Chapter 254 A More Reliable Man

    Chapter 254 A More Reliable Man


    Kasie felt a warm feeling course throughout her body. She tried to stay calm and pulled Emmett closer


    to her, who was seriously looking at the diamond rings. "I was just kidding, Emmett! I haven''t even


    graduated yet. I don''t want to spend my school life with a baby in my belly. Don''t propose to me now."


    Emmett shook his head helplessly. "Kasie, you fool. We can get engaged now and we''ll get married


    after you graduate."


    His words touched Kasie. Tears threatened to fall from her reddened eyes. But she pretended to be


    angry and chided, "Be honest! Are you rushing your proposal just to save a meal? Our parents haven''t


    met each other yet. Do you think I''ll be taken in so easily? Humph, no way!"


    The truth was that she wanted to marry Emmett as soon as possible too. But on second thoughts, she


    didn''t want to rush things because they had only been together for a short period. After all, marriage


    was a huge event in a person''s life, especially for a woman. She wanted to thoroughly consider this


    before making a final decision.


    Emmett nodded understandingly. "You have a point there. I''ll wait until you graduate. And then, I''ll ask


    my parents to speak to your parents about our marriage."


    Through her tear-filled eyes, Kasie saw a beautiful future unfolding in front of her. She said with a fake


    pout, "Then it''s settled. If you don''t officially propose when I graduate, you''ll be a cheating dog. And if I


    don''t say yes when you do, I''ll be the cheating dog."


    Emmett considered her words for a few seconds. As if waking up from a confusion, he corrected


    himself immediately, "You got me wrong, Kasie! What I meant was that I''d propose to you after your


    junior year, not your senior year! You will not be taking the postgraduate entrance exam, right? If so,


    let''s make it earlier. I''ll propose to you at the end of this semester and ask for your parents'' blessing."


    "What?! So soon? There''s only one semester left in that case." Although she wanted to marry him


    soon, she felt a semester''s time was too short.


    "Yeah. I need to ask Mr. Huo for leave a few months in advance. I may need at least a month off to


    prepare for our engagement and wedding. That''s to say, I won''t be working in July and I''ll start earning


    for our family from August..." Emmett kept mumbling about their n with a serious look on his face.


    Kasie glowed with happiness as she watched her man carefully n their future. He was obviously


    serious about their marriage.


    She had missed out on Lewis, but now, she had Emmett, a much more reliable man. ''I''m so lucky that I


    found him...'' she thought to herself, feeling blessed.


    In the lounge


    Carlos carefully put a band-aid on Debbie''s scratched skin and then helped her put on the sneakers.


    "Try this and see if it''s better," he said gently.


    Debbie stood up from the sofa and walked a few steps. "Better. It doesn''t hurt."


    But the sneakers looked so weird with her evening dress. She felt awkward.


    Carlos asked a person nearby to throw her high heels away. He turned to her and instructed, "Get


    some rest. I still have some things to handle."


    After a pause, Debbie said hesitantly, "You go ahead with your work. Since you came here with Portia


    and I came with Gregory, I think we should go back home separately. I''ll leave with him."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos''s face fell abruptly. He looked intently into her eyes and requested sternly, "No way! Wait for me


    here. Don''t go anywhere or with anyone else."


    Debbie pouted and said in an unconvinced tone, "Yes, sir! As you wish. I''m gonna listen to you since


    there are so many people here. I don''t want to make you look bad in front of them."


    "Be good..." Carlos drew closer to her and whispered. "Wait for me and we''ll go back home together,


    okay?"


    Debbie nodded slowly. At that moment, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a woman standing a short


    distance away. In an instant, she drew closer to Carlos and wrapped her arms around his neck as she


    nted a kiss on his cheek. "Okay," she said sweetly.


    Confused by her initiative kiss and the sweet smile on her face, Carlos discreetly scanned the hall out


    of the corner of his eye. As expected, he noticed some women and understood her little trick at once.


    Portia and Olga were among the women who were watching them from a short distance away.


    He dotingly pinched her nose. "How dare you make use of me? You better pay me back when we''re


    home."


    Pretending innocence, she shrugged her shoulders and said in a helpless voice, "I have no choice. My


    husband is good at attracting all kinds of women. I have to drive them away, right?"


    Carlos smiled lovingly. "Yeah, whatever you say. Wait for me here. I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    They pulled away from each other and Carlos walked away. As soon as he disappeared into the crowd,


    the women who had been watching them came up to Debbie.


    Portia had returned to her normal self. With a ss of cocktail in her hand, she sat opposite Debbie.


    Olga did the same. A few other wealthydies from Y City followed suit. Most of these women had


    fought with Debbie at thest party and she had spilled blood red wine all over their dresses.


    Debbie didn''t want anything to do with those women. She stood up to leave.


    Pretending to be nonchnt, Portia collected herself and said in a cool tone, "Debbie Nian, you''ve


    concealed yourself well."


    Debbie smirked. "Concealed what? I never hid anything from you."


    "Then why did you tell everyone that you were married to Emmett?" Portia asked between gritted teeth.


    ''Dammit! I was fooled by this bitch all along!'' she cursed in her mind.


    Debbie was amused. She turned to Portia and taunted, "You''re as ridiculous as your brother. It''s you


    who were stupid enough to think that I was married to Emmett. Why are you ming me for your


    idiocy? Did I ever say that Emmett was my husband? Did you hear it from me anytime? Huh?"


    Portia was dumbfounded, her face deadpan. She suddenly realized that Debbie had never once said it


    herself that she was married to Emmett!


    When Portia remained silent, Olga chipped in, "When did you marry Mr. Huo? And now that you are


    married, why do you still keep an ambiguous rtionship with Mr. Gu? Do you still love Mr. Gu? Does


    Mr. Huo know about this?"


    Debbie answered outright, "Yes, he knows. So what? What does it have to do with you?"


    Her answer was way out of Olga''s expectation. Dumbstruck, she couldn''t find a reasonable thing to


    say, so she just cursed, "Shame on you!"


    "Shame on me?" Debbie raised her brows at Olga with a cunning smile.


    Seeing her grin, Olga recalled some scenes in her mind. Last time, when Carlos had invited her to


    dinner, they had met Debbie and Gregory at the restaurant. ''At that time, Debbie said that her husband


    had run away with an old woman. So...by old woman, she actually meant me!'' she thought angrily.


    Olga had believed that Carlos had invited her to insult Debbie andugh at her. But now, she realized


    that she had been the one who was beingughed at by the couple.


    Olga was ticked off, her face contorted in anger.


    As she was about to throw a tantrum, Carlos'' warning came to her mind. He had earlier warned her not


    to offend Debbie. Olga shuddered and held back her anger.


    She tried her hardest to adjust her emotion and steady her breathing. As Olga was wondering whether


    she should apologize or go away at once, Debbie asked again, "Miss Mi, who is shameless here? How


    about I call my husband and ask him for his opinion?"


    Debbie thought that it was the right time to exercise her right as Mrs. Huo and get rid of her love rivals.


    It was now or never!


    "You dare threaten me using Mr. Huo''s name?" Olga red up. She hadn''t had the chance to humiliate


    Debbie yet, and the arrogant woman was already Mrs. Huo. How could she ever get the chance to


    stamp on her now?


    "Carlos is my husband. Why can''t I do it?" ''I should make good use of Carlos'' power right now!'' she


    thought mischievously. Debbie sat back on the sofa and continued with a broad smile, "I don''t want to


    see any of you here. Get lost, or I''ll call Carlos."


    "Aunt Debbie," a voice called out.


    Before those women could stand up to leave, another appeared in the lounge.


    Debbie felt her head pound. She had dealt with a lot of women tonight, but now she had to handle a


    more troublesome, disgusting woman. ''Oh, Jesus! I''d better get up and leave!'' she thought, sighing


    helplessly.

 Chapter 255 Shes Mrs. Huo

    Chapter 255 She''s Mrs. Huo


    Megan grabbed Debbie''s wrist to stop her. "Aunt Debbie, are you still mad at me?" she asked with a


    pitiful look on her face.


    She saw a group of women gather around Debbie, and she thought this was the ideal time to mess


    with her. She wasn''t going to approach Debbie privately. Debbie was no pushover, and Carlos would


    back her up if she tried anything. He had backed Megan over Debbie once, but it might not always go


    so well.


    Now Debbie was surrounded by quite a few different women, and they were all fans of Carlos. Megan


    decided to join them to deal with Debbie.


    Debbie shook Megan''s hand off and snapped at her angrily, "Yes, I am. I''m mad because you guys are


    like flies, buzzing around me all the time. That''s really annoying."


    The women were quite taken aback by Debbie''s insult. You could see it from the looks on their faces.


    Megan knew how to piss Debbie off, and our heroine would rise to the bait. These women were from


    well-off families and had been spoiled by their parents. Naturally, they wouldn''t bear the humiliation


    quietly.


    The first one to snap back was Portia. She looked down at Debbie and reprimanded her in a harsh


    voice, "You really think you''re somebody after marrying Mr. Huo, don''t you? You need to learn how to


    be Mrs. Huo. A Huo would have more grace and elegance."


    "Hah!" Debbieughed mirthlessly, thoroughly amused. "Who the hell do you think you are, Portia Gu?


    I need to learn how to be Mrs. Huo? You''re dying to im that title, aren''t you? Sorry to burst your


    bubble. Carlos wouldn''t marry you even if you were thest woman on earth."


    After saying that, she carefully put the ss on the tray of a nearby waiter and stalked out of the room,


    leaving the furious women behind. She believed she was showing them the right mix of contempt and


    disdain.


    Wearing an evening dress and a pair of sneakers, she was too embarrassed to wander through the


    crowds. The less people saw her mismatched outfit, the better. Carlos had asked her to wait for him, so


    she was forced to go to the garden¡ªthat was an area that had next to no one in it.


    The indoor heating system worked very well. When Debbie left the building, cold air pressed against


    her skin. The chill raised goosebumps, and she was immediately ufortable.


    She pulled her cloak around her with shivering hands. She let the wool do its work and keep her warm


    ¡ªEmilio Pi had designed this one well. Debbie stopped to take a deep breath of fresh air, then sat


    on a swing, pulled her phone out of her purse, and began to y on it.


    Before she could open WeChat, a familiar voice broke the silence. "Deb!"


    Sighing in defeat, she raised her head to see Hayden making his way over to her.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Without responding, she lowered her head again to y with her phone. She wasn''t in the mood for a


    conversation.


    Hayden didn''t mind her indifference at all¡ªhe was used to the cold shoulder. He stood before her, took


    something out of his pocket and held it out to her.


    In the palm of his hand was a pair of delicate and exquisitely crafted ear studs, dazzling in the


    afternoon sun.


    Debbie was stunned. "Okay, what is this?" she asked.


    "I can''t forget the time we''d spent together. You used to wear earrings like these. When I saw them at


    the expo, I had to buy them. Go ahead. Try them on," he suggested.


    Debbie kicked the ground, and the swing began to sway. "Thank you, Mr. Gu, but I''m good. I can''t take


    these, but your fiancee might really dig them."


    Had she worn ear studs like these? She couldn''t remember, but Hayden could. ''Does that mean he


    really loved me?'' she mused.


    Hayden grabbed the rope of the swing to stop it from moving, which snapped Debbie out of her reverie.


    Despite her reluctance, he offered, "I can put them on for you. They''ll look really good." After he had


    reunited with Debbie, he had longed to buy her a gift, but hadn''t found anything appropriate. Now he


    had found the perfect gift and the perfect time to give it to her.


    "Are you deaf, Hayden Gu? I said no!" Debbie decided that sticking around was thest thing she


    wanted. She got to her feet and started towards the building.


    Hayden heaved a sigh, contemting the ear studs in his hand. Finally, he put them back in his pocket.


    He grabbed for her wrist, and guided her back to the swing. "Okay, okay. Don''t get mad. Why don''t you


    y on the swing? Hand me your purse, and I''ll push you. Come on, you know you want to."


    "No!" Debbie cried. But Hayden snatched her purse anyway and pushed her hard. The swing flew


    forward. She had to hold on to the ropes tightly to avoid falling off.


    "Dammit! If you push me again, I''ll jump off!" she threatened. Now everyone knew she was Carlos''


    wife. If she were seen with Hayden, Carlos would be aughing stock. She didn''t want that to happen.


    Hayden closed Debbie''s purse quickly, grabbed the swing, and stopped it. "My fault. I''m sorry, Deb," he


    said softly.


    Debbie was more than a little startled. Her heart hammered in her chest.


    ''Why''s he acting so weird? First the ear studs, and then the swing. But now he gives in that easily?


    What''s he ying at?''


    She shook off her thoughts, took her purse back, and walked towards the entrance.


    On the way, she called Gregory. "Hey, Gregory. I''m taking off. You stay and have fun. Thanks for the


    ride," she said.


    She had lost her patience; she needed to leave before she lost her mind. Since Carlos was still busy


    ying the social butterfly, she decided to take a taxi home.


    Gregory was no fool. He looked across the room and saw Carlos, still mingling. "You''re not leaving with


    Carlos, are you?"


    "Nope. No biggie. I''ll hail a taxi. Bye!"


    Actually Gregory wanted to let Debbie know she might have trouble finding a taxi. After all, thousands


    of people were expected to attend, and not all at once. They would be taking taxis to and from their


    hotels and houses. And Carlos'' sudden confession to his wife had already gone viral. Debbie was now


    as famous as any A-list celebrity.


    But Debbie had already hung up on him. Gregory went to the cashier''s desk first, and quickly plunked


    down the money for a watch that caught his eye. Then he sprinted for the entrance, hoping to catch up


    to her.


    When he saw her, she was already surrounded by a gaggle of fans. Even the security guards were at a


    loss. They controlled the chaos as best they could.


    Debbie didn''t know she had be the talk of the town. She was going to boot up Weibo or


    something in the garden, but Hayden had stopped her.


    When she left the gates, many people immediately recognized her. Piercing screams split the air.


    "Look! Hey! It''s Mrs. Huo!"


    "That''s Debbie Nian! The girl who married Carlos Huo!"


    Some took out their phones topare this woman to the pictures posted by reporters at the expo.


    "Blue dress with petals, check! Updo, check! Round eyes... Yeah! She IS Mrs. Huo!"


    "She''s so pretty!"


    "Mrs. Huo, such an honor. Can I get your autograph?" They all went on like that. The noise had


    reached a fever pitch, and Debbie had no problem hearing them, but she had trouble making out


    anything coherent.


    She looked around to see her husband''s crazy fans holding a giant luminous board with letters "Carlos


    Huo" printed on it.


    It was the first time that Debbie had been in a situation like this. She didn''t know how to respond; all


    she could do was smile.


    She desperately wanted to leave, but Carlos'' fans gathered around her and even broke through the


    cordon. The guards were unable to stop them as the human wave surged around them.


    Debbie was instantly caught in the middle of the crowd. People took out their phones and cameras to


    take pictures, or set up selfies with her.


    Unable to resist their enthusiasm, Debbie took a girl''s pen and notebook, and signed her name on it in


    a serious manner.


    This was the first time she''d ever signed an autograph.

 Chapter 256 Ive Been A Fan For Years

    Chapter 256 I''ve Been A Fan For Years


    The girl was one of Carlos'' fans, so Debbie signed his name as well, right next to hers. She also drew a


    heart between their names.


    Looking at her work, she shed a broad smile and handed the pen and notebook back to the girl.


    "Done. I hope it''s okay. My writing''s a mess."


    "Thank you, Mrs. Huo. Er, can I call you ''Debbie?'' You''re so down to earth. Thanks for the autograph!"


    Before Debbie could answer, more pens and notebooks were put in front of her for her to sign. She


    wondered if she would get cramp in her hand before she finished.


    Actually, Debbie felt a lot morefortable and happier with these young girls. Compared to those fake


    women at the expo, these girls were cheerful and real. Coming from a noble family didn''t guarantee


    that a person had a noble personality. In fact, it was often the opposite.


    Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Debbie''s head. With a cunning smile, she told Carlos'' fans, "Well, my


    husband looks cold and uncaring, but he''s actually a nice guy. If you ask him for autographs, I''m sure


    he''ll do it."


    "Really? If he says no, can you help us out, Mrs. Huo?"


    "No problem. But he''s busy right now. Not sure when he''ll be done," said Debbie.


    In stunned disbelief, the security guards looked at Debbie, who was busy chatting with the girls. She


    was so nice and unpretentious. She sounded like she was happy to be there, and they got the sense


    that it wasn''t an act. They''d never been assigned to guard a celebrity who was so amiable and easy to


    approach.


    And she was not just some actress or pop star, but Carlos Huo''s wife.


    At the expo, a security guard sprinted into the main hall and found Carlos, who was discussing


    business with a few guests. "Mr. Huo, your wife''s being mobbed by fans..."


    Carlos set his ss on a nearby table. "Thanks. I''ll check it out." He then turned to Tristan. "Take your


    men and find two popr stars. Make it obvious they''re around. Then split them up. That should keep


    the fans busy chasing them rather than my wife."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Debbie''s right hand became shaky after so many signatures. All of a sudden, people around her began


    to scream. "Aaaargh! It''s Mr. Huo! Look! Carlos Huo!"


    A dozen bodyguards led the way, and Carlos walked towards Debbie, the picture of poise.


    Another two popr celebrities left the building in two different directions, just as Carlos had ordered,


    and their fans followed after them in a hurry. This effectively dispersed the crowd that had formed


    around Debbie.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With his bodyguards clearing the way, Carlos managed to get close to Debbie quite easily. He pulled


    her into his arms and said, "I thought I told you to wait for me. What happened?"


    His eyes were full of affection. The fans yelled and screamed at the top of their lungs as if Carlos were


    talking to them.


    Debbie felt like she was in a club where they yed the dance music so loud she had to scream to be


    heard. She stood on tiptoe to get close enough to his ear. "The expo is so boring. I''m going home."


    "I''lle with you."


    At that moment, the girl whom Debbie had talked with asked excitedly, "Mrs. Huo, you promised you''d


    get Mr. Huo to sign autographs. I''ve been a fan for years."


    The girl was practically in tears because she was so excited.


    Another girl piped up, "We''re all fans. I''ve followed you since you were in the military. We need your


    autographs." However, Carlos'' bodyguards intervened. They stood between Carlos and the fans,


    making them stand two meters away from their boss.


    Debbie stared at the scene from Carlos'' arms, mouth agape. ''Wow, these are really intense fans.


    They''ve liked him longer than I have, '' she thought.


    "Mr. Huo! Mr. Huo! I''ve liked you for ten years. I..." A fan was so overwhelmed that she couldn''t


    breathe. She passed out and fell to the ground.


    The crowd began to panic. "Someone passed out! Help! Help her!"


    Debbie was also startled. She grabbed Carlos'' sleeve, and then had a better idea. "Someone call an


    ambnce!" she yelled at the fans.


    Carlos patted her back reassuringly, and then walked past his bodyguards to the unconscious girl.


    When he verified she was breathing, hemanded one of his men to call an ambnce. Then he


    unbuttoned his suit and got down on a knee to check on her. He looked at the girls around him. "Step


    back. She needs fresh air."


    And that was when he began in earnest. He carefully positioned her limbs so that shey on her back.


    Her chest rose and fell slowly, so he knew she was okay. He rolled up his suit jacket, and used that to


    elevate the fan''s legs above her heart level to avoid swelling. Debbie fell in love with him all over again.


    His quick thinking had really saved the day.


    Soon, the girl slowly opened her eyes, blinking from the sudden influx of light, but they eventually


    fluttered open normally.


    When he saw that, Carlos stood up, grabbed a wet napkin from a bodyguard and began to wipe his


    hands.


    "Aaaargh! Mr. Huo is so handsome!"


    "What a great guy! He''s a hero!"


    Carlos heard the girl say that Debbie had promised them she would have him sign autographs for


    them. He took a notebook from a nearby fan, and signed his name.


    When he received the third notebook, he saw Debbie''s handwriting. She not only signed both their


    names, but also drew a heart between them. A satisfied smile spread across his lips. Her tiny gesture


    put him in a good mood. That spurred him on, and he signed many more notebooks.


    But there were too many fans there, and he didn''t have enough time to sign autographs for everyone.


    He was busy, and time was money. After signing for ten more fans, he and Debbie said their goodbyes


    as the mob got louder. Shielded by his bodyguards, they both got into a Bentley.


    The car slowly rolled away, and the fans continued to make noise. In the car, Debbie and Carlos could


    finally enjoy peace thanks to the soundproof windows.


    Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief. She was exhausted, physically and mentally. She leaned in the


    back seat and closed her eyes.


    Seeing her sleepy face, Carlos pulled her into his arms. "Get some rest," he suggested.


    Debbie didn''t refuse him. Smelling his cologne, she leaned on his shoulder and asked casually, "Why


    did you suddenly out us?"


    With a smile, he stroked her hair and asked in reply, "Why ask that? You''re not happy, are you?"


    Debbie made herself morefortable and grumbled, "That little scene back there is what I was trying


    to avoid. I''m still mad at you. I remember everything you did to me."


    Stifling a giggle, he pinched her cheek and asked, "Really? So how do I make you happy?" Deep


    inside, he chuckled, ''Deb is so cute.''


    "Um... We''ll talk tomorrow." All she wanted right now was to sleep.


    She was tired. That was a fact. The way she talked and the pale color of her face stung Carlos'' heart.


    He decided to be still and let his wife sleep.


    Thinking of Debbie''s need for privacy, Carlos pulled out his phone and sent Emmett a text message


    saying, "Delete all news rted to my wife."


    He had gotten what he wanted¡ªpeople now knew Debbie was his wife. He didn''t think it necessary to


    make her life hell by having fans watch her every move.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Emmett''s reply came soon. Carlos'' phone was not on mute, so the notification sound


    woke Debbie up.


    She raised her eyes, looking at Carlos'' jaw, and murmured, "Just to let you know, I cancelled our trip to


    the Maldives."

 Chapter 257 The Ear Studs

    Chapter 257 The Ear Studs


    Carlos frowned at Debbie''s words. ''Looks like she is really mad at me. It was her dream to go to the


    Maldives, yet she cancelled the trip.''


    He stroked her cheeks gently and said in a soft voice, "Well, if you say so. When we both settle down


    abroad, I''ll take you anywhere you want."


    Debbie didn''t respond. She thought, ''I''ll give you one more chance. If we don''t fight over Megan again,


    I''ll go anywhere with you.'' Soon after, she dozed off again.


    When the car arrived at the manor, Carlos scooped Debbie up in his arms, not wanting to wake her up


    from her nap.


    But she blinked her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his chest. She murmured, "Where are we?"


    "We are home." He walked towards the vi with Debbie in his arms.


    Her eyes widened, and she looked around. They were indeed home. She struggled in his arms. "I''m


    awake now. Put me down."


    Carlos obliged, and they walked to the vi together.


    When they entered the living room, Debbie saw several shopping bags on the couch and asked


    casually, "What is this?"


    A housemaid answered respectfully, "Mrs. Huo, Mr. Huo had them delivered from the expo."


    Carlos took off his suit and gave it to the maid. He loosened his tie and said to Debbie, "Watches and


    jewelry. Why not undo the wrappings yourself and put them in your jewelry cab?"


    It was Debbie who had once told him that women enjoyed the process of unwrapping presents. For this


    reason, Carlos had even asked his men to pack all those things.


    Debbie immediately remembered what Sasha had told her at the expo, so she turned to Carlos. "You


    bought all the things that I took a fancy to, didn''t you?"


    She had nned to corner Carlos at the expo, but Kasie had stopped her at that time. Then she had


    totally forgotten about the matter.


    "Hmm," Carlos replied shortly. He turned to the maid and said, "Put them in her closet."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    "Wait!" Debbie stopped the maid. She asked Carlos in a serious tone, "Can I have them returned?"


    "No." Carlos caught her waist and led her up the stairs. "They are all limited-editions. Once they leave


    the store, they cannot be returned."


    Debbie was shocked. "Carlos, you are such a squanderer! Why did you buy all of these? Are we


    having some sort of collection?" she asked.


    Instead of answering her question, he said, "I''ll send them over to our house abroad."


    ''Fine, whatever. Since they cannot be returned, there''s no point in arguing with him, '' she thought.


    She pulled out her phone from her purse as soon as she entered her bedroom, and began to inspect


    her messages. Not until then did she realize that she had be the talk of the town.


    So many people had followed her on Weibo and Facebook. Many had sent her messages on WeChat


    too. Her phone was full.


    She had only had about a thousand followers on Weibo earlier. But now, there were more than a million


    people following her.


    And it was all because her identity as Carlos'' wife had been exposed.


    Debbie''s attention was wholly on her phone, and she identally pushed her purse down from the


    bed. It fell to the floor, and the contents scattered all over the ce.


    She squatted down to pick them up one by one. That was when she saw the ear studs.


    Before she could pick them up, Carlos scooped them up and looked at them carefully.


    Debbie was confused and shocked. ''When did Hayden put them in my purse?''


    Carlos'' face soured. He recognized them¡ªhe had seen Hayden''s secretary buy them at the expo. It


    looked like Hayden had bought them for Debbie.


    He looked at his wife and said coldly, "I need an exnation."


    Debbie put her phone aside and tried to figure out how Hayden had put them in her purse. Then she


    realized that he had snatched her purse from her when she was on the swing.


    ''Carlos looks pissed. He must already know that Hayden bought the ear studs, '' she thought to herself.


    ''Damn it! Why is Hayden stirring up trouble between me and Carlos all the time?'' She gulped and


    answered honestly, "They were bought by someone else. I said I didn''t need them. But I didn''t know


    that he had put them in my purse."


    "Who bought it?" he insisted.


    "Hayden," Debbie stammered nervously. "I did turn him down. I don''t know when he put them in my


    purse," she repeated anxiously.


    "You don''t know?" Carlos held the ear studs tightly in one hand, and raised her chin with the other to


    make her look him in the eye. "Don''t lie to me."


    Frustrated, Debbie exined, "I AM telling the truth. If you don''t believe me, I can call Hayden and ask


    him to exin."


    "You haven''t deleted his number from your phone yet?" he asked.


    ''Seriously? We are talking about the ear studs. It has nothing to do with Hayden''s phone number!'' she


    cursed inwardly.


    "Don''t you have Megan''s number in your phone? Olga''s? And Portia''s?" she retorted in a loud voice.


    "I don''t have Portia''s and Olga''s numbers. I do have Megan''s, but she''s different." ''Portia and Olga


    mean nothing to me, but Megan is my niece, '' he thought angrily.


    "Megan''s different? You mean she''s your one and only?" she taunted.


    "Oh? Then what about Hayden? Is he your one and only? He bought you ear studs worth more than a


    million dors. Don''t tell me he buys this kind of expensive gift for everyone. Debbie, throw them away."


    Carlos didn''t want to argue with her over Hayden. He opened his palm and gave her the ear studs.


    ''More than a million dors? Hayden is crazy!'' she thought.


    Debbie took them from Carlos'' hand and was about to throw them in the trash. But she suddenly


    realized that they were still in a fight and that she hadn''t forgiven him yet. To get back at him, she took


    off the studs on her ears instead and said, "I''m not throwing them away. I''ll put them on, and I''ll have


    you watch with your own eyes as I wear them."


    She put one of them on andined, "Men are all two-timers! Hypocrites! You were apologizing to


    me only a while ago, and you start arguing with me already. I shouldn''t have trusted you."


    Carlos couldn''t believe his ears. ''Who is the one throwing a tantrum here?''


    He grabbed her arm and demanded, "Take it off."


    "Fine! I''ll take it off!" she yelled. Instead of taking the ear stud off, she removed the watch which Carlos


    had put on her wrist, and gave it back to him.


    Looking at the watch in disbelief, Carlos asked in a cold voice, "You prefer the studs to this watch, don''t


    you? Or is it because you''ll love anything as long as it is from him? You didn''t even put on the diamond


    ring I gave you on such an important asion. Why?" The very thought broke Carlos'' heart.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Debbie didn''t know how to respond. She was a bit taken aback by his question about the ring. She


    calmed down and lowered her voice saying, "You''ve gotten it wrong. The ring is just too valuable for


    me. Give me the watch. I''ll wear it every day." She reached out to take it back, but Carlos dodged.


    He put it in his pocket and turned around to leave, without saying another word.


    Debbie got flustered. "Carlos!" she called out.


    He paused for a second, but then kept walking towards the door.

 Chapter 258 I Have No Mom

    Chapter 258 I Have No Mom


    Debbie caught up to Carlos and grabbed his arm. "Give me my watch back. I''ll put it and the diamond


    ring on every day."


    "You don''t need to say anything more," he said nonchntly.


    Debbie took a deep breath and said, "I''ll return the ear studs to Hayden tomorrow. Believe me, I did


    turn him down. He put them in my purse without my knowledge."


    ''Hayden is such a troublesome man. I swear I''m gonna beat him to a pulp, '' she thought.


    Carlos shook her hands off and walked towards the door.


    Debbie was taken aback by his indifference. In a feigned choking voice, she said, "Honey, I''m afraid of


    sleeping alone."


    Carlos opened the door. But before leaving, he said, "I''ll be in the study."


    Debbie heaved a sigh of relief. ''Thank God! I thought he was leaving the manor.


    But it''s almost time for bed. He must be mad, and probably doesn''t want to spend the night with me. I


    must do something to appease him.''


    Instead of going after Carlos right away, she took off the stud she had put on to piss him off, removed


    her evening dress and walked into the bathroom.


    After about half an hour, she got out of her room in her pajamas. She went to the kitchen and retrieved


    a cake from the refrigerator.


    She sliced a big piece and put it on a te. With the cake in her hand, she went straight to the study.


    Without knocking, she pushed the door open and strode in. She used to knock before, but Carlos had


    told her that it was unnecessary. So now, she was used to just walking in casually.


    Carlos was on the phone. His expression changed when he saw her, but he looked away quickly.


    Biting her lower lip, she put the te on the desk. Slowly, she cut a small piece of the cake with the fork


    and brought it to his lips.


    Carlos ignored it, and spun his chair around to face his back towards her.


    The call was still connected. Curtis, who was at the other end of the line, was telling Carlos that he


    would be going to A Country and staying there for about a year. Surprised, Carlos asked, "What for?"


    "We''re opening a branch in A Country. I have to deal with the administration there." Curtis was not sure


    how long he was going to stay in A Country.


    Frustrated about being ignoredpletely, Debbie looked at the cake in her hand and gobbled it up


    herself in her anger. Her eyes widened. ''Wow, this is really yummy!''


    She took several more bites before turning Carlos'' chair back towards her, and then brought another


    piece to his lips.


    As if she were invisible, Carlos said into his phone, "When will the wedding be held? Okay, we''ll be


    there."


    Debbie tugged at Carlos'' clothes, gesturing for him to eat the cake. But he didn''t respond.


    She grew impatient. But soon, she had this crazy idea forming in her head. She reached out to his


    leather belt.


    Click! The belt was unbuckled swiftly.


    Carlos looked at her, his eyes dark and tempted. She removed his belt and threw it onto the desk.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''lle after I finish my work here. The business here is rather tricky, and I''m unable to finish it


    quickly," he said. In order to separate Carlos from Debbie, James had been working with several


    shareholders to deal him a heavy blow. Carlos had to let her go abroad alone for now, and join her after


    everything was settled.


    Debbie paid no attention to the phone call, but concentrated on what she was doing.


    She put her hand into his pant pocket and found her watch. She pulled it out quickly and put it on her


    wrist. ''Yes!'' she eximed inwardly and was about to retreat from the study.


    Carlos immediately bade Curtis goodbye and hung up in a sh. He grabbed Debbie by her waist and


    pressed her against the window sill. "I had no intention of sleeping with you this evening. But since you


    started it..." His voice trailed off.


    Debbie immediately regretted her actions. She struggled against his strong body, but to no avail.


    Carlos waspletely turned on. Since she was soon going abroad to study, he was even more


    frustrated. That night, he had sex with her like a stallion on steroids. Even though she pleaded with him


    to give her a break, he went at it again and again and enjoyed her cries of pleas and pleasure.


    The next day, Debbie struggled out of bed despite her tired limbs. She had called the courier guy over


    to send back the ear studs to Hayden.


    After he left the manor, she gave the tracking number to Hayden on WeChat and added, "Hayden, we


    are done. Don''t contact me again."


    She cklisted his number.


    Although Debbie and Carlos had wild sex the whole night, he left for work as usual before she even


    woke up. He hadn''t forgiven her. Neither of them was in a good mood.


    After lunch, Debbie stared nkly at a stack of documents on the table.


    The first page was nk, but she was aware of what it was¡ªher mysterious background.


    She would know who her brother and mom were, and she would find out about her mom''s family


    background if she decided to turn over that page.


    Unable to resist the temptation, she picked the documents up from the desk.


    Half an hourter, she called Curtis.


    He was working in his office. When he saw the caller ID, he smiled and answered the phone. "Hi, Deb.


    What''s up?"


    Debbie didn''t respond.


    It was a weird situation. Curtis could tell something was not right. He pried, "Did you see the


    documents?"


    "Yes," was her short reply. It turned out that Curtis was her...


    "You may call me ''Uncle'' from now on."


    Debbie didn''t know how to respond to that. Yes. ording to the documents, Curtis was Debbie''s...


    uncle.


    Her mother was Ramona, the popr singer whom she used to like a lot. Ramona and Curtis had the


    same father, but different mothers.


    After a long pause, she said in a hoarse voice, "Mr. Lu, thank you for taking care of me all this time. But


    let''s just be strangers from now on."


    She hated her mom for abandoning her, and she hated the Lu family now.


    Curtis'' smile disappeared. He couldn''t believe it. He had thought that Debbie would be thrilled after


    learning about their true rtionship. But she had chosen to break off all rtions with him instead.


    "Debbie, I know that I shouldn''t have kept this from you. But trust me, I bear no ill will."


    "I know," she said in a low voice. ''I know that he did everything for my own good, but I really can''t


    ept anyone from that family.''


    "Debbie, your mom didn''t abandon you on purpose," he said softly. ''Ramona had her own reasons for


    doing that.''


    "I have no mom!" Debbie yelled into the phone at the top of her lungs. She lost it when Curtis


    mentioned her mother.


    Bitterness flooded Curtis. He never thought that Debbie hated Ramona so much. He tried to coax her,


    "Okay, okay. Please don''t be mad. Listen to me. Let''s just pretend that none of this happened, and live


    happily like always. Okay?"


    ''Live happily like always? I see that woman on TV every day. How can I pretend like nothing has


    changed?


    It''s lucky that I''m leaving this country...'' An idea suddenly popped into her mind. She wanted to call


    Carlos and tell him that she never wanted toe back to Y City, ever again.


    Without answering Curtis'' question, she hung up abruptly.


    After a few moments'' consideration, she called Emmett. "Is everything ready for my departure?" she


    asked.


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. Everything is ready. Zelda is booking a ticket for you to Ennd for the day after


    tomorrow," he replied.


    Closing her eyes, she said, "I want to get on a flight to Ennd tomorrow."


    "What?! Mrs. Huo, is something wrong?" he asked in disbelief.

 Chapter 259 A Love-hate Relationship

    Chapter 259 A Love-hate Rtionship


    "Nope. Just book the ticket for me. Oh, and don''t tell Carlos," Debbie said into her phone. She was now


    in a thoroughly bad mood, and her mind shed back to the scenes of the painful memories of her and


    Carlos bickering over Megan. All these scenes were on repeat in her brain¡ªall the times they shed


    over one woman. And that wasn''t all. Hayden had been bugging her¡ªpractically stalking her, and the


    Huo family members hated her on top of all that. She needed a break from the hate, the fighting, the


    bad feelings...all of it. All she wanted to do was fly to Ennd alone.


    Words failed Emmett. He knew Carlos would beat him to a pulp if he honored Debbie''s request.


    Carlos was often busy at work, but he was going to take the morning off and drive Debbie to the airport.


    She was supposed to leave the day after tomorrow.


    But Emmett had a hard time turning Debbie down. She was always nice to him, and he found himself


    liking her. So he decided to do as she said.


    When Carlos got home in the evening, Debbie wasn''t there. He called her, but he got Kasie instead.


    When he asked her to put his wife on the phone, she replied, "No can do, Mr. Huo. Debbie''s in the


    ladies'' room."


    "Okay. Where are you?"


    "We...we''re at the restaurant. You know, Debbie''s taking off soon. We''re giving her a farewell dinner,"


    Kasie answered with the utmost care.


    "Which restaurant?"


    "A hotpot restaurant on Tenth Street," she said honestly.


    After hanging up, Carlos descended the stairs, got into his car and drove towards the restaurant.


    Something didn''t feel right; something bugged him. There was a tickling in the back of his brain.


    When Debbie came back to their private booth, Kasie had just hung up on Carlos. "Hey Tomboy, your


    husband just called. Why not call him back?" She held out Debbie''s phone. Debbie took it and


    unlocked the screen.


    ''Carlos called?'' She checked the time on her phone. ''It''s only 7 p.m. Why''s he off so early?''


    She sat back in her seat, chatting with her friends, but her thoughts were far away. She kept wondering


    what Carlos had called her for. She thought about it for a half hour, and finally it bothered her enough.


    She called Carlos. He answered it quite quickly; it had barely rung once on her end. "Hey, old man,"


    she said.


    "Hmm,"


    he answered shortly, his voice devoid of emotion.


    Both of them were silent for a while; they were both frustrated as they had to part with each other soon.


    Sadness was palpable.


    Knowing he was a man of few words, Debbie decided to break the silence. "I''m eating outside. What''s


    up?"


    "You see the documents?" Curtis hade to his office this afternoon. He told him Debbie was in a


    bad mood and asked him to pay more attention to her. Carlos was busy, but nothing was more


    important than his wife. Originally, he had three dinner appointments this evening, but he cancelled two


    of them and drove back home as soon as possible.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yeah," Debbie answered in a low voice. She feigned calm and added, "Is that why you called?"


    "Nope. Have fun with your friends. I''ll pick you up when you''re done."


    "No. That''s cool. I''ll take a cab home," she said. Kasie hade to the manor to pick her up this


    afternoon.


    They had been drinking this evening, so Kasie couldn''t get her back home. Debbie nned to grab a


    taxiter.


    "At this hour? That''s not safe. Just call me when you''re done. I''ll be there," he said firmly. Apparently,


    he didn''t take no for an answer.


    Staring at the night scene, she was at a loss whether tough or to cry. Her husband was so bossy.


    That was why she had a love-hate rtionship. She loved that he cared for her, but hated that he was


    so controlling.


    "Okay. See you," she finally said obediently. His heart softened, as she gave in without too much of a


    fight. He just wanted to see her safe, and didn''t think it was too much to ask.


    Debbie went back to her seat like nothing happened. Jared and Sasha were bantering back and forth.


    Sasha turned to Debbie. "Was he calling to check on you?"


    Debbie was amused by her words. She then pretended to be serious and said, "Yeah. He heard I was


    with Jared and Dixon, and he said he''d send them to the South Pole to breed penguins."


    Jared was boiling with rage at her words. "Tomboy, you have to talk him down. You''re the one who


    invited me, remember? Call him now! I''ve been to the South Pole before, and it''s freezing there. Never


    again!"


    Sasha, however, burst outughing. "Yeah! The South Pole! Sounds interesting! Don''t worry, Jared. I''ll


    go with you." Seriousness was written all over her face.


    However, Jared was too freaked out to think clearly. Ignoring Sasha, he went on pleading, "Come on,


    Tomboy. Give him a ring before he asks his secretary to book a flight."


    Kasie picked up a piece of mutton and put it into her mouth. After swallowing it, she teased, "A flight?


    You wish! It''s not a vacation. You might have to take a bus there."


    Ever since the trip to Southon Vige, Jared hated buses so much that he swore to himself he would


    never take a bus again.


    "Bus! God no!" Jared''s face went pale.


    Dixon chipped in calmly, "You should feel lucky you don''t have to take a walking tractor there."


    "Shut up, Dixon. You''re going with me. Didn''t you hear Tomboy?" Jared didn''t understand why Dixon


    was so calm and nonchnt about it.


    With a smug smile, Dixon exined, "Sorry, dude, I should''ve told you earlier. You''re going there alone.


    Mr. Huo is paying for my college abroad."


    "What?" Everyone except Kristina was taken aback by the sudden news. Even Debbie was clueless.


    "What? Where? Ennd, maybe? What are you studying?"


    "So do you have a job lined up with ZL Group at the end?" Kasie asked.


    Kristina sighed and exined for her boyfriend, "Do you think the uber-possessive Mr. Huo would let


    Debbie study abroad with another man? She''s going to Ennd, while Dixon is going to America."


    Dixon nodded and told them everything. Carlos saw a lot of potential in him, so he decided to send him


    to some college in America. As his sponsor, he had a lot of influence.


    Carlos was a smart businessman, and he wouldn''t gamble on a losing proposition.


    So he offered Dixon a long-term contract. After Dixon graduated, he would go to work for ZL Group.


    They''d haggle over exactly whereter on. His contract was for fifteen years, but at least he wouldn''t be


    job-hunting after college.


    Kasie looked at Debbie, her mouth agape. "Fifteen years? That''s a long time, Tomboy. Your husband


    had him sign a ve contract."


    After a moment''s consideration, Debbie asked Dixon, "What about the sry?"


    ''If they didn''t agree on the sry, Dixon might be in for it. After all, Carlos is a shrewd businessman, ''


    she thought.


    Like he could read Debbie''s mind, Dixon gave her a smile and nodded, "We''ve already talked about it.


    If I do well, Mr. Huo will start me off as his personal assistant. That''s thanks to our friendship." He took


    a drink and continued, "If I don''t do well, I''ll start at the bottom and try to work my way up. Then my


    sry will be the same as everyone else''s."


    It was not easy to get on with ZL Group. Their starting wages were double anyone else''s. To Dixon,


    Carlos did him a huge favor.

 Chapter 260 Dont Yell At Her

    Chapter 260 Don''t Yell At Her


    "Personal assistant? That''s Emmett''s job. Dixon, you should be careful. Carlos is hot-tempered and


    hard to deal with," warned Debbie. She didn''t mind speaking ill of her husband at all.


    Dixon gave her a friendly smile and said, "I will do my best. I believe Mr. Huo won''t lose his temper for


    no reason. Don''t worry about me, Tomboy."


    Kasie patted Debbie''s shoulder and joked, "How dare you speak ill of your husband! If he finds out,


    he''ll teach you a good lesson."


    Debbie cast a sideways nce at her andughed out loud. "He wouldn''t dare. I can knock him down


    with just one punch." She was a little tipsy, and hence the bragging.


    The rest of them chuckled. Kristina exposed her boast. "Stop bragging, Tomboy. We still remember you


    comining about Mr. Huo''s mastery of martial arts."


    Before Debbie and Carlos got together, she had alwaysined to her friends saying that she


    would''ve thrown him into the ocean a hundred times over if she were stronger than him.


    With an embarrassed smile, Debbie said, "Kristina, you really don''t love me anymore. All you care for is


    Dixon. You''ve betrayed me!" With a pout, shey in Kasie''s arms, staring at Kristina with reproachful


    eyes.


    Kristina picked up a piece of beef omasum and put it onto Debbie''s te. "Honey, stop talking


    nonsense. I love you. Eat this. It''s so crunchy!"


    The instant-boiled beef omasum was Kristina''s favorite food. Debbie loved it as well. She shed a


    broad smile and ate it in a gulp.


    She felt much happier afterughing and talking with her friends.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    However, the topic was somehow brought back to her studying abroad again.


    Jared grabbed Debbie''s hand and told her in a serious tone, "Tomboy, we''ve been friends for so many


    years. I really, really can''t ept that you''re going away. How about this? I''ll tell my dad that I want to


    study in Ennd as well. We can be together again."


    Debbie''s heart sank at his words; she wasn''t willing to leave her friends behind either. Stifling her sobs,


    she picked up a piece of beef for him and said, "Just eat your food and stop joking. If you go to


    Ennd with me, Carlos will beat you to a pulp."


    Jared''s face darkened. "Then what will I do? Are you so cruel that you''d dump me here? We used to


    fight against others, y truant, and drink together. Without you, everything will be so boring. Dixon is


    leaving too. Kasie has a boyfriend. Kristina and I will be left behind."


    It had never urred to Jared that they would part ways with each other so soon. Yes, he had long


    known that they would eventually graduate, work and have a family, and that they would have less time


    to spend with each other. But he had thought that they would all stay in Y City together. But now, two of


    them were going abroad already.


    Debbie''s eyes reddened. She forced a smile and said in a feigned cheerful voice, "Come on, Jared.


    Don''t act like a little girl. You sound like I''m nevering back. My husband is here. I will be returning


    to Y City quite often to keep an eye on him."


    Although Carlos had promised her that he would keep herpany in Ennd, she knew that it would


    be difficult for him to leave Y City in such a short time because of his hectic work schedule.


    Seeing Jared''s long face, Sasha suggested in a low voice, "Why not find a girlfriend to keep you


    company?"


    Jared snapped back impatiently, "A girlfriend is noparison to my friends. I will always value


    Tomboy, Dixon, Kasie and Kristina over any girl."


    Little did he know that what he had just said would be a p in his face in the future.


    Jared''s harsh voice made Sasha feel embarrassed. She lowered her head in dejection. The reason


    why she was here, dining with Debbie and her friends, was that she had called Debbie and told her that


    she wanted to join them too.


    Debbie was pissed off by Jared''s tone towards her cousin. "Jared, Sasha was just trying to console


    you. Don''t yell at her!"


    Jared, who was also in a horrid mood, was instantly provoked. He cast a burning nce at Sasha and


    snapped again, "Don''t follow me around ever again. You''re a real pest!"


    No one had ever called Sasha "a pest" before; she was hurt beyond belief. Her eyes brimming with


    tears, she moved towards Debbie to stay away from Jared.


    Debbie banged her chopsticks on the table and shouted, "Jared Han! Have youpletely lost it? I


    know you are not happy right now, but that''s no excuse for treating Sasha this way. I''ll have you know


    that she has many admirers. You think she''s pestering you? Hah! You''ve got to be kidding."


    Seeing that the two were about to have a fight, the rest of them stepped in. Kasie picked up some food


    for Jared and coaxed them, "Jared, Tomboy, the food is ready. Let''s eat."


    Kristina picked up a slice of pork for Debbie. "Tomboy, hurry up and eat. The meat is over-cooked


    already."


    Dixon poured Jared a ss of beer. "Let''s drink, man. I''ll call a cab for youter."


    "I have no appetite now!" Jared yelled angrily. He wasn''t going to be coaxed easily.


    Debbie was enraged by his attitude. ring at him with fury, she reprimanded, "Are you insane? They


    are trying to appease you, yet you are so ungrateful."


    Jared stood up from his seat abruptly and cursed, "I''m ungrateful? Debbie Nian, this is all your fault! It''s


    all because you got married to Carlos Huo. If it weren''t for that, you and Dixon wouldn''t have to go


    abroad."


    Debbie couldn''t believe it. ''Why is he involving Carlos now? This is ridiculous!''


    She was boiling over with rage. Although she sometimes spoke ill of Carlos, she wasn''t going to allow


    anyone else to do it, even if it was her best friend. "What was wrong with me marrying Carlos? I love


    him, and he loves me. He has me studying abroad for my own good. You have no right to judge him!"


    "Hah! You love him, and he loves you. I''m so touched by your dreamy love story. You can''t be more


    excited to go abroad, can you?" His voice was dripping with so much sarcasm that Debbie couldn''t


    bear it any longer.


    Debbie and Jared were about to exchange real blows. Their friends immediately pulled them away from


    each other. Luckily, the private booth was soundproofed. The other guests had no idea what was


    happening inside the booth.


    Debbie shook Kasie''s hands away, and grabbed Jared by his cor. "You want me to leave as soon as


    possible, right? You were only lying when you said you didn''t want me to leave."


    Jared didn''t deny what she had said. Instead, he yelled, "Oh, yes! Leave soon. You better go to your


    dear husband. I don''t want to see your face right now. Let go of me! You want to fight? I''m no match for


    you, but I won''t let you off so easily either."


    Unable to hold back her anger anymore, Debbie raised her fist and threw it at Jared''s shoulder.


    Jared was about to fight back, but Dixon dragged him backwards so that he wouldn''t make contact with


    Debbie.


    Sasha thought that they were fighting over her, and burst into tears. "Deb, I''m sorry. This is all my fault.


    I shouldn''t havee with you." ''They are best friends, yet they are fighting because of me...''


    "Sasha, don''t cry. This has nothing to do with you. He is an ass. I need to teach him a lesson today!"


    Debbie said. She shook Kasie and Sasha off again and pounced on Jared.


    "Dixon, let go of me!" Jared yelled. Dixon released Jared immediately.

 Chapter 261 Beat Him

    Chapter 261 Beat Him


    Debbie and Jared started exchanging heavy punches. Kasie, Kristina, Dixon, and Sasha watched


    helplessly as Debbie pressed Jared against the floor and beat him mercilessly.


    Jared cursed, "Tomboy, I''m breaking off all ties with you. We''re not friends anymore."


    "Oh really? That''s exactly what I was thinking. I better beat you to a pulp today so that I don''t have to


    see your dumb face again," Debbie snapped back. She hit him blow after blow. Jared could only cover


    his face and try to dodge her punches.


    Wiping off her tears, Sasha grabbed Debbie''s wrist and pleaded, "Deb, don''t hit him. His face is already


    ck and blue."


    Debbie grabbed Jared''s cor with her other hand and said through gritted teeth, "I am not done yet.


    No one is allowed to bully my cousin. Jared, you are no exception."


    Jared''s face was killing him. He shouted at Dixon, "Bro, why are you standing still there? Pull this


    woman off me!"


    He and Debbie used to fight against others all the time, and he thought she was pretty cool. But today,


    he was the one at the receiving end of her anger, and it hurt like hell.


    Dixon said casually, "You asked me to let go of you, and I did."


    Words failed Jared.


    Debbie still refused to let him go. At that moment, her phone rang. Kasie picked it up from the table and


    saw the caller ID. She heaved a sigh of relief. "Tomboy, it''s your husband. Answer it," she said


    anxiously.


    Debbie yelled, "No! Because of him, Dixon and I have to go abroad, and Jared and I are fighting


    against each other." Saying that, she gave Jared another punch in his face.


    Jared cried bitterly, "Tomboy, if it''s your husband''s fault, then why are you still hitting me?"


    Sighing in defeat, Kasie answered Debbie''s phone. In a low voice, she said into the phone, "Mr. Huo,


    we''re in Room 2203. Debbie and Jared got into a fight, and we are unable to stop them. Pleasee


    quickly."


    The phone was disconnected immediately, and within two minutes, the door to the private booth was


    pushed open from the outside. Carlos'' tall figure came into view.


    He felt much relieved when he saw it was Jared who got beaten.


    "Hello, Mr. Huo."


    "Mr. Huo, good evening." Everyone except Debbie and Jared greeted Carlos respectfully.


    Seeing her husband, Debbie wheezed, "Carlos, you are right on time. Beat the hell out of him! I''m


    tired."


    The rest of them gaped at her.


    Carlos pulled his wife away from Jared and stroked her hand. "Your hand must be hurting," he said


    softly.


    "Yeah," she nodded honestly.


    Jared was tall and thin; he had so little fat that it hurt to hit him.


    ''I knew it, '' Carlos thought. He led Debbie to the table and gave her an empty beer bottle. "Here, hit him


    with this. Your hand won''t hurt this way. Go on."


    ''Seriously?!'' The rest of them looked at Carlos in stunned disbelief. ''Is Mr. Huo really here to stop them


    from fighting?''


    Debbie was amused, and her anger evaporated. She put the bottle back on the table, and grabbed


    Carlos'' hand. "Never mind. I''m not angry anymore. If I break his head with the bottle, I will end up in


    jail."


    Dixon and Sasha helped Jared to his feet. His nose was bleeding and his face was swollen. Sasha


    asked anxiously, "Does it hurt? Let me take you to the hospital."


    Ignoring her, Jared looked angrily at Debbie and said, "Humph! You made the right choice. If you beat


    me to death, then there will be no one to back you up when you fight against other people."


    Rubbing Debbie''s hand, Carlos said coldly, "I''ll back her up after your death."


    Jared''s jaw dropped. His anger rose again. "Tomboy, listen to your husband! He''s so cold-blooded that


    he wants me dead."


    Debbie rolled her eyes and snorted, "You deserve it!"


    "I deserve it?" Jared pointed to his bleeding nose in disbelief.


    Debbie shrugged.


    Jared stroked his aching cheek and immediately got an idea to get back at Debbie. "Mr. Huo, Tomboy


    said that she could knock you down with a single punch. Is that true?"


    Debbie didn''t want to stay at the booth any longer because Jared was snitching on her to Carlos.


    "Jared, shut your mouth. I''m leaving. You pay."


    Then she grabbed her bag and pulled Carlos to the door before he could ask anything.


    "Your husband is the richest man in the city, yet you want a poor kid like me to pay the bill. This is


    unbelievable!" Jared stared at their retreating figures, mouth agape.


    Debbie turned her head and made a face. "You heard me. Tonight''s on you. Sasha, let''s go. We''ll drive


    you back home."


    Sasha, however, shook her head and murmured, "Deb, you go back with Carlos. I''ll stay..."


    Debbie looked back and forth between her and Jared, and immediately realized that something was off.


    "Jared, take Sasha back home," she ordered.


    "No! She''s your cousin, not mine!" he snapped.


    Sasha''s heart ached at his refusal. She forced a smile and said, "Deb, it''s all right. I''ll ask my driver to


    pick me up."


    Debbie was really worried about her cousin. ''Does Sasha have a thing for Jared? Oh hell, no!


    He''s a yboy! I should have a talk with Sashater, '' she thought.


    When they exited the hotpot restaurant, a current of cool air blew on their faces. Debbie shivered and


    threw herself into Carlos'' arms. "Get in the car," he said.


    After they got into the car, Carlos looked at her. "Are you still hungry?" he asked.


    He had noticed that about half their food was still on the table.


    "Yes, I am. I want to eat some durian pizza."


    Carlos paused, and then pulled out his phone. He asked, "Anything else?"


    "Hotpot..." They had seldom eaten hotpot together. Carlos was not a fan, but Debbie loved it. She was


    not even full, yet the dinner was ruined by her fight with Jared.


    "Durian pizza, hotpot and...?" He looked Debbie in the eye.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Stumped, she propped her hand against her chin and murmured, "There would be no pizza in hotpot


    restaurants. And pizza shops don''t serve hotpot. I like hotpot more, so I''ll go with that." Carlos hated


    food with durian, and that was why she chose hotpot. It didn''t matter what to eat. She just wanted


    Carlos''pany.


    "Hmm..." Carlos dialed a number. "Prepare a hotpot and some durian pizza. And make some snacks


    and desserts too. I''m on the way."


    ''Really? A restaurant which has both hotpot and pizza?'' Debbie wondered.


    When they arrived at their destination, Debbie saw that the restaurant was called "Home Cuisine."


    Staring at the old-fashioned que and dimly lit courtyard before the restaurant, Debbie asked


    curiously, "This restaurant serves both hotpot and pizza?"


    Carlos grabbed her hand and led her in. "Yeah. The owner is my friend."


    As soon as they entered the yard, someone came over to greet them.


    Debbie turned around to leave when she saw Curtis walking towards them. But Carlos stopped her.


    "Don''t avoid him. He did nothing wrong."

 Chapter 262 Because You’re My Uncle

    Chapter 262 Because You¡¯re My Uncle


    Seeing that Debbie wanted to leave, Curtis smiled with resignation. "Debbie, it''s just a dinner. Come


    on."


    Debbie took a deep breath, but her mind was made up. "I''m not hungry anymore," she said stubbornly


    to her husband, refusing to look at or talk to Curtis.


    Carlos turned around and exined to her, "This is Colleen''s restaurant. And it''s expensive, to boot.


    Let''s just eat and let Curtis pay the bill? We can rip him off. It''ll be fun."


    "Since when do you care about money?" Debbie retorted curtly. The VIP card for the fifth floor of Alioth


    Building cost a million each. Carlos had given Debbie and each of her closest friends a card like that


    without blinking. Of course, right now, he wasn''tining about the cost. He was trying to pull a


    prank.


    With a smile, he coaxed, "Hey, I get it. But you''re hungry, right? Since we''re already here, let''s get


    something to eat."


    Debbie knew Carlos wouldn''t let her leave, so she reluctantly followed the two men inside. Nothing


    would be gained by continuing to resist, so she decided maybe she was hungry, after all.


    Curtis led them into a booth. Before they walked in, a waiter had already carried a pot of soup stock


    inside the booth, and put it on the stove to heat it. A faint delicious smell filled the air when the three


    stepped inside.


    They took their seats. Debbie sat next to Carlos, and Curtis was on his other side.


    Soon, the waiter brought in several ingredients so they could finish making the hot pot. There was


    thinly slicedmb and goat, beef, egg noodles, bok choy, crown daisy and winter melon, spinach,


    lettuce, carrots, taro, daikon, and watercress. Not to mention various condiments like soy sauce, garlic,


    white pepper and XO sauce. The ingredients here were much more exquisite than those she had eaten


    at other hot pot restaurants she''d tried. This ce looked like it catered to an upscale clientele. Which


    was appropriate since she was here with Carlos.


    Assuming Curtis and Carlos were going to eat with her, she didn''t stop the waiters from bringing in dish


    after dish. There was enough for a sumptuous feast.


    When the stock started boiling, Curtis picked up some ingredients and threw them in. Debbie didn''t see


    everything he used, but there was definitely some goat and daikon. When the food was ready, Carlos


    fished it out of the pot with his chopsticks, putting it on Debbie''s te. She ate withoutint and


    life was good. At least for now.


    When there was a lull, she looked around at the two men she ate with, and noticed they hadn''t touched


    their chopsticks. "Why aren''t you two eating?" she asked Carlos.


    ncing at the greasy beef rolls he had between his chopsticks, he shook his head and replied, "I


    already ate."


    "Me too. I ate when Carlos did," said Curtis.


    Tonight, they had gone to the same dinner and left at the same time. Afterwards, Carlos had gone back


    to the manor, and Curtis hade to this restaurant.


    ''So they''re just here to keep mepany while I eat?'' Debbie suddenly felt embarrassed.


    Although she didn''t want to talk to Curtis, she couldn''t let two men spend their evening making sure she


    ate well. She wasn''t that delicate. "Guys, I''m good here. You two must have something to talk about.


    Go ahead."


    Curtis smiled. "I came here to apologize."


    "Apologize? To whom? Why?" Debbie was puzzled.


    "You tell me," Curtis said. "Why did you get pissed when you learned that I was your uncle?"


    Debbie swallowed her mouthful of veggies and answered in a low voice, "Because you''re my uncle."


    "Hey, it took awhile before I figured out you were my niece. Never mind. Just eat." Afraid to bring up


    something that might make her sad, Curtis sat there in silence.


    Debbie kept eating, and kept a silent vigil at the table.


    Though the pot was still crammed with food. Curtis stood up and walked out of the booth.


    When the door was finally closed, Debbie raised her head and stared at it. "Is he mad at me?" she


    asked Carlos.


    The expression on her face made Carlos want tough. ''Isn''t she angry at him? Why should she give a


    rat''s ass about how he feels?'' he mused. "Probably."


    He decided to tease her.


    Debbie looked down at her bowl. "Whatever. He''s a Lu family member. They''re all the same." Being


    abandoned by her mom was like an ugly scar. Every time she thought about it, it still throbbed. She


    hated all the Lus. Since Curtis was a member of the Lu family, it jumped right to her head that he was


    probably just as bad as her mom and her maternal grandfather.


    "No, he''s in your corner," Carlos pointed out sinctly, taking care not to upset her. Lord knew she''d


    been through enough, and he decided that she didn''t need to be angry forever. Hopefully, this would


    blow over. But he needed to use kid gloves when handling her for a bit.


    Debbie sneered, "How? I swear, I never met him before Economics and Management School."


    She didn''t believe a total stranger would take her side.


    Our hero decided that he really did need to exin. She just refused to see it right now. "Tell me, Curtis


    ever hurt you?"


    Debbie shook her head. "Old man, you''vee down on me for talking during a meal..."


    Obviously, that wasn''t something she wanted to talk about.


    Carlos sat in stunned silence for a moment. ''I guess I can drop it, but did she have to use my own


    words against me?''


    After a while, Curtis was back. He carried a tray with a durian pizza on it. It smelt so good even the


    thick smell of the hot pot couldn''t disguise it. It made Debbie''s mouth water and her stomach growl.


    She stared at the pizza eagerly, but since Curtis was carrying it, it was embarrassing for her to tell him


    she wanted a piece now.


    The two men exchanged a look and smiled at each other when they saw the eager look in her eyes.


    Curtis put the pizza down on the table and sliced it evenly. Then he took a piece out of the pie, put it on


    a te, and handed it to Carlos.


    Carlos set it in front of her and said, "Go ahead. Curtis made it himself."


    Debbie was surprised. ''Curtis can make pizza?''


    She wasn''t sure whether she should eat it at first. She was still mad, after all. Nheless, after a


    moment''s hesitation, she picked up the pizza slice and took a bite.


    It tasted divine.


    Then there was nothing left on her mind but the enticing taste of durian. She wolfed the entire piece in


    moments. Curtis offered her a second slice. Then he took a small box from the next table and handed it


    to her. "You''re going to Ennd the day after tomorrow, right? I bought an apartment for you there. It''s


    close to your university. And..." He dangled the keys in front of her. "Please. It''s my way of making it up


    to you."


    She was absolutely shocked. This was thest thing she expected. ''An apartment in Ennd? Near my


    university?


    That must have cost a fortune. Mind blown.'' She looked at Carlos and asked, "So why is he paying for


    all this?"


    Carlos didn''t know how to respond. It was not like he was poor. He could probably support a dozen


    Debbies if it came to that.


    "Why did you allow him to buy me an apartment? Aren''t you always jealous? Why didn''t you stop him?"


    Both Carlos and Curtis


    were dumbstruck. This wasn''t the reaction they were expecting.


    Instead of taking the keys, Debbie gulped down another slice of pizza angrily. Carlosforted her,


    "He''s your uncle, he''s family. Besides, I don''t want you to sleep in the dorm. If you take the keys, we


    can live there together."


    "He''s not my uncle. I didn''t say it, you did. So he''s your uncle, not mine." Debbie rolled her eyes at


    Carlos.


    "Well, my uncle is also yours," he retorted.


    "No, he''s not. If this gift were from anyone else, then I''d take them."


    "What about Gus? He''s family too." Gus was the same age as Debbie, but since he was Curtis'' brother,


    legally, he was Carlos'' uncle-inw too. Carlos felt frustrated at the thought.


    "Of course not. Don''t even try that, Carlos. You just like Curtis'' money. Mr. Lu, I appreciate it, really. But


    I can''t." On one hand, the present was too much. On the other hand, she didn''t want anything to do


    with her mom, the woman she had never met.


    Curtis didn''t mind her reaction. He said with a smile, "It''s okay if you blow off my apology. Take the


    keys. Consider the apartment ate wedding present for you and Carlos."


    Hearing this, Carlos took the keys for Debbie and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lu."


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Debbie nced at her husband and scoffed, "Dammit Carlos, where''s your dignity?"

 Chapter 263 Leaving Alone

    Chapter 263 Leaving Alone


    Carlos burst intoughter and shook his head. Putting a boiled shrimp into Debbie''s mouth, he said,


    "There''s no need to be dignified in front of Curtis." He and Curtis had been friends for nearly twenty


    years. But he had never expected that Curtis would someday be his uncle-inw. Debbie felt


    stumped when Carlos put the keys inside her bag.


    She hesitated for a moment and then decided not to worry about it anymore.


    The two men talked business while she ate. When the meal was finished, Debbie touched her stuffed


    belly, which was the size of a football. "I shouldn''t have eaten so much. It''s almost bed time. I haven''t


    run or done any yoga recently. If I keep going on like this, I''ll be fat soon."


    Carlos rubbed her soft belly and said, "Don''t worry about that. You might have skipped running and


    yoga, but you''ve been engaging in other forms of exercises. With my help, you will stay fit.


    " Debbie was confused.


    She looked at him and then at Curtis. The grin on Curtis'' face had her realize what Carlos had meant.


    Embarrassed, she pinched her husband''s arm without letting Curtis see. "Shut up," she snapped


    quietly.


    "Fine," he responded. And he kept his mouth shut for the rest of the meal.


    It started drizzling as they walked out of the restaurant, drowning Debbie''s hopes of taking a walk after


    the big meal.


    Carlos took her back home after saying goodbye to Curtis.


    When they entered their bedroom, he asked while holding her in his arms, "Are you still feeling too


    full?"


    She shook her head immediately, afraid to admit that she was. She knew how Carlos was in the


    bedroom. "I''m going to take a bath. You can go and get some work done in the study if you are bored."


    "Want me to join you in the bath?"


    "No, no. I reek of hot pot. You won''t like the stench." With that, she ran into the bathroom. Lying against


    the headboard, Carlos smiled at her receding back.


    The next morning, Debbie woke up after Carlos had left for work. She freshened up quickly and started


    packing.


    At the airport


    Debbie got out of the car and her driver handed her the luggage. "Thank you, Matan," she said.


    "When you get there, you will be on your own. Please take care of yourself. Call Mr. Huo if you need


    anything," he reminded her.


    "Got it. Thank you. You take care too."


    "Bye, Mrs. Huo."


    "Bye, Matan."


    Debbie turned around and walked towards the departure lounge.


    But before she could reach the lounge, someone shouted, "Isn''t that Mrs. Huo?"


    "Looks like her. Let me check the picture on my phone. Yes, it''s her! Hurry!" a second voice urged.


    "Mrs. Huo! Mrs. Huo! Debbie Nian!"


    More and more shouts rose behind her. She turned around to find a dozen men carrying cameras


    running towards her.


    ''Reporters!'' she screamed in her head.


    Memories fromst time when she had been besieged by reporters came flooding back to her. She


    certainly didn''t want to relive that experience. Besides, missing her flight was thest thing she wanted.


    Pulling her luggage with her, she started zigzagging through the crowd.


    "Mrs. Huo, please wait! Mrs. Huo..." the reporters cried as they chased her.


    As a one-time half marathon bronze medalist, and as the best runner in her university, Debbie was not


    that easy to catch up with.


    She ran, she hid, and she finally got onto the esctor quietly. The heavy luggage was holding her


    back. She could have easily ditched the reporters who were following her.


    However, with her eight-decimeter-long suitcase, it took her ten minutes to get rid of all of the


    enthusiastic media people.


    After making sure that no one was following her, she hid under a staircase to catch her breath.


    ''Carlos is so much trouble. I can''t even get on a ne peacefully, '' she fumed.


    She quickly opened her suitcase and changed into another coat. She put on a baseball cap and


    sunsses to cover half her face. She even wiped off the candy lipstick she was wearing and put on a


    shade of blush before walking out again.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Not untilter that evening did Carlos find out that Debbie was gone. He had intended to take her out


    for dinner and called her several times, but her phone was switched off all the while.


    Then he called the house phone in the manor. A housemaid stammered out the truth when she heard


    his cold voice. "Mrs. Huo...left the house this morning."


    "Where did she go?" he asked coldly after a short pause.


    "She packed her things and asked Matan to drive her to the airport. And she left a message for you,


    Mr. Huo¡ª ''See you in Ennd.''"


    Carlos hung up without a word.


    Ten-odd minutester, he called Emmett in and asked calmly, "Emmett, how is the investment n in


    Southon Vige going?"


    Emmett had been in dread of Carlos finding out the truth ever since he had bought the air ticket for


    Debbie. Every time his boss called him in, his heart would race crazily.


    But this time he knew it. His boss had found out. Pretending to be calm, he answered, "The investment


    has been made, and the construction has begun."


    "Good. I want you to go there to supervise the project. Don''te back until it ispleted."


    ''To Southon Vige? '' With a pitiful face, Emmett exined defensively, "Mr. Huo, you know about Mrs.


    Huo''s temper. I had to do what she told me to."


    Carlos gave him a cold re. "It sounds like you think I have a good temper."


    Emmett shook his head. "No, that''s not what I meant. Mr. Huo, it wasn''t my fault. Please reconsider."


    "Get out!"


    "Mr. Huo..." Emmett felt defeated. Although Southon Vige was being reconstructed, the conditions


    there were still poor.


    He couldn''t live there. And he couldn''t wait. He had to reach Debbie and ask her for help before setting


    out.


    In Ennd


    Debbie received Emmett''s call as soon as she got off the ne. "He already knows, doesn''t he?" she


    asked directly.


    "Yes. And Mr. Huo is sending me off to Southon Vige. Please help me, Mrs. Huo." Emmett wiped the


    sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He was relieved that the call had finally been


    connected. He had been trying to get a hold of her for so long.


    "Okay. I''ll try my best." Debbie hailed a cab and gave the address of the house Curtis had bought for


    her to the driver.


    She had asked Carlos about it the night before. And her husband had almost seen through her n.


    Carlos'' phone had rung several times before he finally answered it. She began with a giggle, "I knew


    you would be busy, but I also knew that you would insist on seeing me off at the airport. I didn''t want to


    waste your time. That''s why I left quietly."


    There was no response from the other end.


    Debbie knew what she had done was wrong. She went on, "I had a safe flight. And see? I''m calling you


    right after the nended. Also, I''m heading for the house...er... Mr. Lu bought for me, just as you told


    me, all right?"


    Carlos only grunted slightly.


    "Fine. I apologize. What I did was wrong. I''ll wait for you in Ennd. Come as soon as you can, okay?"


    Still not a word from Carlos.


    Since coaxing wasn''t working, Debbie changed her strategy. "Old man, you suggested that I study


    abroad yourself. Why are you angry about it now?"


    "I suggested it, but I didn''t ask you to leave alone," Carlos finally spoke.

 Chapter 264 Mr. Huo’s Smile

    Chapter 264 Mr. Huo¡¯s Smile


    The driver was British. Debbie was pretty sure he couldn''t understand Chinese, so she decided to


    continue talking to Carlos in her native tongue. She smiled and cajoled Carlos, putting on her sweetest


    voice. "I decided a couple days ago. I was in a bad mood then. Can you stop being mad at me, honey?


    You know how much I love you. I''m wearing the watch you bought me."


    She was also wearing the ring Carlos got her. Only, she was wearing it around her neck as a ne,


    just like before.


    "Are you also wearing the studs Hayden bought you?"


    "No. I already mailed those back and blocked his number. Honey, my love for you is as pure as


    moonlight and as deep as the sea."


    At the other end of the line, hearing Debbie''s deration of love, Carlos grinned from ear to ear. "You''re


    set up with drivers, bodyguards, and cooks. I''ve got a friend you can call if things go south. I''ll text you


    her numberter."


    "Okay, okay, whatever you say, honey. So can Emmett stay?"


    For a moment, Carlos went silent again. She could tell she said something wrong. She was also sure


    he''d let her know about it. ''So that''s what all this is about.''


    "Hee hee, Mr. Handsome..." Debbie pleaded with a giggle.


    "Debbie!" her husband snapped.


    "Yeah?" she replied immediately.


    "So it''s about Emmett again. Do you remember how many times you''ve tried to get me to go easy on


    him?" Every time Emmett made a mistake, she would plead with Carlos for him, sweeter and softer


    than ever. She wouldn''t even do that for herself. But she liked the guy. He was well-meaning, no matter


    what.


    "I just don''t want him in trouble because of me. He helped me out. And you didn''t thank him but instead


    n to exile him to some remote vige. That''s not fair."


    "He deserves it," Carlos said firmly.


    His stubbornness frustrated Debbie. "Alright, I won''t take up more of your time. Bye, Mr. Huo." Her tone


    became icy cold.


    Carlos rubbed his throbbing temples. Before she hung up, he said, "Okay, okay. He''s not in hot water


    anymore. Happy?


    " Debbie said joyfully, "Thank you, honey. Muah!"


    Carlos let out a silent sigh. "And don''t think you can get away with this again. You know this pisses me


    off!" he warned.


    "No problem. I promise I won''t do it again. Honey, you''re the best." Her voice was sweet as candy.


    After hanging up the phone, Debbie turned to look out the car window. The scenery was so different


    than in China. All sorts of things from farms to littlemunities could be seen on the drive. Half an


    hourter, the car rolled to a stop in front of a building in Manchester, where her apartment was.


    It was an upscale 17-floor block of ts located in the heart of the city center. Close to all sorts of


    businesses from chains to mom and pop shops, she was truly set if she wanted to step out for a bite to


    eat or do some shopping. What was more, it was a short walk to a bus stop.


    The entrance was framed by a row of beautiful colonnades, and she''d have to head through an ornate


    set of double doors of chestnut stain with borate ss work. Just when Debbie located the entrance,


    checking it against the address, and strode to the doors, a plump white-haired Chinese woman


    happened to be walking that way.


    The older woman quickened her pace, trying to catch up to Debbie. "Excuse me, are you Mrs. Huo?"


    Debbie nodded. "Yes, and you are?"


    Excitement sparked in the older woman''s eyes. She took Debbie''s suitcase and replied, "I''m Ethel. Mr.


    Huo hired me to take care of you."


    "Oh, thank you, Ethel."


    The elevator took her and Ethel to the sixth floor. There were two apartments on this floor. Brass


    characters bolted into the door read "601."


    The apartment was huge, at least 200 square meters. Debbie marveled at its simple yet sumptuous


    decor. There was a leather couch in one corner, and a white fabric one in the other. A ss end table


    held an ornatemp, while a coffee table, also with a ss top, stood in front of the leather couch.


    There were little cubbies to store things like shoes and such, and arge t-screen TV hung from a


    fixture on the wall. She had a corner space, and the fishbowl windows offered her an amazing view of


    the city. And that was just the living room.


    ''Money has its rewards, '' she eximed inwardly.


    Ethel Mei told Debbie that since she loved traveling, Carlos had a camera outfitted for her. She didn''t


    have to go to university right away. The driver and bodyguards could take her sightseeing for a couple


    days. The more Ethel Mei talked, the happier Debbie got. She could get used to this. Real used to it.


    Carlos had also found her a local tour guide. If she didn''t want a stranger''spany, she could go to


    the tourist attractions without him. But wherever she went, so did the bodyguards. Carlos wasn''t willing


    to leave anything to chance.


    Although Debbie had traveled to a lot of ces, she almost never used a guide. So she decided not to


    use one either this time. Assuming she''d be exhausted, she spent the first day resting at home and


    didn''t set out until the next day. She grabbed the camera and asked the driver to take her to the most


    famous tourist attraction in the city.


    She found an open-air restaurant, so she took a picture of her food and sent it to Carlos. "Mr.


    Handsome, the French fries here are awesome. Come and have a taste," she said in her text.


    But before she finished the draft, she discarded it.


    When their marriage had been a secret, she had never disyed her love for Carlos in public.


    Now that the whole world had known she was Carlos'' wife, she thought, why not? So she posted what


    she was going to say to Carlos in the Moments on WeChat instead.


    "Honey, the French fries in this restaurant are amazing. I''m waiting for you toe steal a few from my


    te," she said.


    Below these words was the picture she had taken. She also sent her location along with it, and then it


    was done.


    This was the first time she had dered her love for Carlos in Moments. She wondered if he''d


    comment on her post. ''He probably will. But what if he doesn''t?'' They had few mutual friends, but there


    were people who knew them both.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    It would be messed up if he didn''t respond in kind.


    And she was so worried she couldn''t even enjoy the delicious food anymore. She stared at her phone.


    Her mind was fully upied by thoughts of Carlos. ''Has he seen my post? Why hasn''t he said anything


    yet?''


    Then her phone tinkled. She grabbed it quickly to read the message, but it was other people asking her


    meaningless questions.


    Her update had racked up more than two hundred likes. But still, there was no trace of Carlos.


    ''He must be busy. He''llmentter, '' sheforted herself.


    Looking at the food on the table, French fries, roast steak, beef pie, roast chicken... suddenly, she


    understood why Carlos had hired Ethel Mei to take care of her.


    She didn''t feel so hot right now. Her stomach just didn''t seem to like this kind of food. It was okay to eat


    it once, maybe twice, for a change of pace. But to eat it every day would kill her.


    ''Carlos is so thoughtful. He is so good to me, '' she thought happily.


    She picked up her phone to check thements, and then she saw something from Carlos!


    Her eyes were glued to the screen, hands holding the phone tightly¡ªshe didn''t want to miss one single


    word. "Mrs. Huo, you''re waiting for me to eat junk food with you?"


    ''Junk food?'' Debbie stared at the fries. ''Never mind. He doesn''t have much time toment, because


    he''s so busy.'' Then she replied to hisment, "Yes, if you love him, take him to eat junk food."


    In his office, Carlos smiled at her words. Zelda, who was doing a report, was confused. ''I''m talking


    about something serious and irritating. Why is Mr. Huo smiling? What''s so funny?''


    She checked the file from beginning to end but found nothing amusing.


    "Um, Mr. Huo..." Zelda said cautiously.


    Instantly, Carlos'' smile was gone. He looked at her with a poker face and said, "You''re in charge of this


    project. Now that there''s a problem, it falls on you guys to make it right."


    "O-Okay, Mr. Huo," she replied nervously.

 Chapter 265 Carlos Is Sick

    Chapter 265 Carlos Is Sick


    Debbie had been in Ennd for a few days now. The day she reported to her university, she met


    someone she was familiar with.


    Gus, who had always been an odd egg, ran towards her with a huge smile on his face. "Debbie, long


    time no see," he said, aplex look in his eyes.


    Debbie looked at him and walked past without a word.


    ''What did I do wrong?'' he mused with a confused frown.


    But it didn''t matter. The thought that he was actually Debbie''s uncle put him in a good mood again.


    He caught up with her and proimed, "Niece, as your uncle, I havee here to keep youpany.


    Are you moved? Come on! Call me ''Uncle''."


    The truth was that he didn''t want to study abroad at all, because that meant being away from his


    girlfriend. Curtis had tricked him intoing here.


    Making Debbie call him "Uncle" was the only thing he was interested in at the moment.


    Debbie stopped and looked at him coldly. "I''m sorry. Do I know you? Get away from me."


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Gus was stunned by her rude tone. It was not until then that he sensed there was something wrong


    about her behavior towards him.


    His happy face disappeared. He shouted at her back, "Debbie Nian, I was just asking you to call me


    ''Uncle'', as you rightly should. Do you have to pull such a long face for that?"


    Without so much as a pause, Debbie walked straight towards her ssroom.


    ''Damn that Curtis!


    Why does he put me on such frustrating tasks every time?'' he wondered sullenly.


    On the eighth day she was in Ennd, Debbie video-called Carlos and learned that he was sick.


    She asked Emmett how it happened, and he told her that ever since she had gone to Ennd, Carlos


    hadn''t gone back to the manor even once. He ate and slept at thepany and worked more than ten


    hours a day. The long hours, stress, andck of sleep eventually damaged his health.


    Today was the third day he had been sick, but he had taken no medicine and insisted on working


    without a break.


    Worried, Debbie made him go to the hospital by coaxing, ordering, and threatening him all at once.


    Even so, she still didn''t believe that Carlos would take his pills like he was supposed to.


    During recess, she sent Carlos a message asking, "Did you take your medicine? Take a picture so that


    I can see it for myself."


    She didn''t get any reply. Instead, she got a domestic call from an unknown number. "Hello?" she


    answered.


    "Aunt Debbie, it''s me. Uncle Carlos hasn''t taken his medicine yet. He''s having a fever of 39¡æ. I''ve tried


    to persuade him, but he won''t listen. You try.


    " It was Megan.


    Debbie couldn''t figure out why the girl had called her all of a sudden. "Where is he?"


    "In the meeting room. He left his phone in his office on charge. I didn''t mean to pry into his personal


    messages. When your message came, the phone screen lit up, and I saw it identally. And..."


    Debbie hung up while Megan was still exining the situation.


    She called Emmett, but he was in another city on a business trip. She asked him for another assistant''s


    phone number, and she finally got hold of Carlos.


    Debbie sounded as calm as still water. "You have high fever. Why are you still working? Do you want


    me to buy an air ticket ande back to take care of you right away?"


    Carlos smiled. "This meeting is very important. I promise I''ll take my medicine as soon as it''s over,


    okay?"


    "No. I want to see you take your medicine right now."


    ''He''s a grown man. Why can''t he take proper care of himself?''


    Carlos sighed. "Okay, I''ll go to my office and take it right away."


    After returning the phone to Ashley, he walked back to his office. Megan was doing her homework at


    his desk. "Did your aunt Debbie call on my phone?" he asked her.


    Megan drew back her head in fear and answered honestly, "No, she left you a message. I''m sorry,


    Uncle Carlos. I didn''t mean to read it. Your phone was right there on the desk. I saw the message


    identally. And I was worried about you."


    Carlos unplugged his phone silently. Then he said, "The rain has stopped. When you finish your


    homework, I''ll ask the driver to take you home."


    "All right. I''ll need another ten minutes." Megan continued with her homework.


    Looking at her lowered head, Carlos sank into deep thoughts for a moment.


    When he came back to his senses, he made a video-call request to Debbie. It was epted at once.


    Debbie had been sitting under a big tree, waiting for his message.


    Video chatting had be the main means by which Carlos and Debbiemunicated with each


    other these past few days.


    He fixed his phone on the stand so that Debbie could watch him as he got a ss of water and took his


    pill.


    However, through the camera lens, Debbie could see not only Carlos, but also Megan, who was doing


    her homework at his desk. Her eyes burned at the sight of the girl, and her cheeks puffed with anger.


    At that moment, she realized how stupid she had been to ask Carlos to send her abroad so early. Now,


    she wouldn''t know about it if Megan seduced Carlos again.


    She cursed herself a million times. Carlos picked up his phone after taking the pill. That was when he


    saw Debbie''s unhappy face. "There was a heavy downpour a while back. It was unsafe to drive, so


    Megan came here for shelter and to do her homework. She will leave as soon as she finishes her


    work."


    Debbie made a face. "I didn''t ask. Why are you exining it?" she said, pretending not to care. "All


    right, Mr. Handsome, why don''t you go home and get some rest?"


    "There''s no need for that. It''s just a fever. I''ll get better when the medicine takes effect." Carlos couldn''t


    wait to finish his work in Y City so that he could go to Ennd and be with Debbie. Taking two days off


    meant that he could only go to Ennd two dayster.


    "But you..." Carlos checked the time in his watch and asked, "Shouldn''t you be in ss at this hour?


    Where are you?"


    "Um... I... I''m in my ssroom, of course," Debbie lied.


    "Oh really? Tell me, which university ssroom has a big tree inside it?"


    Caught in the act of cutting ss, Debbie looked up at the cheating tree and giggled, "I was too worried


    about you to stay focused in ss. I had to call you."


    "If you skip ss again, I''ll consider bing an instructor in your university until you graduate, just to


    supervise you," Carlos warned as he walked into his office lounge.


    Debbie stood up and dusted the dirt off her butt. "Mr. Huo, God has endowed you with the ability of


    being an extraordinary CEO and to make money to boost the world''s economic development, not to


    be an instructor in some university. That would be a waste of your talent."


    Carlos put his phone aside and started taking off his suit jacket. "An instructor can cultivate more


    capable minds for the country. In that sense, being an instructor is more meaningful than pushing


    forward the world''s economy."


    "Wait, Mr. Handsome! Why are you taking off your clothes?" Debbie had been running towards her


    ssroom. But when she saw Carlos stripping himself, she stopped in her tracks, not being able to


    take her eyes off the phone screen.

 Chapter 266 Gunshot

    Chapter 266 Gunshot


    Carlos gazed at the big pair of eyes that had widened out of curiosity in his phone screen. "What are


    you thinking? My suit jacket just got dirty." A female client''s perfume was so strong that the entire


    meeting room had been filled with its scent. Even after she had left, Carlos could still smell the scent on


    his jacket.


    Debbie was disappointed. "I thought you were gonna strip for me."


    Carlos picked up a brand-new suit jacket from the closet and put it on. "Wanna watch me strip?"


    Debbie nodded excitedly, "Yes, yes!" The thought of his athletic body made her drool.


    "Go to ss now. You can feast your eyes tonight." Carlos winked.


    Debbie nodded at his maic voice. "All right. It''s a date. Don''t back downter." She started shooting


    towards the ssroom like a bullet.


    Carlos was amused. "I won''t. Bye."


    "Bye!"


    When Carlos walked out of the lounge, Megan was still doing her homework at his desk.


    He looked at her and said tly, "I''m going back to the meeting room. The meeting won''t be over


    anytime soon. Ask Ashley to call a driver for you and tell him to take you home when your homework is


    done."


    "Gotcha. Go back to your work. Don''t worry about me, Uncle Carlos."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Okay."


    Debbie''s days in Ennd were pretty boring. Studying took up most of her time. It surprised her that a


    once hopeless student like her could be studying so hard now.


    Without Carlos, her life was sort of like a photocopier. Every day was just a xerox of the other. It was


    always just ss, yoga, and music.


    Luckily, she had the weekends off to have some fun. Or she would have gone mad already.


    It had been a month and a half since she hade to Ennd. She had been away from Carlos for


    forty-five days. During these days, she reflected on what had happened in Y City in the past. She came


    to a few solid conclusions.


    She had been too hot-tempered. Carlos had been nothing but good to her. No matter how busy he was,


    he always made time to keep herpany. He provided the best for her. Why couldn''t she have been


    more understanding? Why had she canceled the trip with him to the Maldives?


    He had had fights with her over Hayden only because he loved her very much and had gotten jealous


    of her being close to other men. She should have been more patient andforted him.


    And then there was Megan. She always made things worse between Debbie and Carlos. She stirred


    things up and then pretended to be a good girl. She pretended to suck up to Debbie andfort


    Carlos.


    Yet, Debbie had easily fallen into her trap. She had fought with Carlos over Megan. She had forced


    Carlos to send her abroad sooner than needed.


    Now that she was here... It took only one look at the A4 paper with Carlos'' name scribbled all over it to


    know how much she missed him.


    He shouldn''t have been so indulgent with her.


    And Curtis... He did nothing wrong.


    He had been good to her ever since he had found out that she was family. But she had refused him


    coldly. She shouldn''t have taken her hatred towards her mom out on Curtis and Gus.


    She felt so stupid as she thought about everything that she had messed up in the past. She only


    wished that Carlos'' love for her wouldn''t fade because of her past follies.


    She had heard a saying that a person grew up suddenly at some point in their life. It was so true.


    Debbie felt she had be more mature after spending some time alone, thinking.


    She decided to start over with Carlos and treasure what they had. The process had been hard and


    tormenting. But a message from Kasie changed everything again.


    She was pondering over a question on the English test paper when her phone rang. The message from


    Kasie said, "Tomboy, I wasn''t nning on telling you this, but it''s too important. I think as Carlos'' wife,


    you deserve to know the truth. Carlos...he''s injured."


    "What happened?" she texted back immediately.


    "Emmett said that he got hurt while he was trying to save... Megan," Kasie replied.


    "Carlos had asked Emmett not to say a word about it to you. But Emmett slipped it in front of me and I


    felt bad about keeping this from you," she added.


    ''Megan!


    Why is it Megan again?!'' Debbie tried to calm down. She called Carlos immediately, but it was Megan


    who answered the phone. "Where is Carlos?" Debbie asked, suppressing her anger.


    Megan whimpered, "Uncle Carlos is still unconscious. But the doctors said that his situation wasn''t


    critical. The bullet has been removed. He needs to recuperate now."


    "Bullet?! You are saying that is not critical?" Anger and anxiety made Debbie roar, "He was shot in the


    armst time because of you. Where did he get shot this time? Tell me!"


    Megan cried, "Aunt Debbie, I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean for this to happen."


    "Stop crying and tell me where he got shot!"


    Megan stopped wailing and said, "His shoulder..."


    Debbie closed her eyes in pain, too furious to speak. She didn''t know what to say either. She couldn''t


    really me Megan, because her parents had saved Carlos'' life once.


    That afternoon, Debbie bought an air ticket bound for Y City in the evening.


    After spending an hour in the car, ten hours on the ne and another hour in a cab, Debbie dashed


    into the hospital.


    At the entrance to the inpatient department, Debbie stopped and took a few deep breaths to calm


    herself down before climbing up the stairs, hauling her luggage behind her.


    The VVIP inpatient department was always quiet. So, the whisper of the two nurses in the hallway


    could be heard pretty clearly. "I thought she wasn''t Mr. Huo''s wife."


    "No, she is only his niece."


    "Then, what''s with the hugging? She''s not a child. She should have some boundaries."


    Debbie heard every word. ''Even strangers know that Megan should keep her distance from Carlos. But


    she acts like a little girl around him.


    '' Too focused on their gossip, the two nurses only nodded to Debbie as she walked past.


    Debbie heard the sobs from inside the ward even with the door shut.


    With one hand on the doorknob, she took another deep breath and pushed it open.


    Megan was crying in Carlos'' arms. His face was pale. His shoulder was bandaged. One of his hands


    lightly patted the weeping girl in his arms.


    At his bedside were Damon and Zelda.


    Zelda, who was the only one facing the door, saw her first.


    "Mrs. Huo," she greeted Debbie in a surprised voice.


    All eyes fell on her at once. Even Megan raised her head to look at Debbie with her red, swollen eyes.


    The look of delight was so obvious in Carlos'' eyes when he saw Debbie. But then he asked with a


    frown, "Who told you? Why didn''t you tell me that you wereing back?"


    He had specifically asked Emmett, who was close to Debbie, to not break a word to her. How did she


    know?

 Chapter 267 Confrontation

    Chapter 267 Confrontation


    Debbie put her luggage aside and said sarcastically, "If I had told you that I wasing back, I


    wouldn''t have been able to see this moving scene of your sweet niece crying in your arms and you


    comforting her with so much care. It would have been a pity. Am I interrupting, Mr. Huo?"


    Megan stayed in Carlos'' arms, staring at Debbie, who had shown up all of a sudden. As if she had


    entered into some fantasy, she stayed stunned.


    ''Humph!


    Is this bitch trying to provoke me?'' Debbie thought.


    Damon intended to intervene before things got worse, but he recalled that his wife had warned him to


    stay out of their romantic entanglements. So, he said, "My son would have woken up. I have to go


    home and check on him. Bye." And just like that, he left the ward.


    Zelda also sensed the tension in the room. Seeing Damon leave, she said to Carlos, "Mr. Huo, I''ll go


    and make sure your lunch is prepared on time."


    And then, there was only Debbie, Carlos, and Megan left in the ward. Megan finally came to her senses


    and got out of Carlos'' embrace quickly and exined anxiously, "Aunt Debbie, you have


    misunderstood me. I was only worried about Uncle Carlos."


    Debbie''s eyes were fixed on Carlos all the while. Upon hearing Megan''s exnation, she smiled, "I


    didn''t misunderstand anything or anyone. How I envy your close rtionship with your uncle Carlos. If


    only I had such an uncle too..."


    "Megan, give us a minute," Carlos said in a low voice. Megan got up to leave, but Debbie stopped her


    in her tracks. "If you leave, who is gonna take care of your uncle Carlos? I have to study, so I''ll be


    leaving now."


    "Aunt Debbie..."


    "Don''t you dare call me that!" Debbie bellowed, draining the color from Megan''s face.


    "Debbie!" Carlos shifted his eyes from Megan to his angry wife. The sharpness in his eyes were gone.


    There was a tender yearning in them.


    Only they knew how much they had missed each other, how many times they had imagined their


    reunion. But it was never like this; nothing like this.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo, what can I do for you?" Debbie looked at him, her eyes full of sarcasm.


    Carlos waved to her. "Come here."


    Debbie grabbed her luggage and made her way to the door instead.


    "Debbie!" Carlos snarled.


    She didn''t turn around. She shut her eyes, trying to remember how much she had missed Carlos in


    Ennd. He had been the first thing in her mind when she woke up and thest thing in her thoughts


    as she fell asleep. Every song she had listened to reminded her of him. She had missed his scent. Just


    hearing his voice through the phone used to give her butterflies, and she used to smile every time she


    saw his name on her phone.


    She was absolutely sure that Carlos loved her. And she loved the man. Only love could make her miss


    him that much. It couldn''t have been clearer after they had spent so many days apart from each other.


    She wanted to hold him tight and never let go.


    She stood still at the door and half a minuteter, she turned around, tossed her suitcase aside, and


    ran towards Carlos. He was quick enough to spread his right arm to catch her. He put his arm around


    her waist, and Debbie locked her hands around his neck as she ced her lips on his.


    This felt right. This was what their reunion should be like.


    Standing there, Megan opened her mouth to remind Debbie of Carlos'' wound. However, the couple


    were kissing passionately. Embarrassed, she left the ward.


    After what felt like an eternity in his arms, Carlosy her on the bed and quickly got on top of Debbie,


    his hand sliding all over her. Realizing what he was up to, she grabbed his hand and reminded him,


    "You... you''re injured." Her cheeks were red.


    Carlos'' eyes were dark from containing his desire for so long. "I don''t care," he said in a husky voice.


    "I do," Debbie said, pushing him away. She got off the bed and straightened her clothes. She looked at


    him with fake anger and said, "You were being mean to me a moment ago, and now you want to sleep


    with me? You wish."


    "Come back here." He hadn''t seen his wife in more than a month. After the long kiss, he was sweaty


    and stiff all over.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    To his surprise, Debbie pushed the nurse-call button and asked for the doctor-in-charge.


    In under a minute, a group of doctors walked into the ward. "Mr. Huo, how are you feeling? Is


    everything all right?"


    Another doctor said, "Hurry. Mr. Huo doesn''t look well. Examine him."


    Carlos recognized the prank his wife was pulling.


    Debbie was surprised by the number of doctors who had swarmed in. She looked at Carlos, who was


    struggling to suppress his urge with his eyes closed. The hopeless look on his face made her feel


    better. So she said, "He''s fine. The needle seems to be a little crooked. Blood has gotten into it."


    The doctor-in-charge adjusted the needle swiftly. Noticing Carlos'' grimacing face, the doctor asked in


    concern, "Mr. Huo, you don''t look well. What''s the matter?"


    Carlos snapped, "Get out!"


    Not daring to say anything else, the doctor led his subordinates out of the ward quickly.


    Again, it was just the two of them.


    Carlos opened his eyes and said, "Come here." His voice was much more tender.


    Debbie walked over to him slowly. She stood to his left and started unbuttoning his hospital clothes.


    Carlos grabbed her hand tightly.


    Debbie gazed at him. "I just want to look at your wound."


    "It has been bandaged. There''s nothing to look at. Why did youe back without telling me?" Not just


    her, none of his employees in Ennd had informed him of it. ''It looks like I will have to rece them


    all.''


    Debbie wrenched free of his grasp. "How could I stay there any longer? My husband had almost


    be someone else''s."


    "Don''t talk nonsense."


    Debbie didn''t respond. She didn''t think she had said anything wrong.


    Carlos moved aside to make room for her. Then he pulled her onto the bed and said, "Sleep with me."


    "I don''t need any sleep," she objected.


    "Yes, you do," he insisted.


    With Debbie in his arms, and the familiar scent of her around him, Carlos fell asleep soon.


    Debbie was tired too. But the scene she had witnessed earlier kept her awake.


    Assured that Carlos was fast asleep, she got out of his arms and left the bed quietly.


    She wanted a word with Megan.


    Megan was sitting on the bench outside the ward, ying with her phone.


    Seeing Debbie, she put her phone away and smiled without saying anything.


    "I''ll take care of him. You can go," Debbie said coldly.


    Immediately, the expression on Megan''s face changed. Before she could say a word, Debbie warned,


    "Save your crocodile tears for someone else. People might actually think that I''m bullying you. Your


    masquerade won''t work on me."


    Even so, Megan pleaded quietly, "Aunt Debbie, I''m really worried about Uncle Carlos. Can you please


    let me stay here?"


    Debbie wouldn''t buy it. "If you really cared about him, you wouldn''t have let him get shot twice because


    of you. There''s nobody else here, it''s just you and me. Cut the crap and level with me. How long do you


    n on pestering my husband?"

 Chapter 268 The Huos Did It

    Chapter 268 The Huos Did It


    The feigned sadness and weakness disappeared from Megan''s face. She smiled at Debbie


    malevolently. "I love Carlos as much as you do. So how could I leave him alone? Besides, the entire


    Huo family likes me. They hate you. So it should be me asking you, Debbie, when are you gonna


    divorce Carlos?"


    Debbie wanted to p her so badly. Carlos'' rtionship with Megan always bugged her, and every time


    she was justified. "Um...he''s my husband?" It was less a question, and more incredulity that she would


    even ask. "So what if they like you? As long as Carlos loves me, it doesn''t matter if the whole world''s


    on your side."


    Megan smiled conspiratorially. "You really think Carlos loves you?"


    "Of course." She could feel Carlos'' love for her. His every act was drenched in affection for her. Her


    feelings wouldn''t lie. Megan''s words couldn''t change that.


    "If he loves you so much, why didn''t he tell you about the birth control pills you took?"


    Debbie was puzzled. "What?" Though he''d initially been angry, the two had already made up and put


    the issue of the morning-after pills behind them. She wasn''t the most experienced sleuth, so Debbie


    couldn''t figure it out. Why did she test positive for those pills, when she never took any? In the end, she


    had thought it was simply because she had a voracious appetite. Maybe she had eaten something that


    contained the ingredients they tested for. If she ate a lot of it, that would exin the high levels they


    found.


    But now that Megan had brought it up again, not to mention in that weird tone, Debbie knew something


    was fishy.


    "What do I mean? Debbie Nian, you''re pathetically naive. Since we''re both women, I shouldn''t have to


    tell you that I don''t trust men. Carlos may have an open wallet when ites to you. He may buy you a


    lot of pretty things. But that''s not love."


    "Stop!" Debbie interrupted her. "I''m a 22-year-old married woman, you''re 18 and single. Why would I


    think you know anything about men? You''re just trying to get between me and Carlos."


    Megan was young after all. Debbie could see what she was up to. She''d made it clear plenty of times


    that her motives were not pure when it came to Carlos.


    The younger girl bit her lip angrily and said, "Do you know why the tests came back positive? The pills


    had been ground up and put in your food. And the Huos did it. Almost every day. As long as Carlos was


    at home with you in the evening, they made sure you took the pills the next day. He knew it, and said


    zilch to you. That has to suck."


    Every word Megan had said was like a bomb. Debbie felt dizzy now, and the world, which had made


    sense just moments earlier, didn''t. ''Carlos'' family slipped me birth control pills?''


    That was too hard to take. For a moment she thought her ears were messing with her. Then she saw


    the smug look on Megan''s face. She took a few deep breaths to center herself. And finally visibly


    rxed, the tension draining from her shoulders and back. She told herself not to fall into the girl''s trap.


    "Who did it?"


    "I''ll tell you, but you can''t tell Carlos."


    Debbie thought about it for a bit. She wondered what harm it would do. "Deal," she said.


    With Debbie''s promise, Meganughed weirdly. "Your so-called parents-inw."


    ''James and Tabitha.''


    Debbie''s hands balled into fists. She clenched them so tightly that her nails started to dig into her palm.


    She knew James hated her. Debbie could totally believe James was behind it. But Tabitha? She


    remembered the bracelets Tabitha had given her the first day they met. ''She was always nice to me.


    She couldn''t do that.'' "No way. That''s not Tabitha''s style. First you ruin my rtionship with Carlos, and


    now my mother-inw? You are such a bitch!"


    Megan put on an innocent smile and ignored her insult. "Did you forget what she said about you the


    other night? I haven''t... She said you shattered the peace in that family. Afterwards, she told me she


    wanted Carlos to get a divorce and would help me be his wife."


    Tabitha''s usation from that night was still fresh in Debbie''s mind. She hadn''t forgotten. It still stung,


    and it was part of the reason she considered moving out of that house. It had taken Carlos a long time


    tofort her. She calmed down, but never forgot.


    Debbie''s face reddened from the sad memory and the cruel news. Tears welled in her eyes, making the


    world indistinct. She grabbed Megan''s cor, and the younger girl screamed in fear. However, since


    this was the VVIP inpatient department, nurses and doctors were not allowed to wander around unless


    absolutely necessary. It was the uber-private wing. So there were only the two of them in the hallway


    right now.


    Debbie forced Megan against the wall, forearm against her throat. "You''re just hell-bent on stealing


    Carlos away from me, aren''t you?"


    Frightened, Megan turned pale. She stumbled over her next words. "Y-yeah. Everyone deserves to be


    happy. Carlos makes me happy."


    ''Makes her happy?'' Debbie sneered, "So? You screw me over just to be happy?"


    "What''s wrong with that? You''re nothing to me. What do I care? Carlos used to treat me better than any


    other. But since you showed up, he''s only had eyes for you. It''s not fair!" Megan was afraid, but she


    managed to shout out her thoughts anyway. She was already on thin ice. It wasn''t going to do any


    harm to wound Debbie further.


    "Fair? You talk about fair?" Laughing, Debbie tossed Megan aside like a bag of garbage.


    "Ah!" Thrown off bnce, Megan tumbled to the floor and her forehead struck the bench.


    Blood trickled down her face. Feeling the warmth, she reached for her forehead and screamed when


    she saw the red, sticky liquid on her hand.


    In the ward


    Debbie leaned against the window, troublesome as a rebellious teen. Defiantly facing the four men in


    front of her, she remained bold and confident.


    Gesturing wildly, Damon paced furiously around the room. He wanted to curse, but he didn''t dare to.


    He stopped once, like he wanted to say something to Debbie, but all he could do is clench his fists and


    move on.


    Wesley had just arrived to visit Carlos. When he heard about what happened, he stared at Debbie


    gravely. If he could, he would make her a punching bag and strike her repeatedly.


    Curtis kept smiling, because Debbie wasn''t hurt. He had stuck up for Megan before, but only because


    Wesley and Carlos were his buddies. But he much preferred Debbie to Megan.


    Carlos sat on the bed silently, lips dry and pale. If you looked at him you could feel the temperature


    drop.


    It was Damon who finally broke the silence. "Did youe back to see Carlos or hurt Megan?"


    Debbie cast him a sideways look and scoffed, "Yeah right. Because I wanted to hurt Megan. See how


    important she is to me? I even flew back from Ennd for her. Spent 10 hours in a flying tin can. It cost


    a pretty penny though. How about reimbursing me for my trouble?"


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    "Are you high? How could you even talk about that right now? " Damon stared at her with widened


    eyes. It was obvious he was furious with her.


    "Why not? Just think, if I hadn''te back, you wouldn''t have had the chance to rush to her rescue.


    Megan''s guardian angels," she mocked. Her tone was exaggerated to make it sound dramatic.


    Damon''s anger grew.


    Curtis adjusted his sses and cleared his throat. "Guardian angel? Hardly. Well, maybe for Colleen."


    He sounded impartial. But Damon could tell that he was actually on Debbie''s side. ''Curtis spoils her too


    much. Almost like he''s her brother, '' he thought.


    At this point, Carlos fixed Damon with an icy nce, and warned, "You''ve stared at my wife long


    enough." He had been silent not because he was angry at Debbie. He was simply thinking about all the


    drama she caused. He had only slept for a short time, and she''d already gotten into more trouble.

 Chapter 269 Your Wife Is Smarter Than You

    Chapter 269 Your Wife Is Smarter Than You


    Damon was unconvinced by Carlos'' warning. He still thought that Debbie was cruel and that she was in


    the wrong. "Enough? Carlos, Megan had just undergone rescue treatment, and there''s a deep wound


    in her forehead. You want to just let it go?" Damon snapped furiously.


    Earlier, when Megan had seen therge amount of blood gushing from her forehead, she had


    panicked, which caused her the asthma attack again. She was then wheeled into the emergency room


    by the nurses.


    "I mean what I said. That''s enough!" Carlos said sternly. His anger was on the verge of erupting.


    Seeing his angry face, Damon yielded to him at once. He lowered his voice and said, "I should listen to


    my wife and mind my own business¡ªtake care of our baby and work hard to earn more money. I


    shouldn''t havee here to care about others."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie grinned. "Your wife is smarter than you."


    Damon gaped at her, lost for words. This woman belittled him all the time, yet at the same time, praised


    his wife. He didn''t know how to handle her.


    Deep inside, Damon was actually impressed by Debbie''s influence on them. She had hurt Megan, but


    strangely, none of them hated her for it.


    Finally, he gave up. Sighing, he turned to look at the other men in the ward. "Wesley, Carlos, you two


    take care of Megan yourselves. You fostered her, after all. From now on, I''ll focus on being a good dad


    and husband. I won''t meddle in your businesses anymore. And since Carlos has Debbie now, you''d


    better take therger part of the responsibility for Megan, Wesley. Goodbye, everyone."


    Wesley looked at him disbelievingly. ''I''m a bachelor, so I should shoulder more responsibility? I have a


    woman to take care of too, you know! Although she isn''t my girlfriend or wife yet, she will be, if things


    goes smoothly, '' he thought to himself.


    Damon walked towards the doorway. Debbie followed him and asked, "Where are your wife and son? I


    want to see them. I haven''t had a chance to see your newborn yet."


    Damon waved goodbye to her. "You stay here and trouble your own husband. Don''t bug my son. You''re


    a bad example. I don''t want my son to be a troublemaker like you. That would hurt me so much!"


    Debbie went closer to Damon and rested her arm on his shoulder in a sisterly way. But before she


    could utter a single word, a cold voice came from behind her, "Put your hand away!"


    Everyone in the ward knew whom Carlos was talking to.


    Without turning to look at him, Debbie moved her hand away from Damon before speaking. "I wanted


    to give your baby a cash gift. Are you saying you don''t need it? I know it''s not much, but at least it''ll be


    enough to buy half a can of milk powder."


    Damon rolled his eyes. He refused with contempt, "No, thank you. Save your money to buy a ticket


    back to Ennd. It would be a huge favor to us if you leave soon."


    Debbie didn''t mind his rude words at all. Instead, she smiled and opened the door for him while saying,


    "All right, fine." She looked at Carlos and continued, "Honey, Damon said that he didn''t need our cash


    gift."


    Damon had just taken one step out of the ward when he froze. He returned in a sh and confronted


    her, "Hey, hey! Wait a second! Pepper Nian, cut it out. I don''t need YOUR cash gift, but I''ve been


    waiting for Carlos''! His gift is a must! His cash gift will help me live a lot longerfortably."


    Carlos shrugged and echoed his wife, "I guess you don''t need our money."


    Damon panicked. "C''mon, bro..." He turned to Debbie and begged, "Pepper Nian... Um...I


    mean...Debbie, please! I was just kidding. I didn''t mean to hurt you or anything. Don''t do this, okay?


    Come with me, I''ll take you to see my son. He''s handsome, you know, looks just like me..."


    Curtis burst outughing.


    Seeing Debbie and Damon walking away shoulder to shoulder, Carlos yelled again, "Come back!"


    Sensing the jealousy from the overbearing man, Damon moved some distance away from Debbie and


    bade farewell to her apologetically.


    Debbie turned around to throw a re at Carlos and then looked away. She murmured with a pout, "I''ll


    come back when you don''t me me anymore."


    Confused, Carlos asked, "When did I me you?"


    His words dumbfounded Debbie and the two men in the ward. Both Curtis and Wesley were shocked


    by how much Carlos spoiled Debbie. He didn''t me her for anything she did!


    Coming back to her senses, Debbie pointed her finger at the sullen Wesley and said in an innocent


    tone, "But your friend is ming me..."


    Caught off guard, Wesley was stumped. ''Why get me involved? This is a bicker between you two, '' he


    sighed.


    Carlos looked at his friend and said coldly, "Wesley, leave my wife''s matters to me. Please go back. I''m


    fine here."


    Wesley nodded and left the ward without any hesitation.


    Debbie couldn''t believe what she was hearing. ''I hurt Megan, but Wesley just let me off? Unbelievable!''


    With a triumphant smile, she rushed to the door and stuck her head out to look at Wesley''s receding


    figure. She shouted, "Colonel Li, your girlfriend is lovely and very beautiful. I like her a lot. Please bring


    her over next time so that I can have some fun with her!"


    Wesley turned around and spat, "She''s not my girlfriend!"


    Debbie giggled. ''I didn''t even specifically mention whom I was referring to. Why are you so angry?


    You''re just stubborn, Wesley!'' Sheughed and shook her head.


    As Wesley walked across the corridor, someone suddenly sprang out from nowhere and blocked his


    path. As a reflexive military officer, Wesley defended himself and attacked swiftly.


    The man was helplessly pressed against the wall; his arms were locked on his back by one of Wesley''s


    hands and his face was pressed to the cold concrete wall by the other. He groaned in pain, "Hey! It''s


    me, Damon. Calm down!"


    Hearing his voice, Wesley finally took a closer look at his friend and loosened his hands to let him go.


    Massaging his aching cheek, Damon protested furiously, "Bro, you and Carlos need to change your


    attitude! Both of you are so vignt and enjoy taking preemptive action."


    Damon had experienced the same misery twice by Carlos. Since then, he never dared to show up in


    front of him out of the blue.


    Wesley had seldom been alone with Damon in the past, because thetter used to be a member of a


    gang called the Macro Gang. Normally, they should be enemies to each other. Damon used to work in


    the underworld, while Wesley was in thewman business.


    So secretly, Damon was always scared of Wesley. He knew that if he did something that crossed the


    line, he would definitely be caught and locked up in jail by this righteous fellow.


    But Damon had dropped out of the gang, for his wife''s sake. So he could finally feel more rxed while


    facing Wesley and they had more chances to be together now.


    Wesley gave him a contemptuous nce and chided, "You''re a mature adult. Can you stop being so


    childish?"


    Damon wasn''t in the mood to argue with him. He stretched out his right hand in front of him, palm up,


    as if he was asking for something. Wesley coldly squinted at his hand and joked, "What? You want me


    to cut your pinky and sell it? Is it worth anything?"


    Damon was furious and he red his nostrils in anger. He touched his chest to suppress his anger.


    "You''re a mature man too. Can you stop being this snarky and sharp-tongued every day? Forget it! I


    don''t want to bother myself arguing with you at the moment. Where''s your pistol? Give it to me now.


    You remember our bet, right? You see how Carlos spoils his wife now? Even we don''t me her for


    anything anymore. So you know who the winner is, don''t you?"


    At the beginning of Carlos and Debbie''s rtionship, Wesley and Damon had made a bet. Damon


    believed that Carlos would be a ve to his wife, but Wesley didn''t think so. Now, the result of the


    bet was obvious, judging from how Carlos didn''t dare me Debbie even after she hurt Megan.


    Even as Debbie''s husband, Carlos didn''t think to teach her a lesson, let alone Wesley or other friends


    of his. They could do nothing but turn a blind eye on whatever Debbie did.


    Wesley used to stand by Megan''s side whenever she had a conflict with Debbie. But recently, he had


    started feeling that something was wrong with Megan. She had be unpredictable and had taken


    the initiative to provoke Debbie time and again, which of course, made it even more impossible for


    Wesley to me Debbie.

 Chapter 270 Lets Get A Hotel Room

    Chapter 270 Let''s Get A Hotel Room


    "No way!" Wesley red at Damon, bearing his anger. In his mind, he cursed Carlos, ''Carlos Huo, I''m


    so disappointed in you. Aren''t you well known as a cold and overbearing CEO? How can you surrender


    to a woman so easily? You''re too weak! Now I lost my bet because of you!''


    That blunt reply got on Damon''s nerves. He snapped in a displeased tone, "Wesley Li, are you a man


    or not?"


    Stone-faced, Wesley squinted at Damon and teased, "Am I a man or not? You want to check it for


    yourself?" Then he dropped the F word, in such a casual way, you''d think he was a crackhead from the


    backstreets.


    A chuckle rang in the corridor all of a sudden. But obviously, it was not Damon who had let out this


    chirpy chuckle.


    ''Who''s thatughing?''


    In confusion, the two of them simultaneously turned and looked towards the elevator, where the


    chuckle hade from. There stood near the elevator was a woman, staring at them with a smiling


    face that indicated she had stood there for some time, watching them argue. ''Holy cow!'' Wesley cursed


    when he realized it was ir. "When did you sneak up on us?"


    Earlier, they had reached the hospital together and then separated, each one to their own businesses.


    Wesley hade to visit Carlos while ir hade to visit her friend. She said there was something


    she wanted to pick from the friend. They''d agreed to meetter on, and Wesley would drive her back


    home.


    It only happened that ir didn''t take long at her friend''s ce. Since she had a lot of time on her


    hands, she had done a little window shopping on the street nearby the hospital and gone to a cafe for


    coffee until it was time toe here as agreed. For a few minutes, she had tried to wait outside, but it


    was a little too cold. So she decided toe in and head upstairs where she knew he was. But the


    moment she stepped out of the elevator, she had identally overheard an improper talk that was


    going on between these two men. Stealthily, she had sneaked up on them, until she couldn''t move


    anymore, without being noticed. She had leaned against the wall only a minute before Wesley snapped


    with the profanity that made her chuckle. But immediately she had realized it was a crude remark that


    wasn''t funny at all.


    Now seeing ir covering her mouth, as if she was undecided between amusement and anger at his


    tastelessnguage, Wesley asked with a dark face, "Is it funny?"


    To which ir retorted, "It''s more thoughtless than funny, if that''s what you thought. Such a t joke,


    unless the two of you are used to suchnguage from the gutter." Trying her hardest to maintain a calm


    face, she added, "I never knew... Colonel Li, you have homosexual tendency..."


    Damon who had stood and watched her reaction quietly now spoke, taking the chance to throw in


    wisecrack. In a mock gesture of flirting, he echoed ir''s retort by holding Wesley''s shoulders and


    winking suggestively. "Wesley, let''s get a hotel room now."


    Unable to hold back herughter, sheughed and shot back, "Oh, now, that''s funny!" Then she


    noticed Wesley''s deadpan face and angry re. But she didn''t care and looked him straight in the eye,


    as she keptughing loudly.


    Awkward, Wesley softly kicked Damon in the shins and spat coldly, "Get your dirty fingers off my


    shoulders. I''ll be at the barrackster. See me at the camp if you want my pistol!" Then he made two


    quick steps to ir, grabbed her by the arm and left straight away.


    When ir saw the direction which he was dragging her towards, she stammered something in


    surprise and protested at once. "Hey, I need to take the elevator!" she excused herself. ''Is Wesley


    serious that we are taking the staircase, from right here on the 18th floor!? Jeez! Doesn''t he even care


    that I''ve been up and down the whole day?'' she thought.


    However, ignoring her protest, Wesley dragged her all the way to the exit. ir still struggled, trying to


    break free, only for him to tighten his grip around her wrist.


    After descending one floor, ir clutched the railing of the staircase tightly and refused to go on foot


    anymore. "I''m not feeling well. You take the stairs and I will take an elevator."


    Wesley turned around, staring at theining woman. "You''ve just walked a short flight of stairs,


    but you''re already exhausted. Obviously, you''re inck of exercises!"


    Unconvinced, she retorted, "I''m not nning to join the armed forces. I''m not under some obligation to


    guard our country or anything like that. Why should my physical form be a bother to anyone?"


    But in a firm voice, he replied, "If you''re out of shape, what pleasure do you think your future husband


    will derive from a woman who can''t even satisfy his sexual needs? Can''t you see that I''m only doing


    your marriage a favor?"


    ir was lost for words. Although she was still young, she could easily understand the subtext of his


    words. She blushed red all over her face. But after a few seconds, when she realized something, her


    face went pale, and her eyes became red with tears. Bearing the pain in her heart, she continued to


    walk down the stairs in silence.


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    As Wesley watched her, he easily noticed her mood swing. Biting his lower lip in remorse, he picked up


    his pace in an attempt to grab hold of her wrist.


    But she shook off his hand at once.


    Determined to hold her close by his side, he grabbed her hand again.


    Jerking his hand off, she told him off, in a low and stern voice, "I don''t need your help. I can walk on my


    own."


    Now defeated, Wesley sighed helplessly.


    Slowing down a bit, he silently followed her. After descending a few floors, he suddenly quickened his


    steps and stopped in her way. Eager to appease her, he squatted down and requested, "Climb up my


    back."


    Still unimpressed, she briefly looked at his broad shoulders and sidestepped him, cursing under her


    breath. "No, thanks," she politely declined, trying to act nonchnt.


    Deep inside, though, she was breathing fire as she walked around him and kept on going down the


    staircase.


    Not ready to give up the fight that easily, Wesley had a new idea. Just as she was turning the second


    corner after she had turned down his overtures, he suddenly ran over, lifted her up and carried her over


    his shoulder, running down the next flight of stairs.


    As he went, ir, with her head facing the floor and her body tumbling on his shoulder, began to feel


    squeamish. It was as though all of her blood had suddenly started rushing to her brain. iling and


    kicking without sess, she pleaded, "It''s ufortable. Please, let me down..."


    Amused by her helpless calls, Wesley slowed down and with a cunning smile, he asked, "Will you


    laugh at me again?"


    "No..."


    "Will you allow me to piggyback you or not?"


    "Absolutely yes..." She gave in without a second thought. Miserably, she thought, ''I''d better listen to


    him at the moment!''


    A smile of satisfaction beamed on his face as he finally put her down.


    ir then obediently climbed on his back and let him carry her the rest of the way downstairs.


    "Honestly, Wesley, are you putting yourself through all this?" she asked when they reached the fifth


    floor. "What''s the wisdom of struggling down the stairs for a whole 18 floors, instead of taking the


    elevator? And what''s more, you''re even exhausting yourself to piggyback me!"


    "Well, this is what I find pleasure in," he answered, making light of it.


    From the way he phrased his words, ir didn''t know how to carry on with the conversation. This dull


    man was really a conversation killer. She wondered why on earth she had previously had a crush on


    him. Was she fond of his sharp tongue or his ruthlessness?


    In Carlos'' ward


    Since Damon and Wesley had left, Curtis didn''t think he should stay anymore. So he stood up from the


    sofa, walked up to Debbie and tried to bring up something new, so that she would stop worrying. He


    said softly, "I hope you still remember that Colleen and I have our weddinging up next month. I''ll


    send an official invitationter."


    To the contrary, the slight smile that had briefly appeared on Debbie''s face faded. She opened her


    mouth but hesitated to speak. After a few seconds, she slightly nodded, "Okay."


    "Well, look after Carlos. I should get going now."


    Debbie nodded again, but remaining tight-lipped.


    After Curtis left, the couple was alone in the still ward.


    Carlos could tell the mncholy on Debbie''s face. "Can I get some water?" he requested, trying to


    break the ice, but he sounded terribly t.


    "Hmm." Absent-mindedly, she got a ss of water and passed it to him.


    But he didn''t take it, leaving her confused. "Didn''t you want water?" she asked.


    "How am I going to hold the ss with my injuries? Aren''t you here to attend to me?"


    "Carlos Huo! You expect me to feed you? me it entirely on Megan," Debbie protested.


    To which Carlos retorted, "And so you hurt her for that?"


    "No. She provoked me first, and I couldn''t swallow my anger. I couldn''t put up with her affronts


    anymore. But it was out of her own carelessness that she lost bnce and hit the bench. It serves her


    right, anyway!"


    Carlos was rendered speechless by herst sentence.


    "She''s gotten to be grateful that she only suffered a slight wound in her forehead, while my husband


    got two gunshots for her sake. She''s really lucky. If her parents weren''t your life savers, I would''ve


    already returned her four gunshots!" Metaphorically, the first shot had been fired, and going forward,


    Debbie swore, Armageddon hade. What other incentive did she have left to entertain Megan?


    Basking in the glory of the moment, she couldn''t help but smile, shing back on how after she had


    hurt Megan, the four men just watched helplessly. Were they not the same people Megan thought


    would protect her from Debbie if push came to shove?


    Before, she had heard a rumor that a man had once identally knocked Megan down onto the floor,


    breaking her knees. At that time, all four of them worked together to put that man into jail on charges of


    attempted murder. While the used man was rotting in jail, Megan must have thought Debbie would


    know better not to mess with her. Girl, she was wrong! Had any of the four men even dared as much to


    touch Debbie?


    For a moment, when Debbie saw Megan being wheeled into the emergency room, she had been


    mentally prepared for a big fight with Carlos as well as his friends. But unexpectedly, they all let her off


    the hook so easily. ''Didn''t they care about Megan''s tantrums anymore? What will they tell her when she


    wakes up?'' Debbie wondered.


    As for Carlos, he knew Debbie was sometimes rebellious and wayward, but she wasn''t a cruel woman.


    On the contrary, she was kind-hearted; and he''d swear, she never wanted to hurt anyone. But why was


    she always picking a quarrel with Megan? Was there something that he didn''t know?


    Although he didn''t agree to her ways of handling Megan, he had no choice but to give in again. After


    all, he loved and spoiled Debbie. Sighing inwardly, he pulled her into his arms and reassured, "You''re


    my wife. Just do whatever you want. I won''t repeat the same mistake of dragging you into the river. It


    won''t happen again."

 Chapter 271 My Wife Is Crueler Than Me

    Chapter 271 My Wife Is Crueler Than Me


    "All right, you said it! Do keep your word. Actually, I just came up with an excellent idea!" Debbie looked


    at Carlos with a sparkle in her eyes.


    He grinned broadly. "You do know how to seize the moment."


    "Of course! It''s such a golden chance." Deep down, Debbie knew that Carlos spoiled her very much


    and allowed her to do whatever she wanted. But when it came to matters of Megan, it was hard to tell


    whether he would agree with her or not. So she wanted to take this chance to reach some sort of


    agreement with him.


    "Tell me."


    "Okay. Since you''ve arranged for me to study abroad, I think it''s only fair that you send Megan abroad


    too. See? You''ve sent me to Ennd and Dixon to America. So you should throw Megan to some


    remote, poor country far away from all of us."


    Carlos was at a loss for words. ''My wife is crueler than me, '' he thought to himself, smirking.


    Debbie didn''t really want to drive Megan away to some remote country. As long as Megan stayed away


    from Carlos, any country was fine with her.


    If Megan kept pestering her husband, Debbie was afraid that she would snatch him away sooner or


    later.


    Carlos pondered about it for a moment. Then he said, "Since this semester has already begun, let her


    finish it. I''ll send her to A Country after her final exams." Wesley was originally from A Country. The Li


    family was rooted there, so Wesley and his family could take care of Megan if she went there.


    Now that Carlos had made an appropriate decision, Debbie thought she''d better stop asking for too


    much. She nodded happily and kissed his cheek. "Honey, you treat me so well."


    Carlos pinched her cheek lovingly. "You''re my wife. A husband is bound to spoil his wife, right?"


    A happy smile crept over Debbie''s face. She pulled him closer, pressed his head against her chest and


    patted him as ifforting a child. "Rest assured, I feel the same way. I''ll love you for the rest of my


    life."


    Carlos took the opportunity to run his fingers on her chest and kissed her neck. Startled by his


    movement, she protested, "Hey, behave yourself. You are wounded. Lie down. I''ll give you a massage."


    He raised an eyebrow. "Massage? When did you acquire such skills?"


    Debbie pulled away from his arms and made him lie down on the bed. As she adjusted the height of


    the bed, she replied calmly, "I never said I had any special massage skills. I''ll just...casually help you


    rx your muscles a little."


    Carlos sighed, shaking his head helplessly.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Debbie took his right arm and began massaging it as she muttered, "Thank you, Mr. Huo, for your


    dedication to this family. You''ve been working so hard to earn us all this money. It''s my duty to serve


    you. So, let me help you rx your arm first."


    Carlos was suspicious about her sudden sweet words. His wife was buttering him up. It was not like her


    at all. ''Is this another trick?'' he wondered. "Spill it out. What do you want?" he asked outright.


    Whatever it was, he decided that he would try his best to meet her needs.


    "Why do you think I want something? I really meant it. I do think that you work hard day in and day out.


    You have a mountain of work in your office, and meanwhile, you also have to act as someone''s


    bodyguard, making sure that person is safe. I feel sorry for you..."


    He could sense sarcasm in her tone. "So, you are not going to tell me what you want? You might not


    get a second chance," he said, studying her face.


    Debbie moved to massage his leg. "I don''t care. I just want to do my best to protect my husband, while


    he selflessly puts himself out there for another person. I don''t really want anything from you."


    Finally, Carlos could sense her jealousy filling the space.


    She continued without looking at him, "I won''t ask for anything, nor do I want anything at the moment.


    All I want is my husband''s care. I hope that the next time my husband personally goes to the battlefield


    to protect another woman, or take a bullet for her, he would kindly think of me, his poor wife, who is


    waiting for him at home."


    As she finished, she raised her head to look at him.


    With a fake smile, she asked the silent man, "Honey, do you think I''m asking for too much?"


    Carlos instantly shook his head. "No, not at all."


    "d to hear that. Looks like my husband still has me in his heart. Honey, could you please enlighten


    me? You''re a skilled fighter. You have better martial arts skills than me. How did you get shot again?"


    Her cute tone had stirred his heart. When his lust was about to be triggered, her sudden sharp question


    snapped him back to his senses.


    He couldn''t tell her the whole story. There was a good chance that the truth would make this woman go


    crazy again. He was afraid that she would go to Megan''s ward and throw her out of the hospital


    window.


    Hearing no response from him, Debbie massaged his shin more forcefully, as if venting her anger.


    "Why the silence? Are you hiding something from me? Is it a secret between you and Megan?"


    To appease her, Carlos had to spill the beans. "No. It''s just that there were too many enemies this time


    and they attacked all of a sudden. Megan couldn''t protect herself..." ''You got two gunshot wounds to


    protect Megan, '' she thought angrily.


    Her hands stopped moving. Carlos went on, "Wesley was not around at that time. I couldn''t just sit


    back and watch her get shot. Besides, her asthma attacks are more frequent these days. If she got


    shot on top of that, she would likely..."


    Unconvinced by his exnation, Debbie clenched her fists. "Did you consider my feelings? If the bullet


    had hit your heart or head, instead of your shoulder, you..." Her voice trailed off, and her eyes brimmed


    with tears. With a quiet sob, she added, "If something worse had happened, what would I have had to


    face when I came back here? Did you ever stop to think about that? Do you love me at all? You will


    worry me to death!"


    Tears streamed down her red cheeks.


    Carlos immediately sat up and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms. "Please, don''t cry."


    "I can''t help it! Are you forgetting that you are not single anymore? You have a wife, and you have your


    parents. But you almost died for that Megan... How could your family live without you? Even if you are


    not concerned about me, think about how sad your parents and your grandparents would be."


    Debbie cried even more hysterically. She was so scared when she imagined a life after losing Carlos. It


    struck her that this man meant the world to her, but he would thoughtlessly throw his life away for some


    other woman.


    Her cries gripped his heart. Wiping off her tears with his fingers, heforted in a hushed voice,


    "Honey, this will all be over soon. Those gangsters have been put on the police''s most wanted list.


    They are now wanted all over the country. Wesley has found their base camp. When the right time


    comes, he will take his men to root them out. There will be no threat to Megan''s life after that."


    This was supposed to be confidential information which Wesley had given him in secret. Carlos hadn''t


    intended on telling her, but to soothe Debbie, he had no choice but to tell her part of the truth.


    If they could eliminate all physical threats around Megan, Wesley and Carlos would be more relieved,


    and they wouldn''t need to be around Megan to protect her anymore.


    Through her blurry eyes, Debbie asked, "The right time? When is that?"


    "If things go well, it should be next month." ''Or sooner, '' he thought.


    He would have been on his way to finish off those gangsters if Debbie hadn''te back without notice.


    "Hmm..." Debbie sniffed. Shepletely believed his words, without realizing his true intentions.


    Carlos tightened his arms around her. It took him quite a while to finally stop her tears.


    In the end, they both fell asleep in each other''s arms.


    Debbie spent the night at the hospital to keep himpany. She had wanted to ask Carlos about the


    incident of James adding birth control pills in her food. But throughout the night, she couldn''t find a


    chance to ask him about it.


    She had already argued with him over Megan, so she didn''t want to stir up more matters to annoy him.


    She understood that Carlos must be stuck between a rock and a hard ce. After all, it was his own


    father. Under no circumstances could he deal with his father like how he dealt with his rivals in


    business.


    Even if Carlos was ready to punish James ruthlessly, Debbie wouldn''t agree to it. Thest thing she


    wanted was for Carlos to turn his back against his family because of her.


    But little did Debbie know that Carlos had already had a terrible fight with James.

 Chapter 272 Because My Husband Cares About Me

    Chapter 272 Because My Husband Cares About Me


    The next afternoon, as Debbie drowsilyy next to Carlos, her phone suddenly rang, jarring her awake.


    She grabbed her phone and saw that it was from an unknown number.


    Since Carlos was working on the bed, she didn''t want to interrupt him. She got out of bed and walked


    to the corridor to answer it. "Hello?"


    "Hello, is this Mrs. Huo?"


    "Yes, who''s asking?"


    A few minutester, Debbie returned to the ward and threw a nce at Carlos, who was having a video


    conference. She silently opened her suitcase and selected a set of light-colored clothes and her


    cosmetics bag before going into the bathroom to freshen up.


    Half an hourter, Carlos saw here out of the bathroom, wearing delicate make-up. He was about


    to ask her where she was going, but she paid no attention to him. Without giving him so much as a


    nce, she grabbed her handbag and walked towards the door.


    "Wait!" Carlos said and paused the video conference.


    Debbie turned to look at him. "What''s up?"


    "Where are you going? Why are you wearing make-up?" he asked curiously. ''Is she dressed well to


    meet a man?'' he thought angrily.


    Remembering the phone call earlier, Debbie could hardly force a smile. "Tell you after Ie back."


    Ignoring his re, she turned around and left.


    Debbie arrived at a crowded street in downtown and got out of the car. It was already five minutester


    than the agreed time. Entering a cafe, she quickly walked upstairs as per the instructions given by the


    woman on the phone earlier.


    There was only one person sitting at a table on the second floor. She looked quite pretty and was


    around the same age as Debbie. She was wearing a red dress and a white coat, along with soft ts.


    She had some light make-up on her face.


    As soon as the woman spotted Debbie, she stood up. Debbie noticed the slight baby bump. ''She''s


    indeed pregnant...'' Debbie confirmed in her mind.


    The woman took the initiative to greet Debbie. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Huo."


    Instead of feeling raged, Debbie was actually amused as she stared at the woman who imed to be


    Carlos'' mistress. She wondered if all mistresses nowadays were this shameless to tantly challenge


    a legal wife. Besides, this woman had yed her cards well. Debbie had just returned to Y City the day


    before, but this woman was able to get wind of the information and had even managed to contact her.


    Debbie took a nce at the ss of orange juice on the table and apologized politely, "I''m sorry for


    beingte. I don''t think I know you."


    "It doesn''t matter that you don''t know me; Mr. Huo knows me very well," she said outright. As she


    spoke, she took out a few photos from her handbag. With a smug smile lingering on her lips, sheid


    them on the table, gesturing for Debbie to sit down.


    When Debbie sat down opposite the woman, a waiter came to take her order. But Debbie shooed him


    away. She wasn''t intending to waste much time with this shameless woman. Moreover, she didn''t think


    she could share a conversation with that woman for as long as a cup of coffee''s time.


    The woman scanned Debbie from head to toe. Trying to hide the envy in her eyes, she collected


    herself and ridiculed, "I never expected Mrs. Huo to be such an ordinary woman. I heard that you''d


    gotten married to Mr. Huo three years ago, but you still haven''t given birth to his child. Is that true?"


    While she spoke, she deliberately touched her swollen belly.


    Debbie slowly picked up the first photo from the table. It was a picture of the woman holding Carlos''


    arm as they walked out of a parking lot.


    As she examined the photo, Debbie casually replied, "Yes, that''s true. I''m still a student. I don''t want a


    child yet, so my husband respects my decision because he cares for me. What about you..." She coldly


    shifted her gaze to the woman and asked, "You look like you''re around thirty. Why did you wait for so


    long to have a baby? Do you have any unmentionable disease or something like that?"


    The woman''s face fell at once. She yelled furiously, "You!"


    ''I''m just twenty-one. This is the right age to get pregnant. What does she mean by unmentionable


    disease?''


    Debbie couldn''t help but snort. She had thought that the woman might be smarter and would have a


    better strategy since she imed to have Carlos'' child in her belly. But she lost herposure so


    easily by Debbie''s provocation. ''You''re more ill-tempered than me, '' Debbieughed in her mind.


    "Me what? You are short-tempered, aren''t you? My temper is not too good either. How about we fight


    this out in front of Carlos? We can find out if he''ll side with me, his legal wife, or protect you, a nobody


    who is pregnant with the Huo family''s descendant. What do you think?" Debbie snapped fearlessly.


    The woman tried her best to suppress her anger. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her emotion and


    said, "Don''t try to provoke me, Mrs. Huo. If you anger me and cause harm to the baby, you know the


    consequences. I think you''d better focus on the photos in front of you."


    Debbie casually picked up the photos on the table and looked through them one by one. The photos


    were well taken...or edited, showing her intimacy with Carlos. The photos showed them entering a hotel


    room together, and when they came out, her long hair was disheveled and her clothes were in a mess.


    Anyone could figure out what they had been doing in the hotel room.


    cing thest photo down, Debbie mocked, "That''s it? Too bad. I expected to see something more


    sexy. You should have taken a photo of Carlos'' sexy face after having sex. You know, he looks really


    hot and charming with that sensual look of his." As she spoke, she indulged herself in the memories of


    Carlos'' hot face while they made love.


    Debbie''s answer was an unexpected one. The woman waspletely dumbfounded.


    "Oh, right!" Debbie came back to the present and asked the woman, "By the way, how many months


    pregnant are you?"


    This was a more wee subject for the woman. Her face softened as she touched her belly and said


    with a smug smile, "More than a month. I was together with Mr. Huo on the night after you left for


    Ennd. He told me that I could give birth to the baby if I got pregnant. He assured that he would


    officially dere my baby as a member of the Huo family."


    "Oh, I see. Would you mind telling me about the sex positions you took in bed? Who was on top of


    whom?" Debbie teased yfully. The woman''s face blushed a bright red.


    Before she could answer, Debbie clicked her tongue and said, "You have the guts to be a married


    man''s mistress, why are you so shy to talk about it?"


    To which the woman retorted, "What does it matter? Anyway, I am bearing Mr. Huo''s child now. You''d


    better get a grasp of the situation and give up on being his wife already. I''ll be his legal wife and


    my baby will be his sessor."


    Debbieughed. The pregnant woman was confused by herck of seriousness and asked, "What are


    youughing for?"


    "Lady, let me tell you Carlos'' little secret," Debbie stoppedughing and said in a mysterious tone. She


    leaned over the table and drew closer to the woman. "I don''t want to continue with this sharade


    anymore. So, let me tell you the reason why I haven''t gotten pregnant all these years. It''s because...


    Carlos is sexually impotent. Then tell me, how can you be pregnant with his baby?" Debbie burst into a


    wild howl ofughter after making up the story.


    The woman was stunned, her mouth agape. Shocked by the news, she stammered, "You... Are you


    trying to fool me?"


    "Fool you? Why would I? Do you know what Carlos did before bing a businessman?"


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    "Yes..." Everyone in Y City knew that Carlos had been in the Special Force.


    Pulling a sorry face, Debbie asked her, "Then you should have heard about his story with Megan too,


    right?" ''Of course, I know! Megan Lan, the lucky woman who has always been under the protection of


    the four most respectful men in Y City. Everyone knows about it!'' the woman thought, eager to know


    more.


    After a pause, Debbie continued, "You see, when Carlos and Wesley were on a mission, a gangster


    stabbed a knife in his...you know... and cut his..." She let the sentence go unfinished, but the woman''s


    eyes widened. "It was such a tragedy. Carlos was in great pain and the gangster tried to kill him. It was


    then that Megan''s parents saved his life. From then on, he and Wesley have been treating Megan so


    well. Curtis Lu and Damon Han are Carlos'' good friends, so they protect Megan too."


    Debbie narrated the fictional story with such pleasure while the woman listened with keen interest. In


    the end, the woman muttered to herself, "No wonder Mr. Huo has never dated any woman..." With a


    look of pity, she said to Debbie, "This is all so shocking. How did you manage to live for three years


    with an impotent husband? I bet it gets really lonely every night, since your needs are not


    satisfied."

 Chapter 273 Divorce Mr. Huo If Possible

    Chapter 273 Divorce Mr. Huo If Possible


    ''Lonely? Not at all! Carlos would rape me every night if he could, '' Debbie thought as she listened to


    the woman''s words. In a sh, images of Carlos ever demanding more sex flooded her mind. Not that


    she didn''t enjoy it entirely. If anything, it was a thrill whenever she was into it. Having a man with the


    insatiable sex drive was the real deal. It was only a bother on the few asions when they couldn''t


    agree. And although they had been having unnecessary disagreementstely, sometimes, she still


    fantasized about him. But today, she wasn''t going to act obvious, so she feigned a sad face and lied


    through her teeth, "Yes, I''m so lonely every night. In fact, I''m even ready to charge it to the game, if bad


    comes to worse. For the better part, we''ve lived true to our nominal couple status. Never has been


    about sex, nor have we ever been so deeply involved emotionally. Somehow, I suspect, I''d have


    divorced him long ago, were it not for his wealth!


    That''s how dismal the reality looks between Carlos and I, as we speak!" That was quite a show Debbie


    was putting on. Even Megan, the gang leader of all hypocritical bitches, wouldn''t have had a thing on


    Debbie''s act tonight.


    Blown away by how her scheme panned out, Debbie didn''t even notice a waiter serving her a ss of


    water.


    The waiter panicked when he overheard the sleazy details about Mr. and Mrs. Huo. Ashamed of


    looking like a snitch, he quietly, carefully ced the ss on the table, and fled away, back to his


    station downstairs.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    "Oh, sorry. I bet, being you would suck the life out of me," the pregnant woman sitting opposite Debbie


    said sympathetically. Stretching her right hand to stroke Debbie''s, which was resting on the table


    between them, sheforted, "Mrs. Huo, you''re still young. You have a long life ahead of you.


    Personally, I suggest you should divorce Mr. Huo if possible!"


    ''Thisdy really thinks I want a divorce?'' Debbie grinned and shot to her feet. She had achieved her


    goal. There was no need for her to pretend anymore.


    The pregnant woman was surprised by Debbie''s impulsiveness, but Debbie did even worse.The


    woman had ordered a ss of fruit juice, but she had barely touched it as she spoke to Debbie. In one


    fell swoop, Debbie grabbed the ss of juice and doused the woman''s face. The woman could only


    stare in disbelief. But Debbie coldly taunted, "So you think you''re a better match to Carlos than me?


    Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and wished you could lose some of that ugly b?"


    Now aware that she had been fooled, the pregnant woman yelled, "Oh, such miserable, bitter loser.


    You came here to pick a fight with me over Carlos, and you had to beat around the bush, thinking you''d


    fool me?"


    Debbie raised an eyebrow. "Go on. Bitch around all you want. But you better learn not to meddle in


    other people''s affairs. In fact, I''m not lonely. Not at all! I may need to get him some more women to


    satisfy his needs. But since I love him so much, I won''t do that! Even if he wants to sleep around with


    other women, it won''t be a fat and ugly woman like you. You should be ashamed of yourself. Carlos is


    my husband, just in case you''re forgetting. No matter how many flings he may want, when hees


    home, I''m firmly in charge of things. If you ever had illusions of running the show, I''m afraid, you may


    have to wait for an eternity."


    Viciously, Debbie railed the pregnant woman with a barrage of words in a single breath. Unable to take


    the humiliation anymore, the woman stood up in a fit of anger and raised her hand to p Debbie


    across the face. However, Debbie was too swift for her and easily dodged the p. In retaliation, she


    grabbed hold of the woman''s wrist with her left hand and hit her in the face with the right hand.


    She struck her so hard that the silent second floor of the cafe echoed with the thwack. "You want to hit


    me? Jeez! You have the nerve to hit me, something that even Carlos has never dared? Take this as a


    warning. Never, ever dare! Because next time you try that on me, you''ll live to regret it. I swear! Now,


    go back home and behave yourself!"


    The woman''s face was already red and swollen from the force of Debbie''s p. Earlier today when she


    left the ward, she had given Carlos a cold shoulder because of this woman''s phone call. Now that she


    had taught the woman a lesson, she might have to make peace with himter on. That thought


    incensed her. Thank God she had hit the woman hard enough.


    "You are a bitch!" the woman cussed.


    Debbie then popped her head up and stretched herself, dropping into a fighting stance. As she


    approached the woman, she asked with an evil smile, "Did you just call me a bitch? Well, you better


    watch your mouth. Otherwise, you''re messing with the wrong person."


    "What...do you want to do? Don''t act rashly. I''m a pregnant woman!" The woman was scared stiff by


    Debbie''s threatening advance. Covering her belly, she quickly staggered backwards.


    "Tell me. Who''s the true father of your baby?" Debbie interrogated.


    The woman zipped her mouth, careful not let slip anything. But when she saw Debbie raise her fist, she


    got flustered and had to tell the truth. "It''s Mr. Lewis Huo!" she said, trembling.


    Over a month ago, after she found out that she had been pregnant with Lewis'' child, she happened to


    have a chance to attend a banquet as Carlos'' date and a business associate with ZL Group. During


    dinner, Carlos had apparently been in a bad mood and had one too many. Then, the host of the


    banquet arranged for her to send Carlos back to his hotel room. Nothing had happened between them,


    but it was then that she came up with an idea to take those photos and make up a story between her


    and Carlos.


    Taking advantage of those photos, she set her eyes on recing Debbie as the new Mrs. Huo.


    ording to her game n, if Carlos disputed paternity when the baby was born, the DNA result would


    still prove that the baby belonged to the Huo family.


    Banking on the fact that the baby was the Huo family''s descendant anyway, she knew she''d have some


    cushion, just in case the truth was revealed.


    Debbie drew back her fist and massaged her aching temples. ''Lewis Huo, you scumbag! Luckily for


    Kasie, she never had sex with him when they were in a rtionship, '' Debbie sighed. "I pity you. We''re


    both women, so let me be kind enough to give you an advice. Lewis is a yboy for the time I''ve


    personally known him. I can''t count the number of women he''s made pregnant only to dump them. I


    guess you know what that might mean for you?"


    Lewis was really a scumbag and Debbie doubted he was really done fooling around. Would he be


    willing to take responsibility and not push for yet another abortion?


    Although the pregnant woman was aware of the fact, she still didn''t want to admit it. Maybe, just to put


    on a bold face, she retorted, "What if I told you that I''m special in Lewis'' heart?"


    Debbie didn''t want to waste her time anymore. ''Fine then! Keep on living in your fantasies!'' Without


    uttering one more word, she grabbed the photos on the table and left the cafe.


    At the hospital, before entering Carlos'' ward, Debbie paced up and down in the corridor, wondering


    how she should face him. After several minutes of hesitation, she took a deep breath and pushed open


    the door to the ward.


    Not giving Carlos a chance to scold her, Debbie forestalled him and pretended to be angry. "Carlos


    Huo! See what you have done?"


    Then, she threw the photos in front of him.


    Carlos took a nce at the photos and shifted his gaze to the angry woman. "What did I do?" he asked


    honestly.


    "Look at the photos yourself! Now you know why I left the hospital without paying attention to you. I


    went to take these sleazy photos of you! The woman in these photos ims to have your baby, and


    these pics are her solid evidences. Now, exin yourself!" By that confrontational tone, Debbie was


    looking to avoid giving an exnation as to why she had left the ward in a huff earlier this afternoon.


    Emotionless, Carlos took up the photos and casually studied them. In a calm voice, he said, "You


    already knew you''d misunderstood me, so you are trying to exin to me why you got pissed off


    earlier, right?"


    "What?" Debbie acted surprised by his question.


    "Haven''t you found out the truth yourself? Didn''t you punish the woman already? These photos were


    deliberately taken in some angles. And the baby''s father is Lewis. But you knew you and I still have a


    bone to chew?" In fact, soon after Debbie left the cafe, someone had already reported everything to


    Carlos.


    Debbie was shocked. ''How...how did he get to know this?'' she wondered. Unwilling to concede, she


    ignored his assertion and carried on, "No... Anyway, if you hadn''t taken her to the banquet, how would


    such things have happened?"


    "Honey, you wronged me. It was just an arrangement by the host and I only did it without any serious


    intentions. It was kind of trying not to be a party-pooper. A matter of etiquette, or something like that.


    You know me well. I''ve never been unfaithful to you, right?" When Debbie didn''t answer, he continued,


    "You tricked the woman into telling you the truth, and then you smacked her. Now, you''re purposely


    throwing a tantrum, afraid I might get even with you. Am I right?"


    Debbie was lost for words. ''Oh! My excuses have been so easily uncovered.'' After a while, she finally


    found her voice again. "You had someone stalk me?"


    Carlos tore up the photos into pieces and threw them to the trash can. "My wife was dressed so nicely


    before going out. Of course I had to have someone stalk you and report everything to me. What if you


    had gone to meet a man? Did I get it wrong?"


    He must have seen through her. Feeling both angry and embarrassed, Debbie flew her fist towards


    Carlos'' chest, but he quickly caught it and pulled her into his arms in the process. He whispered in her


    ear gently, "Honey, I''m d that you trust me."


    Debbie blushed red. She said with a pout, "Who said I trusted you? You have so many women around


    you every day. Be honest, did you see something that you shouldn''t see when you were with that


    woman?" She wanted to ask him if he had touched that woman or done anything intimate with her. But


    she didn''t dare to ask him bluntly, so she beat around the bush to raise her question.


    "What do you think?" Carlos answered her with a question.

 Chapter 274 My Wife Is Very Strict

    Chapter 274 My Wife Is Very Strict


    ''How would I know that?'' Debbie thought. With a pout, she scoffed, "If you ask my opinion, I would say


    yes. Men with power and money tend to enjoy fooling around with women. You''re no exception!"


    Carlos smirked. "I don''t care for such petty things. Plus, my wife is very strict. How could I dare fool


    around with other women?"


    Debbie grinned broadly. In a gleeful voice, she said, "That sounds better."


    The issue was temporarily solved and Debbie soon forgot about it. But the whole matter was not as


    simple as it had seemed.


    Carlos had someone look into the issue and check the background of that pregnant woman. After some


    digging, he found out that there was a backseat driver behind the scenes, someone who had instructed


    the pregnant woman to stir up trouble between him and Debbie. But he was yet to figure out who that


    person was. The investigation was still on going.


    In the meantime, a rumor was spreading like wild fire around Y City.


    The talk of the city was that Carlos, the omnipotent CEO, was actually sexually impotent, and that his


    wife was lonely every night because he wasn''t capable of giving her any kind of pleasure in the


    bedroom.


    This shocking news went viral within a few hours, and even before the next day came, everyone in Y


    City was already talking about it.


    Inside the hospital ward, Debbie was overwhelmed by unease. Each time she made eye contact with


    the sullen man, her heart skipped a beat and she instantly looked away.


    ''Crap! What should I do? He looks really angry. Should I butter him up?'' she wondered nervously.


    She decided to take some action to cool him down. "Honey, thirsty? Or are you hungry? How about I


    cook a meal for you myself?" she asked cautiously.


    Carlos red at her without budging even a little. He didn''t utter a single word.


    "You know, I''ve learned some cooking from Ethel in Ennd. My skills have improved dramatically. Do


    you want to give it a shot?" Debbie tried to coax him.


    Her words had some effect on him, but not in a way she wanted. His face changed abruptly at the


    thought of the terrible food Debbie had cooked thest time. "No," he refused bluntly.


    Debbie had a gut feeling that it''d be better if she stayed far away from Carlos at the moment,


    considering how mean this man could be. After all, she was the one who had started the rumor, and on


    top of that, she had talked poorly of his sexual capacity. He wouldn''t let her off easily.


    As she was getting ready to flee, the door suddenly flew open. In came aughing Damon, who blurted


    out in a surprised tone, "Oh, my God! Carlos, why didn''t you tell me about this before? How could you


    let Debbie be so lonely every night for the past three years?" He turned to Debbie and said with feigned


    seriousness, "Debbie, rest assured. I''ve arranged for a specialist in this field to take good care of


    Carlos. I''ll make sure that he cooperates with the treatment."


    Debbie''s eyes widened in shock. ''Seriously? Why is he creating more trouble for me? Did he really


    arrange a specialist to treat Carlos?'' She pulled at the hem of Damon''s shirt and stopped him from


    approaching Carlos. "Damon! There''s been a misunderstanding. The rumor is¡ª"


    "I know that the rumor is true, Debbie," he cut in tofort her in a sad voice. "Let the doctor check on


    your husband first and then we''ll talk about the rest. Debbie, believe me. This specialist is a genius in


    this field."


    "No, no. Carlos doesn''t have any issues. He''s fine. The rumor is false!" At this point, Debbie knew that


    she had to drive Damon away as fast as possible. One more word from him and Carlos would snap,


    which would put her into a more miserable situation.


    Damon sighed. "You don''t have to cover it up for him anymore. I understand it''s an embarrassing topic


    and he is such a proud man. But you know, we are best friends, and I promise not tough at him."


    "Damon!" Carlos growled slowly, but viciously.


    In a sh, he pulled the needle from his wrist and pressed the spot with a cotton bud to stop the


    bleeding. Then he covered it with a medical tape.


    Debbie hastily ran up to him. "Hey, what are you doing? I''ll call the nurse when the infusion is done.


    Why are you taking out the needle yourself?"


    After taping his wrist once, he grabbed hold of Debbie''s arm and pointed his finger at Damon. "You!


    Stand there and check with your own eyes whether the rumor is true or not. See how lonely Debbie is


    every night with her impotent husband."


    In a split second, he pushed Debbie onto the bed.


    Realizing what Carlos was about to do, Debbie struggled to get out of his grip. As she tried to push him


    away from her, she yelled, "What are you doing? Your wound hasn''t healed. Stop!"


    Damon gulped. "Wow! A live adult video? I mean, I''ve watched quite a lot of AV before. But with Carlos


    as the male lead? This is gonna be something else! I want to see this. Please go on."


    Debbie was shocked by his words. ''Damon, you freak!'' "Carlos, let go of me! Your wound is gonna


    open!" Her voice was muffled as Carlos crashed his lips on hers.


    She realized that he wasn''t joking at all. He really meant to have sex with her in front of Damon! In her


    panic, she stared at the man pressing on top of her and eximed in her mind, ''Oh no! I really regret


    starting that rumor, I really do..."


    "Bro, be careful with your wound. Don''t get too excited and cause it to bleed again!" Damon reminded


    him, his tone a bit serious this time.


    A pillow flew towards Damon, followed by Carlos'' hoarse voice, "Get out and listen from the other side


    of the door." ''Like hell I''d let you see my wife''s body!'' Carlos thought. But without even waiting for


    Damon to leave, he started taking off Debbie''s clothes.


    Seeing that Carlos was serious, Damon knew that he couldn''t stay there anymore. With his hands in


    his pockets, he slowly walked out and stood near the door.


    Soon enough, he heard Debbie''s moans from inside the ward.


    As a yboy himself, Damon could imagine what Carlos was doing to Debbie at that moment. He


    raised his head to stare at the ceiling and sighed helplessly. ''All right, all right. I know how capable you


    are, Carlos! Poor Debbie.'' He shook his head and grinned.


    Her moans and his grunts became louder and more deafening. Damon couldn''t stand it any longer and


    covered his ears. Before leaving, he considerately locked the door for them.


    Two hourster, it had be darker outside. Carlos satzily on the sofa while two doctors cleaned


    his wound in the ward. The nurses wereying a new set of bedding for him.


    Curtis shook his head helplessly as he looked at the sheets dampened by therge pool of blood. He


    chuckled under his breath and asked Damon, "Why didn''t you stop him? How could you let him act so


    recklessly?"Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Curtis hade to meet Carlos to get him discharged since thetter had insisted on leaving the


    hospital. Just like Debbie, Carlos couldn''t endure the long stay at the hospital. However, much to Curtis''


    shock, when he arrived, he saw doctors and nurses rushing in and out of the ward.


    He was worried, wondering if something serious had happened. So he hurried in, only to find Carlos''


    patient clothes soaked in blood and the ward in a mess. Besides, he could smell the aura of sex in the


    air. Instantly, he understood what had happened.


    "I did remind him. But he drove me out of the ward," Damon said innocently.


    Earlier, when the couple were busy making love, he had gone upstairs to find his friend who was a


    doctor there, and had been busy talking to him for almost two hours beforeing back again. He


    thought that two hours should be enough for the couple.


    When he had returned, they were done. But everything inside the ward had been aplete mess.


    After taking a look at Carlos'' pale face and the blood on his clothes, he had burst into fits ofughter.


    He had even mocked him by saying, "I told you not to get too excited. See what happened now! What''s


    with all this blood on the sheet? And look at you! You look like a pregnant woman after a difficultbor!"


    Carlos had coldly red at him without saying a word. Shortly after, Curtis had arrived.


    Curtis looked around the ward in search of Debbie. "Where''s your wife?" he asked Carlos. The doctor


    was applying some ointment on his wound at the time.


    Carlos looked at the closed bathroom door. Debbie had been hiding in there ever since they had


    finished making love.


    Curtis followed his gaze and looked towards the bathroom. He smiled understandingly. Sitting opposite


    Carlos, he asked with a grin, "Um... I heard a rumor that had been going around Y City all day. What


    the hell is that all about?"


    With his eyes fixed on the bathroom door, Carlos replied calmly, "Ask her yourself."


    ''She started the rumor, so she has to shoulder the responsibility for clearing the misunderstanding, ''


    Carlos thought with a frown.


    Curtis chuckled under his breath. "You two are indeed a weirdly hrious couple. And anyway, I have


    no doubts about your capability in bed after seeing this upside-down ward."

 Chapter 275 Shes Indeed Scary

    Chapter 275 She''s Indeed Scary


    "You better believe it. Otherwise I would''ve just bled in vain!" Carlos said to Curtis. The news that Mr.


    Huo had sex with his wife in the ward, causing his wound to bleed again, soon spread to everyone on


    the VVIP floor of the inpatient department. Although he was aware of the shock he had brought to


    everyone, Carlos didn''t mind at all, nor did he feel embarrassed about it.


    As Carlos talked to Curtis, the doctor silently finished bandaging his wound. In a frightened voice, he


    cautioned, "Mr. Huo, the wound rupture is severe. You''ve lost a lot of blood again. Please do be


    careful."


    He nodded slightly to the doctor, and told Curtis, "Drive Debbie to the manor before you go home."


    Since his wound was worse now, it was impossible for him to be discharged from the hospital that day.


    Even if he wanted to leave, the embarrassed woman hiding in the bathroom wouldn''t allow him to. He


    might have to stay for another two days.


    Damon had beenughing the whole time. He teased, "Why? Are you afraid that you might lose control


    of yourself again and die on top of your wife?"


    Carlos swiftly grabbed a cushion from the sofa and threw it at Damon. It hit him right in the face.


    Damon yelled, "Hey asshole! Debbie,e out now! Get a leash on your husband."


    Debbie had been listening to their bantering as she stood in the bathroom with her hands covering her


    red hot face. She didn''t dare utter a word or respond to their teasing.


    "Are you gonna stay alone here?" Curtis asked with a raised brow.


    Carlos nodded. "I don''t mind. She''s been attending to me since she returned from Ennd." He was


    afraid that Debbie might get bored. He remembered how she had resisted staying in the hospitalst


    time.


    But that was not the only reason. He knew that she would be pissed if she found out about their n


    for that night. He was painfully aware that if he acted first and asked for forgivenesster, it would


    anger her even more. But he was also certain that if he told her now, she wouldn''t allow him to run into


    anything dangerous in his current condition. So after much consideration, he figured it would be best to


    keep it a secret from Debbie for the moment.


    Curtis stood up and tidied his clothes. He walked to the bathroom door and knocked. "Debbie,e


    out. The doctors and nurses have left."


    Debbie was baffled. ''The doctors and nurses have left, but you and Damon are still there...'' she


    thought, as she blushed.


    After hesitating for a while, she came out slowly. She had already taken a shower and had changed


    into new clothes. Her face was as red as a tomato when she greeted Curtis, "Mr. Lu..."


    Curtis didn''t mind that she hadn''t changed her way of addressing him. He knew that it would take time


    for her to ept him as her uncle. He led her to Carlos and pointed at the unabashed man. "See? Your


    husband sat there without a care in the world as the doctors were dealing with his wound. So what are


    you embarrassed for, Debbie?"


    Awkwardly moving towards him, Debbie red at the smug man. "Aren''t you ashamed at all?" she


    confronted him.


    Carlos shook his head and replied in a casual tone, "You are my wife. Why should I feel ashamed of


    having sex with my own wife?"


    "Fine, forget it!" Debbie said, finding it hard tomunicate with the brazen man.


    Curtis grinned at the couple''s bantering. He looked at Debbie with a thin smile lingering on his lips. "I''ll


    drive you home now. You cane and visit him tomorrow."


    "Why?" she asked in confusion.


    Curtis exined, "Carlos said that you''d been staying at the hospital to look after him. You must be


    tired. He wants you to go home and get some good rest."


    Damon chipped in as he waved a fashion magazine at Debbie, "In order to save Carlos'' life, it''d be


    better if you weren''t around. Go and do some shopping instead. Look, the Pet-Woman brand has


    released some new products. I''ve seen you wear their clothes and shoes several times. You like this


    brand, don''t you?"


    "To save Carlos'' life?" Debbie asked, perplexed. ''What does he mean? Is his life in some sort of danger


    now?!''


    Damon cleared his throat dramatically and said, "You know, if these were the ancient times, you would


    be the imperial concubine who was powerful enough to make the emperor leave his title and people


    behind, just to stay with you. I can totally understand Carlos'' feeling. When he is with you, all he thinks


    about is having sex with you and of all the different positions he should take while doing it again and


    again. So...to stop him from bleeding out again, it''d be wise of you to avoid him for a while. Got it?"


    Debbie''s lips twitched into a half smile. "Mr. Han, you tter me. An imperial concubine? You probably


    meant to say that I was the enchantress who had bewitched the great Carlos Huo, right?"


    Damon pped his hands in excitement and nodded, "Yes! That''s exactly what I meant!" It would have


    been difficult for him topare Debbie to an enchantress. But he found it amusing that she said it out


    herself.


    "Damon, I think your wife is being really nice to youtely. Why are you so free? Don''t you have to earn


    your living?" Carlos grumbled.


    Damon sat cross-legged next to Carlos on the sofa and said casually, "Never mind that. My dad is rich.


    I can just live on his money. Besides, my parents are more than happy to spend all their money on my


    little son. So, why should I care about earning any money?"


    Carlos didn''t want to waste his time talking this nonsense with Damon again. He turned to Debbie and


    said in a soft voice, "Why don''t you go for some shopping like he said? Buy whatever you want and he


    will pay for everything."


    "Whoa! Hold on a minute! She''s your wife, not mine. Why should I pay for your wife?" Damon


    protested.


    Carlos cast him a cold nce. "It''s you who suggested that she go shopping, isn''t it?"


    "Well yeah... but..."


    "No buts and ifs," Carlos said, giving him no chance to protest. He looked back at Debbie and said,


    "Honey, go ahead. Get some sleep after shopping. You cane back here tomorrow."


    Debbie hesitated. Carlos'' wound had bled again. She wasn''t exactly in the mood to go shopping. But


    since he had asked her to leave on his own volition, she thought it would be better if she did.


    Considering he had been so bold to have sex with her in his wounded state, it wouldn''t be safe for him


    if she stayed by his side, just like Damon had said. She decided that she wouldeter on. "Okay,


    fine," she nodded.


    The couple reached an agreement, but Damon had still not agreed to pay for Debbie''s shopping


    expenses.


    Ignoring his continuous protests, Curtis said, "Debbie, let''s go." He dragged her luggage behind him


    and escorted her out of the ward.


    "Hey, don''t go! I haven''t agreed to anything yet. Hey..." As soon as they were out of sight, Damon


    stopped at once.


    As the door closed behind them, the yful expression on Damon''s face was instantly reced by a


    serious look. He turned to Carlos and persuaded in a stern voice, "Carlos, you don''t have to join the


    action tonight. Wesley and I can handle it."


    He was well aware that Carlos had deliberately found an excuse to make Debbie leave.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He didn''t want to worry Debbie.


    Carlos lit a cigarette. "I need to be there too. One more person joining in the action will increase the


    chances of winning the battle. I want to get this over with, once and for all." Deep down, he didn''t wish


    to get hurt again in the process of protecting Megan, making Debbie angry and worried.


    They would have already taken action to finish off the enemies if Debbie hadn''te back from


    Ennd all of a sudden. Their n had already been dyed.


    It would be more difficult to fight those gangsters if they didn''t take prompt action.


    Damon took out his phone and looked at the message which Wesley had sent to him earlier. "Wesley


    has nned everything well and has already set a trap for them. If everything goes well, we will be able


    to take about a hundred men along with us to root the gangsters out. We will surely seed. You stay


    here and get well."


    Instead of responding to his concern, Carlos changed the subject. "Where''s Megan? How''s she


    doing?"


    "She is awake. But she''s scared of your wife, so she wouldn''t daree anywhere near you at the


    moment." Damon shrugged. He was impressed by how Debbie had be a beast in Megan''s eyes,


    although she looked like a beautiful angel. Now, whenever Debbie''s name was mentioned, Megan


    would be stricken with fear.


    Carlos smiled tenderly as he thought of Debbie. "Yeah. She''s indeed scary..."


    ''Even I''m scared of her, aren''t I?'' he thought.

 Chapter 276 She Is Your First Love

    Chapter 276 She Is Your First Love


    Damon rolled his eyes at Carlos and taunted, "Man, look at you! You are like a teenager who has found


    his first taste of love." He paused and then realized something. He stared at Carlos, whose face was


    still pale from the blood loss, and asked in disbelief, "Wait! She IS your first love, isn''t she?" ''Carlos


    Huo, the CEO of a multinational group, has fallen in love for the first time at 28!'' he thought, his mouth


    agape.


    "You''re so noisy! Get out!" Carlos demanded coldly.


    "What? You''re pissed because I guessed it correctly, huh? Fine. I''m leaving! Humph! I am not gonna


    tell you when we start the action this evening." Damon stood up and walked towards the door. "By the


    way, I will be super busy for the next few days and will have absolutely no time to check up on you.


    You''d better be nice to me while I''m still here."


    Carlos ignored himpletely. He unlocked his phone and clicked on his contact list.


    Damon was pissed off by his cold attitude and turned around to give him a burning look before he left


    the ward.


    After leaving the hospital with Debbie, Curtis drove her to the Shining International za.


    Debbie was too worried about Carlos to pay attention to where they were going. When she snapped


    back into reality, she saw that they had reached the entrance of the za.


    "Buy whatever you like and put it on Damon''s tab. He is loaded. Why not trim the fat off the cat?" Curtis


    said softly with a smile.


    Debbie shook her head. "No, there''s really no need for that. Carlos has already bought so many


    clothes and shoes for me, and some of them are still brand new. Damon has a family to support now."


    She had only been kidding when she had agreed to go shopping and let Damon pay the bills.


    "You don''t want to go shopping alone, do you? I can keep youpany," Curtis offered. He pretended


    to not know the real reason why she wasn''t looking forward to having any fun.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ''Why is he insisting that I go shopping?'' Debbie thought. "I don''t feel like going shopping now," she told


    Curtis frankly. Her husband was seriously injured. She just wanted to go back to the manor and make


    some nutritious food for him.


    "Why don''t you buy something for Carlos? It is not Zelda but you who is responsible for buying clothes


    for him now, right?"


    ''Seriously? He knows everything going on between me and Carlos, '' Debbie sighed inwardly. "He has


    many new clothes as well. I don''t think he requires any more."


    Curtis chuckled and sighed in defeat. "All right. I''ll drive you home."


    "Thank¡ª" Realizing something, she hit her forehead with her palm. "I need to go to the supermarket.


    Mr. Lu, you may leave now if you have work to finish. I''ll grab a taxi after I''m done."


    "I''m free. I''lle with you."


    "No! I''ll be quick,"


    Debbie said without any hesitation. "Just wait for me here." She got out of the car and ran towards the


    entrance of the za. There was arge supermarket on Floor B1.


    She needed to buy some tampons, and it would be embarrassing if Curtis was with her.


    Watching Debbie''s retreating figure, Curtis shook his head with a smile. ''She is so adorable.''


    When she was finally out of sight, he called Carlos. "Man, Debbie said she didn''t feel like shopping.


    She is in the supermarket now, and I will drop her back home after that. But are you sure that she''ll


    stay put at home the whole night? I really don''t think she will."


    Carlos knew that Curtis was right. Debbie was incredibly unpredictable, and even he, who was closest


    to her, wasn''t sure whether she would stay at the manor obediently. "We''ll see," he said.


    "All right. There''s no other choice now."


    "And by the way, my men have discovered that Portia Gu was behind the incident involving the


    pregnant woman. If I remember right, the headmaster of her college is one of your friends, isn''t he?


    Teach her a damn good lesson!" Carlos said, gritting his teeth. He was really pissed off when he had


    found that Portia had intentionally tried to destroy his rtionship with Debbie.


    Curtis was stunned. For a while, he wondered who Portia was. It took him some time to figure out


    whom Carlos was talking about. "Oh! I''ll take care of her," he replied.


    He and Carlos would never spare anyone who dared to hurt Debbie.


    After hanging up on Carlos, Curtis dialed another number. "Hey bro! It''s me, Curtis. My wedding is set


    for next month. Doe and attend the banquet..."


    At the Gu Group


    In her four-inch high heels, Portia entered the hall of the huge building.


    "Miss Gu."


    "Hello, Miss Gu."


    Employees stopped and greeted her warmly as she passed by them.


    Portia, however, didn''t even spare a nce at them. She remained emotionless and entered the lift in a


    hurry.


    She headed straight to the top floor and pushed open the door to the CEO''s office without knocking.


    "Hayden! Our headmaster''s secretary just called me. Originally, I was supposed to be attending a


    fashion show on behalf of the college. But he told me that I was weeded out. Hayden, you have to help


    me!" sheined.


    Hayden, who was working on some important documents, put aside his pen and rubbed his arching


    eyebrows. "Portia, you''ve gone too far this time," he said. ''And it''s rude to barge in without knocking, ''


    he added in his mind.


    Portia''s eyes widened. "Hayden, your own sister''s career is being destroyed. Yet all you have to say is


    that I''ve gone too far?" She couldn''t believe it.


    Hayden stood up from his seat and went over to her. He patted on her shoulder and said, "Let me


    guess. You must have offended Debbie again, huh?" He had also crossed Carlos, who in return, had


    done something unbelievable to the Gu Group in retaliation. Thepany''s shares had dropped


    dramatically, and Hayden had to work over time for more than a month to make up for the loss.


    He hadn''t had the time to contact Debbie or fly to Ennd to visit her during thest month.


    Portia was fuming. ''Damn it! Does Carlos have his magical umbre over the entire city? He has


    already found out what I had done and even got back at me so quickly!'' she thought angrily.


    Recently, she had gone through days when everything had gone utterly wrong¡ªshe had no


    commercials in hand at all. And it was all because of Debbie! In order to make her happy, Carlos had


    shut Portia out of the entertainment circle. That was why Portia had asked the pregnant woman to go to


    Debbie and drive a wedge between her and Carlos.


    She had done it in a fit of rage. She hadn''t thought hat Carlos would dig out the truth so soon.


    Her eyes brimmed with tears as she yelled at Hayden, "Why would Carlos Huo fall in love with a


    woman who was dumped by you? I thought a CEO like him would have better taste in women. Is he


    blind? What''s so good about her? She must have seduced him with her fake innocence!" She couldn''t


    ept the reality. She hated to admit that Carlos preferred Debbie over her.


    Hayden poured a ss of water for her and said casually, "Deb is a good girl. You are blinded by


    hatred." He really felt sorry for Debbie; his sister and mother had mistreated her.


    "She''s a good girl? Hayden, I''m your sister! She once cut my precious hair and pped me before so


    many people. No one had ever dared to do such a thing to me! She used to suck up to me. And now,


    she''s so arrogant because she''s Mrs. Huo. I swear I''ll make that title mine. Hayden, you still love her,


    don''t you? How about this? We''ll figure out a n to destroy their marriage." Portia grabbed Hayden''s


    arm and looked at him with a hopeful expression in her moist eyes.


    Hayden pulled away from her and said coldly, "She''s married to Carlos Huo, not Emmett Zhong. You


    want me to fight against Carlos? Are you crazy?" He had tried to steal Debbie from Carlos more than


    once. But whatever he did, Carlos would find out immediately and get back at him with no dy.


    Portia crashed into a nearby couch, frustrated. The very thought that Debbie was Carlos'' wife was


    torture to her. She had no appetite and she could barely fall asleep at nights.

 Chapter 277 Jared And Sasha

    Chapter 277 Jared And Sasha


    "Hayden, do you know how Debbie managed to get married to Mr. Huo?" Portia asked angrily. She


    hated that Debbie could easily live a life that she had dreamed of. ''And he spoils her so much.


    Everyone in Y City...no...in the world knows Debbie is Mrs. Huo and how much Mr. Huo loves her.


    She must have saved the world in her previous life. What else could exin her never ending streak of


    luck?'' Portia thought to herself in dismay. Not long ago, she had dreamed of marrying Carlos. But then,


    he had made his confession to Debbie in public at the expo.


    Exasperated by her outburst, Hayden tried to coax his sister, "It doesn''t matter how she managed to


    be Mrs. Huo. It has nothing to do with you. Mr. Huo will never marry you. Just go back home and


    behave yourself. If you don''t, he has many ways to wipe you out. Portia, I''m your brother. I don''t want


    to see you get hurt. So, don''t do anything stupid."


    With her arms crossed over her chest, Portia sneered and retorted stubbornly, "Behave myself? And


    did you behave yourself? If you had, then Mr. Huo wouldn''t have dealt a blow to the Gu Group and it


    wouldn''t have been at risk now. Even you allowed your emotions to get the better of you. You are not


    qualified to lecture me about the way I behave!"


    "Debbie and I used to be lovers. What about you and Mr. Huo? You two are not even on friendly terms


    with each other. Yes, he did attend the fashion show and the expo with you. But that doesn''t mean he


    has a thing for you. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have shut you out of the entertainment circle without any


    mercy. He is ruining your career for Debbie''s sake, and he doesn''t give a shit about it."


    Hayden took a sip of the water to moisten his sore throat and then continued, "Do you still believe that


    you are somehow special to him? If you two meet on the street, he won''t even cast a nce at you."


    Hayden knew how cold and uncaring Carlos was.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He also knew how much Carlos spoiled Debbie.


    He loved Debbie to the core of his being, and wouldn''t give her up for the world; he knew that now. He


    didn''t want his sister to feel the same pain as he did. Not to mention, Carlos and Portia were merely


    strangers. He didn''t think Portia loved Carlos. He knew his sister well¡ªshe loved Carlos'' money and


    power.


    "NO! I AM special to Mr. Huo. I''m sure he has a thing for me. The reason why he keeps me at arm''s


    length is that he''s married to that wretch and that he is concerned about his reputation," Portia yelled.


    She was trying to deceive herself, and as she repeated this fictional plot in her head, she eventually


    started believing that this was the truth. Whenever she couldn''t fall asleep, she would coax herself with


    this lie.


    Hayden''s expression changed dramatically. As far as he could see, Portia had be a little...


    mentally unstable. He put his hands softly on her shoulders, and looked her in the eye.


    As an experienced businessman, he had dealt with a lot of different people, and was much more


    sophisticated than Portia, who had been spoiled rotten by their parents and was, in his eyes, an


    innocent girl. He tried to make her understand by saying, "Portia, listen to me. You''ve gotten this all


    wrong. Trust me, okay? You need to face the reality¡ª"


    But Portia turned a deaf ear towards her brother. She shook off his hands and interrupted him angrily,


    "Enough, Hayden! Since you tantly refuse to help me, I''ll just go to Dad. He got me the date with Mr.


    Huo to the fashion showst time. I believe he can help me again."


    Hayden was having a headache because of her. He closed his eyes to cool himself down and opened


    them again. "Portia, do you have any idea what Dad had to do to get you that date with Carlos? He had


    to leave behind his honor and dignity to beg Carlos for it. I don''t think that''s gonna work again."


    "What?!" Portia eximed in shock. "You''re lying! Hayden, I know what''s on your mind. You want your


    beloved woman to live a happy life. You don''t want Mr. Huo to abandon her for me, do you?"


    Hayden looked at his sister in disbelief. ''Is this really my sweet sibling anymore? Is she possessed by


    the devil or something?''


    Before he could say anything more, Portia grabbed her purse and stormed out of his office.


    As soon as she walked out of the building, her phone beeped. She had received some WeChat


    messages.


    In a group chat on WeChat, someone had sent a message saying the wife of some high-ranking official


    was holding a tea party and asked whether they had received the invitations.


    Portia cast a casual nce at the pink invitation, whichy abandoned on the passenger seat of her


    car, and snorted. ''It''s just a tea party. Why are they so excited about it?'' she thought.


    However, a girl''s message caught her attention. It said, "I heard Mrs. Huo was also invited."


    "Really? I didn''t get a chance to see her at the expo. I heard she was really pretty. I''m going to the tea


    party to have a look at her in person," another girl said.


    ''Debbie Nian will go to the tea party?''


    she wondered with a frown. After a while, an evil smile appeared on her face. She had a n.


    Curtis drove Debbie to the manor and left soon after. She walked inside, and to her surprise, she saw


    Kasie, Kristina and Jared waiting for her. The moment they saw Debbie, the three of them rushed


    towards her and hugged her warmly. After all, they hadn''t seen her in quite a while.


    "Hey Jared, why are you here? I thought you were still angry with me because of the fight," Debbie


    teased while still holding onto Kasie''s and Kristina''s hands.


    Jared pulled a long face. "Since you''ve already apologized to me, I forgive you," he said.


    The three girls looked at each other and burst outughing. Kasie rolled her eyes and snorted, "Jared,


    you are such a liar! It was you who apologized to Debbie."


    Jared and Debbie had exchanged punches at the hotpot restaurantst time, and she had gone to


    Ennd the very next day. On the third day, he had sent her a text message to apologize and told her


    that he missed her a lot.


    Jared scratched the back of his head sheepishly and gave Debbie an embarrassed smile. Then he


    grabbed her hand and told her with his usual charming smile, "Tomboy, Sasha is my girlfriend now. Did


    you know that?"


    The news didn''te as a surprise to Debbie. About ten days after she had gone to Ennd, Sasha


    had given her a call to ask her how Jared had initially formed his rtionships with his ex-girlfriends.


    And what had Debbie told Sasha back then?


    She had told Sasha that Jared had slept with all of them first and then gotten into rtionships with


    them. Debbie had also warned her against falling in love with Jared because he was a yboy and had


    too many ex-girlfriends.


    Jared was a loyal friend, but he was a terrible boyfriend.


    Debbie was curious to know what had happened between Jared and Sasha, so she asked, "I thought


    you didn''t like her. You even called her ''a pest.'' How did you two get together?"


    "I know how that happened, Tomboy," Kristina chipped in before Jared could answer.


    He tried to stop Kristina from saying it, but she hid behind Kasie''s back and said in a hurry, "He slept


    with Sasha, and he had to take responsibility for it."


    Kasie nodded and added, "I guess their first time was really amazing, because he slept with her again


    soon after. I believe he has fallen in love with her because of the mind-blowing sex."


    ''Sasha is still in her early adulthood, yet Jared slept with her! More than once!''


    The news hit Debbie like a thunderbolt. She was stunned for a while, and then shouted angrily, "Jared


    Han, you are dead meat! I''m gonna beat you to a pulp today, and then I will break off all ties with you.


    How dare you do this to Sasha!" She was so irritated by his yboy behavior.

 Chapter 278 Cooking

    Chapter 278 Cooking


    Jared had dated countless girls before, but Debbie had never given a damn about it. This time,


    however, was different. She didn''t want her cousin to get hurt.


    She rolled up her sleeves, ready to teach Jared a lesson.


    He freaked out and hid behind Kasie and Kristina. "Tomboy, wait. Listen to me¡ª"


    "Listen to you? What are you going to say? Have you already made an excuse to break up with


    Sasha?" Debbie snapped angrily.


    Kasie and Kristina got out of the way quickly so that Debbie could beat him up.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    While dodging Debbie''s attack, Jared pleaded with a pitiful look on his face, "Tomboy, listen. I really


    love Sasha. I found¡ª Ow! My arm! Sasha is a lovely girl. I was just too blind to see it. Tomboy, if I


    really dump her someday, you can beat me up then. But don''t you think you are overreacting now?"


    Debbie was boiling over with rage. She pointed at Jared and yelled, "Sasha is indeed a good girl. She


    has never dated anyone before. I can''t believe she has fallen for a jerk like you."


    Unconvinced, Jared retorted in a low voice, "Tomboy, I''m not a jerk. I have dated lots of girls, but they


    were all after my money. But Sasha is different. Rest assured, I''ll cherish her."


    "NO WAY!" Debbie yelled at the top of her lungs. "I''m calling Sasha right now and I''m gonna ask her to


    dump your ass." She pulled out her phone from her pocket.


    Jared immediately ran towards her and grabbed her hand. "Tomboy, please don''t! I love her, and she


    loves me. You are not so cruel as to tear us apart, are you?"


    Debbie grabbed him by the wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. "Ow ow ow!" Jared cried in pain.


    Then he was pushed unceremoniously onto the floor.


    Kasie and Kristina held onto each other, feigning terror. Kristina asked Jared yfully, "Dude, you


    never expected that you would one day get beaten up by Tomboy because of your phndering ways,


    did you? You must be seized with remorse right now. Now I truly believe that evildoers are bound to be


    punished in the end for their nasty deeds." She burst outughing along with Kasie.


    Debbie was about to punch Jared in the face when he swore to her sincerely, "Tomboy, I really do


    regret having dated all those worthless girls. I swear that I will be a caring boyfriend. I''ll treat Sasha and


    our love sincerely this time."


    He had already realized his mistakes and had sworn to himself that he would take this rtionship


    seriously.


    Debbie''s fist stopped in midair, as his expression was so convincing. She red at him for a while,


    figuring out what to do. Finally, she heaved a sigh and gave him a yful kick in the ass. "Fine. You


    better keep your promise. If you dare betray Sasha, I''ll have Carlos deal with you. You know how he


    treats his enemies."


    Of course Jared knew. Carlos had dealt with him once for Debbie. Damon had also told him how Carlos


    handled those who dared to offend him. ''Carlos is rather kind to mepared to how he treats his real


    enemies, '' Jared thought. He shuddered thinking about it. "Come on, Tomboy! You are already scary


    enough; no need to threaten me with your husband," he said honestly.


    Kasie held Debbie and patted her back softly to calm her down. "Rx. We haven''t seen each other for


    so long. Don''t waste time on Jared. Kristina and I will keep an eye on him for you. If he flirts with some


    other girl, we''ll let you know," she said with a grin.


    "Yes! Do tell me if he does something fishy. If I find out that he''s betraying Sasha, I''ll fly back


    immediately and beat him to a pulp. And then, I''ll have him pay for my airfare."


    Jared stared at her in disbelief. "Seriously? Your husband is rich as hell. Why would you make me pay


    for your ticket?"


    ''Damn it! My life is going to be a living hell from now on, '' he cried inside.


    "Yes, my husband is rich. I''ll use his money to buy a ticket first. Then, I''ll have you give the money back


    to me," she retorted.


    Words failed Jared. ''Looks like I''m gonna be bullied by Debbie and her husband for the rest of my life, ''


    he sighed.


    At the military hospital


    Carlos changed his clothes and went to Megan''s ward with Damon.


    She was watching TV with a gauze around her forehead. Upon seeing the two men, she jumped out of


    her bed and called out cheerfully, "Uncle Carlos! Uncle Damon!"


    Carlos just stood there and nodded to her. He asked casually, "Are you feeling better?"


    "It doesn''t hurt anymore." She walked over to him and reached out her arms to hug him. Carlos,


    however, immediately stepped backwards by instinct.


    Megan''s face went pale when she saw Carlos avoiding her like the gue.


    Realizing what he had done, Carlos rubbed his arching eyebrows with a short sigh.


    Whenever Debbie saw Carlos and Megan being intimate with each other, she would lose her temper


    and mess with him in return. He really didn''t want to have a row with his wife over Megan again. He


    decided to keep her at arm''s length.


    Damon saw everything, and instantly realized what was on Carlos'' mind. ''He really doesn''t want to hurt


    Debbie.'' He was amazed because Carlos had never been such a caring person before.


    "Get some rest. Damon and I have some work to finish. Call the doctor if you need anything," Carlos


    said calmly.


    "All right," Megan replied in a low voice. Seeing Carlos and Damon leave, she asked anxiously, "Uncle


    Carlos, are you afraid that Aunt Debbie will misunderstand our rtionship again?"


    Sighing in defeat, Carlos exined, "Your aunt Debbie has a horrible temper. We should keep our


    distance for your own good. I''m afraid she will identally hurt you again if she loses it."


    ''For my own good? identally?''


    Tears welled up in her eyes. ''He made it sound like this is all my fault.''


    Carlos'' heart softened when he saw her tears. He said, "Megan, all you need to do now is study hard.


    Don''t worry. You''ll always be my niece."


    ''Is he trying to reject me?'' Megan thought and nodded obediently. "I understand. Thank you, Uncle


    Carlos."


    "Good. Go to sleep now." Saying that, he left the ward with Damon.


    Debbie and her friends stayed at the manor the whole day. In the evening, she turned off the stove and


    ladled out three bowls of soup for them. "Come here and taste this soup made by the great chef


    Debbie. Now or never!"


    Staring at the hot soup, Kasie burst into fake tears. "Tomboy, we''ve known you for so many years. This


    is the first time you''ve cooked for us."


    Kristina smelled the soup and praised, "Smells good."


    Jared looked at the soup hesitantly. ''It looks nice, but...'' "Are you sure this is edible?" he asked,


    unconvinced. Debbie had cooked for Carlos before, and it had been a disaster.


    She patted Jared''s head and said menacingly, "Eat it and see if it''s hazardous."


    Jared''s jaw dropped. "Seriously? Tomboy, you will lose your beloved Jared if you keep acting this way."

 Chapter 459 Love The One Youre With

    Chapter 459 Love The One You''re With


    It wasn''t the first time that Damon had seen Carlos wear a mask of cruelty. It was the same mask he


    wore when he dealt with his enemies. But that was before he became an enemy. Now, Damon''s heart


    jumped into his throat. In an instant, he yed the pity card and pleaded, "No, Carlos, my friend. Don''t,


    please. Wesley and I were tricked. I owe your wife an apology, and I''ll make it up to her. I swear!"


    Carlos'' anger finally subsided a little and he let go of him.


    Damon straightened his clothes, pulling his cor taut and wiping his brow. He heaved a deep sigh of


    relief. When Carlos seemed to have calmed down, Damon suggested anxiously, "Hey, if you really


    remember everything, I wouldn''t let Debbie know. She''ll make you pay for what she had gone through."


    Carlos looked at him, now perplexed. Damon exined, "Think about it. No matter how badly Wesley


    and I treated her, she will probably go easy on us once we apologize. But you made the deepest, most


    painful cuts. She loved you and trusted you, and you hooked up with Stephanie. You disavowed her.


    You made her marry Ivan. If you were her, would you forgive what you did?"


    Kinsley thought Damon''s words made sense. "Carlos, he''s right. You hurt her a lot. You should treat her


    well from now on to make things right. When she forgives you, then you can tell her you got your


    memories back."


    Carlos said nothing, mulling over their suggestions.


    Inside the room, Niles seized the chance to make fun of Ivan. "Wow, Mr. Wen, I never knew you loved


    guys. What do you think about me? Your type?"


    Ivan squinted at the naughty doctor and snapped, "So Carlos says I''m gay and you believe him. How


    much does he know about me? Or maybe he''s my date?"


    "If it''s not true, why would he say it?" Niles wouldn''t drop the subject.


    Ivan shrugged. "He''s not the only one with awyer. I could file charges for nder."


    Niles leaned against the couch and grinned evilly. "Okay, so you''re not gay. Got any proof?"


    "I got my proof right here." Ivan sprang up from the couch and made his way to a woman sitting at the


    other end of the room.


    Seeing the direction Ivan was walking in, Xavier reminded him, "Carlos is on the balcony. He can still


    see everything. Don''t do anything stupid."


    Niles also got worried. He tried to calm him down. "Okay, bad joke. You''re not gay. I was just kidding.


    Don''t¡ªdon''t kiss Debbie... Hey...wait...wow!" The doctor ended his sentence in absolute shock, as he


    saw Ivan kissing the most unexpected woman.


    Yates'' eyes widened in disbelief. "Nice! There''s something you don''t see every day."


    ir covered her mouth in shock and asked, "What in the world?"


    Xavier clicked his tongue and joked, "Well, if you can''t be with the one you love, then love the one


    you''re with."


    Colleen wrapped her arms in Curtis'' own, and remarked, "I''ll never understand the rich and their


    complicated rtionships. d I have a good husband."


    Curtis sighed helplessly and caressed her hair. Then he nted a kiss on her forehead.


    Gregory waspletely dumbfounded. His thoughts were bombarded with questions. He''d been gone


    for three years, and obviously things had changed while he was out of the country. ''Isn''t he married to


    Debbie?'' he wondered.


    In fact, everybody except Gregory knew very well that there was nothing romantic going on between


    Ivan and Debbie. It was a marriage in name only. But Ivan was still Debbie''s husband. And now that


    husband kissed Debbie''s best friend in front of everyone. That was really something to see.


    Debbie covered her eyes to give them a little privacy. The couple was right next to her, kissing


    passionately like there was no tomorrow. "Ivan, take it down a notch. People are watching you," she


    reminded.


    As Kasie struggled fiercely, Ivan finally let go of her.


    Flushing a deep shade of red, Kasie bowed her head, not wanting to look at anyone. Then she grabbed


    her handbag and rushed out of the room. Ivan stood up and gave everyone an apologetic smile before


    following her out.


    The three men talking on the balcony were clueless about what happened inside. When they came


    back, they noticed Ivan and Kasie were gone. But they just shrugged and rejoined the party like nothing


    had happened.


    During the party, Debbie stole nces at Carlos from time to time, still wondering whether her guess


    was right or wrong. Did he still have amnesia or not?


    Yates abandoned his seat to plop down next to Curtis and kept his voice low. "Wanna make a bet?


    $100k says Carlos has his memory back."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Curtis smiled gently as he observed Carlos. Swirling the red wine in his ss, he told Yates, "100


    grand? How about a million? His memory has definitely returned."


    Yates'' lips twitched. So it seemed that they all figured it out. "Debbie still doesn''t know," he said, shifting


    his gaze towards the young mother.


    Curtis raised his eyebrows. "It''s not just her. None of the women do."


    "Mr. Lu, do I detect a note of sexism?" Yates smirked mischievously.


    Curtis didn''t pay any attention to Yates'' barb. He shook his head and turned to ask his wife, "Honey,


    see anything different about Carlos tonight?"


    Colleen nodded, "Yes. He''s even more possessive and overbearing than usual. I don''t like him.


    Honestly, I don''t know what Debbie sees in him."


    "Anything else?" Curtis prompted.


    "No."


    Curtis looked at Yates and raised an eyebrow with a triumphant smile. ''I wonder if this is the difference


    between men and women, '' Yates thought. But then he asked Curtis again, "Think Niles has figured it


    out?"


    Curtis shifted his gaze to the naughty doctor trying to pull a prank on Wesley, and said, "I don''t think he


    knows, either."


    Yates nodded, "Agreed."


    Little did Niles know that the two men loathed him.


    After the party ended, Carlos held onto Debbie with one arm and carried Evelyn with his other arm, and


    then led them to his car.


    He had a little red wine tonight, so he asked Frankie to drive. A child seat was installed in the back seat


    of the car. After Debbie was settled in next to the child seat, there was not much room left, but to her


    surprise, the tall, strong guy also squeezed into the back seat. They made a wonderful sight, the three


    of them.


    Debbie felt embarrassed. It was so crowded that she was half-sitting on Carlos''p. "I''ll sit in the


    passenger seat," she said, moving to try and make for the door.


    But Carlos didn''t let her budge even a little and ordered Frankie, "Drive."


    The car drove into traffic and sped away from the Orchid Private Club.


    On their way home, Carlos kept staring at Evelyn with an affectionate look in his eyes while talking to


    her the whole time. He was sad that he missed three years of her life. He never got to feed her a bottle,


    hear her first words, or see her walking. That wasn''t going to happen again, if he had anything to say


    about it.


    On the other hand, Debbie had been staring at Carlos again. She was sure something was wrong with


    him, but what was it?


    The car rolled up to the manor. As usual, Carlos helped Evelyn bathe and tucked her into bed.


    Debbie leaned against the door of the kid''s room and watched him. By the time Evelyn had closed her


    eyes and was sleeping peacefully, she couldn''t help yawning. She said quietly, "I have work tomorrow,


    Mr. Huo. I think I''ll turn in."


    Carlos silently tucked his daughter under the covers and got out of the bed. He adjusted the thermostat


    before walking over to Debbie.


    He grabbed hold of her wrist and took her to his bedroom. He closed the door behind them.


    Looking at the closed door and his huge hand, Debbie suddenly had a bad feeling. ''What is he going to


    do?''


    While she was in a trance, she was pressed onto the bed by the man.


    Debbie was confused. But she knew he wouldn''t have sex with her before she divorced Ivan, so she


    wasn''t afraid. She gaped and yawned once again. "Mr. Huo, I''m really sleepy. Just let me go to my


    room, okay?"


    Carlos said nothing. He stared intently at her face, eyes full of affection.


    This was his woman. The woman he had sworn to love and spoil for his entire life. But she had been


    bullied and hurt by other people. His heart ached. It was his fault. He didn''t protect her when it mattered


    most.

 Chapter 460 Ivan Loves Men

    Chapter 460 Ivan Loves Men


    "Old man... Mr. Handsome, are you okay? Why are you staring at me that way?" Debbie noticed the


    ocean of mixed emotions in Carlos'' eyes and theplicated look on his face. She felt anxious, and


    her heart pounded hard in her chest.


    Carlos kept gazing at her and still said nothing.


    All he wanted to do was quietly admire her, hug her, feel her warmth, and kiss her.


    That was just what he did. He embraced Debbie, holding her tightly to him and began kissing her


    tenderly. The kiss was soft, full of love and affection, unlike his usual imperious and hungry kisses.


    Debbie was taken aback by his show of affection and gentleness.


    After the unexpected kiss, Debbie was left breathless. She swallowed nervously and stammered,


    "Have...have you done anything wrong to me?"


    Carlos gazed at her and smiled. He stroked the strand of hair near her ear and said, "Go and bathe


    now. I''m going to make a call."


    "Hmm. Okay!" Debbie nodded. She wanted to take a moment to be alone and calm herself down.


    Carlos let go of her. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched Debbie go toward the bathroom. Every


    step of the way, Debbie kept turning back to Carlos, trying to spot anything suspicious. When she


    finally entered the bathroom, Carlos returned to his cold self again and left the bedroom.


    He went straight to the study and called Frankie.


    "Give me the phone number of Ivan''s mom." It would have been better for Frankie to call Ivan''s mom


    for him. But now he urgently needed to handle everything concerning Debbie, in person.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    A few minutester, Carlos received the number and called Elsie at once. "Good evening Mrs. Wen.


    This is Carlos Huo speaking. I''m sorry to bother you thiste at night."


    ''Carlos Huo?''


    Elsie was suddenly caught by surprise from the unexpected call from Carlos. She hastily sat up on the


    bed and turned the bedmp on while kicking her husband to wake up. "Hello, Mr. Huo. It''s okay. We


    aren''t sleeping yet. Is there anything I can help you with?"


    "Yes, there is. It''s something very important."


    Elsie became tense. "What is it?"


    "Mrs. Wen, there''s no easy way to tell you this, so please prepare yourself for what I''m about to tell


    you. Ivan took advantage of my memory loss to marry my wife, but he doesn''t love Debbie at all. He


    loves men. After marrying Debbie, he doesn''t treat her well. He''s even romantically involved with


    Debbie''s best friend, Kasie. Mrs. Wen, I know all of this because I have seen it all with my own eyes.


    I''m not telling lies." Carlos cut to the chase and filled Elsie in on all the essential and necessary


    information.


    Elsie''s eyes were as wide as saucers at the shocking news. She took a deep breath, trying not to


    scream out. When she spoke again, her tone was still high. "Ivan loves men?"


    "Yes, it''s true. But please rest assured, Mrs. Wen. The man that Ivan used to be involved with is now


    locked up behind bars. He was used of instigating and aiding others tomit rape."


    "The man is locked up in jail?" Elsie could hardly take in and register all this information. She felt like


    she didn''t know her son at all.


    As he tapped his fingers on the desk, Carlos concluded, "Yes. I didn''t mean to bother you with all this,


    but I feel great pity for Debbie. I hope you can stop Ivan from hurting her and ask him to divorce her as


    soon as possible."


    Elsie got his meaning. Thest sentence was the key point of his phone call.


    She managed topose herself and said in a shaky voice, "I understand, Mr. Huo. Thank you for the


    information."


    "You''re wee, Mrs. Wen. I should be thanking you. I''m sorry for disturbing your rest. If you have


    time to visit Y City someday, I would be happy to amodate you and Mr. Logan Wen."


    "Thank you, Mr. Huo. I hope we can meet up next time. Goodbye." The moment the call was


    disconnected, Elsie slumped back against the bedhead and was silent with a worried face.


    In a neighborhood of Y City


    Kasie wanted to go back home after leaving the party midway. However, Ivan convinced her to go out


    with him for ate-night snack.


    After the snack, Ivan drove towards his apartment, and then he suddenly nced at her and said,


    "Debbie and I will be divorced soon."


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Kasie looked across and asked, "Why? Because of Mr. Huo?"


    "Yeah." Ivan noticed the subtle expression on Carlos'' face at the party. He believed that Carlos had


    already regained his memory. ''Undoubtedly, I''ll be Carlos'' first target to deal with.'' At the thought of that,


    Ivan sighed and smiled helplessly.


    No one would be able to stand up to the overbearing Carlos.


    Looking at the scenery outside the car window, Kasie asked in a gloomy tone, "Sad?"


    "Who?" Ivan was confused.


    She turned to look at his profile. "You. Are you sad?"


    "Why would I feel sad?" On the contrary, Ivan was quite happy because Debbie would have a bright


    future with Carlos soon.


    "Aren''t you sad about getting divorced?"


    Ivan finally understood. He smiled and instead of exining anything to her, he requested, "Call your


    parents. Think of an excuse and tell them that you won''t be home tonight."


    "Why?" she asked.


    His smile broadened. He could see a bright future with Kasie too. "I have something to tell you."


    "You can tell me now and then drive me back home." Kasie had a rough idea of what he wanted to do.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "I think I''m going to need the whole night to say it all."


    She gaped at him, speechless. Did he really take her for a fool?


    Nheless, she pulled out her phone and called her mother. Putting on a rxed voice, she said,


    "Mom, I''m at my friend''s house. I''ve had a bit of wine, so I''ll spend the night here."


    "You drank wine? Which friend? Do I know your friend? Is it a boy or girl?" Mia asked routinely. It wasn''t


    the first time that her daughter had stayed overnight at a friend''s house. Each time, Kasie would call


    her to let her know so she didn''t worry.


    "Of course it''s a girl. Mom, when have I stayed overnight with a man?" Kasie lied, her eyes darting


    around with guilt. Typically, she would have hung up impatiently after her mother''s string of questions.


    However, she didn''t dare to now that she was telling her a lie.


    Fortunately, Mia couldn''t see her guilty expression, so she agreed. "Okay. Take care of yourself."


    "Will do. Bye!"


    Kasie heaved a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone.


    Ivan asked with a smile, "Do you often stay at friends'' houses?"


    "Well, sometimes... When my friends and I have a lot of fun. I''ll stay at some friend''s house or find a


    hotel myself, and then go back home the next day." Kasie had quite a lot of friends, from all walks of


    life. Apart from doing investment and business, she would go out to have fun with her friends during


    most of her leisure time.


    "Sounds like you enjoy ying, just like Piggy," Ivan remarked.


    When Piggy''s name was brought up, Kasie felt warm inside and said, "No, I''m not like Piggy. My god-


    daughter is way lovelier than me." Then she sighed and joked, "I''m getting old."


    Ivan disagreed. He nced at her and said, "No, you''re cuter than Piggy."


    Unconvinced, Kasie said, "I''m ttered. But Ivan, how can you tantly lie to tter me?"


    "What can I say? I feel good."


    Kasie was lost for words and shook her head.


    Once they had arrived at the apartment building and parked the car, Ivan held Kasie''s hand and led her


    towards the elevator.


    Kasie looked around nervously. She was afraid of being seen by someone. "I think we should part our


    ways here. I''m not going upstairs." She lost her nerve and chickened out at thest minute. Even if Ivan


    and Debbie didn''t love each other, they were still a married couple. It didn''t feel right for her to spend


    the night at Ivan''s house before they got divorced.


    Ivan pressed the elevator button. "Rx. Do you know what Debbie is doing now?"


    Kasie thought for a second and replied, "She and Mr. Huo should be coaxing Piggy to sleep now."


    Checking the time on his wristwatch, Ivan shook his head. "It''s past eleven now. Piggy would have


    been in bed much earlier."


    In an instant, Kasie realized what Ivan was hinting at. But she still tried to defend Debbie and said


    thoughtfully, "No. Debbie told me that Mr. Huo wouldn''t bug her for sex until she divorces you. Debbie


    won''t betray your marriage."


    Ivan was amused. He wanted tough at how naive Kasie and Debbie both were. "Yes, what Debbie


    told you is right, but that was only relevant before tonight. Now there''s no telling if Carlos will keep his


    promise or not."

 Chapter 461 Mr. Huo Has His Memories Back

    Chapter 461 Mr. Huo Has His Memories Back


    Kasie stared at Ivan, evidently confused by his words. "Why?"


    Ivan wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Mr. Huo has his memories back."


    She froze, eyes popped out, her mouth agape. "Really? How do you know? When did this happen?"


    "Tonight, at the party. But Carlos, that cunning fox, kept it to himself. He may be waiting for the right


    time." Ivan didn''t know him very well, but from what he could see, Carlos deserved to be seen as a


    cunning fox, in business and in his private life.


    Kasie was still wallowing in the exciting news. "Does Debbie know?" ''Thank God! Maybe she''ll finally


    have something good happen in her life, '' she thought, genuinely happy.


    "I think Debbie is still in the dark. Don''t tell her. Let''s just focus on you and me for right now." Ivan


    gantly held the door open to his apartment and let Kasie walk in first.


    She felt around the wall for a light switch and turned it on. Being able to see, she searched for a pair of


    slippers, just like when entering her own home.


    Ivan smiled as he watched her behave casually. He wanted her to feelfortable.


    "Why can''t I tell her? That''s so unfair. She''s been hanging on, waiting. I''ll give her a call." After


    shedding her coat, Kasie pulled out her phone to call Debbie.


    But Ivan swiftly snatched her phone away from her hand and held onto her with his other arm. Leading


    her into the living room, he hissed, "No, don''t ruin the moment."


    Kasie stopped walking and looked at him with a serious look. "Seriously, why are you okay with that?"


    She thought Ivan must feel something for Debbie. Otherwise, why did he marry her?


    Tossing her phone onto the sofa, Ivan pulled her into a hug and kissed her lips.


    Kasie couldn''t resist his affectionate kiss.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Gradually, the air between them became warmer. He pushed her up against the wall, and his kiss


    became more passionate. She locked her arms around his neck, like it was the most natural thing in


    the world.


    His lips suddenly left hers, and seductive words came from them. "Kasie, I love you."


    The woman who was so smitten with his kiss suddenly snapped back to reality. Her half-closed eyes


    abruptly opened wide like saucers.


    But before she could react, Ivan scooped her up and pushed open the door to his bedroom with his


    foot.


    In a split second, Kasie wasin on his bed, her heart pounding rapidly. Seeing him undoing his tie, she


    swallowed a bit of saliva and hesitated again. "Ivan, no. Not now. Debbie..."


    She still couldn''t jump over this issue.


    Debbie, marriage... These words were like a curse that halted their rtionship, a wall neither of them


    could climb. Ivan had almost given himself over to passion, and was so close to letting Debbie''s secret


    slip.


    Kasie was struggling to sit up but Ivan pinned her down again. "Kasie, listen. It''s not what you think.


    Debbie and I are just friends."


    "I know you aren''t in love. But let''s do this right. Wait until you''re divorced." Truth be told, she was so


    moved to hear his confession of love. She didn''t need to hide her true feelings from him anymore.


    But she knew that she didn''t want to rush into anything either. Especially sex.


    However, Ivan didn''t think the same way. He wanted her now.


    Helpless, his voice thick with passion, he lowered his head to nibble her earlobe and whispered,


    "Listen!"


    "Yes?"


    "We''re not really married." He blurted out the truth.


    "What? How?" That was thest thing she expected to hear. Kasie was stunned for a moment, but then


    she said with a smile, "No way. Stop kidding around."


    He raised his head to stare into her eyes. "I''m not kidding."


    The sincerity in his eyes was so evident that Kasie stammered, "But... but Debbie never told me that.


    I''m...her best friend. Why didn''t she tell me? Besides... I came to your wedding. And...Mr. Huo walked


    her down the aisle..."


    "Yeah. We tried to do the ceremony. But Debbie got nabbed by the cops before she could say ''I do.'' We


    aren''t actually married."


    "But... You guys got the licenses. Everything''s official." After she dropped these words, she suddenly


    remembered something. Debbie had once showed off her marriage license.


    Kasie took one look and replied casually, "Nice. But honestly, you and Ivan don''t look like an item. You


    and Mr. Huo look better together."


    Then Debbie smiled mysteriously and swung the marriage license in front of her and asked again,


    "Guess how much we paid?"


    Kasie rolled her eyes at her. "Think I''m an idiot just because I''m single? Everyone knows it''s 9.90 here.


    Next you''ll be telling me they''re spun from gold."


    Debbie said nothing back but just smiled.


    Now remembering their conversation, Kasie started to piece it together. She widened her eyes in shock


    and looked at Ivan, who was smiling blissfully. "The marriage licenses are fake too?"


    Pecking her cheek, he said, "Always knew you were a smart cookie."


    "But, Debbie never told me. At least, not in so many words... I''m her best friend!" Kasie wanted to cry.


    No wonder there were only a few people at their wedding.


    Ivan shook his head. "Don''t me her. I swore her to secrecy. You''re the third one to know."


    "All right..." Kasie sighed, having a surge of mixed feelings.


    Now it made sense. No wonder Ivan had no problem kissing her. Behind her back, or even in front of


    her at the party. He wasn''t angry at all when he saw Debbie and Carlos flirting at the seaside resort.


    Instead, he seemed quite happy to see them together.


    Ivan had unbuttoned his shirt. "Let''s get marriage licenses tomorrow. What do you say?"


    "What? So soon?"


    He shook his head. "It''s not that soon. If my guess is right, Carlos has already taken steps to get me


    out of the way. I''ll be in big trouble if we don''t."


    "What do you mean? What trouble?" Kasie had difficulty figuring out what he meant.


    "He''ll tell my mom I''m gay, or he''ll ruin mypany, put my stock in freefall..."


    "But we haven''t talked to our parents..." Kasie still hesitated.


    Ivan closed his eyes tightly; he was burning with desire already. "Kasie, please. This is torture."


    Seeing the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, she tried her best to stifle herughter. A single


    word left her lips, "Okay."


    Taking this as permission, Ivan hungrily kissed her.


    Ten-odd minutester


    A song echoed through the room, interrupting the busy pair. It was Ivan''s ringtone. Frustrated, Ivan


    caught a glimpse of the caller ID on the phone screen. ''Let me guess...Carlos got to her!''


    Kasie was ready for him, so she was also a bit flustered. Still, the ringtone went off again. She tried to


    calm her breathing and managed to gasp, "The phone... Just answer it."


    Ivan wasn''t really in the mood to care about the call, but since Kasie had urged him, he had no choice


    but to pick it up. "Mom."


    "You brat! What else did you do behind my back? Think I wouldn''t find out?" Elsie barked on the other


    end. It was rare for the gracefuldy to throw a tantrum like that. Even Kasie was blown away by this.


    Each word of her rant could be heard clearly in the dead of night.


    With his eyes glued to Kasie''s blushing face, Ivan asked calmly, "Mom, what''s going on?"


    "You tell me. Ivan, you... you love... men? How do you think that looks? Your dad and I are a


    laughingstock. And now you hook up with Debbie''s best friend! What were you thinking? You need to


    come back home. Now!" Elsie was so pissed by what her son had done that she pretty much shouted


    at him over the phone.

 Chapter 462 I Think You Know

    Chapter 462 I Think You Know


    Ivan took a look at the woman under him and said over the phone, "You sure you want me to go back


    home now? Come on, Mom. You want a grandchild, right¡ª Ouch!" A pinch from Kasie made him end


    his sentence prematurely. He started massaging the area she cruelly manhandled.


    Blushing a shade of bright red, she shot him an angry re and then buried her face in the pillow,


    embarrassed.


    "What? A grandchild? With whom?" Elsie softened her voice.


    To save him from more drama, Ivan patiently exined, "Mom, the marriage was a sham. Debbie and I


    aren''t married. Sorry for lying to you. And I don''t love men. I love Debbie''s best friend, and I wanna


    marry her. We''re getting married here, so you and Dad will need to get tickets."


    "W-what...is that so?" The sudden change of the story put Elsie in a daze. She needed time to process


    everything.


    "That''s it, Mom. I just married Debbie to get you and Dad off my back. But this is real. If you don''t


    believe me, you can fly here and watch us get the marriage licenses with your own eyes."


    Ivan wanted to hang up but Elsie quickly stopped. "Hold on. No wonder Debbie didn''t want me to visit


    her uncle and aunt, and didn''t want any gifts. Now I get it. So which family is that girl from?" ''Debbie''s


    best friend...'' Elsie tried to remember who that was, but came up short. She hadn''t really gotten to


    know the girl.


    She saw her once at Ivan''s wedding, but she was too excited to notice anything.


    "She''s the daughter of the Zheng family here. Her father is Mason Zheng. I think Dad knows him." At


    this point, Ivan began to lose his patience.


    If Elsie didn''t end the call, the sun would be up soon. He wouldn''t have enough time to enjoy his special


    moment with Kasie.


    Elsie nudged her husband, who was lying next to her. "Do you know Mason Zheng? Ivan says you


    know him."


    Without hesitation, Logan nodded, "Yeah. I knew him from university."


    Elsie asked further with the line still on, "I never heard you mention him. You close to him?" She heard


    a beep, and the line went silent. "Hey, Ivan... I''m not done."


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    As Elsie tried to call again, Logan stopped her and said, "Look. He''s with his girlfriend. Don''t ruin the


    moment."


    Elsie''s hands froze. She carefully thought about his words again and took in his meaning. Realizing


    what her son was doing now, she blushed and scolded, "That brat! Why didn''t he tell me? Honey, I


    roared at our son just now. Do you think she heard me?"


    Instead of answering her question, Logan pulled a long face and criticized, "Ivan is already thirty. He''s a


    mature man, and the CEO of thepany. But he can''t take marriage seriously!"


    Elsie patted his shoulder. "Don''t get mad. I''ll give him an earful when I get the chance. And maybe I


    was a little pushy about grandkids, but still...What a brat!" she said in increasing anger.


    "Humph! Even if we did drive him to it, why Carlos'' woman? Is he an idiot or something? I''m pretty sure


    Evelyn is Carlos'' kid," Logan said.


    "Oh, really? No wonder she''s so clever."


    Logan let out a heavy sigh.


    Atst, the old couple decided that they would teach Ivan a lesson.


    In the East District Manor


    When Debbie emerged from the bathroom, she didn''t see Carlos in the bedroom. Too sleepy to go find


    him, she climbed onto bed straight away.


    In her sleepy and hazy state, she felt a familiar man hugging her close.


    It felt wonderful. Without thinking, she turned over and wrapped her arms around the man''s waist,


    nestlingfortably in his arms.


    But then she felt his hand exploring her body, apanied by a seductive voice, "Honey..."


    Debbie thought she was dreaming, so she didn''t open her eyes.


    And that was when she felt something heavy on top of her. Her eyes whipped open. In the dark, Carlos


    was staring at her, eyes thick with lust.


    He was really going to do it. Shocked, Debbie tried to steady her breathing and asked between moans,


    "Not before... before...I divorce Ivan, right?"


    He yelled in a hoarse voice, "I''ve waited too long!" All he wanted to do now was teach her a lesson and


    love her with his heart and soul.


    "Carlos, where are your morals?" she snapped, confused. Back when they were trapped on the desert


    ind, Carlos had wanted to bang her, but he had managed to constrain himself by swimming a few


    rounds in the sea. But why couldn''t he stop himself now?


    "I have plenty of those. But they''re for another time, another ce. I want you by my side, forever."


    Debbie couldn''t help but wonder again if he had regained his memory. He had been acting so strangely


    since the party earlier tonight. But he had denied it and kept asking her to divorce Ivan, just like usual.


    She wasn''t so sure.


    Carlos didn''t give her any more time to think. As he moved with full passion, her heavy and short


    breaths came one after another.


    The next morning, the sound of her ringtone jarred Debbie awake. It was Ivan. She reached out for her


    phone and slid her finger along the screen. Face buried under the covers, she said in a sleepy voice,


    "Hi, Ivan."


    "Still in bed?" Ivan''s voice sounded refreshed and joyful.


    "Yeah. I stayed upst night..." Thanks to Carlos, she didn''t get any sleep till the sun rose.


    Ivan grinned and looked at Kasie, who was also sleeping. "I''m getting married," he announced.


    "Congrattions," Debbie said without thinking. She wasn''t quite awake yet.


    Ivan chuckled under his breath. "Debbie, I''m getting married to Kasie."


    "Awesome," she yawned. "Ivan, congrats... Wait...who... Oh, my God!"


    Ivan heard a loud voice from the other end.


    ''Now you''re getting it, girl.'' He grinned broadly and told her, "My parents are taking the red-eye out


    here. We''re all visiting Kasie''s family today. We''re getting the licenses today, too, if there''s time."


    Massaging her sore waist, Debbie stretched and quickly ran her eyes over Carlos'' room. He wasn''t


    around. But that wasn''t what she was interested in currently. She shifted her attention back to the


    phone and asked, "So you''re marrying Kasie?"


    "Yeah. You heard me right. You''re not dreaming," Ivan confirmed helplessly.


    She scratched her messy hair and heaved a sigh. "And Kasie said ''yes?''"


    "Yeah. We talked about itst night."


    Debbie reminded him with a huge smile, "Treat her right, or I''ll beat the tar out of you!"


    Ivan assured her, "You have my word." Then he teased, "I don''t fall in love every day. Why wouldn''t I be


    nice to her?"


    Debbie giggled. "Again, congrattions. You owe me a meal."


    "Okay, I''ll buy you a big one next time."


    After a pause, Debbie thought of something. The smile on her face froze, and she said in a heavy tone,


    "You should probably visit Emmett''s grave with Kasie. He might like to know how she''s doing."


    "Already thought of."


    "Hmm. That''s good."


    After chatting a while longer with Ivan, Debbie dragged herself out of bed. She plodded towards the


    bathroom, legs trembling.


    In Ivan''s apartment, after ending the call with Debbie, he waited until Kasie woke up. They had lunch


    together in his apartment and shared some more intimate moments. In the afternoon, before his


    parents arrived, Ivan got in the car and asked Kasie to get in, too. He rebuffed all her questions about


    where they were going.


    Kasie''s face changed as she looked out the window, watching the scenery fly by. She turned to look at


    Ivan and asked hesitantly, "Where are we going?"


    Ivan patted her hand tofort her. "I think you know."


    Kasie fell silent.

 Chapter 463 Emmett, Im Sorry

    Chapter 463 Emmett, I''m Sorry


    Kasie didn''t utter another word on their way to the cemetery.


    She was immersed in her own thoughts, wondering if Emmett would me her for marrying another


    man. But she was happy, and she had to tell him.


    On arriving at the parking lot, Ivan braked and slowly came to a stop. He came around to the


    passenger side, and helped Kasie out of the car. Together, they opened the trunk to grab the bouquet


    of chrysanthemum. He already had it arranged and tied.


    The tranquil cemetery was located on a hillside in the suburbs. It was a beautiful ce¡ªstunning


    scenery, fresh air. And few people woulde at this hour.


    Kasie''s heart pounded faster with each step they took. Each step brought them closer to Emmett''s


    grave. Suddenly, she grabbed hold of Ivan''s hand and stood still, reluctant to take one more step. In a


    sad voice, she asked, "What if he gets mad?"


    Ivan put his hands on her shoulders, leaned in, and gently kissed her forehead. "I don''t think so. He''ll


    be so d to see you happy."


    She nodded lightly, took a deep breath and continued walking forward.


    On the third gravesite of the third row


    A tall man in a ck suit jacket stood solemnly in front of Emmett''s gravestone.


    His eyes were red as memories of the past flooded his mind. "Emmett, old friend...I haven''t been here


    in awhile. I''m sorry. I haven''t been...myself. I''lle more often and we''ll share a ss or three." He


    took the bottle he held and poured a ss. He stared at it for a bit, and finally downed it. "They told me


    things," he continued in a hoarse voice. "They told me about the ident, how the truck driver was


    exhausted, and it was one big fluke. We both know that''s bullshit. Rest in peace, Emmett. I''ll find the


    truth and take revenge for you!"


    Carlos squatted down in front of the gravestone. He poured some of the limited edition liquor out at the


    graveside, as if pouring a ss for Emmett. "I didn''t do right by Debbie, either, if that helps any. I


    promise I''ll take better care of both of you. I hope that you have a better time in the other world than


    you had here..."


    A gust of fresh wind blew just then, the fragrance of liquor mingled in the air. He stared at Emmett''s


    ck and white picture¡ªhe was still the same young, handsome and jolly guy.


    Carlos had stayed there for an hour before he finally left.


    Five minutes after he left, Ivan and Kasie reached Emmett''s grave.


    They both were surprised when they saw a bouquet of flowers on the grave. The faint smell of the


    liquor told them that someone had been here just a few minutes before. ''I wonder who that was?''


    But Kasie didn''t give it much thought. The moment her eyesnded on Emmett''s picture, tears blurred


    her vision. "Emmett..." she sobbed. She pressed her lips tightly together to stifle the cries, but to no


    avail. The weeping sound escaped her lips and the sobs racked her body.


    Ivan put the flowers down, arranging them nicely in front of the gravestone. Then with his eyes on


    Emmett''s photo, he held onto the crying girl and said sincerely, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhong. I''m sorry


    we have to meet this way. I''ll be Kasie''s husband soon. I love her. And your blessing would mean a lot


    to us..."


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Kasie wiped off her tears and squatted down in front of the photo. With trembling hands, she stroked


    his picture and said between sobs, "Emmett... I''m sorry. I''m getting married... I want to marry Ivan.


    Don''t get mad, please. Would you bless us?"


    She stopped to catch a little breath, and then continued, "My love, I was going to stay single. I''d


    epted it. I didn''t think I could love anyone else other than you. But, I''m sorry... I fell in love with Ivan.


    Are you disappointed with me? I really hope I can get your blessing... Emmett, please forgive me, can


    you?"


    Ivan grabbed a few strands of her long hair and looked at Emmett''s bright smile. "I promise you I''ll love


    Kasie with all my heart and soul. I''ll treat her well and make her smile every second. I don''t mind if she


    comes to visit you from time to time. And I''ll even go with her, whenever we get the chance."


    A few minutester, Ivan told her, "Don''t cry. I''ll wait for you at the entrance." He wanted to give her


    some privacy, so she could talk to Emmett freely and honestly.


    Kasie nodded. After Ivan walked away, the whole world was quiet with only her and Emmett.


    The air felt oppressive. A crow fluttered its wing and flew out of a dense tree, swooping through the air.


    The atmosphere was eerie in the quiet cemetery. Kasie kept silent with her eyes glued to Emmett''s


    picture.


    With Emmett here, she wasn''t scared of anything. He always protected her in the past, and he did so


    now.


    After dwelling on the past for a long while, Kasie started again, "I met Ivan through Tomboy. I thought


    he was married to her, so I kept my distance. I wouldn''t get involved with a married man. Last time


    when we were on a vacation, he kissed me without Debbie knowing. I was so scared. I didn''t want to


    be the other woman and Debbie''s my best friend, for heaven''s sake. I tried my best to not love him. I


    thought I''d be betraying you... Last night, he told me his marriage was fake. At that moment, beams of


    joy and excitement filled my heart. I haven''t felt that way for three years. Since you...since you died. So


    I knew I couldn''t deny it anymore. I have really fallen in love with him..."


    She slowly recounted the whole story of her and Ivan. "So I''m going to marry another man. Do me a


    favor. Find a hotter girl than me in the other world. If you''re happy, so am I. Don''t worry. Even if I marry


    Ivan, I''ll still take care of your parents. Please rest in peace..." Finally, she drew her face closer to the


    gravestone and kissed Emmett''s picture.


    "Emmett, this is thest time I kiss you. But I promise, this won''t be thest time I visit. I''ll see you


    soon."


    When Kasie finally emerged from the cemetery, Ivan was on the phone. His parents'' ne had touched


    down in the airport, and they were on their way to the Zheng family''s home.


    Seeing here out, Ivan reached out one hand to wipe her wet eyes, while holding the phone with


    the other. "We''ll be there in 30 minutes," he told his parents. Then, he pulled her into his arms and


    patted her back tofort her. The girl was still sad, given over to her emotions of grief over Emmett''s


    death.


    Back in Ivan''s car, she leaned on his shoulder without saying a word. After she calmed down a little, he


    strapped her in and started the engine.


    Then they went to a mall and selected a pair of diamond rings before heading towards Kasie''s home.


    By the time they arrived, Logan and Elsie had been there for awhile. They were inside, chatting happily


    with Kasie''s parents. They seemed to be getting on well.


    This was the first time Kasie had ever formally met Ivan''s parents. But she felt quite sorry because her


    eyes were still red from weeping.


    Reading her mind, Ivan shook his head and whispered in her ear, "It''s okay. My parents won''t mind. I''ll


    exin to themter."


    Elsie held Kasie''s hands tightly, afraid that this would be another lie from her son. "I won''t be happy if I


    can''t see you two sign your names on the license. I can''t believe we got fooled like that. Please


    understand¡ªI don''t want that to happen again." She turned to Kasie''s mom and added, "Mrs. Zheng,


    please take out your household registry. Check it out, I''ve brought ours too. Our family has its origins in


    this city. When we go to the Civil Affairs Department, I''ll go along with our household registry books."


    Mason and Mia were really happy that their daughter had gotten over Emmett''s death. She finally


    opened her heart to another man. Ivan seemed like a great guy too. So, without hesitation, Mia went


    upstairs to grab their household registry book.


    Ivan and Kasie managed to get to the Civil Affairs Department before they closed. They registered their


    marriage and officially got their marriage licenses, under Elsie''s watchful eyes.


    Seeing their licenses, Elsie was even happier than the couple. She held Kasie''s hand and said


    excitedly, "Ivan likes things quiet, but I won''t listen to him this time. We''re going to have an amazing


    ceremony, with all our rtives and friends there to bless you two!"


    Embarrassed, Ivan touched his nose and exined in a low voice, "Mom, the weddingst time was


    just for show, so I kept it low-key. But this marriage is a real one, so of course I''ll let the whole world


    know that Kasie and I tied the knot."

 Chapter 464 Mrs. Kasie Wen

    Chapter 464 Mrs. Kasie Wen


    Elsie punched her son in the shoulder. "Humph! You have some balls! Offending Mr. Huo! You need to


    go clear this up!"


    "I already told Debbie about me and Kasie. I figure they can solve their own problems. I''ll be there if


    Debbie needs me," Ivan said.


    Elsie rolled her eyes at him and decided to drop it. She was in a good mood now after seeing them


    register their marriage. "Fine. Do what you want." She turned to Kasie and suggested, "Kasie, how


    about youe and live with us? Our country is lovely this time of year. Don''t worry. You can fly back


    and see your parents anytime you want."


    From the moment Kasie decided to marry Ivan, she figured that her life would change drastically, so


    she nodded, "Sure, no problem." She was the only child of the Zheng family.


    Being a considerate man, Ivan cut in, "You''re the only daughter of your family. I think you''re well within


    your rights to ask Dad and Mom toe along with us. They can stay in the vi that...um...Debbie


    stayed in before the wedding...I mean, the fake wedding. If they don''t like it there, we can get another


    house for them."


    Elsie thought his words were reasonable. "Makes sense. Go ahead, convince your inws," she


    ordered her son authoritatively.


    Ivan nodded helplessly, "Yes ma''am!"


    Seeing how obedient Ivan was, Kasieughed. "I didn''t know you were such a mama''s boy."


    He shrugged and sighed, "I used to be a cold CEO like Carlos. But after I met Debbie, andter Carlos,


    I learned that it was better to be nice than nasty."


    Kasieughed heartily. "Come on, honey. y the cold CEO again. I''ve never seen you like that."


    "No way. How could I ever treat you that way? Was Carlos like that around Debbie?"


    "Yeah he did. When he lost his memory."


    The three of them chatted casually as they walked to the car and drove to a restaurant. The two


    families were celebrating the happy news by having dinner together.


    During the dinner, Kasie sent a picture of their marriage licenses to Debbie via WeChat. The singer


    was in a singing ss to improve her vocal abilities. She didn''t check her phone until after ss. At


    once, she texted back. "Congrats, Mrs. Kasie Wen."


    Kasie replied, "Thanks, Mrs. Huo."


    "Don''t call me that yet. We''re still single," Debbie wrote gloomily.


    Putting down her chopsticks, Kasie focused on messaging her friend. She replied, "Trust me. If you tell


    Mr. Huo that your marriage is fake, he''ll marry you in a heartbeat!"


    "You and Ivan have already tied the knot. Time to tell him the truth, I guess. I''ll be busy for a couple


    days, but after that..." As soon as she sent out the message, she changed her idea. She wrote again,


    "Never mind! I have a better idea. Let him figure it out!"


    Kasie sent a beaming face emoji and wrote, "Whatever makes you happy!"


    "By the way, what are you up to now?" Debbie asked.


    Kasie secretly snapped a picture of Ivan''s profile. The man was talking with Mia at the moment. "We''re


    having dinner at a restaurant. To figure out the wedding date."


    Debbie''s face glowed with admiration when she saw the reply. "I''m jealous, Mrs. Kasie Wen. Tell me


    when you figure it out. I''ll be your bridesmaid."


    "Sure. And Mr. Huo can be Ivan''s best man. Perfect!"


    Debbie chuckled. "No problem. Then get to it!" she teased.


    "Okay!"


    As she scrolled through the chat log with Kasie, Debbie felt she was even happier than the newlywed


    couple.


    She couldn''t help but let out a long sigh. ''Jared and Sasha, now Kasie and Ivan, most of my friends


    have tied the knot. But there''s so much baggage to sort through with me and Carlos. When can we


    take the plunge?'' she thought sadly.


    At the ZL Group


    James was escorted into the CEO''s office by Frankie. When his eyesnded on Carlos, the old sly fox


    tried his level best to pull a pathetic face. "Hello Carlos, busy?"


    A dash of resentment shed in Carlos'' eyes when he heard it. But it was gone quickly when he raised


    his head. His face betraying no emotion, he put down his pen and said, "No."


    The air between them was tense. After exchanging simple pleasantries, James urgently cut to the


    chase. "People tell me you have an illegitimate daughter, out of wedlock, right?"


    "She''s not illegitimate." Carlos shot to his feet from his chair. With his eyes on James, he said firmly,


    "She''s mine and Debbie''s kid. She also wasn''t aborted, like you said."


    James'' blood froze in his veins; his heart started beating a mile a minute. The worst had finally


    happened. ''I know it. That child is trouble. I should''ve killed her baby when I had the chance!'' he


    thought remorsefully. He forced out a smile. "Oh, really? I thought she got rid of it. She didn''t? Well,


    congrats, you''re a dad too. When can I meet my granddaughter?"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "No need. Just sign the divorce papers. I''m flying out to New York to see Mom the day after tomorrow,"


    Carlos said coldly, shooting down James'' idea of meeting Piggy.


    "Feel free to visit your mom, but I won''t sign my name. I won''t divorce her. Carlos, I''ve been working


    from home. I didn''t do anything wrong. Don''t split us up, okay?" James begged as he wiped his face in


    anguish.


    After a moment of silence, Carlos opened his mouth again. "I''ll drop by Stephanie''s parents, too. They


    deserve that much."


    "Why?" James was confused.


    The older man didn''t seem like a good actor. Seeing his poor performance, Carlos tried his best to not


    laugh out. "Because I called off our engagement."


    "What?! Why? Aren''t you getting along? You''re going to remarry Debbie, aren''t you? I told you not to.


    Why don''t you listen to your old man?" James asked in an agitated voice as he sprung up from the


    sofa.


    Comparing to the elderly man''s flustered face, Carlos was unppable. He lit a cigarette and took a


    drag before answering, "Stephanie and I didn''t hit it off. If you force us to marry, I''m afraid we couldn''t


    even be friends."


    "Stephanie is the best woman for you, Carlos. Do you know how much she gave up in order to take


    care of you? Don''t you feel even the tiniest pang of guilt?" Clenching his fists, James managed to brace


    himself up to confront the cold man. His heart was still pounding fast, but he slowly adjusted his


    emotions and began to analyze the situation.


    ''Does he have his memory back? But he looks the same as usual. Maybe he just doesn''t have a crush


    on Stephanie...''


    "I''ll make it up to her, somehow. But certainly not by making her my wife." Only one woman could be his


    wife¡ªDebbie.


    James plopped back down on the sofa, slumped and defeated. He let out a heavy sigh. "You''ve grown


    up. I can''t tell you what to do anymore. Do whatever you want. I''m gone."


    Carlos simply nodded without saying another word.


    He didn''t want to waste time talking with James.


    After James walked out of the CEO''s office, he bumped into a man walking in the opposite direction.


    They passed by each other. With a quick nce at the man''s profile, James suddenly thought this guy


    was familiar. But he couldn''t ce the face.


    James entered the elevator. The doors closed. The man walking towards the CEO''s office turned


    around and set his gaze on the closed doors of the elevator.


    A dash of contempt shed in his eyes as he thought of James Huo. ''You''ve been livingrge for three


    years. But not anymore.''


    Frankie''s voice came from behind him. "Mr. Zheng, Mr. Huo is waiting for you in his office."


    Tristan came back to his senses and smiled at Frankie. "Yeah, thank you."

 Chapter 465 Ivan And I Are A Couple

    Chapter 465 Ivan And I Are A Couple


    Frankie opened the door to Carlos'' office for Tristan. Tristan entered the office after having been away


    for three years.


    At the entrance of thepany building


    James got into a silver Mercedes-Benz, pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "How''s it going?" he


    asked urgently.


    "The kid lives in Carlos'' manor. He personally takes her to school and picks her up every day. There


    are three or more bodyguards that protect her."


    James'' face twitched in anger, and he looked like a poisonous snake ready to strike. "You will bring the


    kid to me when Carlos is not around."


    "Yes."


    "Find an opportunity to get rid of Debbie Nian!" James said through gritted teeth. Debbie and Carlos


    had be a big thorn in his side.


    He wouldn''t dare act rashly and blindly when dealing with Carlos. However, if the opportunity presented


    itself, he would eliminate Debbie without mercy in the blink of an eye.


    "Yes!"


    Inside the manor


    Debbie got changed and was about to leave when Carlos came back.


    Although he had an expressionless face, when he gazed at her, there was tenderness in his eyes.


    "Where are you going?" he asked.


    Debbie was chatting with Ruby on the phone, so she didn''t notice the affection in his eyes. "To meet


    Ruby. I didn''t go to work this morning, and a load of work is waiting for me," she answered


    absentmindedly.


    The next moment, she found herself embraced in his warm arms. His scent was intoxicating, and his


    presence gave her a sense of security. She stopped texting on her phone and raised her head to look


    at him. Then she noticed that he was somewhat different than usual. "Carlos, what''s up with you?"


    Carlos smiled and raised an eyebrow. "I''m taking you to divorce Ivan."


    Debbie rolled her eyes at him and thought to herself, ''I won''t tell you that my marriage to Ivan is fake


    unless it''s necessary.'' She wriggled out of his arms and continued texting on her phone while saying,


    "Ivan and I have a happy life together. Why should I divorce him?"


    Carlos pressed her against the wall and questioned, "Ivan and you have a happy life?"


    Debbie looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with him. "Yes. So you better not sleep with me


    again. If the others were to find out, I''d be the talk of the town." She then raised her head and looked


    him in the eye.


    Carlos leaned toward her. With one hand in his pocket, he put the other on the wall above her head.


    Pinning her against the wall, he asked in an icy tone, "What have you done? Did he make love to you?"


    He remembered that time when he called her the day before her wedding, Ivan answered her phone


    and told him that she was too tired to answer it.


    With a wicked smile, Debbie answered, "We''re a couple. Of course, we''ve done things that couples


    should do. So..." She stopped in mid-sentence, and cast a challenging nce at him.


    Carlos took his hand out of his pocket and put it behind her head, pulling her face closer to his. He


    gazed menacingly into her eyes, and if looks could kill, she would be dead right now. "Debbie Nian!


    Stephanie and I have done nothing. Why did you let Ivan fuck you?"


    Debbie wasn''t afraid of him at all. She smiled and calmly said, "Mr. Huo, Ivan and I are a couple. Is it


    wrong for a couple to make love? Besides, I''ve seen you and Stephanie kiss before, and I didn''t say


    anything."


    Carlos didn''t bother exining the kiss between Stephanie and him as he was filled with rage. He


    grabbed her wrist and said, "I already told Stephanie I couldn''t marry her. I''m taking you to the Civil


    Affairs Department right now. Call Ivan and tell him to meet you there."


    "Mr. Huo, doesn''t it bother you that I had sex with another man?" she asked. ''Something is not right


    with him. I need to stay alert, '' she thought.


    ''Of course it does! But what else can I do?'' Carlos thought. He cast a cold nce at her and said, "You


    don''t need to worry about it. I''ll make Ivan pay." ''Ivan will pay for what he''s done!''


    Debbie suspected that he had regained his memory, so she asked, "Carlos Huo, do you remember


    which lesson I hated the most at college?"


    Carlos lowered his head and curled his lips without Debbie noticing. ''You hated the Advanced


    Mathematics the most. I know what you''re trying to do. But I''m not ready to reveal that I have regained


    my memory just yet.''


    He raised his head again and asked in confusion, "How would I know which lesson you hated the


    most?"


    ''Really? He sounds like he hasn''t got his memory back.'' Unconvinced, she asked another question.


    "When will Dixone back from abroad?"


    "He''ll be back in three to six months, and then he''ll work for the ZL Group," he answered.


    Excitement was written all over Debbie''s face. "You still remember Dixon. Doesn''t that mean¡ª"


    Before she finished her sentence, Carlos interrupted her. "I don''t know him. Frankie gave me his


    academic records. That''s how I know about him." Then he asked, "You know him?"


    "Yes. We''re friends," she answered with a wry smile.


    Carlos shrugged.


    "Call Ivan and tell him to go to the Civil Affairs Department now." Carlos wasn''t going to work this


    afternoon. Instead, he was going to force her to divorce Ivan.


    Debbie freed herself from him and turned to run upstairs. "No! I''m not divorcing Ivan. Not on my life!"


    ''You owe me! It''s time for you to pay, '' she thought.


    It was Carlos who had given Debbie away when she got married to Ivan. Now he was reaping the bitter


    harvest.


    Carlos stood, staring at his right hand.


    When Debbie got married to Ivan, he ced her hand on Ivan''s with that hand. Now, he wanted to


    chop it off! Carlos felt like the biggest fool on the. He gave the woman that he loved and cared


    about the most to another man.


    Carlos saw that he couldn''t change Debbie''s mind, so he decided to force Ivan to divorce her instead.


    Anxiously, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Ivan''s number. As soon as the call got connected, he


    said bluntly, "Call Debbie now and tell her to go to the Civil Affairs Department to get a divorce!"


    Ivan was stunned for a moment. ''Our marriage isn''t real, so there''s no need for us to get a divorce. But


    since Carlos has called me, then that must mean that Debbie hasn''t told him the truth yet and that he''s


    unable to make her divorce me, '' he thought. Ivan smiled to himself and then replied, "Mr. Huo, don''t


    you think that it''s immoral to separate a couple?"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos seethed at his reply and wished that he could skin him alive this very moment. Running out of


    patience, he warned Ivan in a threatening tone, "I will separate you two. She''s my woman! Ivan Wen,


    divorce her now!"


    Ivan sighed helplessly and said, "Okay, okay. She must be with you now, right? Mr. Huo, please tell her


    that if she decides to get a divorce, I''ll do as she says at any time."


    He left the ball in her court. Debbie would have the final say.

 Chapter 466 I Love Ivan

    Chapter 466 I Love Ivan


    "She''s already made up her mind. She''s getting a divorce. Just go to the Civil Affairs Department now!


    We''ll be there soon," Carlos said into his phone impatiently. With that, he walked up the stairs,


    loosening his tie.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ''I have to get her there this afternoon, even if I have to force her to go, '' he thought.


    "Well, no problem," Ivan answered. His assent made Carlos feel a little better. He picked up the pace


    and walked rapidly towards Debbie''s bedroom.


    As soon as Ivan hung up on Carlos, he called Debbie. "Hey. Carlos called me and asked me to go to


    the Civil Affairs Department. He seemed to be in a hurry," he said quickly.


    Debbie locked her bedroom door and said in a whisper, "Don''t go there. I won''t."


    "Aren''t you afraid of him?"


    Ivan asked, worried. He was afraid that Carlos would go to drastic lengths to get Debbie back, now that


    he had his memory back.


    "If things get out of hand, I''ll just tell him that our marriage is fake and that you are going to marry


    Kasie," Debbie answered nonchntly. She didn''t want to tell Carlos the truth now. She wanted to


    teach him a lesson. She had suffered for three years, and it was time to let him suffer for a change.


    Footsteps sounded from outside the door. Debbie got scared and immediately hung up on Ivan.


    "Open the door!"


    said Carlos as he knocked heavily on the door. It rocked on its hinges. Though he was on the other


    side of the door, she could see each knock as itnded.


    Debbie trembled at every impact, as if he were pounding on her heart. "I...I''m very tired. I need to


    sleep," she stammered.


    "Don''t make me break this door down!" he threatened.


    But he didn''t have to. Debbie opened the door abruptly and looked him in the eye.


    Without any dy, he grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her out.


    "Ouch! You''re hurting me, asshole!" Debbie cried out. "Carlos Huo! Who do you think you are? Why do


    I have to divorce Ivan just because you say so? I''m not divorcing him. I love him!"


    Her words sessfully froze Carlos in his tracks.


    He fixed his eyes on her, his face livid. "I won''t let my woman live with another guy. Keep living with him


    and I''ll send you both to hell."


    The icy tone and his vicious words made her shiver. ''Is he running out of patience?'' she thought.


    She tried to calm down, took a deep breath, and told him, "It was James Huo who made me divorce


    you. Go after him and leave me alone."


    "I know that. He''s being dealt with. You don''t need to worry about that."


    "Okay. Then give me a few more days. I''m really busy now. After I''m done¡ª"


    "How many days?" Carlos interrupted her. He finally gave in.


    After pondering for a while, she said, "Maybe half a month."


    "Three days!"


    "Ten days!" she countered.


    Fighting the urge to strangle her, Carlos said through gritted teeth, "Five days."


    "A week!" she argued.


    "Fine!"


    "Argh! What are you doing? Put me down!" she yelled.


    Carlos scooped her up in his arms, walked into the room and threw her onto the bed. "Stay here. Don''t


    leave. Don''t see anyone. Your work can wait."


    Debbie widened her eyes. "Are you seriously keeping me prisoner?"


    He unbuttoned his shirt and cast a cold nce at her. "Yes. You can''t contact Ivan unless you discuss


    divorce."


    She stood up on the bed and protested, "Who the hell are you? A caveman? I need my freedom. I


    need to work."


    ''Why is he taking off his shirt? Is he going to...?''


    She took a step back. The young mother had a bad feeling about this.


    After throwing his shirt onto the floor, he whipped off his belt with one motion and dropped his pants.


    "You''ll have your freedom and you can go to work. But you must sever all ties with Ivan first." He threw


    his pants away and reached out his hand.


    "I will. But why are you taking off all your clothes?"


    "It''s my fault you still have the energy to find another guy. I swear I''ll never let that happen again," he


    said coldly.


    "Don''t do this, old man. We already made love so many timesst night. My legs are killing me.


    Please..."


    "You can stay in bed for a week to heal." Carlos pressed her against the bed and kissed her lips hard to


    stop her from talking.


    He felt both guilty about hurting her and angry at her for putting him through this. When his anger got


    the best of him, he tortured her by pushing inside her harder and harder.


    Ever since he discovered Evelyn was his daughter, he got so angry sometimes. When he thought


    about it, he wanted to strangle Debbie because she asked his daughter to call Ivan "Daddy."


    ''It''s all her fault! I never saw my daughter for three years! And she even calls Ivan "Daddy." What in the


    actual fuck!'' he thought.


    But in his calmer moments, he realized that it was actually James who had forced Debbie to divorce


    him and leave the country. She had suffered a lot during that time. His heart ached a lot.


    As a result, their intimate time alternated between ruthless and vigorous, and extremely tender and


    loving. Pleasure-filled moans echoed through the bedroom, and the only other sound was the bed that


    creaked loudly thanks to how active they were. Her hands were held to the bed frame as he continued


    to ravish her sensuous body. The more she screamed, the more he was enticed to move quicker,


    deeper, and stronger. He never failed to make the woman beneath him scream out his name endlessly.


    Two dayster


    Carlos and Tristan showed up at a mental hospital in New York. Tabitha sat in the courtyard, staring


    nkly at a tree. A nurse was there by her side to take care of her. When she saw Carlos, she greeted


    him with a smile, "Mr. Huo."


    Carlos nodded at her and gestured for her to leave. The nurse left as she was told.


    Although Tristan knew Tabitha wouldn''t respond to him, he still greeted her politely, "Mrs. Tabitha Huo."


    She cast a nce at him, her eyes empty.


    Tristan sighed and said nothing more.


    Tabitha didn''t even recognize Carlos. When she saw him, she asked with a smile, "Lewis, is that you?"


    The name was like a sharp knife slicing the proud man''s heart to ribbons.


    He stood still and thought, ''Three years ago, when Debbie was first introduced to her, she was still the


    elegant and graceful Mrs. Tabitha Huo. She was my mom. And she treated Debbie well, in contrast to


    the rest of the family.


    But James destroyed her. Day by day, he tortured her, mentally and physically. He broke her down bit


    by bit. He even threw mud at her. And this is what''s left.''


    When Carlos didn''t respond, Tabitha stood up and grabbed his hand. She had a hopeful expression on


    her face. "Lewis, I made your favorite meal. Let''s go eat."


    Tristan really felt sorry for Carlos. He was a tough and strong CEO, but when he was around Tabitha,


    he was just a son who wanted to be loved.


    ''Mr. Huo loves Tabitha and sees her as a mother, yet all she cares about is Lewis.


    Before flying to New York, Mr. Huo asked Frankie to contact the best mental hospitals in Y City. He had


    the assistant exhaustively check out each facility until one met his exacting standards. He wants to take


    her back to the city and even intends to help her get revenge on James, '' Tristan thought.


    Tabitha''s reaction chilled his blood. She was really far gone.


    Carlos, however, acted as if he didn''t mind at all. He took her hand gently and said in a soft voice,


    "Mom, what did you cook?"


    Tabitha led Carlos to her ward. The ward was very clean. It smelled of cleaning agent, and the acrid


    smell hit his nostrils. The staff were in there every day, cleaning. At least you couldn''tin the


    ce was dirty.


    When mother and son entered the ward, Tabitha regained her senses. She immediately released him


    and said, "Carlos, you came."


    Carlos took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his hand. He didn''t like other people''s germs,


    and was particrly fastidious. "Of course I''m here. I want to take you to Y


    City."

 Chapter 467 Divorce Papers

    Chapter 467 Divorce Papers


    "Carlos, Lewis came to visit me. His life sucks. Will you please help him out?" Tabitha asked with a


    hopeful expression.


    Carlos simply nodded, a dash of sarcasm shing in his eyes.


    "Thank you, Carlos. I really appreciate that."


    "You''re too polite." He then gestured to Tristan, who was standing close by. Tristan immediately opened


    his briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers.


    Carlos grabbed them and passed them to Tabitha without sparing a single nce at them. "Divorce


    papers. Sign them."


    Tabitha''s face paled and she seemed to lose herposure and focus. She became visibly frail. The


    old woman shook her head violently and murmured, "No, not that. Lewis will get hurt."


    ''Lewis again... All she cares about is her own son, '' Tristan thought.


    "Listen to me. He cheated on you. Not long after you gave birth to Lewis, Glenda gave birth to his


    daughter, Stephanie. He also lied about saving your life back then. All he wanted was your family''s


    power and wealth," Carlos said in a calm voice, yet Tabitha went berserk when she heard what he said.


    "NO! That''s not true! James saved me. You''re lying! Did Miranda put you up to this? Or was it Glenda?"


    However, everything he said was true. Although these things had happened many years ago, Carlos''


    people still managed to dredge up the truth.


    The reason why James married Tabitha was that her family was one of the power elite in the city back


    in the day. They were quite influential, and wealthy to boot. James had set his sights on all that, and


    wooed her until she agreed to marry him. Actually, James was not Valerie''s son. He wanted even more


    power and resources to strengthen his position within the Huo family.


    When she was younger, Tabitha liked to travel. At one point, her affinity for foreign countries proved to


    be her undoing. Emerging from a restaurant after sampling the local cuisine, she rounded a corner,


    straight into the arms of thugs who intended to rob her and worse. A man showed up, and through a


    combination of skill, speed, and brains, managed to save her from these hoodlums. They were savage,


    yet he was brainy. But she didn''t know who her savior was. It was too dark to see his face.


    She searched for him for several months, using her influence and connections, but to no avail. James


    somehow got wind of this and pretended to be the man who saved her. As a result, they were married.


    James wasn''t even Dous and Valerie''s son. They only had one living son, Wade.


    After Valerie gave birth to their second son, it ended in tragedy. He was stillborn. Dous was


    determined to shield his wife from the devastating news, so he procured a newborn baby and told


    Valerie it was their son. That baby was none other than James.


    The boy''s mother died in childbirth, and there was nobody to im her body. No one knew who the


    boy''s father was.


    As a result, money changed hands to expedite things. Dous adopted him and told his wife that he


    was their second son. Valerie never knew any different. It was a difficult pregnancy, and they used a


    mixture of half-oxygen-half-nitrous-oxide to treat her pain duringbor. She was unconscious during


    some of the critical moments, and wasn''t lucid immediately following the birth.


    He told nobody the truth even before his death. Maybe he just wanted to bury the fact forever.


    Seeing Tabitha''s red eyes, Carlos put the divorce papers on the table and said, "You''re making way too


    much out of this. If you don''t want to divorce James, it''s fine with me. Just think it over."


    Tabitha shrieked hysterically as she grabbed the papers, tore them into shreds, and stuffed some strips


    in her mouth. "I know what you''re up to," she said, talking around the mouthful. "You''re trying to hurt


    James because he forced Debbie to divorce you. Carlos Huo, have you no heart? We''ve raised you for


    more than thirty years. Is this the thanks we get?"


    Carlos tried to stop her, but she moved the papers away, tearing another strip and putting it in her


    mouth. After chewing the strips a few times, she spat them out.


    Tristan rolled his eyes secretly and thought, ''Wow! What an ungrateful mother! I feel bad for Mr. Huo.


    Wait! That''s not right. She''s not his mom. Still, so selfish!''


    Carlos couldn''t be bothered to argue with her. He simply said, "I''ve found the finest mental hospital in Y


    City. Why don''t youe with me? I can visit you more often if you stay there."


    "Save your hypocrisy and fuck off! Stay out of my business. You''re not my son!" Tabitha screamed at


    the top of her lungs.


    "We''re leaving now. I''ll visit you when I''m free," Carlos said, emotionless.


    "Don''t bother. You look down on us, now that you''re the CEO. You even disrespect your father, your


    whole family. Just go away!"


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Carlos paused when he heard that, but then kept walking away.


    Tristan really felt bad for his boss. ''Maybe she''s mad. That''s why she said those hurtful words.''


    Thinking of it, he sighed and followed after Carlos.


    After that, Carlos went to the Huo family''s house.


    Unlike before, the house was now very quiet.


    James and Carlos had been staying in Y City. Lewis and Portia were out of the country. Miranda and


    Wade had gone to work. Everyone else was at work or in school. Only Valerie remained at home.


    The olddy was sitting in the hall, worshiping the Buddha. When she saw Carlos, she smiled and


    greeted him, "Carlos, you''re here."


    The hall was very tranquil, except for the Buddhist music yed at a low volume.


    "Grandma." Carlos had some supplements he had bought for his grandma. He nodded and gestured


    for Tristan to give them to a nearby maid.


    The maid left the hall to put the supplements into the storage room, while Tristan stood outside the hall


    to wait for his boss.


    Valerie and Carlos sat on the sofa together. She asked with concern, "So how are you feeling? Fully


    recovered?"


    Carlos gave her a smile and assured her, "Yes. Don''t worry about me, Grandma. No more medicines."


    After a while, he added, "But I still need regr injections."


    Valerie nodded and asked, "How are you and Stephanie?"


    "I broke it off." He didn''t exin the reasons behind it to his grandma.


    Valerie sighed helplessly. "You and Debbie back together?" she asked.


    Carlos'' expression remained the same. "She''s my ex. I n to fix that," he said.


    Valerie shook her head. "Whatever. I''m too old to get involved. So when am I gonna see some great-


    grandkids? Otherwise, I can''t die in peace."


    His face softened when he thought of the little girl. "Grandma, Debbie gave birth to my daughter three


    years ago. Her name is Evelyn." Her eyes glittered with joy. As she was about to ask something, he


    added, "She''s an adorable girl. She looks like Debbie, but she acts like me."


    "Why didn''t you bring her along? I''d love to see her," Valerieined, pouting her lips.


    Carlos pulled out his phone from his pocket, found the album he made with Evelyn''s photos and gave it


    to Valerie.


    Valerie put on her presbyopic sses and began to study the pictures carefully. When she saw the first


    one, she murmured, "Such a pretty girl! She does look like Debbie. But that expression is so you. Look


    at her eyes! She is rather cute in this one. This one, look! She looks exactly like your mom. Maybe


    she''ll be like Miranda after she''s grown. Cold, aloof... Well, maybe not. Debbie''s upbeat and cheerful.


    Maybe she''ll turn out more like that..."

 Chapter 468 A Wedding Invitation

    Chapter 468 A Wedding Invitation


    Carlos wore a broad smile as Valerie madements on Evelyn. ''No matter who she resembles in


    character, I will love her forever, '' he thought.


    After a while, Valerie gave his phone back and said, "Please bring her here to visit me if you have time.


    I don''t know how much longer I will live."


    "Grandma, don''t say that! Debbie and I will have another baby and you will have to take care of it for


    us," Carlos said with a soft smile. He gazed at the photo on his phone for a while before locking it and


    putting it back into his pocket.


    "She''s pregnant again?"


    Valerie asked, eyes wide open.


    Carlos shook his head. "Not yet, but it won''t be long before she is."


    Valerie was a little disappointed, but she still had Evelyn. "If you are too busy, just send her here. I''ll


    take care of her myself."


    Carlos stood up, poured a cup of tea for her and said with a sigh, "Grandma, I''m afraid I can''t bring her


    over now."


    "Why?" Valerie asked in confusion as she took the cup from his hands. "What happened?"


    Carlos paused, wondering what he should address Miranda as. "Mom has been delegating her duties


    in New York. She will be flying to Y City next week to take care of Evelyn."


    It took Valerie a few seconds to realize that Carlos was referring to Miranda, and not Tabitha. She


    comforted him, "Carlos, it was me who had forced Miranda to give you up to James and Tabitha.


    Please don''t me her for that. Be nice to her and your dad."


    Carlos nodded his head as he stared out the window absent-mindedly.


    Before he and Tristan left the Huo family''s house, Carlos promised Valerie that he would stay overnight


    at her ce.


    He was incredibly busy. After visiting Valerie, he had to go and meet Stephanie''s parents.


    In Y City


    It had been four days since Carlos had left for New York. Debbie stared dejectedly out the window. Not


    too far away, workers were working. That ce used to be a vi which her music studio and yoga


    room were in, but then James had it demolished and nted a garden instead. Now Carlos hired these


    workers to build a new vi there.


    Debbie turned away from the construction site. ''Ugh! This is so boring, ''


    she thought and pulled out her phone to call Carlos. The call connected soon, and before the man


    could speak, she spat, "Carlos Huo, I need to get out of this house today. If you still refuse to let me


    leave, I will not divorce Ivan!"


    "Okay."


    She was ready for a retort, not having expected that he would agree so easily. "What?" she asked in


    disbelief.


    "Where are you going today?" he asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.


    ''Did my threat work?'' she wondered. "I need to go to work. And I also want to pick Piggy up from the


    kindergarten myself," she replied.


    "All right."


    ''Since when has Carlos Huo been so open to persuasion? Is he plotting something?'' She scrunched up


    her eyebrows.


    But Carlos said nothing more and hung up on her abruptly.


    Confused, Debbie stared at her phone, wondering what he was doing in New York right now.


    ''Whatever! I can focus on my work now.''


    Debbie called Ruby and began to schedule her work. She had many ads to shoot.


    One day, when she had just finished a photo shoot for the cover of a magazine, her phone rang. She


    picked it up from the table and checked the caller ID¡ªit was an unknown number.


    ''It''s probably someone from the Huo family, ''


    she reckoned. "Hello?" She answered the phone.


    "Debbie Nian?" came an unfamiliar woman''s voice.


    "Yes. Who is this?"


    After a moment''s pause, the woman answered, "Glenda Shi, Stephanie''s mother. I''m in Y City right


    now. How about you and I have a cup of tea together this afternoon?"


    ''Stephanie''s mother?'' Debbie didn''t know what the woman wanted, but she knew that she was up to no


    good. "I''m sorry, but I don''t have time for a meet and greet. What do you want?" she asked.


    Glenda''s expression changed; she felt offended. "I need to talk to you face-to-face about my daughter


    and Mr. Huo."


    Debbie chuckled and said casually, "I don''t think we have anything to talk about, Mrs. Li."


    Glenda clenched her teeth and spat, "This is the first time I''ve seen someone so shameless. Who do


    you think you are? You are nothing but a mistress!"


    "A mistress? Me?" Debbie scoffed. "I think you are well aware who the mistress is between the two of


    us. That word suits you and your daughter more than anyone else."


    "What did you say?" Glenda yelled at the top of her lungs.


    Debbie pulled her phone away from her ear. She smirked and thought, ''I thought Glenda was more


    scheming than Stephanie. Looks like she can hardly retain herposure either.'' "Didn''t you hear me?


    Fine, I''ll repeat it for you. You and your daughter are the mistresses here."


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "You bitch!" Glenda cursed, unable to control her fury.


    "Tsk! Tsk! Mrs. Li, don''t forget who you are. You are ady of the high society, and yet you are acting


    like an uncouth shrew."


    Debbie''s outright disdain only enraged Glenda even further. Gasping for air, she scoffed, "I''ve never


    seen a woman so bitchy like you. You not only seduce my daughter''s fiance, but even disrespect your


    elders. It''s really no wonder. Your parents haven''t taught you any manners."


    The smile on Debbie''s face vanished. "Mrs. Li, do you know how thest person who had said those


    words ended up?"


    Glenda froze. "What do you mean?"


    Debbie sneered into the phone, "Do you know Megan Lan? She had once said those same words you


    did. And you know what? She''s dead now." Actually, it was Valerie who had said those words, and


    Megan was just present at that time. But Glenda didn''t need to know the details.


    And of course, Glenda knew Megan.


    Her daughter and Megan had acted as friends on the surface, but had always been enemies.


    When Debbie mentioned Megan, Glenda felt shivers travel down her spine. She turned around to look


    behind her. She was at a mall, and she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the crowd around her. No


    one could attack her at a public ce like that. "Don''t you try to scare me! It''s useless. Wait! The


    murderer hasn''t been caught yet. Are you saying that you were the one who killed her?"


    Debbieughed at her response. "Mrs. Li, congrattions. You''ve sessfully attracted my attention.


    Let''s meet. When and where?"


    "I''m at the Shining International za now. You cane over right away," Glenda said.


    Debbie, however, simply said, "Oh, I''m sorry, Mrs. Li. I''m quite busy at the moment. Maybe another


    time."


    Glenda was so angry that her hands started quivering and her knuckles went pale.


    Before Glenda could respond, Debbie hung up on her. Unconvinced, Glenda continued to call her, but


    Debbie didn''t bother to answer.


    She looked at the many missed calls on her phone screen. ''Who does she think she is?


    Why should I waste my time on her?'' Debbie thought to herself.


    At ZL Group


    The moment Carlos arrived in Y City, he went straight to his office.


    Frankie stood before the desk, giving his report. After that, he put an envelope on the table and said,


    "Mr. Huo, the letter is from Mr. Wen. I didn''t open it."


    Carlos cast a sideways nce at it and said coldly, "Open it."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Frankie opened the envelope swiftly.


    He was stunned for a moment, and then looked up at Carlos. "Mr. Huo, it''s a wedding invitation." He


    unfolded it slowly.

 Chapter 469 You Can Only Slander Me To Vent Your Frustration

    Chapter 469 You Can Only nder Me To Vent Your Frustration


    ''A wedding invitation?'' Carlos, who was working on hisptop, was taken aback by Frankie''s words.


    "Give it to me," he ordered.


    Frankie already read the names on the invitation, and his eyes widened in surprise. "It''s Mr. Wen and


    ¡ª" His voice trailed off. ''Never mind. Let Mr. Huo handle it, '' he thought.


    Carlos frowned upon seeing the names. ''Ivan and Kasie are tying the knot at the end of next month?


    They''re inviting Debbie and me to their wedding ceremony?''


    Carlos held the invitation in his hand deep in thought.


    He rubbed his brow when something suddenly urred to him. "Check Debbie and Ivan''s marriage


    certificate. Now!" he ordered.


    Even though Debbie had shown Carlos her marriage certificate before, something didn''t seem to add


    up. With his heart in his throat, Frankie immediately made the phone call.


    Five minutester when he got the information, he approached his boss and said in a shaky voice, "Mr.


    Huo, a member of staff from the Civil Affairs Department has informed me that there is no registration


    record of Miss Nian and Mr. Wen. I guess that means that they didn''t get married."


    The truth was that Debbie and Ivan had fooled Carlos.


    However, he wasn''t the only one that they had duped. Many people were led to believe that Debbie


    and Ivan were a married couple.


    Carlos leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.


    After what seemed like an eternity, he finally opened them again and dialed Ivan''s number. "Ivan Wen!"


    His voice was as cold as ice.


    Upon hearing Carlos'' icy tone, Ivan guessed that the fake marriage thing had been exposed. He said in


    a yful tone, "Hi, Mr. Huo. Surprise! Debbie and I didn''t get married. Are you overjoyed?"


    Carlos sneered, "Yes, I am. So in return, I n to give you a wedding gift that you''ll never forget. How


    about I buy the Wen Group?"


    Ivan was rendered speechless. ''Carlos is a ruthless man! I have to do something.'' He knew the only


    one who could deal with Carlos was Debbie. So he said, "Thanks, Mr. Huo. That''s very generous of


    you. By the way, if I let Debbie know that you''ve regained your memory, how do you think she would


    feel about that? You''ve been keeping that little bit of information away from her. Do you think she would


    be thrilled or furious when I tell her? Well, my guess is that she won''t be happy."


    Carlos'' face darkened, and he clenched his fist. "How dare you threaten me!" he said through gritted


    teeth.


    ''My daughter is calling him "Daddy." Now he''s threatening me. Am I too lenient with him?'' he thought.


    "No, no, no! Mr. Huo, I don''t dare threaten you. Debbie and I are only friends. Nothing more than that.


    My mom forced me to get married, so I asked Debbie to do me a favor and hold a fake wedding with


    me. I swear we never did anything intimate. I didn''t even kiss her once." ''Sorry, Debbie. Your man is too


    brutal. I''m unable to deal with him.


    I have to betray you to save mypany, '' he thought.


    Debbie had once told Carlos that she and Ivan had made love.


    Given the current position that Carlos had put Ivan in, he chose to believe Ivan''s story.


    Somehow, he had a hunch that Debbie would stir up even bigger trouble in the future. Though what


    could he do?


    He could only go along with it.


    Even so, Carlos didn''t n on letting Ivan off the hook so easily, so he said, "I heard that a model


    signed up with yourpany recently and that she became popr after just one show..."


    "Wait," Ivan said, interrupting him. "Mr. Huo, are you implying that you want me to send the model to


    you? Hey, does Debbie know about this?"


    "Ivan Wen!" Carlos boomed in a foul mood.


    Ivan realized that he had gone too far, so he said in a serious tone, "Mr. Huo, if Debbie finds out that


    you have taken a model away from mypany, she''ll make a fuss."


    What Ivan said did make sense. Without saying another word, Carlos hung up on him.


    He felt somewhat dejected at this moment. Debbie was his Achilles'' heel, and it seemed that everyone


    knew it and used it to their advantage.


    Ivan, on the other hand, didn''t feel at ease. Although he had the upper hand this time, he knew that


    Carlos wouldn''t let this go so readily.


    ''I have to keep an eye on him, '' he told himself.


    The day after Debbie had received Glenda''s call, Glenda went to see her with two bodyguards.


    Debbie was with her lyricist, writing a song in a cafe near herpany, when a woman wearing a long


    dress and dark sunsses stood before her. Glenda looked down at Debbie before asking arrogantly,


    "Are you Debbie Nian?"


    Although Debbie had never met her before, her gut feeling told her that she was Glenda. "Yes, I am.


    And you are?" she asked.


    Glenda removed her sses, revealing her eyes, which looked exactly like Stephanie''s. "I''m


    Stephanie''s mom," she said.


    Debbie dismissed the lyricist with an apologetic smile. Then she sipped her coffee, and without offering


    Glenda to sit down, she ndly asked, "Are you here for your daughter?"


    Glenda sat down opposite Debbie, sizing her up.


    Debbie was wearing a red and white jumpsuit with a pair of beige high heels. With her delicate makeup


    and perfect figure, she easily stood out in the crowd.


    Glenda had seen Debbie''s photo before. However, now she found that Debbie was even more stunning


    in the flesh. She gnashed her teeth and cursed, "You are indeed an enchantress. No wonder you have


    bewitched Mr. Huo."


    Debbie wasn''t angry at all. "Really? I believe you said that wrong. Your daughter stole Carlos from me,"


    she said with a smile.


    Glenda seethed and reached for the half-filled coffee cup that the lyricist had left behind. She waved


    the cup and tried to ssh the coffee onto Debbie''s face.


    Debbie realized her intention and dodged the coffee easily, which stained the rug on the floor beside


    her.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Before Glenda could even put the cup down, Debbie raised her cup and poured the coffee onto


    Glenda''s head. Glenda shrieked at the top of her lungs. Debbie red at her in disdain and snorted,


    "Woman, are you crazy? If you think that I''m a pushover, you should have learned more about me


    before you came here. I''m not someone that you can mess with!"


    Glenda pulled out a pack of wet tissues from her bag and began to wipe the coffee from herself. Taking


    a deep breath, she said, "Bah! Learn more about you? I already know enough about you. You''re just a


    shameless bitch who cheated on Mr. Huo and eloped with another man!"


    While ying on her phone, Debbie said nonchntly, "What are you talking about? I didn''t hear you."


    "I said you cheated on Mr. Huo and eloped with another man. You even gave birth to a bastard child,


    and you told Mr. Huo that bastard was his daughter. I''ve never met someone as shameless as you. You


    deserve to rot in hell!"


    Debbie chuckled and opened the WeChat app. She sent Carlos a message saying, "Mr. Handsome,


    someone just called Evelyn a ''bastard.'' What should I do?"


    Then she turned to Glenda and said, "Come on! Many women have said the same words before.


    You''re just like them, unable to get close to Carlos. Oops! I said that wrong. It''s your daughter who is


    unable to get close to him. So you can only nder me to vent your


    frustration."

 Chapter 470 Talk Of The Town

    Chapter 470 Talk Of The Town


    Glenda''s face twitched when she heard what Debbie said. "You''re just after his money, aren''t you? Tell


    you what, I''ll give you ten million. Take your bastard child and leave Mr. Huo."


    "Ten million?" Debbie sneered. "At least you''re not as stingy as your daughter. She offered me five."


    Glenda cast her a disdainful look. "Like the idea? Then fine, take the money and get your ass out of the


    country. I won''t even say a word about the coffee you poured on me."


    Debbie didn''t have the time for games. ''If I ever had any doubts, they''re gone. James, Glenda and


    Stephanie are definitely family. All arrogant and shockingly open about their cruelty. But neither mother


    nor daughter is as cunning as James.'' "Like mother, like daughter. You''ve cheated on your husband for


    so many years. Your daughter stole my husband while his memories were gone. And you both think


    money can buy everything. Five million? Ten million? Come on! You can do better than that."


    Debbie stood up from her seat and added, "Lady¡ªand I use the term loosely¡ªI''ll give you fifty million.


    Take your bitch of a daughter and get out of my sight."


    Glenda couldn''t keep her cool anymore. She stood up and raised her hand, about to p Debbie.


    Debbie, however, caught her wrist with her left hand and pped her in the face with the right. Smack!


    "Argh!" Glenda screamed at the top of her lungs.


    There were not many guests at the cafe¡ªonly two young girls, likely students, were sitting at another


    table. Not wanting any part of this, they immediately picked up their backpacks and went to the


    cashier''s desk to pay. They left in a hurry.


    Debbie shook her hand and said impatiently, "Don''t call me. Ever. I''m busy, and I don''t have time for


    your drama."


    Glenda''s face was already red and swollen from the force of Debbie''s p. Her tears fell as she yelled,


    "You bitch! Guards!"


    The bodyguards, who had been standing by the gate all this time, ran towards her. "Mrs. Li."


    Glenda raised her hand and pointed at Debbie. "Grab her," she said in a chilly voice.


    Debbie shrugged helplessly. ''Seriously? I really don''t have time for this.''


    She turned to the bodyguards and said, "Hey guys. Let''s take this outside. Don''t want to smash the


    cafe, right? Hey, didn''t you hear me?"


    While she was speaking, a bodyguard kicked a chair hard and sent it flying forward, spinning on one


    leg.


    The young mother dodged the chair, and then quickly reached into her purse.


    She took out a few hundred dors and gave the money to the cashier, who was shivering behind the


    counter. "Sorry about the mess. Keep the change."


    The cashier didn''t take the wad of cash she offered, cowering behind the counter at the sight of the two


    fierce bodyguards bearing down on Debbie.


    Debbie smiled and put the money on the counter before heading outside.


    However, a man grabbed her by the shoulder and was about to spin her around. At this moment, her


    phone rang. She smashed the hand with her purse and shouted, "Get your filthy paw off me!"


    Ignoring the bodyguard''s stunned expression, she pulled out her phone and checked the caller ID¡ª


    Carlos Huo.


    She held her phone up, making sure she had Glenda''s attention. "It''s Carlos. Last chance to call them


    off."


    Name-dropping certainly had its perks. Glenda was afraid of Carlos and what he might do if her guards


    manhandled Debbie. "Stop!" she ordered.


    Debbie smiled and answered the call in Glenda''s presence. "Hi honey, you miss me?" she asked softly


    on purpose. Without sparing Glenda another nce, she walked off.


    "Who''s with you?" Carlos asked, his voice devoid of any emotion.


    "None of your business!" Since she was out of the cafe, she didn''t need to act anymore. "It''s cool. I


    handled it. Don''t cause any more trouble."


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    After saying that, she hung up.


    ''Ever since we''ve been together, people havee out of the woodwork to mess with me, '' she


    thought angrily.


    Carlos was stunned. ''I caused trouble for her? When? How?''


    Rubbing his aching temples, he called Frankie in. "Find out who Debbie was with today and what they


    did."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Debbie thought Glenda was done, but she was wrong. Glenda asked her bodyguards to follow the


    singer''s car.


    Debbie stopped the car and got out. The bodyguards did the same.


    She leaned against her car and used her finger to call them forward. It worked; they were pretty upset.


    The two bodyguards looked at each other before rushing over.


    Before they could even touch Debbie, she kicked one in the stomach, and grabbed the other''s arm. He


    stumbled backward before tripping over his buddy, hitting his head on the ground. They rolled on the


    road and finally stopped.


    They then realized that they were no match for Debbie, so they struggled to their feet, ran back to their


    car and sped off.


    Glenda called her daughter andined, "Hey Stephanie, I finally know why you hate Debbie so


    much. She has a sharp tongue."


    Stephanie took a look at the photos in her hand and asked casually, "You met with her?"


    "Yes. I wanted to find out why Carlos chose her instead of you. I didn''t expect her to p me! She''ll pay


    for that." ''Stephanie has to be Mrs. Huo. Otherwise, everything James did would be in vain, '' she


    thought.


    Stephanie froze for a moment, and asked with a frown, "Mom, she hit you?"


    "Yeah. She''s a tough cookie. Even my bodyguards failed me. Stephanie, be careful if you deal with


    her," Glenda said through gritted teeth.


    ''Seriously? She hit my mom!'' Angry could be seen in her beautiful eyes. "Mom, I have to go. Don''t


    worry. She''ll pay for what she did today."


    Stephanie called her assistant over and told her, "Post these photos online!"


    "Yes, Miss Li."


    That evening, the pictures went viral, and Debbie''s name was trending high on social media.


    Almost everyone in the city saw the photo of her and Ivan''s marriage certificate. The news said they


    had secretly been married for some time.


    Of course, this made her look like a liar. She had said publicly, in her concert, that she and Ivan were


    just friends.


    What was more, someone even snapped a photo of Debbie trying on a wedding dress. People


    spected about whether they were holding a wedding ceremony soon.


    The important part was that someone released photos of Debbie and Carlos hugging each other on the


    beach while on vacation. Rumor had it that Debbie had dated two men at the same time.


    Carlos had gotten engaged to Stephanie. So many people cursed Debbie angrily online saying, "I feel


    bad for her husband and Stephanie. Debbie Nian is such a bitch!"


    Debbie was not affected by the news at all. She even asked her PR team to make the news go viral.

 Chapter 471 Nice

    Chapter 471 Nice


    What made Debbie ufortable was that Carlos was rather calm this time.


    He didn''t call her, nor did he deal with the news posts online. Previously, whenever she was trending


    online, he would do damage control by deleting thements and news posts. But this time, he did


    nothing.


    After the topic had spread like wildfire for five hours, one of the "victims" finally gave an interview¡ª


    Stephanie. The reporters had many questions.


    "Miss Li, what do you think about Mr. Huo and his ex-wife falling in love again?"


    "Miss Li, why did you choose to be with Mr. Huo in the first ce? Do you love him?"


    "Miss Li, I heard that Mr. Huo broke off your engagement. Is that true? Did he do it to get back with


    Debbie Nian?"


    The reporters bombarded Stephanie with questions. She could hardly answer one before another


    question was headed her way.


    Stephanie''s eyes were red and swollen, like she''d been crying hard before the interview. She still


    managed to smile politely for the cameras. "Carlos and I love each other very much. Don''t believe


    everything you hear. And I can understand why she''d be hugging my fiance. She can''t bear to move


    on. He''s a good man. Anyway, Miss Nian and Mr. Wen are about to hold their wedding ceremony soon.


    I think congrattions are in order. And don''t mention these rumors around them. That would be quite


    rude."


    "Wow! Miss Li, you''re such a wonderful woman."


    "I''m impressed, Miss Li. You''re the only one good enough for Mr. Huo."


    Stephanie''s smile grew wider at the reporters''pliments. They were positively sycophantic, falling all


    over themselves to fawn over her. And why not? She presented an elegant figure.


    Another reporter chimed in, "I heard that the rumors were leaked by your assistant, Miss Li. Is that


    true? Did your assistant post this stuff online?"


    "What? Miss Li''s assistant? Did you start these rumors to get back at Debbie Nian?"


    "Miss Li, I heard that you and Carlos broke up. Is that true?"


    Things seemed to be spiraling out of control. Stephanie''s smile froze. Luckily, she was smart enough to


    give a good answer. "It doesn''t matter who posted it. Miss Nian has so many enemies in the city,


    anyone could have done it. Let''s hope she behaves herself in the future. Imagine being the other


    woman!"


    A smart person would read between the lines. Stephanie was slinging mud at Debbie, saying that the


    rumors were true.


    "If Miss Li said it, then it''s probably true. She''s a famous businesswoman. She''s never been known to


    lie, and probably isn''t now."


    "I agree. Miss Li, I hate to touch a nerve, but did you leak this?"


    Stephanie finally realized what was going on. These reporters wanted to force her to admit she


    released the news. ''Who sent these reporters? Why are they focusing on who started the rumors?''


    Stephanie took a deep breath and managed to stay calm. In a cold voice, she said, "Many people know


    that Miss Nian loves my fiance. It could be any one of them. You can''t be sure that it was me, right?


    Let''s call it a day. I need to get back to work. Carlos and I are good." To show this, she lifted her hand,


    and the diamond ring glinted in the sun. The move was intended to be casual.


    Theizens became more excited after watching the interview. They left numerous messages under


    Debbie''s posts on Weibo and asked for an exnation.


    Debbie, the talk of the town, sat in her office, on a phone call with Ivan. "Clever boy! How did you know


    it was me who hired the reporters? She fell right into my trap. Ha-ha!" Debbieughed into her phone.


    Ivan''s phone was on speaker. When Kasie heard that, she said, "Nice! We got your back. But won''t


    Carlos get pissed? He is Stephanie''s fiance, after all."


    Ivan patted Kasie''s shoulder and pointed to his own head. She instantly got the point. ''Right. Mr. Huo


    has his memory back. Stephanie''s toast, '' she thought. She heaved a sigh of relief.


    Debbie, however, was the only one among their little group that didn''t know Carlos had gotten his


    memory back. She was kind of worried about it. "If Carlos sides with Stephanie, then I''m screwed. He''ll


    fire me. I may have to sponge off you guys."


    Ivan chuckled and said yfully, "Well, if that really happens, Kasie and I will put our ns for a family


    on hold. We''ll treat Piggy like our own daughter. And you can clean our house and take care of the kid


    for a living."


    Debbie yelled, "I can''t believe you! You want to take my daughter away and make me your housemaid.


    What a jerk!"


    Kasie pinched Ivan''s arm andined, "Hey, don''t bully my friend. If it weren''t for her, you''d still be


    a bachelor now."


    Ivan held her in his arms and kissed her lips. "Okay, okay. She''s our matchmaker, and I should be nicer


    to her. She can just cook for us."


    Debbie rolled her eyes and retorted, "Hi Kasie, I saw the hottest guy recently. He''s young and super


    caring. Would you like me to introduce you?"


    "Of course! Tomboy, how old is he? What does he¡ª Mmmph..." Kasie''s voice trailed off.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie knew what was going on at the other end of the line. She blushed. "Don''t forget to follow me on


    Weibo and y along. Bye!" Then she hung up immediately.


    What happened next was beyond belief.


    Carlos consented to an interview to clear up the rumors. He held it in one of ZL Group''s many


    conference rooms. He projected a dapper and gant appearance, in a custom-designed ck suit, a


    ck shirt, and a silver tie. Rounding out the outfit was a pair of luxury shoes.


    With no PR team or a draft for his speech, Carlos started with a serious expression on his face, "I


    broke up with Stephanie Li for several reasons. The most important reason is that I''m still in love with


    my ex-wife, Debbie Nian. I had amnesia from that car ident three years ago. But l couldn''t help


    falling in love with her again. She is sincere and caring, and the only one I love. Even though I don''t


    remember her, she''s been trying her damnedest to bring back the love we had. I''m greatly moved by


    what she''s done for me. Three years ago, someone made up vicious rumors about her. She was cyber-


    bullied by so many people for something she didn''t do. She was even forced to leave Y City while


    pregnant. She gave birth to our daughter in a foreign country and raised her all alone. She''d been


    waiting for me the whole time. Maybe I''d been waiting for her too, but I didn''t realize it then."

 Chapter 472 I Owe Her An Apology

    Chapter 472 I Owe Her An Apology


    Debbie slumped backzily on the sofa as she watched the news. What Carlos was saying made her


    tense. She sat up abruptly and focused her full attention on the screen and hung on his every word. He


    stood there, dashing as ever.


    There were no tears on his face, nor did he look sad. However, his words touched every listener. "I lost


    my memory and oppressed Debbie. Heartbroken, she finally gave up on me and left. During her


    absence, I was miserable and started reflecting on my acts. I''m not proud of what I did, and I regret


    every bit of it. Even though I want my ex-wife back, I have never cheated on Miss Li, because she was


    never my girlfriend. After I had lost my memory, she worked with someone else on a scheme against


    me, posing to be my girlfriend. This was only her role in the scheme that they had concocted together.


    So she is not the victim here. Debbie is. From three years ago up until this moment, Debbie has been


    suffering too much because of me."


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Debbie gaped in shock and put her hand to her mouth. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks like a


    broken dam. Then her phone began to ring incessantly from people who were concerned about her, but


    she hung up without answering each time. How could she possibly speak on the phone in this


    condition? She had lost all sense ofposure and could only hold her bleary eyes fixed to the screen


    on Carlos.


    He was clearing her name in front of everybody. He was dering his love for her to the world. Every


    word he said warmed her. Once her heart was broken, but now she felt that she was whole again.


    Unable to contact Debbie on her phone, Ruby ran over to Debbie''s office instead. She wanted to tell


    Debbie to watch the news. But when she walked into the office and stopped to catch her breath, she


    saw that Debbie was already watching it. Ruby was relieved. She handed Debbie a tissue and


    consoled her. "Debbie, don''t cry, although I feel like crying too. What Mr. Huo said is so touching," Ruby


    said choking on the words.


    Debbie wiped her eyes silently, but it was no use. Each time she did, the tears would just roll down her


    cheeks again. If Carlos were by her side now, she would hug him tightly and wail in his arms. She


    would tell him how much she loved him and that her love for him had never stopped and never would.


    Carlos went on, "I had loved and treasured Debbie. In the past three years, she was framed and had


    endured unbearable pain. It''s all my fault. I owe her an apology. Debbie, I''m so sorry for everything.


    From now on, I''ll protect you and make sure no harmes near you. I will remarry Debbie as soon as


    possible. I hope that I have made my feelings and intentions for Debbie loud and clear. Thank you."


    The reporters were in a frenzy now and wanted to ask Carlos more questions, but Carlos turned them


    down.


    Just then, Ruby thought of something. She urged Debbie, "Release the proof! Hurry!"


    Debbie looked at her bewildered. She remembered that she was going to do something before the


    news had started but forgot what it was.


    ''Proof, proof...'' "Oh, right!" she remembered.


    Quickly she scrolled through the pictures on her phone and found the one she was looking for, and


    posted it on Weibo. It was her single status certificate proving that ever since she divorced Carlos three


    years ago, she had remained single and never married Ivan.


    Once the photo was out, the rumors were shattered.


    Under three minutes, Ivan posted a picture too. It was his marriage license. Beside the picture, he


    wrote, "Kasie and I are holding our wedding ceremony at the end of next month. Wee!"


    It was like a p across the face of the culprit.


    Kasie re-posted it. In thement section, she exined that she and Debbie were besties, and


    Debbie was the matchmaker.


    Stephanie was in shock while everything was unraveling right before her eyes.


    Carlos'' determination to break it off with her was beyond all of her expectations. There was not a trace


    of affection in his tone when he spoke of her. Each sentence was harsher than thest.


    ''Has he recovered his memory?'' she wondered.


    She wasted no time calling James. "Uncle James, who told you that Debbie and Ivan got married?"


    James had sent her those pictures. Initially, Stephanie nned to wait for the perfect moment to


    release them online. But when Debbie hit Glenda, it was thest straw. Stephanie was pushed over the


    edge and sold the pictures to the press.


    When she called, James was already beside himself with rage. The news made his blood pressure


    soar. He ced his hand on his chest and said slowly, "It was Debbie. She told me she and Ivan got


    married and that she had given up on Carlos. She asked me not to harm her daughter."


    It wasn''t until he saw the news that he realized that Debbie had duped him.


    Judging by what Carlos said, he wasn''t sure if his amnesia was gone or not. Feeling confused, he


    called Dr. Zhu to confirm. The doctor informed him that Carlos had been having the injections.


    Whether Carlos remembered or not, it didn''t matter anymore. The most important thing was that Carlos


    was totally on Debbie''s side now. James had lost control over him.


    Carlos had even started dealing with Stephanie. James assumed that Carlos would take action against


    him next. Either way, he had to exercise extreme caution and avoid making any mistakes.


    Stephanie put her phone on the table and then threw a file folder against the wall out of frustration. The


    entrance of the office building was swarming with reporters demanding an interview with her.


    To add insult to injury, her boss called her after watching the news and said, "Considering that you have


    done a pretty good job for thepany, I''ll give you the liberty of resigning instead of firing you.


    Perhaps you should take some time and travel the world."


    Stephanie waited it out in her office until it waste in the evening, avoiding the media and not saying a


    word.


    When Debbie finished work, Carlos'' car was already waiting for her in front of the building.


    Debbie ignored the curious gazes from the onlookers and walked up to his car and hopped in.


    She was considering talking with Carlos to find out whether he had remembered everything.


    Because only the Carlos from three years ago would have protected her as he had when he made an


    appearance on the news.


    Once she entered the car, Carlos took her into his arms, and she leaned against him.


    They sat quietly like that until the car reached the gate of Carlos'' manor.


    "Stop!" Debbie suddenly said, sitting up.


    Frankie hit the brakes.


    "Carlos, get out of the car," she said, turning to him. Then she opened the door and got out herself.


    Carlos said nothing and followed her out of the vehicle.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked, smiling.


    Debbie gazed at him and smiled. Gently she began to straighten his tie. "I think you have regained your


    memory, although I can''t prove it. If you don''t give me an answer now, I won''t enter the manor."


    Carlos knew he had no choice but to tell her.


    "Why did you tell me that you got married to Ivan?" he asked. It pained him to think about how she put


    on a wedding gown for another man and how he carried her into the wedding car himself. He even


    walked her down the aisle and handed her over to another man.


    When he recalled all of that, it hurt him so much. However, it turned out that it was all just one of her


    tricks. She pulled it off so well that everyone had been convinced. Carlos had to apud her, though


    his heart ached. As for Ivan, Carlos hated him so much that he wanted to kill him.


    "You didn''t love me. What did it matter whom I married?" she asked in an innocent tone.


    Carlos pinched his forehead in frustration and exined, "You should have understood me given the


    circumstances."


    "Well, too bad! I didn''t!"


    she retorted bluntly. "Fine. Let''s drop that. Why did you tell me that you had sex with


    Ivan?"

 Chapter 473 Good Buddies

    Chapter 473 Good Buddies


    ''He knew Ivan and I never slept together? Ivan must have told him everything, '' Debbie thought. Then


    she replied in a wronged tone, "When we were on the ind, I was horny, but you wouldn''t do anything.


    So I said that Ivan and I did it to piss you off."


    Carlos stared at her intensely.


    The fierce look in his eyes made her nervous. "Don''t look at me like that. I thought you didn''t want me


    anymore. I''m the one who should be mad," she added.


    ''How could I not want her? I was just trying not to cause problems, because she was married, '' Carlos


    thought.


    "And why didn''t you know my marriage license was fake? People are always saying you''re so clever..."


    she continued.


    Carlos didn''t know how to respond to that. He had tried toy a guilt trip on her, but she turned it


    around, made everything his fault. ''This woman is really savvy.''


    Debbie was d that he didn''t talk back to her. "I''ve answered your questions. Now it''s my turn."


    Carlos'' heart fluttered. He knew what she was going to ask. She figured it out faster than he thought,


    and he smiled resignedly.


    "Do you have your memory back or not?" she asked, her face betraying no emotion. What he didn''t


    know was that underneath that stony expression, her heart was pounding.


    Carlos looked her in the eye and took her in his arms. "Mmhmm."


    What a simple reply. But it was powerful enough to open the floodgates. Instantly, tears gushed from


    her eyes.


    Before he could say or do anything to console her, she lifted her foot and kicked him hard in the leg.


    The moment her pointed-toe stiletto hit his leg, a sharp pain seized him. He endured it silently. As the


    moments fled, the pain had dulled to an ache.


    Damon and Kinsley had talked him into pretending he still had amnesia. Carlos decided he was going


    to kick those guys'' asses.


    During this time, Frankie sat in the car. Bored, he got out to smoke and happened to see Debbie giving


    Carlos a kick.


    "Ha¡ª" he burst outughing. Since it was dangerous tough at Carlos, he stopped himself.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes. The mighty Carlos Huo¡ªkicked by a woman! This was awesome!


    And he wasn''t supposed to see it. Quickly, he got back in the car. He was so afraid his desire to smoke


    went out the window like so much...er...smoke.


    He couldn''t help watching the two either. One kick wasn''t enough to vent her anger. Debbie kicked


    Carlos again.


    He didn''t grimace, didn''t scream, only looked at her tenderly.


    But her anger didn''t stop there. She gave him two more good kicks, just for good measure.


    "Feel better?" Carlos asked her.


    Debbie snorted and walked toward the car. He followed. But she got in and mmed the door shut. He


    was trapped outside the car. She locked the door quickly and opened the window a crack. "Don''t follow


    me!" she said angrily. Then she turned to Frankie. "Please turn the car around."


    Frankie looked at Carlos.


    Carlos nodded to him resignedly.


    After leaving the manor, Debbie asked Frankie to take her to Champs Bay Apartments. Since he had


    Carlos'' say-so, he did as he was told.


    That evening, Carlos invited Damon for a drink. Just the two of them. And it wasn''t at Orchid Private


    Club but at a bar that catered to all kinds of people.


    Carlos had booked a booth. Since nobody else was around, Damon thought Carlos had invited him


    there to discuss some secret n. He was excited. "Dude, you were awesome in front of the camera. I


    almost cried. I bet Debbie was in tears."


    "Nope," Carlos said simply.


    Damon was shocked. "No way! Women are way more sensitive. They always cry. What happened to


    her?"


    Carlos recalled Debbie''s angry face and then, without warning, he aimed a kick at Damon''s leg.


    He was wearing his wingtips tonight. It was a special asion¡ªan ass-kicking. He knew his kick would


    hurt much more than Debbie''s. Damon grimaced.


    For a long while he was in too much pain to utter a word. Bending over the table, he pped a hand


    over his leg, his face red from the pain.


    "That''s what I got when Debbie found out I was lying to her about my memory," Carlos began tly.


    Damon realized why Carlos had brought him there. ''This man is so vindictive.'' He finally managed to


    ask, "So why me me?"


    "You told me not to tell her," Carlos said after taking a sip of alcohol.


    "I did it for your own good, you ungrateful jackass! How was I supposed to know it would go south?


    Why are we friends again?"


    Carlos wasn''t angered by this. He smiled at him and asked, "Do you know how many times Debbie


    kicked me?"


    Damon had a bad feeling about this. "Hey, calm down, man! We''re good buddies¡ª Ah!" When Carlos


    kicked him again, Damon couldn''t bear the pain anymore and screamed. His howl filled every corner of


    the booth.


    "Four. Should I kick you and Kinsley twice each or should I kick you four times?" Carlos asked slowly.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Damon stuck out his hand at once to stop Carlos kicking him again. At this moment, he forgot Kinsley


    was his friend or maybe he even didn''t remember who Kinsley was. "Twice each, please. I don''t think


    I''d survive a third."


    Carlos didn''t kick him anymore. Damon thought he was done with him. However, what Carlos said next


    didn''t exactly make him happy. "You always badmouthed my wife," Carlos remarked coldly.


    Damon cried, "I didn''t mean to. I told you, James tricked me. I swear I''ll make it up to her. I''ll apologize.


    Good enough?"


    "No!" Carlos said ruthlessly.


    Damon gritted his teeth, regretting having made friends with such a cold-blooded, brutal creature as


    Carlos. "I swear to God quit it! We won''t be friends, and you don''t want me as an enemy," he


    threatened.


    "No problem," Carlos replied easily. Damon regretted having made that threat.


    "Dude...Bro...Boss...what do you want from me?" ''Liar! He told me he wanted to have a drink with me.


    It turns out he was just trying to get back at me for Debbie.''


    Carlos thought about it and stated, "I heard your wife''s pregnant again."


    Damon shed a goofy smile when he thought of his wife. "Yes. I''ll be thrilled if I have a daughter half


    as lovely as Evelyn," he ttered.


    Carlos also was in a better mood when he thought of Evelyn, but not by much. "How far along is


    Adriana?"


    "Three months," Damon giggled.


    "Three months..." Carlos murmured. Then he pulled out his phone and called someone. "Send in ten


    women," hemanded.


    Damon was surprised. "What are you doing? Are you going to cheat on Debbie? Dude, don''t do that.


    Everyone saw you say you love her¡ª"


    Just then, the door was pushed open, and ten hot women walked in.


    As Damon was trying to figure out what was going on, Carlos stood up and told those women, "Serve


    Mr. Han well." Then he said to Tristan, "Get two bodyguards in here. They''ll watch Damon and make


    sure he keeps his hands to himself."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Only then did Damon realize what Carlos was doing. The sly man knew that he hadn''t had sex in three


    months. She hadn''t felt like it, so he had to do without. Now Carlos was using that to punish him. He


    asked those women to seduce Damon, but at the same time, he ordered the bodyguards to keep him


    from getting any.


    ''Carlos, you son of a bitch!'' Damon cursed inside. Carlos turned to leave. "Don''t do this! Get these


    women out of here! You can''t do this to me! Adriana will kill me!"


    Carlos paused, turning around. "Rx. I won''t tell. And nobody else will either," he said calmly. "Tristan,


    remember to take pictures."

 Chapter 474 Jailed

    Chapter 474 Jailed


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," Tristan remarked.


    Damon was desperate. "Damn you, Carlos! How could you do this to me? Come back!" he denounced.


    But as soon as Carlos left the room, those women surrounded Damon. "Mr. Han, I''ve heard so much


    about you. You''re indeed a handsome man."


    "Mr. Han, I''m Mitzi. I''ll take good care of you."


    Damon raged, "Take good care of my ass!"


    Mitzi was dazed for two seconds. Then she articted with a goofy smile, "Of course, I''ll take good


    care of that as well, Mr. Han."


    Damon was rendered speechless.


    On the sixth floor of Building two of Champs Bay Apartments


    Stephanie was sitting on the living room couch, smoking, as she watched the news on TV. The reporter


    was saying, "Not very long ago, our correspondent informed that Mr. Huo, Debbie Nian and their


    daughter were seen outside his vi and they went inside together. It looks like the rumors are true..."


    "Oh, shut up!" Stephanie turned off the TV angrily. She put out the cigarette and ruffled her messy hair


    restlessly. Carlos had regained his memory! It was not a part of their n. Dr. Zhu had told them that


    there was no way Carlos would regain his memory, not as long as they didn''t miss the regr


    injections. ''Liar! They''re all liars!''


    Furious, she smashed the lighter against the tea table.


    Debbie had used a fake marriage license to set up James, but Stephanie got screwed over too. Now,


    both her and James'' reputations were ruined, all thanks to Debbie.


    Hate gnawed at her as she thought of what Debbie had done to her.


    Just then, her phone rang. "What?" Stephanie asked impatiently when she saw the caller ID.


    Angus Li, her father, sighed from the other end of the line. "Stephanie, your mom has been arrested.


    You''re in Y City, aren''t you? Head to the police station right away. I''m on my way there," he said in a


    rush.


    Stephanie''s eyes widened in shock. "Arrested? For what?" She abruptly stood up from the couch.


    "The police who called me said that she was sued for nder, assault and attempted murder."


    "Attempted murder?!" Stephanie raised her voice at the absurd usation. "That''s ridiculous!" Glenda


    was too much of a coward to do something like that.


    "That''s what I think too. But I don''t know what happened yet. Get awyer and go see your mom in


    prison. Ask her what happened. I''ll take a flight right away."


    Stephanie said impatiently, "There''s no need for you toe over yet. I''ll call you after I talk to Mom."


    "Okay," he said in a low voice.


    At the police station, Glenda told Stephanie that it was Debbie who had sued her.


    Glenda had nned to go back to New York, but the police had arrested her at the airport lounge. It


    was humiliating; so many people had witnessed the arrest.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Glenda grabbed Stephanie''s arms tightly and said with tears in her eyes, "No wonder James wants her


    dead. She is a vicious bitch. All I did was call her names, but she hired that famouswyer, Xavier, to


    charge me with attempted murder! I didn''t do anything! Stephanie, bail me out! I don''t want to stay in


    this hell-hole another minute!"


    Stephanie stared at her mother awkwardly. "I brought along awyer hoping to bail you out, but the


    police wouldn''t allow it. I think Debbie Nian is behind this. She must have bribed the police to hold you


    here."


    It was just like when Debbie had been used of murder and had been detained in the police station.


    Back then, James had bribed the police to refuse her bail. In the end, it had taken Carlos to bail her


    out.


    Glenda panicked. "What should we do now? How can Carlos be so heartless? You took care of him


    when he was in aa. Did he forget all that? How ungrateful he is! I liked him; I must have been


    blind!"


    Stephanie thought about it for a moment and said, "Mom, don''t worry. I''ll think of a way to get you out of


    here."


    "Good, good. Stephanie, I''m counting on you. You''re my sweet little girl. Oh! Inform your uncle James


    of this. Perhaps he can help."


    "Okay." Stephanie called James after she left the police station.


    When the evil fox learned that Debbie had put Glenda in prison, he was so shocked and furious that he


    almost passed out. "Steph, don''t worry. I''ll get your mom out of jail."


    Stephanie was relieved. "Thank you, Uncle James."


    "Don''t mention it, kiddo," James said with a smile. It was hard to believe that this man could ever be so


    benign.


    His soft tone made Stephanie furrow her brows. As much as she didn''t want to ept it, the truth was


    laid out in the open. Sooner orter, she would have to ept James as her father.


    After hanging up Stephanie''s call, James called Carlos. But it was Frankie who answered. "Mr. James


    Huo, I''m sorry, but Mr. Huo is in a meeting right now. I will take your message to him if it''s urgent."


    James wanted to talk to Carlos himself, but the matter was too urgent to wait. He feigned a calm tone


    and informed, "Tell him that his aunt Glenda was framed by Debbie Nian and has been arrested by the


    police. The Li family members are my friends. If he still sees me as his father who had raised him for


    the past thirty years, he''ll bail her out."


    Sarcasmced Frankie''s eyes, yet he maintained a professional tone. "I''ll pass on your message, Mr.


    James Huo. Is there anything else I can help you with?"


    "Stephanie looked after him for two years when he was in aa. He should be grateful to her. She


    might have done some things, but considering what she has done for him in the past, he shouldn''t


    abandon her at a time like this."


    "Noted."


    "That''s all." James hung up without waiting for Frankie''s response.


    Carlos'' meeting ended soon, and Frankie told him everything James had said.


    He took his phone from Frankie and sneered at it, "What''s he been up totely?" He assumed that by


    now, the old snake should have known he had gotten his memory back.


    From his message, Carlos could tell that James was still pretending to not know that he remembered


    everything; he was trying to maximize the benefit of his identity as Carlos'' father.


    Frankie replied, "On the surface, it might look like he''s doing nothing unusual. But he has been secretly


    transferring his assets overseas. Some of them have been transferred into Glenda''s rtives'' names."


    ''Transferring assets?'' Carlos lit a cigarette and observed sarcastically, "He has cheated many people


    off their wealth. Isn''t he worried that it might break his arms?"


    The bribes James had taken from many and the money he had embezzled had reached billions of


    dors, which was enough for him to squander for the rest of his pitiful life.


    "Glenda has filed for a divorce. She must have done it to be with James. Mr. Huo, what should we do


    next?"


    Carlos fell silent. He was thinking about Angus Li.


    Glenda was evil, but Angus was an honest and decent man. He had never done harm to anybody.


    Despite suspecting that his wife was having an affair, he had been pretending to be ignorant of it for so


    many years, all for their children''s sake. That was the only reason why the Li family had always been


    so peaceful in the past.


    "We won''t interfere in their marriage. Glenda''s bail issues are not up to me." With that, Carlos picked


    up the file on the table. He was ready to set off to meet a client.

 Chapter 475 Debbie Went On A Date

    Chapter 475 Debbie Went On A Date


    Carlos'' decision was to be expected. Glenda was an outsider and an enemy to him. He wouldn''t upset


    Debbie for her.


    Debbie knew what Glenda did to her at the cafe the other day wasn''t serious enough to get her locked


    up for a long time. So several days after Glenda was sent to prison, Debbiepromised with her. She


    agreed to withdraw the charges on condition that Glenda apologized to her in person.


    Left with no other choice, Glenda conceded.


    One week in prison had dramatically changed Glenda''s appearance. When she walked out of her cell,


    there was no way of telling that she was a first-ssdy. Her long curls tumbled over her shoulders in


    a tangled mess. Her clothes were dirty, and her face was smudged. She looked ten years older than


    she was.


    When Stephanie saw her mother in that state of disarray, she vowed to herself that she would turn


    Debbie''s life into a living hell.


    As Stephanie and Glenda walked toward the entrance of the police station, they noticed Debbie


    watching them with a proud and cold demeanor. She was leaning against a ten-million-dor stretch


    limousine, custom-made by the ZL Group exclusively fordies only.


    Stephanie shot her a venomous look. It reminded Debbie of James. ''Like father like daughter, '' thought


    Debbie to herself.


    The sun shone brightly, and the day was pleasantly warm. Debbie was in a pretty good mood. "Glenda,


    jail time must have been tough," she said, rubbing salt into her wounds.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Hearing her deliberate provocation, Glenda lifted her head abruptly and red at Debbie. She wished


    that she could pounce on her and snap her neck like a twig.


    "You bi¡ª" She managed to keep her anger in check before the word "bitch" flew from her lips. Taking a


    deep breath topose herself, she asked, "You want my apology? No problem. Leave Carlos!"


    Debbie scoffed, "What makes you think that you could ask me to do that? What are you to Carlos?"


    "If it weren''t for you, I would be his mother-inw!" Glenda asserted. ''This bitch destroyed my


    daughter''s happiness.


    James and I have worked hard for many years so that Stephanie could marry Carlos. Now this woman


    has ruined everything!'' The hate grew in her heart by the second.


    "But you''re not, are you?" Debbie retorted with a cynical smile and tilted her head. "And Carlos is


    clingy. He can''t stand me being out of his sight." Then she patted the pink limo behind her and said,


    "See? He bought this for me. What can I do? He spoils me. I''ll thank you if you can let him be a little


    low-key."


    Debbie was showing off. Glenda and Stephanie sensed that, and they were about to explode.


    Stephanie recognized the car. The day that it had been transported from abroad, before it even got off


    the expressway, there was a big hype about it on the news and Inte.


    Many people wondered which wealthy man had bought it to please his wife.


    The moneybags turned out to be Carlos, and the car was a gift for Debbie.


    If word had got out, theizens would be excited again.


    Debbie checked the time on her wristwatch and urged tly, "I''m in a rush, and you haven''t apologized


    to me yet. So hurry up."


    Aware of the consequences, Glenda took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said grudgingly, "Sorry!"


    "Tsk tsk, listen. Does that sound like an apology to you? It sounds more like I owe you some money.


    Why are you so proud? At least show some sincerity," Debbie remarked. Just like her daughter, Glenda


    was also condescending, treating people like they were second rate citizens. Debbie wondered why


    they felt so confident about themselves.


    Suddenly, Stephanie''s face darkened. She held Glenda''s hand, squeezing it so tightly that it hurt, but


    she didn''t realize that she was doing it. Glenda looked at her in surprise and asked, "Stephanie, are


    you all right? You''re hurting me."


    Stephanie realized what she was doing and loosened her grip. Narrowing her eyes, she told Debbie,


    "I''ll apologize on my mom''s behalf."


    Debbie shook her head. "I''ll settle the ount with youter. This is between your mother and me. It''s


    none of your business."


    No longer able to contain the fury she felt inside, Stephanie suddenly let go of Glenda''s hand and then


    rushed over to Debbie. With anger clouding her mind, she lunged at Debbie, trying to p her across


    the face. However, she had forgotten that Debbie was good at martial arts.


    Before Stephanie could get close enough to her, Debbie kicked her hard.


    "Ow!" Stephanie groaned, lying on the ground. It took her a while to realize what had happened.


    Glenda ran to her in a fluster. "Stephanie, are you okay? Let me have a look."


    Stephanie held her stomach and gasped to ease the pain.


    Passersbying and going through the entrance of the police station were drawn to themotion


    that the three women were creating. Glenda knew she and Stephanie were no match for Debbie in a


    fight. So with clenched fists, she got to her feet and bowed to Debbie. "Debbie Nian, I''m sorry," she


    said respectfully.


    It sounded much better this time. Debbie didn''t n on wasting too much time on them. Satisfied with


    the apology, she got in her car and drove off.


    At ZL Group


    Niles suddenly barged into Carlos'' office and said to him in a hurry, "Carlos, bad news. Your wife has


    gone on a date!"


    Carlos knitted his brows. "What the hell are you talking about?" ''Who in Y City would be crazy enough


    to dare try to steal my woman away from me? That would be a death wish, '' he thought.


    "I saw Debbie just now. She was in the new limo the ZL Group had made, and she looked ravishing.


    The point is, she was with a gorgeous guy!"


    "What makes you think she was on a date?" Carlos put the lid back on his pen. He couldn''t focus on


    his work anymore.


    "She told me so,"


    Niles replied. Carlos stood up, grabbed his coat, and darted toward the door. "Where?"


    "Where what? Oh, they were at the sushi shop diagonally opposite this building."


    ''A date at a sushi shop?'' Without further ado, Carlos walked out of his office. He called Debbie before


    he got in the elevator.


    When Debbie answered his call, his brows unknitted. "Honey, what are you doing?" he asked gently.


    The sightseeing elevator arrived. Carlos stepped in and scanned the scenery outside.


    "I''m eating sushi." She was telling the truth.


    Her reply coborated with the location Niles had said. Carlos pinched his forehead and said, "Honey


    ¡ª"


    "Don''t call me that!" Debbie interrupted him coldly.


    Carlos didn''t get mad. Instead, he chuckled, "No matter what you do, I won''t give up on you." Giving up


    wasn''t in his nature.


    For a moment, Debbie didn''t know what to say. The man sitting opposite her was enjoying his food.


    Looking at him, Debbie replied in a cold tone, "What do I care?"


    Since the ce they were in was close by, Carlos didn''t drive his car. After getting out of the elevator,


    he strode straight toward the sushi shop.

 Chapter 476 Lunch For Four

    Chapter 476 Lunch For Four


    When Carlos walked into the sushi shop, he was still on the phone with Debbie. Around that time, she


    was nibbling at a meat floss sushi. "Why aren''t you talking?" she asked, when she noticed his silence.


    The man sitting opposite her choked when he saw Carlos walk in. He kicked Debbie under the table


    and winked at her as he gulped down his ss of water.


    Debbie turned around to look directly at the man. Carlos ended the call and put his phone into his


    pocket. He looked at the man at the table and asked coldly, "Kinsley, what are you doing here?"


    Carlos nudged Debbie, motioning her to move over.


    Kinsley quickly swallowed a mouthful of fish eggs and exined, "Please don''t misunderstand. I''m


    flying to Z Country this afternoon and will be staying there for the next three months. Me meeting


    Debbie here was aplete coincidence!" That was a lie. He had called Debbie to have sushi. He was


    curious about what was going on between Carlos and Debbie.


    To his utter surprise, before he could ask her anything about their rtionship, Carlos had called


    Debbie right at that moment.


    He wondered if Carlos would believe his tant lie. The man just nced at him and remained silent.


    Debbie was surprised that Carlos had found her so quickly. She looked at the haughty man, who was


    now drinking her juice, and queried, "Niles told you, didn''t he?" It was the only possibility she could


    think of.


    A waiter came along with a menu card and handed it to Carlos. He ordered a few dishes and said, "He


    dropped by." He didn''t deny it.


    "Yeah, right. What a coincidence!" Debbie observed sarcastically. Niles had seen them together earlier.


    When she and Kinsley had just gotten out of their cars in front of the sushi shop, Niles, who was


    waiting at the traffic signal at that time, happened to see them.


    He waved to them and shouted, "What are you guys doing?"


    Debbie had answered with a stony face, "Dating."


    Shocked, Niles stepped on the gas and sped away.


    Within the next ten minutes, Carlos had stepped into the sushi shop. It had to be Niles who had


    informed him of the meeting.


    Soon after Debbie had mentioned him, Niles arrived huffing and puffing. He patted Kinsley on the


    shoulder. Kinsley took the hint and slid over to make room for him. Remembering that he was taller and


    sturdier than Niles, he switched seats with him.


    And so, the two-person lunch turned into a lunch for four.


    Carlos ignored the two single menpletely. He kept flirting with Debbie.


    He whispered something in her ear, and then kissed her lightly on her cheek. Kinsley rolled his eyes at


    him.


    Suddenly, the sushi tasted nd to Niles. He stopped eating and started drinking some plum alcohol,


    continuouslyining about Carlos to Kinsley.


    When they were done eating, they went their separate ways. Debbie said goodbye to Kinsley and Niles


    and left, ignoring Carlos.


    As soon as she left, Carlos called without looking at him, "Kinsley."


    Kinsley had a bad feeling. "What''s up, man?" he asked with a grin.


    Carlos watched Debbie leave. He gazed into the distance even after she couldn''t be seen anymore.


    Then he said casually, "I heard that there''s a woman that you hate since you were little."


    The grin on Kinsley''s face disappeared immediately. "Off I go. I have a flight to catch," he said hastily.


    "Kinsley!" Carlos turned to look at Kinsley, who was trying to run away.


    Kinsley quivered and turned back to look at him. "Buddy, I''m begging you. Don''t force me to see her. It


    was painstakingly difficult to get rid of her. Have a heart, man!"


    Carlos straightened his cuffs and replied, "No."


    "Carlos! How can you be so vindictive?"


    Carlos nced at him. "Don''t you know anything about me?"


    Kinsley had always known that the man was petty. And he had gotten on his nerves now. Damon had


    warned him how possessive Carlos was. "I only met Debbie to persuade her to forgive you. I was doing


    it for you, man."


    "Well, that was what I thought at first. But then it wasn''t."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ''Why not? What did I do wrong?'' Kinsley was confused. "Are you really going to go after me just


    because I invited Debbie to lunch?" If that was really the case, the man was really the king of jealousy.


    Carlos gave him a sharp look and walked away.


    As Kinsley looked on, Carlos and Niles walked back to ZL Group''s office. Soon after, a familiar figure


    came into view. "Hi, Kins!"


    Kinsley''s face turned pale. ''Carlos, you asshole!'' he cursed inwardly. He ran towards his car, trying to


    flee before the woman could pounce on him.


    However, thanks to her previous experiences, the woman already knew what he was about to do. As


    he rushed to the driver''s seat, she opened the back door and hopped into the car.


    Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.


    "Kins, don''t me Mr. Huo. He promised to let you endorse ZL Group''s clothing. This is a big deal. Just


    imagine how bright our future will be!"


    ''What bright future? This is more like a disaster!'' There was no future for him with this woman, only


    nightmares. Carlos deliberately put him into this position and then promised the endorsement to


    appease him. He didn''t care.


    That evening, Debbie was invited to a celebration dinner for thepletion of a movie. She looked


    perky and innocent in her green flowy dress.


    Her bodyguard secretly took a picture of her and sent it to Carlos. When he saw that, Carlos dropped


    whatever he was doing and asked Frankie to drive him to the hotel where the dinner was taking ce.


    The dinner wasn''t over until past nine o''clock. Debbie had her arm around a male co-worker''s as she


    walked out of the hotel. The man saw Carlos'' car and let go of Debbie frantically. "Gotta go." With that,


    he ran away.


    ''Huh?'' Debbie didn''t realize what was going on until she saw Carlos step out of the car.


    Under the public gazes, he walked towards her with a tender smile, put his arm around her and led her


    to his car.


    Inside the car


    Carlos pressed his body against hers and lifted her chin to make her look directly into his cold eyes.


    "Can''t you just stay the hell away from other men?" he asked grimly.


    Debbie wasn''t afraid of him. She retorted, "Mr. Huo, what am I to you? Why are you meddling with my


    life?"


    Carlos said through gritted teeth, "Let''s get remarried right now!"


    "It''ste. The Civil Affairs Bureau is closed now."


    "It''ll be open if I want it to be open!"

 Chapter 477 Carlos’ Retaliation

    Chapter 477 Carlos¡¯ Retaliation


    ''Could this man be any more overbearing?'' Debbie shook her head silently. She then wrapped her


    arms around Carlos'' neck and said in an extremely tender voice, "Mr. Huo, it hurts, doesn''t it? I had


    lunch with Kinsley earlier, and now, I just walked arm-in-arm with another man. Imagine how I felt when


    I watched you kiss Stephanie and get engaged to her."


    Carlos realized that she had done all those things to get even with him, just as he had anticipated. The


    look in his eyes softened. He bowed down his head and kissed her on the lips.


    The space inside the car was filled with passion and lust. But Debbie pushed the horny Carlos away


    and snickered, "Mr. Huo, we should stop here. I got my period today."


    Carlos was frustrated. ''She is determined to torture me.''


    They rode to the manor to see Piggy. When they arrived, Miranda weed them in.


    She smiled at Debbie and said, "I just finished reading to her. She fell asleep. Do you want to check on


    her?"


    "Yeah, thanks," Debbie replied.


    She pushed the door open without making any noise. The light in Piggy''s room had been dimmed to a


    perfect glimmer. If it were to be too bright, she would have difficulty falling asleep; if it were too dark,


    she would get scared. The little girl was sound asleep now.


    Miranda went to her room to get some sleep. Carlos leaned on the door frame, looking at Debbie and


    Piggy tenderly.


    Before he found out who Piggy really was, he had envied her parents so much. But it turned out that he


    was her father after all.


    He was grateful to Debbie for giving him such a lovely daughter. He wondered when she would forgive


    him. If she did, the three of them could live together every day. How great that would be, he thought.


    Debbie walked over to him and whispered, "I''m sleeping with Piggy. Good night." With that, she shut


    the door on his face.


    He heard the lock click from the inside.


    She was avoiding him, he realized.


    While he was in the study, Carlos got a call from Frankie. "Mr. Huo, I found out." He had been


    expecting this call.


    "Shoot."


    "Miss Nian and Mrs. Miranda Huo hade up with the n together."


    Carlos wasn''t surprised.


    Frankie continued, "Mr. Wen had a part to y too. They worked together to make Miss Nian marry


    Ivan. On the one hand, it would stop Ivan''s mom from pressuring him to get married and on the other


    hand, it would make you jealous." Frankie said thest word very cautiously. He paused for a reply.


    Carlos closed hisptop and ordered, "Go on."


    "There were others involved too. Xavier, Yates, and Curtis." ''So, they all yed me, '' Carlos thought,


    squinting.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    At first, the n had included only Miranda, Ivan, and Debbie. But considering that Carlos was too


    smart for them, to make sure the n would go perfectly, Debbie decided to get more people to work


    with her. Soter, she persuaded Yates, Xavier, and Curtis to join her to pull it off.


    When Xavier had sent Carlos the picture of Debbie in a wedding dress, it had actually been Debbie''s


    idea.


    Since they knew that Debbie and Ivan weren''t in love, everyone in the group tried their best to bring


    Debbie and Carlos back together.


    "What was Yates'' part in their n?" Carlos'' voice betrayed no emotion.


    Frankie coughed to cover his embarrassment before he continued, "Yates and Xavier knew long back


    that Miss Nian was your ex-wife. That was why they chose to be Piggy''s godfathers. They kept the


    truth from you because they knew that once you and Miss Nian were back together, she would be the


    one in charge, and they wanted to see you get bullied around by her."


    Carlos had always been a proud man and was looked up to by everyone. His friends wondered what it


    would be like if the powerful Carlos ever became submissive. But Carlos had different ns for the


    whole lot of them.


    Starting from the very next day, the supervisory department and the police continued to show up at


    Yates'' businesses. Yates couldn''t catch a break.


    Meanwhile, an announcement was posted on Xavier''s official Weibo ount saying that he would be


    representing everyone in court for free for the next three months, starting from that very day. Xavier


    received more than he had bargained for.


    So far, Carlos had gotten back at Damon, Kinsley, Xavier, and Yates. Wesley, Ivan and Curtis were the


    only ones left.


    Since Curtis was Debbie''s uncle, he couldn''t touch him. Wesley was his next target.


    Carlos called him. He took a long drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke out. When the call


    connected, he spoke without any pleasantries. "I heard that things between you and your girlfriend


    haven''t been going welltely."


    Wesley knew Carlos. He was alert. He spat a mouthful of smoke too. "Carlos, I''m surprised that you


    still have time to think about me and ir. Debbie hasn''t forgiven you yet, and you have done nothing


    yet to make James and Stephanie pay. So, why don''t you just mind your own business?"


    Wesley had proposed to ir, but she had turned him down. He wanted a baby; she said no to that


    too. He was pissed.


    Under the current circumstances, he had to be very careful not to give Carlos a chance to create more


    trouble for him.


    "I''m not worried about Debbie. iming her heart is an easy task; I just have to get her into bed with


    me. As for James and Stephanie...I''m waiting for the perfect moment, and then, they are done."


    Carlos seemed to have an answer for everything. Wesley frowned. "You still have your ZL Group to


    run. Focus on that, and stop nosing around." ''Damn that old goat, James!'' Wesley cursed inwardly. If


    that man hadn''t deceived all of them and turned them against Debbie, Carlos wouldn''t be going after


    them now.


    Carlos put out the cigarette and said, "All right."


    ''All right?'' Wesley didn''t believe a word that came out of the Devil''s mouth. "Rx. I''m going to


    apologize to Debbie," Wesley assured him.


    "I''ve been chasing Debbie for so long, and she''s not making it easy for me. As my friend, you can''t just


    sit there and do nothing. Help me," Carlos said with a faint smile.


    ''Help him?'' Wesley frowned. Carlos would never ask anyone for help. "You broke Debbie''s heart and


    created a hell of a mess for yourself. Don''t drag me into it. I''m warning you, Carlos, don''t create any


    trouble for me. ir is not as tough as Debbie, you know. She can''t live on her own. She is a dodo.


    She won''t be able to survive without me."


    Carlos chuckled, "You talk about your girlfriend like that behind her back? Aren''t you worried that she


    might hear you?"


    "She is sleeping in the bedroom and I''m in the living room."


    Just then, a soft voice came from behind him, "Wesley..."


    Startled, Wesley choked on the smoke and coughed violently.


    ir wasn''t loud, but Carlos heard her clearly. "Take care, buddy!" he said to Wesley and hung up with


    a smirk.


    Wesley was stunned. He didn''t know what to say to her.


    "Do I look that useless to you?" ir asked him with a pained expression. She knew that she wasn''t


    the smartest person in the room. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have failed time and again to run away from


    this man.


    But it still hurt to hear him talk about her like that to others.


    Wesley put out the cigarette and walked to her. "I was just joking around with Carlos," he exined


    with an awkward look on his face.


    "Oh," ir responded. He knew that she wasn''t convinced, but he didn''t know how tofort her. It


    was all Carlos'' fault. If he could, he would make that hateful man run a hundred kilometers with a


    twenty-kilogram load on his back.


    Before Ivan''s wedding, news that the ZL Group was going to take over the Wen Group was spread


    everywhere. Nobody knew why or if it was true.


    Only very few people knew that it was all because Carlos was enraged. So many of them had already


    suffered under his rage. And it was all for Debbie.


    Ivan was very busy dealing with the issues at hand. It was true that Carlos was about to buy out the


    Wen Group.

 Chapter 478 Call Me Honey

    Chapter 478 Call Me Honey


    So while preparing for his wedding, Ivan had to work overtime to cope with the trouble Carlos made for


    him.


    Numerous times, he cursed himselfte at night why he had been dumb enough to have chosen


    Debbie, out of all the women, for a sham marriage. After all, he had many other female friends to


    choose from. If he hadn''t made the wrong choice, Carlos wouldn''t have been angry with him and giving


    him a hard time now.


    However, just as he was busy solving problems, Carlos suddenly stopped progressing with the


    purchase.


    Just as he felt relieved and thought Carlos had let him off the hook, Ivan found that someone was


    buying hispany''s shares at a high price and selling them low.


    Ivan was on the brink of having a nervous breakdown.


    He was so miserable and helpless that he had to call Debbie for help. "Debbie, I raised Carlos'' child for


    more than a year. Does he have to be so heartless to me?" heined once she answered the


    phone.


    "What''s wrong?" Debbie was puzzled. She knew nothing about Carlos'' recent acts of revenge on Ivan.


    Ever since that press conference that Carlos held, she had been swamped withmercials.


    Then for the first time in Ivan''s life, he broke down and started confiding in a woman about the cruel


    and callous things another man was doing to his business, which were taking a great toll on him.


    Debbie waspletely taken by surprise. "I''m sorry, Ivan. I didn''t know he was doing that. It''s all


    because of me. I''ll try and talk to him."


    "Please speak to him soon. Thepany is in utter chaos. I didn''t even have time to apany Kasie


    to pick out her wedding dress. My mom had to go with her instead. Because I had to sort out the mess


    Carlos created for me. At times I have been so depressed I wanted to kill myself. Please, Tomboy, call


    him now." The day Kasie and Ivan went to the bridal shop to pick out a wedding dress, Ivan was just


    about to try on a suit for himself when he got an urgent call and had to rush back to the office.


    Before he left, he called his mom toe to the bridal shop to keep Kasiepany. Thankfully, Kasie


    was understanding, and she didn''tin.


    "Okay, I''ll call him now." ''Carlos has gone too far.''


    Debbie was deep in thought before she finally made the call. The phone rang a couple of times before


    it was answered. "Honey!" Carlos called gently.


    "Knock it off. I''m not your wife. Why are you so mean to Ivan? Are you trying to make me feel bad?"


    Debbie asked bluntly.


    Carlos smiled. "Of course not. If you stay at the manor tonight, I''ll let Ivan off immediately. What do you


    say?"


    "Too busy. I have a business trip tomorrow. I have to get ready," she refused without hesitation.


    "Where are you going?"


    "France. It''s beside the point. I''m calling to ask you to leave Ivan alone. He''s innocent. I agreed to have


    a sham marriage with him. If you''re angry, take it out on me, or hit me. Just leave Ivan out of it."


    Hit Debbie? Carlos would rather hurt himself than do that. "Fine. Call me, ''Honey.'' Then I''ll let him off,"


    Carlos said,promising with a frown.


    Debbie rolled her eyes. "Carlos Huo, this call never happened. Since you''re so stubborn, there''s only


    one choice left for me."


    "What''s that?"


    "I can''t let you take the Wen Group from Ivan, so I''ll leave the Star Empire and go back to the Wen


    Group." Debbie wouldn''t concede.


    "You can''t afford the default fine," he dered calmly.


    Debbie smiled. "No, I can''t. But my ex-husband can. If I want to leave the Star Empire, he''ll support my


    decision and help me out. Right, Mr. Huo?"


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Carlos smiled hopelessly in a resigned manner. She knew he cared about her and that she was his


    Achilles'' heel.


    "How about a kiss, then?" Carlos tried again.


    Although Debbie was amused, she still maintained a cold tone. "I can''t. We''re not a couple. There are


    boundaries. Thank you for leaving Ivan alone. Bye."


    Carlos shook his head when she hung up, and stared at his phone.


    Then he called Tristan on the inside line. "Stop the operations on the Wen Group."


    Tristan was confused for a moment, and then he understood. "Yes, Mr. Huo." ''Ivan must have called


    Debbie for help, '' he realized.


    The next day, before Debbie left for France, she went to the manor to see Piggy. Miranda hade


    back from New York. When Debbie arrived, she was having breakfast with the little girl, whereas Carlos


    had just finished his morning exercise and was taking a shower upstairs.


    "Aunt Miranda," Debbie called.


    Miranda looked at her and announced, "Sooner orter, we''ll be a family again. I don''t like this form of


    address."


    Debbie was surprised by her bluntness, but she didn''t object. "Mom," she called blushing.


    "Mmhmm. Have you had breakfast?"


    "Yes. I''m going on a business trip today. I came to check in on Piggy," she said as she kissed Piggy''s


    cheek.


    Evelyn already knew what a business trip meant. She hugged Debbie and said, "Mommy, y with me


    when youe back."


    "Sure, I will, sweetheart." Debbie stroked her cheek, feeling guilty that she was a lousy mom. She


    spent too little time with her daughter.


    By the time Carlos came downstairs, Debbie was already gone. "Daddy, Mommy will be away for half a


    month. I miss her already," Piggy said to her father.


    "Did shee over?" he asked Miranda.


    Miranda fed Evelyn a slice of fruit. "Yes. She came to see Piggy and then left quickly. I guess she didn''t


    want to see you."


    She didn''t sugarcoat her words at all, and Carlos felt hurt.


    Miranda continued, "I n to live in Y City. Your father wille back as well in two years. In the long


    run, it won''t do for us to live with you and Debbie. So I''m going to have the old residence revamped,


    and move in there with Evelyn. You cane and see her when you miss her. And if you''re busy, you


    don''t have to worry about her."


    Carlos and Piggy looked at each other as Miranda spoke. "You''ve got a point. There is another vi


    avable behind this one. You and Evelyn can live there."


    Miranda joked, "You just want your daughter to be as close to you as possible, don''t you?"


    "Yes," he admitted.


    "Okay then, I''ll have it renovated. Once it''s done, Evelyn and I will move in." Then she turned to Piggy,


    who was eating breakfast. She asked in a soft voice, "Evelyn, you and I are going to live in the next


    house. Would you like that?"


    Evelyn swallowed her food and asked, "Can I see Daddy every day?"


    Carlos felt warm inside when he heard that, and smiled happily.


    "Of course you can, and you can see your mommy too."


    "Okay," Evelyn agreed in her sweet little voice.


    "What an adorable girl! She''s as easy-going as Debbie," Mirandamented.

 Chapter 479 Beyond My Reach

    Chapter 479 Beyond My Reach


    ''As easy-going as Debbie?'' Carlos shook his head. "I don''t think so. It must be my genes. Debbie isn''t


    an easy-going person at all," he said curtly. She was a hard nut to crack. If she were easy to handle, he


    would''ve already had her by his side. It was way more difficult to coax her than to snag a one hundred


    million contract.


    On the contrary, he would easily surrender to her as soon as she gave herself to him.


    The ever-aloof Miranda was amused by Carlos'' childish words. A rare wide smile crept across her face


    as she said, "Your genes? What would Debbie say to that? If you were easy to handle, she wouldn''t


    have had to suffer so much in the past months. See how angry she is with you now."


    Carlos couldn''t find a word to say. He was stumped. It was a scoff from his biological mother.


    When he said nothing in reply, Miranda changed the topic and asked, "How are you going to deal with


    James and Stephanie?" The smile on her face was reced by a serious look.


    Carlos drank the remainder of the juice that was left in Evelyn''s ss before answering calmly, "There''s


    no hurry."


    He wouldn''t let them die peacefully. He wanted to torture them slowly, inch by inch, and exhaust them


    physically and mentally.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Uh huh. Fine, I''ll leave them to you. But be cautious, James is cruel and heartless. He''ll probably try to


    get his hands on Evelyn. It would be wise to tighten the security around her. She needs more armed


    bodyguards," Miranda suggested. As she thought of the possibility of danger, she decided to stay in the


    manor for the time being until Carlos finished off James and Stephanie for good. She would then


    consider whether she should move out or not.


    "Yes, I will do that."


    Carlos didn''t need to do anything much to deal with Stephanie. Because ironically, it was now her turn


    to be the target of cyber-bullying. As arrogant and proud as she was, Stephanie could hardly


    endure the negativements on her. She was already devastated.


    Debbie received Carlos'' messages every day since she had flown to France. Today was the seventh


    day of her stay there. When she finished her work and returned to the hotel at midnight, she received


    his text again. "Honey, did you miss me today?"


    Lying on the bed, she typed, "No."


    Carlos didn''t mind her cold reply. He continued to text her. "You should stop lying to yourself. You miss


    me. You can tell me that you do. I won''t judge."


    Debbie choked on her saliva when she saw his reply. He had recently gotten very good at sweet-


    talking. Was this really the stoic CEO she had known for years? Did he find someone to teach him


    some romance?


    She didn''t bother to reply and closed her eyes to rest. Her phone buzzed again. "Honey, I love you," his


    message said.


    Debbie smiled. Of course, she knew how much he used to love her before he had lost his memory.


    Now, his memory was back, and his love for her was stronger than ever. Nheless, she still tried to


    stay angry at him. "Mr. Huo, I''m just one of your staff and you''re the CEO. You''re beyond my reach. I''m


    not expecting any love from you. I just want to earn my sry and make a living."


    "Babe, gimme some sugar, and I''ll give you everything in return. My body, my heart... Everything that is


    mine belongs to you."


    Debbie got goose bumps as she read his brazen words. She put her phone away without replying.


    Two minutester, she grudgingly got out of bed and plodded towards the bathroom to shower. She


    was exhausted after the whole day''s work.


    She regretted having epted thismercial job in France. The work was signed for fifteen days and


    there was still eight days left. She would be drained of energy by the end of it.


    The eighth day of the event was the most rxing day for her so far. She had a dinner party that night


    and she could go back to the hotel earlier than usual. She was going to hang out in the streets of Paris


    and do some sightseeing if the party ended early.


    Luckily for her, the dinner did end very soon. She left the restaurant with a colleague from France and


    they walked together since they were heading in the same direction.


    Her colleague was a muscr man, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He very much appreciated


    Debbie''s music, so they had a lot inmon to talk about.


    "Debbie, I would like to develop my career in your country as well. Do you think yourpatriots will


    like someone like me?" the man asked as he flexed his elbow to show his bulging biceps.


    Debbie was amused. Sheughed, "Of course. A lot of girls love muscr men like you. They feel¡ª"


    She stopped mid-sentence as she gazed into the distance in front of them.


    Suppressing the shock that was travelling through her entire body, she finished her sentence, "¡ªsafe."


    The foreigner noticed the change in her expression. He followed her gaze and saw a man and a little


    girl standing ten-odd meters away, looking at them.


    The man was dressed in a white woollen sweater, ck leisure trousers and a ck overcoat. He was


    handsome, but his eyes radiated disturbingly cold calmness. One glimpse at him, and you''d never


    forget that face.


    Next to him, the little girl was holding a doll in her hand, her straight hair done up. She was wearing the


    same style overcoat as the man, with a belt tied around her waist and a pair of light-colored princess


    shoes.


    They stood there, holding each other''s hands. With the artistic buildings of Paris in the background,


    they looked like figures from a breath-taking oil painting.


    Some passers-by took out their phones and began snapping pictures of them. Debbie heard someone


    marvel in Chinese, "Wow, he''s so hot. Is he a model? Is that his daughter? I wonder who the mother


    is."


    Debbie tittered under her breath. ''Of course, that''s his daughter, and I''m the mother, '' she thought


    proudly.


    "Debbie, do you know them?" the foreigner asked curiously.


    She nodded, without taking her eyes off the father and daughter duo. "My ex-husband and my


    daughter," she said with a sigh.


    The man threw a nce at Carlos and asked, "I heard from someone that your ex is the CEO of an


    international group. Is that him?"


    "Yeah." Debbie waved to her daughter.


    Evelyn instantly broke free from Carlos and began walking towards her mother.


    Debbie squatted and stretched out her arms, expecting the little girl to run and jump into her embrace.


    However, she didn''t.


    Debbie squatted there, embarrassed, as she watched her daughter gracefully walk towards her with


    the doll in her hands. Debbie was still in a daze as Evelyn walked up to her and gave her a hug.


    "Mommy, I miss you."


    Debbie wanted to cry and scream. ''Why is my dear baby bing as cold as her dad? She''s only


    three years old!''


    Kids, they say, are easily influenced by the adults whom they spend most time with. Evelyn had been


    staying with Miranda and Carlos for a while and now, she had be as aloof as those two.


    She scooped her daughter up and pecked a kiss on her cheek. Then she turned to her friend and


    introduced, "This is my daughter, Evelyn. Baby, say hi to Uncle Davis."


    The foreigner greeted Evelyn cheerfully, "Hi little girl, my name is Davis. Nice to meet you!"


    Evelyn smiled politely and waved her hand at him. "Good evening, Uncle Davis. Good to see you too."


    Both Debbie and Davis were shocked by how fluently the three-year-old girl spoke English.


    Debbie knew that Piggy could say a few simple English words. But so fluently? She had no idea.


    Davis was excited. "Wow, Debbie, your daughter is amazing. She''s cute and clever!"


    As Davis was speaking, a tall figure came over and embraced the mother and daughter. Carlos nted


    a kiss on Debbie''s cheek and said in English, "Honey, I''ve missed you." Before she could react, he


    looked at the man who was still very excited by the scene in front of him. The two gentlemen shook


    hands. "Thank you for taking care of my wife. Sorry, we should get going now."

 Chapter 480 Megans Death

    Chapter 480 Megan''s Death


    Debbie wanted to say something to Carlos to stop the man from addressing her as "honey." But Davis


    wouldn''t shut up. He was so excited and animated. He cut in, "You''re wee. Your daughter is


    amazing. I really should get a wife and have a son right now. That way, when he grows up, I can have


    him court your daughter."


    As he finished speaking, he clearly saw Carlos'' emotionless face gradually fall.


    Awkward silence engulfed them. In the end, the stone-faced man told the foreigner icily, "First, you


    need to get on the Forbes Billionaires list; second, marry the most beautiful woman in the world¡ªshe


    should have good genes; third, give birth to a son that is older than my daughter, and make sure he


    knows how to handle your money, not to mention make more. So, if you do all that, your son can date


    my kid."


    Debbie''s jaw dropped as she listened to Carlos'' standards on their future son-inw.


    She couldn''t believe her ears.


    ''Forbes Billionaires list? Some billionaires don''t make that list. It starts at 40 billion dors! Does he


    think anyone can do that?


    And marry the most beautiful woman? For good genes? So he means Davis'' kid needs to be rich,


    powerful and handsome enough to be worthy of Evelyn.''


    But what drove Debbie nuts was his third requirement. A son older than Evelyn? That was impossible.


    Carlos had to be joking. The cap to a list of impossible demands, so the guy would give up on the idea


    of his son marrying Evelyn. Of course he''d want a mature, stable man as a son-inw, but this was


    over the top.


    Carlos had clearly given him a picture of his ideal son-inw: powerful, rich, handsome, considerate


    and caring.


    Carlos took Piggy from Debbie''s arms. Holding his daughter with one arm, he wrapped his other arm


    around Debbie''s waist and led her away.


    The foreigner was still in a daze after hearing what the CEO said. He stared nkly at the mother and


    daughter who were waving goodbye to him. The mother smiled apologetically while the daughter wore


    a sweet smile.


    After pondering over Carlos'' list for a while, Davis somehow figured out what exactly was on the CEO''s


    mind.


    It sounded reasonable. If he had such a wonderful daughter, he''d strive to give her the best things in


    life.


    So how could he do this? How could he have a son who measured up? ''Forbes Billionaires list? The


    most beautiful woman in the world? A son older than Evelyn?'' Davis recalled Carlos'' words once again


    in his mind, but he stopped there. There was no way he could make it. Staring at the receding figures


    of the three, Davis suddenly realized something. Carlos was making a joke.


    ''Hey, wait. Was he talking about himself? He''s one of the richest men in the world. He''s powerful. His


    wife is the loveliest singer. Of course he''d want someone just like him to vie for his daughter''s hand...''


    Even after they were too far away to see Davis, Carlos still wore a dark expression, emanating


    coldness. He wasn''t happy with the idea that someone would marry his lovely daughter one day and


    take her away from him. Debbie sighed helplessly. "When did you get here? Why didn''t you tell me you


    and Piggy wereing?" she asked.


    Carlos'' face softened a little, but his voice still sounded stern when he spoke. "So if I told you I was


    coming, would I see you eating with another guy?"


    Debbie snapped nonchntly, "What? You have a problem with me having dinner with my colleagues?"


    Carlos didn''t say anything else. He didn''t dare. He didn''t want to piss her off. At this point, his anger


    hadpletely vanished, and he apologized tenderly, "No. My bad. Sorry." He pulled her closer to him.


    Debbie sneered, "Mr. Huo, no need to apologize. Give me my daughter and you can leave now." With


    that, she reached out her arms to Piggy.


    Carlos held their daughter tightly and pulled away from Debbie while patiently coaxing, "I didn''t fly all


    the way out here to give you our daughter. We''ll wait till you''re done with work and go home together."


    He winked at his daughter. Evelyn got the hint and echoed, "Mommy, Daddy and I missed you. Don''t


    make us go."


    ''Make them go?''


    Debbie took a deep breath and forced out a smile before exining, "Mommy won''t make you go.


    You''ll stay with me. But Daddy''s a busy CEO, so we shouldn''t keep him from his work..."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Honey, that doesn''t matter. Mom can run thepany for me," Carlos quickly chipped in, a cunning


    smile on his face.


    Debbie''s lips twitched. Miranda and Carlos were ganging up on her. She smirked, "Quit calling me


    ''honey.'' By the way, are you going to deal with James or not?"


    With this name brought up, the yful smile on his face faded away. "Of course," he said, a cold glint in


    his eyes. He had just seen James two days before. The sly old fox should have figured out Carlos was


    back to normal. But they didn''t talk about that. They just made small talk.


    "He''s transferring his property. Some of the staff, cooperative projects andpany assets are


    involved in his case, including the branchpany in New York. So I have to handle it carefully and


    quietly," Carlos exined. He knew Debbie wanted to see James live out his remaining days in jail.


    So he was collecting evidence of James'' crimes, leaving no stone unturned. He had even employed a


    third-party financepany to audit ZL Group''s ounts, just in case.


    As far as he knew, corruption and bribery had bemonce in ZL Group when James took


    over as CEO. And it didn''t stop with James¡ªmany employees were involved on some level. But most


    of them had cleaned up their acts after Carlos resumed his rightful ce as head of thepany.


    "I see. So what about Stephanie? She up to anything?" Debbie asked as she stole a nce at the man.


    She was d to see that his face didn''t twitch. No cocked eyebrow, no set grimace. Nothing.


    Carlos drew closer to her and whispered in her ear, "I think she has something to do with Megan''s


    death."


    Debbie froze and widened her mouth in shock. As his words sank in her heart, she got goose bumps all


    over.


    Carlos wouldn''t juste up with that out of the blue. He must have found some clues that led to


    Stephanie''s involvement.


    Although Debbie hadn''t been around her that much, she hadn''t pegged her as a murderer. Arrogant,


    definitely. But a murderer?


    As they talked, Evelyn gradually fell asleep, her head resting on Carlos'' shoulder. After shifting his


    daughter to his other arm, Carlos held his wife''s hand and continued walking. "I read Megan''s diary and


    found that they really weren''t friends at all. They pretended, to keep up appearances. Stephanie hired


    someone to rape Megan, but Megan didn''t have solid proof, so she didn''t tell us. But she was nning


    her revenge." But unfortunately for her, she was brutally cut down before her ns coulde to


    fruition.


    "Her diary? What else was in there?" Debbie asked, genuinely curious. She wanted to know what the


    drama queen thought of her three years ago.


    Carlos gave her a long nce and squeezed her hand before apologizing, "I''m sorry. I''ve been a bad


    guy. I want to make it up to you."


    "Why?" she asked, confused.


    "Megan said in her diary that she hated Wesley and me a lot, because her parents died for us. After her


    parents died, she wasn''t happy, so she aimed to make us suffer as well. She drove a wedge between


    you and me. She stirred up trouble between Wesley and ir, even Curtis and Colleen."


    ''What a nutjob!'' Debbie thought, shaking her head. "But Uncle Curtis didn''t have anything to do with her


    parents'' death. Why bother them?"


    "Curtis is a good friend. She figured if she made his life hell, then Wesley and I wouldn''t be happy


    either. Anyway, she''d try anything to make us sad."


    Debbie felt a chill run down her spine as she heard Carlos talk about Megan''s diary. She never knew


    Megan was like that.


    "If you''re interested, you can read her diary after going back home. It''s pretty heavy stuff, and she


    wrote a lot. But enough about them. It''s been too long," Carlos said unhappily. He had brought their


    daughter here to reunite with his wife. Life was too short to dwell on criminals who would do them


    harm.

 Chapter 481 What Happened To Blair

    Chapter 481 What Happened To ir


    Debbie threw a nce at Carlos. "How did you know I''m staying at this hotel?" she asked coldly. But


    the moment she asked that, she realized how stupid that question was. It was no big deal for Carlos to


    find out where she stayed.


    He smiled and joked, "We''re a couple. I always know what you''re thinking."


    "Mr. Huo, we aren''t married yet. It''s not like we are an item now," Debbie scoffed. She thought that he


    would brag about his influence and say how easily he could get wind of her information whenever he


    wanted. But again, unexpectedly, he used his chance to sweet-talk her. So once again she wondered if


    he had really found someone to teach him how to be romantic.


    "We will get remarried sooner orter. You can''t run away from me for the rest of your life." He


    squeezed her hand tighter. She tried to break free, but he didn''t loosen his grip.


    The hotel which Debbie was staying at wasn''t too far away from the restaurant. It only took them ten-


    odd minutes to walk to the hotel. Carlos had earlier called the front desk and had asked them to shift


    Debbie into a luxury family suite.


    There was a kids'' room inside the suite in addition to the master bedroom. Afterying the little girl


    comfortably on the bunk bed, Carlos covered the quilt over her and left the room.


    Debbie squatted on the floor in the master bedroom, unpacking her luggage. When she saw him walk


    in, she asked casually, "Is she asleep?"


    "Yes." Carlos pulled her up to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. Without warning, he drew his


    face close to hers and kissed her lips fervently.


    "No¡­I need to... unpack my things..." she said in between their hungry kiss. She was frightened by his


    burning passion.


    He didn''t let go of her. With his lips still pressed on hers, he caught a glimpse of Debbie''s suitcase on


    the floor out of the corner of his eye, and kicked it away.


    In no time, he pinned her down onto the king-sized bed behind them. Their kiss was broken and they


    gasped for air. He said in haste, "Leave all that to me. I''ll unpack your thingster. Now, give yourself to


    me."


    When he was about to kiss her again, Debbie put a finger on his lips to stop him.


    He was perplexed.


    She grinned yfully. "Mr. Huo, do you really want to marry me again?"


    He nodded vigorously, without any hesitation. He desperately wanted to!


    "All right then. I''ll promise you that I will think about it, but you have to respect my wishes before we get


    married. You can''t keep bugging me for sex before that dayes." As she said that, she flirtatiously


    drew circles on his sturdy chest with her index finger.


    Carlos'' face fell. His lust was already triggered and he was in the peak of his hunger. He wanted her so


    badly, and yet she had the nerve to ask him to respect her wishes. She was politely asking him to back


    off.


    This was torture to a man with such strong sexual drive.


    He was well aware of Debbie''s intentions. She knew his desires for her, and she deliberately set this


    rule to make him suffer.


    Carlos shut his eyes tightly topose himself. After a moment''s pause, he reluctantly nodded,


    "Okay."


    He got off her and went straight to the bathroom for a cold shower. His thirst for her remained


    unquenched.


    Watching him walk away from her with his head down, Debbie felt her heart ache a little. She wanted


    him too. She was craving for his touch as much as he did. She wanted to call out to him and take back


    her words. But a voice rang in her head, ''No, Debbie! Don''t be so soft-hearted!''


    Right... She couldn''t go easy on him this time.


    That night, Carlos did behave. He slept quietly with Debbie curled up in his arms. He remained the


    same for the following week in France, and didn''t dare be intimate with her, except for the deep kisses


    they shared time and again. He patiently waited for Debbie to wrap up her work in Paris. Then, they


    flew back to Y City together.


    The ck Bentley sped along the highway from the airport. Debbie received a call from an unknown ID.


    She picked it up and was surprised to hear Wesley''s voice from the other end.


    After a simple greeting, Wesley said, "Debbie, I owe you an apology. When we meet next time, I''ll


    apologize to you face-to-face. But right now, I need a favor."


    Debbie squinted at Carlos, who was ying with their daughter. "Go on."


    "Did ir ever contact you in this past week?"


    Debbie replied, "Nope. I''ve been in France for work. What happened to ir?"


    There was only silence from the other end. A few secondster, Wesley said in a grave tone, "She''s


    gone. It has been a week."


    "Gone? What do you mean? Where did she go? Did she leave on her own?" Debbie asked, abruptly


    sitting up in her seat.


    "Ask your husband." With that, Wesley hung up angrily.


    Debbie stared at Carlos in confusion. Before she could ask anything, he said calmly, "I helped ir


    leave him." Wesley had arranged a few bodyguards to protect ir, and to prevent her from leaving.


    But Carlos had some men block those bodyguards and let ir flee sessfully.


    "Why did you do that?" Debbie didn''t understand his intention. Weren''t they supposed to be good


    friends?


    Carlos replied casually, "ir wanted to leave him for so long. I only offered her a little help." That was


    just one of the many reasons. Carlos meant to force Wesley to understand his own heart. Wesley


    would never know how much he cared for and loved ir if he didn''t lose her once.


    But of course, he had a selfish motive as well. Debbie had suffered through the same pain. Carlos


    wanted to give him a taste of that sadness.


    Shortly after, Carlos'' phone rang. He already knew who was calling. Swiping the screen, he said over


    the phone without any greeting, "I asked her what she wanted. She chose to leave Y City. Wesley, I


    didn''t force her to leave."


    All the curse words which Wesley had prepared for Carlos were stuck in his throat. He swallowed them


    and tried to collect himself. After a pause, he asked, "So, she did leave on her own..."


    "Yes."


    Wesley punched his fist on the wall next to him. "Carlos, damn you! Can''t you just mind your own


    business and stay out of my affairs?"


    Carlos wasn''t angry. "You''re my friend, Wesley. You''ve known ir longer than I''ve known Debbie. You


    two have kept your issues unsolved for ten years. A decade, man. Is it that much fun?"


    Wesley snarled, "Yes, it''s fun! All I want is to have her by my side!" ''ir should be with me; that''s


    where she belongs, '' he thought irrationally.


    Carlos sighed. "Do you think you can win her over by forcing her to stay with you? She doesn''t want


    another man, and you don''t want to be with any other woman either. You love her, so why do you have


    to torture yourself and her? Why can''t you just live peacefully with her?"


    Carlos had made some grave mistakes in his own life, but as an outsider in Wesley and ir''s story, he


    could see their problems clearly. As they say, "Lookers-on see more than the yers."


    Wesley clenched his teeth and snapped, "I proposed marriage to her, and she said no!"


    Carlos sneered, "She proposed to you a long time ago, but you refused her even more mercilessly.


    Don''t you remember that?" His words were like a dagger to Wesley''s heart.


    He said nothing.


    Then the call was disconnected.


    Debbie was curious about what Carlos had just said. "ir had proposed marriage to Wesley?"


    He put his phone away and nodded, "Yes. A long time ago. But Wesley turned her down in front of a


    few hundred soldiers." ir''s uncle was Wesley''s superior at that time. He had given ir the privilege


    to show up at the troop camp where Wesley was, draped in a wedding dress.


    Debbie knitted her eyebrows deeply after hearing their story. Indeed, men could be very ruthless when


    they didn''t love you. Just like how Carlos had been when he was amnesiac.


    She asked, "Do you know where ir is now?"


    Carlos nodded, "Yes. She''s pregnant and needs care. I sent her to the Li family''s mansion in A Country.


    Wesley''s mom is taking care of her now."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ''What?! In Wesley''s hometown? That''s a clever idea. He will never expect that ir is right beside his


    own mother, '' Debbie thought. "So, did the Li family agree to keep it a secret from Wesley? Are they


    just going to sit by and watch Wesley search for ir everywhere?"

 Chapter 482 Look At The Big Picture

    Chapter 482 Look At The Big Picture


    "Yeah. Wesley quit the military. He''s nning to study in Ennd. He''ll probably drop by before he


    leaves, saying goodbye to his family. After that, he won''t be back for a long time," Carlos said. So, ir


    would be safe staying with the Li family. Wesley wouldn''t have to know.


    Debbie was speechless. ''Poor Wesley. Good luck to you, '' she prayed, shaking her head.


    But then, she suddenly realized something. Wesley would be taken in by the same trick, something


    she''d done to Carlos, too.


    As she was thinking, she sensed Carlos'' intent gaze. She tilted her head and met his deep eyes. Piggy


    slumbered in his arms.


    "Why... Why are you staring at me?" Debbie uneasily touched the tip of her nose, and leaned her head


    against the ss window of her car door.


    Carlos asked sarcastically, "The whole Li family is keeping a secret from Wesley. Sound familiar?"


    Debbie was taken aback. Did he read her mind?


    "Didn''t think I knew?" Carlos asked a bit angrily. But deep down, he felt happy to see Debbie''s


    frustrated face. She had been ordering him around and giving him the cold shoulder these days.


    Finally, he had a chance to fight back.


    The young mother felt guilty. She decided to pretend to be innocent. "What do you mean?"


    He shed a smile and pulled her closer to him. Looking down at her in an arrogant manner, he


    scoffed, "Don''t y dumb. My mom, Xavier, Yates, Ivan and the others knew your marriage was fake. I


    didn''t. They kept the secret. I was the odd man out, like poor Wesley."


    Debbie felt embarrassed. Since Carlos had figured it out, it was pointless for her to hide it anymore.


    "How did you know?" ''But wait... Everyone knew I didn''t love Ivan, and my wedding to Ivan was part of


    my n to win Carlos back. But not everyone knew the licenses were fake, '' Debbie thought to herself.


    "That''s not the point. The point is, you''re good, aren''t you? You had them all charmed¡ªXavier, Yates


    and even my mom. You got them to y along with you." Thinking of this, Carlos really wanted to


    punish her now, but...he didn''t dare. He kissed her forehead with force, as if he were protesting how


    she treated him.


    Debbie chuckled. "Hey, don''t me me. Not my idea."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He sighed resignedly. "me you?"


    Suppressing herughter, Debbie pretended to be indifferent. "Yes, me me. You''re good at holding


    grudges. Let go of me. I want to get out."


    The car had arrived at the manor. Debbie got out first. Then Carlos carried the sleeping Piggy out and


    caught up to her.


    The housemaids grabbed the suitcases and carried them into the vi. As they walked inside, Debbie


    gently patted the little girl''s back and said, "Piggy, baby... We''re home. Wake up. Grandma''s here."


    Miranda knew they wereing home today, so she was waiting at the manor.


    Piggy slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Debbie and swept her gaze around the house with her


    sleepy eyes. In a haze, she called out, "Mommy..." But then, she cradled her dad''s neck and went right


    to sleep again.


    me it on the jetg¡ªthe little girl seemed really drowsy. Carlos said, "Let her sleep for a while


    longer. I''ll put her to bed upstairs."


    Debbie nodded in agreement.


    Miranda asked in a low voice, "How long has she been asleep? If she sleeps now, she''ll be up all


    night."


    "A hair over ten minutes," Debbie said as she changed into her slippers and walked into the living room


    with Miranda.


    "Okay then. Let her sleep."


    After tucking his daughter into the quilt in the kids'' room, Carlos came downstairs. He told Miranda,


    "Debbie and I aren''t having dinner at home tonight, Mom. Get the chef to cook up something for you


    and Evelyn."


    Miranda nodded and asked casually, "Going out?"


    "Tonight is Barlow Xu''s one-hundredth birthday. We''re invited to his party," he said matter-of-factly.


    Debbie looked at him in surprise. "Hey! You didn''t tell me that."


    "Would you havee if I did?" he retorted.


    She was wordless. And he was right. If he had told her about it, she would have just had him drop her


    and Evelyn off at her apartment. "But why are you so sure I''ll go now?"


    Ignoring her question, he shifted his gaze to the housemaids standing by. "Bring them out."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Two minutester, three housemaids walked over to them, carrying boxes. Debbie opened one and


    looked inside. There was an evening dress, a pair of high heels, and a set of jewelry.


    Obviously, he intended for her to go, by force, if necessary. He made a gesture to indicate the boxes.


    "Dress, shoes, essories...they''re all here, all customized for you. Put on them and then I''ll take you


    to a salon."


    "No..."


    Debbie wanted to turn him down but Miranda interrupted. She exined with a smile, "Barlow Xu is


    well-respected. He holds traditional views on rtionships between men and women. Every guest


    there will be family, or spouses. No lovers or friends allowed."


    Nheless, Debbie still tried to excuse herself. "But we''re not¡ª" She left her sentence unfinished.


    Carlos said nothing. He understood what his mom meant, and he was sure that she''d side with him this


    time.


    As he expected, Miranda continued working on Debbie. She grabbed the evening dress and handed it


    to the young mother, whispering, "Don''t be stupid. Now you can prove you''re his wife. I know you''re still


    pissed, but look at the big picture. This is a good thing. Get it?"


    Debbie listened to her. She made sense. Miranda had told her she could be mad. She could throw


    tantrums or yell at him. But if she wanted to be Mrs. Huo, she needed to do everything she could to


    achieve that goal.


    Still reluctant, Debbie pursed her lips and red at the silent man. He looked back at her, feigning


    innocence. Then, she took the evening dress from Miranda''s hands and nodded, "Yeah."


    She went upstairs to get changed.


    Mother and son sat opposite each other on the sofa. Miranda poured two cups of tea, and offered one


    to Carlos. "James had a private meeting with Funk Zhang, assistant general manager from Pinsent


    Group. Something seems fishy. Keep an eye on them," she advised seriously.


    Carlos took a sip of the tea and replied calmly, "I know. James helped Funk Zhangnd a big ount


    before. That fattened both their wallets. What timing. James must be feeding the guy insider news."


    Miranda smiled understandingly. "Let me guess. News leaked to them by you?"


    "Of course." Carlos smirked. He wasn''t going to let that sly old fox outwit him this time. The news he let


    slip was fake. Now he could get at James and Funk Zhang, or even purchase the Pinsent Group.


    After chatting for a while, Carlos went upstairs to check if Debbie was ready. Debbie had just changed


    into her evening dress and was about to don the high heels.


    As soon as he came into the bedroom, he saw Debbie dressed in the pale apricot fishtail gown. Only


    thinyer ofce covered her shoulders and arms, so her sexy corbones were revealed.


    The colorplimented her fair skin and the vintage style made her look elegant. Carlos was smug.


    He had such good taste.


    As he stared at her with passion in his eyes, he began to fantasize. He knew whaty beneath that


    dress, and he wanted to see it. God knew how much he wanted to take that dress off her and make


    love to her.


    After some wild fantasies, he swallowed hard andposed himself. He dismissed the maids. Then he


    walked up to Debbie. When she looked at him confusedly, he suddenly knelt on one knee and helped


    her put on the shoes.


    Debbie stared affectionately at the man helping her with her high heels. She was so moved. Ever since


    he regained his memory, he treated her so well, even better than when they were first together. She


    told herself to keep him at arm''s length, but each time he treated her like this, she couldn''t be mean to


    him. She didn''t know what to do.

 Chapter 483 Call Me Uncle

    Chapter 483 Call Me Uncle


    After helping Debbie with her high heels, Carlos opened the jewelry box on the desk and helped her


    put each piece on one by one, despite her reluctance.


    Atst, he took out a ring. He held it up to her, disying the huge heart-shaped diamond, a 3.50ct


    princess cut. "And now, the piece de resistance," he announced. He was about to put it on her ring


    finger, but Debbie protested silently with her index finger pointing forward. Her meaning was obvious.


    Carlos shed a thin smile. He obeyed her this time and put the diamond ring on her index finger


    instead.


    After that, she tried to draw her hand back, but he grabbed hold of it again. Staring into her eyes, he


    dered imperiously, "I''m just going to take your protests in stride. It''s normal to fight every once in a


    while. But no matter what, you''ll be my wife. I''m not budging on this one!"


    Debbie looked back at him sullenly. In her mind, she thought, ''Do you have to be so possessive?''


    Carlos carried Debbie in his arms as they descended the staircase. Her dress was floor-length, and he


    didn''t want her to trip on it. A fall down the stairs could be lethal.


    Miranda was on the phone in the living room. Seeing theme downstairs, she smiled at Debbie and


    nodded her head. She mouthed to her, "You look great."


    Debbie felt shy at her praise. Blushing, she returned, "Thanks."


    A loving smile hit Carlos'' lips when he saw her blushing face. Then, holding her hand, he led her


    towards the door.


    The moment they set foot in the venue, every guest''s eyes were fixed on them. Seeing the legendary


    couple walking side by side with their fingers entwined, a lot of people couldn''t helpplimenting and


    blessing them. They looked every inch the aristocratic couple.


    Carlos was in a good mood, of course. Everyone was sure about that because they were surprised to


    get a rare smile or nod from the usually cold CEO.


    Barlow was a big shot in business circles. A bevvy of distinguished guests and celebrities were invited


    to his grand birthday party. Debbie and Carlos walked up to him and greeted him. As Carlos and


    Barlow exchanged some pleasantries, Debbie took a gift from Frankie''s hands and handed it to the old


    man. It was an authentic Chinese painting.


    Barlow epted the gift happily. When his assistant helped him unroll the painting on the spot, the


    guests just had to get a look. Many of them were astonished at the magnificent piece.


    It was a traditional painting with some symbolic elements that meant longevity, such as deer, cranes,


    pine trees, cypress. A few Chinese characters were beautifully written in the margin, blessing Barlow


    and wishing him a long and happy life. More importantly, the signature was none other than the famous


    painter and calligrapher¡ªMr. Chai. The artist was still living, and this was his magnum opus. The price


    for his services was at least a million per square meter. This one was about five square meters, so it


    should be worth about five million.


    The guests were so impressed by how generous Carlos was.


    The one-hundred-year-old man grinned from ear to ear. He looked very impish then. In an instant, he


    instructed his son to take it home and hang it on the wall of his bedroom. He wanted to be able to


    appreciate it every day.


    After excusing themselves, Carlos held Debbie''s hand and walked away. They went to greet Curtis and


    Colleen.


    The two couples chatted casually for a while. Colleen suddenly pointed to a corner and signaled to


    Debbie with her eyes. Debbie looked towards the corner and saw Stephanie there.


    She was dressed in a ck evening dress tonight, obviously trying to keep a low profile. Her arm was


    wrapped around another man''s. Debbie guessed the guy next to her was her father, Angus Li. But of


    course, Debbie already knew that Angus wasn''t her true father.


    A fun prank sprang into her thoughts. She nudged Carlos, who was talking with Curtis. He shifted his


    eyes to her and asked, "What''s up?"


    Debbie tilted her head to indicate where Stephanie was standing. Carlos followed her gaze and saw


    Stephanie and Angus. Coincidentally, father and daughter also looked at him. Their eyes met.


    From a distance, Angus raised his ss of wine in the air, as if proposing a toast to Carlos. The CEO


    raised his ss in return, nodding at him. Then, Carlos turned to Debbie and asked, "Okay. And?"


    She cocked her eyebrows and scoffed, "Your fiancee and future father-inw are there. Go say hi." As


    she spoke, she happened to make eye contact with Stephanie.


    By one nce, she could clearly see the resentment and jealousy in her eyes.


    Carlos put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer. Looking down at her delicate face, he warned,


    "Quit it. You''re my wife, and don''t you forget it! And I have only one father-inw. Yourte father."


    Colleen and Curtis tittered when they saw them bantering back and forth. Curtis pushed up his sses


    and joked, "Then call me Uncle, Carlos. Colleen would be your aunt. Come on, be a good boy. Say it,


    and I''ll give you the dowry." He had waited a long time for this. He wouldn''t miss it for the world.


    Debbie burst intoughter. Carlos stared at Curtis, his face deadpan. To add fuel to the fire, the


    naughty girl echoed her uncle, "Come on, Mr. Handsome. Aren''t you always saying I''m your wife?


    Curtis is my uncle, so he''s yours too, right? You''re not showing much sincerity."


    Curtis pulled out his phone and told Debbie, "Ah, Debbie. Be a dear, and open your WeChat. I need


    your 2D barcode. If Carlos calls me Uncle even once, I''ll scan it and wire a million to you right now."


    ''A million?!'' Debbie''s eyes lit up with excitement. She nodded admiringly and marveled, "Uncle Curtis,


    you''re amazing!"


    The sullen man suddenly thought of something. A cunning smile broke on his face. He gently swirled


    the red wine in his ss, looking at it, and gulped it down. Then he said casually, "Okay, deal. Honey,


    take out your phone and get ready."


    Debbie thought Curtis was just joking, so she didn''t even mess with her phone. Seeing that, Carlos


    lunged for her, grabbed her purse, and took out her phone himself. He opened her WeChat and tapped


    on the 2D barcode. Lifting the phone in front of Curtis, Carlos called out respectfully, "Hi Uncle Curtis


    and Aunt Colleen."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    At this, the coupleughed heartily. Colleen even said "hi" back.


    Curtis felt like he was on cloud nine. The ever-proud CEO, who everyone deferred to, who bowed to no


    one, was now calling him Uncle respectfully. Of course Curtis was excited. Without any ado, he


    scanned Debbie''s barcode and wired her a cool million.


    When it was all said and done, Carlos wasn''t done. He didn''t put the phone away. "Uncle Curtis and


    Aunt Colleen," he repeated.


    Curtis nodded smugly. "Good, my dear nephew-inw."


    Emotionless, Carlos spat, "Money."


    Colleen looked at him, doubt in her eyes. "Didn''t he wire the money just now?"


    Carlos grinned evilly. "Aunt Colleen, Uncle Curtis said that if I called him Uncle even once, he would


    give Debbie a million. Now that I''ve said it twice, it should be two million. A deal''s a deal."


    Colleen was left speechless. It did sound like that.


    Curtis smiled bitterly. "Hey, Carlos. Are you twisting my words to rip me off?"


    With a nod, Carlos admitted honestly, "Yeah. Cut the crap. Where''s my money?"


    Sighing resignedly, Curtis scanned the barcode again and wired one more million. When Carlos was


    about to address them the third time, Debbie hastily reached up and covered his mouth. "Stop. Are you


    trying to bankrupt them?"


    As she said this, she yanked her phone away from him.


    The CEO winked at her and nodded.


    Debbie put away her phone and scolded him. "God, you''re such a jerk."


    He smiled innocently. "It''s not my fault. He said it, I didn''t."


    Curtis chuckled under his breath. Patting Carlos'' shoulder, he joked, "Carlos, you haven''t remarried


    Debbie yet. Payback''s a bitch." He turned to his niece and advised, "Debbie, I''ve got the perfect guy for


    you¡ªyoung, handsome, rich. Unlike this sourpuss, my friend is tons of fun. He''ll make youugh every


    day. What do you think?"


    Pulling a pure and innocent face, Debbie pped her hands and nodded, "Sounds like my ideal type."


    The next second, the unhappy man grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her behind him. Facing Curtis,


    who was smiling yfully, Carlos warned again, "I said, Debbie is mine for the rest of her life. You want


    to find another man for her? Let them go through me first."

 Chapter 484 Let Alone Money

    Chapter 484 Let Alone Money


    Debbie stuck her head out and retorted, "You don''t have the final say in this."


    Carlos'' face instantly fell. When Curtis and Colleen burst into a fit ofughter, Carlos pulled her into his


    arms and whispered in her ear, "I think we need a talk now."


    Debbie pursed her lips. She could sense the warning in his tone, but she wasn''t afraid. In a hushed


    voice, she threatened, "You sure you want a talk now? There''s no telling of the oue."


    The great CEO chickened out at once. He couldn''t afford to irritate her now.


    A few momentster, Carlos and Curtis were invited to a business talk by some other guest.


    Meanwhile, Debbie and Colleen sat idly at the food section, enjoying the food and watching the guests


    come and go.


    Debbie''s phone suddenly buzzed. It was a message from Ruby. As she bowed her head to text back,


    she heard some people behind her gossiping. "Look, that''s Debbie Nian, the woman who separated Mr.


    Huo and Stephanie Li."


    "Isn''t she Mr. Huo''s ex-wife? Why did she do that? Do you think she wants to remarry Mr. Huo?"


    "Of course. After all, Mr. Huo is so rich and powerful. I bet she must have been regretting it every day


    after the divorce."


    Their voices were loud enough to be heard by Debbie and Colleen. The two simultaneously turned their


    heads around, only to find the gossipers were a group of unacquainted women. They were ring in


    Debbie''s direction while berating her fervently.


    The gossipers were taken aback and caught off-guard when they made eye contact with Debbie,


    although they didn''t flinch nor leave the spot.


    With her right elbow rested on the table behind her, Debbie smirked and asked in a raised voice, "Hey


    girls, are you talking about me?"


    Colleen stood up, in a bid to give those women a piece of her mind, but Debbie tugged at her sleeve to


    stop her.


    The group of women remained silent, staring at her warily.


    Debbie nced over their shoulders and saw that Carlos was slowly approaching them. In an instant, a


    bright smile crept across her face, and she spoke again in the same raised voice. "How did you know


    that I''m only after Carlos'' money? What should I do now? You''ve seen through me. Yes, Carlos is rich,


    and I love his money!"


    One of the nosy women widened her eyes in disbelief upon hearing Debbie''s words. She cussed,


    "Listen to yourself! Shame on you!"


    "Shame?" Debbie blinked her eyes mischievously. "You mean me? I''m shameless?"


    She was deliberately provoking the women. She could see that Carlos was standing right behind them


    and could hear every word that was said now. Many of the other guests had noticed that there was a


    commotion going on. Out of curiosity, they began to make their way to the food section, so that they


    could hear what was happening.


    "Yes, we''re talking about you! Mr. Huo and Miss Li were engaged, but you stepped in between them.


    You''re the other woman! A home wrecker!" one of the women spat out crossly. She envied Debbie so


    much. It was a good opportunity for her to vent her anger since Carlos wasn''t by her side to defend her


    now.


    "You home wrecker! Shameless bitch! Slut! We should expose your true colors to Mr. Huo. You''re only


    after his money. You don''t love him at all!" another woman abused in an agitated voice.


    With her eyebrows raised, Debbie almostughed herself to tears. She echoed the woman''s words,


    "Yes, yes. I''m back with him only for his money. Look, this is one of the diamond rings he gave me. Its


    price would be equal to hundreds of your evening dresses. Everything on me is all from Mr. Huo."


    The women stared at the huge heart-shaped diamond ring on Debbie''s finger while myriads of different


    colors dazzled brightly from it under the lights. It stirred up jealousy in each of them, and they turned


    green with envy.


    Suddenly a deep calm voice rang from behind the women. "Ladies, I hear that I''m the topic of


    discussion here. True?"


    The unexpected voice sent a shiver down their spines as they quickly turned around. When they saw


    Carlos standing directly behind them, they became flustered. They didn''t know how long he had been


    there or how much of their conversation he had overheard.


    "No... M-Mr. Huo."


    "Mr. Huo, no, we didn''t..."


    Two of them cowered at once and denied it. They knew they shouldn''t offend Carlos. However, some of


    them were stupid or ballsy enough to confront him. A woman came forward and told him boldly, "Mr.


    Huo, word came out from your father that Debbie married you for the sake of your money. We felt sorry


    for you and wanted to help you seek justice. She''s fooling you."


    A waiter came by with a tray in his hands. Carlos casually took a ss of champagne from the tray.


    While gently swirling the liquid in the ss, he smiled faintly.


    Everyone held their breath and gaped at him curiously to see what he would do next. Carlos walked


    past the gossipers, and nonchntly approached Debbie. To everyone''s shock, he leaned over,


    pecked her on the lips and questioned slowly, "For money?"


    "Yes, Mr. Huo! Debbie Nian tried every means possible to marry you just for your wealth," the same


    ballsy woman asserted.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Holding the champagne ss in one hand and the other tucked in his pocket, Carlos tilted his head at


    the woman and taunted, "So what? If she wants money, then I''ll give her my money. If she wants love,


    then I''ll give her my heart. Whatever she wants, I''ll satisfy her every need. As long as my wife is Debbie


    Nian, I don''t care what her motive is. I''ll give her anything, let alone money."


    His romantic and doting words caused a rumble of exmation among the onlookers. Some women


    couldn''t help but sigh out aloud in admiration.


    Upon hearing Carlos'' reply, the ballsy woman was left speechless. Her face burned with


    embarrassment. When she looked around, she noticed the disdainful looks from everyone and she


    hastily retreated, leaving the food section awkwardly.


    "Now, who said that Debbie was a shameless bitch?" Carlos asked, portraying no emotion in his voice.


    The group of busybodies looked guiltily among themselves and fell into silence for a moment. Then, a


    woman was pointed out by the others. Engulfed with fear, the woman shook her head vigorously. The


    color drained from her face, and she was white as a sheet. Opening her mouth, she wanted to


    apologize to Debbie, but Carlos'' death re silenced her.


    Carlos instructed Frankie in a low and cold voice, "Take her outside."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo!"


    Frankie gestured to the bodyguards. Soon enough, two bodyguards emerged from the onlookers. They


    sandwiched the woman and locked her arms. While dragging her outside, one of the bodyguards


    covered the woman''s mouth to avoid attracting more attention. They left the banquet hall in a low-key


    way.


    However, there were still many guests who witnessed the woman being taken out. No one dared say


    anything or try to stop them. They were afraid that they might meet the same fate as she did andnd


    themselves in trouble.


    Debbie tugged at Carlos'' sleeve. "Where are they taking her?" she asked in a worried tone.


    Carlos looked at her and gently caressed her head. Sensing her concern, he assured her, "Don''t


    worry." Ever since he had a wife, Carlos wasn''t as cruel as he used to be.


    Debbie whispered, "Just teach her a little lesson. Don''t go too far, okay?" She was angry with that


    woman''s insulting words, so she didn''t want to let her get away with it. It was okay to punish her, but


    she didn''t want Carlos to overdo it.


    Carlos raised an eyebrow and held her chin. "I know what to do. Don''t you trust me?"


    Debbie pped his hand away. "No, I don''t!" She had heard a lot about how brutal and merciless


    Carlos could be. People said that anyone who offended him or crossed his line would end up


    miserably. So she felt worried about what would happen to the woman.


    To set her mind at ease, Carlos took out his phone and called Frankie. He ordered coldly, "Carve a


    ''bitch'' on her face and throw her out onto the street." After putting his phone away, he brazenly pulled


    her closer to him and asked, "Honey, is that okay?"


    Debbie got goose bumps just thinking about the order that Carlos gave. "No, that''s too painful. Just


    punch her a few times."


    Carlos didn''t listen to her this time. He shook his head and reminded her. "Honey, you need to know


    one thing. To be kind to your enemy is to be cruel to yourself. If it were a few years ago, I would''ve had


    that woman''s mouth stitched up. She''s lucky that I''m much more benevolent now because my kind and


    lovely wife has changed me. You''re my angel."

 Chapter 485 She Must Die Today

    Chapter 485 She Must Die Today


    Debbie listened to Carlos silently. Hisst words surprised her. He didn''t miss a single chance he got to


    tter her or say sweet words to her. Were those really words from the arrogant Carlos? Taking a sip of


    the juice, Debbie turned to Colleen, who was also stunned by his words. "Aunt Colleen, Carlos has


    been acting really weird ever since he regained his memory. He''s being sweet to me every day. It''s not


    like him. Do you think there is still some problem with his brain after the ident?"


    Rubbing her forehead in frustration, Colleen begged in her mind, ''Don''t get me involved in your affairs,


    Debbie.'' But of course, Debbie couldn''t hear Colleen''s silent voice; she just kept staring at her for an


    answer. Left with no choice, Colleen replied with a sigh, "You little fool. There''s nothing wrong with his


    brain. He loves you so much and that''s why he''s acting this way. His romantic side shows up only for


    you!"


    Debbie pursed her lips. "Fine, forget it."


    Carlos was very much satisfied with Colleen''s answer. He grinned broadly and said, "Carry on with


    your food. I still have something to discuss with Barlow. I''ll take you home after that." With that, he


    mischievously nted a kiss on her cheek before walking away.


    Taken advantage of by the brazen man once again, Debbie flushed, feeling bashful and angry at the


    same time.


    Colleen almost choked. Looking at Carlos'' receding figure, she whispered to Debbie, "I''m pretty sure


    that there''s absolutely nothing wrong with Carlos'' brain. He haspletely recovered. Didn''t you see


    the affection in his eyes when he looked at you? I''m really impressed!" It reminded Colleen of the old


    days. Three years ago, before he lost his memories, Carlos always showed off his love for Debbie in


    front of his group of friends. It was the same again. The old Carlos had indeede back.


    Debbie chuckled at her words. Of course, she had noticed the affection in his eyes. A river of


    happiness flooded through her.


    Debbie waited for Carlos at the food section. She thought that he would finish his talks soon, but after


    waiting for a long while, he still hadn''t shown up. Even Curtis hade back after he was done


    socializing with the other guests.


    As they waited, a man ran through the crowd and made his way to Debbie. "Miss Nian, something is


    wrong. Mr. Huo and Miss Li went upstairs to a hotel room just now." Debbie recognized the man as one


    of Tristan''s helpers. Without a second thought, she shot to her feet and rushed towards the elevator.


    Colleen grabbed hold of her wrist. "Debbie, calm down. We''reing with you."


    Debbie turned around to look at both Colleen and Curtis. With them by her side, she found her


    composure. She trusted Carlos. He would never do anything to hurt her.


    The three of them followed the man into the elevator and went to the seventeenth floor of the hotel.


    Tristan was already waiting in front of Room 1710. When he saw Debbie, he quickly walked up to her


    and reported in a low voice, "Mr. Huo and Miss Li went into the room a minute ago."


    Staring at the closed door, Debbie questioned, "Just the two of them?"


    Tristan hesitated for a second before answering honestly, "Yes. But Mrs. Huo, please don''t worry. I''m


    sure that Mr. Huo has his reasons."


    Debbie walked closer to the door. Suddenly, they heard Stephanie''s shriek from inside the room.


    Everyone outside the door was startled. Since it was a screaming from a room where a man and a


    woman were alone, they couldn''t tell whether it was a shriek of fear or...pleasure.


    Curtis patted on Debbie''s shoulder tofort her. He had asked someone to fetch the room key.


    Shortly, a waiter hurried towards them with the master key. He swiped the key card on the lock and


    opened the door ajar.


    Debbie froze the moment she saw what was happening inside the room. So did Curtis and Colleen.


    Stephanie was lying on her back on the king-sized bed, her dress disheveled, while Carlos was


    standing beside the bed, neatly dressed. His hand was tightly gripped around Stephanie''s neck,


    strangling the woman. His eyes were like those of a demon''s, cold and bloody.


    Stephanie''s face had turned a bright red as she struggled to breathe. When she heard the noise from


    the doorway, she crazily iled her right arm, asking for help, from whosoever.


    With his back to the door, Carlos didn''t give a damn about who hade in. All he wanted to do at that


    moment was strangle Stephanie to death.


    Snapping back to reality, Debbie hastily rushed to the edge of the bed. She grabbed Carlos'' arm to


    stop him. "Carlos, no!"


    Debbie''s voice brought him back to his senses. He loosened his forceful grip a little bit and called out,


    "Honey."


    "Carlos, let go of her!" Debbie yelled anxiously when she saw that Stephanie''s breathing had


    weakened. The woman had even stopped struggling. In a panic, Debbie squatted on the bed next to


    her and tried to pry Carlos'' hand away.


    But the man didn''t move a muscle. He spat between clenched teeth, "No! She must die today!"


    Curtis realized that Carlos was dead serious. Before things could turn worse, he ran over to stop


    Carlos. He grabbed the angry man from behind and tried to drag him away. Meanwhile, Debbie was


    still trying hard to pry each of his fingers open. Yet, their efforts ended in vain. He just wouldn''t let go.


    Stephanie''s face now began to turn deathly pale. Debbie''s heart skipped a beat. ''No, no! I can''t let


    Carlosmit murder!'' she thought, burning with anxiety and fear.


    She collected herself and changed the strategy. Pulling an angry face, she red at Carlos and


    berated, "Carlos Huo, you aren''t even listening to me! I swear I''ll leave Y City with your daughter if you


    don''t let go of that woman right away! You''ll never see Piggy or me ever again!"


    Debbie turned on her heels, and walked away from the scene.


    But just as she walked past Carlos, he grabbed her hand.


    She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw his big palm holding her hand. His hand was on hers, so


    Stephanie should be safe now.


    In an instant, she heard Stephanie gasping for air and coughing violently. The sound echoed through


    the quiet room.


    Carlos pulled Debbie into his arms. "Where are you going with our daughter?" he asked, sounding


    rather helpless.


    "What do you care?" Debbie yelled, her voice trembling. She was still haunted by the fear of Carlos


    bing a murderer.


    He kissed her forehead gently and showed his empty hands to her. "I let go of her," he coaxed.


    Since Carlos had regained his memory, Debbie wasn''t afraid of getting mad at him in front of others.


    She reprimanded him further, "Did you consider my feelings when you were trying to kill her? If you


    be a murderer, what should Evelyn and I do?"


    "I won''t be¡ª" ''¡ªput behind bars, '' he wanted to say, but Debbie didn''t let him finish.


    "Yes, I know how powerful you are in Y City. Even if you kill both Stephanie and James, you won''t be


    put in jail. But how do you think I would feel about it? It would haunt me forever if I see you kill a person


    in front of my eyes! My life would be overshadowed by the trauma! You always say that you love me. Is


    this the love you have for me? Make me spend my life with a criminal?"


    Carlos said nothing.


    Curtis couldn''t help but let out a chuckle under his breath. Carlos looked like a kid being scolded by his


    mother.


    "You''re a grown man, not a kid! Can''t you think before you spring into action? Did you even think about


    your wife and daughter? When Evelyn grows up, people willugh at her saying that her father is a


    murderer and her mother an aplice. Your daughter will be frowned upon by others for the rest of


    her life! Do you understand what I am saying?" She continued to bombard him with a barrage of


    tongueshing.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Carlos patiently waited till she vented all her anger. He understood her anger. Although he was being


    scolded in front of others, he wasn''t bothered at all. Instead, he hugged her again and tried to appease


    her. "Honey..."


    Debbie struggled in his arms, trying to break free, but to no avail. In the end, she pped his shoulder


    lightly. "Don''t call me that! I''m not your wife. If you won''t listen to me, never say that you love me


    again!"


    "Okay, okay. I heard you. I''ll listen to whatever you say from now on. Don''t be pissed," he coaxed her


    again. Thest thing he wanted to do was make this woman angry.

 Chapter 486 How Silly!

    Chapter 486 How Silly!


    The others in the room stared at Carlos and Debbie. They thought that they would be witnessing a


    horror scene with Carlos strangling Stephanie to death, but instead, it seemed like they had ended up


    watching a romantic movie. Carlos and Debbie were openly showing their affection for each other.


    Debbie had calmed down after hearing Carlos'' soothing words. She cast a sideways nce at him and


    asked, "Really?"


    "Really! I promise!" Carlos said with a soft smile.


    Debbie heaved a long sigh of relief and then said, "You would be doing Stephanie and James a favor if


    you kill them off so easily. We should torture them first and then turn them over to the police. Let them


    suffer for what they did." Although Carlos didn''t tell everyone that he had gotten his memory back,


    almost everyone around him already knew the truth, including James. James already had ns in


    ce to deal with the situation if Carlos ever turned against him. He just didn''t know when that day


    woulde.


    Carlos hadn''t nned to deal with his enemies this soon. But Stephanie''s actions had pushed his


    buttons. She tried to drug him.


    When Carlos had figured out her intentions, he pretended to be drugged and came to the room with


    her. Then, he hadid her tricks bare.


    "Okay. I''ll do as you say."


    After soothing his woman, Carlos turned to the others. His eyes were cold again. He looked at Curtis,


    Colleen and Tristan, and asked indifferently, "Wanna stay and watch the show?"


    Curtis nodded with a smirk.


    Colleen felt uneasy and tugged at Curtis'' sleeve. "Show? Is it gonna be bloody?" she asked, fear


    evident in her voice. She had heard of Carlos'' cruel means whilst he dealt with his enemies, and had


    just felt his demonic aura a moment ago.


    Curtis patted her shoulder. "Don''t worry. Carlos is a reasonable man."


    Carlos had his men take Stephanie to a Presidential Suite''s bedroom. Then he and the rest of the party


    went after them.


    After arranging everything for the "show," Carlos and Curtis sat at an automatic mahjong table in the


    living room.


    A few minutester, Niles entered, gasping for air. After quickly grabbing a ss of water, he asked,


    "Carlos, I''ve been working for the whole day. I am only here since you asked me toe as soon as


    possible. Dude, I''m super exhausted. What do you want?"


    Carlos, who was ying with the mahjong tiles, raised his eyes to look at Niles. "Did you bring enough


    money?"


    "What?" Niles stared nkly at Carlos.


    "General Never-victorious, he wants you to y mahjong with us," Curtis said with a grin. "You know


    that Carlos seldom loses. If you don''t have enough money, call your brother and ask him to wire some


    money to your ount."


    "Hey, watch it! Who are you calling General Never-victorious, huh? I won big against Carlos the night


    before Pepper Nian''s wedding."


    Debbie was stunned. ''The night before my wedding? How did I not know about this?'' she thought,


    staring at Carlos.


    Curtis chuckled. "How silly! You just reminded Carlos of his very unpleasant memory. You are doomed,


    Niles. I do feel bad for you." Niles had not only reminded Carlos of the money he had lost that night, but


    also mentioned the one thing Carlos hated to hear the most¡ªDebbie''s marriage to Ivan.


    Niles panicked. He knew that he had messed up. He said immediately, "I don''t feel like ying


    mahjong today. I''m only here to watch the show. Carlos, you called me here to watch the show, right?"


    Without sparing him even a single nce, Carlos simply spat, "No mahjong, no show."


    ''Damn! I shouldn''t havee here. No, I shouldn''t have answered his call in the first ce. He''s gonna


    torture me now!'' Niles cursed inwardly. Left with no choice, he sat opposite Carlos. Staring at the empty


    chair, he asked curiously, "We need a fourth yer. Who else did you call?"


    Carlos finally raised his eyes to look at Niles. "You''ll know when he''s here."


    Within a few minutes, someone knocked at the door and then two bodyguards pushed a woman into


    the room.


    Debbie recognized her.


    Glenda, Stephanie''s mother.


    Debbie asked Carlos in a low voice, "Why bring her here?"


    Her hot breath on his ear made his senses tingle. He bent towards her and said in a whisper, "Mother


    and daughter should share their weal and woe."


    Debbie frowned. ''Share their weal and woe? What does he mean? Does he have something nned


    for Glenda as well?''


    Glenda''s face was in shock when she saw the people in the room. But before she could say anything,


    one of the bodyguards gagged her, and the other tied her up. She could neither speak nor move.


    Horror was seen inly in her face. She made strange noises, but no one could make out what she


    was saying. No one cared.


    The bodyguards threw her into the bedroom where Stephanie was being held. Stephanie was on the


    bed, struggling because of the drug. Beads of sweat broke out on her face, and her clothes were loose.


    After another ten minutes, thest person of the show arrived.


    The fox. James Huo.


    He was relieved when he saw so many people in the room. Carlos had asked him toe over, and he


    had been uneasy the whole way. ''He can''t do anything to me under so many watchful eyes, '' he


    thought.


    When Debbie''s eyes met James'', she ground her teeth in rage. Her hands balled into fists, her eyes full


    of resentment. How she wished she could kill the old bastard right there!


    A warm hand wrapped around her fist. Carlos raised her fist and kissed it softly.


    Like a magic spell was cast upon her, Debbie instantly calmed down.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Curtis put on his usual smile and greeted James, "Good evening, Uncle James. You came at just the


    right time. Come and y with us."


    Niles too gave him a broad smile and said, "Uncle James, I have already lost too much money to them.


    Help me!"


    James didn''t miss the intimate interaction between Debbie and Carlos. He looked away from them and


    forced a smile. "How rude of you guys! It''s sote, yet you called me over to y mahjong."


    After he sat down, Carlos pressed a button and the table automatically shuffled the mahjong tiles.


    "ying just mahjong will be boring. Wait for a while. We have an interesting showing up soon,"


    he said.


    James had a bad feeling in his gut, but he didn''t know what was going to happen. He tried to stay calm.


    "Really? I''m looking forward to it."


    The first round started. While they were ying, no one spoke. The atmosphere was rather tense. By


    the end of the round, Niles said cheerfully, "I won! Ha-ha! Looks like it''s my lucky day!"


    After taking the chips from the other three, Niles pressed the button on the table once again and they


    began the second round.


    As if Carlos and Curtis had made some deal beforehand, Niles and James continued to win more


    rounds.


    James became much more rxed after winning some money. "Niles, you have made a lot of money


    this evening. You have to buy us something to snack on."


    Niles raised his chin proudly and said, "No problem! Order anything you like."


    "Ha-ha!" Jamesughed heartily.


    After a while, the doorbell rang again. Tristan went to answer the door. James raised his head to see


    who it was, and then he frowned deeply.


    A bad smell pervaded the room. Everyone in the room closed their noses, ovee with a feeling of


    nausea.

 Chapter 487 Youll Be Needing A Doctor

    Chapter 487 You''ll Be Needing A Doctor


    Unable to bear the smell, Niles held his nose and asked, "Carlos, what do you want?"


    Carlos looked at the mahjong tiles before him and answered casually, "Just enjoy the show."


    Debbie covered her nose and mouth with both her hands. It wasn''t because she looked down upon


    beggars; it was because the stench was overbearing.


    She looked at Carlos in shock. ''I thought he was a germophobe? How can he be so calm?'' she


    thought.


    Curtis and Carlos continued ying mahjong as if they didn''t smell anything whereas everyone else


    had disgusted expressions and struggled to keep themselves from running to the bathroom to vomit.


    The bodyguards led the beggars to the bedroom where Stephanie and Glenda were. After the


    bodyguards whispered something to them, the beggars said in unison, "No problem."


    James had his back to the bedroom. He turned in an attempt to see what was going on, but his view


    was blocked by the wall. He turned back to Carlos and asked, "Who are they? Why bring them here?"


    Carlos removed a White Dragon tile and shed a cynical smile. "There are two women in the


    bedroom. It''s going to be a wonderful night for the guys."


    ''Two women?''


    James'' heart skipped a beat. "What women?"


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mmmph..." James could hear muffled sounds of two women strugglinging from within the


    bedroom. Their mouths were covered, so he was unable to identify who they were.


    Carlos'' eyes were as cold as ice. He had every intention of telling James who the women were.


    "Stephanie Li masqueraded as my girlfriend and bullied Debbie while I lost my memory. She even tried


    to drug me this evening. Her mother insulted Debbie. I need to teach them a lesson so they won''t dare


    mess with my woman again."


    Carlos had already told Debbie and Curtis that Stephanie had tried to drug him. Fortunately, Carlos had


    swapped his drugged ss of wine with the other ss, and consequently, Stephanie ended up falling


    into her own trap and drinking it.


    James froze. It was not until then that he realized that the women inside the bedroom were Glenda and


    Stephanie. His mistress and daughter.


    The blood immediately rushed to his head, and he was as red as a tomato. He banged the mahjong


    table with his fists and roared, "Carlos Huo, you''re pushing this too far! How can you do this to them?"


    Debbie felt ted when she saw how angry James had be.


    Without bothering to even nce at James, Carlos said nonchntly, "You''ve got high blood pressure,


    don''t you? You really should keep calm." Then he raised his head and looked James in the eye. "Why


    are you so nervous? Are you going to help them?" he asked, feigning ignorance.


    ''Do I look like I''m nervous?'' James was startled. He took a few breaths to calm himself down. ''Should I


    tell him everything and confront him? No, no! I can''t. As long as I''m his father nominally, he can''t deal


    with me. I still have a chance to leave this ce.''


    Having made up his mind, James said, "Carlos, Stephanie is a weak girl. She''s innocent. How can you


    get people to rape her? And Glenda just said something unpleasant to Debbie. Don''t you think you''re


    going too far by doing this? Just put a stop to it!"


    James'' face and neck were all red, but he didn''t realize that. He thought he was giving the appearance


    of being calm.


    "They deserve this," Carlos said. Since no one was in the mood to y mahjong anymore, he began to


    y with Debbie''s hand.


    James had tried to put in a good word for the two women to save them, but it was to no avail. So he


    tried another tactic. "Carlos, how will you be able to live with yourself and be able to face Stephanie''s


    father in the future? It''ll affect the ZL Group''s reputation significantly if this gets out."


    Carlos didn''t respond. Instead, he looked at Frankie, who stood by the door of the bedroom, and said,


    "Let them enjoy the night."


    Frankie understood immediately. Nodding his head, he took a deep breath before entering the foul-


    smelling bedroom.


    Before long, everyone in the living room heard Stephanie''s and Glenda''s desperate moans. Debbie


    was sickened by the sounds and wanted to cover her ears to block them out.


    She understood now what Carlos meant when he said "Mother and daughter should share their weal


    and woe."


    Niles was thest one who realized what was going on. With his eyes wide, heined, "Carlos,


    I''m still a kid! How can you do this to me? My white soul is tainted because of you!"


    ''Carlos is such an asshole! The reason why he called me over is that he needs me to take first-aid


    measures if something bad happens, '' Niles cursed in his mind.


    Carlos picked up a chip and threw it before Niles. "Take it, little boy! Debbie and Colleen can take the


    rest of your chips and buy some candies for you."


    ''What? No! My chips! I finally managed to win so many chips!'' Niles cried inwardly.


    Unable to endure the horrible sounds any longer, Debbie and Colleen stood up from their seats and


    nned to leave the hotel.


    When Niles saw them about to leave, he took the opportunity to leave as well. However, Carlos


    stopped him in his tracks. "Stop!" he demanded.


    Niles turned to look at Carlos in confusion.


    Carlos lit a cigarette and said casually, "You need to stay and take care of them. What if they die here?


    Then I''ll be a murderer and my wife will leave with my daughter."


    Fighting hard to hold back the impulse to vomit, Niles pointed to the door to the Presidential Suite and


    asked, "Can I stand by the door?"


    "No! We''re good buddies. We should share our weal and woe!" Carlos refused him outright. ''He is a


    devil! How can he remain so calm?'' Niles thought.


    "Why didn''t you call Damon and Wesley over? They''re your good buddies too!" heined.


    Curtis chuckled and exined to him, "Your brother is busy looking for ir, and Damon was so angry


    at Carlos for what he had done that he blocked his number."


    Niles cast a nce at Carlos and wondered if he should block his number too.


    Carlos knew what he was thinking and shot him a warning look. "If you dare block my number, you''ll be


    needing a doctor!" he threatened.


    "How can you bully me like this?" said Niles, pouting his lips.


    The three of them argued among themselves as if they were unfazed about what was happening in the


    bedroom.


    James, who had been closing his eyes all this time, opened them and stood up from his seat. "I have to


    get out of here," he said, walking towards the door.


    Carlos smiled and asked sarcastically, "What''s the rush?"


    Glenda heard James'' voice and suddenly cried out loud, "James, help us... Mmmph..."


    When James heard her pleas for help, he stopped in his tracks. He couldn''t do anything to help them,


    so he pulled out a small bottle of pills and put a few into his mouth.


    He then turned to Carlos and warned him, "Carlos, I can''t just sit here and let you do this to them. If you


    still refuse to let them go, I''m going to call the police."


    Carlos exhaled a mouthful of smoke and mocked, "I am your son! Adopted though. The woman inside


    the room tried to drug me, yet you chose to side with her. James Huo, you value an outsider more than


    me?"

 Chapter 488 Megans Diary (Part One)

    Chapter 488 Megan''s Diary (Part One)


    ''Sounds like Carlos doesn''t realize Stephanie''s my kid, '' James thought to himself. He was relieved, but


    he tried not to let it show. Thinking of this, he pretended to be sad and dejected. "Don''t even think


    about it. I didn''t raise you to be a criminal. They''re just two women. Leave them alone."


    ''Just two women?''


    Carlos shed a scornful smile.


    ''Stephanie hired someone to rape Megan, and tried to frame Debbie for Megan''s death.


    She hired thugs to kill me and Debbie while we were on vacation.


    She even put Ivan and Debbie''s marriage license on social media, an open invitation to cyberbullying.


    She slipped me a mickey to try and have sex with me.


    Just a woman? She''s a vicious, evil bitch!


    Her mother Glenda isn''t any better. She''s been James'' mistress for years! She''s the one who wanted


    me and Stephanie together, and James just gave in to her, ''


    Carlos thought to himself.


    James, of course, saw the disdain in Carlos'' eyes, but he could do nothing. He couldn''t juste clean


    to the CEO. That would implicate him. "Carlos, listen to your old man. Just let it go," he pleaded.


    "Let it go?" Carlos pressed the button on the mahjong table, and it began to shuffle the tiles. "Let''s y


    a few more rounds. If you win, I''ll leave them alone."


    James had no choice. He had to sit down and pit his skills against Carlos. This was vital. If Carlos went


    after these women, they might blow the lid off the whole thing. The other guests started scanning theN?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    table, formting strategies even before the tiles were revealed.


    Before this, Niles and James were on top. But now, things changed. Curtis was the victor this time.


    Niles was already in a bad mood because of the stench. Now that he kept losing, his face grew even


    darker. "I bet you cheated," he spat.


    Curtis smiled and said nothing. He was cheating, after a fashion. Carlos kept giving him the right tiles.


    Beads of sweat appeared on James'' forehead. The mere thought of his lover and daughter being raped


    by beggars made his heart ache. Of course, Carlos was doing this on purpose. He didn''t want James


    to win.


    As a result, James lost round after round.


    Debbie and Colleen, on the other hand, went to the bathroom and retched after they left the living


    room.


    Colleen washed her face and rinsed her mouth before saying, "That''s messed up Carlos paid the bums


    to rape them. James can''t be happy."


    Debbie leaned against the wall and said, "Stephanie drugging him was the straw that broke the camel''s


    back. She deserved it. Lucky she didn''t seed. It''s a little poetic justice. Try to rape someone, get


    raped in return." ''Thank God Carlos was smart enough to figure it out!'' she thought.


    Colleen approached her and whispered in her ear, "I heard Stephanie hired someone to kill Megan. Is


    that true?"


    The mention of Megan reminded Debbie of something. "I''m heading to ZL Group. Do you want toe


    with me?" she asked.


    "What? Why?" Colleen waspletely confused.


    "Megan''s diary is just sitting in Carlos'' office. I''ve been too busy to go check it out. We''re at loose ends.


    Don''t you want to know what''s in there?" But the hour waste, and she wasn''t going to go there alone.


    She needed Colleen to keep herpany.


    Colleen immediately nodded her head. "Sure. Why not? Maybe I''ll get some answers. Like why she


    tried to mess with me and my husband."


    They left the bathroom hand in hand.


    As they both had a few drinks tonight, Debbie called a bodyguard over and asked him to drive them to


    the ZL Group offices.


    On the way, she called Carlos and told him that she and Colleen were going to take a peek inside


    Megan''s diary. "It''s about time," Carlos said. "I''ll have someone standing by to unlock the doors."


    When they arrived, two security guards were waiting for them at the entrance. They led them to the


    CEO''s office and then waited outside, guarding the door. "Not very friendly, are they?" Colleen


    remarked, after the door was closed behind them.


    "They don''t have to be. They just have to be effective," Debbie said, looking around for the safe. While


    Debbie searched for the diary, Colleen walked towards the indoor golf court and set a golf ball on the


    tee.


    Meanwhile, Debbie had located the safe, and opened it with the code Carlos gave her.


    There were many important documents and a few rings of keys inside. Debbie was stunned for a while


    and thought, ''Carlos trusts me that much?


    If I''m not wrong, any item here could be worth at least ten million. He just gave me the code without a


    second thought.''


    Debbie was deeply moved. She started to tear up, and had to take a little bit topose herself. She


    took several breaths to calm down and began to root around inside the box for the diary.


    Soon, she found a thick notebook and thought she might have finally found it. She opened it and


    confirmed it was a diary. She took it out and locked the safe.


    Colleen looked over, and was about to ask how she wasing along. She saw that Debbie finally


    held it in her hands, so she dropped the golf club and walked over.


    They sat on the sofa and began to page through it.


    Megan started her diary more than ten years ago. The entries were short and she didn''t write in it every


    day. Some entries were jumbled, and referred to past events, some of which the women were unclear


    on. So they skimmed it, looking for the relevant parts.


    Colleen and Debbie didn''t know why Megan had written everything down, including how she felt about


    Carlos and Wesley.


    It turned out that Megan got close to Carlos, Wesley, Damon and Curtis on purpose because she


    swore to mess up their lives. And she could use her feminine wiles to do so.


    In order to make Colleen jealous, Megan flirted with Curtis. Megan would be delighted when Colleen


    and Curtis started fighting over it.


    Megan screwed things up for Wesley and ir. ir had even gotten engaged to another man.


    As for Megan''s hatred for Debbie, she had also written it down. It read, "Carlos loves Debbie a lot. She


    gets all the love and affection he used to reserve for me. He even med me and asked me to be nicer


    to her. Well, fuck him! Why should I be nicer? My parents died saving Carlos and Wesley. I lost my


    parents, and these guys got off scot-free. Well, not anymore.


    They''ll pay for the misery they caused me. They''ll wish they''d died then and there. I hate them! If I can''t


    be happy, then nobody can. They''ll pay. Believe me, they''ll pay."


    In the diary, Megan had confessed that she had deliberately caused trouble for Debbie in the Huo


    family''s house in New York. It worked¡ªthey all hated her. She wanted to screw up everything and


    everyone in that family. It would be a pleasant surprise if Valerie hated Debbie so much that the old


    woman died because of it.

 Chapter 489 Megans Diaries (Part Two)

    Chapter 489 Megan''s Diaries (Part Two)


    Debbie continued reading the diary and became infuriated. It read, "I identally hit Kasie, Debbie''s


    friend. Why didn''t she just die like that? With Kasie dead, Debbie''s life would be hell. If Debbie was


    unhappy, then Carlos would be unhappy too. I was frightened after I hit her. I bought off someone to


    eliminate the surveince video. But Carlos still found out about it somehow. He had his men recover


    the surveince video. I was worried that he would report me to the police, so I went to his office and


    begged him to delete the surveince video and help me. But he didn''t. Ha-ha! So this is the man who


    swore that he would take care of me forever. He''s so cold-hearted.


    It was the worst time of my life when I was behind bars. I swear I''ll send them to jail one day¡ªDebbie,


    Carlos, and Wesley. I''ll make them pay for what they''ve done to me."


    After reading the diary for a while, both Debbie and Colleen felt that there must have been something


    wrong with Megan''s mental state. They could feel her dark and gloomy thoughts just by reading the


    diary.


    They also found Stephanie mentioned in Megan''s diary.


    Debbie had always been curious about why Stephanie and Megan got along so well with each other.


    However, after reading the diary, she discovered that it wasn''t like that at all. Stephanie and Megan


    were also enemies.


    Megan had done many things to drive a wedge between Carlos and Stephanie. She acted intimately


    with him before Stephanie, pretended to be ill so Carlos woulde to her cete at night, and so


    on. She did simr things to separate Carlos and Debbie as well. However, unlike Debbie, Stephanie


    was extremely cruel and merciless.


    She hired people to go to Megan''s college and frighten her. They would beat her in the beginning.


    Back then, when Debbie got to Megan''s apartment, Stephanie was there too. Stephanie had gone


    there to question Megan why she had done so many things to separate her and Carlos. Megan had


    even pped Stephanie before Debbie arrived.


    Perhaps Megan was too weak, so there was no palm print on Stephanie''s face.


    Later, Megan was hospitalized for drinking raw eggs. Before long after she had been discharged from


    the hospital, something bad happened to her.


    The bodyguards Carlos had hired for Megan sensed that Carlos and Wesley had be indifferent


    toward Megan. So they weren''t as responsible as before.


    This allowed Stephanie to do something terrible to her. One day, two men grabbed Megan and dragged


    her to one of the groves near the college. In the grove, they raped her.


    Megan didn''t know whom the men worked for, but she assumed that it must have something to do with


    Stephanie. Since she had no proof, she had to keep it a secret first.


    Debbie''s reappearance had stressed Stephanie. She wasn''t dumb. The flirtation between Carlos and


    Debbie didn''t escape her eye. She told Megan that she would deal with her first, and then handle


    Debbie, who was bold and good at martial arts.


    Megan''sst diary entry was still about Debbie. It read, "Debbie is getting married to another man.


    Carlos looks so sad. Wow! What a wonderful day! He will be giving her away himself. I wonder if he''ll


    kick himself once he gets his memory back. They love each other but can''t be together. Let it be this


    way forever! Make them suffer! Ha-ha!"


    Debbie closed the notebook and looked at Colleen. Disbelief was written all over their faces.


    Both were silent and deep in thought for a long while. Colleen finally broke the silence and eximed,


    "Oh my! Am I daydreaming? This woman was despicable. All she did was mess with Carlos and


    Wesley. It''s a good thing that she''s dead. Otherwise, I don''t know what would happen."


    Debbie nodded. "Stephanie is indeed James'' daughter. They''re both cruel and scheming. She hired


    people to kill Megan and framed me for it." Thinking about that, she shuddered with fear. When she first


    met Stephanie, she thought she was a pretty and elegant businesswoman. The saying was indeed


    right¡ªnever judge a man by his appearance.


    "Stephanie wanted to kill two birds with one stone! She could get rid of both Megan and you by doing


    this. Luckily, Carlos helped you out. Otherwise, things would have been ratherplicated," Colleen


    commented. She had met Stephanie several times before. Never in her wildest dreams did she


    imagine that Stephanie could be such a vicious woman.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    "Maybe it''s because she loves Carlos so much," Debbie sighed. ''Luckily, Megan never loved Carlos.


    She just wanted to avenge her parents'' death. If she loved Carlos, she might have done more crazy


    things, '' she thought.


    Colleen looked at Debbie and asked curiously, "Debbie, what is it that you want? Now that Carlos has


    his memory back, why don''t you get back with him?"


    Debbie shook her head. "Oh Colleen, you don''t know how he treated me in his amnesia. If it weren''t for


    Piggy and you guys, I would''ve been struck with depression again. Nevertheless, I won''t have a row


    with Carlos for now. We still havemon enemies. I''m not that stupid to push him away. After dealing


    with James and Stephanie, I''ll make Carlos pay for what he had done to me. Revenge is a dessert


    better served cold."


    After saying that, Debbie gave Colleen a cunning smile.


    Colleen patted her shoulder and said, "Sis, your n is great! I''m behind you a hundred percent.


    However, you better not push him to other women. You know, your husband is popr."


    "Rest assured. I don''t give a damn about the other women. If he genuinely loves me, he won''t make


    me sad." Debbie firmly believed that Carlos was head over heels in love with her.


    Footsteps could be heard from outside the office, and then the door was pushed open. Carlos and


    Curtis came in.


    Debbie pulled out her phone to check the time. It was already 1 a.m.


    "Honey!" Carlos pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips.


    With a blushed face, Debbie pushed him away and spat out, "Get away from me. I''m not your honey."


    Colleen stood up and walked towards Curtis. "Carlos, if you want to marry Debbie, you''ll have to get


    permission from us first. After all, Curtis is her uncle," she said yfully.


    Carlos held Debbie''s waist and said, "After my wife has said yes, I''ll talk with you two."


    "Man, we''re not as amodating as Debbie," Curtis said with a smile.


    Carlos raised an eyebrow. ''Debbie is amodating? You''ve got to be kidding me.''


    Carlos had recovered his memory for quite some time now, but Debbie still hadn''t agreed to remarry


    him. This frustrated Carlos to no end.


    On the way to Carlos'' manor, Debbie pondered on Megan''s diary entries.


    Carlos took her hand and kissed it nonstop, which annoyed her. She pulled her hand back and


    snapped at him, "Enough! You''re drooling all over my hand, and it''s gross!"


    Carlos was taken aback and didn''t know how to respond.


    He looked at her smooth hand. There was no saliva at all!

 Chapter 490 Let It Go

    Chapter 490 Let It Go


    Carlos sat straight and pulled Debbie in his arms. "Honey, we need to talk," he said seriously.


    "What do you want to talk about?"


    "Our sex life!" He hadn''t made love to her for a long time.


    Blushing, Debbie stole a nce at Tristan, who was driving the vehicle. She covered Carlos'' mouth


    with her hand, ring at him, and spat, "Stop talking nonsense, old man! You''re not young anymore.


    Too much sex is bad for your health."


    Carlos chuckled at her red face and rolled up the interior screen so they could have some privacy.


    Debbie removed her hand from his mouth, and Carlos held her tightly in his arms, refusing to let her go.


    He whispered in her ear, "Honey, if I wait any longer, I''m afraid that something might happen to my


    manhood."


    Debbie pulled out her phone and started reading updates on Weibo while saying, "Does that have


    anything to do with me?"


    "Of course it does. You''re my wife, yet you forbid me from doing my duty as your husband. If I get sick


    one day because of that, you''ll be the one to me." After saying that, he kissed her affectionately on


    the lips.


    Debbie pushed him away and ignored what he said. "How''s Megan''s case going? Now that we know


    the mastermind is Stephanie, what are you nning to do?" she asked.


    The mere mention of Stephanie was enough to gross Carlos out. His desire decreased, and his eyes


    became clearer. "Well, I haven''t found the woman who disguised herself as you. Once I find her, I''ll sue


    Stephanie for it."


    "What if you fail to find her? Will Stephanie get away with this?"


    Carlos yed with her hair, and a murderous look appeared in his eyes. "Of course not. If I fail to find


    that woman, I''ll use all means to make Stephanie speak."


    Debbie held his hand so he couldn''t y with her hair. "How did it go in the hotel room? Did James give


    himself away?" she asked seriously.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Carlos gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Stephanie is his daughter. All he had done to you was to


    separate us and make his daughter the hostess of the Huo family. When his daughter and mistress


    were being raped right before him, of course, he failed to maintain hisposure."


    James tried his best to appear calm, but his red eyes and quickened breaths had betrayed him.


    He had to take two pills to lower his blood pressure. Otherwise, he might have had a heart attack.


    When the beggars left the hotel, James didn''t even dare to go inside and check the two women''s


    situation. Poor Niles! Carlos forced him into the bedroom to check on both mother and daughter to see


    if their lives were in any danger.


    At that time, Niles deeply regretted having chosen to be a doctor. ''I should''ve listened to Wesley and


    joined the army. That way, I wouldn''t have had to face such an unpleasant situation now, '' he thought.


    A few minutester, when Niles walked out of the bedroom, his face was drained of all color, and he


    was as white as a sheet. He shook his head, meaning their lives weren''t in danger. Then he rushed to


    the bathroom to vomit.


    Carlos didn''t know what had happened after that as he also left.


    Before leaving the hotel, he gave two cleaning staff members a check each, and then drove off with


    Curtis.


    Debbie contemted his words and then said, "Stephanie deserved everything she got. She had


    people rape Megan and kill her. But Glenda..." ''Glenda just insulted Piggy and me and nothing else. I


    think Carlos was too hard on her, '' she thought.


    Carlos snorted, "Neither of them can get away with it. Glenda insulted my woman and my daughter. By


    doing that she was ying with death. I would''ve had her killed if it weren''t for you."


    Debbie rolled her eyes and couldn''t help wonder how cruel Carlos had been before they met.


    After Carlos swore that he wouldn''t have sex with her against her will, Debbie finally agreed to go to the


    manor with him.


    He held her in his arms, kissing her repeatedly in an attempt to arouse her, but it was all to no avail. In


    the end, he had to take a cold shower to calm himself down.


    It seemed that Debbie had made up her mind to teach him a lesson. To Carlos, not being allowed to


    make love to her was the cruelest torture.


    The next day, Carlos got a text message from his man that James had disappearedst night. Before


    he left the hotel, he had tried to take Stephanie with him, but Carlos'' people had stopped him.


    Glenda and Angus got divorced. Angus was not surprised at all, nor did he try to make her stay. He had


    mentally prepared for this day a long time ago.


    After signing the divorce papers, Angus flew to New York. The first thing he did after he arrived was to


    go to the mental hospital and visit Tabitha.


    At the mental hospital


    Tabitha was a mere bag of bones and not the elegantdy she used to be. She was ying with a


    beach ball, and her eyes were lifeless and empty. At times she wouldugh like a lunatic, and other


    times she would cry like a baby.


    Angus was in a nice suit and leather shoes. His heart ached when he saw her. "Tabitha," he greeted


    her in a soft voice.


    Angus had known Tabitha when he was a kid. They had been desk mates at primary school. When


    they grew up, she married James, and he married Glenda because of his grandfather''s request.


    Upon hearing her name, Tabitha raised her head and gave Angus a broad smile. "Are you here to y


    with me?" she asked.


    Angus shook his head. He wasn''t sure if Tabitha could understand him, but he still said, "Glenda and I


    got divorced. All these years, I thought I could make her fall in love with me, but I was wrong. She


    even..." His voice trailed off. He had long known that Glenda and James were having an affair, but he


    was always too cowardly to ept it and expose it.


    Tabitha took a bite of the beach ball in her hand. Her eyes lit up, and she gave it to Angus. "Yummy! Do


    you want to try some?"


    Angus looked at her, stunned, and then shook his head. "Tabitha, I want to tell you something. James


    lied to you. He isn''t the man who saved you. I feel bad for you. Tabitha, you should divorce him. You


    deserve someone better than him."


    The mere mention of James'' name put Tabitha on alert. She looked at Angus warily and asked, "Who


    are you? What are you doing here? Where''s James? Bring him here. Why doesn''t hee to see


    me?"


    Angus forced a bitter smile. How could he tell Tabitha that her husband had been fooling around with


    another woman while she was suffering in a mental hospital? "Tabitha, we''re no longer young. We


    should just let it go and move on. James won''t end up well. Carlos is dealing with him now. It''s all


    because of Stephanie..."


    Angus'' eyes reddened. That night, Carlos had his men bring him to the hotel, so he knew what had


    happened.


    Carlos had a block booking for the whole floor and didn''t close the door to the room. As a result, Angus


    could hear everything that was happening while he was standing outside the room.


    He saw the beggars enter the room with obscene smiles. He also saw James sit at the mahjong table.


    He wanted to stop the beggars, but when he thought of everything that Glenda had done to him, he


    decided otherwise. He hated her. She had been cheating on him for thirty years. The daughter that he


    had doted on, loved and cherished wasn''t his daughter at all, but a product of her infidelity.


    Fortunately, he still had a son, his own flesh and blood.

 Chapter 491 Tabitha Is Dead

    Chapter 491 Tabitha Is Dead


    Tabitha threw the beach ball away. The ball was quite light, buffeted by the winds. But what goes up


    muste down. "Ha-ha! See? It won''t fly. Hey, are you James? Tell me why it won''t fly?"


    She had gonepletely insane. Angus sighed helplessly. After a while, he said in a sad voice, "I need


    to leave. I''m heading back to Y City. Take good care of yourself, Tabitha. Get well soon."


    Before he left, he gave the nurses taking care of Tabitha some money and asked them to take excellent


    care of her. "There''s more where this came from, if I find her in the best of health," he said.


    Although he knew Carlos would have already shoved tons of cash in their direction, this was the least


    he could do for Tabitha.


    That very evening, Carlos got a phone call from a nurse at the mental hospital. "Mr. Huo, I''m sorry to


    bother you. I regret to inform you that Mrs. Tabitha Huo... killed herself..."


    The news of Tabitha''s death


    came as a shock to Carlos. He felt like he''d been pped.


    He flew to New York immediately; the other family members came along as well. By the time they


    arrived, it was the next day.


    When they got there, he asked the driver to send Miranda and Evelyn to the Huo family''s house. He


    and Debbie went to the mental hospital first.


    Some of the family lived in New York. They were already at the hospital. Tabithay in the bed


    peacefully, covered by a white nket.


    Debbie remembered the first time she saw Tabitha.


    It was at the Y City Airport. Tabitha was dignified and graceful as she walked, a woman with a regal


    bearing. As she approached Debbie, she had a warm and weing smile on her face. She held


    Debbie''s hand and said her name softly. She gave her a pair of jade bracelets¡ªheirlooms of the Huo


    family¡ªand cooked delicious dishes for her.


    Only four years had passed, but now she was a mere bag of bones. She didn''t look like a woman who


    hade from wealth and power, but a starved, emaciated beggar.


    Debbie raised her head to look at the ceiling, holding back her tears. Carlos could see how distraught


    she was. He squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring look tofort her.


    Frasier handed a stack of papers to Carlos and said, "Aunt Tabitha signed the divorce papers, Carlos.


    These are the original documents."


    Expressionless, Carlos epted the papers and briefly looked them over. He saw Tabitha''s signature


    on the veryst page.


    Tabitha once had wless penmanship. But her signature this time was scrawled and hard to read.


    Carlos turned to look at Tabitha and asked Frasier in a cold voice, "How did she die? Who told you she


    killed herself? Are you sure?"


    Frasier exined in a sad voice, "Yesterday afternoon, Aunt Tabitha cooked up some excuse, and the


    nurses left her alone at her request. She stole a bottle of sleeping pills and swallowed them all. At dusk,


    a nurse came by to serve dinner. She found the body."


    Carlos turned to look at the nurses, who were standing in a corner, shivering. "Did she act weird at all?"


    he asked.


    One of them stepped forward and answered in a shaking voice, "A man... came to visit Mrs. Tabitha


    Huo yesterday morning. After he left, she sat in the room a long time. She stared out the window


    without saying a word."


    ''A man?'' Carlos wondered who it might have been.


    Frasier exined, "That was Uncle Angus. I already called him. He told Aunt Tabitha that he had


    divorced his wife, and advised her to divorce James. He said he''d be here to exin everything."


    Carlos didn''t respond.


    Then he started to make preparations for Tabitha''s funeral.


    When Dous passed away, it was Carlos who handled the funeral arrangements. Although Tabitha


    was not Carlos'' biological mother, she had raised him and done what a mother should do. As a result,


    Carlos conducted her funeral instead of her own son¡ªLewis.


    Lewis showed up on time for the funeral. He used to be a little chubby. But he looked much thinner


    since James and Tabitha hadn''t had the time or energy to take care of him.


    As for Portia, she divorced Lewis and left the country when Carlos lost his memory.


    Carlos also had his men try to get a hold of James. But the man was nowhere to be found.


    Maybe he was too afraid of Carlos to show his face. Or maybe he had never loved Tabitha at all.


    James never showed any affection for Tabitha, the woman who had been his wife for decades.


    When Dous passed away, Carlos had cried like a baby. But this time, he didn''t shed a single tear.


    Maybe what Tabitha had done to him and Debbie had been aplete letdown.


    Nevertheless, he did what a son should do. Tabitha''s funeral was grand yet solemn.


    Ivan and Kasie held a wonderful and beautiful wedding ceremonyter on, in the fall.


    Debbie was her bridesmaid, and she insisted that Carlos serve as the best man.


    With the great CEO as the best man and the superstar as the bridesmaid, the wedding was rather eye-


    catching. All the paparazzi were there, snapping pic after pic. Even after the ushers had escorted the


    worst offenders out, they waited outside, hoping to get an exclusive with any of the wedding party.


    Then Debbie focused on getting her new album ready, while Carlos kept himself busy with work, taking


    care of his daughter and courting his ex-wife.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    One day, Carlos was finally able to rx at lunch instead of being chained to his desk. He called


    Debbie. "Hey baby. Want to catch a show with me tonight?"


    "What show?" she asked curiously.


    "Remember when you were on the operating table? Were you scared?" he asked in a low voice.


    "What? When?" Debbie wasn''t sure what he was talking about.


    "When James threatened Evelyn''s life, and forced you to divorce me and leave Y City," Carlos said.


    Debbie''s heart skipped a beat. "Of c-course. Wh-why?" she stammered.


    "Because I swore I''d make James pay for what he did to you."


    "And?" Debbie had a bad feeling about this.


    "I''ll pick you up tonight. We''ll watch a reality show together. Live audience, front row seats."


    Debbie didn''t know how to respond. ''A reality show? It seems like no matter where James holes up,


    Carlos always hunts him down.''


    After hanging up, Debbie put off all her work that night. She was too curious about exactly what was


    going down. When Carlos came to pick her up, she was waiting for him at the entrance.


    He got out of his car, kissed her, and tied her scarf for her, tucking part of it into her pink overcoat.


    Gantly, he offered her his hand, and they walked hand in hand to the vehicle.


    The car rolled to a stop in front of a hospital. Debbie recognized the ce¡ªNiles worked here.


    After they got out, Carlos held her waist tightly, ignoring her protests. They went inside the building


    together.


    Debbie snapped at him, "When I first met Niles, I was injured. But someone didn''t offer to give me a


    ride, and didn''t even look at me. I was a wreck then."


    Carlos knew the guy she was talking about. It was him. Feeling guilty, he kissed her hair and


    apologized, "I''m so sorry, honey. I swear it won''t happen again."


    While they were walking to the elevator, Debbie cast a scornful nce at him and snorted, "You''re such


    a liar. I only believe about a third of what you say."


    Carlos curled his lips and said, "How about this?"


    "How about what?"


    "I love you. I love you. I love you. Nine words. Believe a third of them, and that would be three." ''You


    can believe that I love you.'' This was what he meant.

 Chapter 492 Abortion

    Chapter 492 Abortion


    Debbie blushed at Carlos'' love confession, and she felt so happy at that moment.


    They reached the twelfth floor, and the whole floor was shrouded in silence. Carlos led Debbie to the


    door of an office when two familiar voices came from within the room.


    "Niles, will you stop talking nonsense? Hurry up and check my kidneys. I feel there is something wrong


    with them," said Damon.


    "Oh, really?" Niles asked nonchntly. "What''s wrong with your kidneys?"


    Damon looked at him with a sad look andined, "It''s all Carlos'' fault."


    "What? Carlos? What did you guys do?"


    Damon''s answer not only stunned Niles, but also made Debbie giggle.


    With a gloomy face, Carlos kicked the door open. When Damon saw Carlos, he was shocked and


    cowered with fear, blurting out nervously, "Carlos, what are you doing here?"


    Carlos cast a scornful nce at him and scoffed, "To have someone''s kidney removed."


    "Whose?"


    "Yours." Disdain was written all over Carlos'' face.


    Damon covered his waist and rushed towards the door. However, Niles grabbed his cor and said,


    "Hey, let me give you an injection."


    "No, no. I have to keep my kidneys to meet my wife''s needs." Damon broke free from Niles and rushed


    to a corner sitting on the chair, feigning terror.


    Carlos stared at him and asked, "Why are you here?"


    Damon rolled his eyes and snapped back at him, "Have my kidneys checked. It''s all your fault!" Carlos


    had hired women to seduce him every day. Faced with so many hot women, Damon could do nothing


    but restrain his desires. As time went by, he felt that he had a kidney deficiency.


    Niles opened the door to the examination room and gestured for Damon to go in. "I''ll give you a


    thorough examination," he said.


    Then he turned to Carlos. "Everything is ready. You guys go to the operating room first. It''s next to this


    one."


    Carlos couldn''t be bothered to stay to watch Niles carry out a check-up on Damon. He and Debbie


    made their way towards the room Niles had shown him.


    When he pushed the door open, he saw several bodyguards standing inside. Upon seeing their boss,


    they greeted him respectfully.


    Carlos nodded to them and walked inside.


    There was an operating table and some medical equipment with several doctors standing around the


    table. Stephanie was lying on the table.


    She seemed to be fast asleep. Her eyes were shut, and her face was deathly pale.


    N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Carlos turned around and ordered the bodyguards, "Bring them in."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Soon, two people were brought in. To Debbie''s surprise, they were James and Glenda.


    Their hands and feet were tied with ropes, and they were both gagged. Horror was evident in Glenda''s


    wide-open eyes, but James looked rather calm.


    However, when James saw his daughter lying on the operating table, fear gripped his entire body in an


    instant. He turned to look at Carlos with pleading eyes, but Carlos didn''t so much as spare him a single


    nce. Ignoring James'' imploring moans and grunts, Carlos studied the scalpels that were spread out


    on the table.


    Debbie fixed her eyes on the operating table and grabbed Carlos'' hand tightly.


    It brought back the horrific memories from three years ago when James had tied her to an operating


    table and forced her to divorce Carlos. He had threatened that he would have doctors abort her baby.


    She was so traumatized that several monthster, when she went intobor, she was too afraid to go


    into the delivery room. However, at the doctors'' insistence, she finally went there at thest minute.


    In the delivery room, she focused on observing the doctors vigntly. She was afraid that the doctors


    were sent by James and that they would take her baby away. During the childbirth, even though Debbie


    was in great pain, she refused any medication. She wanted to be fully conscious and aware, to keep an


    eye on the doctors.


    Carlos sensed that something wasn''t right with Debbie.


    She was trembling all over. Carlos gently pulled her into his arms and patted her back to soothe and


    comfort her. "Honey, trust me. No one will ever harm you again," he said softly in her ear.


    "Mmm... Carlos, are you going to do something to her baby?"


    "She said she didn''t want the baby. So I''d like to help her get rid of it. I''m a good man, right?" Carlos


    said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Carlos had his principles. No matter how much he hated


    Stephanie, he wouldn''t deal with an unborn baby. It was Stephanie herself who didn''t want it.


    Stephanie had made an appointment with a doctor of another hospital to abort the baby. Carlos,


    however, asked his men to bring her to this hospital.


    If Stephanie had regretted her decision and wanted to keep the baby, Carlos would have let her keep it.


    But she didn''t.


    ''Help her?'' Debbie shook her head helplessly. In his arms, she took a deep breath and calmed down a


    lot. She raised her head again and gave him a small smile. "Will you give her anesthesia?" she asked.


    "No," Carlos simply said.


    His reply sent a chill down everyone''s spine.


    Debbie looked at the scalpels and said, "I want to stay. Okay?"


    "Sure. You can do whatever you like." The reason Carlos had brought her here was to avenge her.


    He ordered his men to remove the gags from James and Glenda. Glenda sobbed bitterly, "Carlos,


    please don''t do this to my daughter. Please let her go. I beg you, please..."


    James'' whole body was shaking. "Carlos Huo, you can vent your anger out on me. Let her go..."


    Carlos curled his lips. His smile was as vicious as a venomous snake. "Don''t worry. You''ll be next. No


    one will be getting away with what they have done."


    Glenda''s loud crying woke Stephanie. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. When she


    discovered where she was, she tried to sit up and yelled, "Carlos Huo, what do you want?" That was


    when she realized that her hands were tied to each side of the operating table.


    At that moment, Niles came into the room while cursing under his breath, "Damn! Damon is such a


    coward. There''s nothing wrong with him, yet he forced me to do a thorough check-up on him. It was


    such a waste of my time..." When he saw so many people inside the room, he shed a broad smile.


    "Hi, Uncle James. Hi, Uncle James'' mistress. Hello, Miss Li. You''re finally awake."


    ''Uncle James'' mistress?'' Both James and Glenda turned sour.


    Ignoring Niles, Stephanie fixed her eyes on Carlos. Unlike her mother, she was calm andposed.


    "Carlos Huo, you better kill me right here and now. Otherwise, the first thing that I''m going to do after I


    leave here is report you to the authorities for having people rape me and holding me against my will."


    Carlos picked up a scalpel and yed with it in his hand. The scalpel shone under the light. After a


    while, he said mockingly, "Kill you?"


    An evil smile appeared on his lips as he shot the scalpel towards Stephanie.


    Debbie watched in horror, and a chill ran down her spine.


    "Aaargh!" Stephanie let out a bloodcurdling scream.


    The scalpel cut her arm and dropped to the floor.


    "You think that I wouldn''t dare kill you?" Carlos mocked.


    James roared, "Carlos Huo, only a coward will torment a woman¡ª" His voice trailed off as he


    remembered what he had done to Debbie.

 Chapter 493 Kneel And Apologize

    Chapter 493 Kneel And Apologize


    "Right. Only a coward will torment a woman," Carlos said sarcastically when he heard James'' words.


    With one hand in his pocket, he walked up to James, patted the slimeball''s cheek, and said, "Be


    patient. It will be your turn soon. I will not let you down, Dad." He stared the old man in the eye. Without


    averting his sight, he ordered the doctors, "Since Stephanie doesn''t want the bastard in her belly, let''s


    do her a favor¡ª rip it out!"


    He had waited for this day for more than a month. Stephanie was finally pregnant. It was showtime! He


    would make James watch while he paid him back with interest! Then he would know who was crueler


    between the two of them.


    Two doctors held Stephanie tightly onto the operating table, and another one grabbed the tools and


    started the abortion procedure.


    Stephanie''s eyes widened in fear. Debbie watched. The operation was being done without giving her


    an anesthetic. She could imagine how painful it was.


    But Stephanie bit her lower lip stubbornly. When the cold equipment was inserted into her body, she


    refused to scream, no matter how much it hurt.


    Even if Carlos hadn''t ordered the doctors to do the abortion, she wouldn''t have kept the bastard


    anyway.


    James bowed his head and clenched his teeth as hatred filled his heart. Glenda cried so hard that she


    was on the verge of passing out. She was making too much noise, so Carlos had her mouth gagged


    again.


    Debbie couldn''t stand the bloody scene anymore. She turned her head away from the operating table.


    But she told herself not to be soft-hearted. Three years ago, James hadn''t been merciful to her.


    When the procedure was done, everyone thought that Carlos was done with the punishments. But the


    doctors remained. Carlos red at James and asked, "Do you understand how Debbie had felt back


    then?"


    His voice was cold, radiating an undeniably dangerous aura.


    Debbie gazed at him and saw bloodlust in his sharp eyes.


    James wondered whether he should nod or shake his head.


    Carlos didn''t really care how he felt. While James was working on a response, Carlos asked Stephanie,


    "Where''s the woman who had impersonated Debbie?"


    Blood drained from her face, making her look as pale as a ghost. But her eyes were not dead yet, and


    she didn''t respond to Carlos'' question.


    The man stared back at her. "I hate your eyes," he said calmly. Every time Stephanie looked at Debbie,


    her eyes were full of malice and disdain.


    Carlos'' words shocked everyone. Debbie had never asked Carlos how he was going to deal with


    Stephanie, so she had no idea about any of this before she had walked into this operating room. What


    he had just said gave her a feeling that Stephanie was about to lose her eyes.


    And she was right.


    Operating on Stephanie without anesthetizing her had been cruel enough. Also, having a group of


    hobos rape her and Glenda was sickeningly heartless. What Carlos said next sent shivers down


    Stephanie''s spine. "I had someone fill in an application to the Red Cross to donate your corneas and a


    kidney."


    Loss of sight and one kidney wasn''t bad enough to kill her, but it would damage her life forever.


    Glenda was having a nervous breakdown; James'' blood pressure was acting up and he was feeling


    dizzy. Yet, unlike her parents, Stephanie gave Carlos a cold smile and asked in a weak voice, "What do


    you expect me to say? ''Thank you for not killing me''?"


    Carlos loathed her expression and tone. He averted his gaze towards James and announced, "If you


    kneel before Debbie and apologize, I''ll spare her corneas."


    James was stunned into a daze for a short moment. Then he nodded vigorously. The gag in his mouth


    was removed.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once he was brought in front of Debbie, a bodyguard gave him a hard kick in the back of his knee, and


    he thumped to the floor on his knees.


    His face went pale from the pain in the knees, and his forehead was filled with beads of sweat.


    Stephanie saw all this from the operating table, but she was nonchnt, like an emotionless machine.


    Debbie wasn''t going to let James off so easy. She nced around the operating room and saw a bottle


    of antiphlogistine.


    She strode over, grabbed it, and smashed the bottle in front of James.


    The ss bottle broke into pieces. The drug spilled all over the floor and sshed onto James.


    Debbie''s shoes were stained too, but she didn''t care. "Your apology wasn''t sincere at all. Kneel over


    the broken ss. Then, we''ll talk about forgiveness."


    Carlos was surprised by Debbie''s act. He grinned and thought, ''My wife is meaner than me. She is so


    cool! I''m so proud!''


    James gasped and his eyes rolled in their sockets uncontrobly. He was about to faint. Niles was


    quick to run over to him and fumbled around his coat for his medicine. He found the pills for his high


    blood pressure. He looked at thebel to confirm, took out five pills and gave them to James.


    A minuteter, James felt better.


    He took a deep breath and sneered at Debbie, "Don''t push me!"


    "Push you?!" Debbie was enraged. She shook off Carlos'' hand and kicked James in the chest.


    He groaned painfully on the floor.


    But Debbie was not done. She lifted her right foot and stamped on his chest mercilessly. Looking down


    at him, she asked, "I''m pushing you? Did you forget what you did to me three years ago? After Carlos''


    ident, you tied me to an operating table and coerced me into signing the divorce papers. You should


    have known this day woulde."


    Overwhelmed by emotions, Debbie raised her voice and yelled at him, "You hit me, forced me to leave


    Carlos'' and my home, staged his death and tricked me to a fake funeral. You ruined my happiness and


    destroyed my life. You pushed me into severe depression. What do you say about all that?" Debbie''s


    eyes reddened at the thought of her painful past.


    Hearing her words, Carlos felt even more guilty.


    Debbie removed her foot from James'' chest and squatted down beside him. She grabbed his cor and


    pulled him up into a sitting position. "You''re a murderer. I''ll sue you and make you rot in jail!"


    James struggled a little and smiled contemptuously at her. "You''re only doing all this by relying on


    Carlos. Find some proof on your own, I dare you!"


    "I rely on Carlos. So what? He''s my husband. We count on each other. I might not be able to find out


    everything you did, but Carlos sure can. And now that I''ve seen the pathetic look on your face, I''ll smile


    in my dreams tonight!"

 Chapter 494 Payback

    Chapter 494 Payback


    Ever since Debbie knew Carlos'' memory had returned, she refused to have sex with him. When Debbie


    said, "He''s my husband. We count on each other", Carlos was greatlyforted by her words.


    "Pfft! Your husband? You and Carlos haven''t even remarried yet. What a trollop you are to say that! If


    he loved you, why hasn''t he married you yet?" By now, James had figured out that Carlos had fully


    regained his memory.


    Debbie shed a smile at him. "It''s not that he doesn''t want to marry me. He carries the divorce


    certificate and residence booklet around with him every day, just in case I agree to marry him. Your


    daughter tried everything to get this man, and yet I''m still considering whether or not to give him a


    second chance."


    Her words had amused Carlos. ''When did she find out about that?'' he wondered.


    Everyone that was present in the operating room exchanged nces with each other. They couldn''t


    believe their ears and looked at Carlos who was still smiling. They were all aware that he was one of


    the wealthiest men in the world. ''Since when did Carlos Huo have to try so hard to get a woman?'' they


    all wondered.


    No longer in the mood to waste time speaking to James, Debbie cast a nce at the bodyguards.


    Taking the hint, they grabbed James by the shoulders and forced him to kneel down on the broken


    ss.


    "Argh!" His scream pierced the air in the operating room.


    Most of the broken ss cut cruelly into his flesh and embedded into his skin. His face was now as


    pale as Stephanie''s.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Carlos ignored his screams of pain and took Debbie into his arms, whispering in her ear, "Honey, there


    are so many of them watching. It''ll be so humiliating if you still reject me. Let''s remarry tomorrow and


    make them all jealous, okay?"


    Debbie rolled her eyes at him. ''You think just because my tone softened I would agree to marry you


    now? Yeah right! You wish.'' So she said softly, "I just need some more time."


    Carlos was deeply disappointed


    and frustrated. Chasing Debbie was the most difficult task he ever had to do.


    James didn''t have much time to make his decision. Carlos nodded to the doctors, and they picked up


    the scalpels and were about to begin the surgery. James couldn''t bear to watch. He gritted his teeth


    and bowed his head. "Debbie, Carlos, I''m sorry. Please let my daughter go." Meanwhile he thought to


    himself, ''Screw you, Carlos Huo! You had your memory back and found out that Stephanie was my


    daughter a long time ago!''


    Debbie shook her head and said through clenched teeth, "What kind of apology is that? Not sincere


    enough!"


    James turned his head to look at Stephanie, who was lying on the hospital bed expressionless. From


    the very start, she had never said a word to him nor in his defense, but still, James apologized again


    humbly, "Carlos, Debbie, I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have done those terrible things to you years ago."


    Debbie felt much relief to finally hear those wordsing from him. She had waited a long time for


    them.


    Then she noticed Stephanie just lying there nonchntly. Debbie shook her head in disapproval. ''While


    her father is apologizing on his knees for his daughter''s sake, she is acting as if she doesn''t give a


    damn.


    Like father like daughter. They''re both heartless, '' Debbie thought.


    "Where is that woman?" Carlos demanded.


    "Stephanie, tell them," James urged.


    But Stephaniey there with her eyes closed as if she was sleeping.


    ''Acting defiant?'' Carlos thought. He sneered and told the bodyguards, "Get them out of the room.


    Leave the doctors to do their work."


    The bodyguards hauled Glenda and James out of the operating room. Glenda was weak as a leaf and


    never stopped crying, whereas James'' pants were drenched in blood.


    While the doctors operated on Stephanie, Carlos and Debbie left the hospital. The bodyguards stood


    guarding the operating room in case James and Glenda tried to barge in to save their daughter.


    Sitting on the bench listlessly in the hallway, James peered around the corner. There were a couple of


    cameras in the hallway, but neither of them seemed to be working. He assumed that Carlos had


    sabotaged them beforehand.


    Glenda grabbed his arm and asked tearfully, "What should we do? Our daughter is still in there. We


    must save her."


    James patted her hand tofort her, and then he called one of his men to pick them up from the


    hospital. Once they were inside the car, he texted someone. "One billion for killing Carlos Huo, half a


    billion for killing Debbie Nian, 100 million for bringing their daughter to me!" he promised in the


    message.


    "James, let''s get Stephanie and get out of here. We can''t beat Carlos Huo. We have plenty of money.


    Let''s leave Y City." Glenda was scared. Carlos was too cruel.


    He made them watch as he tortured their daughter. They could do nothing and were helpless to save


    her.


    A venomous light flitted across James'' eyes. "He took one of my daughter''s kidneys. I''m going to take


    both of his daughter''s!"


    Glenda was shocked. ''Carlos'' daughter? She''s only a three-year-old little girl.''


    On the way home, Carlos was busy speaking on the phone. He had James closely watched. Wherever


    that evil man went, he was tailed.


    Carlos figured out what James might do next.


    He wanted to give his daughter a normal upbringing, so he let Evelyn continue to go to the


    kindergarten. All the cars used to pick her up had been refitted to be bulletproof. Many bodyguards in


    casual clothes were arranged around the kindergarten whenever Evelyn was there.


    Thinking of Evelyn''s safety, Carlos realized that he had to take care of James as soon as possible.


    He asked Frankie to set up an emergency meeting the next afternoon. All the high-ranking executives


    of ZL Group were requested to be present.


    "Time for Dixon and the others toe back," he told Frankie.


    Debbie had been deep in thought in the car. Upon hearing Dixon''s name, she sat up immediately, and


    her eyes lit up. "Dixon ising back?"


    "Yeah. He''s capable enough to undertake some tasks now. I can use his help." Soldiers were trained to


    be used in a time of crisis. Carlos believed that Dixon wouldn''t let him down.


    "When is he arriving? I want to pick him up at the airport." Among Debbie''s friends, Dixon had been


    apart from her for the longest.


    Kristina had been out of touch. Debbie and Kasie had tried to call her the other day, but her phone


    number wasn''t in service anymore.


    Seeing how excited Debbie was, Carlos wasn''t happy. He squeezed her hand as a warning and asked,


    "You''re very happy to see him?"


    "Of course! I haven''t seen him for years. I''ve missed him!" Debbie admitted, ignoring his warning.


    A warning was all that Carlos could do. Despite being jealous, the mighty man cared too much about


    Debbie to scold her.

 Chapter 495 Take It To Dixon

    Chapter 495 Take It To Dixon


    The entire Y City knew that the ZL Group was going through a period of crisis and was making major


    changes. Thepany had held not only a management meeting but also a shareholders meeting and


    ayoff conference.


    Soon after the conferences, five elites who had just graduated from abroad were appointed to be the


    top executives of the group. Each of them waspetent enough to be the CEO of a regional branch.


    The arrival of new faces also meant that some of the old employees would be leaving.


    Sure enough, eighteen high-ranking managers had been fired in one day. Thirteen of them were sued


    by the ZL Group''swyers for embezzlement, taking bribes, cooking the books and other illegal


    activities.


    Three of the five elites that came were appointed as CEOs of the regional branches. Another one


    became the deputy general manager of the headquarters. The fifth, though, seemed to hold the lowest


    position among them. He was Dixon. He was appointed as the head of Carlos'' secretaries.


    The dismissal of the CEOs in some of the regional branches showed that the ZL Group was full of


    elites and that thepany was resolute to put things straight. Those drastic measures brought out the


    desired effect. Some senior executives that harbored ulterior motives were menaced.


    With all the changes that had taken ce in thepany, Carlos had been swamped at work. Miranda


    had been taking care of Evelyn, and they became used to not seeing Carlos for a few days at a time.


    Debbie stood in front of the office building of the ZL Group and looked up at the logo and smiled.


    Four years ago she was still very green and knew nothing about even cooking, let alone other things.


    However, she was determined to please the most important man in this building, so she learned how to


    cook and brought the freshly cooked dishes here. Just like she did now, she stood in front of the


    building, gazed up at the logo and went inside.


    Four years ago she and Carlos were strangers. Although now they had be soul mates, the closest


    a person could be to another.


    Debbie''s cooking used to be terrible. However, after much practice and determination, she now cooked


    delicious meals and became an excellent cook.


    Carlos had been too busy to eat regrly. He onceined about having a stomachache to


    Miranda, and then Miranda told Debbie about it. Debbie had felt bad, so she cooked a few dishes for


    him and decided to bring them to his office so that Carlos could have a nice meal.


    When she walked into the building, none of the employees tried to stop her. They all greeted her


    politely and with respect. "Mrs. Huo."


    "Nice to see you, Mrs. Huo."


    "Good afternoon, Mrs. Huo."


    Since Debbie and Carlos hadn''t remarried, she was embarrassed by the way they addressed her.


    Tristan told her that Carlos gave specific instructions to the employees to address her as Mrs. Huo


    whenever they saw her.


    On the 66th floor, all the secretaries were in their office. When the elevator arrived with a tinkling


    sound, all of them lifted their heads to look. Tristan was the first, then Frankie followed by Dixon.


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Doctor!" Debbie called out with excitement when she saw him.


    Tall and thin, he was wearing sses and a dark-colored suit. Rising from his seat, Dixon smiled at her.


    "Hi, Tomboy, I''m back!"


    One of the other secretaries was surprised to see him smile. He had been working with them for two


    days, and not once had he smiled. However, he was smiling at Debbie now. The secretary wondered if


    he and Debbie knew each other from before.


    Despite the gazes from the rest of the employees, Debbie ran toward Dixon excitedly and hugged him


    hard. Happy tears streamed down her cheeks. "Doctor, you''re finally back! Carlos told me that you


    would being back. I''m so d to see you."


    Dixon patted her back tofort her. "Yes, Tomboy, I''m back, and I''m staying." He had missed Y City


    and his friends dearly.


    "Really? That''s great! Do Jared and the others know you''re back?"


    "No, you''re the only one who knows for now. I''ve just started this job. There''s a lot to¡ª"


    Creak! The door of the CEO''s office was flung open, and Carlos strode out and saw them hugging.


    He walked over to them and pulled Debbie into his arms. ring at Dixon, he said in a cold voice,


    "Dixon, take this file and read it through. Highlight all of the errors and then deliver it to my office when


    it''s done."


    Dixon took the file. "Yes, Mr. Huo." He retreated to his desk resignedly.


    The other secretaries all averted their gazes nervously and resumed their work.


    Debbie wriggled out of Carlos'' embrace. "I want to¡ª" She meant to say that she wanted to catch up


    with Dixon.


    But before she could finish the sentence, Carlos interrupted her. "Chatting at work isn''t allowed. His


    sry will be deducted. Do you want that for him?"


    Debbie pouted.


    ''Just admit you''re jealous, and stop making excuses, '' Tristan mused when he heard what Carlos said.


    Dixon waved to Debbie with a smile and pointed at the file in his hand, indicating that he had to go back


    to work.


    Debbie let out a sigh and followed Carlos back into his office.


    After closing the door behind her, she put the food containers on the desk in a sullen manner and said,


    "Here! Eat!"


    When Carlos nced at the containers filled with food, he was taken back to four years ago. Back


    then, Debbie was much sweeter and more obedient, unlike now when she was defiant and bossy.


    Even so, Carlos was touched by her gesture and pecked her on the lips and said, "Thank you, honey."


    Debbie had good intentions when she made the dishes for Carlos. However, after the way he acted a


    few moments ago when she was with Dixon, she had be annoyed with him. Debbie was so


    irritated that she was going to let him open the containers of food himself. Then she remembered how


    busy Carlos had beentely, and her heart softened. When Carlos went to wash his hands, she opened


    up all the containers of food andid the various dishes out for him on the desk.


    There were three vegetable dishes along with fish wonton.


    Carlos sat down and took the chopsticks that she handed to him. "Why did youe over? Have you


    eaten?"


    "Yes, I have eaten. I''ve got the day off today, but I have to go to a fashion show tonight." Debbie


    watched him eating, and subconsciously she was nning a reunion with Dixon, Jared, and Kasie in


    her mind.


    "Okay," Carlos replied. He seemed to be enjoying the dishes and ate one wonton at a time.


    After staring absently at him for a while, Debbie asked, "When did Dixone back? He''s much more


    handsome than before. He has the urban look about him and seems capable. What position does he


    hold now? How much will he make in a year? You''ll pay him, right?"


    Carlos gave her a sharp look. "Why do you care so much about Dixon?"


    "He''s one of my closest friends. We''ve been friends for many years. Of course, I care about him. You


    eat, and I''ll go check on him." Debbie was itching to talk with Dixon.


    Carlos abruptly put the chopsticks down and frowned.


    "What''s the matter?" she asked.


    "I''ve lost my appetite." He wiped his mouth with a tissue.


    "You didn''t like it?" she asked. ''That couldn''t be the reason because my cooking is much better than


    before, '' she thought.


    Carlos sighed sadly. "Instead of enjoying the moment with me, my wife has been thinking about


    another man all this time. How can I enjoy the food? Take it to Dixon."


    Debbie rolled her eyes at him.


    "Humph!" She wasn''t going to humor his mood.


    "Fine. As it happens, Dixon doesn''t seem to have eaten. Since you haven''t touched these dishes yet,


    I''ll take them to him. You didn''t seem to like them, anyway."

 Chapter 496 Reward

    Chapter 496 Reward


    Carlos was hurt. ''I never said I didn''t like it.'' Debbie''s career was booming. Sometimes, she was even


    busier than Carlos. He barely saw her at all. And it had been too long since shest cooked for him.


    Knowing that she wasing to see him, and bringing lunch, he dropped everything, putting off


    meetings and appointments, and was waiting for her in his office.


    He heard noises outside, so he rushed to the door to whip it open. She was hugging someone else. His


    heart sank.


    Although Debbie had said she was going to take the food to Dixon, she was sitting down. Carlos got up


    from his chair and sat beside her. Stroking her hair, he said, "Be a good girl. Don''t get too close to that


    guy, or I''m moving him out of the city."


    Debbie sensed his jealousy. "Hey, old man. Dixon and I are just buddies. You''re the one I love. What


    are you jealous of?"


    ''The one she loves.'' Carlos was touched by those words. He felt that this was a chance to convince


    Debbie to marry him. "So when are you going to marry the man you love?" Carlos couldn''t wait


    anymore. If she turned him down again, he would do it his own way. One way or another, he''d get her


    to the Civil Affairs Bureau to sign that license.


    Again, she said softly, "I need more time."


    Carlos dropped it and continued to eat.


    Debbie smiled and opened thetest issue of her favorite magazine. She flipped through it, looking for


    theics liberally sprinkled throughout its pages.


    Carlos devoured his lunch and brushed his teeth in the lounge.


    When he sat down on the couch again, he dragged Debbie over and sat her on hisp. "Don''t I get a


    reward?" he asked.


    "What for?"


    "I ate everything in the lunchbox. I think I deserve a reward. Even kids get a little sticker or something."


    He lowered his head on her belly to smell her scent.


    She wore a casual coat, a white cashmere shirt, and jeans. In that outfit, she looked like a college


    student.


    She had been turning him down when the lights were out. But if he wanted a reward... She pecked him


    on the chin.


    Carlos wasn''t satisfied. He looked at her. Her rosy lips in lipstick were so tempting he leaned in and


    gave her a long, passionate kiss.


    He didn''t let go of her until she felt like she was going to pass out fromck of air. She gasped, gulping


    down deep lungfuls of oxygen. But the next thing she knew, he pressed her against the couch and


    comined, "Honey, it''s been almost two months."


    "Okay. And?" she asked with a smile, grabbing his wandering hand.


    Carlos was definitely annoyed. "So when are you going to give it up?"


    "Let me see..." She pretended to be considering it seriously. "I can pencil you in next Thursday..." Then


    she came up with an answer. "Never! Haha..."


    Frustrated, Carlos buried his face in her neck. To punish her a little, he bit her there, under the jawline.


    "Ouch! That hurts. Cut it out, asshole." Her hand flew to her neck. She checked her fingers, there was


    no blood, but it still stung. Then slowly, the pain was reced by the touch of his lips, the feel of


    afternoon stubble nuzzling her neck lightly, gentle kisses.


    So when Debbie stepped out of the CEO''s office, there were a few hickeys on her neck, but she knew


    nothing about it.


    Dixon wanted to talk to her, but when he turned his head, he saw Carlos standing at the door glowering


    at him. So he just waved and focused on his work.


    After Debbie left the building, the office was abuzz with spections about her rtionship with Carlos.


    "I bet bringing Mr. Huo lunch was only an excuse. Debbie must have been here for some action.


    Looking at her neck, seems like she found some."


    "What''s going on between her and Mr. Huo? They''re not married yet, right? Then why does Mr. Huo


    ask us to call her Mrs. Huo?"


    "Mr. Huo was mean to Debbie when he had amnesia. My guess is he''s trying to make amends."


    "Ooh, interesting."


    Recently, Carlos warned Debbie about hanging around Decker. That he was mixed up with some bad


    people


    and she needed to watch her step. She forgot about that,rgely because she was too busy. And he


    was her brother, after all. But Carlos'' warnings were like an omen. That night, while driving home,


    Debbie''s car was forced into an alley. If her driver hadn''t been as skilled as he was, they would have


    smashed straight into her. She hadn''t recovered from the shock of it yet, when all of sudden thuggish


    men emerged from the cars and surrounded her.


    The alley was dim. One thug told the middle-aged guy beside him, "That''s Eckerd''s sister. She''s a kick-


    ass fighter, so I''ve brought in some of our specialists."


    Debbie counted in her head. There were about thirty of them. Enough for a fight between rival gangs.


    Only there was only one gang, or so it seemed. And she was their rival, with no gang to back her up.


    Just the driver.


    "Who''s..." She was going to ask who Eckerd was. Then she remembered. ''Carlos said he wasn''t who I


    thought he was. That among others, he goes by a different name.''


    She pieced it together. Decker...Eckerd... Eckerd must be an alias her brother used.


    So these men were all there because of Decker. ''Awesome, dude! I''m going to get the crap beaten out


    of me in some godforsaken alley because of your dumb ass.''


    Debbie''s driver was also her bodyguard. He already let Carlos know what was going on before he got


    out as well.


    "What did Eckerd do?" she asked the punks. "Is it a money thing, or did he take one of you out?"


    The middle-aged man set his mouth in a grim frown. He didn''t answer her. Instead, he red at her for


    a while and then ordered his men, "Get her in the car."


    "Wait! Didn''t you know that I wasn''t close to Eckerd? I''m his sister, but I haven''t seen him in forever."


    That was true. Decker was secretive at best, and Debbie was too busy to waste energy or time on him.


    "No biggie. Eckerd wille looking for you. We''ll be waiting. And then, my saucy singer..." He left the


    threat unspoken, but a gutturalugh escaped his lips.


    "Haha! She is hot!"


    "Delicious!"


    The punks leered at Debbie.


    Debbie was disgusted. She nced at them, stretched her limbs, and dropped into a fighting stance.


    "Think you can take me? Bring it!" she dered.


    Her bodyguard used to be the principal of a martial arts school. He was a master of wing chun, having


    even been instructed in how to wield the traditional weapons of the art. He''d also learned the


    fundamentals of kickboxing, not to mention wrestling holds.


    The sidekicks stepped back, allowing the henchmen to do their dirty work. They came at her, fists


    raised.


    Debbie dodged the first few swings. Then she sidestepped one man''s punch, used the energy of his


    punch against him, and threw him to the ground, using his momentum.


    Seeing this, the middle-aged man took out his phone and said to someone on the other end of the line,


    "She knows tae kwon do. Send some ck belts."


    This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As soon as Debbie and her bodyguard took care of those bulky men, around six men with daggers


    rushed over at them.

 Chapter 497 Decker Comes Clean

    Chapter 497 Decker Comes Clean


    Just then, some other cars turned into the alley and screeched into a halt behind them. Debbie had to


    focus on dealing with the immediate threat. She didn''t turn her head to see who the neers were.


    As she was busy fighting, someone forcefully yanked her away from the battle and pushed her into the


    door of the car she hade in. Luckily, she was quick enough to steady herself. Otherwise she would


    have hit the car forcefully and been knocked to the ground.


    This couldn''t have been Carlos. He wouldn''t have been so rough on her.


    She looked up and saw that some new guys had joined the fight. The main guy wore a ck coat. She


    recognized him immediately. It was Decker!


    Before she could give this any more thought, another car tore into the alley. This time it was Carlos.


    He was only wearing a white oxford. He must have been in too much of a hurry to get his suit, and


    raced here as soon as he got the driver''s message. "Are you all right?" he asked Debbie anxiously,


    caressing her cheek. "Are you hurt?"


    He was so tender and caring suddenly she wanted to be pampered by him. She held out her hands


    and said pitifully, "I knocked six men to the ground. Now my hands hurt."


    Carlos took her hands in his own, kissing and rubbing them affectionately. "Let''s get to a hospital. We''ll


    have ''em X-rayed."


    "Actually, I feel better, now that you''re here," Debbie refused hastily. The pain was really not that bad.


    Carlos'' men joined the fight. After cracking some skulls, Decker turned to Carlos and Debbie, who were


    embracing. He shook his head resignedly.


    ''Come on! I''m busy fighting, and he''s making out with my sister.''


    After a while, Debbie surveyed the conflict and said to Carlos, "Maybe we should help him out." The


    alley was dark, and there were too many people in the chaos. She couldn''t see her brother.


    Carlos'' gaze traveled over the crowd. After a few seconds, he nodded his head in Decker''s direction


    and replied, "Don''t worry. He can handle it."


    Debbie followed Carlos'' gaze and found Decker. He grabbed one man''s hair and smashed his face into


    a bent knee, punched another in the throat, and knocked the wind out of yet another thug, nting a


    fist in his sr plexus. With every punk he took down, he got closer and closer to the middle-aged man.


    The reinforcements, the ck belts, finally arrived. Spooked by Decker''s advance, the middle-aged


    man ran past them, leaving Decker to deal with the tae kwon do maestros.


    However, before those ck belts could do more than drop into fighting stance, the sirens of the police


    screamed in the distance. The sound was getting louder, the police were headed their way. The


    hooligans panicked. They hopped in their cars and fled in a hurry.


    Decker didn''t give chase. He turned around and walked over to Carlos and Debbie.


    He looked at his sister and asked, "You hurt?"


    "No," she answered.


    Satisfied that she was uninjured, he turned to leave. "Hey, Decker!" she called out.


    Decker looked back at her.


    "Just what the hell was that all about?" she demanded. Her brother was too mysterious. She had so


    many questions about him.


    Decker looked at Carlos and replied, "Ask him. He seems to have all the answers."


    ''Carlos? What does he have to do with this?'' She looked at Carlos, who was leaning against the car


    door. "I want to hear it from you," she said to Decker.


    Decker''s face darkened. Realizing he couldn''t hide it anymore, he promised, "I have to be somewhere


    tonight. Meet me tomorrow. Your apartment. I''ll tell you everything."


    Debbie waved at him and said, "Fine. I''ll be waiting."


    Decker and his men left. Before Debbie could get in the car, the police pulled up. Those injured punks


    had nowhere to run and were all arrested.


    Thanks to Carlos, the police didn''t ask Debbie to go to the police station for a statement. Carlos gave


    her a lift home.


    The next day, when Decker came to Debbie''s ce, Carlos was there too. The powerful man leaned


    back on the couch, legs crossed and arms extending along the back of the sofa, arrogant as ever. He


    watched Decker walk into the apartment. Debbie''s brother looked wasted.


    Debbie also noticed how tired Decker looked. She poured him a ss of water and handed it to him.


    "Need a rest?"


    Decker had been up all night to settle ounts with the men from the night before. Luckily, he had a


    spare couple of hours to catch some Z''s. He gulped down the water and ced the ss on the table.


    Leaning back on the sofa, eyes closed, he shook his head and replied, "Pulled an all-nighter. I''m used


    to it."


    Debbie sat beside the silent Carlos. Carlos took her hand right when she sat down.


    She let him. She was mad at him, but she still loved him.


    No one spoke. The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. After a while, Decker opened


    his eyes and looked at Debbie with his head tilted. "Well?" He sounded a little impatient.


    Debbie had so many questions she didn''t know where to begin.


    So she started with the first question that popped into her head. "I gave you some serious cash. What


    happened to it?"


    Decker looked better than he had. She didn''t think he had squandered the money.


    "Buying people off," he confessed. There was no need to hide it from her anymore.


    "Who? And why?"


    "My men. To keep them loyal."


    "So, you''re like Yates?" Everyone knew what kind of business Yates was involved in.


    "Yes," Decker admitted.


    "Yates is the deputy chief of his organization. And you?" Judging from his outfit and the way Decker


    dressed, Debbie was convinced he was pretty well off. His outfit was nothing special at first nce.


    Leather jacket. Tailored jeans. Nice Henley. But Debbie could tell these were all designer clothes. His


    shoes alone cost $400.


    "You don''t wanna know," Decker protested. He was afraid that the truth would scare her.


    "I wouldn''t have asked if I didn''t. Fine. If you don''t want to tell me, then don''t. But don''t expect any help


    from me." Debbie resolved to find out the truth about her brother once and for all.


    "If you lie to my wife, don''t ever tell people I''m your brother-inw," Carlos suddenly cut in.


    Once, during a gang war, Yates managed to take Decker hostage. To save the lives of his men, not to


    mention his own, he told Yates that Carlos was his brother-inw. Wouldn''t you know it? Carlos'' name


    worked like a charm. Yates let them go. After that, he dropped Carlos'' name every time he was in


    trouble.


    And Carlos lied for Decker every time someone expressed a bit of doubt. On top of that, Carlos would


    also tell whoever wanted to know that he had Decker''s back, so they''d better respect him. Over time,


    Decker managed to work his way up. At first, it was grudging respect, and then it was true loyalty


    based on how much the man brought to the table. His men became fairly wealthy thanks to Decker''s


    acumen. He became one of the most influential people in the underworld.


    When he heard what Carlos said, his expression turned gloomy. He didn''t have the heart to get angry


    at Debbie. But he was sure willing to mock Carlos. "You keep referring to Debbie as your wife, butst


    time I checked, you weren''t married."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Debbie tried so hard to stifle herughter she was actually trembling.


    Carlos didn''t get mad. He squeezed Debbie''s hand and retorted, "At least I have a woman. You, on the


    other hand... But don''t worry. She might not be born yet. Or is she still in school? Maybe you should


    hang out near a school. You''ll find yourself a nice girl that way."

 Chapter 498 What Doesnt Kill You Makes You Stronger

    Chapter 498 What Doesn''t Kill You Makes You Stronger


    Carlos'' mockery angered Decker. If he could, he would find another man for Debbie. He believed that


    any other man would show him more respect than Carlos had.


    Debbie tugged on Carlos'' sleeve and reminded him. "My brother has a girlfriend."


    "When did I..." Decker suddenly stopped mid-sentence recalling that he had once brought a woman


    with him when he went to see Debbie. "Oh, she''s not my girlfriend. Just a cover," he exined.


    Debbie rolled her eyes at him and scoffed, "This is my brother who has been lying to me."


    Since he indeed had lied to her about many things, he promised, "I had no other choice, but I won''t lie


    to you again." Decker used to think his identity as a gangster would put Debbie in danger. He didn''t


    believe that he was powerful enough to protect her, and so he kept his real identity from her and even


    tried to drive her away for her safety. However, now that she was back with Carlos again, Decker knew


    that she was safe. He didn''t need to pretend to be someone else in front of her anymore.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    "Okay, tell me everything," Debbie said.


    Decker reclined on the couch, lost deep in thought as though he was organizing what he was going to


    say. It took him a long while before he began.


    Decker and Yates used to be enemies. Even so, Yates appreciated Decker''s capabilities. Therefore,


    when he found out about Decker''s rtionship with Carlos, he had reconciled himself with him.


    Decker used to build up his force overseas. Since Carlos was in Y City and he could help him a lot, it


    made more sense for Decker to move to Y City.


    However, it was Elroy who had made Decker into what he was today.


    Elroy had fostered Decker for a few years before he abandoned him as a boy and sent him to a


    children''s welfare home. Whether Decker survived or died was of no concern to Elroy. He simply didn''t


    care anymore.


    Fortunately, Decker did survive. When he was just ten years old, his talent began to show. However,


    Elroy found out about it as well. The evil man decided to destroy the young boy at any cost.


    That year, Decker had entered into a pianopetition. While he was at the backstage, he happened


    to overhear someone warning the judges not to let him win.


    Decker realized then that someone was gunning for him, but he didn''t know who it was.


    In junior high, Decker was one of the top students. Everyone expected him to get a schrship and go


    on to an elite high school. However, the day before the high school entrance examination, he was


    kidnapped and missed the exam.


    Without the scores, there was no way that he would be epted by any high school.


    Feeling alone and helpless, Decker remembered a man that he knew from his part-time job. On the


    opening day of high school, Decker went to see him and seek his help.


    The man was a professor in A Country. His wife was a district official, and their daughter was in junior


    high. Decker was the girl''s part-time piano teacher.


    The professor was an honest man. All he wanted in life was for his family to be safe and healthy.


    He had never asked anyone for favors before. The day that Decker came to his house asking him for


    help, the professor didn''t turn the boy down, nor did he promise to help him.


    That night when Decker left the professor''s home, it had been pouring rain. Decker used to see a bright


    future ahead of him, but that night he had a heavy heart, and saw nothing but a sea of misery and


    darkness ahead of him.


    Before he left the professor''s house, his daughter stopped him and said, "It''s not that my father doesn''t


    want to help you. Someone threatened to harm us if he did. The very first day that you gave me a


    lesson on how to y the piano, someone had broken into our home and made my father promise to


    fire you."


    Decker finally understood what was going on.


    For years someone had been suppressing him, sabotaging Decker''s every move and consequently


    quashing all of his hopes for the future. But who?


    Feeling devastated at the realization, Decker rushed out into the torrential rain and yelled out at the top


    of his lungs, "Who are you? Come out and show yourself! I know you''re watching me! Who the hell are


    you? Come out and show your damn face, you coward!"


    But no one came out. The heavy downpour pelted mercilessly and spattered on Decker''s head and


    face, stinging his skin and soaking him to the bone. The cold drops ran down his cheeks, taking with it


    his bitter tears.


    The professor sadly watched the boy through the window that night as he vented out his frustration to


    the night sky. Despite the threat, the professor eventually helped Decker anyway. He managed to enroll


    Decker into a private high school that was founded by one of the professor''s friends.


    Most of the students of that school were the ones whose scores had been at the bottom in the high


    school entrance examination. Even its best students merely had a score of around 300, ranking in the


    middle at most.


    After entering high school, Decker started to hide his true self. He slept in sses. His marks ranked at


    the bottom of the ss. He did nothing but gang up.


    Everybody thought he was a little punk. This was the only way that he could finally have some peace in


    his life.


    Even so, a man had been stalking him for the past few years, and Decker knew it. One day near his


    graduation, he followed the man and found out that his boss was a gray-haired older man.


    After he graduated from high school, he learned that the older man was in fact, Elroy Lu, his foster


    parent that dumped him.


    One night as Decker became more vignt and capable, he put a knife at the throat of one of Elroy''s


    bodyguards. The bodyguard told him that the older man was Decker''s grandfather. He also said that


    Elroy had another bodyguard watch his mother to stop her from ever meeting him.


    As Decker grew up, his force became stronger. To prevent Elroy from finding out, he only fostered his


    force in secret, and he always used his alias Eckerd in public instead of his real name Decker.


    Then one day, he met Debbie.


    It was an evening when a pale and desperate Debbie came knocking on his door. When Decker


    opened the door and stared at the girl before him, she told him that he was her brother. That she was


    pregnant and homeless and wherever he was was also her home.


    Decker had never known that he had a sister, and Debbie''s sudden appearance at his doorstep had


    surprised him. He replied in a devil-may-care tone, "Psycho!" Just like that, he turned and closed the


    door in her face.


    As he thought about all of this, Decker looked at Debbie and decided to tell her how he had truly felt


    back then. "Debbie, remember the first time that we had met? Even though I closed the door on you, I


    noticed our resemnce. However, back then, I couldn''t even protect myself, let alone you and a


    baby."


    That was the reason why he refused to let her stay with him. However, Debbie was persistent. She kept


    coming back to her brother''s ce until he finally agreed to take her in.


    Leaning on Carlos'' shoulder, she stared at Decker with red, teary eyes when she thought about those


    days.


    She considered herself luckypared to Decker. At least her father had loved her when he was alive.


    After her father had passed away, she met Carlos. He held her dear to his heart, but Decker had no


    one to love and look after him.


    Then Decker went on to exin how he got hurtst time. He had intended to take over Yates'' turf in A


    Country, but Yates found out and hunted him down. One of Yates'' men had stabbed him, and the


    reason why he could enter Champs Bay Apartments was that the guards all worked for him.


    Decker had be a powerful man in Y City. He told Debbie and Carlos casually, "Next, I''ll take over


    the Lu Group. Elroy wants to let his youngest son Gus run thepany. He''s grooming him for it, but


    I''m not going to let him get his wish."


    Debbie frowned and was worried. She couldn''t help but ask, "You''re a stranger to the Lu Group. They


    might not even allow you in the building. How can you possibly take over thepany?"

 Chapter 499 The Haggling

    Chapter 499 The Haggling


    Decker smiled. "Ramona held ten percent of the Lu Group''s shares, and she gave it to me. Your so-


    called uncle also handed his shares over to me. So I have twenty-five percent of the Lu Group''s shares


    now." He then nced at Carlos and asked, "With the twenty-five percent, do you think I could take


    over thepany now?"


    Carlos thought about it for a moment and then replied, "I can buy twenty percent of the shares for you.


    With forty-five percent of Lu Group''s shares, you would be in a much better position."


    Debbie''s eyes went as wide as saucers when she heard what Decker said. "When did you contact


    them? Why didn''t you tell me?"


    "You were busy dealing with that old bastard James. I didn''t want to distract you." Decker furrowed his


    brows as if something was bothering him, andined, "Ramona is so irritating. She doesn''t go to


    work but spends all of her time looking for me. It really annoys me so much."


    Debbie frowned and scolded him, "Stop calling her Ramona. She''s also a victim of the Lu family. Some


    day, you might want to call her ''Mom.''"


    Decker nced at her and asked casually, "So, you''ve forgiven her?"


    Debbie sighed. "I want to."


    "Bah! Women are soft. Learn from me. I''ll never forgive her!" Decker retorted.


    Carlos cut in, "If you aren''t going to forgive her and you hate her so much, then why did you take her


    shares? A dog with a full mouth does not bark. You''re bound to call her ''Mom'' eventually."


    Decker had already had enough of Carlos'' smart remarks and was seething inside. He was on the


    verge of snapping. ''Carlos, will you just shut up?'' he wanted to say, but he lost his nerve. He had


    already made a sharp retort at Carlos and didn''t dare do it again. So he changed the subject. "Where


    do you n on getting that twenty percent of the Lu Group''s shares?"


    "Don''t worry. That''ll be a piece of cake. But I won''t just hand it to you on a silver tter. You have to


    promise me something," Carlos said.


    Debbie smiled inside when she heard what Carlos had said. After all, he was a businessman, and


    people in business always pursue profits.


    At this point, Decker had be desperate for a smoke, but since Debbie was with them, he gave up


    on the idea. "You want me to help you chase Debbie, don''t you?"


    Carlos gave him a sidelong nce. "I can handle my wife. I don''t need your help." What he meant by


    that was Debbie was going to be his wife again sooner orter. It was just a question of time.


    Decker couldn''t stand his tone. All of a sudden, a string of adjectives popped into his head that


    perfectly described Carlos. ''Why, you conceited, arrogant, imperious, overbearing son of a...'' "Fine!


    Name your term."


    The corners of Carlos'' mouth twisted into a cunning smile. "I''ll transfer the twenty percent of the shares


    into my wife''s name. If Debbie wants Curtis'' shares, you''ll have to give them up too. So my term is after


    you take over the Lu Group you''ll have to make my wife its biggest shareholder."


    Debbie and Decker looked at each other in shock and were taken aback by what Carlos had


    suggested.


    Decker protested, "Once you two get remarried, what''s Debbie''s is yours. That means the Lu Group


    will be yours too. Carlos Huo, you''re very clever."


    Carlos sneered, "Do you really think that I give a damn about the Lu Group?" Many of the mere


    branches of the ZL Group were bigger than the Lu Group.


    Decker thought for a moment and realized he had no choice. "Fine! But you''ll have to promise me


    something too."


    "No," Carlos rebuffed before even hearing him out.


    Decker was furious and couldn''t stand it any longer. He turned to Debbie and gave her an ultimatum.


    "You''ll have to choose. Me or this stranger?"


    ''Stranger?''


    Debbie blinked at him in disbelief, though she decided to have some fun by annoying Carlos. "Of


    course I''ll choose you, my brother."


    Decker wore a satisfied smile and looked at the now sullen Carlos. "Mr. Huo, will you agree to my term


    now or not?" he asked with a sinister smile. His words were full of menace. It was as if he was


    threatening Carlos that he would marry Debbie off to another man if he dared refuse him.


    The two men regarded each other, exchanging cold res. Then Carlos slowly turned to Debbie and


    asked, "Honey, what do you say?"


    Debbie was nning on toying with Carlos, but when he asked for her opinion, she suddenly felt guilty


    and couldn''t go against him. She giggled and then leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Don''t be hard


    on him. Decker is our brother."


    ''Our brother...'' Carlos'' mood had instantly changed, and the coldness lifted from his features. "Sure!" he


    said to Decker in a cheerful tone.


    Decker nodded and began, "Lend me some of your most talented men. Once I take over the Lu Group,


    I''ll return them."


    Even though Decker was a big shot in Y City now, taking over a group was no small task and was


    complicated. He knew that he couldn''t do it alone. Carlos could do it, but even he might find it difficult.


    A skilled employee could contribute substantially to an enterprise. Now Decker was asking for more


    than one skilled employee. Carlos had to think about it. "You''re greedy," Carlos replied in a t tone.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Decker responded tteringly, "Anything for my sister." The Lu Group meant the world to Elroy. He had


    spent his whole life building it up and running thepany. If it became Debbie''s, he would be


    devastated, and it would be a deadly blow to him. Decker relished the idea.


    Debbie missed the point and was confused. ''For me? Why?''


    Carlos looked at Debbie and answered decisively, "Deal. I''ll have the twenty percent of the Lu Group''s


    shares and the personnel delivered to you together. Remember, I''m only doing this because you''re my


    wife''s brother."


    Decker knew that if it weren''t for Debbie, he would only be a stranger to Carlos. He sighed and looked


    at Debbie. "Thank you, Sister."


    They talked for a long while after they had reached the agreement, and then Decker retired to the guest


    room to have a nap.


    Carlos watched as Decker got up and walked into the room. "Don''t let him in next time," he said


    sullenly.


    "Why?"


    "He makes himself toofortable here. I don''t like it." Even though it was Carlos who had bought the


    apartment for Debbie, he didn''t have the freedom toe and go as Decker did. Debbie often kicked


    Carlos out of the apartment in the middle of the night, whereas Decker acted as if it was his home


    every time that he stayed here. Carlos was unhappy about his cockiness.


    Debbie stroked his hair andforted him, "My brother and I are family."


    He took her into his arms and retorted, "You''re my wife. I''m your family."


    Debbie argued, "Not yet."


    That evening, Ramona found out that Decker was staying at Debbie''s ce, so she brought many


    ingredients over to cook some dishes for the siblings.


    Debbie had gone to thepany with Carlos, so Decker was in the apartment alone. When he heard a


    knock at the door, he trudged bleary-eyed to open it, and Ramona walked in with her arms full of


    groceries. By the time Decker''s head had cleared, Ramona was already in the kitchen washing


    vegetable. He felt awkward to get her out of there.


    Ramona had hung her overcoat on the rack. Wearing an azure sweater and wide-leg pants, she pulled


    an apron on to protect her clothes. At this moment, Ramona was no celebrity but a normal loving


    mother who wanted to cook dinner for her kids.

 Chapter 500 You Can Choose Not To Eat

    Chapter 500 You Can Choose Not To Eat


    By the time Decker finished bathing and walked out of his bedroom, Debbie had alreadye back to


    the apartment with Evelyn.


    Decker scooped up the little girl. He wanted to take her out to have some fun, but Ramona called out to


    stop him. "Decker, dinner is ready. You can y with her after dinner."


    Annoyed, he was about to retort, but Ramona spoke again. "Come on, all of you. Enjoy your dinner. I


    have something else to do now. I''ll leave soon."


    As she moved the dishes from the kitchen to the dinner table, she said again, "I know that Debbie has


    a huge appetite, so I cooked a few more dishes. I''m not confident about my cooking skills. Please don''t


    mind."


    The siblings stood in the living room, watching their mother dart back and forth around the kitchen.


    When thest dish was served on the table, Ramona untied the apron, hung it on the kitchen hanger


    and said, "Eat before the food gets cold." After washing her hands, she grabbed her coat and walked


    up to Evelyn. Caressing the little girl''s cheek, she muttered, "What a lovely girl you are!" ''When will I


    hear you call me Grandma?'' she thought sadly.


    Debbie silently watched her walk towards the door. She opened her mouth and wanted to ask, "Aren''t


    you having dinner with us?" But while she hesitated, Ramona changed into her shoes and left the


    apartment.


    Decker and Debbie stood in a daze for a moment.


    At the dinner table, Debbie grabbed her chopsticks and looked at her brother. Decker didn''t move a


    finger. Sensing her gaze, he stared back at her.


    Evelyn sat quietly, her eyes darting between the two adults. She waited for them to start eating.


    Finally, Decker grabbed his chopsticks and picked a slice of celery into Evelyn''s bowl. "Eat, baby."


    "Thank you," Evelyn replied politely. She scooped the food up with her spoon and put it into her little


    mouth.


    Letting out a sigh, Debbie also began to help Piggy with the food. "I bet she hasn''t eaten anything yet.


    She left with an empty stomach. I feel bad, Decker," she said, sounding remorseful.


    Decker already knew that, but he said stubbornly, "She¡­ She has something else to do."


    "She isn''t working anymore, and she doesn''t have many friends. What does she have to do?" Debbie


    was a mother now. She felt a dull pain in her heart when she thought of how Ramona was trying


    everything to make her children forgive her.


    A dash of unreadable emotion shed in Decker''s eyes. But he remained indifferent. "It has nothing to


    do with me."


    Debbie was angered by his cold words. "It has nothing to do with you? Then why are you eating the


    food she cooked?"


    "I didn''t force her to cook for us. She volunteered to do it."


    Debbie thrust out her chopsticks to stop him from picking up more food from his te. Frowning, she


    rebuked, "Yes, you didn''t force her to cook. But you can choose not to eat!"


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    He was already annoyed by Ramona''s sudden appearance, and now his anger grew even more


    because of Debbie''s tantrum. "Fine, who cares?" He mmed the chopsticks on the table as he shot to


    his feet. Then he grabbed his coat and made his way to the door.


    "Stop!" Debbie tried not to be too loud. She didn''t want to scare her daughter.


    Casually draping his coat over his shoulders, Decker asked impatiently without turning around, "What


    now?"


    "Don''t you think you''re being unfair? She tried her best to make all this food for us, but we didn''t even


    invite her to the table. We were wrong to treat her that way, and now, you want to waste all this food?


    Decker Lu, get back to your seat right now! She didn''t mean to abandon us back then; she was forced


    to. What are you angry at now?" Debbie considered herself a childish woman, but she realized that her


    brother was more childish than her.


    "She''s a Lu family member. I hate that entire family!"


    "Your surname is Lu too! Do you hate yourself as well?"


    Decker turned around and sneered, "Thanks for the reminder. I wasn''t able to change my surname


    before, but things are different now. I''ll go change it right away. I''ll pick anyst name¡ªZhang, Wang,


    Li, Zhao!"


    Debbie didn''t back down either. She scoffed, "Zhang, Wang, Li, Zhao? Why not Nian then? Decker


    Nian. Yeah, that sounds good."


    ''Decker Nian?'' he thought, staring speechlessly at his sister.


    As they were arguing, Evelyn grabbed Debbie''s cell phone from the dinner table and dialed a number.


    "Daddy? Uncle Decker is bullying Mommy..."


    It was toote by the time Debbie had noticed what her little girl had done. "Okay, I''ll wait for you. Bye,


    Daddy!" the little girl said and hung up.


    The two of them widened their eyes in shock.


    Debbie took her phone back from her little hands. Looking at her phone screen, she asked curiously,


    "Piggy, who taught you how to make a call?"


    "Daddy. I memorized his number. Daddy said I should call him if something happens."


    Debbie''s lips twitched.


    Decker thought it was best to stay and finish dinner there. If he left the apartment now, Carlos would


    chase him down. But if he stayed and waited for Carlos, they might be able to clear the


    misunderstanding face to face.


    After considering his options, Decker threw his coat back onto the sofa and returned to his seat. He


    picked a chicken drumstick and put it into Evelyn''s bowl,plimenting her, "Well done, Piggy. Come,


    this chicken is a reward for you. If anyone dares to bully your mommy, remember to call your daddy


    again next time."


    Evelyn replied politely, "Yes, Uncle. I will." The next second, she pushed her bowl towards Debbie and


    told Decker, "Uncle, I don''t eat meat."


    Decker was amused. "Why not? That''s such a pity. Your daddy will eat all the meat then."


    The little girl didn''t want to answer his question. She was taught to be quiet at the table. "Uncle Decker,


    Grandma says that we shouldn''t talk while eating. But since you asked, I''ll tell you this onest time.


    My daddy doesn''t like meat either. Mommy eats all the meat."


    Decker looked at Debbie and she red back at him.


    She took a bite of the drumstick and swallowed it down before ridiculing her brother, "Can''t you just be


    quiet and eat your food?"


    He nodded helplessly. "Okay, my bad. I''m sorry, Queen Debbie and Princess Evelyn."


    Shortly after that, Carlos arrived at the apartment. When he opened the door and came in, he saw that


    they hadn''t finished their dinner yet. As he changed into a pair of slippers, he said, "I''m hungry."


    Debbie sighed. "I''ve spared some food for you and there''s some congee left in the pot. I''ll heat the


    potato pies." She put down her chopsticks to help him get the congee.


    Carlos quickly pecked a kiss on his daughter''s cheek and then made Debbie sit back in her seat. "I''ll do


    it myself."


    She didn''t insist and continued to eat her food. "Did you finish your work?" she asked as he was about


    to go and wash his hands.


    "No. An ungrateful guy is bullying my wife and daughter. I had toe and help," he said, his voice


    laced with sarcasm.


    Decker protested, "How am I ungrateful? What did I do wrong?" ''I didn''t bully them at all, '' he sulked.


    Before entering the bathroom, Carlos turned around and cast him a re. "Did I say that it was you?


    You just admitted it yourself."


    Decker couldn''t find a word to protest.


    He had dealt with all kinds of people, including gangsters, in the past. He was good at winning


    arguments, but he realized that he was always being outsmarted by Carlos.

 Chapter 501 Mr. Huos Woman

    Chapter 501 Mr. Huo''s Woman


    Decker was angry, but at the same time, he felt amused. He witnessed Carlos'' childish side with his


    own eyes, and that was something new to him.


    Looking at the little girl who was quietly eating her food, he pointed at her with his chopsticks and


    asked, "Don''t I treat you well? Why did you have to tell on me, to your daddy?" ''What if Carlos gets


    angry and decides not to give me the shares from the Lu Group and his talented employees? If so,


    then I''ll have to strive for a few more years, '' he thought worriedly.


    Evelyn widened her eyes and pursed her lips as sheined, "No, you don''t. You wanted to throw


    me out." During the past few years, to hide his true identity and pretend to be a good-for-nothing creep,


    Decker had deliberately bullied and mistreated Evelyn. When Evelyn was about one year old, Decker


    used to snatch her toys away, fight against her for food, call her a bastard child, and even threatened to


    throw her out of the house. In her eyes, he was the evilest uncle that did a lot of terrible things to her.


    However, now the tides had turned. Decker would never have expected that what he had done in the


    past woulde back to haunt him one day. Now he was having a taste of his own medicine.


    The consequence of offending Debbie, Carlos, and their child was to do all of the chores around the


    house. Decker found himself washing the dishes, cleaning the table and kitchen as well as other


    tedious jobs like that.


    When the family requested fruit to be sliced up while they were watching TV, it was Decker''s job to do


    it. Then he was expected to wash the tes afterward just like a homemaker would do.


    He hated doing housework, more so, serving others. When the three of them went to bed, he was still


    up mopping the floor in the living room.


    Finally, he was fed up and couldn''t stand the degradation any longer. He tossed the mop angrily aside.


    Who would imagine that a gang leader with more than a thousand subordinates was forced to act like a


    homemaker by Carlos? He couldn''t tolerate it anymore. So without hesitation, he grabbed his coat and


    left the apartment. He didn''t even bother to tell any of them that he was leaving.


    ording to the wedding custom of this country, the bride would return to her mother''s home on the


    third day after the wedding. So on the day that Kasie came back to Y City, Debbie finally got the


    chance to invite her, Jared, and Dixon, out for a reunion dinner.


    Since Debbie was a celebrity, they had booked a private room for discretion at a high-ss hotpot


    restaurant. They didn''t expect that they would run into another old friend there. It was as if fate had


    brought them all together again.


    By the time Debbie arrived at the restaurant, Jared and Dixon were already sitting in the private room,


    waiting for the twodies.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    When they knew that Debbie''s car had parked outside the restaurant, Dixon went to her to escort her


    in, while Jared stayed at the room to order the dishes.


    Dixon nced at the vehicle''s te number to make sure that it was her. With a smile, he opened the


    door for her. The singer got out of the car. She was dressed casually, wearing a mask and a pair of


    dark sunsses. Debbie tried to be as low-key as possible.


    "Dixon, have you been waiting for long? Sorry. Kasie should be here soon. Her husband is dropping


    her off here," Debbie said as she observed Dixon.


    It wasn''t working hours, so he wasn''t wearing his Western-style suit now. Dixon wore a white shirt with


    a knitted waistcoat as a warmingyer, ck pants and a pair of ck leisure shoes. After studying


    abroad for a few years, he looked like a refined business elite. With a pair of wire-rimmed sses that


    brought out his schrly temperament, he easily stood out in the crowd. He attracted quite a few girls


    who kept ncing in his direction as they walked towards the entrance of the restaurant.


    "No, we just arrived a few minutes ago. You know what? Your husband didn''t let me go until the very


    last minute," Dixon teased, smiling. When it came to Debbie''s affairs, Carlos acted like a child.


    The CEO knew that his wife was going to have dinner with some other men tonight and Dixon was one


    of them. So to vent his jealousy, he flooded Dixon with all kinds of trouble at work.


    Debbie grinned happily with her eyes full of sweetness. "You know he''s the great Mr. Jealousy."


    They casually chatted as they headed to the private room. When they turned the corner in the hall,


    Dixon suddenly stopped in his tracks and froze. Sensing that something was wrong, Debbie looked up


    at him. The smile on his face had slowly faded away, and he stared intensely at the other end of the


    corridor. Debbie followed his gaze and noticed a familiar face in the distance.


    "Kristina?" she eximed in shock.


    She had tried to get in touch with Kristina after settling down in Y City but failed. Kristina had stopped


    using her old phone number, and it seemed that she wasn''t using her WeChat ount either, because


    she hadn''t updated any new posts in her Moments for a long time.


    Totally out of the blue, she saw a man and a woman heading in their direction and the woman was


    Kristina, her old friend who had gone missing for a long time.


    She was wearing a ck Chanel coat of thetest style, and her arm was draped around the mature


    man''s. They were talking happily, but when Kristina noticed them, her smile froze on her face.


    The awkwardness in the air could be cut with the knife.


    The mature man next to Kristina followed her gaze and asked curiously, "Are they your friends?"


    Kristina forced a smile and nodded, "Yes, my university ssmates..."


    Debbie quickly removed the sunsses and mask. She gazed at Kristina in disbelief and asked


    excitedly, "Kristina, where have you been all of these years? We''ve tried to contact you many times."


    Kristina looked at Debbie, and her eyes became watery. She was starting to feel nostalgic. A myriad of


    complex feelings had flooded her heart.


    She wasn''t expecting to run into her old friend and ex-boyfriend here. Being caught off-guard, she


    fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Deb, long time no see..." ''I have missed you guys


    so much, '' she thought but keeping these words to herself.


    "Yes, it''s been a long time. Kristina, you know that we''ve missed you so much? Where are you now?


    We''re having dinner here with Jared and Kasie. We even tried our luck to contact you earlier today.


    What a coincidence that we met you here! Come and join us." Debbie invited her with great enthusiasm


    while deliberately standing in between her and Dixon. She knew the two would feel embarrassed and


    awkward to meet each other again.


    Despite how ufortable it was for Dixon and Kristina, Debbie still felt it necessary to invite Kristina


    to the reunion dinner. They used to all be good friends, after all.


    Kristina was stunned for a moment. It was beyond her expectation that Debbie and the others would


    still invite her to a reunion dinner, especially since she had disappeared without any contact for so long.


    She was at a loss, not knowing what to do. After a moment''s hesitation, she whispered to the mature


    man next to her, "Do you mind if I don''t go back with you now? I would really like to catch up with my


    old friends."


    The man smiled and gently nodded. "No problem. I''lle and pick you upter."


    "Thanks... Oh, Debbie, I''d like to introduce my husband to you. This is Layne Hang."


    Debbie and Dixon exchanged shocked nces, because Kristina''s husband looked more than ten


    years older than her.


    Kristina didn''t mind their shocked expressions. She continued with the introductions. "Honey, this is my


    friend, Debbie Nian. She''s the singer that I love the most. I told you about her before." The truth was,


    last time when Debbie held her first concert in Y City, Kristina had secretly bought a ticket to see the


    show. But she deliberately chose a seat that was at the back of the stadium, far away from the stage so


    she wasn''t seen.


    Kristina remembered the moment when Kasie had walked onto the stage and sang a song with Debbie.


    She had been sitting alone in her seat, but she hummed the tune along with them between tears and


    laughter.


    Layne Hang and Debbie shook hands with each other politely. He was also in the business circles, so


    he had heard of Debbie. "I know her. She''s Mr. Huo''s woman," hemented.


    Debbie smiled bashfully and asked, "You know Carlos?"


    "Everyone in business knows of him. I had the honor of meeting him once," Layne Hang replied,


    emanating a charming aura from a mature businessman. Debbie wondered if that was the reason why


    Kristina had married him.


    After Debbie and Layne Hang had exchanged some pleasantries, Kristina finally turned to look at


    Dixon, who was standing next to Debbie.


    Even though Kristina avoided extended eye contact with him, she could sense the significant changes


    in Dixon. He looked outstanding. He had a confident, elegant, and distinguished vibe about him now.


    No longer was he the ordinary poor guy. He stood out in the crowd. She tried topose herself and


    make her voice sound as calm as possible as she said, "Honey, this was the most excellent student in


    our ss, Dixon Shu. Dixon, this is my husband, Layne Hang."

 Chapter 502 Hes Thirteen Years Older Than Me

    Chapter 502 He''s Thirteen Years Older Than Me


    The two men shook hands politely. Layne thought he recognized Dixon when he spied the man earlier.


    Now, after Debbie''s introduction, he suddenly remembered who the guy was. "Dixon Shu... So you''re


    the new secretary general of ZL Group?"


    He didn''t know Kristina knew him. It had nevere up.


    Dixon smiled politely. "Oh yeah. I''m lucky Mr. Huo hired me. It''s an honor."


    After a few pleasantries, Layne took off. Debbie held Kristina''s and Dixon''s hands as they walked into


    the private room they booked. Jared already ordered. "Hey, you guys finally... Wait... Kristina?!"


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Before he could finish hisint about the long wait, he widened his eyes in shock when he noticed


    who was with Debbie.


    "Hi, big guy. Long time no see," Kristina said to Jared, smiling gleefully.


    Jared shot to his feet. He strode towards them rapidly and asked in disbelief, "Ain''t that the truth?


    Tomboy went AWOL three years ago, and then you ghosted us too. Kasie and I were left alone here.


    We wondered if you ran off with Tomboy."


    Right on cue, Kasie chimed in, "Inside voice, dude. What the hell... Oh my God! Kristina?"


    Kasie had a simr reaction to Jared. Finally, the five old friends were reunited. It felt like a lifetime had


    passed since they were all togetherst. The girls kept hugging each other, and being happy that they


    finally saw each other face to face. They didn''t sit down at the table until the two men persuaded them


    to. Not only that, they didn''t care how loud they were being, either.


    During dinner, Kasie discreetly shifted her nce between Dixon and Kristina. She didn''t want to re-


    open old wounds, but she had to know. She whispered, "You''re married now, right? When did that


    happen? What does your husband do? And more importantly, why weren''t we at your wedding? I sent


    you chat requests on WeChat, but you didn''t answer back. I was hoping you''de to mine."


    Kristina looked at the beer in her ss. "I''m sorry. I dumped that ount a long time ago. My husband


    got transferred to Singapore. He just got back this year. He''s thirteen years older than me."


    ''Thirteen years older...''


    the other friends all eximed in their mind.


    Kristina didn''t want to hide anything from her old friends. She continued to fill them in on what


    happened since theyst saw each other. "My mom wanted us to marry right after my graduation. I said


    no, but my dad needed money. Surgery is expensive..." She paused, recalling everything back then.


    Then she went on in a calm tone, "Of course, my mom wanted me to marry him because he''s rich. My


    parents wouldn''t stop hounding me, so eventually we tied the knot. But he''s a really good guy. He


    treats me like a queen, so we''re just like any other married couple." There was a hint of self-mockery


    and helplessness in her tone.


    Maybe she was mocking herself, marrying a man 13 years her senior, and marrying for money.


    When everyone quieted down, Kristina raised her head to look at Dixon, sitting opposite her. "I''m sorry I


    hurt you. But I''m living the dream. I married a rich man..."


    The other three held their breath. This was the first time they heard them talk about why they broke up.


    And Kristina said it in such a calm tone. So the real reason was money. Dixon was too poor for Kristina.


    "Kristina, I think you screwed up..." Debbie couldn''t help but blurt it out.


    Dixon smiled. He shook his head and said, "Tomboy, don''t me her. I was poor back then. I didn''t


    know where my next meal wasing from."


    Of course they knew how poor Dixon used to be. He was born in a poor vige out in the boonies. His


    parents had relied on loans from the vigers so he could go to college.


    Although Dixon was poor, he was proud. He never let Jared or Kasie float him cash, no matter how


    much they insisted. He was friends with them because he liked them, not because of what they could


    buy.


    Dixon continued, "Kristina wasn''t wrong. At least she didn''t lie to me. It wasn''t a bad breakup." In fact,


    this only motivated him to study harder. He didn''t like being poor, and so he vowed to create a brighter


    future for himself.


    Carlos had given him an advance of six months'' wages after he came to work in ZL Group. That way,


    he could support his family and pay back the loan ASAP.


    The CEO yed his cards well. He knew what his employees needed and when they needed it. He


    was generous, so these talented employees would be loyal to hispany forever.


    Yes, Dixon did feel grateful to Carlos, like all employees of ZL Group. He would never betray him, and


    was loyal for life.


    After listening to Dixon, Debbie sighed. She didn''t press the issue. They both had moved on.


    Kristina looked at Dixon with sincerity in her eyes. "I''m happy that you''re Mr. Huo''s secretary general


    now. I hope you find someone who is as good to you as you were to me."


    Dixon nodded, epting her blessing calmly. "Thanks. That''s in the works. And congrattions on


    your marriage."


    The other three exchanged nces with each other. They were taking it really well. It wasn''t usual for


    two ex-lovers to wish each other well. Especially with no arguments, no mockery.


    Luckily for Dixon, he started at ZL Group with an ie of a million a year. That was why he wasn''t


    embarrassed. He strove to do better, and he did. But they were both happy, and that was important.


    An awkward silence settled over the room, but Jared popped that bubble. The tall guy yfully


    wrapped his arms around Dixon''s shoulders and let out a deep sigh. "Hey, what about me? My wife''s


    giving birth, and my wallet''s empty."


    Debbie rolled her eyes at him and exposed his lies bluntly. "Yeah, your wallet''s empty, but your wife has


    at least eight figures in her ount, right?"


    As an obedient husband, Jared of course would give all his wages to his wife. Pretending to be angry,


    he red at Debbie andined, "Ha! You should know. Just because your husband runs a


    bank..."


    Indeed, their bank cards were all issued by the financial institutions owned by ZL Group.


    Kasie patted his shoulders to encourage him. She said yfully, "The Han Group is growing. Work


    hard, and you can own a bank like Carlos someday. When you grow up..."


    "When I grow up? Blow me! Maybe if Damon and I saw eye to eye, we''d be doing better." Jared felt


    annoyed thinking of his brother. Jasper had given thepany to the two brothers to run. Everything


    went well except that the two brothers could never agree on anything. Every employee of the Han


    Group knew the two brothers always solved their problems with their fists. Rarely did a brother emerge


    from a meeting without torn clothing, a ck eye, or bloody lip.


    The room erupted inughter. They joked and bantered with each other like they used to do. After a


    while, their topic focused on Debbie again.


    Debbie was putting a slice of pork tripe into the hotpot when Jared suddenly asked, "Your husband has


    a bodyguard tailing you. To make sure James doesn''t try anything, right?"


    "Yeah." Debbie didn''t even bother to raise her head. She was drooling over the delicious food.


    "You''ve got him dead to rights though, right? Why isn''t he in jail?" Jared asked, obviously confused.


    Debbie picked up a slice of duck tongue. When she was about to eat it, she thought of something and


    lost her appetite. She put down her chopsticks, ring at Jared. "Why did you have to bring him up?


    Carlos had someone deal with Glenda and Stephaniest time. He donated one of Stephanie''s


    kidneys. To stop Carlos from donating her cornea as well, James knelt in front of me and apologized."


    Kasie was confused. "Didn''t James do everything? Why did your husband punish Stephanie


    instead?"

 Chapter 503 Have You Let Go Of The Past

    Chapter 503 Have You Let Go Of The Past


    Debbie didn''t hide their ns from her friends. She said honestly, "Stephanie is James'' biological


    daughter. He''s evil, but he''s a father. Carlos tortured her in front of James, so that his pain would be


    doubled as he watched his daughter suffer. Then, when he was on the brink of a mental meltdown, we


    began to torture him physically. We''ll torture him bit by bit. After all that mental and physical


    punishment, we will trot out solid proof and lock him behind bars."


    The four of them were stupefied. Jared had already put down his chopsticks. Debbie''s narration about


    how Carlos had tortured Stephanie was far more interesting than the delicious food in front of him.


    Kristina was the one who knew the least about everything that had happened. She asked in a weak


    voice, "Did Stephanie do something unforgivable? What did she do to you?"


    Debbie lowered her voice because what she was about to say was absolutely confidential. "She made


    someone undergo stic surgery to look like me and asked that person to kill Megan. She wanted to


    frame me for the murder. And at the seaside resortst time, Carlos and I were shipwrecked at sea.


    Stephanie was the one who had nned the ident. We were lucky to have survived it. Otherwise, I


    wouldn''t be having dinner with you guys right now."


    The four got goose bumps all over their bodies.


    It sounded like some sort of horror story.


    Kasie muttered, "I never expected Stephanie to be such a cruel woman. She had disguised herself so


    well. I actually thought that she was a nice person when we were at the seaside resort, except that she


    was aloof to the people there. It''s true that you can''t judge a book by its cover."


    "Yes." Debbie was hungry now; her appetite had returned to normal. Taking a bite of a fish ball, she


    continued, "I thought that Stephanie and Megan were on good terms, but they weren''t. Stephanie had


    even hired someone to rape Megan. Two men! Can you believe it? I''m not ndering her. I have proof


    to support all these ims."


    They nodded, believing whatever Debbie said.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Debbie was pleased to see that her friends trusted her. "That''s all we know so far. There must have


    been some other feuds between them, but only they know." She raised her head, and ran her eyes


    over them. "Hey! Remember that all this is confidential. Only Carlos, Frankie, Tristan and I know. And


    you guys. Don''t let slip it to anyone else."


    The four nodded again, assuring her that they would be tight-lipped.


    Debbie bowed her head to focus on the food again. But something urred to her all of a sudden. She


    shot her head up to give Kasie a meaningful look. "And the car ident three years ago..."


    Kasie held her breath when the ident was brought up.


    "Don''t tell me that it was Stephanie who had plotted the ident," Jared couldn''t help but ask.


    Debbie shook her head. "It was James." The truth would go public soon. Debbie thought it was better


    to tell Kasie and the others now, before they heard the news from other sources.


    Tears filled Kasie''s eyes. She said with a sob, "So, that''s the truth behind Emmett''s death..."


    "Yes. Carlos found out. He has all the proof. James'' and Stephanie''s fates are in Carlos'' hands now."


    James had tried to flee abroad two days ago, but Carlos had his men bring him back before he could


    set foot in the airport.


    Debbieforted her, "Don''t cry, Kasie. Carlos will avenge Emmett."


    "Hmm," Kasie nodded. She believed Carlos wouldn''t let James off easily.


    As they ate their dinner, Debbie went on to tell them more about the crimes the father and daughter


    duo hadmitted. She also told them how Carlos had made Stephanie go through the abortion


    without any anesthesia. Jared wasn''t satisfied. He said that Carlos was too benevolent on them.


    After that, the five old friends dropped the topic about those disgusting people. They talked about their


    beautiful memories in school and university. They remembered the golden days of their friendship. In


    the end, the girls'' eyes were red from all the tears they had shed over old stories. Dixon shook his head


    helplessly and said, "I can''t believe that the four of you are married. I''m the only bachelor here. It''s so


    unfair. Why didn''t any of you wait for me?"


    Debbie was the first to get married among them. She patted his shoulder and scoffed, "That''s because


    you were the Straight A student. We all did so badly in school. If we were half as smart as you were,


    we would''ve gone for higher studies too." She hadpletely forgotten that she had once gone for


    higher studies abroad with Carlos'' help.


    "Exactly." The other three nodded, echoing Debbie''s words. Dixon was the most excellent student in


    their ss. It would have been a waste if he hadn''t gotten the chance to do further studies.


    Seeing that they had ganged up on him, Dixon quit arguing and bowed down his head to eat.


    After dinner, Ivan came and took Kasie back home.


    Layne also came on time to pick up Kristina, with her favorite drink in hand. It seemed that he really


    treated her well.


    Debbie wanted Carlos toe and pick her up too, but he was having an important meal at a hotel. He


    had earlier asked Dixon to escort Debbie to the hotel after their dinner.


    Jared was pretty much drunk. He hade with a driver, so he was fine.


    On the way back, inside the Bentley


    Debbie sat in the back seat with Dixon. After chatting casually for a short while, she suddenly asked,


    "Dixon, tell me honestly. Have you let go of the past?"


    Dixon was stunned for a second, but then smiled.


    Truth be told, before he had met Kristina earlier that night, he hadn''t really forgotten their past. After all,


    she had broken up with him over money. But when he saw her rich husband and realized that she was


    living happily now, he finally felt rxed. He didn''t need to worry about her anymore. And it was time


    for him to move on too.


    "Yes, I''ve dropped the past," he said firmly. He wasn''t as excited as he had imagined he would be when


    he saw Kristina again.


    Debbie felt relieved to hear his response. Patting his shoulder, sheforted, "Rest assured. I''ll


    introduce you to a nice girl."


    "No need. My mom has already arranged a blind date for me. I''ll meet her soon."


    "Really? But you just came back. Why the rush?"


    "She''s not in good health. I''m thinking of getting married within the next two years. Hope she has


    enough time to see her grandchild," Dixon exined, smiling bitterly. Even back when he was in a


    rtionship with Kristina, his mother had been sick. She had been depending solely on medication to


    stay alive. But Kristina knew nothing about this.


    He''d done several part time jobs after school. Every month, when he got his sry, he would wire


    three-fourth of the money to his parents, and he used to live on the little money that was left.


    When he began to go out with Kristina, most of the remaining money would be spent on her.


    There was a time when he was too poor to even have his basic three meals a day. Carlos had given


    him a VIP card to the fifth floor of Alioth. Dixon had always secretly gone there to buy himself a bowl of


    noodles using that VIP card. On a few asions, he would order a bowl of rice or a simple dish to keep


    himself a little fuller.


    Gradually, he had be familiar with the managers of Alioth. They were kind people and sometimes


    would give him a free dish.


    This was the first time Debbie had heard Dixon talk about his mom''s health. She asked worriedly, "Is


    your mom''s condition severe? You have a stable job now. You can take your mom to a better hospital in


    the city."


    Dixon shook his head. "It''s not that severe anymore. When I began my studies abroad, Mr. Huo had


    arranged for a doctor to send the necessary medicines to my parents'' house every month. Even though


    Mr. Huo had lost his memoriester, the doctor continued to send the medicines as usual. My mom''s


    health is much better now. Tomboy..." He paused and pushed his sses up. Then he continued in a


    sentimental tone, "I owe you and your husband too much."

 Chapter 504 Its Good To Work For Mr. Huo

    Chapter 504 It''s Good To Work For Mr. Huo


    Dixon poured out his heart to Debbie. He was so grateful. If he hadn''t met her, then he''d never have


    come across Carlos, who recognized his talent and gave him the tools to change his life.


    Debbie was stunned for a while. She didn''t want him to feel too much pressure, so she said


    purposefully, "Don''t say that. Carlos knows talent when he sees it. He''s smart too, which is why he


    gave you the job. You''re working hard to pay him back, right? But of course, if you still feel like you owe


    him, then..." She paused, looking at him mischievously.


    "Then what?"


    "Then you can give yourself to him. Bwhahaha..." She began guffawing.


    Amused, Dixon alsoughed out loud. He felt as if a heavy weight was being lifted off of his shoulders.


    He echoed her joke, "If I give myself to Mr. Huo, then won''t you get jealous? Will you be his wife or his


    mistress?"


    "I''m the wife¡ªyou''re the mistress. Lucky you''re a guy. If you were a woman, I''d be mad." Yes, if Dixon


    were an intelligent woman, sponsored to study abroad by Carlos, it would look like that Dixon was a


    mistress.


    Dixon always felt helpless at the weird ideas in this old friend''s mind. He shook his head and rebuked,


    "What''s all that about? I wonder how Mr. Huo puts up with you."


    "Hey, what do you mean? You mean I don''t deserve him?" Debbie snapped, sounding angry.


    Dixon sighed gloomily. What did he say? Why did she twist his words like that? But he didn''t know what


    to do about it. "I didn''t mean it that way. You''re a lucky woman. He''s the only one who can put you on a


    short leash."Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    His exnation only added fuel to the fire. Debbie wasn''t happy, and besides, she had drunk too much


    wine tonight, so she began to make a fuss. ring at him, she confronted, "What did you say? A


    leash? Like an animal? A tigress?"


    "And not like that either. But you do have a bad temper." Dixon didn''t have to work tonight, and Carlos


    was quite far away, so he wasn''t in any rush. He didn''t mind throwing down and arguing with Debbie


    over stupid things.


    "Bad temper? I think I''ve been remarkably tolerant of you trash talking me. I''m better than I was four


    years ago," she retorted and red at him, unconvinced by his judgment.


    Holding back hisughter, he provoked her calmly, "You''re ring at me with eyes so wide they''re


    about to fall out and roll around on the table. You call that ''better?'' Maybe he should tie you up. If he


    spoils you any more, you''ll think you''re Queen of the World."


    As soon as he was done speaking, Debbie punched his shoulder. "Humph! Taking Carlos'' side, I see.


    Dixon Shu, we aren''t friends anymore."


    He grinned broadly, revealing his neat and white teeth. "Oh, that''s bad. Tristan always reminds me to


    fawn over you. He says that if Mr. Huo gets mad, I can call you for help."


    "No way. You''re beyond help, anyway."


    The two friends bantered back and forth endearingly the whole way there. Neither of them backed


    down. The driver couldn''t follow what they were saying at all. But he didn''t need to pay attention


    anyway. He just kept his eyes on the road, and gave them their privacy.


    He was a responsible and trustworthy driver. That was why Carlos temporarily assigned him toe


    pick up Debbie and Dixon tonight. Although he had worked with Dixon for a few days, this was the first


    time he saw himugh like a child.


    Moreover, Debbie, the famous singer, was quite different from what he saw on TV. Now, she was like a


    kid, trying to pull a prank on Dixon. He loved the fact that she was so down-to-earth.


    But the driver didn''t detect a hint of romance between them. They just acted naturally, like some old


    friends. No wonder Mr. Huo let Dixon escort Debbie to him.


    When they reached the hotel, Debbie felt a little sleepy, so she decided to call Carlos instead of going


    inside. "We just got here. I''ll wait for you in the car outside," she told him.


    "No. I''ming out now." Then she heard Carlos tell the other people, "I''m sorry. My wife is waiting for


    me outside. We''ll pick this up some other time." He took his leave, and then Debbie heard a lot of noise


    on the other end. It sounded like all of them stood up to escort him out of the room.


    Dixon got out of the car and stood there, waiting for Carlos.


    Soon enough, the man on the phone emerged from the entrance of the hotel, surrounded by a swarm


    of people who respectfully saw him off.


    Debbie rolled down the window. Carlos ran his eyes over the cars parked on the roadside and soon


    spotted his car. Dixon was already striding towards him.


    She hung up the phone, stuck her head out and waved at him. Under the dim light from the street


    lamps, she vaguely saw him smiling. But she wasn''t sure of it.


    As he slowly approached the car, she finally saw clearly that Carlos was really smiling.


    The driver opened the back door for him. He stole a kiss on her lips upon settling in the seat. Before


    she could protest, he asked casually, "Are you full now?"


    The faint fragrance of wine reached his nose. Looking at Debbie''s red face, Carlos thought of


    something, his eyes glimmering with desire.


    Each time she drank wine, it would be a good chance for him to sessfully have sex with her...


    Unaware of what the cunning man was nning to do, Debbie honestly replied, "Yes, I''m full." She had


    eaten a lot during the reunion dinner with her friends. The five of them were all in a good mood, so they


    had ordered a table of dishes. Dixon was the one who paid the bill in the end. Because he insisted that


    there was no better use of his money than to see his friends happy.


    Dixon didn''t get in the car. He was nning to hail a taxi himself, but he heard Carlos tell the driver,


    "Drive Mr. Shu home first."


    The driver responded, "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Since Carlos had given the order, Dixon didn''t refuse and sat in the passenger seat.


    The car steadily pulled into a high-end neighborhood near ZL Group. Since he had returned from


    abroad, Dixon had been living in the apartment leased by thepany. Looking at her surroundings,


    Debbie was curious about what Dixon''s apartment looked like. She wanted to go upstairs and have a


    look. This made Carlos jealous. But she got what she wanted. Holding her hand, he asked Dixon to


    guide them to his apartment.


    ZL Group definitely took care of its employees. Dixon''s unit was about eighty square meters, full


    equipped, with two bedrooms and a living area, more than enough for a single man. After taking a tour


    around his apartment, Debbie couldn''t help but marvel, "Wow, this is some crib. It''s so good to work for


    Mr. Huo." Yes, you could hardly find such a generous boss anywhere.


    Dixon served two sses of water for them. Nodding his head in agreement, he joked, "Yes, I agree.


    Mr. Huo treats the staff well. We''re both his staff, Tomboy. Be a good singer, and return our boss''s


    generousness."


    "Oh! You just reminded me. I''m also working for Mr. Huo now," Debbie said seriously.


    Carlos grinned. "You want a promotion?"


    "A promotion? To what position?" she asked, confused. She stood in front of the window, looking over


    the city.


    "The CEO''s wife."


    Debbie was left speechless. He spared no opportunity to talk about marriage. But she wouldn''t give in


    so easily, so she answered stubbornly, "My careeres first."


    Dixon carefully observed Carlos'' face. Her blunt refusal didn''t piss him off. Instead, he still kept gazing


    at her with tenderness in his eyes.


    The old saying was right. Even a hero could be defeated by a beauty. The cold CEO had surrendered


    to the beautiful singer.

 Chapter 505 Youve Become A Bad Boy

    Chapter 505 You''ve Be A Bad Boy


    Dixon, who was single, didn''t want to see the couple showing their affection for each other in front him,


    so he tried to send off his guests. "Tomboy you drank quite a lot tonight. Why not call it a night and


    sleep it off?"


    Debbie showed him the half-empty ss in her hand. "I haven''t even finished my ss of water yet.


    Why are you driving us away so soon? Aren''t we wee here? Or you don''t want your boss here?"


    The mischievous woman tried to cause trouble for her friend.


    Unppable, Dixon said with a smile. "You misunderstood me. I just didn''t want to dy the romantic


    moment between you and Mr. Huo."


    Carlos was satisfied with his reply while Debbie was quite annoyed. She clenched her teeth and spat,


    "You''ve be a bad boy now!"


    While holding onto her waist, Carlos urged helplessly, "Stop kidding around. Let''s go." If he didn''t take


    her home now, she might end up spending the whole night talking with Dixon at his apartment. Carlos


    wouldn''t let anything ruin his chance to have a sweet moment with his wife.


    As soon as they left Dixon''s apartment and settled in the car, Debbie instantly felt sleepy, because she


    couldn''t y jokes on the boring man who was sending messages to the senior executives on WeChat.


    She raised her head to look at Carlos and yawned. Then shey in his arms and slowly closed her


    eyes.


    Carlos had a wicked grin when he looked down at her sleeping in his arms. That was what he wanted.


    She was drunk and sleepy. It was the perfect opportunity for him to have sex with her.


    His n had worked. Debbie slept the whole way back to the manor. When she woke, she was lying


    naked in bed with Carlos passionately kissing every inch of her body.


    In a hazy state, she still tried to warn Carlos who was already making love to her. "You...If you...dare to


    touch me, I''ll...file charges against you...tomorrow. Hmm..."


    Her voice trailed off. All her protesting words were reced with moans of pleasure.


    The next day when Debbie woke up, she immediately felt an ache between her legs, and she cursed


    Carlos under her breath again and again.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Naturally, Debbie wouldn''t let Carlos get away with it. For the next two weeks, she didn''t allow him to


    see her even once. She refused to answer his calls or reply to his messages. She would even secretly


    sneak back to the manor to see Evelyn without letting him know.


    After two weeks of not seeing his beloved Debbie, Carlos went to his study in the dead of night. Feeling


    lonely, he lit a cigarette. He couldn''t sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, all that he could see in his


    mind was how sweet and hot Debbie was.


    He desperately wanted her to be his legal wife once again so he could hold her in his arm every night.


    But even after all his efforts to coax and beg her, she wouldn''t promise to remarry him.


    He had run out of patience. While blowing out smoke from his cigarette, he decided that it was the right


    time to take drastic measures.


    The next day, the moment that Debbie stepped out of the elevator of a building, Carlos suddenly


    sprung up from nowhere and lifted her over his shoulder. Ignoring her screams and protests, he carried


    her to his car.


    Frankie had already opened the back door for him. Afterying her inside, Carlos squeezed into the car


    and quickly locked the car door. He finished everything in one swift move.


    "Carlos Huo, what the hell are you doing?" Debbie asked in a weak voice, her head still spinning.


    He shed a mysterious smile. "I just want to buy my wife a drink."


    "Bullshit! Let me go now!" she shouted at him, massaging her aching temples. It was evident that he


    was nning something.


    Carlos smirked and then kissed her lips hungrily. He hadn''t seen her for two whole weeks.


    Debbie felt so helpless.


    She wondered if Carlos had been constraining himself too much that he had gone crazy. Could


    anything go wrong with his health if he couldn''t satisfy his sexual needs?


    After the kiss, she asked again, "Spill it out. What are you going to do? I''m busy. I need to see Ruby, to


    discuss the song lists of the concert."


    He said nothing and just stared at her with eyes full of affection and gentleness.


    With such a handsome man staring at her with his charming eyes, Debbie began to feel hot and


    flustered. Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest, and she slowly moved towards the car door,


    trying to put some distance between them. "Why...are you staring at me like that?"


    Carlos reached out and gently caressed her face. In a tender voice he dered, "By a simple glimpse


    of you, I know that you''re meant for me. I announce that you''ll be my legal wife today."


    Debbie''s eyes widened, and she choked on her saliva. ''What a flirt! He''s seducing me again!''


    However, as she straightened his tie, she said with a cunning look in her eyes, "But I don''t want to be


    your wife. Because you made the headlines again yesterday. The news says that Mr. Huo dated a


    female manager of the Du Group." Of course, Debbie didn''t believe that rumor for one second. She


    was just toying with Carlos, deliberately bringing it up to provoke him. Besides, he hadn''t proposed to


    her yet. It was understandable that he didn''t propose to her when they got married the first time. But


    this time, it was uneptable.


    Carlos grasped her hands. "The reporter with no professional ethics will be banished from the press


    circles for the rest of his life. All the news agencies that spread the rumor have been closed down. That


    female manager was transferred abroad. Honey, is that okay?"


    He was just signing a contract with that manager. But the reporter snapped a picture of them and


    started a rumor. Some news outlets got in on the act and dared to spread such a ridiculous story. So, of


    course, he had to teach them a lesson.


    Debbie was caught by surprise. "What did the manager do wrong?" Debbie cared for Carlos, but she


    wasn''t the type of woman who would be jealous of any woman around him. Besides, Tristan had


    already told her that the female manager was a victim too.


    "She stole a few nces at me," Carlos retorted. Thanks to those nces, the reporter was able to


    snap a picture of her staring admiringly at him.


    Debbie sighed heavily. She pitied the female manager.


    Twenty minutester, the car pulled up in front of a building.


    When the car door was opened, Debbie, whose face was blushing from Carlos'' flirtation, was too


    shocked to breathe.


    She saw a massive crowd of people waiting at the entrance of the building, and most of them were


    reporters, photographers, and paparazzi. A group of security guards dressed in uniforms were trying to


    keep the crowd in order.


    Before she coulde back to her senses, Carlos pinched her hand and said, "Remarry me. Please?"


    ''What? Remarry?'' She was stunned. "No way!" Immediately, she clutched tightly onto the handle inside


    the car, refusing to follow him out.


    ''That sly fox! When did he inform the media? Why didn''t I know anything about it?''


    Carlos maintained his smile. "Honey, if you don''t get out on your own, I''m afraid I need to carry you out


    on my shoulder again. Are you sure you want to go into the Civil Affairs Bureau that way?"


    "Carlos Huo, you..." Her words were choked out by anger.


    "I know, I know. You love me, right? Shush! Say it inside the bureau." He put his index finger on her lips


    to silence her.


    Debbie was pissed. ''Who says I love you? What a narcissistic man, '' she thought, sulking.


    Deep inside, she had imagined such a day. She knew Carlos would take a tough measure in the end,


    but she didn''t expect that he would include the media.


    She took a deep breath topose herself. She had always wanted to remarry Carlos. Since there


    were so many reporters there, she didn''t y the stubborn card again. Meekly, she followed him out of


    the car.


    Now it was Carlos'' turn to be shocked. He didn''t expect that Debbie would cooperate so easily.


    Although he felt butterflies in his stomach, he held her hand and escorted her towards the gate.


    From the moment they got out of the car, the sea of people surrounding the Civil Affairs Bureau had


    been eximing loudly, "Look, that''s Mr. Huo and Debbie Nian!"


    "Oh, Mr. Huo, Debbie, we love you couple!"


    "We''re your biggest fans!"


    Debbie smiled gracefully at the shing lights of the cameras, and drew closer to Carlos.


    He held on to her waist, and they lovingly walked into the bureau.


    As soon as they set foot in the hall, Debbie turned to him and said, "I think that''s a little too high-key."


    Carlos smiled and replied, "Yeah. That''s my style of loving you. I need the whole world to know that I


    love you, Debbie."


    She pursed her lips, pretending to be angry. It seemed that his EQ had improved quite a lot after he got


    his memory back.

 Chapter 506 Were Officially Remarried

    Chapter 506 We''re Officially Remarried


    Carlos had already prepared all the necessary materials and papers for registering their marriage. All


    Debbie needed to do was sign her name on the license.


    They went through the formalities smoothly. In a few minutes, they got their marriage licenses and


    walked out of the hall, with the blessings from the staff there.


    Carlos got what he wanted the most, and all he cared about now was to escort Debbie back to his car


    and ignore all the reporters. However, Debbie had other ideas. She snatched the licenses from his


    hand and showed them off to the reporters. Smiling proudly, she said, "Thank you all for your interest in


    our marriage. We''re officially remarried now. Thank you for your support."


    Carlos felt that something wasn''t right.


    Nheless, he went along with her and kissed her cheek, showing off his love for her. Debbie smiled


    affectionately and gazed into his eyes. Everyone could see the love and affection that they had for


    each other when their eyes met.


    Suddenly a big round of apuse erupted from the adoring crowd. They cheered and called out their


    blessings to the happy couple. Carlos then cautiously escorted her to the car, and they sped away from


    the crowd and the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Once they were in the car away from the prying eyes of the crowd, a surge of mixed feelings coursed


    through her body as Debbie looked at her marriage license. She had been waiting so long for this day.


    After oveing so many difficulties, she was finally the legal Mrs. Huo again.


    She could feel how much Carlos loved her. That was the reason why he couldn''t wait any longer and


    forcibly took her to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get remarried.


    Debbie snuggled into his arms, bathing in his warmth and love. She felt guilty to torture him anymore.


    ''No, no... Debbie, don''t forget the pain and grief that he caused you.'' She reminded herself not to


    forgive him so easily.


    Carlos kissed her forehead and asked tenderly, "What would you like to eat now? We''ll dine together."


    Debbie sat up straight and slightly pulled away from his embrace. "No need. I''m not hungry. I have


    work to do this afternoon."


    Carlos sensed that she was trying to put a barrier up again. He slowly moved closer to her side as he


    said, "But I''m hungry. You need toe with me."


    "You''re not a kid. Why do you need me to go with you for a meal?"


    "I need my wife''spany."


    "No, you don''t."


    "Yes, I do."


    "No..." Before she knew it, his lips were on hers. Then he threatened her in a low husky voice, "If you


    don''te with me, then I''ll make love to you right here."


    Debbie bit her lower lip in anger. ''You brazen jerk!'' she cursed in her mind.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Given the alternative, Debbie agreed to have lunch with him. They dined on the fifth floor of the Alioth


    Building. Carlos ordered a table full of delicious dishes and romantically fed Debbie from each of them.


    When they had finished lunch, Carlos dropped her back off to thepany. Before Debbie got out of


    the car, she turned to him and said, "Mr. Huo, we''ve remarried now. Don''t worry. I won''t betray you."


    Carlos smiled and pecked her on the cheek. "Of course, I trust you. Hey, how about we go and pick


    Evelyn up togetherter?" Carlos suggested.


    "No, I can''t. I won''t finish my work untilte tonight. Then after work, I need to pack my luggage at


    Champs Bay Apartments for the business trip tomorrow." With that, she got out of the car without giving


    him a second nce.


    Carlos watched as his wife coolly walked away, and he felt down in the dumps again.


    He knew that Debbie was a handful and that she wouldn''t ease up and make his life more peaceful.


    He leaned back into the car seat and closed his eyes, racking his brain for a solution. Then it suddenly


    came to him. Carlos sat up, whipped his phone out and dialed a number. "Reduce my wife''s workload.


    To one concert a year. Nomercial advertisements, no variety shows, and no business trips!"


    As a result, Debbie''s original one-week business trip had shortened to a two-day trip, yet she didn''t


    know why. Three dayster, she was back at Y City Airport, pulling her luggage behind her.


    When she saw that Carlos hade to pick her up, she was even more puzzled. Carlos had a broad


    smile on his face as he strode toward her, then gantly took over her luggage as he kissed her on the


    cheek. She looked at him curiously and wondered how he knew that she would being back today.


    Once they were both in the car, she couldn''t help but ask, "Carlos, does mying back earlier have


    something to do with you?"


    He nodded and admitted with honesty. "I gave a few instructions to the senior managers. But they''re


    the people who decide on your schedule."


    Debbie was left speechless. She wanted to p him across his feigned innocent face, but she wouldn''t


    dare to.


    On the way to the manor, Debbie insisted that Carlos drive her back to the Champs Bay Apartments.


    He didn''t want to at first, but then he nodded and agreed to it.


    When Debbie entered the apartment, she was shocked to see that it waspletely empty, and she


    felt like crying. "Where are my belongings?"


    Carlos replied calmly, "I had them all moved to the manor. You''re my wife. We can''t keep living in


    separate houses. It''s not good for our physical or mental development."


    ''Physical and mental development? What the heck?'' She felt so annoyed with this crafty man.


    In the end, Debbie had no choice and went with him to the manor.


    However, she did have her way to get back at him.


    That night after she lulled Evelyn to sleep, Debbie went to the study to find Carlos. As she twirled her


    hair seductively through her fingers, she asked Carlos to go to bed with her.


    Carlos naturally agreed. After having a shower, he came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped


    around his sculpted waist. Debbie immediately went to him, hugging him and asked in an alluring voice,


    "Mr. Handsome, did you miss me?"


    She rubbed her body against his, and her lips lightly brushed against his chest.


    The gentle touch of her lips and her cute voice turned him on at once. With eyes full of desire, he


    grabbed her hand and said in a husky voice, "What do you think?"


    Smiling mysteriously, she moved her arms up to his neck and pursed her lips. "I missed you. So I''m


    pretty sure you missed me too."


    Carlos became wary of her unusual behavior. He sensed a tricking his way. She had cooperated


    when they registered their marriage and now was the same. This wasn''t like her.


    "Mr. Handsome." She stood on tiptoes and whispered softly in his ear, "I want to have another child


    with you."


    Then she stared at him, curling her lips into a sweet smile. He felt unable to resist her powerful


    temptation. Even though it might be a trick, he was willing to fall for it. Ignoring everything, he nodded,


    "That''ll be great!"


    "Okay. I''ll take a bath first. Wait for me..."


    "We can bathe together,ter."


    "What?"


    With that, he pulled the bath towel away and let it drop to the floor. Then he scooped her up in his arms


    and carried her onto the bed. The room was soon filled with pleasurable moans and passionate


    lovemaking.


    Meanwhile, in the dead of night on the other side of the city, James was ferociously whipping a hostage


    as he cursed, "Damn you! How dare you betray me! If it weren''t for you, my leg wouldn''t have been


    wounded, and I wouldn''t have been caught by Carlos."


    The hostage had fallen unconscious and was lingering on hisst breath of life. He couldn''t even react


    to James'' cruel and relentless whipping.


    "Carlos won''t let me go, and I won''t let you off the hook either!" James thrashed his whip at the


    hostage''s limp body again. This unfortunate man made a mistake by letting slip the whereabouts of


    James to Carlos'' men.


    After he vented out his anger on the man for quite a while, a woman suddenly barged in, interrupting


    him by shouting, "James, bad news!"


    Frowning, James looked up to see that it was Glenda.


    In an urgent tone, she continued, "Our bank ounts have all been frozen. Someone is investigating


    the money you''ve transferred out!"


    The news shocked James to the very core, and his face had drained of all color. He was depending on


    that money to fight back against Carlos. "It must be Adolf Yin. That asshole sold me out!" he barked.


    Adolf Yin was one of the managers of ZL Group. When James was the CEO, they ganged up together


    to embezzle arge amount of money from thepany and ept bribes.


    "What can we do now? What can we do?" Glenda nned to live out her aged life abroad with that


    money.


    Suddenly, the blood had shot to his head, and James'' face turned dark purple. Carlos didn''t give him


    any chance to fight back. He meant to root him outpletely. "Give me the money that Angus has


    given you. I''ll hire some people to kidnap Carlos, Debbie, or even their kid." As long as he had either


    one of them, then he would have the chance to turn the tables around.


    Glenda shuddered at his words. She didn''t want to hand over that money, but in the end, she had no


    choice but to nod. "Okay."


    The weather in Y City was terrible these days. It rained a lot, and it was cold and humid.

 Chapter 507 My Boots Will Get Dirty

    Chapter 507 My Boots Will Get Dirty


    Debbie had extra leisure time recently, and seeing that it was raining outside, she decided to go to the


    ZL Group and pick Carlos up.


    When Evelyn heard that she was going to get Carlos, she insisted on going along with her mom.


    Debbie pointed to her pink boots and said, "It''s raining cats and dogs outside. Your boots will get all


    dirty if you go out."


    Evelyn shook her head defiantly and said, "I''m not afraid. I miss Daddy."


    Debbie sighed helplessly and took Evelyn with her.


    When mother and daughter reached the floor where Carlos'' office was, Tristan was the only one there.


    Debbie greeted him and pointed to the closed door of the CEO''s office. "Is he busy inside?" she asked.


    Tristan shook his head. "No, Mrs. Huo. Mr. Huo is at a conference in the meeting room," he said with a


    smile.


    Upon hearing that, Evelyn turned around and walked towards the elevator. Debbie caught up to her


    and asked in confusion, "Wait! Evelyn, where are you going?"


    After they got inside the elevator, Evelyn pointed to the buttons and said in her cute little voice, "The


    meeting room." Debbie finally understood and pressed the button for her.


    Inside the meeting room


    Carlos mmed a stack of files on the desk and asked in a cold voice, "So this is the business n


    they''re offering? Who''s in charge of this? Did you take a look at it yourself?"


    The senior executives were scared stiff. One of them mustered up the courage and stammered, "I-It''s


    me. Mr. Huo, I did. I checked it. These were the best terms that they could offer."


    Upon hearing thest sentence, Carlos banged his fists on the table and shouted, "Rece them, or I''ll


    have you reced! And¡ª"


    Before he finished speaking, the door to the meeting room suddenly opened from the outside. All eyes


    were on the door, and Carlos frowned turning to see who dared interrupt his meeting. A little girl


    toddled in calling out in a cute voice, "Daddy! Daddy! It''s raining. Mommy and I came to pick you up."


    The senior executives then looked at Carlos. He immediately transformed from a furious CEO to a


    gentle and caring father. His eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at his daughter.


    Dixon looked at the little girl who had a striking resemnce to Debbie. She was wearing a pair of pink


    boots and held a pink umbre in her hand. When Evelyn saw him, she smiled and greeted him


    cheerfully, "Hi, Uncle Doctor!" He couldn''t help but smile back and wave to her in response.


    He wasn''t the only one that found Evelyn adorable. Everyone in the meeting room, young or old, stared


    at the little girl with a broad smile on their faces. The tense atmosphere from a few moments ago had


    dissipated on Evelyn''s arrival.


    Suddenly, there were hasty footsteps followed by Debbie''s apologetic voice. "Sorry to interrupt. You


    guys continue. Evelyn,e here!" Debbie scuttled into the room, quickly scooped Evelyn up in her


    arms and was about to leave.


    "Wait!" Carlos called out and stopped her.


    He picked up the stack of files that he had thrown onto the desk, turned to the senior executive and


    demanded, "Shred these! Ask them to issue a new n. Bring it to me in two days."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." The man heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    Carlos stood up and went to the door. He took Evelyn from Debbie''s arms and kissed the little girl''s


    forehead gently.


    Somehow, Debbie felt a little jealous when she saw the affection in Carlos'' eyes. In the past, he would


    only look at her that way, but now she wasn''t his only love.


    When the trio walked out of the office building, it had stopped raining. Carlos looked to the sky and then


    asked his daughter, "Evelyn, how about we take a walk?"


    "Sure, Daddy!" Evelyn nodded enthusiastically.


    Carlos picked Evelyn up and held her in one arm while he reached out and held Debbie''s hand with the


    other. Then they began to walk.


    Debbie pouted andined, "Oh, so you finally remember me, huh?"


    Carlos was stunned for a while before realizing what was going on. He kissed her head and said,


    "Come on! You''re the most important person to me."


    "Liar! Now Evelyn is the most important one," Debbie said sullenly. Carlos was very obedient when it


    came to Evelyn.


    However, he would punish Debbie if she went against his will.


    Evelyn got away with whatever she did. No matter how far Evelyn went, Carlos would never me her


    for anything. He was a ve to his daughter.


    Carlos gently pinched Debbie''s ear and said, "You and Evelyn are equally important to me in my eyes."


    "You said that you loved me the most and that I was the most important one to you in the past," she


    protested.


    Carlos had said that to her before Debbie had given birth to Evelyn.


    He felt a little embarrassed. "Well, I have to correct that now. You and Evelyn are of equal importance


    to me." Then he smiled and teased her, "What? Are you jealous of our daughter?"


    "No, of course not. Evelyn is the most important one to me," she said and rolled her eyes at him.


    "What about me?" he asked.


    "Who are you? Do I know you?"


    Upon hearing that, Carlos decided to teach her a lesson.


    They had been walking for about twenty minutes, and Carlos had been holding Evelyn the whole time.


    He was about to put her down to the ground, but she held onto his neck tightly, unwilling to let go of her


    father.


    Carlos felt helpless and tried to reason with her. "Evelyn, Daddy has been holding you all this time. Can


    you please walk by yourself for a little while. It''s not that I''m tired, but¡ª"


    Little did Carlos know that all females, whether they were adults or children, were unreasonable.


    Evelyn interrupted him and began sobbing. "Waah... I''m not listening to you. Daddy, hold me."


    Debbie put her hand to her mouth and giggled as she watched Carlos trying to persuade their


    daughter. "Evelyn, you need to practice walking."


    "Daddy, I don''t want to walk. Mommy said my boots would get dirty."


    Debbie raised her eyebrows in surprise. ''Seriously? This little girl is so cunning she even knows how to


    make an excuse, '' she thought, stunned.


    "It''s okay if your boots get dirty. Our housemaid will wash them, or we can buy a new pair of boots,"


    Carlos said, trying to coax her.


    Unexpectedly, Evelyn kissed her father on the cheek.


    Carlos'' heart melted immediately, and instead of persisting in putting her down, he hoisted her up onto


    his shoulders. Much to Evelyn''s delight, her fake tears had turned into giggles.


    Debbie stood behind them and shook her head in disbelief.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ''Really? He gave up that easily?''


    She trotted towards them and called out, "Hey, old man!"


    Carlos turned to look at her. "What?"


    "You said you wouldn''t like to have a daughter. Remember?"


    He furrowed his brows, confused and asked, "When did I say that?"


    "A long time ago! When Megan asked you whether you would prefer a son or a daughter, you said you


    wanted a son," she said, looking him in the eye, waiting for his answer. Back then, Debbie had been


    afraid that he wouldn''t love their baby if she gave birth to a girl.


    Carlos didn''t know how to answer her. He remembered that he did say that. After a short while, he said,


    "I''ll tell you when we''re home."


    ''Why is he acting so mysteriously?'' she wondered.

 Chapter 508 Kidnapping

    Chapter 508 Kidnapping


    After Carlos had a shower and climbed onto bed, Debbie couldn''t hold back her curiosity anymore. She


    snuggled up to him and asked, "Old man, now that we''re alone, you can tell me why you preferred a


    son to a daughter back then."


    Carlos put his arm under her neck, pulled her closer to him and started to exin. "Back then, you


    were a rebellious teen. You drank a lot, yed truant, and fought with others. I was afraid that if we had


    a daughter, she would be the same as you. It''s not that I wouldn''t love her. It''s because I wouldn''t know


    how to discipline her, whereas boys are different. If it was a son and he defied me, I could just beat him


    whenever he stirred up trouble."


    In the end, Debbie gave birth to a daughter, and Carlos was right. He could do nothing to Evelyn.


    Evelyn was like a queen, and he was like her ve. He would provide her with the best things that


    money could buy, and all of her heart''s desires were granted.


    "Carlos Huo! Are you saying that if we had a son, you would beat him as you wish?" Debbie asked,


    raising her voice. Now that she knew what Carlos would do to discipline their son, she felt relieved that


    they had a female child.


    Carlos chuckled and whispered in her ear, "No, no, no. Of course, I''d be nice to our son. After all,


    beating him would break your heart."


    Little did he know that what he just said woulde back to haunt him in the future.


    His warm breath made her ear itchy. She rubbed it and said, "I hope you''ll keep your word."


    "Of course."


    Debbie adjusted her position to make herselffortable, and then she realized that she was rather


    hungry. During supper, she had been preupied with why Carlos had preferred a son, and she had


    eaten very little pondering over it. ''I''ll get fat if I eat something at thiste hour, '' she thought. For the


    sake of maintaining her lovely figure, she decided to go to sleep. "Hey, I want to sleep. Tell me a


    bedtime story."


    Her rumbling stomach made Carlos chuckle. "All right. I have an interesting story," he said with a


    cunning smile.


    "Hmm."


    "Once upon a time, there was a young swordsman. He left his home, hoping to make a name for


    himself."


    Debbie''s stomach grumbled again, and she held her waist. The hunger pangs were torture.


    Carlos raised an eyebrow mischievously and continued, "One day, he entered a restaurant and ordered


    braised beef, spicy diced chicken, sweet and sour pork ribs, fried crab with pepper, seaweed soup¡ª"


    "Stop!" Debbie yelled. "Carlos Huo! You did that on purpose!"


    "Yeah!" Carlos admitted without hesitation. "There are new dishes served on the fifth floor of the Alioth


    Building. Wanna give it a try?"


    Debbie swallowed her saliva before answering cheerfully, "Yes!"


    So at eleven in the evening, Carlos and Debbie arrived on the fifth floor of the Alioth Building, and they


    ordered all the new dishes.


    After the meal, Debbie was so full that she had to support herself against Carlos as they left.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    When they got home, she threw herself onto the bed, whereas Carlos, being a germophobe, went


    straight to the bathroom to have a shower.


    With her hands on her bloated belly, she gazed up at the ceiling. Feeling guilty for overeating, she


    decided to do some exercise for fear that she might gain weight.


    When she heard the running water in the bathroom, she suddenly remembered that she saw a post


    online saying that having sex would help keep you in shape.


    As a result, Carlos had a wonderful night. To burn even more calories, she took the initiative. All Carlos


    needed to do was lie there and enjoy the sex.


    He felt like he was on cloud nine and wished that it couldst forever. However, on the third day, she


    quit.


    The problem was that Carlos had an insatiable appetite for sex, and she was unable to meet his


    demands. It was much easier for her to keep fit by working out.


    Carlos had cut back a lot of Debbie''s workload, but she still managed to find plenty of things to do.


    After her concert, even though it was dark outside, she went to herpany.


    She entered the vice general manager''s office, sat opposite Wyatt Xu, and threw a stack of papers on


    the desk before him. "Mr. Xu, you can''t just turn down most of my offers just because Carlos said so,"


    sheined, pursing her lips.


    Wyatt Xu looked at her and nodded. "You''re right."


    Debbie thought he would consider her opinion, so she shed a broad smile. "Thanks, Mr. Xu. I knew


    you wouldn''t let me down."


    However, Wyatt Xu shrugged and added, "But Mr. Huo is my boss. If I go against his will, I''ll get fired."


    Debbie''s smile froze as she stood up from her seat and scoffed, "Forget it. I shouldn''t havee here.


    Bye, Mr. Xu."


    "Bye, Mrs. Huo."


    Debbie rolled her eyes at his words and left the office in a huff. Her bodyguard was waiting for her at


    the door.


    They walked towards the elevator, and he pressed the button for her.


    Once they entered, he pressed the button to take them down to the parking lot, and Debbie began to


    y on her phone while she waited.


    When they entered the lift, they were on the 28th floor, and when the lift reached the 16th floor, it


    suddenly came to a halt.


    Debbie wasn''t rmed. She assumed that the lift had stopped for people to get in. However, the doors


    didn''t open, and the bodyguard realized that something was off. "Mrs. Huo, something''s not right.


    Please stand in the corner." He pointed to the corner behind him.


    With her heart in her throat, Debbie put her phone away and stood in the corner as she was instructed.


    The bodyguard pressed the emergency button, but it didn''t work. Nor could he get through the


    emergency number.


    Debbie pulled out her phone again and called Wyatt Xu. "Mr. Xu, we''re trapped in the elevator. It seems


    that the elevator has stopped between the 15th floor and the 16th. The emergency button doesn''t work.


    Send some people here."


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. I''m on my way." Wyatt Xu immediately left his office and asked his assistant to send


    more people there.


    Just as Debbie had hung up, the doors slowly opened.


    ''Something is wrong! Mr. Xu couldn''t have gotten here so quickly, '' she thought.


    The bodyguard had the same thought and stood protectively in front of her.


    When the doors had fully opened, they found that the elevator was stuck in between the 15th floor and


    the 16th. Then a masked man suddenly appeared before them and pointed a gun at the bodyguard.


    "Want to live or die?" he asked in a cold voice.


    The bodyguard''s right hand was on his waist. He answered vigntly, "We want to live."


    "Throw your weapons out!"


    The bodyguard hesitated for a moment, evaluating what options he had. Sensing that the masked man


    had the upper hand, he threw his gun and dagger out.


    Debbie quickly opened her bag to show the man that there was nothing dangerous inside but some


    cosmetics.


    The man gave a slight nod to the side, and then another several masked men suddenly appeared from


    nowhere. They reached out their arms and roughly dragged Debbie and her bodyguard out.


    Both of them had guns pointed at them. Debbie and the bodyguard looked at each other, but there was


    no fear in their eyes.


    Two men approached them and tied a rope around Debbie''s upper body and then the bodyguard''s.


    They were only able to walk without moving their arms.


    Debbie''s bag was thrown onto the floor, and her phone rang at that moment.


    One of the men pulled her phone out and switched it off without looking at the screen.


    Debbie counted five men in total, and two of them shoved her and the bodyguard forward. She walked


    as slowly as she could, trying to stall them.


    The man behind her became impatient and yelled, "Fuck! Hurry up!"


    Debbie lowered her head to look at her high heels and then blinked innocently at him. "I want to hurry


    up, but I''m in high heels. What if I sprain my ankle or stumble and fall? It''ll hurt, and then I''ll slow us


    down even more."


    She said it so charmingly that the man''s heart softened and he didn''t say another word.

 Chapter 509 Watch The Show

    Chapter 509 Watch The Show


    Another kidnapper, however, knelt down and tore off Debbie''s high heels. He threw them away.


    Before he could stand up, Debbie winked at her bodyguard. He immediately got her point, and they


    flew into action side by side.


    She raised her leg and kicked the kidnapper in the jaw.


    Caught off-guard, the kidnapper was sent flying backwards, and he let his gun go. It skidded across the


    floor.


    The bodyguard kicked another thug''s gun, and it flew away andnded about five meters away from


    them.


    Now that they were both disarmed, it was a free-for-all. Who would get a gun first? Debbie rushed


    towards the nearest one.


    She was a fast runner, so she got there first. The young mother kicked the weapon to the corner of a


    wall. Then she stomped on it at just the right angle, and the gun flew upwards. Before itnded on the


    floor again, she raised her leg and punted the piece.


    Wyatt, on the other hand, was searching for Debbie and her bodyguard. He heard the sounds of


    fighting on the 16th floor, so he immediately contacted Carlos.


    It was after 8 p.m., and most of the employees had already gone home. The 16th floor contained


    meeting rooms.


    From the 13th floor to the 19th floor, the middle of the building was hollow, and the roof was on the 19th


    floor. The gun kicked by Debbie flew to the hollow part, and dropped onto the 13th floor.


    The kidnapper was furious when he saw it. He raised his hand, about to p Debbie in the face. But


    something stopped him. He had enough time to turn his head, only to have something hard strike him


    in the skull. It was the gun kicked by the bodyguard.


    "Fuck! Assholes! I''ll kill you!" The kidnapper continued cursing nonstop and picked up the gun from the


    floor.


    He pointed it at the bodyguard and squeezed the trigger. The gun had a silencer, so the bullet quietly


    left the gun and sped toward Debbie''s bodyguard.


    Luckily, the bodyguard was quick enough to dodge. "Run, Mrs. Huo!" he yelled.


    Debbie, however, didn''t listen to him. She raised her leg and kicked the kidnapper in the knee. "Ouch!"


    The kidnapper fell to the floor, but he still clutched the gun tightly. Ignoring the pain in his knee, he


    raised his wrist and shot at the bodyguard again.


    Meanwhile, another two kidnappers dashed towards Debbie with daggers, glinting in the gloom. As one


    of them was about to stab her, his phone rang. "What? Abort?"


    After a while, the kidnapper gestured for his buddies to leave.


    At that moment, Debbie grabbed another kidnapper, deftly avoiding his dagger, and sent him flying


    backwards with his momentum and a kick.


    The kidnapper cried in pain and didn''t dare to move forward again. Now that his boss called off the


    mission, he struggled to his feet and ran towards the exit, trying to escape.


    The moment they disappeared, Wyatt showed up and said, "Mrs. Huo, I already called the police. They


    won''t get away." He and his men began to untie the ropes constraining Debbie and her bodyguard.


    Wyatt''s men scampered off, chasing after the kidnappers.


    "Hmm." Debbie nodded and rubbed her aching ankles, which were starting to get cramps, thanks to the


    fight.


    "I called Mr. Huo, too. He''s on the way."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Okay." Debbie was curious as to why the kidnappers suddenly pulled out.


    After Carlos arrived, she got her answer.


    The police had already surrounded the building and blocked it off by the time Carlos got there. Two


    kidnappers were handcuffed and taken to the police station. Debbie was giving her ount of what


    happened while a policeman furiously scribbled on a pad of paper. When she saw Carlos get out of his


    car, she waved at him and called out, "Over here."


    Carlos strode over and checked her out carefully. He then heaved a sigh of relief after he saw that she


    was not hurt. Despite the police being right there, he pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair


    softly. "You must have been frightened, huh?"


    "Not at all. Hey, let go of me. I''m giving my statement." With a flushed face, Debbie struggled to free


    herself from his embrace. She felt shy with everyone there watching.


    Carlos kissed her forehead, staying by her side and saying no more.


    Having given her version of what happened, she got into Carlos'' car. While he was putting on a pair of


    new shoes for her, she asked, "Why did the kidnappers give up?"


    Carlos raised his head to look at her and answered, "My ace in the hole: James Huo." He offered to


    exchange James'' life for Debbie''s, and of course, James agreed. Right there, in front of Carlos, he


    called the kidnappers and ordered them to abort the mission.


    After that, Carlos looked thoughtful and got really quiet. Actually, he was pondering on the best way to


    deal with James.


    The next afternoon, Carlos took Debbie to the suburbs in the west of the city.


    At the end of the mountain road in the suburbs was the ocean. When they arrived, there were many


    people waiting there.


    Most of them were Carlos'' bodyguards. Seeing the couple, they greeted them, "Mr. Huo! Mrs. Huo!"


    Carlos led Debbie to the middle of the crowd. And that was when she discovered James, kneeling on


    the ground, arms tied behind his back.


    "Carlos Huo, what do you want?" James yelled, horror obvious in his eyes.


    Carlos didn''t respond, nor did he spare him a single nce. He led Debbie to a cliff overlooking the


    ocean.


    Debbie looked around; she was able to overlook the entire mountainside and the ocean in the distance.


    "What are we doing here?" she asked in confusion.


    Carlos pulled out his phone while he answered her. "Watching the show!"


    Debbie rolled her eyes and shut her mouth.


    Carlos dialed someone up and asked curtly, "Where are you? Well, move your butt! I''m a busy guy."


    After about ten minutes, Debbie heard a roaring behind her, getting louder. A car squealed to a halt.


    The young singer saw a person in white rushing and pushing his way through the crowd.


    When she finally got a good look, she recognized him¡ªNiles.


    He seemed to have rushed out in the middle of surgery, as he was wearing a surgical gown inside his


    white overcoat. He held a first-aid kit in his hand and stood before Carlos, panting. "Carlos Huo! You


    want punish James Huo... or me? I''ll be no good to anyone if I''m exhausted. You ass!"


    Carlos smiled cunningly and patted his shoulder. "You like a good show, right? Walk over there and


    wait for us," he instructed, as he pointed to a small hill near the ocean.


    The only thing Niles could figure out was that Carlos was going to deal with James, but didn''t know


    how. Although he hated being treated like this, he could do nothing. He did as he was bidden by


    Carlos.


    Everything was ready.


    Carlos called someone and ordered, "You can start now."


    Debbie looked at the ce where they held James. Two bodyguards escorted him to a car.


    It was not an old car, but its windows had been busted out.

 Chapter 510 Wolves

    Chapter 510 Wolves


    "Why are the windows broken?" Debbie asked curiously.


    Carlos yed with a cigar in his hand and raised an eyebrow answering, "It''ll be more exciting."


    ''What does he mean by that?'' She was even more confused.


    The bodyguards forced James to sit in the driver''s seat and started the engine for him. Then they said


    something, which made his face pale.


    At that moment, an animal howled in the distance and Debbie shivered when she heard it. She


    recognized that sound from when she had taken Evelyn to the zoo. It was a wolf! She held Carlos'' arm


    tightly and cried, "Carlos, there''s a wolf!"


    Carlos, on the other hand, wasn''t afraid at all. He patted her hand reassuringly and said in a soft voice,


    "Rx. You''ll be safe here."


    "How can you be so sure?" When Debbie saw the cynical smile on his face, she realized something.


    "You arranged this!"


    Carlos nodded his head.


    Soon, a man came into view with a few Russian wolves behind him.


    ''James. A car without windows. Wolves.''


    Debbie was perplexed. ''What is Carlos trying to do?''


    When the wolves pounced at the car, she instantly realized what was going on.


    "Aaargh!" James was frightened to death by the wolves approaching and stepped hard on the


    elerator. The car sped off like a bat out of hell.


    The car raced along the mountain road at maximum speed while the wolves ran after it. Whenever


    James slowed down a bit, the wolves would catch up to him.


    Even though James was quite a distance away from them, they could still hear his agonizing screams


    in pain echoing through the mountains.


    When the car was almost out of sight, a bodyguard came to them and handed Carlos two pairs of


    binocrs.


    Carlos gave Debbie one and said, "Go on enjoying the show."


    Debbie looked at James'' car through the binocrs and asked, "What if someone on the road gets hit


    by the car or gets attacked by the wolves?"


    "That''s impossible. The ce has been cleared ahead of time," Carlos assured her.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "So you''ve been nning this for a while?" she asked.


    "Mmm hmm."


    "Why did you give James the car?" she asked curiously.


    "Well, if I didn''t, then he would''ve been ripped apart by the wolves by now. The car gives him a sense


    of hope that he can escape, and it''s much more exciting to watch," Carlos said with a cunning smile.


    "The car windows are broken so the wolves can jump in and bite him?"


    "Yes."


    Debbie moved her binocrs aside and looked at Carlos. "Is there something wrong with the car


    brakes?"


    Carlos curled his lips. "Bingo! The brakes don''t work. It''s quite a show, isn''t it?"


    ''You evil man!'' she cursed inwardly.


    "What if he hits the mountain or falls off the cliff?"


    Carlos lowered his binocrs too and looked her in the eye. "I don''t think he''d be that stupid to hit the


    mountain or fall off the cliff. He would only drive forward. The end of the road is the ocean. He''ll


    eventually drive into the ocean. Then it''s time for Niles to y his part."


    Debbie was rendered speechless. She didn''t know whether she should describe him as a genius or a


    monster.


    It was just as Carlos had predicted. While screaming at the top of his lungs, James drove the car into


    the ocean.


    Then several bodyguards jumped into the water and began to search for him.


    Carlos took Debbie''s hand and led her to a car. They got in, and a bodyguard drove the car to the


    beach.


    When they arrived, James had already been pulled out. His motionless, bloodied bodyy on the


    beach.


    Niles then stepped in and began to carry out first-aid on him.


    ''Why do I always have to take care of Carlos'' mess?'' he cursed inside. After he performed CPR for a


    while, James finally spat out the seawater he had swallowed.


    When James showed signs of life and started to cough and splutter, Debbie heaved a sigh of relief.


    She was worried that James was going to die. Fortunately, he didn''t.


    It wasn''t because she cared about James. On the contrary, she didn''t give a damn about that wicked


    man. She was worried that Carlos would have blood on his hands.


    Carlos kicked the old man and asked, "James Huo, how do you feel now?"


    James struggled to raise his hand to point at him. "Carlos Huo... You son of a bitch! I''ve raised you for


    thirty years, and this is how you repay me?"


    "Seriously? Who''s been supporting the Huo family for the past decade?" Carlos sneered.


    Since Carlos was a little boy, he had known that James was short-tempered. He blew his fuse almost


    every single day. He had never been a caring father to Carlos.


    James began to cough violently. Niles immediately gave him an injection to calm him down. "I''ve taken


    care of you since you were a kid. Is it not right for me to use my son''s money?" he asked in a weary


    voice.


    "Of course it''s right." With his hands in his pockets, Carlos looked down at James with resentment. "But


    it wasn''t you who had taken care of me, but Grandma."


    Perhaps it was because Carlos wasn''t his biological son that he seldom took care of him. When Carlos


    grew up and began to earn money, all that James did was take advantage of him and take money from


    him.


    James felt uneasy now. "Carlos Huo, you''ll pay for what you did," he cursed angrily.


    "Now you''re paying for what you did," Carlos said indifferently.


    Unable to stay calm any longer, James began to plead, "Carlos, let me go. After all, we''ve been father


    and son for so many years."


    "Father and son?" Carlos repeated the words sarcastically. "Then what about Lewis?"


    At the very mention of Lewis, James'' eyes widened in terror. "No! You can''t hurt him! You''ve already


    sent him abroad. He has nothing to do with this. Please leave him out of this!" James had a son and a


    daughter. His daughter had gone insane because of Carlos. James couldn''t afford to see Lewis get hurt


    as well.


    "Let him go? Okay, but what about my wife? After all that you''ve put my wife through, I must get back at


    you today." Carlos grabbed Debbie''s hand and led her to stand before James, who was still lying on the


    ground.


    "I''ve already apologized to her. Isn''t that enough? What do you want?" James spat.


    "Huh?" Carlos sneered. "Before we came here, we ran into several assassins. Don''t tell me it has


    nothing to do with you."


    James clenched his teeth and cursed inwardly, ''A bunch of idiots! I spent so much money, yet Carlos


    hasn''t gotten a single scratch on him.'' "Is there any way that you would let me go?"


    "Let you go? Will you do as I say?" Carlos asked, his face deadpan.


    "Yes, I will!" James nodded without hesitation. ''Where there is life, there is hope, '' he thought.


    Toozy to expose his true thoughts, Carlos said with a raised eyebrow, "Kneel and apologize to her!"


    "What?" James instantly red up, his face as red as a tomato. Even his eyes were red as if he was


    going to explode.


    "If you''re not willing to, fine, then¡ª"


    "I''ll do it!" James sat up and swore in his mind, ''How dare Carlos force me to kneel before that trollop! I


    swear one day I''ll chop his legs off!''


    Debbie stared coldly as James knelt before her.


    Then he opened his mouth to say, "Debbie Nian..."

 Chapter 511 Capital Punishment

    Chapter 511 Capital Punishment


    Carlos pulled out his phone, pressed some buttons, and put it back in his pocket.


    "I shouldn''t have mistreated you in the past. I shouldn''t have threatened you with your kid. But I didn''t


    abort your kid, so please forgive me," James pleaded, looking at Debbie with a hopeful expression.


    When he had finished, Debbie stared at him with daggers in her eyes. "James Huo, because of you,


    Carlos and I had been separated for three long years. Do you think that weak, insincere apology could


    make up for the happiness that had been missing for three years? Not good enough!"


    James swallowed hard and continued, "I shouldn''t have let Stephanie masquerade as Carlos'' girlfriend


    after he lost his memory. I was a fool back then. I swear I won''t do it again. If you let me go, I''ll leave Y


    City forever with Stephanie and never appear before you¡ª"


    "Stop it!" Debbie yelled. She couldn''t stand to listen to James'' sniveling and hypocrisy any longer.


    Carlos pulled her into his arms and kissed her head tofort her. Then he turned to James, who was


    still kneeling on the ground, and said coldly, "James Huo."


    James feebly raised his head.


    "Let you go? Well, that''s never gonna happen," Carlos said menacingly.


    "How could you break your word!" James shouted defiantly.


    Carlos growled through gritted teeth, "Did I say that I''d let you go after you apologized?"


    Carlos then took Debbie''s hand and led her to their car.


    Once they got in, Carlos called out to Niles, who was still packing his first-aid kit. "If you''re not getting


    in, we''ll be leaving!"


    Niles raised his head to look at Carlos with his eyes as wide as saucers. Then he quickly grabbed the


    box, picked up the loose bits of medical items lying around, stuffing them into his pockets and ran


    towards the car. "Carlos Huo! Is this how you repay me? Don''t forget it was me who just saved James''


    life! If it weren''t for me, he''d be dead right now!"


    Niles threw the medical box into the car and dived into the passenger seat just in time before the car


    drove off.


    Ignoring hisints, Carlos asked, "How''s his health condition? How many years does he have


    left?"


    Niles buckled himself up and answered, slightly out of breath, "He has nothing wrong but high blood


    pressure. He''s probably got at least another twenty years in him, though what you''ve done to him


    recently will undoubtedly have some effect on his lifespan."


    After pondering for a moment, Carlos told Debbie, "I''ll have Dixon send you all the proof of the crimes


    that James and Stephanie hadmitted. You can do whatever you like to them."


    James and his men must be dealt with as soon as possible. Otherwise, Debbie''s safety would be in


    constant jeopardy.


    "Okay!" Debbie replied. By then, James had knelt before her and apologized twice. And the evil man


    had been punished. That was something to cool her anger. Now she was ready to take the next step¡ª


    sue James.


    Carlos had his men take James to the Huo family''s old house and asked him to reflect on himself. In


    fact, he was ced under house arrest.


    As soon as Debbie received all of the evidence against James and Stephanie, she had perused it and


    then forwarded it to Xavier.


    Debbie thought the right thing to do was hand all the evidence over to the authorities and let thew


    punish them ordingly.


    As soon as Debbie reported it to the police, they arrested James. The evidence was conclusive, and


    there was no use for him to try and deny it.


    Debbie postponed all of her work, and her entire attention centered on James'' case. She wanted to


    make sure that he would rot in jail and never be released again.


    She exposed what James had done in the past four years on the Inte, and even posted the DNA


    test results online proving that Evelyn was Carlos'' daughter. She epted an interview of a tell-all


    where she told the reporters what James had done to her while she was still pregnant with Evelyn.


    With the help of Carlos, James had been convicted of murder, corruption, epting bribes, illegal


    transfer of property, kidnapping, and extortion.


    During the investigation, they even found that James was the instigator behind the car ident that


    Carlos had been in four years ago. James had bought the guilty driver over, who had died on the spot,


    and lied in his testimony.


    Therefore, it was James who caused Emmett''s death.


    Apart from that case, James had also killed several other people of which he pleaded guilty.


    Stephanie was also arrested. It wasn''t because James had betrayed his daughter. The police found out


    what she had done.


    When the police found her, she was in bed with some wealthy man. She had been working hard for the


    past few days to find herself a new way out. She thought if she could worm herself into the man''s


    family group by sleeping with him, she would be able to live a luxurious life once again.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    However, her fantasy bubble burst when the police barged into the hotel room and led her away in


    handcuffs.


    The police had evidence that the man who had raped Megan before her death had been sent by


    Aldrich. They also found the woman that had murdered Megan. She admitted to having cosmetic


    surgery to look like Debbie to frame her for Megan''s murder. She also confessed that it was Stephanie


    who had hired her to do it.


    It was also Stephanie who tried to cause the death of Carlos and Debbie at the seaside resort. She


    bribed the captain and sailors in an attempt to get Debbie and Carlos killed.


    Carlos had been aware of that for a long time, but he chose not to expose it.


    Glenda received public condemnation after it was made known through the media that she had been


    cheating on her husband for more than thirty years. Left humiliated and disgraced, she tried to leave Y


    City.


    However, she was intercepted by the police at the airport, and they took her away for questioning. She


    had to cooperate with them in the investigation of James and Stephanie.


    In the information age, for those who cared about Debbie, it was of great importance to support her on


    the Inte.


    Her friends reposted Debbie''s Weibo posts using James and confirmed that what she had said was


    all true.


    These were all influential people including Kinsley, Carlos, Curtis, Xavier, and other big shots.


    James'' case had made quite a stir, and everyone was keeping an eye on it. After several months had


    passed, the court issued the convictions of James andpany.


    ording to the Supreme People''s Court of Y City, Stephanie was sentenced to life imprisonment for


    murder, incitement, and framing.


    James was deprived of political rights and sentenced to death for what he had done.


    Several senior executives of the ZL Group who hadmitted serious crimes were sentenced to life


    imprisonment as well.


    James'' capital punishment was carried out immediately. On the day he was executed by shooting


    squad, Valerie flew in from New York and imed his ashes. She had his ashes buried in a remote


    cemetery.


    There was a temple not far from the cemetery. Valerie decided to spend the rest of her life there to


    atone for James'' crimes.


    By the time everything was over, it was almost the end of the year.


    Debbie was emotionally and physically exhausted by the end of it all. She stayed in her bedroom at


    Carlos'' manor for two days, and the maid would bring her food and drinks for sustenance.


    Dous was dead, and Valerie was now in Y City. Miranda and Carlos were in Y City too. So the other


    members of the Huo family decided to move back as well.


    On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Miranda and Wade went to the Huo family''s old house, while


    Carlos and Debbie went abroad to travel.

 Chapter 512 Pregnant Again

    Chapter 512 Pregnant Again


    On the fifteenth day of their trip, Debbie and Carlos were in the Sahara Desert. It was their second day


    there.


    As she faced the boundless desert, she opened her arms and said cheerfully, "I''ve long been looking


    forward toing here. My dream has finallye true. Honey, I feel so happy right now. I''m in the


    most beautiful ce with my husband and child by my side. This is so wonderful."


    ''Husband and child?''


    Carlos turned and looked around, but there was no sign of Evelyn.


    "Did you ask someone to bring Evelyn here?" he asked in disbelief, his face sullen. He really disliked


    this ce. The weather was bad, and the view was not beautiful. It was nothing but sand all around. He


    didn''t understand why she liked it here.


    Debbie gave him a mysterious smile. "Of course not."


    After a few seconds of utter confusion, Carlos'' eyes lit up. "You...are pregnant?" he stammered.


    Debbie gave him a broad smile and nodded, "Yes!" They''d been looking forward to their second child


    for almost a year. And now, she was finally pregnant.


    Carlos wanted to hug and kiss her right there, but then his face darkened. "Honey, I think I''ve been too


    nice to you. How dare you bring us here knowing that you are pregnant!" Saying that, he scooped her


    up in his arms.


    Debbie cradled his neck and pouted her lipsining, "If I had told you earlier, you wouldn''t have


    allowed me toe here."


    Carlos didn''t know how to respond; she did have a point.


    The next morning, Debbie saw Carlos'' private ne in the garden of the hotel where they lived. That


    night, they arrived at their manor in Y City.


    She looked at Carlos, who was now gently cing her into the bathtub with the utmost care, and


    grumbled, "We had just arrived in the Sahara Desert. I didn''t even ride on a camel. Yet you brought me


    back. Such a pity!"


    "You are only allowed to walk in and around the manor in the next nine months," he simply said.


    "Okay," Debbie nodded obediently.


    Carlos'' face changed. "Honey, are you plotting something behind my back?" he asked. Ever since he


    had gotten his memory back, Debbie had been acting rather obediently, which made him quite uneasy.


    Debbie shed a sweet smile. "Honey, what are you talking about? You are so nice to me. Why would I


    plot anything behind your back?"


    ''I''ll make sure that he is nice to me as much as possible in theing months, '' she swore to herself.


    Carlos just smiled back. Debbie couldn''t tell whether he had believed what she had said or not. "Let me


    bathe you now. Don''t catch a cold."


    "Thank you, honey. You''re the best."


    When Debbie was pregnant with Evelyn, Carlos had not been by her side. This time, he swore that he


    would take care of her and their baby.


    Debbie very much enjoyed Carlos'' care, and even called Kasie to boast about it. "Kasie, if you hate a


    man, all you should do is marry him and get pregnant with his child. He will take care of you with the


    utmost care every single day; you are the queen and he''s your ve. You can ask him for the world,N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    and he would give it to you. He will obey your orders and do everything to make you happy. Wow! I feel


    really good. I''m having the time of my life!"


    Kasie giggled and praised her friend, "Tomboy, I really admire you. You have truly tamed the aloof


    CEO. You need to teach me how to do these things."


    Debbie stroked her hair and asked casually, "How are you and Ivan? Carlos and I are having our


    second baby. What about you?"


    Kasie blushed on the other end of the line. "I was going to tell you about that. You''re three months


    pregnant, right? Well, I''m in the second month of pregnancy. I just got the result from the hospital!"


    Kasie said excitedly.


    Her and Ivan''s parents had been looking forward to such a piece of news. And now, she was finally


    pregnant.


    "Wow! Congrattions, Mrs. Wen! Why don''t youe back to Y City so that we can be pregnant


    together?"


    "I wish. My mom wanted me to fly back too, but Ivan''s mother didn''t agree. She wants to take care of


    me herself. She has promised that Ivan could take me to Y City for a while during the fourth month,"


    Kasie said. She was happy that Ivan''s mother cared so much for her, but she also felt helpless


    because she really missed her parents and her friends.


    "Well, she does seem to care for you a lot. Hey, Kasie, I''m feeling kinda sleepy. I should probably go


    take a nap. I will call youter, okay?" Debbie had slept well earlier, yet she still felt very drowsy.


    "Okay. Take care, Tomboy. Bye!"


    Debbie didn''t even move after hanging up. She fell asleep in the hanging chair on the balcony.


    When Carlos came back, he saw her sleeping soundly in the hanging chair.


    He sighed and grabbed the nket on the bed before heading to the balcony.


    Debbie was a light sleeper, so he tried his best to put the nket on her softly. But it still woke her.


    She opened her eyes slowly andined in a hoarse voice, "I just fell asleep..."


    Carlos was amused and apologized immediately, "Sorry. I didn''t mean to wake you."


    She closed her eyes again. "Did you bring me something to eat?" she asked.


    Carlos was stunned. "No. I¡ª"


    Debbie interrupted him and snapped, "You should''ve been able to tell from my sleeping position in the


    morning what I was craving for! Why didn''t you buy me the food that I wanted to eat?"


    Carlos was rendered speechless. He recalled that before he had left that morning, she had been


    sleeping on her side. So he asked, "What do you like to eat when you sleep on your side? And on your


    back?" He needed to write everything down.


    "Hmm...when I sleep on my left side, I want ice-cream. When I sleep on my right, I want hotpot. When


    I''m on my back, I want chicken feet, chips, c, hamburger..."


    Carlos'' jaw dropped. The food she was listing out had all been banned by him.


    The next evening, he asked the chef to cook chicken feet for his wife. He held the te in his hand and


    walked upstairs. When he pushed the door open, Debbie was reading a book.


    The aroma of the food instantly drew her attention. She put down the book and eximed, "Chicken


    feet! Are they spicy?"


    "No! You can''t eat spicy¡ª"


    She pulled a long face and snapped, "You did it on purpose. You know I like spicy food."


    "You shouldn''t eat spicy food when you''re pregnant," Carlos exined patiently.


    Debbie looked at the chicken feet, swallowed hard and pretended to be angry at him. "Carlos Huo! Go


    to the corner and reflect on your mistake!" she said, pointing to a corner of the room.


    To her surprise, Carlos walked to the corner without saying a word in protest.


    Debbie had no reason to make it difficult for him. After a while, she sighed and looked at Carlos, who


    was standing in the corner with his hands in his pockets. "Come here and eat with me," she said.


    Carlos rubbed his temples and said, "Honey, you know I don''t eat chicken feet."


    She pointed to her belly and said, "Your daughter wants you to have them." At the beginning, Debbie


    would refer to the baby in her belly as "your son." But she soon realized that it wasn''t having much


    effect on him, so she changed her approach and now referred to their baby as "your daughter."


    And this worked magically. No matter how reluctant Carlos was, he would always give in.

 Chapter 513 You Are Suffocating Me

    Chapter 513 You Are Suffocating Me


    Carlos put on disposable gloves and began to eat chicken feet, just like Debbie.


    ''The aloof CEO is eating chicken feet!'' Debbie''sughter was so loud that even the housemaids on the


    first floor could hear her.


    ''As long as I listen to her, she''ll be happy. All I want to see is her beautiful smile, '' Carlos thought.


    As a result, he catered to her every whim and was very obedient to her during her pregnancy. She


    knew that he was a loving, devoted husband who was anxious to please her. So she took advantage of


    the situation and tried all kinds of methods to make fun of him.


    One evening, Carlos didn''t know why Debbie was mad at him again. She insisted on kicking him out of


    their bed.


    Standing beside the bed, he asked innocently, "Honey, what did I do wrong? Please don''t be mad at


    me. I swear I won''t do it again."


    "Humph! You''re breathing so hard that I won''t have any air to breathe. You''re suffocating me. Go


    away!" With that, she threw a pillow at him.


    Carlos caught the pillow in his hands and looked at her, not knowing how to respond. If he didn''t catch


    the pillow and it fell to the floor, Debbie would have another excuse to scold him. "Honey, do you want


    me to stop breathing?"


    Debbie blinked her round eyes and said, "Of course not! You go and sleep in the guest room."


    "But if I go sleep in the guest room, who''ll apany you to the bathroom at night?" he reasoned and


    put the pillow on the sofa.


    She thought for a moment and realized that his words did make sense. "All right. Honey, let''s sleep


    now."


    "Thank you, honey." Carlos climbed back into the bed obediently.


    When Damon heard that Carlos and Debbie had remarried, he decided to do something to ask for her


    forgiveness.


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    One day, he invited the couple out to have dinner with him, saying that he wanted to apologize to her.


    He even bought an expensive antique on the ck market to appease her.


    Damon knew that as long as Debbie was happy, Carlos was happy. So what he needed to do was fawn


    over her.


    No matter how expensive the gift was, he would buy it for her.


    As for money... ''Money wille and go, ''


    he consoled himself in his mind while stroking the antique.


    Damon organized the dinner at the restaurant owned by Colleen. He invited both Jared and Curtis to


    join them. After all, Debbie was close with them. Damon hoped that the two would put in a good word


    for him to help his cause.


    Wherever Debbie went, Carlos would always be by her side to protect her.


    The door to the private booth was opened, and Damon heard Carlos'' voice. "Honey, there''s water


    there. Come this way. Honey, hold onto my arm..."


    Damon rolled his eyes and sighed quietly. ''Anyone listening to them would think that Debbie is blind, ''


    he thought to himself.


    The next moment, he put on a ttering smile and stood up from his seat to wee the woman. "Hi,


    Debbie. You''re finally here."


    Debbie approached them. The long red cashmere overcoat she was wearing set off her lovely, fair skin.


    Carlos was right by her side, with one of his hands on her slightly swollen belly protectively. When


    Carlos saw Damon, he said, "Honey, keep an eye on Damon."


    Damon''s jaw dropped in shock. ''What did I do wrong?''


    Debbie had a healthy pregnancy glow about her, and she had gained some weight. She shed a


    broad smile and greeted the people in the room, "Hi Uncle Curtis! Damon! Jared!"


    Curtis stood up and pulled out the chair next to him. "Come and sit down. You must be tired." Carlos


    took Debbie''s coat and led her to the chair to sit down next to Curtis.


    Once Debbie sat down, Jared picked up the serving chopsticks and ced some cold dishes onto her


    te. "Tomboy, eat up. These are your favorite dishes."


    Carlos used to be in the limelight, but now his position was reced by his wife.


    However, he didn''t care about it at all. He sat down in his seat next to Debbie.


    When they were all seated, Curtis teased Carlos, who was serving Debbie food. "I heard that Mr. Huo


    had changed his profession and be a servant. It seems like it''s true."


    Carlos put some celery on Debbie''s te and answered indifferently, "I love to serve my wife. Why


    don''t you have a second baby so you can be a servant too?"


    Curtis chuckled. "We won''t be having a second baby. One child is enough. I don''t want my wife to go


    through pregnancy again. It''s torturing."


    Upon hearing that, Debbie swallowed the food in her mouth and defended her husband. "Uncle Curtis,


    it was me who wanted to have a second baby."


    Curtis shook his head helplessly. "I was just kidding. Why are you so protective of him?"


    Debbie smiled at him and continued eating.


    Damon stood and poured everyone else a ss of wine and freshly squeezed juice for Debbie since


    alcohol wasn''t healthy for the baby. He then raised his ss towards her in toast and said, "Debbie, I


    want to apologize to you."


    Debbie was stunned by his announcement. Carlos had told her that Damon invited them out to dinner


    because he had some free time.


    She blinked at him and asked, "Why apologize?"


    Her question made Damon feel even guiltier. ''She''s such a generous woman. How could I have


    misunderstood her in the past?'' he thought. Damon nced at Carlos and saw him staring at him with


    cold eyes, so he continued, "Four years ago, you and Megan were on bad terms with each other. I


    thought it was your fault, and I shouldn''t have listened to James Huo. I even spoke ill of you. Debbie, I


    hope you''ll ept this gift from me, and I hope you like it."


    With that, he gulped the wine down in one go and then held his hand out to Jared.


    Jared pulled out a box and handed it to his brother.


    Damon took the box and made his way toward Debbie with the gift. She immediately stood up as well


    to show respect.


    Carlos frowned and said, "Honey, just sit down. You''re pregnant."


    Debbie patted his hand and said, "Hey, watch your manners."


    "It''s not my¡ª Okay, okay. I''ll watch my manners." He changed his tone immediately when he saw the


    re in her eyes.


    Damon was astounded when he saw how obedient the bossy CEO was with his wife. He looked at her


    sincerely, holding the box out to her in both his hands, and said, "Debbie, please ept this gift. From


    now on, I''ll be siding with you."


    Debbie nced at the expensive red sandalwood box, and guessed that whatever was inside must be


    very expensive too. Without taking the gift, she said, "It''s okay. Let bygones be bygones. I''m living a


    good life now. You didn''t cause me any harm. You were fooled by them just as many others had been.


    Since you''re Carlos'' buddy, you don''t need to be so formal with me either. You didn''t need to buy me a


    gift."


    When she didn''t ept the gift, Damon felt awkward and became anxious. He ced the box into her


    hands and said, "You must take it. Thanks to your husband, I''ve made a lot of money. It can be said


    that I bought the gift with his money. So please, just take it and don''t feel shy."


    "But it''s still your money. You earned it. Besides, you have two children now. It''ll cost you arge sum of


    money to raise them," Debbie reasoned, about to give the box back to him.


    "Tomboy, just take it. If you don''t take it, he''ll spend the money in another way," Jared chimed in.

 Chapter 514 White Jade

    Chapter 514 White Jade


    Damon red at Jared.


    Curtis chuckled, "Debbie, take it. Damon will need your husband''s help in the future."


    And that was when Debbie realized that they were being nice to her because of Carlos.


    Since they were urging her to take the gift, she decided to ept it. She took the sandalwood box and


    said, "Thank you, Damon. We''re good."


    Damon grinned, "Open it."


    Worried that she might be tired from standing too long, Carlos put his hands on her shoulder gently,


    indicating she should sit down. Slowly, she opened the red sandalwood box, revealing a piece of jade


    inside. It was fine, glossy, and wless.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Debbie took the stone from the box. It was the size of an adult''s thumb. She thought it looked familiar,


    but she wasn''t sure. "Is this White Jade?" she asked.


    An image was carved into the White Jade¡ªa Buddha holding a lifelike lotus.


    Rubbing his chin as he nodded, Damon exined, "It''s the best kind of jade. In ancient times, only


    emperors and generals and ministers could wear them. But this is not just any White Jade. It''s a


    historic treasure from the Song Dynasty, during Tiansheng''s reign."


    ''Tiansheng! That means this thing''s nearly a thousand years old. It''s priceless!''


    Debbie gaped in shock.


    Curtis had seen the item before Damon gave it to Debbie. He thought about it for a moment and stated,


    "In Buddhism, the blooming of the blue lotus flower stands for enlightenment. If a Buddhist follower


    acquires the wisdom and realm of the blue lotus flower, they find Buddha. The lotus flower starts out in


    the murk, but it rises and blooms above it, so it stands for purification. The mud is suffering. The


    Buddha is born into a world of suffering, but isn''t bothered by it. And let''s not forget rebirth. The flower


    also means that. After a person dies, they are reborn in another body."


    It sounded like the meaning of the lotus flower was profound.


    Debbie closed the box and handed it back to Damon. "This is too much. I can''t take it. Give it to


    Adriana."


    Damon pursed his lips. "Curtis makes it sound really impressive. But you can''t give it back. Besides,


    Adriana already has a ton of jewelry. Next time you two are together you canpare."


    After saying that, he sat back in his seat.


    Having received such a valuable gift, Debbie looked uneasy. Carlosforted her, "He was generous


    enough to buy it for you, what are you worried about?"


    "It must have cost him a lot. How could anyone afford that? He can''t be that calm about it," she said.


    The stone was priceless. It must have pained Damon to part with that kind of cash.


    Carlos smiled. "If he didn''t want to pay for it, he would have kept it for himself."


    "Do rich people always buy such expensive gifts?" she asked Carlos quietly. "Several years ago, Uncle


    Curtis bought me a house. Now Damon has bought me an invaluable jade object. And you have bought


    me tons of expensive gifts. Should I get used to it?"


    "Yes. And I''ve spent a lot on Damon, too."


    "Oh, okay then." Carlos'' words reassured her.


    She decided to ept the gemstone and buy Damon''s kids two gifts someday.


    The dinner, on the other hand, was fantastic. Everyone got along well...okay, maybe not Damon and


    Jared. Debbie couldn''t stop giggling when she heard the two trading insults.


    If he could, Carlos would have taken the brothers home to keep Debbie happy.


    When Colleen heard the group was already there, she rushed over and the ce became livelier. Once


    there, she sat next to Debbie and ced her hand over her belly to feel the baby. No one could get her


    to leave Debbie alone.


    Carlos stared daggers at her to show her his unhappiness. "I''m your aunt. I''m concerned about the


    baby," she said to him defensively.


    After the big dinner, they went home. Debbie had new ideas about how to poke fun at Carlos.


    She insisted Carlos wear the briefs she had bought him on his 32nd birthday.


    "I bought that gift, not Ivan," she said. It had taken her a long time to decide what to buy him. Carlos


    didn''t care about price. It had to be something special and interesting. She was sure she was the only


    one that dared to give him something like that. It would be eye-catching.


    Hearing her request, Carlos felt helpless. "Honey, it''s a little..."


    "A little what?" She pulled her nightgown down a little, revealing even more of that heavenly body.


    But Carlos didn''t react. He had been suppressing his urges, worried that sex would hurt the baby.


    Hisck of enthusiasm made her anxious. She took her nightgown off and climbed into bed. Caressing


    his hand, she said amorously, "Come on, old man. It''ste...we''re alone. Why so shy?"


    His Adam''s apple bobbed, the look in his eyes intense.


    "You know what I want," she reiterated.


    "No," he refused firmly. It was simply an insult to her charms.


    She decided to try harder. She put her hands on his shoulders, pushing him deeper into the bed. She


    met his gaze tenderly. "Do you want me to dress you?"


    Her hand slid across his chest and then down his belly. Those hours at the gym paid off. His pecs and


    chocte abs made him look so hot.


    "Um...no..." Carlos urged gently, feeling embarrassed.


    "Oh yes," she replied with a smile. The she moved away from him and said, "Well, if you can''t make me


    happy...pick a guest room and sleep there tonight."


    To prove that he was unyielding, he clutched his pillow and walked out of the bedroom.


    Debbie remained calm. She stroked her swollen belly and whispered to it, "Baby, let''s make a bet. I


    give him five minutes. What do you think?"


    Then she took out her phone and loaded up Speed QQ. She had been racing on one particr circuit


    for awhile and had yet to beat it.


    Four minutester, the door to the bedroom creaked, and Carlos walked over to the bed.


    He was in his bathrobe, and he looked down at Debbie, wrapped in a thin quilt. "Honey, I couldn''t sleep


    without you."


    Debbie let him back into the bed. Then she pulled the belt of his robe...


    And as the two sides of the robe parted, she could see he was wearing the briefs underneath.


    She giggled, "Even in this girly pair of briefs, you''re so damn hot!"


    The horny Carlos couldn''t take it anymore. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.


    As he advanced, she pushed him away. "We can''t do this. Won''t it hurt the baby?"


    It was such an effort to control himself. He was sweating profusely. What? She was stopping him now?


    "What does it care? It''s just a dot."


    Debbie winked at him. "It''s been more than four months. The doctor says the baby is fully


    formed."

 Chapter 515 I’m Interested In Your Immovables

    Chapter 515 I¡¯m Interested In Your Immovables


    Carlos tossed the quilt aside. "Didn''t the doctor say that if I''m careful enough, we can still have sex?"


    Carlos won that one because Debbie had been there when the doctor said that. "But¡ª"


    "No buts." The overbearing Carlos was back. "No excuses. No exnations. I want you. Only you.


    Now."


    When Debbie was six months pregnant, the doctor told them the sex of the baby. It was a girl.


    Carlos was on top of the world and overjoyed at the news.


    Seeing him so happy, Debbie had an idea. That evening, before going to bed, she told Carlos, "Old


    man, I need to buy some things for your youngest daughter. Give me some money." Carlos had always


    been generous with her. She had more money than she could spend.


    "Sure." Carlos gave her two bank cards.


    Debbie looked at the cards and asked, "How much is on them?"


    "A few hundred million," he replied after thinking about it for a moment.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ''This is only a fraction of Carlos'' wealth. It''s not enough, '' she thought.


    Noticing that she was quiet, he asked, "Not enough?"


    Debbie shook her head.


    Carlos then grabbed his wallet. He pulled out a credit card for himself, and then handed his wallet over


    to Debbie. That way she had all the other bank cards that he owned.


    Debbie smiled and kissed his wallet happily.


    That night Carlos went to sleep with his arms wrapped around Debbie, while Debbie had her arms


    wrapped around Carlos'' wallet.


    When Debbie was around eight months pregnant, one day, Carlos returned from a business trip. As


    soon as he walked into his office, Dixon came to him and said hesitantly, "Mr. Huo..."


    Carlos threw him a nce. "What?"


    Debbie''s threat ran through Dixon''s mind. He lost his nerve and changed his mind about telling Carlos.


    "Er, nothing. Mrs. Huo said that she''d like to have dinner with you tonight."


    Carlos had only to look at Dixon to know that something was up. Debbie must have done something.


    "The baby is due very soon, so Debbie has been crankytely. If she wants to do something, let her. If


    she throws a tantrum, humor her," Carlos said. Even he could do nothing about it whenever she was in


    a bad mood.


    As soon as Carlos found out that Debbie was pregnant, he forbade her to work. However, Debbie


    managed to keep herself busy. She visited her friends every day. One day she was at Curtis and


    Colleen''s ce, then she would visit Dixon. Then Kristina''s and Jared and Sasha''s.


    Since Carlos was the father of her baby, wherever she went, the unborn child was looked upon as


    royalty, and Debbie was treated like a queen. Thus, everyone she had visited felt exhausted and much


    relieved when she left.


    She had also paid a visit to Lucinda, Ramona, and Decker.


    Under Debbie''s constant coaxing and threat, Decker had changed his surname to Nian. His


    rtionship with Ramona had significantly improved with Debbie''s efforts.


    Dixon understood what Carlos meant, but the matter he was keeping from his boss was so severe that


    it was eating away at him. "Mr. Huo, I have a request."


    "Fire away."


    "Err...one day if you get mad at me, you can kick my ass or give me a good tongueshing, but please


    don''t fire me."


    ''It sounds serious, '' Carlos thought, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, but you need to answer my question


    first."


    "No problem."


    "The thing my wife is doing. Is it dangerous to her health and well-being?" Carlos knew that Dixon


    wouldn''t betray Debbie, so he decided to ask indirectly.


    Dixon shook his head. Then after staring at Carlos for a moment, he furrowed his brows and said, "She


    won''t be in danger as long as you don''t get angry at her." So it depended on Carlos whether Debbie


    would be safe or in danger.


    Carlos realized that Debbie was doing something against him.


    "I promise. Go back to your work."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo." Dixon let out a long sigh of relief. He survived.


    That evening, when they were having dinner, Debbie randomly said, "I know the imperial concubines


    are not allowed to interfere with the court''s affairs."


    Carlos didn''t know what to think when he heard that. ''What am I? An emperor?'' "Honey, you can do


    whatever you want. What''s mine is yours."


    "Okay then. The financial manager of yourpany isn''t obedient, but he''s not a bad guy. So can you


    transfer him to another position?"


    "Consider it done. Do you have anyone in mind as his sessor?"


    "Barney Xiang. I heard that he had just returned from America. Do you think he''s capable enough to be


    the financial manager?" Barney Xiang and Dixon had returned from America together. They both joined


    the ZL Group at the same time.


    ''Barney Xiang?'' Carlos realized what Debbie was up to, but he didn''t give anything away. "Of course.


    My employees are allpetent and versatile."


    Debbie continued, "He''s a deputy CEO, right? Then it can''t be counted as a demotion if he''s


    transferred to be the manager of the financial department. Just swap him with the current financial


    manager."


    The financial department of apany group, especially a conglomerate, was essential. Every


    member of it mattered.


    Debbie had thought about it. She trusted Dixon, so she also valued his opinion about the person he


    had rmended. No matter which department Barney Xiang would work in, he would still be working


    for Carlos. Therefore, she didn''t think the transfer was a big deal.


    Carlos picked up his phone and called the HR manager. "Transfer Barney Xiang to headquarters to be


    the financial manager, and the current financial manager to the European branch to be the regional


    CEO. Select someone capable to hold Barney Xiang''s old position."


    Carlos settled the matter efficiently. When he hung up, Debbie gave him a thumbs-up and said, "Honey,


    you''re the best."


    Carlos put his phone down and held her hand, kissing it. "Of course. Is there anything else you want?"


    The personnel redeployment among the top executives was sudden and unexpected. It appeared that


    Debbie was being unreasonable, but she had actually considered everything carefully. She wouldn''t


    sabotage thepany''s functioning.


    "Yes, there is." Debbie didn''t y coy at all. "I''m interested in your real estate properties. Can you


    transfer the titles to them to me? I want to see what it feels like to be rich."


    Carlos smiled. ''So this is what she really wants.''


    Carlos didn''t reply immediately, and Debbie became a little worried, so she urged, "You said you would


    give me anything."


    "I wasn''t lying. Rx, honey. I''ll put Dixon on it." With that, he picked his phone up again and was


    about to call Dixon.


    Debbie put her hand on his to stop him and smiled. "Honey, I''ve already prepared everything that is


    needed. You just have to sign the paperwork."


    Carlos held her hand and asked seriously, "No problem. Just answer one question for me."


    "Sure. What is it?" Debbie was flustered. ''Has he figured out why I''m doing it?''


    Of course, Carlos knew. "Are you trying to elope with another man and take all my money?"


    "Gee! Of course not!" Debbie said, feeling irritated. She pulled her hand out of his grip and bellowed,


    "Listen up, you moron! I love YOU! There is no other man!"


    That was all Carlos needed to hear. He nodded and said tenderly, "Don''t be mad, honey. Call Dixon. I''ll


    sign those papers now."

 Chapter 516 Are You Enjoying It

    Chapter 516 Are You Enjoying It


    When Carlos heard those words from her, he would be willing to give his own life to Debbie, let alone


    his real estate.


    His immediate reply had somehow made her feel guilty. "Maybe we should wait. I''m not in a hurry."


    Carlos nodded and ced some food in her bowl. "Let''s have dinner first. Honey, try some of this."


    That night, after Debbie had fallen asleep. Carlos called Dixon. The head of secretaries brought a stack


    of files with him when he came to Carlos'' manor, along with somewyers.


    When Miranda came downstairs to drink some water, she saw Xavier. He was just about to leave.


    "Xavier," she called out in confusion.


    "Oh, good evening, Miranda," Xavier greeted her respectfully.


    "Why are you here at thiste hour? Is something wrong?" Miranda queried.


    Xavier shook his head, smiling. "It''s nothing to worry about. Carlos is just spoiling his wife."


    Miranda was even more perplexed.


    Xavier knew that Miranda wouldn''t be able to sleep wondering what was going on, so he cleared his


    throat and exined in a low voice, "You told Debbie to teach Carlos a lesson, right? Well, she''s taken


    action. But Carlos has figured out what she''s doing. Even so, he''s still willing to give her whatever she


    wants without any objections."


    "Oh, I see. Is she making big moves?" Miranda asked.


    Xavier contemted for a moment and replied, "Not really." However, Xavier didn''t tell her that her son


    just transferred the titles to all his assets to Debbie.


    "Okay. Let her," mumbled Miranda. Feeling relieved, she went up the stairs holding a ss of water.


    Xavier was surprised by her reaction. He had thought that Miranda wouldin about Debbie. He


    smiled as he watched her climb the stairs, and said, "Debbie Nian is a very lucky woman. She married


    a man who loves her dearly and spoils her, and has you as her mother-inw."


    Miranda heard what he had said, but didn''t turn around. She nced at a painting on the wall and


    remembered when Carlos had bought that painting at an auction for six million dors, just to make


    Debbie happy. While gazing at the painting, Miranda said, "Debbie has had a rough life. Her own family


    was torn apart when she was only a little girl. She married Carlos when she was very young. Then he


    had the ident. She fought tooth and nail against James and went through a lot for Carlos. She also


    gave Carlos children. Why shouldn''t we be kind to her?"


    Xavier stood for a moment deep in thought. Then he nodded and replied, "She did struggle. When


    Evelyn was born, she had to do everything on her own as a single mom. Those were truly tough times


    for her." He feltpassion for Debbie.


    Miranda turned to look at him. "In the following days, if Debbie wants to keep something from Carlos,


    please help her hide it."


    ''Keep something from Carlos? That doesn''t sound right. Miranda seems to know something, '' Xavier


    thought, and he had a bad feeling about it.


    He started to regret having not kept his distance from Debbie and Piggy in the first ce.


    When Debbie was eight and a half months pregnant, she found a blonde hair in the passenger seat of


    Carlos'' car. Debbie''s hair was ck, so it couldn''t have been hers.


    She could also smell perfume in the car.


    She had never worn perfume ever since she fell pregnant because it made her ill.


    That was the cause of the following incident.


    Carlos had an appointment with the general manager of apany. It was arranged at a ce where


    he had never been before.


    When he got there, the general manager, Reeve Quan, received him in person. "Mr. Huo, this ce is


    new and has been open for only a few days. It''s said to be very entertaining, and it''s hard to make a


    reservation here," he bragged conspiratorially.


    Carlos didn''t respond. He looked around the ce. The entrance was in a ssical style. Above the


    door was a board with the name of the ce on it¡ªMoon Restaurant.


    Frankie was with Carlos, and they walked inside.


    The pseudo-ssic building had three floors. Reeve Quan took them straight to the third floor.


    As the wooden door to a private booth was pushed open, delicate music wafted out gently to their ears.


    A woman dressed in ancient costume was ying High Mountain and Running River* on a guzheng.*


    (*TN: High Mountain and Running River is one of the most historically famous Chinese musical


    compositions, based on the legendary friendship between guqin masters Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi.)


    (*TN: Guzheng is a zither-like Chinese plucked string instrument, with either 21 strings or 25 strings.


    The musical instrument dates back to over 2, 500 years ago.)


    As soon as Carlos sat down in a wooden chair in a dignified manner, more than ten women dressed in


    ancient costumes walked into the room, in single file.


    The ones dressed in blue were all dancers while the others dressed in white were waitresses. The


    waitresses busied themselves with making tea and serving fruit as soon as they entered the room.


    As the beautiful women danced gracefully to the music, Reeve Quan leered at them. He could have


    used a coaster for his lower lip. Carlos took a sip of tea, his face betraying no emotion.


    Then the lead dancer emerged from an inner room wearing pink and holding an oilpaper umbre.


    Up until then, Carlos had shown little interest in the other dancers. When she leaped to the front of the


    stage, Reeve Quan noticed that Carlos had looked twice at her. The general manager gave a silent


    snicker. The first step of his n was a sess.


    The sight of that woman took Carlos back to four years ago, when the Sr New Year G was taking


    ce in Economics and Management School. Debbie had danced an ethnic dance in an ancient


    costume.


    Back then, Debbie was shy and nervous. She might not have been as elegant as this woman, but she


    hadpleted the dance well, and Carlos had been engrossed when he watched her dance.


    He had lost her once. Fortunately, he had found her again, and she would be his forever.


    The memory brought a smile to his lips.


    "Mr. Huo, are you enjoying the show?" came a familiar voice.


    Carlos'' heart skipped a beat. The dancers were still wriggling their bodies in front of him. ''Crap!'' he


    thought in a fluster.


    Carlos stood up and took Debbie in his arms. "Not at all. I only enjoy it when you dance," he said.


    "Really? But you smiled. Clearly, you were enjoying it," Debbie argued.


    Carlos smiled and exined, "The dance reminded me of you. Four years ago, you danced at the


    Sr New Year G, remember?"


    "Humph!" she scoffed.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Frankie gave Reeve Quan a wink to remind him to dismiss the dancers. The general manager had


    been too indulgent in watching the dancers to even notice when Debbie came in. Ignoring Frankie''s


    hint, he didn''t dismiss the dancers. Instead, he leaned in, trying to get a glimpse of the woman in


    Carlos'' arms. However, he didn''t manage to.


    He then started to cause trouble by saying suggestive things. "Mr. Huo, do you like this dance? Look at


    the lead dancer. Isn''t she beautiful? Why not make her your woman tonight? Haha..."


    His obsceneughter and provocation made Carlos'' face darken. He tightened his embrace around


    Debbie and said, "Don''t listen to him."


    She pried his arms off, pped her hands and eximed, "Mr. Quan, they''re stunning. Even I can''t


    take my eyes off them."

 Chapter 517 Carlos Will Be All Yours

    Chapter 517 Carlos Will Be All Yours


    The pregnant woman looked familiar to Reeve, but he couldn''t ce her. Hearing what Debbie had


    said, he bragged in a ttering tone, "Of course. I have booked the hottest girls they have here for Mr.


    Huo."


    Debbie feigned an excited expression and said to Carlos, "Whoa! Mr. Huo, you''re gonna get lucky


    today. I think that girl is the most beautiful among them. What do you think?"


    Carlos replied helplessly, "I don''t find any of them attractive."


    Debbie retorted, "Oh, don''t be ridiculous. You''re just being high maintenance. They have beautiful


    faces and perfect figures. Look at me. My face is swollen. I''m big as a tub. I can''t even see my feet."


    She let out a frustrated sigh.


    Reeve couldn''t hold back his curiosity anymore. "Who are you? Why are you here?"


    His stupidity became insufferable to Frankie. Frankie was about to tell him who she was when Debbie


    gave him a look to stop him. She said to Reeve with a smile, "I''m a business partner of Mr. Huo''s.


    We''ve just signed a contract involving a few hundred million. To sweeten the deal, I even gave him two


    princesses."


    ''What business are they doing? Two princesses? What''s that about?'' Reeve was bewildered.


    Carlos understood what she meant.


    He had transferred the titles to his properties to Debbie, and their two daughters were the two


    princesses.


    He took Debbie''s hand, intending to say something, but Debbie brushed his hand away and continued


    to say to Reeve, "Mr. Huo said he liked that woman. Can he take her with him?"


    Reeve was thrilled. "Of course! We especially demanded Tess'' presence for Mr. Huo." It was because


    they had heard that Tess looked like Mrs. Huo.


    ''Wait a minute! This pregnant woman looks like Tess.''


    Before Reeve could give it more thought, Debbie interrupted him,ughing, "How thoughtful of you to


    do that! But I heard that Mr. Huo is married. Aren''t you worried that his wife would get upset?"


    Reeve continued to kiss up to Carlos with a chuckle. "A man needs more than one woman, especially a


    sessful man like Mr. Huo. Only having at least a dozen women can match his power and wealth."


    Carlos had heard enough. He attempted to stop the man from prattling on about bullshit, but when


    Debbie red at him, he kept silent.


    She concurred with a nod. "Well said, Mr. Quan."


    When the music ended, Debbie waved at Tess and said, "Tess,e here and serve Mr. Huo well."


    Tess gaped at her in shock.


    Reeve was an ignorant man. He barely surfed the Inte, nor was he interested in the entertainment


    news, so he wasn''t familiar with the celebrities. Girls, however, liked to keep up to date with thetest


    gossip online, and Tess frequently visited Weibo and other apps. So she was well aware that Debbie


    was a singer and Carlos'' pregnant wife.


    She had figured out that she was there because she looked like Debbie.


    "I''m ttered. But I... I can''t," Tess stammered nervously. She wasn''t dumb enough to think that Debbie


    would volunteer to find her husband another woman.


    Debbie threw her head back andughed hysterically. "Don''t be afraid. You''re here to help Mr. Huo. His


    wife is eight months pregnant. He has waited too long. It''s not healthy for a man to suppress his needs


    for such a long time. Don''t be shy. Help him release the beast inside him."


    Reeve sneered and echoed, "Yes, Tess. Rx. Go... go...to MM...Mr. Huo..." His voice died away when


    he met Carlos'' fierce eyes.


    Tess was trembling all over from the sharp, icy looks Debbie had been giving her. She knew Debbie


    misunderstood. "I... Mr. Huo, Mr. Quan, I...I''ll dance another dance for you."


    With that, she turned to leave. Carlos'' res gave Reeve chills, but he didn''t know why Carlos was


    looking at him like that. He felt frustrated, and Tess'' dawdling irritated him. He stood up abruptly and


    grabbed her arm roughly. "What the hell are you waiting for? It''s your honor to serve Mr. Huo! Move


    your ass!"


    He shoved her rudely, and Tess'' eyes reddened in horror. "Mr. Quan..." Then she turned to Debbie and


    lowered her head, apologizing, "I''m sorry. I was only dancing. I didn''t do anything else. Please don''t be


    mad. If my presence upsets you, I''ll leave right away."


    ''Why is Tess acting so humble in front of this woman? Why is Mr. Huo giving me such a dirty look? That


    woman just said Mr. Huo''s wife was eight months pregnant...'' Reeve looked at Debbie''s swollen belly.


    The dumbass had finally put two and two together and worked out what was going on.


    He pped himself hard across the face and then said with a fawning smile. "What a fool I have been


    not to recognize Mrs. Huo! Mrs. Huo, I was kidding when I talked about those girls. Please don''t take it


    seriously. Please, have a seat." Then he gestured to the waitresses and said, "What are you gawking


    at? Hurry up and serve the dishes!"


    Carlos ignored him and carefully took Debbie into his arms. "Let''s go home," he suggested.


    "Okay. Tess,e with us." Debbie held Tess by the wrist.


    The girl trembled, and tears ran down her cheeks. She looked very pitiful, but Debbie didn''t let go of


    her.


    Carlos coaxed Debbie in many ways, but to no avail. She dragged the poor girl out of the restaurant


    with her. Once they reached the car, Debbie told Tess to get in first, and then she sat next to her in the


    back seat. Carlos had to sit in the passenger seat.


    The owner of Moon Restaurant didn''t say a word when Tess was taken away by Debbie, because


    Debbie was with Carlos. He even escorted them to the car.


    As soon as they were inside the car, Carlos asked Frankie to get rid of Reeve.


    Realizing that Carlos had angered Debbie, Frankie knew his boss was in big trouble, so he focused on


    driving the car and reminded himself to speak as little as possible.


    "Frankie, go to a nearby hotel," Debbie remarked. Every time she spoke, the other three people got


    nervous.


    Frankie glimpsed at Carlos. Since his boss wasn''t saying anything, he nodded and responded, "Yes,


    Mrs. Huo."


    After sending some messages on her phone, Debbie started talking with Tess. "How long have you


    been working there?"


    Unlike before, Debbie sounded cordial now. Tess would have felt much more at ease, had Debbie


    spoken to her like that in the first ce. However, given what had happened in the restaurant and the


    uncertainty of what was going on, she was still scared of her. She wondered why Debbie had insisted


    on taking her with them. "Two months," she answered timidly.


    "Don''t be afraid. I''ll treat you well in the future. I love traveling. After my baby is born, I''ll travel around a


    lot, and Carlos will be all yours."


    The others were dumbstruck.


    "N-N-No. Mrs. Huo, you misunderstand," Tess exined in a hurry. Her eyes were red and teary again.


    Carlos had to say something. He turned around and said, "Honey, cut it out."This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

 Chapter 518 Sleep With Her

    Chapter 518 Sleep With Her


    Debbie tilted her head, looking at Carlos. "I mean it. You''re too much for me in bed. I need a break.


    Tess is a sweet, lovely girl. You''ll like her."


    Carlos, Frankie and Tess all fell silent when they heard what she had said.


    Before long, they arrived at the hotel. Carlos didn''t know why Debbie had demanded that they go to a


    hotel or what she was going to do here. It was evident to him that she was angry about something.


    Since Debbie was pregnant and had many mood swings, Carlos was ultra-cautious not to make her


    mood even worse. He didn''t ask her anything on their way to their room. Whatever she was going to


    do, he was there to protect her.


    While Frankie was checking them in, the lobby manager took Carlos, Debbie and Tess to the


    Presidential Suite upstairs.


    When the lobby manager opened the door for them, Debbie''s phone rang. "I''m in a hotel on Riverside


    Road. Room 1806. Come over now. Bye."


    "Who was that?" asked Carlos.


    "Niles," Debbie replied.


    He was confused. "What''s heing here for?"


    "I bought something, and he''s bringing it over for me." Debbie held Tess'' hand and walked inside the


    room. Then she suddenly turned back and looked at Carlos conspiratorially. "Something good."


    One look at her expression gave Carlos an ominous feeling.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Huo, I think... I better go." Tess'' heart was hammering nervously in her chest.


    Debbie shook her head and gestured for Tess to sit on the couch. She opened the freezer, took out a


    lot of the beverages, and told Tess, "Rx. Have a drink. Then take a shower and get ready to sleep


    with my husband. Oh, don''t worry. He''s very good."


    Tess wanted to cry out loud.


    Carlos pulled Debbie into his arms and apologized, "Honey, could you please forgive me? I shouldn''t


    have gone to the Moon Restaurant. It won''t happen again."


    Debbie blinked innocently and asked in feigned puzzlement, "Why are you apologizing? You did


    nothing wrong."


    Carlos felt defeated and helpless. "It''s all Reeve''s fault. I''ve asked Frankie to take care of him. Don''t be


    mad, okay?"


    Tess was shocked by his words. She had seen Carlos a few times on TV, but he always looked cold


    and unapproachable. She had never imagined that he could be so tender.


    How she envied Debbie!


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Debbie ignored Carlos and moved over to sit beside Tess. "Drink this. Pure milk. Carlos likes it."


    ''Wh-what? Since when?'' Carlos thought to himself.


    Tess didn''t dare to refuse. She took the carton of milk and said in a voice barely above a whisper,


    "Thank you, Mrs. Huo."


    Once Tess finished drinking the milk, Debbie marched her into the bathroom.


    When he was alone with Debbie in the bedroom, Carlos scooped her up and said, "Honey, it''ste.


    Let''s go home."


    Debbie didn''t struggle. She stared at him, demanding coldly, "Let me down!"


    Carlos could do nothing butply.


    Knowing that something interesting was about to happen, Niles was eager to have some fun while


    watching it all unfold before his eyes. So after he had parked his car, he ran upstairs. He was quick


    enough to reach the door of Room 1806 before Tess finished showering and came out of the bathroom.


    When Carlos opened the door for him, Niles was still panting.


    He almost screamed in surprise when the cold man suddenly appeared from behind the door. "Carlos,"


    he greeted him meekly.


    "Niles,e on in," Debbie said when she heard him at the door.


    Niles grinned at Carlos as he walked past him and went inside the room.


    By then, Tess had finished her shower. Dressed in a robe, she stood at the bathroom door looking at


    the others, lost and pitiful.


    Niles handed the thing in his hand to Debbie. "Who is she?" he asked quietly. He looked at Carlos and


    then at the unknown woman. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he asked again in shock, "Did you walk


    in on them?"


    Debbieughed. "Don''t be ridiculous."


    Seeing herugh, Niles was relieved that it wasn''t what he thought.


    Carlos walked over to Debbie, but Debbie asked Niles to take him to the living room. She and Tess


    stayed in the bedroom alone.


    In the living room, Carlos grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled Niles closer to him.


    "What did you give her?" Carlos asked through gritted teeth, a menacing expression on his face.


    Scared, Niles gulped and replied, "Debbie asked me not to tell."


    "You have to."


    Niles hesitated but still shook his head. "Nah, your wife is in charge now. I listen to her."


    Just then, Debbie said from the bedroom, "Niles, Carlos, we''re ready. Come in."


    Carlos gave Niles a warning look and strode into the bedroom.


    Tess was trembling with fear as shey on the bed and Debbie stood beside the bed.


    Debbie was holding something in her hand. When Carlos recognized what it was, the expression on his


    face turned gloomy. He rushed over to her and said, "It''s dangerous. Give it to me!"


    Debbie took one step back. "Don''te closer!" she warned. "I won''t hurt myself, but if youe near


    me, I will!"


    Carlos sighed and paused. Pissed and anxious, he kicked Niles hard in the butt. "How dare you give


    her that! What were you thinking?"


    "Ow! Carlos, she made me!" Niles exined miserably as he gingerly rubbed his ass.


    "Carlos, don''t me Niles. I threatened him. Do you know what''s inside the syringe?" The syringe that


    Debbie was holding was half full. It was filled with a clear liquid.


    The smile that she wore made Carlos even more anxious.


    He told himself to calm down. "I don''t care what it is. Don''t harm yourself. You can stick that needle into


    anybody in this room but yourself."


    Debbie was touched a little by his words. Still wearing an eerie smile, she said, "It''s the medicinal fluid


    to make a person lose their memory. You know, the kind that James had you injected with."


    The expression on Carlos'' face changed dramatically. "Honey, this is crazy! Please drop the syringe!"


    Debbie held the syringe up to eye level and flicked it with her finger tapping the air out of it and then


    gently squeezed it, so some of the fluid squirted out of the end. "Okay, sleep with her and then I''ll put it


    down. Or you''ll have a wife who has amnesia. Come to think about it, it may not be such a bad idea.


    When you had amnesia, you made me suffer a lot. Now it''s your turn."


    Carlos clenched his teeth and closed his eyes painfully. Then he dered firmly, "I won''t sleep with


    her!"


    He wouldn''t betray Debbie no matter what.


    Debbie began moving the syringe towards her arm. Carlos'' heart was in his mouth. "Honey, calm down.


    Tell me what you want, and I''ll do it, except sleeping with her."


    Niles gaped at Debbie in sheer disbelief. He couldn''t fathom the idea that Debbie was forcing her


    husband to sleep with another woman. It was the first time that he had ever seen or heard of such a


    thing.


    "You don''t do what I want! You don''t love me!" Debbie pouted.


    "Honey, I love you. Only you. Don''t hurt yourself, please." Quietly and slowly, Carlos took one step


    forward.

 Chapter 519 Mineral Water

    Chapter 519 Mineral Water


    Debbie noticed Carlos'' move at once. "Stop right there!" she warned. "Since you like beautiful women,


    why not sleep with her? She''s beautiful. Since you''re a clean freak, I''ve checked for you. She''s as


    clean as a whistle."


    Carlos soothed her, "I don''t like any other woman. I only love you. Honey, I don''t fear that you won''t


    remember me. Even if you had amnesia, I''d find a way for you to fall in love with me again just as you


    did with me. The medicine will harm you and our baby. That''s what I''m afraid of."


    His remarks were full of genuine concern. He loved her. He really loved her from the bottom of his


    heart. That was why no matter what she did or how unreasonable she was, he cared about her all the


    same.


    Debbie had always loved Carlos, but now, she loved him even more.


    She knew that Tess wasn''t the flirtatious type. The girl danced for a living. That was all. She never


    seduced Carlos. So Debbie wouldn''t harm her. She was only using the poor unfortunate girl to teach


    Carlos a lesson.


    "Sleep with her!" Debbie demanded again.


    "I won''t!" Carlos dered.


    "You have to!" Debbie was about to fail to maintain her charade.


    "No!"


    There were tears in her eyes. Happy tears. "Are you sure you''re not going to sleep with her? This is a


    golden opportunity you might never have again."


    "Even if it were the end of the world, even if there was a de held at my throat, I would never cheat


    on you. You''re the only woman that I''ll ever love in this life, in the next life, and forever and ever."


    Carlos'' expression was the same as he had when he held the press conference to dere his love for


    Debbie to the world. Tears flowed down Debbie''s cheeks.


    She tossed the syringe into the bin and ran toward Carlos, throwing herself into his arms. "Honey, I love


    you so much," she sobbed into his shoulder.


    Carlos was relieved when he saw her throw the syringe away. He spread his arms wide and caught


    her. "I love you too, babe. Don''t cry," he said, holding her tightly to him and gently caressing her hair.


    "I was only testing you. I had found a hair in the passenger seat of your car. Then you were watching


    those beautiful women dancing for you. I thought you were having an affair," Debbie exined in tears.


    ''A hair in the passenger seat?'' Carlos thought for a moment, puzzled, and then he remembered


    something. ''It must have been from Frankie''s girlfriend.''


    He kissed Debbie''s hair and said, "I would never allow another woman to sit in the passenger seat


    when I''m driving. That seat belongs to you only. Reeve organized those dancers. I didn''t know anything


    about it."


    Debbie nodded. "I believe you."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    The farce was over. Carlos scooped Debbie up into his arms and carried her toward the door. When he


    passed Niles, he said coldly, "The woman on the bed is yours."


    ''Mine?'' Niles shook his head. "No, I don''t want her. I''m leaving too."


    ''I''m a decent man. I never fool around, '' he told himself.


    The next day, Frankie and his girlfriend visited Debbie.


    When she met Frankie''s blonde-haired girlfriend, she realized whose hair it was in the passenger seat.


    Debbie felt terrible about doubting Carlos and wronging him. That evening she was really nice to him.


    Afterward, Carlos had the fluid in the syringe analyzed. One dayter, when the results had arrived,


    Dixon approached him stifling hisughter and said, "Mr. Huo, it was mineral water."


    Niles had only gone to the hotel to give the syringe to Debbie and to have some fun as well.


    Carlos then realized that Debbie and Niles had yed him for a fool.


    He didn''t dare mess with Debbie, but Niles, on the other hand¡ª


    Carlos got Dixon to call a number and told him what to say. "Professor Liu, Mr. Huo has discovered that


    Dr. Niles Li is not good at what he does, and he seems to have too much free time. Mr. Huo suggests


    that he take some tests, read more books, and write some papers to brush up on his skills."


    After that call, nobody saw Niles for a long time. They became curious and called him to see what he


    was up to. Heined that he had been busy reading, preparing for all kinds of tests, and writing


    papers. If he didn''t do the tasks on time, then he would be punished.


    Evelyn was already four years old when her sister Terilynn Huo was born. She was stunned when she


    saw the baby. She had never known that a newborn baby was so... ugly.


    Looking at the baby in Carlos'' arms, Evelyn was disappointed. Out of curiosity, she poked her sister


    with her index finger and said, "Daddy, why didn''t you give me a panda sister? Pandas are more


    beautiful."


    "Bwahaha!" Everyone burst outughing.


    Niles looked at her and said, "Evelyn, your daddy is just like a superman. He can give you a panda


    sister. Ask your daddy and mommy for one."


    Upon hearing that, Evelyn turned to her daddy with big pleading eyes. "Daddy, Daddy, can I have a


    panda sister?"


    The others erupted inughter again. Carlos hugged Evelyn, kissed her forehead and asked, "Evelyn,


    are you pretty?"


    The little girl furrowed her brows and didn''t know why her daddy was asking her this, but she nodded.


    "Yes!"


    Carlos exined patiently, "Do you know? When you were born, you looked just like your sister.


    Wrinkled. But look how pretty you are now. In a few days, your sister will be pretty too. Don''t you want a


    pretty and lovely sister just like you?"


    Evelyn propped her right hand against her chin, thinking about it for a moment, and then she said, "I


    still want a panda."


    Carlos was lost for words.


    A weekter, Evelyn stood by the cradle, looking at her sister with wide eyes.


    The baby was indeed much more beautiful now, just as her daddy had said.


    "Mommy, she''s smiling!" The baby girl''s eyes were like two crescent moons when she smiled. Evelyn


    found her lovely.


    Leaning against the headboard, Debbie looked at her baby girl lovingly. "Yes, she''s smiling at you.


    Evelyn, would you like to hold her?"


    Evelyn asked, excited, "Can I?"


    She had never held a baby before.


    "Of course you can." Debbie picked Terilynn Huo up and looked encouragingly at Evelyn.


    With her mommy''s help, Evelyn held her baby sister for the first time. Although the baby was so small,


    she was a little heavy for Evelyn, but Evelyn proudly held her little sister in her arms.


    Terilynn Huo was babbling while Evelyn held her. "Mommy, what''s she saying?" Evelyn wondered.


    "She''s saying that you''re great." Debbie smiled, feeling blessed while gazing at her two beautiful


    daughters.


    Evelyn was delighted to hear that.


    When Carlos walked into the ward with the soup he had made, he happened to see Evelyn holding her


    sister and Debbie squatting down with her hands supporting the baby.


    ''How fortunate I am to have these three lovely women in my life!'' Carlos thought to himself.


    "Daddy!" Evelyn called out cheerfully when she saw him.

 Chapter 520 Debbie Found Out

    Chapter 520 Debbie Found Out


    Debbie raised her head and found Carlos standing at the door. When she noticed the thermos meal


    box in his hand, she grimaced. "Come on. Soup again?"


    She had been eating soup every day for thest week. Three times a day. The soup wasn''t the only


    food she had to eat. To nourish her, Miranda had been cooking all kinds of dishes for her every day.


    Debbie always ended up overeating after each meal.


    Initially, the cook had prepared the soup for Debbie, but in time she came to dislike the taste of it. So


    Carlos had decided to make the soup himself.


    Evelyn had been eating the soup for a week as well, and the little girl had gained some weight.


    Carlos walked inside the room and put the meal box on the table. Bending over, he took the baby from


    Evelyn and made herfortable in his arm. Then he scooped Evelyn up with his other arm. "Isn''t she


    prettier than before?" he asked Evelyn.


    Evelyn nodded absent-mindedly with her eyes fixed on the thermos meal box. "Daddy, is that soup?"


    She couldn''t help swallowing. She loved the soup her daddy cooked.


    The eager look on her face amused Carlos. He put her down and Terilynn back in the cradle. "Yes. I''ll


    ladle some for you."


    "Mmm...great." Evelyn ran happily towards the bathroom to wash her hands. When she was done, she


    sat nicely at the table.


    Debbie finished a bowl of soup miserably. No sooner had she put the bowl down than Ramona came in


    with a meal box. "Deb, I brought you snacks. Mango-vored and durian-vored. I brought some for


    Evelyn too."


    "Thank you, Grandma," said Evelyn sweetly.


    Debbie''s eyes lit up when she heard there were snacks. She was happy to eat anything but soup.


    Carlos knew that she was sick of eating soup. Stroking her hair, he said, "This is medicinal soup. It''s


    good for your health. Hang in there. Only half a month to go." Debbie had lost a lot of blood during the


    childbirth, so she needed nourishment for her body.


    The delicious durianyered cake was too much of a distraction. Busy relishing it, Debbie nodded at


    whatever Carlos had said.


    The long, miserable, and dull first month after the birth of their child had finally passed, and Debbie was


    thrilled that she could leave the hospital and go home.


    Once she got home, Debbie had a delightful bath and then dried herself off and went to the wardrobe


    to pick out a dress.


    "Aargh!" A shriek was heard from the master bedroom.


    Carlos had just finished dressing. When he heard the scream, he dashed into the walk-in closet and


    asked, "Honey, what happened?"


    Debbie turned to him with a sad face. He noticed that her dress wasn''t zipped up. "Why didn''t you zip


    your dress up?"


    He walked over to help her, but Debbie punched him in the shoulder. "Because I couldn''t! Look at me.


    I''m huge! It''s all your fault. You fed me too well."


    Carlos was stunned for a moment and then he chuckled.


    "Why are youughing? During the pregnancy, I wanted to practice yoga, but you didn''t let me. Look at


    me now. I want my good figure back!" Debbie cried, feeling frustrated.


    "You cane to the gym with me from now on, and practice yoga there," Carlos suggested with a


    smile.


    "It''s a good idea, but what should I do now? Look at my fat waist! I''m over 75 kg, and there''s nothing I


    can wear in the wardrobe," she said, squeezing the fat on her waist. Debbie used to wear a size M.


    Now nothing fit her in the closet.


    "Don''t stress yourself. I''ll have some clothes delivered here. You can spend the whole day picking out


    clothes."


    "But there''s nothing big enough for me to wear in the franchised stores." Debbie sighed and


    whimpered.


    "Leave it to me." Carlos made arrangements quickly.


    Under an hour after he had left for work, people from different clothing stores started arriving at the


    manor with clothes in arge size.


    Soon, the big living room was full of clothes racks with clothes hanging from them.


    While Miranda helped Debbie choose clothes, she asked, "Why are you so upset? Didn''t you gain


    weight when you were pregnant with Evelyn? You''ll get your figure back soon," Mirandaforted her.


    "I practiced yoga when I was pregnant with Evelyn, so I wasn''t this big back then. Carlos was worried


    that I might hurt myself or the baby during the exercise, so he forbade me from practicing yoga.


    Meanwhile, you know, he cooked all kinds of medicinal soup for me, and I ate too much. Due to the


    lack of exercise and overeating, no wonder I have be as huge as a tub."


    Almost all the clothes fit Debbie, so all she needed to do was pick out the ones that she liked.


    Carlos had also hired a designer, just in case she didn''t like any of the clothes. So if Debbie wanted


    something custom-made for her, the designer could start at once.


    However, Debbie wasn''t too picky. She soon found the clothes that she liked.


    With their job done, the clerks from the clothing shops left, taking the rest of the clothes with them.


    Debbie was relieved that it was over and was going to y with Terilynn. However, there was a knock


    on the door, and another group had arrived with shoes, bags, and jewelry.


    Debbie would prefer to do the shopping at the stores rather than home, so they were all dismissed.


    Time had passed quickly, and in a few more days, Terilynn would be 100 days old. There would be a


    celebration feast in honor of that milestone. Fortunately, Debbie had managed to lose a lot of weight


    before that event.


    She was able to wear her old size M again and even some size S clothes.


    Carlos had been very busytely, and he came homete or at times didn''te home at all.


    Debbie became suspicious, but having Carlos followed would sound out of line. So she had a better


    idea¡ªthreatening Dixon. "Mr. Huo has been secretly preparing for your wedding. He wants to hold your


    wedding ceremony on the same day as Terilynn''s 100th-day celebration feast. He wanted to surprise


    you, but now it''s ruined," he confessed.


    Debbie felt terrible about ruining Carlos'' n, but she was also excited about their wedding.


    "Mrs. Huo knows everything," Dixon told Carlos as soon as he returned to the office.


    Carlos furrowed his brows and threw him a sideways nce. After a moment of wondering, he asked,


    "How did she threaten you?"Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Recalling what Debbie had said, Dixon felt that he had made a mistake in making friends with Debbie.


    "She said that if I didn''t tell her the truth, she would tell you that she and I had schemed together


    against you to get your wealth. I know you would choose to believe her over me, and even if I didn''t do


    anything like that, you would make it look like I did.


    So I had no choice but to tell her."


    Now that Debbie found out, Carlos decided not to keep it from her anymore.


    That afternoon, he dropped what he was doing, canceled all the arrangements, and took Debbie to a


    bridal studio.

 Chapter 521 A Dreamy Wedding Gown

    Chapter 521 A Dreamy Wedding Gown


    The customized wedding gown was pure white with brilliant diamonds scattered along the sweetheart


    neckline. The long satin trail had been delicately embroidered with patterns of jasmine. The flower that


    Debbie loved the most.


    The gown was fit for a princess, and the dreamy, romantic style was what many girls would dream of


    wearing on their wedding day.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    As Debbie slowly approached the gown, she was already mesmerized by it. She then quickened her


    pace and reached out, touching it gently.


    The beauty and elegance of the gown took her breath away, but for Debbie, it wasn''t just about the


    wedding gown. Ever since Debbie was twenty-one, she had dreamed of marrying Carlos in such a


    gown.


    Now, she was nearly twenty-seven, and her dream had finallye true.


    "Try it on?" Carlos'' tender voice rang from behind her all of a sudden, interrupting her train of thoughts.


    She trailed her fingers lightly across the sparkling diamonds. "Is the dress..." ''Rented or bought? Or


    customized?'' she wondered.


    Carlos read her mind. He wrapped his arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck while whispering in


    her ear, "My wife deserves the best things in the world. How is it possible for me to buy you anything


    ordinary? Let alone if it''s a wedding dress for you. I hired a famous design team one year ago. They


    have spent a whole year designing and tailoring it, especially for you. The dress had just arrived here


    from abroad."


    Debbie was touched, and her eyes brimmed with tears. ''So he began to prepare our wedding a year


    ago?''


    He then turned her to face him and gazed into her teary eyes. "You know, before the car ident, I had


    begun to select the wedding venue. I was preparing everything, but our lives had changed abruptly. So


    our wedding had been postponed up until now. Honey, I''m sorry that I made you suffer a lot. I won''t let


    that happen again, and I''ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."


    She saw the deep affection in his eyes, and her tears threatened to gush out at any moment. Debbie


    quickly raised her head to hold them back, but it was toote. Her tears streamed down her cheeks like


    a river. Carlos didn''t expect that his words would make her so emotional.


    Hastily, he pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed away her tears. "Honey, don''t cry. It should be a


    happy thing to try on a wedding dress, right?"


    He was right. Debbie quickly wiped away her tears and told the manager, "Please bring it to me. I''ll try it


    on now."


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo."


    When the manager and other staff went to prepare the dress for Debbie, she secretly nted a kiss on


    Carlos'' cheek. "Honey, thank you." She felt so happy that this man always gave her big surprises.


    Carlos groaned and wanted to return a hungry, passionate kiss. Knowing his intention, Debbie cheekily


    put her hand on his lips, stopping him and thenughed heartily.


    "Tsk, tsk. Who''s the happiest woman in the world?" The sound of a familiar voice came from behind


    them out of the blue.


    They turned their heads and saw Kinsley leaning against the wall of the wedding studio, casually


    observing them. They had no idea how long he had been there.


    Kinsley nodded slightly and raised his eyebrows at them.


    "Well, if it isn''t the big star? Why are you here?" Debbie asked as she leaned into Carlos, staring at the


    man dressed in a low-key style today.


    Kinsley straightened up and pulled a woman out from the corner behind him and said, "See? My


    girlfriend. I heard that Mr. Huo had ordered a wedding gown from this shop. So I want to customize one


    for my girl too." He turned to eye one of the saledies in the studio and asked, "Hi gorgeous. I''m


    Carlos'' friend. Could I expect a discount?"


    Debbie didn''t know the woman standing next to Kinsley, but Carlos did. It was Carlos who found this


    woman and sent her to Kinsley one year ago.


    The saledy recognized Kinsley as the hot idol. She was so shy that she stammered, "Y-yes... Of


    course...you can..."


    Debbie waved "hello" to his girlfriend and teased him, "I remember your home is in A Country. Why do


    you have to pick out a wedding gown here in Y City? Don''t tell me there aren''t any wedding stores in


    your country."


    "No, there aren''t. So please ask your husband to open a chain store there. Whenever I get married, I''ll


    certainly go there and take our wedding photos."


    Debbie was at a loss for words.


    Whether he was joking or not, his words hurt the woman next to him.


    But his girlfriend didn''t seem to get mad at him. Instead, she smiled and asked, "Whenever you get


    married? Kinsley, how many times do you n on getting married?"


    The idol meekly hugged his girlfriend and coaxed, "I was kidding. I''ll only get married once, and that will


    be with you!"


    Debbie sighed helplessly. Then she followed the saledy into the fitting room to try her wedding gown


    on.


    Carlos sat waiting on a leather couch. Whereas Kinsley went into another room with his girlfriend to


    discuss the style they wanted with a designer.


    A few minutester, the door to the fitting room was opened, and the saledy walked out. She boldly


    told Carlos in a yful tone, "Mr. Huo, I present, Mrs. Huo. Please be prepared. You''ll be smitten with


    her!"


    As she had expected, Carlos took her little joke in his stride. He grinned and locked his eyes on the


    doorway of the fitting room, not wanting to miss a second.


    Momentster, a part of the gown came peeping through, and then Debbie emerged from the room.


    Carlos held his breath when he saw her, although it wasn''t the first time that he saw her in a wedding


    gown. She had worn one for the fake wedding to Ivan.


    However, this was different. Debbie looked even more stunning and charming in his eyes right now.


    Perhaps it was because he was the groom-to-be, and his mood was different this time.


    Even though she wasn''t wearing any makeup and her hair wasn''t done, Debbie still looked like the


    most beautiful woman in the world to Carlos.


    The happiness and confidence radiated from her glowing face, and people couldn''t help but look at her.


    Carlos was overwhelmed by her beauty and couldn''t take his eyes off her.


    When she met his intense gaze, she grinned brightly.


    "Hi, do I look good?" she asked.


    A few of the staff were busily spreading the long trail nicely on the floor behind her. She stood still, like


    a sacred angel, shining a warm light into his heart.


    Carlos had to swallow hard, suppressing his desire, and nodded, "Yes, you look amazing." Carlos was


    in a dream, his wife was the most attractive woman in the world.


    Debbie was happy to hear his praise.


    "Wow! Debbie! You look so beautiful!" Kinsley knew that she had put the dress on, so he came out from


    the designer office and wanted to have a look.


    Suddenly, Carlos jumped to his feet, grabbed Kinsley by his arm, and dragged him out of the room.


    "Hey, hey. What''s up? Carlos Huo, what''re you doing?" the idol yelled.


    Carlos didn''t let go of him until they reached the designer office. He warned coldly, "Only I can


    appreciate my wife''s beauty!"


    "What? Your wife will show up at the wedding ceremony with a lot of guests around. Do you forget


    that?"


    Carlos tidied his clothes and said calmly, "This moment, it''s for my eyes only."


    Kinsley rolled his eyes at him. "Okay, okay. Have it your way. I''ll pick out a gown for my girlfriend too.


    You''re not the only one who has a wife. Humph!"


    "So off you go!" Without giving him a second nce, Carlos returned to where Debbie was.


    She was looking around curiously for him. When he came back, she asked, "Where did you take


    Kinsley?"


    "The designer needed him," Carlos lied.


    However, Debbie believed what he said. Then, she lifted the hem of her dress andmented, "It fits


    me perfectly. I don''t think we need to change anything now. What do you think?"


    He stood in front of her. "Honey, it''s up to you. As long as you feelfortable with it."


    "I feelfortable. The fabric feels wonderful."

 Chapter 522 You Look So Beautiful

    Chapter 522 You Look So Beautiful


    "Okay, the wedding gown is decided." Carlos smiled broadly. The CEO had been smiling a lot these


    days, probably because he was the groom-to-be and the happy father of two kids.


    After that, Debbie picked out a few more dresses for their wedding photo shoot. Carlos proposed to go


    on a trip to take the wedding pictures, but Debbie decided against it. She was worried about her little


    baby, Terilynn. She suggested, "The sets in the studio look real and grand. Let''s just take our wedding


    photos here."


    Carlos didn''t expect that she would turn down his idea. She liked traveling a lot. But anyway, he


    followed her idea and nodded, "Okay."


    The preparations for their wedding were going on in an orderly and smooth manner. Before the car


    ident, Carlos had selected a six-star hotel as the venue to hold their wedding ceremony. But he


    changed the venue this time.


    Their wedding was to be held on the desert ind where they had stayed for a day after surviving from


    the shipwreck. Carlos had been developing that ind since a year ago. The construction was almost


    done. It was apletely different ce now, not the earlier deserted ind anymore. They built a


    grand wedding hall there and a vige with numerous houses for people to live in.


    The day Debbie posted their wedding pictures, the Inte fell into utter chaos once again. It was such


    a hot topic that the Weibo app, along with some other socialworking sites, crashed because too


    manyizens were clicking andmenting on the post at the same time. Unfortunately for the


    programmers of those apps, their National Day holiday was cut short because of that.


    The couple received a ton of blessings from all kinds of people. Celebrities from different fields


    reposted their wedding photos and blessed them. Their wedding was the topic of conversation in every


    corner of the world.


    The betrothal gifts that Carlos had given to Debbie''s family included the Shining International za,


    900 million dors and a few other real estates.


    Ramona was greatly taken aback when she came to know about Carlos'' gifts, so was Debbie. He did


    very much love her. It wasn''t auspicious to turn down betrothal gifts, so Ramona opted to ept them


    for the moment. She decided to find a better time to talk about it and try to return some of them to him.


    They had a rehearsal ceremony on the day before the wedding ceremony. It was only then that Debbie


    finally found out that the wedding venue was the desert ind.


    She felt moved when she set foot on the ind again. Everywhere she went, green trees and varieties


    of flowers greeted her eyes. It looked like a bustling resort now.


    Carlos had invited a myriad of guests to their wedding. On the wedding day, helicopters, cruise ships


    and yachts busily traveled back and forth, carrying their guests to the ind. It was the biggest event of


    the city.


    Debbie spent the night before the wedding in the East City Vi. Carlos had specifically arranged for


    the old housemaid¡ªJulie, their old driver¡ªMatan, and the retired steward¡ªPhilip, toe back and


    apany Debbie at the vi.


    The three of them were the ones who had taken care of Debbie when she was first married to Carlos.


    Seeing them by her side again, Debbie felt like she was back in those school years. Tears sprang to


    her eyes.


    Julie hugged Debbie as she said between tears andughter, "I''m so d. Mr. Huo and you finally have


    a happy ending..."


    Philip''s eyes were red from tears as well. He sighed with emotions welling inside him, "Debbie, you silly


    kid. You''re so lucky that you didn''t divorce Mr. Huo at the very beginning!"


    Debbie looked at the three elders who had always treated her like a granddaughter. She said with


    gratitude, "Thank you. I feel so blessed to have you all here to witness our wedding ceremony."


    Ivan, Kasie, Dixon, Niles, Yates, Jared, Sasha, Xavier, Kinsley and his girlfriend, as well as some other


    friends all swarmed to East City Vi to spend the night with Debbie, instead of checking into the hotel


    rooms which Carlos had arranged beforehand.


    There were only seven guest rooms in the vi, not enough to hold therge group of people. But they


    didn''t mind making do with it and crowded together to have a happy night.


    Kasie and Sasha decided to squeeze into the same bed with the bride-to-be. The three girls chatted


    chirpily until the wee hours and finally fell asleep. But Debbie had only gotten very little sleep as she


    was woken up to get dressed and do the makeup.


    Eyes red with tears, Ramona helped her daughter put on the wedding gown. As shebed her long


    hair, she said in a sentimental voice, "Deb, you look so beautiful today. How time flies. In the blink of an


    eye, you''ve grown up and have be a wife and a mother. I''m d to see you marry the man you


    love the most."


    Debbie felt a pang of sadness in her heart. They had missed a lot of precious time. "Mom, you''ll also


    see Decker marry someone and have kids too."


    Ramona smiled. "I hope so. But your brother doesn''t even have a girlfriend. I don''t know how much


    longer I have to wait for that beautiful asion."


    "Don''t worry. After my wedding, I''ll arrange some blind dates for him. What do you think?" Debbie


    asked Ramona.


    "I think it''s a bad idea, Debbie Nian." Decker''s voice came from the doorway.


    Debbie wasn''t expecting him toe so early. She was used to seeing him in casual clothes, but


    today, he was dressed in a set of grey Western suit. He looked handsome.


    "How is it a bad idea? I''m doing it for your own good. I''m only 27, but you''re reaching 30. It''s high time


    for you to get married," Debbie retorted.


    Decker sat on a chair nearby and replied, "Mind your own business. I have my own ns. I''ll take care


    of myself."


    "Your own ns? Is your n to get married after 40?" Debbie looked at his reflection in the mirror.


    "No." He stood up and went over to the dressing table. Looking at his mother, who wasbing


    Debbie''s hair, and the makeup artist applying cosmetic to her face, he reminded her again, "Little girl,


    you just be the happy bride today. Don''t worry about your brother''s affairs."


    "Well big brother, this little girl is married and has two kids. What about you? You don''t even have a


    girlfriend."


    Decker smirked. "Whatever. You''re the bride. I''m not going to argue with you today."


    With that, he made his way to the door.


    Debbie called out to him, "Hey, Decker. Where are you going? Are you pissed?"


    "I''m not such a mean guy. I see many girls out there. I''m gonna try my luck and find a girlfriend." Then


    he left without looking back at them.


    Ramona quietly watched the brother and sister banter. She smiled amiably. Such a warm scene had


    never crossed her mind in the past. Happiness filled her heart.


    Carlos came to pick up his bride in a helicopter, with six other helicopters of the same model flying in


    tow. On the city road, dozens of red limos drove along in a long row. When the helicopters touched


    down outside the vi, the limos also reached the gate, and parked in an orderly line.


    The spectacle was utterly indescribable. The photographers and reporters who had been following the


    whole wedding g were all excited to the hilt.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    As the brother, Decker needed to piggyback the bride out. The four bridesmaids in their pink dresses


    and the four groomsmen in their ck suits stood at either side of the first helicopter.


    The bridesmaids were Kasie, Kristina and two other pop singers who were friends with Debbie.


    And the groomsmen were Kinsley, Xavier, Niles, and Wesley, who hade back from abroad for the


    wedding.


    Carlos escorted Debbie into the first helicopter. The bridesmaids and groomsmen boarded the other six


    helicopters. With the rumbling sound of the engines, the helicopters rose up into the sky and flew to the


    ind.


    When they arrived at the venue, Debbie saw the sea of guests who had already assembled. Besides


    their rtives, there were also big shots from business or political circles. Gregory, Hayden and


    Emmett''s parents were also invited.


    Surprisingly, even Valerie, who was now living out her days in a Buddhist temple, was also brought to


    the ind by Carlos.

 Chapter 523 Congratulations, Mrs. Gu

    Chapter 523 Congrattions, Mrs. Gu


    The wedding venue was decorated in dominant colors of pink and white. It was like a fairy tale


    wedding; there was a pumpkin carriage and different sizes of shining crystal high heels, pink roses,


    pianos and other ornaments scattered around the hall. In the center of the stage was a ten-tiered


    wedding cake. Romantic music yed in the background. The overall decoration looked absolutely


    luxurious and high-end.


    A well-known MC walked onto the stage to announce the start of the ceremony. Soon, the two ck


    doors that were three-meter high slowly opened up.


    The spotlight was shone onto the doorway. Under the soft romantic melody, the bride, dressed in her


    magnificent wedding gown, slowly walked into the hall, holding a bouquet of pink and white roses in her


    hands; a long wedding train trailed behind her as she walked along the red carpet.


    Everyone''s attention was drawn to her.


    Debbie, the day''s heroine, wore a graceful smile and elegantly walked towards the dashing man on the


    other end of the red carpet.


    Behind her were the two flower children¡ªSean and Evelyn.


    Evelyn looked at the setting around her, wide-eyed. This was all really amazing and special because


    she was attending her own parents'' wedding.


    Sebastian walked Debbie down the aisle and gave her away to Carlos.


    The wedding ring Debbie wore that day was the diamond ring which Carlos had given her a few years


    ago. The one that was almost the size of a pigeon egg! Carlos wanted to buy her a new ring, but


    Debbie refused. She insisted that she already had enough rings. On top of it all, this diamond ring


    carried a lot of good memories and reminded her of Carlos'' love for her.


    In the end, Carlos gave in and didn''t insist further.


    The wedding ceremony went smoothly. As a traditional rule, the couple bowed respectfully to the elders


    of the two families and served them tea. The family members gave them their blessings.


    The grand ceremony went on for an hour, and it finally came to an end when the couple kissed


    affectionately, apanied by a huge round of apuse from the guests.


    After the ceremony, the guests moved out of the hall. Carlos had arranged a few other programs to


    entertain their distinguished guests.


    They marched over to the seashore to watch the marine life show.


    There were dolphins, whales, and other marine life in the show, but they were not trained like those in


    an aquarium. They were attracted towards the ind and they did what they usually did in the sea


    freely. It was the most natural show, with no harm caused to the animals. Everyone enjoyed it with


    bright smiles on their faces.


    Meanwhile, the heroine was still busy. In the lounge, with the help of the bridesmaids, Debbie changed


    into a red Chinese cheongsam, getting ready to toast to the guests at the dinner party.


    At the party, led by Wade and Miranda ahead of them, Debbie and Carlos walked arm in arm around


    the tables and toasted to each of the guests.


    Although Carlos didn''t publicly announce his true parentage, most of the guests already knew the truth.


    So, they all naturally considered Wade and Miranda as Carlos'' real parents.


    Hayden was invited to the wedding as well. He didn''te alone. Along with him, were his wife and


    little child. When Carlos clinked sses with Hayden, Hayden''s wife whispered to Debbie, "Thank you


    very much, Mrs. Huo."


    Debbie was caught by surprise. If her memory served her right, this woman was the daughter of the


    Qin family, who had coborated with Olga to bully her four years ago. But why was she thanking her


    now?


    Seeing the confusion in Debbie''s eyes, she exined in a low voice, "Thank you for turning down


    Hayden so cruelly. If it wasn''t for that, I wouldn''t have had the chance to win him over." It was as clear


    as crystal to everyone in Y City that Hayden had been crazily in love with Debbie. Hayden''s wife was


    well aware of it too.


    At the beginning, she hated Debbie to the bone. Butter, she had seen with her eyes and had also


    heard how coldly Debbie had turned Hayden down. At that time, she finally was sure that Debbie didn''t


    love Hayden.


    After being rejected by Debbie, Hayden was crestfallen and heartbroken. His wife was clever enough to


    seize the opportunity tofort him and get close to him. Since they were already married, she


    gradually won his heart.


    Besides, Carlos always publicly showed off his love for Debbie in a high-profile manner. Each time, it


    hurt Hayden and was a mental blow to him. As time went by, he finally gave up on Debbie and


    epted his wife.


    Now, she had also given birth to a daughter for Hayden, so their rtionship had improved even more.


    They were a couple in love now.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Realizing what she meant, Debbie smiled and raised her ss. "Don''t thank me. You strove for your


    own happiness. I had nothing to do with it. Anyway, congrattions, Mrs. Gu."


    "Thank you, Mrs. Huo." The two women smiled at each other and clinked sses.


    Gus hade with his girlfriend¡ªnow, his wife. They had gotten married two years ago. When Debbie


    and Carlos approached the table he was sitting at, they found him ring at Decker, who was now


    talking to Dixon.


    Gus was so pissed at him. He was Decker''s uncle, but the man didn''t call him "Uncle Gus" at all. What


    was worse, Decker was trying to take over the Lu Group. Decker was even more annoying than


    Debbie. Thinking of that, Gus sulked silently.


    Of course, Decker had sensed the angry gaze, but he didn''t give a damn about it. He wasn''t afraid of


    his so-called uncle. In Decker''s eyes, Gus was just as childish as Debbie. He was a matured married


    man, but he dealt with thepany business impulsively without thorough consideration.


    "Decker, it''s our uncle Gus. Be polite," Debbie said to him. Besides her mother, among the Lu family,


    Debbie only acknowledged two other people as her own family¡ªCurtis and Gus.


    Decker wasn''t convinced. "He''s your uncle Gus, not mine. He''s younger than me! I won''t call him


    ''Uncle.''"


    Gus snorted, "For Debbie''s sake, I won''t me you for what you have done. But if you continue to


    mess with the Lu Group, I won''t let you off the hook so easy!"


    Decker sneered, "Won''t let me off the hook? Who cares? Let me tell you this now. Go back and tell


    Elroy Lu, we will surely take over the Lu Group one day!"


    When he said "we," he meant himself and Debbie.


    Gus was irritated by his provocation. He wanted to throw a tantrum, but considering that it was Carlos


    and Debbie''s wedding, he swallowed the anger for the time being.


    Debbie told her brother in a low voice, "Gus is a nice guy. He helped me a lot when I was studying


    abroad." Back when she was in Ennd, Curtis had sent Gus to take care of her. He had indeed


    helped her in some ways.


    "I know what to do," Decker replied curtly and then kept silent.


    Debbie shook her head helplessly.


    Carlos wasn''t interested in the conflicts between Gus and Decker, as long as there was no harm done


    to his wife. So after toasting to them, he moved on to the next table and continued socializing with the


    other guests.


    The night grew deeper. Back at the manor, Carlos climbed the staircase a bit unsteadily because he


    had drunk too much. He stood in the corridor on the second floor. His beloved woman was in the


    bedroom at the other end of the corridor.


    It was their wedding night.


    Leaning against the wall of the corridor and looking in the direction of their bedroom, Carlos couldn''t


    help smiling.


    He smiled goofily, his face glowing with happiness.


    Taking a deep breath, he continued staggering towards their room. When he reached the door, he


    slowly pushed it open. Only the bedmp was on inside the room. Under the dim light, he saw a figure


    lying in the big connubial bed. The bedding set was red in color, with dragon and phoenix patterns,


    ording to the wedding custom of the country.


    But... Something didn''t feel right.


    Although he was a little drunk, Carlos was always an alert man. He sensed that there were more than


    two people inside this room, other than himself. He felt around the wall for the light switch and turned


    all the lights on.


    In an instant, the bedroom was filled with the bright lights.


    He vigntly looked around, but found nothing suspicious.


    With his guard on, he strode towards the bed. A woman with long hair was lying in one side of the bed.


    Half of her face was buried under the thin quilt and her eyes were covered under her long hair. Carlos


    couldn''t see her face clearly.


    He stretched out his arm and pulled the quilt away. In an instant, the person sat up, jumped into Carlos''


    arms and yelled, "Honey, happy wedding to you!"

 Chapter 524 Where Is My Wife

    Chapter 524 Where Is My Wife


    Carlos felt disgusted when he heard the person''s voice, because the person in his bed wasn''t Debbie,


    and wasn''t even a woman. It was a man wearing a long wig!


    In a split second, he broke free from the man''s embrace and violently pushed him back onto the bed.


    "Ouch! Hey, take it easy!" Niles protested, his face contorted in pain. Carlos had pushed him so


    forcefully that Niles slipped off the bed and fell onto the floor.


    Luckily the floor was covered with a carpet, so it was mostly his pride that was bruised.


    With a dark face, Carlos stared down at the groaning surgeon and asked, "Where is my wife?"


    Niles pointed at the curtain. Behind it, he could vaguely see a figure hiding there. Wasting no time,


    Carlos strode towards the window and ripped the curtain aside. Again, a person dashed out and


    jumped into Carlos'' arms, saying, "Happy wedding to you, honey!"


    Carlos spat out curse words at the man hugging him. Without warning, he gut punched him. Kinsley


    whined in pain and loosened his embrace at once. He held his stomach, unable to utter another word,


    gasping for breath.


    Carlos asked a second time, "Where is my wife?"


    Lifting a trembling finger, Kinsley weakly pointed to the walk-in closet. Carlos was getting irate. He had


    been hugged by two men now, and wasn''t in the mood for a third. He slowly moved towards the closet.


    However, before he could get there, a person sprung up from behind the dressing table and did the


    same thing as the others. Carlos tried not to be too violent. He was afraid he would hurt the real


    Debbie. Now once again, he had to be hugged by another man and hear him say, "Happy wedding to


    you, honey!"


    Carlos shut his eyes in anger. Without opening them, he grabbed hold of the man''s arm and was about


    to throw him outside. It was Xavier. He knew what was going on, listening behind the dressing table.


    When Carlos grabbed for his arm, he quickly sidestepped the angry man''s attack.


    Just in a few minutes'' time, Carlos had been called "honey" by three men. He looked like a volcano on


    the verge of erupting. If he could, he would throw these three men into sea right now.


    Niles was dressed in a nightgown. He tore the wig from his head and threw it on the floor. Then, he


    climbed onto the bed again andy in the middle. Xaviery next to him, while Kinsley sat on the edge


    of the bed, fumbling in his pocket for a cigarette.


    Three men were on his bed. Carlos, the germophobe, could no longer hold back his anger. When he


    was about to blow his top, Niles tried to mollify him. "Calm down. This is a traditional wedding custom.


    Boys on the bed, for good luck," he teased.


    In a traditional Chinese wedding, a virgin boy was supposed to sleep with the groom the night before


    the wedding. It was supposed to bring good luck.


    Of course, Carlos knew about this custom. He stared at Kinsley coldly and said, "Come on. You''re


    supposed to be young and virginal. Young? Maybe. But virginal?" He paused, shifting his ice-cold eyes


    to the other two, and continued between gritted teeth, "And it''s supposed to be done the night before


    the wedding."


    Xavier sat up on the bed and shook his head. "Depends on where you are. In some ces, it''s the


    night OF the wedding, and in others, the boys sleep with the groom for five or six nights!"


    Niles thrust out his empty hands and said, "So we did what we were supposed to. So...red envelopes,


    please?"


    When Carlos didn''t speak, Xavier let out a light cough and began to recite the blessing, "Virgin boys on


    your connubial bed, good luck follows you everywhere..."


    "You idiot. Quit letting him know the two of us are virgins." Niles turned to Carlos. "We just need the


    moh," he yelled in embarrassment, bowing his head.


    At this point, Carlos had already run out of patience. He wasn''t interested in their stupid games. "Do


    you really consider yourselves teenage boys?" he snarled at them.


    Niles raised his head abruptly. Although he felt embarrassed, he still wanted to argue with Carlos.


    "Haven''t you read any martial arts fiction? A virgin is just someone who hasn''t had sex, whether age 8


    or 80."


    Carlos rolled his eyes at Niles, unconvinced by hisme exnation.


    Kinsley just kicked back. He was enjoying this. It was fun to give Carlos a hard time.


    Then, Xavier continued to recite the blessing, "Wish you a baby boy as soon as possible..."


    "No, thanks. I don''t need a son. I have my hands full with two daughters," Carlos cut in bluntly.


    Xavier didn''t mind and shrugged his shoulders. But Kinsley wouldn''t let it go. He said, "Well, I need to


    have a son ASAP. I''ll ask my son to marry your daughter. That way, ZL Group will be my family


    operation."


    Carlos snorted, eyes full of sarcasm. "Don''t bother. I won''t let my daughter marry a younger guy."


    Kinsley disagreed, "You''re so old-fashioned, Carlos. Age doesn''t matter at all. A husband with an older


    woman can still take good care of her. I can''t believe you think that way."


    "Nice!" Niles folded his arms and nodded his head.


    Carlos was supposed to have a sweet moment with Debbie tonight, and wasn''t in the mood to argue


    with them anymore. "Now, all of you, get lost!"


    Xavier stood up, and yfully recited again, "Be a good son, respect your parents and uphold your


    family honor. The bride has sugar, so the groom is eager; the wedding night is precious, yet... marriage


    is longer."


    The other two guys burst into a fit of wildughter. Moreughter could be heard from the closet. Carlos


    noticed it, but he paid no attention to it.


    He estimated that there were at least ten people in his bedroom now, including himself. And only one of


    them actually belonged there.


    Ignoring theirughter, he crossed his arms over his chest and took a look at his wristwatch. "Every


    second of my wedding night is precious. So scram."


    Someone flung the door to the closet open. Decker came out, then Curtis, Wesley and others in tow.


    They had been waiting there a long time, but Carlos didn''t walk in.


    Carlos shifted his gaze, looking at each person who emerged from the closet. Much to his


    disappointment, none of them were his beloved wife. He realized that Debbie wasn''t in this room at all.


    They all squeezed onto Carlos'' bed. Some sat there, while the others casuallyy down. It was an odd


    scene¡ªCarlos stood alone and nine other men were on his bed.


    "Where is my wife?" This was the only question in Carlos'' mind now.


    "Well, your wife is..." Curtis smiled evilly.


    Dixon said, "Your wife..."


    Jared filled in the sentence, "¡ªisn''t here. She''s not even in the house."


    ''Debbie isn''t at the manor?'' Carlos frowned in worry.


    Ivan looked at his wristwatch and said, "I think your wife is..."


    Wesley smiled mysteriously, "She''s..."


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    Niles made a face andughed. "It''s a secret. We won''t tell you!"


    Carlos was boiling with anger. Now he knew what was going on. His friends were teasing him. They


    had deliberately gotten him drunk at the wedding party. And now they all crammed into his bedroom,


    ruining his sweet moment with his bride.


    ''Fine, you guys have a death wish!'' Carlos pulled a chair over and sat down in it. "Okay, since my wife


    isn''t here, I have more time to get even!"


    The nine men exchanged nces with each other. They had a bad feeling about this.


    Carlos pulled out his cellphone. He was going to start with all the married men here. It was too easy. A


    phone call to the wife was enough. First up was Ivan. He texted Tristan and got Kasie''s phone number.


    Then he called her. "Mrs. Kasie Wen, I think you should know something. There''s a hot, young model


    your husband talks to after work. I see them standing outside talking andughing. Okay, goodbye."


    Ivan was shocked by what he had heard. In a few seconds, his phone rang. Everyone looked at him


    with sympathy in their eyes as he hastily stepped out to answer the call.


    The next target was Curtis. Carlos called Colleen. "Aunt Colleen, it''s me. Did Uncle Curtise back


    late one night? Remember that, about a month ago? He looked pretty guilty to me. I''d ask him about


    it."

 Chapter 525 Gobi Desert

    Chapter 525 Gobi Desert


    Women were attracted to a great guy like Curtis. So Carlos knew just how to get back at him.


    Curtis was stunned for a moment. He tried desperately to recall what happened. One of his female


    colleagues fell sick that night and he drove her to the hospital. Was that a month ago? He barely


    remembered. As he pondered this, his phone rang. Obviously, his wife.


    He got nervous even though he waspletely innocent. Just like Ivan, Curtis hurried outside as he


    picked up the phone. Everyone knew that Carlos could easily stir up trouble for them, no matter how


    good they were. Carlos knew exactly what to say.


    Seeing how Carlos dealt with Ivan and Curtis, Damon got frightened. He leaped up from the bed and


    excused himself. "Oh, crap! I forget to pick up some form for my son. I should get going now!"


    Wesley reminded him icily, "Your son''s off form. He has been for awhile."


    Damon nodded, embarrassed, "Yeah, I mean, um, my daughter."


    The other men all fell silent. They watched Damon rush out of Carlos'' bedroom.


    Jared was always afraid of Carlos. And now, even more. He''d been quite the yboy before settling


    down. If Carlos mentioned any one of his ex-girlfriends to Sasha, she wouldn''t go easy on him. So


    Jared jumped out of bed. When he got to the door, he shouted, "Damon! Wait for me! Can I get a lift?"


    He zoomed out of the bedroom and caught up to his brother.


    Now, only the single men were left in Carlos'' bedroom.


    Kinsley had a fiancee, but she never made any bones about the women around him. Let Carlos call.


    Carlos stared at him with a mysterious smile. "Kinsley."


    His smile gave Kinsley goose bumps. He responded, "What?"


    "Five years ago...do you remember your brother''s wife? Do you remember flirting with her? They


    weren''t married then. You even tried to split them up, told her that he was in love with another


    woman..."


    "Stop!" Kinsley widened his eyes in panic. How would Carlos know about this?


    It was just a misunderstanding. But if Yates heard about it, he''d go apeshit. Might even break his legs!


    "Okay, I get it. I''m gone!"


    The bigshot star turned on his heels and left as quickly as he could.


    Niles trembled with fear as he saw his friends leave one by one. But what could Carlos do? He had no


    girlfriend, no wife. What did Carlos have up his sleeve?


    "Niles." Carlos smirked.


    Niles returned him a smile. "H-hi, Mr. Huo..."


    The CEO leisurely lit a cigarette and looked at Wesley. "Wesley, your brother saw ir once before she


    went missing. He probably knows where she is."


    What a clever idea! He killed two birds with one stone.


    Now Wesley dragged Niles outside while warning, "You asshole, if you don''t tell me where she is, I


    swear I''ll kick the crap out of you!"


    "No, Wesley...I don''t know... Ouch! Not in the face!" Niles'' shrieks reverberated throughout the manor.


    There were four men left, including Carlos. Dixon slowly came and stood by his boss. Decker and


    Xavier were still sitting on the bed.


    Xavier said confidently, "Hey, I don''t see what you can do to me. I''m not married, no sister-inw. I''d


    love to see you try something."


    Carlos took a drag on the smoke and blew it out. "From your lips, to God''s ears."


    Xavier furrowed his brows.


    Then, Carlos took out his phone again and dialed a number. "Hi, is this Xavier''s grandpa? It''s me,


    Carlos. Yeah, I got married today...Thank you. But that''s not why I called. Ever wonder why Xavier


    refuses to get married or go on any blind dates? Well, you don''t need to worry. He and his boyfriend


    are quite happy."


    "Damn you, Carlos!" Xavier cussed bluntly. He lunged at him and snatched the phone away. "Hi


    Grandpa. Yeah, I know what he said, and he''s a liar. This is nder. I''m awyer, and I''ll..."


    His grandfather was so loud, you could hear him quite clearly, even if you didn''t have the phone to your


    ear. "That''s not the point! No wonder you never liked the girls I introduced to you. Youe back right


    now! Obviously I wasn''t strict enough."


    ''Oh no...'' Xavier felt a chill go down his spine when he thought of what kind of punishment that would


    be. Depressed, he red at the man who was smoking calmly, made a rude gesture, and said


    resolutely, "Up yours, you jerk! Find your wife yourself!" He threw the phone at him before leaving the


    bedroom.


    Decker casuallyy on the connubial bed and put his hands under his head. He watched the show


    nonchntly. This was better than TV.


    Carlos tapped his cigarette on the ashtray, shedding the cherry. "Decker, where is my wife?"


    His voice wasn''t as cold as it was earlier. Instead, he sounded rather polite.


    Decker was surprised. He cocked his brows and asked, "Is this a trap?"


    Carlos didn''t respond. He shifted his gaze to Dixon and instructed, "Bring me the file."


    Dixon made his way to Carlos'' study and found the file. He grabbed it, walked in, and handed it to


    Carlos. After quickly flipping through the papers, Carlos gestured for Dixon to hand it to Decker.


    Putting out the cigarette, Carlos said curtly, "How does 20 percent shares in the Lu Group sound?"


    Hearing him, Decker immediately sat up on the bed and carefully read the file. It was the stock transfer


    agreement, and it was in Debbie''s name now.


    Without raising his head, Decker spat out, "She left this evening."


    Carlos frowned deeply. "Where?"


    Decker didn''t answer, because there was still one thing that Carlos hadn''t done for him yet. ''Come on,


    big guy, get it...''


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The CEO understood what his silence meant. He added, "Dixon Shu, Zelda Ye, Chester Mu and two


    other assistants of mine will help you until you achieve your goal."


    Decker was surprised to hear those names. Those were all business elites of ZL Group. Carlos had


    assigned all those talented people to help him¡ªno¡ªto help Debbie, to be exact.


    Immediately, Decker got out of bed and began to remove the bed sheet, while prattling on. "Niles


    knows that you''re a clean freak, so before he climbed onto your bed, he took three times as long in the


    shower. And you see? We justy on this red bed sheet on top of your bed, and I''m taking it off. So we


    didn''t really make your bed dirty."


    Carlos snorted, "Is this Niles'' idea?"


    "Yes."


    "Huh! You can stop now. Ask the housemaids toe up and change the bedding!" Even if Niles


    showered all day, Carlos still would think he was dirty.


    He stood up from his chair and pushed it back, sighing heavily. Tonight was supposed to be his happy


    wedding night, but his wife wasn''t here. He felt quite alone.


    When Decker walked to the doorway, he turned around and blurted out, "She''s in the Gobi Desert."


    When Carlos finally found Debbie, she was riding a camel in the desert, singing loudly. She wore a hat


    and sunsses, but he''d recognize that long, red scarf anywhere. He secured his bandana and


    goggles, and snuck up behind her. He grabbed the handle on the saddle and climbed onboard as well.


    He wrapped his arms around her from behind and said, "Hey honey, I found you."


    Breathing in his familiar scent, Debbie was stunned for a while. ''Much better than the musk of the


    camel, '' she thought. Coming back to her senses, she tilted her head and looked at the man behind


    her. "I just got on this thing. How did you find me so quickly?"


    To get to the Gobi Desert, it took her 16 hours on a ne, then a couple hours'' ride on a high-speed


    train, and then a slow-going bus.


    However, she had just now gotten on a camel and magically, Carlos was here too. How could it be


    possible?


    "I came straight here in my private ne," he said with a smile. Of course, that would save him a lot of


    time.

 Chapter 526 Im on Holiday

    Chapter 526 I''m on Holiday


    Debbie pulled a long face when she heard his answer. "Humph! That''s so unfair!" Meanwhile, she felt


    like a fool. Why didn''t she think of Carlos'' private ne? She wouldn''t have had to endure such a long


    and tiring trip if she hade to the Gobi Desert in his private ne!


    Carlos chuckled under his breath. He coaxed, "Don''t be upset. We''ll fly back home together."


    Debbie pursed her lips, her cheeks bulging up in anger. But she could do nothing else about it anyway.


    Finally, they made up for lost time in a hotel near the Gobi Desert. Debbie would never forget that night.


    Carlos was hungrier than ever in bed. She had initially nned to do some sightseeing, but from the


    moment he showed up, she was too exhausted to do anything but sleep. On the third day of her trip,


    when she rode a camel, she found her legs trembling terribly due to the strain of the previous night.


    She couldn''t help wondering if Carlos deliberately did it to punish her. But each time sheined to


    him, he would shook his head innocently. "No, I didn''t mean to. I swear!"


    Debbie had no choice but to drop it.


    On the fifth day of their stay on the Gobi Desert, Debbie eyed the man up and down. He looked as


    fresh and clean as usual. She asked gloomily, "Don''t you think life is hard out here?"


    Carlos kissed her cheek and then answered sincerely, "No. Wherever you are, that''s home. I feel so


    much better with you."


    "But what about thepany?"


    He kissed her again. "What about it? I''m on holiday."


    He answered each of her questions perfectly.


    On the seventh day, they ended their trip and boarded Carlos'' private ne. They flew back home in


    rtive luxury. It did save a lot of time traveling in a private ne.


    Evelyn was ying with her little sister at the manor. When she saw her parentse back home, she


    excitedly darted towards them and called out, "Daddy, Mommy!"


    Debbie nted a kiss on Evelyn''s cheek and said lovingly, "Baby, Mommy missed you so much!"


    "Mommy, I missed you, too!" Evelyn stuck her head out and looked at her father. Stretching out her


    arms to him, she added, "I missed Daddy more."


    Carlos grinned from ear to ear, and scooped her up in his arms.


    Debbie unhappily watched the father and daughter talk andugh amongst themselves. ''Forget it. I


    have Terilynn, my little baby, '' sheforted herself, and went to see her baby girl.


    Miranda was working, and wasn''t home. Wade took care of Terilynn. Seeing Debbiee over, he


    handed the baby girl to her and asked, "Have a good time?"


    Debbie carefully bounced Terilynn in her arms while answering Wade, "Oh yeah." But she thought to


    herself, ''I had a good time, except that your son found me. My escape failed.''


    "d to hear it. Oh, Miranda asked me to tell you, you don''t need to worry about the kids. Between us


    and the nannies, they''re fine. So you can circle the globe while you''re still young."


    Debbie was moved by his words. "Thank you, Dad."


    After everything she''d been through, she felt really happy with what she had now.


    Besides a husband that spoiled her to the hilt, she had awesome inws, and two lovely daughters. ''I


    am so blessed, '' she thought to herself, her face glowing with happiness.


    Debbie was so tired after her long journey. Shey in bed, ying on her phone, feeling drowsy. When


    she was about to put her phone up and sleep, she saw Carlos emerge from the bathroom. Immediately,


    she tossed her phone aside and threw herself into his arms. "Honey!"


    Holding the fragrant woman, Carlos kissed her lips and caught a glimpse of her phone. The screen was


    still on. "ying on your phone? I thought you were tired."


    She took him to the bed and sat him down. Nestling in his arms, she whispered gently in his ear, "I''m


    waiting for you..." Her hot breath fell on his neck.


    "Awesome. I''m turning in." He decided to tuck her in first before diving into work.


    Theyy in bed, hugging each other. Carlos reached out for the bedmp and turned it off. In the dark,


    Debbie became a little handsy and ran her fingers across his muscr body.


    Carlos grasped her hand and said in a husky voice, "Not tonight. You need your rest¡ªbadly. Tomorrow,


    okay? Promise."


    This was the first time he turned her down after he got his memory back. She shook her head, her big


    eyes sparkling brightly in the dark. "I want a third child with you."


    Carlos clung to her tightly. "Honey, we have two daughters. That''s enough. I don''t want to see you


    suffer anymore." He couldn''t bring himself to see her endure the pains of pregnancy and delivery.


    Debbie turned her body and climbed on top of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and


    comined, "No way. I want a third child. I have to find out how many lovers you had in your past life!"


    There is a saying: A daughter is like a lover from a father''s past life. Debbie had given birth to two


    daughters for him, so she believed that he must be a phndering man who had a lot of lovers in his


    previous life.


    Carlos couldn''t helpughing. "Listen to you! I don''t even remember my past life." ''She''s very


    possessive too, '' he thought.


    She grinned and nodded, "Well, yeah! Yourst life, this one, and the next, too. You''re mine forever!"


    Carlos suddenly turned and pressed her under him. With tenderness in his eyes, he announced


    affectionately, "Okay, I''m yours, forever!"


    "Hmm-hmm!" Debbie nodded her head vigorously.


    "Now that you''re not tired, let''s find out the truth¡ªtogether." As soon as he was done speaking, he


    kissed her lips and made love to her.


    However, before Debbie was sessfully pregnant with the third child, she gave up on the idea very


    soon. She couldn''t keep up with him, and it was passionate torture every night.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    One day, Debbie registered a new ount on Weibo with another name. From time to time, she would


    post some pictures of Carlos and her, recording their daily life.


    Although none of those pictures revealed their faces clearly, some fans still figured out it was Debbie''s


    ount, and those pics were candid snaps of her family.


    The amount of followers on Debbie''s new ount skyrocketed. From a few hundred to a few million


    overnight.


    A lot of fans said the same thing. They said, "Mrs. Huo, you''re too happy with Mr. Huo to remember


    your fans. Please consider us. You haven''t released a new album in a long time. We want to hear new


    songs. Please!"


    A fanmented, "Mrs. Huo, it''s been two years and three months and four days since yourst


    album. Your fans are running out of patience. How about aeback this month?"


    Another fanmented, "Maybe you can make it up to us with more pics of Mr. Huo."


    "Or the pictures of your two princesses! I want the two little girls to melt my heart!"mented a crazy


    fan of Debbie''s.


    Meanwhile, a ton of private messages came flooding into Debbie''s new ount. Bowing to pressure


    from her fans, Debbie had no choice but to secretly snap a few pictures of Carlos working in his


    Western suit. She selected nine of them and posted them on her Weibo page. She wrote, "Look at our


    husband, girls. He''s too busy to pose. Always working! This is candid camera!"


    Her post went viral. Like there was any doubt it would.


    Judging by thement section, a lot of young girls were excited. "Debbie is a queen!" they wrote.


    "She refers to Mr. Huo as ''our husband!'' Debbie, I love you. I''ll be your fan forever!"


    "Does that mean I''m ''Mrs. Huo'' too?" some fans teased.


    For a time, life was rtively normal. When everybody around them thought that they would just live


    happily ever after, Debbie seized a chance to secretly escape again, leaving her husband and two


    daughters behind.


    Her n was quite sessful this time. This was longer than her previous attempts, and her


    whereabouts were well-hidden, which almost drove Carlos crazy. He had sent men to the far corners of


    the earth, but to no avail. He couldn''t find his beloved wife anywhere.

 Chapter 527 Is My Wife Coming Back

    Chapter 527 Is My Wife Coming Back


    The truth was that Debbie had nned everything well in advance. The first step of her n was to


    consolidate her position as Carlos'' legal wife. That was why she had co-operated with him to register


    their marriage and had deliberately showed their marriage licenses to the reporters. Then, they held


    their grand wedding ceremony in a high-profile manner, and she showed off their love in public and


    online sites every now and then. Because of this, everyone knew that Carlos was deeply in love with


    his wife. Thus, even after Debbie went missing from the scene, no women dared to take advantage of


    her absence to try and hit on Carlos.


    One month passed, then two...


    As time slowly went by, the situation began to change. Three monthster, word began to spread that


    Carlos was seen with another woman.


    After that one rumor, more sprung up and spread quickly. Some people even assumed that Carlos and


    Debbie were already divorced, but were keeping it a secret for the sake of their children.


    Debbie had heard from Dixon that Miranda had personally dealt with a woman who had dared to get


    into Carlos'' car.


    This was the story. One day, Miranda happened to notice a pair of high heels in Carlos'' car¡ªthe one


    he always drove to work. But the heels were neither her size, nor Debbie''s.


    Miranda remained silent and didn''t ask Carlos anything about it.


    The next day, she stalked him and saw a woman take those heels from his car.


    After the woman had left, Miranda angrily got out of her car and went to confront her son. When Carlos


    saw her approaching, he asked in a calm tone, "Mom, why are you here?"


    Looking at the woman''s receding figure, Miranda interrogated, "Did you give those heels as a gift to


    that woman?"


    Carlos shook his head. "No. The night before, we had a business dinner. She had temporarily changed


    into another pair of shoes and had left those in my car."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Oh¡­Is that so?" she said in a drawl, sounding sarcastic. Confused, Carlos looked at her and asked,


    "What''s the problem?"


    She smirked. "Nothing. I just wanted to remind you that you''re a married man. Please keep your


    boundaries with other women."


    Carlos was left speechless.


    What a good mother-inw she was to Debbie! Debbie was not around, so Miranda was keeping a


    close eye on him for her. Sighing, he reassured her, "Mom, please rest assured, and assure Debbie as


    well. I have no interest in any other woman. I only want my beloved wife."


    Miranda nodded satisfactorily. "Okay. You go ahead with your work. I should get going now."


    "Okay, bye."


    Despite Carlos'' assurance, Miranda wasn''t going to let that woman go. She easily got that woman''s


    information. That afternoon, they sat face-to-face at a cafe.


    The woman was quite pretty. Miranda ordered a ss of sparkling water, while the nervous woman


    randomly pointed to an item on the drink list and said to the waiter, "This one, please."


    Miranda took a look at the item she had ordered. It was cappino¡ªDebbie''s favorite.


    Their orders were served very soon. The woman held her coffee cup in her trembling hands and took a


    sip. She was frightened by the strong aura emanating from Miranda. Just like Carlos, Miranda could


    easily scare people, even without saying anything. "Hi, Aunt." The woman finally broke the silence and


    greeted her.


    Miranda snorted, "Aunt? Am I that close to you?"


    The woman bowed down her head in embarrassment.


    Miranda cut to the chase. "I didn''t need to handle amoner like you in person, but there are quite a


    few women trying to hit on my son. So, I need to personally deal with you, as a warning to the rest."


    "No... Mrs. Miranda Huo... It''s not what you think. Mr. Huo and I are just friends..."


    "Why did you leave your shoes in Carlos'' car?" Miranda asked sharply.


    The woman was dumbfounded.


    "You should know who my daughter-inw is, right?" Miranda had sent Debbie away that day and it


    had been a part of her escape n. So, she had to make sure that their marriage remained intact. No


    one was allowed to sabotage their rtionship.


    The woman mustered the courage to ask, "But, aren''t they in a bad rtionship now? I heard that they


    weren''t living together anymore."


    Miranda narrowed her eyes and cast her a sharp nce. "So, you decided to seduce a married man?"


    The woman was dumbstruck. She took a deep breath before trying to exin herself once again, but


    Miranda didn''t give her the chance to. She shot to her feet and scoffed, "I thought you were some


    clever, tactical woman. It looks like you are just another foolish woman in pursuit of my son. You are the


    secretary to the general manager of Yoda Group, right? I don''t want to see you in Y City anymore!"


    With that, the colddy turned on her heels and left.


    The next day, the woman moved out of the city. The news of this incident soon spread. When the other


    women, who had been coveting Carlos, heard about it, they all chickened out.


    However, the rumor that Carlos and Debbie had divorced didn''t subside. Instead, it went viral on the


    Inte. It seemed like only Debbie''s appearance could rify the situation now.


    Debbie, of course, knew what to do.


    On a scorching day at the end of August, the previous CEO of the Lu Group, Elroy Lu, passed away.


    He was angered to death.


    Before he passed away, Decker had barged into Elroy''s office, with a group of people and the major


    shares of the Lu Group.


    With some confidential help from Carlos, Decker managed to take control of the board of the Lu Group


    in a very short time.


    He had promised Curtis to spare Elroy, but the old man died because his health had worsened after


    knowing that Decker had taken over the Lu Group and had even changed thepany name to "Nian


    Group."


    Debbie became the chairman of the board; Decker took the title of the CEO; Gus was the general


    manager and Dixon became the assistant governor.


    Thepany structure waspletely reorganized. All the young talents formed a new management


    team to lead the Nian Group to a brighter future.


    After everything was settled down and the new leaders assumed offices, the Nian Group held a


    celebration party.


    Carlos was invited to the party as a special guest. He attended it without his wife, nor did he bring a


    date.


    People naturally felt curious when they saw hime alone. They kept gossiping, and some women


    couldn''t help but steal nces at him. They were itching to seize the chance to hit on him, but knowing


    that Mrs. Huo was the sister of the new CEO of Nian Group, they didn''t dare to.


    In the middle of the party, Decker walked to Carlos'' side and said in a mysterious voice, "Carlos, I have


    a surprise for youter."


    Carlos raised his eyebrows in expectation. "Is my wifeing back?"


    The smug smile on Decker''s face instantly vanished. "Bingo! Why did you guess it so easily? That is so


    boring," heined.


    Just as he finished his words, there was amotion at the entrance. A woman, d in a red evening


    dress and ck crystal high heels, emerged from the crowd. She attracted everyone''s attention,


    including Carlos''.


    "Wow! Isn''t that Mrs. Huo?"


    "Yes, I think so! I haven''t seen her show up in public for a long time!"


    "Look, she''s wearing a halter dress tonight. She looks so hot!"


    Under the crowd''s fervent discussions, Debbie, who had be even more beautiful now, slowly


    walked towards the person standing at the other end of the red carpet.


    Everyone knew who she was walking to, so they moved to either side to make way for her.


    Debbie had easily spotted the dashing man the moment she had entered the hall.


    When she was about two meters away from him, Carlos shifted his goblet of wine to his right hand and


    reached out his left hand to her.


    Debbie smiled broadly and picked up her pace, with a spring in her step. She took his hand and put her


    other hand on his waist. "Honey, I''m back," she said sweetly.


    Carlos looked at her affectionately and asked, "Honey, did you have a good time?"

 Chapter 528 Daddy Was Fooling Around With Men Every Day

    Chapter 528 Daddy Was Fooling Around With Men Every Day


    "Yes. I had a good time," Debbie answered with a smile. But in her mind, she cursed, ''Not at all! I had


    to avoid Carlos'' men all the time. And since I have fans all over the world, I had to hide myself in


    isted areas of Tibet!''


    Carlos'' smile broadened as he stroked her hair. "That''s good to hear."


    As his hand slid from her head to her waist, his face darkened¡ªshe was wearing a backless evening


    dress. He pulled her closer to his body and whispered in her ear, "Honey, you are being very naughty."


    Debbie winked at him with a grin and changed the subject. "Let''s go find Decker." She tried to break


    away from his embrace.


    But Carlos held her closer. Ignoring the watchful eyes around them, he took off his suit jacket and


    draped it over her shoulders. Then, he held her hand and said, "Let''s go."


    Debbie rolled her eyes secretly.


    When they found Decker, Carlos spoke even before Debbie could say something. "We have some


    urgent business to attend to. We''re leaving now."


    "Wait! I don''t¡ª" Debbie protested. Carlos cast a warning nce at her, which made her swallow the


    remainder of her words.


    Seeing the suit jacket on Debbie''s shoulders, Decker smirked mischievously and whispered in her ear,


    "You''d been gone for several months, and you have finally returned, dressed like that. My dear sister,


    you''re so dead."


    "Aren''t you going to help me out? What kind of brother are you?"


    Decker stepped back to keep her at arm''s length. "Do I look like someone who can fight off your hungry


    husband?" he asked with an evil grin.


    Debbie didn''t even know how to respond to that remark.


    Her appearance at the party shattered the rumor that she and Carlos had already gotten divorced.


    They were very much together. Carlos was so possessive of his wife that he couldn''t let anyone see


    her naked back.


    Even after the couple had left the party, the guests were still discussing them.


    Inside the ck Emperor car, Carlos pounced on Debbie and tore apart the evening dress in mere


    seconds.


    He stared at the woman beneath him, his eyes dark. "Three months... Honey, how could you be so


    cruel?"


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Debbie''s face was red as an apple. "Old man, you better restrain yourself."


    Carlos sneered, "Restrain myself? In your dreams!" He smashed his lips onto hers and relished the


    taste. Without breaking the kiss, he took off his shirt and pants and threw them alongside her torn


    dress.


    Carlos banged her again and again so hard that she had to beg for the tyrant''s mercy. But he was


    insatiable.


    Debbie knew that he would be. She hade back to satisfy his carnal needs. He was a man of very


    strong sexual drive, after all. It would do neither of them any good to keep him starved for a long time.


    But it turned out that she had underestimated his desire for her.


    Debbie had no idea when they returned to the manor. She was so tired that she fell asleep after their


    wild sex. The next morning, her kids were ying in her bedroom, but she was sound asleep.


    When she finally opened her eyes, she saw her two daughters on her bed. The younger one was lying


    next to her, waving her arms and inartictely babbling.


    The other one was dressed neatly and sat in the corner, keeping an eye on her sister for fear that she


    might roll off the bed.


    When Terilynn saw that Debbie was awake, she turned around and climbed over to her. "Mommy..."


    Evelyn pulled her sister closer to her and reprimanded, "Terilynn, Mommy is sleeping. You¡ª Mommy!"


    Debbie pulled the two girls into her arms. "My sweet babies! Mommy missed you so much."


    Miranda had brought the two girls to meet Debbie a month ago, but she still missed them during the


    time she was away. Debbie nned on staying with them a little longer before she could leave again.


    "Mommy, will you leave us again?" Evelyn asked, her eyes wide open.


    Debbie kissed her forehead. "Mommy will stay with you longer this time."


    "Mommy, when you were not home, Daddy was fooling around with men every day," Evelyn


    comined.


    Unable to control herself, Debbie burst outughing at her daughter''s words. Then, she asked in a


    serious tone, "Hey, girl. Who taught you those words?"


    Evelyn didn''t understand why her mother had be so serious suddenly. "Uncle Damon said it


    once," she answered honestly.


    "All right. But children shouldn''t say that, okay?"


    Evelyn nodded obediently, though she was still confused.


    Debbie spent the summer with her family. When autumn arrived, she left again. This time, she took all


    of Carlos'' money.


    When Carlos finally found out, he was already penniless. His two daughters looked at him with


    innocent eyes, and Evelyn said, "Daddy, Mommy said that if you wanted to find her, you should look for


    her everywhere."


    He was dumbstruck.


    Debbie had spent almost two years slowly transferring Carlos'' fortune into her ount. And now, she


    was on a tour around the world with his money. The father and his two daughters were left at home.


    The poor CEO! He had to work hard to support himself and his two girls.


    On the sixty-third day since she had left, Carlos managed to find his wife.


    The rumors of their rtionship status hit the headlines once again. But theizens didn''t dare


    mention the couple''s real names. They were mostly referred to as "CH" and "DN." Someone posted an


    update on Weibo saying that they had divorced and that the woman had even stolen all of the man''s


    money.


    Debbie and Carlos had seen the post, but neither of them gave a damn about it.


    With a bank card in his pocket, Carlos appeared in the capital city of Thand¡ªBangkok.


    When he saw her, she was getting out of a taxi. The hotel across the road was the one she was staying


    at.


    She was about to cross the road when he got out of his car, walked over to her and pulled her into his


    arms. "Hi, honey."


    "Carlos!" Debbie''s eyes lit up.


    He lowered his head and kissed her lips affectionately.


    Inside the hotel, as soon as Debbie opened the door to her room, Carlos pressed her against the wall


    and asked in a sad tone, "Honey, you shouldn''t punish me like this anymore." During the past months


    she had been away, he had finally realized why Debbie had been running away from him.


    Debbie pressed her hands against his chest and drew circles on it. "Why not?"


    "I didn''t do those things on purpose. You know I had lost my memory, right? Our enemies have been


    caught and punished. And I will make it up to you for the rest of my life. Honey, you know how much I


    love you, don''t you?"


    Of course, Debbie knew Carlos was head over heels in love with her. "Yes, I do."


    Carlos heaved a sigh of relief. "Please don''t leave me again. I really, really missed you."


    "I won''t. I missed you too, old man." Since he had realized her intentions, she had achieved her goal


    and didn''t need to leave him again. Besides, she had missed him and the kids very much.


    Carlos smiled and leaned on her shoulder. "Honey, can we go to bed now? I''m sleepy."


    "No way! Every time we meet, the first thing we do is have sex. Are you here for me or for sex?"


    Debbie asked, pouting her lips, even though she knew that they would eventually have sex that


    evening.

 Chapter 529 The End Of Carlos And Debbies Story

    Chapter 529 The End Of Carlos And Debbie''s Story


    "But I''m really sleepy," Carlos said with a secret grin.


    He leaned closer to kiss Debbie on her lips tenderly. Then, he slowly moved to her face and neck


    without stopping. Debbie rolled her eyes and said in her mind, ''Liar.''


    "Let me go! I need to take a shower," she protested.


    Carlos kept her pressed against the wall, pulled out the bank card from his pocket and gave it to her.


    "I''ve earned around three billion dors in the past two months. If you sleep with me now, I''ll ask Tristan


    to wire the money to your ount immediately."


    Debbie almostughed out loud when she saw Carlos'' pitiful expression. She suppressed the giggles


    and asked, "I took all your money and properties before I left. Are you not angry? Are you sure you


    want to give me more money?"


    "No, I''m not angry. And yes, I want to give you more. As long as youe back home with me, I will


    give you everything I have," Carlos promised.


    Tears welled up in Debbie''s eyes. ''Is this the same aloof CEO? He is such a fool!'' she thought.


    "Honey, why are you crying?" Carlos tensed up.


    Debbie took the card from him and put it back into his pocket. She stood on tiptoe to cradle his neck


    and then gave him a gentle kiss. "Honey, I never used the money I had taken from your ount. I just


    wanted to scare you so that you''d cherish me more in the future."


    Carlos kissed her back while saying, "You don''t have to exin. You can do whatever you want with it.


    Just promise me that you won''t leave me again. I can''t sleep without you by my side." What Debbie


    didn''t know was that Carlos was aware of it when she had begun to transfer his money and properties


    into her ount.


    ''Silly woman. Did she really think that I wouldn''t know about it? I wouldn''t be able to run ZL Group if I


    was so naive, '' he thought with a faint smile.


    Debbie nodded her head vigorously.


    The air between them was tender and warm.


    Meanwhile, in Y City, some daily reporters tried to learn about Carlos and Debbie''s current status from


    their friends. When they asked the group whether Carlos and Debbie were divorced and whether she


    had run away with all his money, they simply smiled and said nothing.


    That night, some paparazzi in Bangkok took photos of Carlos and Debbie kissing at the roadside and


    posted them online.


    And the next day, the couple appeared at Y City Airport. Debbie wasn''t wearing a hat or a mask this


    time. They just showed up in public, holding hands and looking adorable.


    The crowd of reporters outside the airport tried to interview them and bombarded them with questions.


    Carlos only answered one.


    "Mr. Huo, did you go to Bangkok just to pick up your wife?" a reporter asked.


    Carlos looked at him and answered indifferently, "Yes. My wife got tired of her world trip. So, I went


    there to bring her back home."


    The airport erupted in an uproar. Their fans looked at the couple with admiring smiles.


    They went back to the manor together. That night, Evelyn sat on the bed, watching her mother


    reprimand her father as if she were disciplining her son.


    "How did you feel while I was away?" she asked.


    "Very bad," he simply answered. ''You just wait till I get you in bed tonight!'' he thought.


    "Will you listen to everything I say in the future?" she asked.


    "Yes," he answered. ''Do I even have a choice?''


    "Do you love me?" she asked on purpose.


    "Of course, I do!" he answered without any hesitation. ''She already knows the answer!'' he thought with


    a pout.


    "Will you fool around with other women again?" she asked.


    "No, I won''t," he saidzily. ''I''ve never fooled around with other women, '' he thought, absolutely


    determined to teach her a lesson that night.


    Debbie smiled and said, "Still want to argue?"


    Carlos immediately put on a ttering smile. "You''re the boss, honey."


    After a while, Debbie went to the cloakroom. When she was out of earshot, Evelyn approached her dad


    and said in a whisper, "Daddy, please don''t piss Mommy off again. I''m scared of her too. I may not be


    able to help you."


    Carlosughed and nodded. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her cheeks repeatedly. He was


    so happy to have the three most important women in his life.


    One day, Debbie posted an update on Weibo saying, "My husband has fallen in love with someone


    else. What should I do?"


    Instantly, her Weibo ount was flooded withments and messages. Her fans wondered whether


    Carlos was cheating on her.


    Within two minutes, Debbie deleted the post because she had forgotten to post the pictures.


    Before long, she wrote another post. The text was the same, but there were three pictures along with it.


    In the first picture, Carlos and Evelyn were sitting on the sofa and watching TV. It was someedy


    show, and father and daughter wereughing heartily.


    In the second one, Terilynn, who was in her diaper, was standing on Carlos'' face. The CEO was not


    angry at all. He was holding his daughter tightly and had a warm smile on his face.


    The third one was Debbie''s selfie, in which she was looking at the camera with a lonely look.


    Her fans heaved a sigh of relief. Someonemented, "Buy more books for the elder one so that she


    will have less time with Mr. Huo. But as for the one in the diaper, sorry, but I don''t know how to deal


    with her."


    "Just give up! You won''t be able to deal with them in this life," someone wrote.


    "Not only will you be unable to deal with them, but you also have to take care of them," another one


    wrote.


    After reading the funnyments for the next two hours, Debbie looked at Carlos and asked, "Mr.


    Huo, who was it that said he preferred a son to a daughter?"


    He pulled her into his arms. "That turned out to be a p in the face."


    Debbie rolled her eyes, and thenughed with him.


    When Debbie gave birth to their third baby, she was thirty-three years old and Carlos was forty. Evelyn


    was ten and Terilynn was five. They were blessed with a baby boy, and his name was Matthew Huo.


    Debbie looked at the boy in her arms and told Carlos in disbelief, "I thought it would be a girl!"


    Carlos used coldly, "Looks like you had a lover in your previous life."


    Debbie used to say that a daughter was her father''s lover in his previous life. She had dug her own


    hole with that.


    When Debbie recovered from the delivery, Carlos had sex with her every night. "What happened to


    you? Why are you so horny?" she asked in confusion.


    He pressed her against the bed. "I want a fourth baby," he simply said.


    ''What? A fourth baby?'' Debbie was shocked. "You didn''t even want me to have our third baby. I had to


    puncture the condoms so that we could have Matthew. Why do you suddenly want a fourth baby?"


    Carlos repeated what she had told him before. "I''d like to see how many lovers you had in your


    previous life."


    Debbie cried out as her body was killing her. "Honey, please spare me," she pleaded.


    Carlos chuckled. Debbie was his queen, and he was like her ve most of the times. But when they


    were in bed, he was the undisputed king.


    "Will you bully me in the future?" he asked.


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    "No, no, no. Wait! I have never bullied you before!" she protested.


    Carlos leaned against the headboard. "Are you saying that it''s just the way you love me?"


    "Bingo! Honey, I''m so much in love with you." She winked at him.


    Carlos'' smile broadened as he said affectionately, "I love you too, honey."


    They looked each other in the eye. Then, Debbie threw herself into his arms. "Muah!"


    ''Deb, I''ll love you and dote on you for the rest of our lives!'' he swore to himself.

 Chapter 530 Am I A Murderer

    Chapter 530 Am I A Murderer


    ir had heard about Wesley long before they met. Everyone thought he was a hero. In ir''s eyes,


    he was a superhero.


    ir was luckier than Wesley''s other fans because her uncle was his superior. A few loving words were


    all it took, and her uncle told her anything she wanted to know about the man she had a crush on.


    Even so, ir had never asked her uncle to introduce her. She believed in fate, and somehow, she


    firmly believed that they would eventually be together.


    Shock of shocks, she was right. She met him not long after.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    But their first meeting was not a fun one.


    That year, ir was neen years old and Wesley was twenty-three.


    ir was a college student, and her college was in the same city as her home. But she seldom came


    home. Whenever she did, she always saw her parents fighting.


    But sometimes, she had toe home. Just like today.


    It was the holidays. Her roommates all went home. ir stood in front of the vi with a small suitcase.


    It was a beautiful vi, but hardly warm.


    She typed in the code at the entrance. "Beep!" The door to the vi opened.


    "Look at you! I''m sick of you! Why did youe back? Get out of here!" a woman shrieked¡ªshe was


    ir''s mom, Grace Ji. ir sighed helplessly as she realized that her mom was yelling at her dad


    again.


    Judging from her name, you could tell that Grace Ji''s parents wanted her to be a graceful woman.


    And she worked to live up to that name. Even now, she was soft and elegant in public. Everyone


    believed that her name reflected her inner beauty.


    But she was a totally different woman in front of Jacob Jing, ir''s father.


    ir knew why¡ªit was because of life.


    Life had ground her kind-hearted and gentle mom down. She became bitter and angry.


    ir put on her slippers and entered the living room. Before she could greet her parents, she heard a


    loud bang and mes sprang up to the ceiling.


    By the way, Jacob Jing was a Professor of Chemistry, but his degree hadn''t made him much money.


    The man couldn''t stand his wife any longer, and couldn''t see any other way out. He decided to destroy


    himself along with her.


    The explosive was homemade. After all, he was good at chemistry. ir couldn''t tell the police what the


    man used, or how he''d done it. Her dad might have been a chemistry genius, but she didn''t inherit any


    of his skill or natural talent.


    Later, the police told her that this was suicide. Her father brought explosives home, in an attempt to kill


    his wife and himself.


    In the explosion, ir flew backwards, hitting the living room wall. She was knocked senseless. When


    she opened her eyes again, every bone in her body ached.


    The vi was a mess¡ªmes and debris everywhere. Her parents'' faces were contorted in pain, their


    mouths open. But ir couldn''t hear anything but a powerful ringing in her ears.


    The explosion had robbed her of her hearing.


    She wanted to rush in and save her parents, but the zing fire ripped through the whole vi. She


    tried, and was forced back by the heat.


    ''I must do something, '' she thought.


    She wanted to call the fire department, but she couldn''t find her phone. Probably it didn''t matter


    anyway, because she couldn''t hear anything they might ask her.


    "Dad! Mom!" Her head went nk. She could do nothing but call them.


    Even though she could hear nothing, she still called out at the top of her lungs, "Dad! Mom!"


    Suddenly, she saw a figure burst into view, barreling through the fire and wreckage. It was her dad,


    wreathed in mes. He wore an expression of extreme pain¡ªbut paradoxically, also, relief.


    iry on the floor, unable to move.


    She saw him mouth to her, "Run! Run!"


    ir shook her head; she just couldn''t run for her life. This was everything she ever knew, and now she


    watched it burn before her.


    The fire rm in the vi kept ringing. It was, after all, a high-ss housing estate. Soon, a crowd


    gathered outside the vi.


    Ignoring the pain, ir struggled to stand and stagger towards her parents.


    They were already swallowed by the fire. As she moved, she felt a sharp pain. Her hand flew to the


    wound instinctively. She felt something sharp and withdrew her hand, her head turning to look. A sharp


    piece of metal was lodged in her arm, and blood flowed freely down her sleeve, dyeing it a wet crimson


    color.


    At this moment, she realized that if she didn''t leave the vi now, she might never be able to.


    But she didn''t want to live if her parents were dead.


    People on the ground were throwing rocks through the windows, trying to help anyone who might be


    trapped in there. ir wanted to go to the kitchen to help put out the fire, but the temperature was too


    high. She felt like she had been walking forever, but she''d only covered a short distance.


    Her face was burning hot, and her clothes were drenched in sweat.


    The air was thick with acrid smoke from the fire. She didn''t know what to do.


    The fire engines were approaching, sirens announcing their presence minutes before they arrived.


    A man entered the vi through a broken window to search for people trapped inside. He waded


    through the ze and saw ir standing there in a daze. He grabbed her wrist, dragging her to the


    entrance.


    "Mom! Dad!" The man opened the door and dragged ir out of the vi. She identally raised her


    head. To her surprise, she saw a familiar face.


    It was none other than Wesley.


    Wesley came to her rescue and pulled her away from the sea of mes.


    ir had inhaled a lot of smoke, and could barely breathe. Every breath was punctuated by a fit of


    coughing. She managed to gasp, "My mom...and dad are in there... Save them...please..."


    The fire was uncontroble. Even after ir was out of the vi, a second explosion rocked the


    complex.


    The firefighters wanted to rush in to save them, but it was simply too dangerous.


    Firemen, policemen, EMTs, and their vehicles sshing colored light over the crowd. The vi was


    surrounded by people.


    The fire was finally put out after an hour. The vi had been burnt to a ckened husk. Anyone that


    was still in there was merely char and ashes.


    Adalson Ji, who was in a green uniform, squatted down before ir. Eyes full of sorrow, he said softly,


    "ir,e with me." Standing beside Adalson Ji was a man in a camo suit¡ªWesley.


    Confusion was written all over ir''s face. "Uncle, why did they abandon me?"


    The question brought a lump to his throat. That was his sister and brother-inw, and he couldn''t save


    them. He stroked her hair as ifforting a child. "They didn''t abandon you. You''re still their daughter,


    no matter what."


    "Uncle, I was in the vi too, but I didn''t die." ir clenched her fists tightly, her face as pale as a sheet.


    "I couldn''t save them. Am I a murderer?"


    She watched as her parents died. She was so guilty that she thought she was responsible for their


    deaths.


    Adalson Ji felt rather sorry for her. "No! That''s not it. You''re still a sweet kid. You had nothing to do with


    this," he coaxed her.


    ''I''m almost neen. Not really a kid, '' she thought.


    Adalson Ji got a call over his radio. He stepped away to make a report. Wesley and ir were left


    alone.


    Wesley passed a bottle of water to the girl, who stared nkly at the ground. "Have a drink. It''ll help


    your throat," he said.

 Chapter 531 I May Have To Trouble You

    Chapter 531 I May Have To Trouble You


    Adalson and ir lived in the same housing estate. Wesley just happened to be visiting Adalson today.


    After he left the house and was in his car, he heard the explosion. Without hesitation, he changed


    direction and raced toward the source of the sound. That was why Wesley was able to save ir.


    Staring at the bottle of water in Wesley''s hand, ir murmured, "Wesley, am I a murderer?"


    ''People seem to think he''s honest. He won''t lie to me, '' she thought.


    Wesley was stunned for a moment. ''She knows me?''


    He squatted down before her and looked the girl in the eye. If he was his usual self, he would tell her,


    "You''re not a kid. Why didn''t you call the police or the fire department? And why did you stay in the


    house instead of trying to get out?"


    However, he couldn''t just say that. The girl''s parents died in the fire. He had to be a little more


    sensitive, despite the fact that he didn''t quite know how. "Don''t me yourself. The fire was zing.


    Even firefighters failed to get inside. You couldn''t have done anything."


    A smile appeared on ir''s pale face. "Wesley, can you give me a hug?" Her heart was aching fiercely.


    She desperately wanted someone to hug her andfort her.


    Wesley was at a loss for words. ''Do I look like a kind person?'' he asked himself.


    However, he sighed in defeat under her hopeful expression. After a moment''s pause, he looked


    around, screwed the cap back on the bottle, put it on the ground and took the girl in his arms.


    ir held his waist and burst out crying. Her waist trembled against his, her body racked by sobs.


    Her birthday was in two months, and now she was an orphan.


    A yearter


    At Hillside Apartments


    After the movingpany dropped off thest piece of furniture, one of the staff told ir, "It''s done,


    Miss Jing."


    ir, who was unpacking her things in the bedroom, came to the living room to finish things up. "Thank


    you, guys," she beamed.


    "You''re wee, Miss Jing. We''re leaving now."


    "Okay. Bye!" ir apanied them to the door. Before she closed it, she looked at the closed door


    opposite her apartment and shed a knowing smile.


    Having lived in the Hillside Apartments for half a month, ir finally saw her new neighbor.


    Ding! The elevator came to a halt on the 16th floor. ir walked out and strolled towards her


    apartment, humming a song.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a tall figure. ted, she stopped humming and eximed,


    "Wesley!"


    Wesley had just locked the door to his apartment. Upon seeing the girl, he recognized her immediately


    and nodded at her indifferently. "Hi," he said.


    After the ident, he had seen her twice in Adalson''s home.


    ir straightened herself and gave him a sweet smile. "Nice to meet you, Officer Li. I''m your new


    neighbor. I may have to trouble you in the future."


    ''Trouble me? Another girl trying to hit on me?''


    he thought to himself. "I''m almost never home. So don''t expect too much. Gotta go!" Indifference was


    written all over his face.


    ir didn''t mind his attitude at all¡ªshe knew he was a cold man. ''Maybe he''ll be nicer after he gets to


    know me, '' she thought.


    Wesley didn''t know why, but ir''s simple hello seemed like a magical spell that haunted him.


    Whenever he had a free moment, her voice woulde unbidden to his mind saying, "Nice to meet


    you, Officer Li. I''m your new neighbor..."


    Maybe Wesley was telling the truth when he said he was seldom home. ir hadn''t seen him for a long


    time since theirst meeting. But fate was amazing. It would eventually bring people together.


    At the beginning of ir''s third year in college, the freshmen were going to have their military training.


    Before the military training program even started, a piece of exciting news spread like wildfire across


    the entire campus.


    Wesley and his men would be conducting the training program.


    Those freshmen couldn''t wait to register even though the new semester was a month away.


    In the past, they only had twenty percent enrollment. This year, they had ny.


    ir, of course, found out before anyone else.


    After all, her uncle was Wesley''s superior.


    And he was not dumb¡ªhe knew that she had a crush on Wesley. So he''d help her out when he could.


    Of course, her uncle wouldn''t tell her anything about Wesley''s ssified missions. That was strictly


    prohibited.


    On the first day, the yground was packed with people. Other than the freshmen, other students of


    different grades were there as well. Their goal was simple¡ªto observe Wesley in real life.


    ir was a crazy fan of Wesley, but she chose to stay in her dorm and y on her phone. It was not


    that she didn''t want to meet him. It was hot this summer, and there were so many people on the


    yground. There was no way he''d be able to spot her in the crowd.


    She would rather wait until this evening. Her uncle told her Wesley would stay at his own apartment.


    Wesley''s hometown was in A Country, and he lived in Hillside Apartments when he stayed in Y City.


    She could see him from time to time.


    She would not tell the others about this. Her best friend, Joslyn Zhu, was an exception.


    At dusk, ir and Joslyn Zhu had supper at the school cafeteria. Then they said goodbye to each


    other. "Joslyn, I''m going back home. You probably need to get back to your dorm," she said.


    Joslyn Zhu was ying a game on her phone. Without raising her head, she simply answered, "Okay.


    Good luck!" Then, she realized something and raised her head to look at ir. "If he really doesn''t like


    you, why not introduce us?" she said yfully.


    ir fastened her hands around her friend''s neck, pretending to strangle her. "Hey! Never mess with


    your friend''s crush!"


    "Let me go, ir! What if I get killed? My teammates will get mad!" She was ying a MOBA game.


    ir let go of her helplessly. "Okay, okay. Just watch where you are going! Gotta go."


    "All right. Bye, Mom!" she teased.


    ir rolled her eyes and left the campus.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    After leaving the metro station, she got to her own apartment in two minutes or so. The moment she


    entered the estate, she saw a military vehicle driving towards the underground parking garage.


    She sped up and ran as fast as she could. Luckily, she was able to stop the elevator on the first floor in


    time.


    When the doors opened, she saw the man she was expecting to see¡ªWesley, who had just emerged


    from the underground car park.


    Gasping for air, she gave him a broad smile and said, "What a coincidence!"


    Wesley stared at her face for a few seconds and then nodded his head without saying a word.


    ir was a bit frustrated. ''He''s really a man of few words. Fine! I''ll try and find something interesting to


    talk about.'' However, when she saw her reflection in the wall of the elevator, her eyes widened in


    shock.


    Her hair was a mess. Her face was as red as a tomato. The thing that stuck out most was a ck mark


    on her face. She looked down at her hands, and found that her index finger was dirty. She had stained


    her face when she had adjusted her hair. ''How embarrassing!''

 Chapter 532 His Apartment

    Chapter 532 His Apartment


    ''Oh God! My face...''


    ir turned around to show her back towards Wesley and rubbed her face in an attempt to wipe off the


    stain. To her disappointment, the more she rubbed her face, therger the stain became.


    The elevator reached the sixteenth floor soon, but ir was still dealing with the stain on her face.


    Wesley waited for her to walk out first, but she didn''t move at all.


    He had to walk past her. When he was out of the elevator, he stopped and turned to look at the girl.


    "We''re already on the sixteenth floor. Are youing out or not?"


    ir wasn''t expecting him to talk to her. She raised her head and asked in confusion, "Are you talking


    to me?"


    Wesley raised his brow. He was trying his best not tough out loud. He coughed to hide his snicker


    and remained his usual self. "Is there anyone else here?" he asked coldly.


    ir saw the door of her apartment and then realized that she was home. "Sorry. I didn''t realize it."


    She walked out and headed to her apartment. When she heard Wesley open his door, she turned


    around and asked, "Wesley, are you¡ª" She wanted to ask whether he lived alone, but then decided


    otherwise. "Did you eat?"


    "Yes," he simply answered.


    "Okay." ir nodded, but before he could leave, she asked again, "Are you full?"


    Wesley didn''t know how to respond. It was the first time that he had seen someone so silly. ''She is not


    like her uncle at all, '' he thought.


    Realizing that she had asked a dumb question, ir gave him an embarrassed smile and said,


    "Uh...bye."


    Their doors shut at the same time. As she leaned against the door, ir wanted to p herself. ''Silly


    woman! You ruined the meeting!'' she cursed herself inwardly.


    She then threw herself onto the sofa, her mind running wild.


    After getting some rest, she went to the bathroom to take a shower. But the moment she saw herself in


    the mirror, she shrieked. She had forgotten about the stain on her facepletely, and had been


    talking to Wesley with that on her face.


    ''Waah... This is so embarrassing!''


    After washing her face, she decided to go to the supermarket to buy some fruits. She strolled towards


    the elevator; she didn''t think Wesley would go out anywhere at this time.


    She was right. She bought some fruits and came back home, but didn''t see him again.


    She went to the kitchen, washed the fruits, sliced them and put them onto a te, arranging them in a


    beautiful way.


    Two minutester, she mustered up some courage and knocked on Wesley''s door.


    The door was opened pretty quickly. Wesley seemed to have just taken a bath. Drips of water rolled


    down his hair. He had a towel wrapped around his waist.


    ir stared at his well-shaped body in a trance. His wet abs made her drool.


    There were scars on his bronze-colored skin; each of them represented his brilliant achievement.


    ir''s heart ached when she saw the scars. In a sad voice, she asked, "Did it hurt?"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Wesley frowned and asked impatiently, "What do you want?"


    ir snapped out of her reverie. Biting her lower lip, she raised the fruit te and said, "I bought some


    fruits, and I''m unable to finish them all. Would you like to have some?"


    "No, thank you. I don''t like fruits," he said without any hesitation.


    ir didn''t expect him to reject her so brutally; she was stunned for a while. After a few seconds, she


    picked up a slice of kiwi with a fork and put it to his lips. "It''s very sweet¡ª"


    Before she could finish speaking, his phone rang in the living room.


    He went inside to pick it up. "Hello? All right. I''m on my way." Anxiety was clear in his face.


    He quickly went into his bedroom and got changed within a minute.


    ''He''s so fast. I wonder if he is also this fast in bed, '' ir thought to herself.


    She stood in the same position, lost in thought. Wesley rolled his eyes, walked past her and entered


    the elevator, leaving his door wide open.


    When the doors of the elevator closed, ir was still in a daze.


    When she finally came back to her senses, she found that Wesley was gone. And not just that, his


    apartment was left unlocked.


    ''Does he always forget to lock his door when he''s in a hurry?''


    With the te in her hands, ir entered Wesley''s apartment. "I''m not here to steal anything. I''m just


    curious about your daily life. I won''t touch any of your stuff," she murmured.


    Wesley''s apartment was about two hundred square meters, muchrger than hers.


    The house was decorated in ck, white and grey. Anyone could tell that this was a man''sir.


    She popped her head into the room where he had changed his clothes, and looked around. ''This must


    be his bedroom. I really want to take a look.''


    Defeated by her curiosity, she checked every room in the apartment.


    Not only that, she decided to do hisundry too.


    She went to his bathroom. When she saw his boxers, her face turned red. Nevertheless, she put all his


    clothes into the washing machine.


    His apartment was clean and tidy. From the looks of it, no woman lived there. She guessed that he


    must have hired some cleaning staff to clean the house regrly.


    ir was ted when she didn''t see any women''s stuff.


    She sat on his sofa and began to eat the fruits. After the washing was done, she hung the clothes and


    then began to leave.


    She picked up the empty te and opened the door, only to see Wesley raising his hand to enter the


    passcode. She felt rather awkward.


    Meeting his confused eyes, she didn''t know how to exin her presence in his apartment. "S-sorry¡­


    I... I just..."


    Just as ir was racking her brains to find an excuse, a girl stuck her head from behind Wesley and


    asked curiously, "Who are you? Why are you here?"


    He had brought a girl home! ir was dejected.


    Wesley looked at the girl behind him, but didn''t answer her questions. Then he turned to ir and


    asked, "Do you need anything?"


    Jealousy flooded her heart as she shook her head. "No. I was just leaving."


    After ir went back into her apartment, Megan asked Wesley curiously, "Uncle Wesley, is she your


    neighbor?"


    "Hmm." Wesley looked away from her apartment and walked into his own.


    He opened the door to a guest room and told Megan, "You can stay in this room."


    "Okay. Thank you, Uncle Wesley. I''m going to do my homework now." Megan went into the guest room


    with her backpack.


    When Wesley entered his bedroom, he could smell the strange fragrance in there. He walked into the


    bathroom and found that all his dirty clothes were gone.

 Chapter 533 Her Heart Was Crushed

    Chapter 533 Her Heart Was Crushed


    Wesley stepped onto the balcony and found that his clothes were hung there.


    ''She entered the apartment without my permission, and on top of that, she did myundry too?


    What a weird girl!'' he thought.


    ir had sses to attend early the next morning. The rm clock roused her from her deep sleep.


    After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she left her apartment and entered the elevator, her


    head still nk from yesterday''s incident.


    When the elevator reached the first floor, she was still in a daze, not realizing that she had to get out. At


    that moment, a man entered.


    It was Wesley.


    ''Wait! Wesley!'' ir''s eyes widened, as she immediately snapped back into reality.


    Wesley was wearing a grey sweatshirt, ck shorts and a pair of Nike Air Max 720. He had just


    finished his morning exercise. ir could still see beads of sweat on his forehead.


    Wesley cast a casual nce at her before pressing the button to the sixteenth floor. ir watched


    nkly as the doors closed slowly. ''Oh God! What am I doing?'' she thought. "Wait!" she yelled. "Sorry. I


    need to get out."


    She pressed the open button and left the elevator in a hurry. When the doors were about to close


    again, Wesley blocked them with his foot and called out, "Wait!"


    ir stopped and turned around by instinct. "Me?"


    Wesley didn''t respond to her question. Under ir''s expectant eyes, he said coldly, "Do not touch my


    stuff again. I hate people touching my things without my permission."


    ir''s heart was crushed under the weight of his cold words.


    She wanted to apologize to him for intruding, but he didn''t give her the chance to say anything. The


    doors closed quickly and the elevator went up to the sixteenth floor.


    Dejected, ir left the housing estate and arrived at the subway station. The journey was short, but


    she felt like she had been dumped a thousand times.


    Inside the ssroom, ir was leaning over the desk and flipping through the pages of her English


    book. "Joslyn, do you think that girl is his girlfriend?" she murmured in English.


    Joslyn rolled her eyes and spat, "Miss Jing, please speak Chinese! Mandarin!"


    They had just had an English ss, and ir was too overwhelmed. She sat up and apologized.


    "Sorry, Joslyn. I didn''t do it on purpose."


    Joslyn shrugged. "No need to apologize. I know you well. Truth be told, I really envy you. How are you


    able to speak English so well? When you talked to our foreign teacher, you sounded like a native


    English speaker. I wonder when I will get to be that good at speaking English. When that dayes,


    my mom will definitely go to a temple and thank the Buddha."


    ir leaned onto her shoulder. "It''s because you never concentrate on your studies. You''re, in fact,


    smarter than me."


    "Nah. I simply have no talent in English. Forget about it. You look super frustrated. Tell me."


    Recalling what had happened between her and Wesley, ir pouted her lips and began to tell her best


    friend everything.


    After listening to the story, Joslyn looked towards the yground and said, "I guess a lot of women


    might have done the same things as you¡ªdoing hisundry and preparing fruits for him. Wesley is the


    dream lover of countless women. You have to admit it. It''s perfectly normal that he has high standards


    for his girlfriend. Just don''t give up so easily. You are pretty, and you have your uncle backing you up. I


    believe that you''ll get what you want soon enough."


    ir was cheered up once again by Joslyn''s words. She hugged Joslyn tightly and said, "Thank you,


    honey. You are always by my side. And don''t worry. You know I''m not the kind of person who gives up


    so easily. I''ll make him mine sooner orter, and then we can sleep together every night." ir giggled


    as she said that.


    Joslyn poked her in the forehead and snapped, "Hey, don''t act so horny! Your superhero might get


    scared away by you."


    irughed out loud, and then Joslyn joined in. She was feeling much better now, after talking to her


    best friend. After a while, she asked, "Where are you working part-time? I want to work too."


    "I was working in a bookstore, but it closed down sometime back. I''m nning to find another part-time


    job. Why do you want to work part-time? What if your cousin finds out?"


    At the mention of her cousin, ir sat up and told Joslyn in a serious tone, "As long as you don''t tell


    him, he won''t know!"


    Embarrassed, Joslyn sat up too and held ir''s hands apologetically. "You knew about that? Please


    don''t be mad at me. Your cousin is so handsome that I wasn''t able to resist his charm. So, I ended up


    telling him whatever he wanted to know about you."


    ir''s cousin was Adalson''s eldest son¡ªHartwell Ji. He cared for ir very much.


    Especially after ir''s parents passed away, Hartwell Ji would try to find out about her whenever he


    could, like her academic results and her behavior at school.


    With his resources, he could easily get the information he needed through his men. But no one was


    closer to ir than her best friend, Joslyn. The two girls hung around together almost every day.


    Hartwell Ji had only asked Joslyn out once, and she had told him everything he had wanted to learn


    about ir. Besides, they had exchanged their WeChat ounts so that she could update him on any


    news about ir.


    "Joslyn, I forgive you for snitching on me to Hartwell. I know he did all that for my own good. But, you


    can''t say anything about Wesley to him! Okay?" ir warned. She felt shy to let others know that she


    had a crush on Wesley.


    Joslyn nodded. "Rest assured, I won''t tell him. This is your private affair. Trust me, I won''t say


    anything." But deep inside, she thought, ''I don''t even need to tell him! Even your uncle knows about it.


    How is it possible that your cousin wouldn''t know?''


    It was just that Hartwell believed that Wesley was just like an idol for ir, nothing more.


    Adalson knew that ir had moved into the apartment opposite Wesley''s, but Hartwell Ji didn''t know


    that yet. He was working in another city, and no one had told him.


    Since there were no sses in the afternoon, ir decided to go to the library to study Arabic


    Language and Literature.


    Joslyn had her own matters to deal with, so ir had to go alone.


    On her way to the library, she walked past the yground. The freshmen in their camouge uniforms


    were being trained there, as they marched shouting military slogans. The young students, full of vigor


    and vitality, were like the bright morning sun.


    When she passed by a tree on the yground, she heard two girls discussing Wesley. "He is so


    handsome! So masculine and dashing. This is the first time I''ve met him, but I''m already in love with


    him."


    "I saw him yesterday. He is always the shining star in the crowd. He is the instructor of ss 6. I''m so


    envious of them!"


    Following their gazes, ir saw Wesley in his military uniform and a cap.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He was guiding the students to goose step. The eyes of the students were full of admiration for their


    instructor.


    ir stayed for a while before she headed to the library, a little dejected.


    Although the air-conditioner was on in the library, it was still a little hot. There were only a few students


    in there. ir found the book she had wanted to read, and began to go through it.


    After about ten minutes, she heard a shriek. ir raised her head to see what was going on, but a


    bookshelf blocked her view.

 Chapter 534 The Hostage Seems Calm

    Chapter 534 The Hostage Seems Calm


    Soon the library had more screams of terror than books. ir even heard someone shout, "Run!"


    The atmosphere was so tense that ir unconsciously held her breath. She suddenly had a bad


    feeling about this. She picked up her book and walked to the hallway to see what was happening.


    However, before she could figure it out, she was pulled roughly, and a man put his arm around her. She


    could feel something hard, cold, and sharp pressed against her neck. She lowered her eyes and saw a


    knife out of the corner of her eye.


    The guy controlling her reeked of sweat. ir fought back the urge to vomit.


    She struggled in his grip, but he increased the pressure of the knife. "Don''t move!" he shouted. "Or I''ll


    kill you right now!"


    When the other students ran to the entrance of the library, a girl with a pale face approached them


    slowly. In a trembling voice, she pleaded, "Liam, don''t do this. Please. Let her go."


    The sight of the girl erased his angry expression. His eyes reflected the pain he felt. "It''s been ten


    years. I can''t forget you, I can''t quit you. I need you, Elma. Be with me, or I''ll kill her. And me. You get to


    watch!"


    Not until then did ir realize that she had be a hostage.


    Meeting Elma''s horrified and sad eyes, ir cleared her throat. "Calm down, man. Is that a new knife?


    Put it down. My neck is so hot. What if you leave a scar? What will I tell my boyfriend?"


    While the students were running out of the library, more than ten men in camouge uniforms stormed


    into the ce.


    "Shut up! I don''t care what your boyfriend thinks!" Liam spat impatiently.


    At that moment, the soldiers appeared on the second floor where the kidnapper was. ir tried to


    reason with the kidnapper. "But I don''t know you. Or Elma. Why hold me hostage?"


    Among the soldiers, a man with no cap whispered in Wesley''s ear, "The hostage seems pretty calm.


    She''s not freaking out."


    When Wesley saw who the hostage was, he furrowed his brows. ''ir?''


    A year ago, when her parents were trapped in a burning house, she didn''t run out of there, but tried to


    get to the kitchen instead. After she was saved, she crouched on the ground under a tree, quietly


    weeping. It was not until she was in his arms that she burst out crying.


    And now, she was held hostage with a knife pressed against her throat. The kidnapper could kill her


    without a second thought. But she didn''t look nervous at all, and was even trying to talk sense into her


    assant.


    ''She''s really awesome, '' he thought.


    ir didn''t care that the soldiers showed up, but Liam did. He looked around nervously and then saw a


    group of men in camouge uniforms standing at a distance. He was so nervous that he identally


    pushed the knife too hard and cut ir''s neck.


    She felt a sharp pain. As a girl sensitive to pain, ir pouted and said, "Hey hey! Be careful. That


    hurts."


    "Elma...you...you called them?" Liam asked in disbelief as he retreated to the depths of the library,


    ignoring ir''s pleading.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Elma turned her head to see who Liam was referring to. Then she hurriedly exined, "Nope.


    Remember the military training? These guys are the instructors. They just happened to be here. You


    can''t fight them. Liam, drop the knife! Please!"


    Her words irked Liam to no end. He yelled at the soldiers, "Stay where you are! One more step and I''ll


    kill her!"


    Wesley''s gaze swept around the library before he put his hands behind his back and moved forward.


    He made a few gestures to his men without the kidnapper noticing. Then two men left the library.


    "I said, don''t move! I''ll kill her, I swear!" Liam yelled hysterically.


    Wesley came up to Elma and asked, "What''s going on?"


    Elma gave him a basic rundown. Then she turned to Liam and spat, "You''re a coward! I''m not going to


    be your girlfriend. Ever!"


    Liam stared at Elma in disbelief. "Seriously? I''m the coward? How can you say that?"


    ir could tell Liam was getting more and more unstable. She couldn''t look at Wesley. The angle was


    too sharp, and her attacker wasn''t interested in letting her do that.


    "You''re wrong!" Wesley suddenly said. "He loves you a lot. He just doesn''t know how to make you see


    that."


    Everyone, from ir to the soldiers, was stunned. They couldn''t believe that someone like Wesley


    would defend the kidnapper.


    Liam nodded his head in approval. "I''ve loved her for ten years. I just wanted her to throw me a bone


    and look my way. But instead, she took up with another guy!" ir could feel the sadness emitting from


    him.


    She was facing a window, and to her surprise, two soldiers had already climbed onto the windowsill.


    This was the second floor!


    One of them met her eyes and put a forefinger to his lips. He wanted her to remain quiet. She blinked


    in response.


    "If this guy lets her go, will you be with him?" Wesley asked Elma and winked at her without Liam


    seeing.


    Much to his surprise, Elma didn''t get the hint. She shook her head violently and retreated. "No, no, no.


    Never gonna happen. He''s a freak!"


    The others were rendered speechless.


    Liam was boiling over with rage. ir sighed inwardly and decided to save herself. She pointed to a


    book and said, "Hey, check that out!"


    Liam followed her finger, and didn''t hear the hushed noises behind him. "What? Are you messing with


    me?" he spat.


    "No, no! It''s my favorite book. Can I touch it onest time before I die?" ir began to babble in order


    to distract him.


    "Shut up! Do I look like an idiot to you? A medical book? This is Y City Language and Culture


    University!"


    ir took a closer look at the book and was stunned. ''Why is there a medical book here? We don''t


    even have a department of medicine!''


    Right at that moment, a soldier kicked the hand Liam held the knife in. Neither Liam nor ir saw it


    coming. The knife was dropped on the floor.


    Uttering a heartrending cry, Liam staggered and bumped into a bookshelf, with ir still under his


    control. He bumped his left arm on the shelf. ir was tugged with him. He still had an arm wrapped


    around her, high, near her shoulders. Boom! Her head hit the shelf, and she saw stars.


    All of this happened in the blink of an eye. It wasn''t long before ir was pulled to her feet and


    wrapped in a man''s warm arms.


    With her blurry eyes, ir saw Wesley''s fantastic physique. ''Wow, he''s really hot, '' she thought.


    Wesley held her in his arms and kicked Liam hard in the gut.

 Chapter 535 Dinner Invitation

    Chapter 535 Dinner Invitation


    Wesley''s attack sent Liam flying into the bookshelf, knocking it over.


    Moving to protect ir, Wesley snaked an arm around her waist and guided her away from the falling


    books.


    Two of Wesley''s men jumped on Liam, pinning him to the floor.


    Soon, the police came, and Liam was cuffed and stuffed.


    Wesley helped ir walk to a seat to rest. Supporting her head with one arm, she closed her eyes to


    steady herself, still dizzy from the impact of the bump.


    After ir was seated by the table, Wesley gave his statement to the police. As soon as he left, his


    men trotted over to ir and asked with concern, "You all right? We can take you to the infirmary if you


    want."


    ir opened her eyes to find that she was surrounded by a crowd of young men wearing silly grins.


    Startled, she sat up immediately and replied, "I''m fine. I''ll goter."


    Talbot Yun, Wesley''s right-hand man, squeezed to the front of the throng and sat on his haunches. He


    said, "You were so calm back there. You gotta be the bravest girl I''ve ever seen."


    Wesley turned around asionally to make sure his men were behaving. That was when he saw that


    they were crowding around ir, talking andughing.


    There was a blood streak on her neck, a bruise on her forehead. Besieged with concerned questions


    from the young officers, she looked nervous.


    Wesley strode over and demanded, "What''s going on? She''s hurt and doesn''t need you guys bugging


    her. Talbot, Bowman, send Bl...er... her to the infirmary."


    "Yes, sir!" the brothers, Talbot Yun and Bowman Yun answered, standing to attention and saluting


    when they got Wesley''s orders.


    The rest of the crowd lined up and marched towards the yground.


    Back on the yground the young soldiers were talking amongst themselves. Concentrating on the


    training? Forget it. "I think Chief knows her. I heard him almost call her by name. I don''t think he wants


    us to know," a man said.


    "I heard it too. And? Knowing her name doesn''t mean anything. Anyway, we got to train these guys,"


    a second man retorted, turning to walk away. Yet another man grabbed him and said seriously, "We


    only knew about Megan. Now this girl? Chief''s holding out on us."


    "Right. Talbot and Bowman say he doesn''t get out much. When he''s not visiting his hometown, he''s in


    his apartment. A date? Never!" Heughed.


    "Ten-hut!"


    a cold, stern voice came from behind them. Their hearts sank. They were supposed to be training the


    students, not gossiping about their superior''s private life. "Oh God. We''re doomed!" they cried.


    "It''s all your fault. I tried to get you to stay on task," one of themined.


    "One hundred leapfrogs, each of you," Wesley announced solemnly.


    "Noooooooooo, " they screamed inside, too afraid of Wesley to defy him. So the 12 military instructors


    ended up doing 100 leapfrogs each in front of the college freshmen.


    In the infirmary


    Talbot Yun and Bowman Yun offered to escort ir to the infirmary, but she turned them down. "I''m


    good. I can get there on my own. Thanks, though," she told them.


    Bowman Yun said with a grin, "Okay then, but if you feel dizzy again, let us know. We''ll carry you


    there."


    "Got it. Bye," ir agreed with a nod, feeling that the brothers were way too friendly with her.


    Their eagerness to please her outstripped her desire to get Wesley to notice her.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    In the infirmary, a doctor applied some cortisone cream to ir''s neck and forehead. "Theceration to


    your neck will heal soon, but I don''t like that lump on your forehead. You need a CAT scan and a proper


    exam to have that checked out."


    "Set that up for me, okay? Thanks, doc."


    She knew Talbot Yun and Bowman Yun were busy with training, so ir went to the hospital on her


    own.


    She had a CAT scan to determine whether she had a concussion, and she got a clean bill of health.


    Relieved, she went home to take a nap.


    But before long, she was jarred awake by her ringtone. It was her uncle Adalson. "How are you


    feeling? Did you go to the hospital?" he asked.


    ir sat up, blinking to clear her head. She yawned. "Sorry, Uncle. You woke me up. I saw a doctor


    and everything''s fine."


    "Okay. Come home when you have time. Or your aunt cane over and look after you."


    "Uncle, I''m good, really. If it makes you feel better, I''ll be by in a couple days." ir was touched by her


    uncle''s concern, but she felt he was making mountains out of molehills.


    "You don''t have to. I''ll let you go. Bye." Adalson ended the phone call in a hurry.


    ir stared at her phone. ''That was weird, '' she thought. ''Well, maybe there was an emergency, '' she


    told herself. Then she went back to sleep.


    She dropped into a deep slumber. The hours passed. She opened her eyes again, and it took her a


    little bit to realize someone was ringing her doorbell.


    Only her uncle and aunt and Joslyn knew she lived here.


    Her uncle lived in in another city and it couldn''t be her aunt, so it must be Joslyn.


    Still in her pajamas, ir went to the door with bleary eyes. She opened the door, and said with her


    eyes half closed, "Joslyn, why did you... Huh? Wesley?"


    Her eyes were wide open when she saw the man standing at the door. Wesley was still wearing his


    camo fatigues. He must have just gotten back. "Uncle Adalson asked me toe and check on you.


    You all right?" he asked with a serious look on his face.


    He called Adalson "Uncle Adalson" in private.


    ''Couldn''t he just say he wanted to check on me? Even though it''s a lie, I''d still be happy. He can''t see


    I''m crushing on him hard, '' she thought.


    ir nodded. Then soon she shook her head. "Not really."


    "What''s wrong?" he asked.


    "I''m hungry," she answered, blinking. It was after 8 p.m. She hadn''t eaten anything since lunch.


    Wesley nced at her and decided to pretend he didn''t realize what she was getting at. "So are you


    hurt?"


    "Yes."


    "What is it? Do you need to go to the hospital?"


    "No, my belly''s hurting. I need a restaurant," she said innocently.


    Wesley felt defeated. Just as he was about to refuse, ir cut in, "My treat. It''s the least I can do. You


    saved me."


    "I''m a soldier. It was my duty." Wesley wanted to leave.


    ir added, "My uncle asked you to check on me. I''m starving. Are you really going to just walk away?"


    "Is that a threat?" Wesley hated being threatened.


    ir shook her head like a rattle. "No, no. It''s okay if you don''t want to have dinner with me. Tell you


    what¡ªgo home, shower, change. I have enough here in the house. I''ll cook dinner. Come over, make


    sure I''m fine, and then you can take off again. What do you say?"


    Wesley gave her a long look and turned around without a word to go back to his apartment.


    "Hey, yes or no? You haven''t given me an answer yet." If he agreed, she would go to the kitchen and


    start cooking now.


    Wesley opened his door and turned around impatiently. "We''ll see."


    ''He is as cold as an iceberg, '' ir thought.


    The next time someone opened her apartment door, ir was in the kitchen, ready to saute some


    vegetables and meat.

 Chapter 536 How About Me

    Chapter 536 How About Me


    Wesley had changed into casual clothes. Standing at the door, he asked, "You ever lock your door?"


    ir answered without turning back, "Not really. It''s just you and me here. No one else lives on our


    floor. Why bother?"


    Then, Wesley lectured her as if he were talking to a child. "It''s dangerous. You don''t know who else


    might walk in."


    "Okay, okay. Fine. Any foods you don''t like?" asked ir as she poured some cooking oil into the wok


    after putting it on the stove. Before he answered, she muttered, "Probably not. My uncle said one time


    you guys had to eat grass to survive. I can''t even!"


    Wesley was reduced to silence. ''Eat grass? What are we? Sheep?''


    While ir was cooking in the kitchen, Wesley looked around her living room. It looked quite safe.


    Adalson might have helped set the ce up. There were even fire extinguishers.


    "Can you cook?" ir turned back and asked out of the blue.


    "Oh yeah," Wesley replied, meeting her eyes.


    "Well, good." ''Our kids won''t go hungry then, '' ir thought to herself.


    By the time dinner was ready, Wesley was watching TV on the couch in the living room. He had a good


    view of the kitchen from the couch, so he could keep an eye on her that way.


    ir had cooked several dishes, including vegetables and meat dishes. She carried them to the dining


    room. There was also congee with lean pork and century eggs. Thest thing she brought to the table


    was a stack of pancakes.


    irdled two bowls of congee and waved to Wesley with a smile. "Dinner''s ready. Come and eat."


    Wesley said, "I don''t¡ª"


    "That''s a lot of food. How am I supposed to eat it all? Come on, let''s not waste it." ir interrupted him.


    She knew he was going to refuse, so she didn''t give him the chance to say it.


    Wesley rose to his feet and walked to the dining room. "Alright," he said after taking a seat at the dining


    table. "But don''t do this again."


    "Okay," ir replied with a smile.


    No doubt she was an excellent cook. She could cook all kinds of dishes. Wesley was a soldier, as


    efficient at eating as he was at his duties. ir wasn''t even full, but he was already done and put down


    his chopsticks.


    "Um... there''s still plenty left. I can''t finish it," said ir, feeling embarrassed. She wasn''t lying. Each


    te was still half full.


    She assumed Wesley was hungry, and that he hadn''t eaten like this in a long time. She cooked more


    food on that assumption.


    Wesley was going to bring his bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen. When he heard what she said, he


    sat back in his seat. "It''s fine. Just eat."


    ir had a tiny appetite. After a few more bites, she put down her chopsticks and announced, "I''m full."


    Then Wesley served himself another bowl of congee and ate everything that was left on the table.


    Afterwards, Wesley did the dishes while ir cleared the table. He had his back to her. Watching him


    thoughtfully, she asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?"


    "No," he answered simply, without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment.


    "Do you want one?"


    "No." ''I work my butt off every day. I don''t have time, '' he thought.


    "Is there... anyone you like?"


    "No." ''I just don''t think about it.''


    He was so blunt that for a moment ir didn''t know what to say next.


    She was starting to feel embarrassed. "Sooo..." Then she paused, ying with her hair. "What kind of


    girl do you like?" The girl blushed. There was no way she could have looked him in the eye and asked


    all this.


    Wesley paused. "I''ve never thought about it." ''Women all look the same.''


    ir dropped the rag and walked quietly towards the kitchen. Wesley knew she was approaching the


    second she had started doing it. He went on washing the dishes.


    She leaned on the door to the kitchen, knocked and asked in a low voice, "How about me?"


    Confused, Wesley turned around, looking at the blushing woman. "What do you mean?"


    ir bowed her head with embarrassment. "We''re both single, so why don''t we go out?"


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She was quiet, but Wesley heard her clearly. He turned around and continued busying himself with the


    dishes. "I don''t think so." ''I need to stay away. I don''t have time for her. It wouldn''t be fair to her.''


    ir was incensed, humiliated.


    She strode towards him, fists clenched, intending to kick him out. Water had puddled on the floor near


    the sink. It was abination of cooking oil, dish soap, and water, and she didn''t see it.


    ir was wearing slippers. Once she stepped in the puddle, she slipped. "Aargh!"


    she screamed. Instantly, his big hands shot out, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his arms


    before she fell.


    Her body was so soft and she smelled so good, he realized, again. The feelings he kept pushing down


    deep inside him resurfaced. This was the second time she was in his arms today. And the second time


    he touched her soft body and smelled her fragrance.


    To steady herself, ir locked her arms around his neck.


    At this moment, they were so close to each other, even closer than in the library. Wesley could see that


    there was a tiny ck mole under one of her eyes. Her enchanting scent filled his nostrils.


    Romance was in the air. Her heart was racing. Before Wesley let go, she stood on tiptoe and nted a


    kiss on the corner of his mouth.


    It was a small kiss, but he felt it. Her lips were as soft as her body. He was afraid that if he held her any


    tighter, her delicate body would snap.


    His hands tightened and his jaw hardened; the look in his eyes was fierce. ''He''s angry, '' ir realized.


    "That was for saving me¡ªagain."


    There were many ways to say thank you. She chose the one that made her the happiest.


    Wesley was still tightening his hands around her waist. "Ouch! Let...go!" she cried.


    He let go of her quickly, keeping his hands on her shoulders, and stood back from her, at arm''s length.


    "Miss Jing, let''s not let that happen again," he warned in a hard tone.


    Having been a high-ranking military officer for such a long time, he had been used to giving orders. He


    talked in an authoritative tone even in front of ir.


    She tilted her head and snorted, "I''m not your soldier. I don''t have to follow your orders." ''I kissed you.


    So now what?''


    If ir were a man, Wesley would have pounded on her or ordered her to do thousands of deep


    squats.


    Too bad for him, she was a woman. A delicate woman, whom he could neither scold nor hit. After


    racking his brains, Wesley made ame retort. "For Uncle Adalson''s sake, I''ll pretend nothing


    happened." Then he went back to washing the dishes.


    ir reached for her lips. His warmth lingered there. She smiled and put her hands behind her back,


    eximing, "My uncle is so good to me. Even when he''s not there, he helps me."

 Chapter 537 Freshly Made Coffee

    Chapter 537 Freshly Made Coffee


    Since Adalson was in another city, he couldn''t check on ir personally. He had called Wesley and had


    asked him to check on her as a favor for him.


    Wesley didn''t know how to respond to that.


    That night, ir slept with a wide smile on her lips. What she didn''t know was that, across the hall, due


    to her little kiss, Wesley had to go to the bathroom a few times in order to take cold showers.


    At four in the morning, he put her name on his list of troublesome people. Most of the people on the list


    were the unruliest criminals. Two minutester, touching the corner of his mouth, he moved ir''s


    name to the top of the list, which meant, to Wesley, ir had just be the most troublesome person


    on the.


    The next morning, ir got up very early to create a chance to meet Wesley. She had found out his


    entire schedule¡ªwhen he would return from his morning exercise and what time he would enter the


    elevator.


    However, none of that happened. The man didn''t show up as she had expected. Actually, to avoid her,


    last night, he had decided to take the stairs from that day on instead of riding the elevator.


    For the next three days, ir didn''t meet Wesley even once in the building. Just when she started to


    think that he probably hadn''t been hometely, she heard the sound of his door closing as he left the


    apartment in a hurry.


    She wondered when he hade home and why she hadn''t met him earlier.


    ir had art lesson that afternoon. She didn''t want to go, but Joslyn liked art and wanted herpany,


    so ir agreed to attend the lesson.


    In the drawing studio, ir doodled on the drawing board with her ck crayon. Half the lesson had


    passed and she still hadn''t drawn anything worthy.


    The young female guidance counselor walked over to her and frowned. "ir, what are you doing?


    What is that?" she reprimanded.


    The white drawing paper on ir''s board was filled with useless doodling. She quickly tore it and


    tossed it into the waste basket. "It''s nothing. I''ll start over now."


    The guidance counselor walked away, grumbling under her breath. Watching her figure receding, ir


    made a face behind her back.


    The counselor wasn''t theirs to begin with, and the drawing studio wasn''t where her duty was. She was


    only in the studio because their art instructor had been upied elsewheretely. Since this female


    guidance counselor knew a bit about art, she had been substituting for the art instructor for the past few


    days.


    However, for some reason, the guidance counselor seemed to have a problem with ir since the very


    beginning, which was part of the reason why ir didn''t want to attend this ss.


    Joslyn snorted and mumbled, "I think she is jealous of you. You''re prettier than her and you have a lot


    of admirers."


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ir gave her a sideways nce and drew a big cross in the air with her ck crayon. "No way! She


    and I are neither the same age nor in the same grade."


    "That is so irrelevant. She is much nicer to the others." Joslyn rolled her eyes at the guidance


    counselor.


    ir said, "She is mean to you as well."


    Joslyn replied, "She''s only mean to you and me, ir."


    "Joslyn! ir! What are you two whispering about?" the guidance counselor yelled as she pushed her


    sses up her nose bridge. The entire studio heard her.


    Joslyn swung the crayon in her hand and replied, "We''re drawing."


    The guidance counselor wasn''t going to let them off yet. "Don''t evere to my ss again if you two


    only want to chat in here!"


    ir snorted and said in a voice low enough for only her and Joslyn to hear, "That would be so great!"


    Joslyn chuckled.


    The drawing studio was quiet once again. The guidance counselor wandered among the students to


    see how they were doing. She lingered behind Joslyn and ir for a long time to keep a sharp eye on


    them. ir rolled her eyes unhappily. When the guidance counselor was busy talking to another


    student, ir busied herself with something secretly. After a while, she held a cup of coffee-colored


    liquid in her hand and gave it to the guidance counselor. "Miss Zheng, I made a cup of coffee for you.


    Please have a taste," she said nicely.


    Seeing the girl acting so gantly in front of the whole ss, the guidance counselor snorted proudly


    and took the "coffee" from her.


    "It''s iced and freshly made. And it''s yummy. Please take a sip and see how you like it," ir urged.


    Then, she watched the guidance counselor take a big mouthful of the brown liquid.


    "Pfff!"


    Thedy spat it all out and spilled much of the dark-colored liquid onto ir''s clothes.


    She smashed the cup onto the floor and rushed about looking for tissues and a bin.


    The students snickered. Joslyn didn''t even bother stifling herughter.


    ir was so satisfied that she didn''t even mind her white chiffon shirt being stained. "Miss Zheng,


    what''s wrong? Didn''t you like my coffee?" she asked in a feigned innocent tone.


    It took the guidance counselor a long while to clean herself up. She purpled, pointing at ir and


    Joslyn. "You¡ª you two! Go to the sports ground and run five kilometers!"


    ''Five kilometers? Under the scorching sun? No way!'' ir thought. "I won''t go. If you feel like running,


    please feel free to do so. Besides, you''re not even our guidance counselor. Why should we listen to


    you?"


    "ir Jing! Joslyn Zhu! Don''t make me flunk you this term!"


    ir and Joslyn didn''t see thating. Joslyn didn''t care about her grades. But ir had always been


    a model student. She would feel embarrassed if she flunked any of her subjects. And she was worried


    that a bad grade would affect her future job-hunting.


    ir hesitated. She haggled, "Five hundred meters! It''s as hot as an oven outside. And you would be


    the one to me if we got heatstroke."


    The guidance counselor was in a fit of rage, so she wouldn''t budge. "Five hundred meters?! You wish!


    It''s hot. So what? Learn from those freshmen! They''re receiving military training in the sun every day. If


    they can deal with the heat, you can too! Five kilometers. No less!"


    "Then you run with us too," Joslyn demanded. If she was going down, she was going to make Miss


    Zheng go down with her too.


    The guidance counselor approached Joslyn and retorted, "Run with you? I''ll watch you run! Move


    now!" With that, she grabbed the two defiant girls'' hands and led them out of the drawing studio.


    ir felt ufortable. ''Could you let go of my hand? We''re not that close.''


    She tried to wriggle out of Miss Zheng''s grasp on the way to the sports ground, but failed to do so. With


    so many students and military instructors on the ground, ir didn''t want to make a scene, so she


    stopped struggling when they got there. The guidance counselor took the girls to the middle of the


    ground.


    She specifically walked to Wesley. "Officer Li, I''m a guidance counselor of this university. I heard that


    you were the strictest military instructor here. These two have been misbehaving in ss. I leave them


    to you. Please see to it that they''ll finish their five-kilometer run."


    ir and Joslyn were bereft of words.


    "I''m too busy," Wesley rebuffed after giving the two girls an indifferent look.


    The guidance counselor was embarrassed. But she wasn''t going to give up that easily. "Officer Li,


    please consider them as a couple of new attendees in the military training. Thank you," she said with a


    smile.


    The students Wesley was training were standing in a military manner. ir observed them. Although


    the training had been going on for merely a few days, they had made obvious progress; their formation


    was in much better order than the other students''.


    After giving it more thought, Wesley decided not to make things too difficult for the guidance counselor,


    so he nodded and said, "Okay."


    The guidance counselor left, but Wesley still didn''t speak to the two girls. ir and Joslyn stood in the


    sun, waiting for him to give orders.


    However, he turned around and walked back to the freshmen to give them more instructions.

 Chapter 538 Blair Fainted

    Chapter 538 ir Fainted


    Joslyn asked ir in a whisper, "How is it going between you and Wesley? He didn''t even look at you.


    It''s as if he doesn''t even know who you are."


    ir twitched her mouth unhappily. "I suppose he has forgotten my name. Besides, he is the aloof type


    in nature."


    "How could he forget your name? You told me that you kissed him. I thought everything was going


    great between you two," Joslynmented with a wicked smile.


    "I only kissed him on the corner of his mouth. It''s not what you think." ir''s phone buzzed. She took it


    out of her pocket and unlocked the screen.


    It was from Hartwell. "Hartwell ising home in one or two days. What do you think of a get-


    together?" she asked Joslyn as she read his message.


    Joslyn pondered for a while, and then asked, "Ideally speaking, how much older do you think a man


    could be than a woman in a rtionship?"


    ir looked at Wesley, who was walking towards them now, and answered, "Four years." He was four


    years older than her.


    Joslyn was pretty disappointed. "Four? But your cousin, Hartwell, is ten years older than me! Should I


    give up?" she asked with a pout.


    ir put her phone away and said in a hurry, "You and Hartwell are a different case."


    As soon as she finished, Wesley came up to them. Standing straight, hemanded, "Attention!"


    ir and Joslyn stopped talking at once and stood straight as an arrow.


    "Left turn!" Wesleymanded once again.


    Initially, ir had been standing to Joslyn''s left, and now, she was face to face with her.


    Joslyn burst outughing. ir realized she had turned the wrong way.


    She turned around to her left quickly and stood to attention.


    Wesley found her lovely and extremely funny. But as the strictest military training instructor, he kept


    telling himself not tough. "Quick time, march! Left foot first, 75 cm forward!"


    ''75 cm? How far is 75 cm?'' ir wondered, totally confused. She wasn''t good with numbers. When she


    turned around helplessly to look at Joslyn, she found that her friend was even more puzzled than her.


    A while passed and ir still couldn''t catch up with Wesley. Wiping away the beads of sweat on her


    forehead, she asked him quietly, "Wesley, can we not do this?"


    While she was waiting expectantly, Wesley just said, "Five kilometers. At the double, quick march!"


    The two girls had to start running. Wesley corrected them constantly. "Raise your arms to your waist.


    Keep your fingers closed and your thumbs between the first joint of your index fingers and the second


    joint of your middle fingers. And keep your forearms slightly inward."


    ir looked at her own waist, and asked Wesley out of the blue, "My waist? You mean the ce where


    you put your hands the other night?"


    Wesley kept his silence.


    "Bwahaha!" Joslyn roared.


    "Halt!" Wesleymanded.


    ir had an ominous feeling about what was toe. "Wait here!" he said to ir and Joslyn.


    He asked another military training instructor to rece him in training the freshmen, resolving to focus


    on supervising the two girls to finish their run.


    "Stand with arms akimbo. Exercise your ankles alternately. Half squat. Exercise your knees with your


    hands on them." When the warm-up was done, ir felt like she was about to have heatstroke. There


    was no way she would be able to finish the five kilometer mark.


    That afternoon, all the students of Y City Language and Culture University saw Wesley train ir and


    Joslyn. It was so hot that ir copsed onto the ground after a while. But Wesley wasn''t going to give


    her a break. He pulled her to her feet and ordered her to keep running.


    To everyone''s surprise, ir didn''t stand up at all. She fell into Wesley''s arms.


    "Wesley, I can''t do it. Please, let me go," she pleaded in a whisper.


    Her voice was so soft that Wesley''s brain went into fantasy mode.


    When he came back to his senses, he pushed her out of his arms and made her stand up.


    However, as if she were made of jello, she fell back into his arms. In the end, ir fainted.


    Soon, the news that a junior had sunstroke and passed out during Wesley''s training spread throughout


    the university.


    It was supposed to be a horrible piece of news, but when the girls saw Wesley running towards the


    infirmary with ir in his arms, every one of them envied the unconscious girl. They announced that if


    they could be held by Wesley like that, they wouldn''t mind going through his harsh training either.


    In the infirmary, ir woke up to find Wesley sitting by the bed and staring at her.


    Seeing her awake, Wesley opened his mouth to say something, but he ended up reprimanding her with


    a long face, "You''re too weak. You couldn''t even run two kilometers."


    ir replied, "I''m not a soldier."


    Wesley wasn''t happy with that. "I''m your military instructor. Don''t talk back to me."


    ir was quiet. Since she was feeling better, she tried getting out of bed. She could actually get up on


    her own, but she stretched her arms towards Wesley.


    Wesley understood that she was asking him to lend her a hand. "Get yourself out of bed. The


    heatstroke was not that serious."


    ir said in disbelief, "I got heatstroke because you were too harsh on me during the training. You


    didn''t apologize to me. And now you won''t even take care of me? You''re so insensitive."


    Wesley felt guilty when he heard her remarks. Eventually, he helped her get up grudgingly.


    ir sat on the edge of the bed for a while. "Where''s my friend?" she asked.


    "She went back to her ss." Since ir seemed fine, Wesley stood up from the chair to leave.


    ir wasn''t going to miss such a good opportunity to be alone with him.


    When he turned to leave, shey back on the bed and whined, "Oh, my head. I feel so dizzy."


    Wesley turned around to look at her. "I''ll go get the doctor."


    Before he could leave, ir grabbed his hand. The calluses on his palm made her heart ache. She


    could imagine how much effort he had put into being a good soldier. "I don''t need a doctor. I want to go


    home and rest."


    Her gentle touch sent his heart racing. As if an electric shock had passed through him, he quickly


    withdrew his hand. He couldn''t even look her in the eye. Instead, he averted his gaze to the empty drip


    bottle and said in a cold tone, "Then, go home."


    "But I''m too feeble to walk."


    "I''ll have someone drive you home."


    "But we''re neighbors. Nobody lives closer to me than you do." Obviously, she was saying that if


    someone had to take her home, it should be him.


    Perhaps, he didn''t get her point. He replied, "I''ll not buy an apartment so close to yours ever again."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    ir thought, ''Do you have to be so insulting?''


    After a long sigh, she asked, "Can you give me a lift?"


    "I have to go somece elseter."


    "You can go there after taking me home."

 Chapter 539 The Ride

    Chapter 539 The Ride


    Wesley was annoyed. He had never met a woman as troublesome as ir. "Get up!" he ordered


    harshly.


    ir sat up on the bed.


    The next thing she knew, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her off the bed.


    "Ow! You''re hurting me!" she cried out.


    Wesley looked down at her wrist and realized that he was holding her where the needle had been


    pricked when she was on an IV drip. "I''m sorry," he said with a frown.


    "I told you I wouldn''t be able to finish the five-kilometer run, but you insisted I run. Because of that, I


    ended up having heatstroke, and you are still so mean to me. Wesley, I''m a girl, not a military man,"


    ir protested.


    Herst sentence was a reminder. It struck him that she wasn''t as tough as the soldiers he trained


    every day. He couldn''t treat her the same way he treated them.


    Just as she was expecting someforting words from him, he bent over, picked her up and threw her


    over his shoulder. ir shrieked.


    As he passed the side-table on his way to the ward door, he grabbed her medicine and tucked it into


    his pocket.


    The college doctor was prescribing some medicine to a student in his office. He happened to see


    Wesley carrying ir on his shoulder as he walked by his office. His eyes widened like saucers in


    shock.


    He walked to the door immediately in the hope of reminding Wesley that he wasn''t supposed to treat a


    girl so roughly, let alone a patient who had recently had heatstroke.


    But he wasn''t quick enough. By the time he reached the hallway, Wesley was already out of sight.


    Lying upside down on Wesley''s shoulder, ir''s head swam uncontrobly. And the jolt made her


    nauseated. She felt like puking. But before she could say anything, she was stuffed into a car.


    Wesley got into the driver''s seat and started the vehicle. As the car slowly left the university, ir felt a


    little better and realized that she was in a ck Hummer with premium equipment.


    She looked around the car and asked, "Is this car yours?"


    "Hmm." He gave her a lukewarm response.


    "Where did you get the money for this?" Considering his age and position, she didn''t think he could


    afford it.


    "A friend gave it to me as a gift," he said.


    "Who was it? Obviously, you have some rich friends." She wished she knew some moneybags who


    was generous enough to give her a Hummer.


    Wesley wasn''t in the mood to answer her. But then it dawned on him that maybe she would decide to


    chase his loaded friend instead of pestering him, so he said, "Carlos Huo."


    "Oh, I don''t know him." She had never heard of the name before. Besides, ir only had eyes for


    Wesley. Other men just didn''t attract her attention, no matter how exceptional they were.


    She didn''t ask any more questions about Carlos. Wesley was disappointed. But he didn''t say anything


    else and focused on the road.


    Soon, the car pulled into Hillside Apartments. After parking the car in the underground parking lot,


    Wesley got out first.


    He opened the back door for ir and stood by the car, waiting for her to get down. She was about to


    jump down, but then changed her mind. "Your car is too high."


    Wesley checked the height and thought, ''Too high? Are you serious?'' Not wanting to argue with her


    anymore, he put his hands around her waist and carried her out of the car as if he were carrying a


    child.


    ir was left speechless. She had imagined her prince charming carrying her in his arms like a


    princess. Not this. She rolled her eyes.


    Before he could put her down, she wrapped her legs around his waist and put her hands around his


    neck.


    In case she fell, Wesley closed the car door with one hand and held her waist with the other.


    "Get down," he demanded.


    "No, I''m sick," she refused, burying her face in his chest.


    "I''ll let go of my hand."


    "Fine."


    Wesley really let go, but ir didn''t. So in the end, she clung on to him like a ko holding on to a big


    tree.


    Her softness and fragrance stirred up his buried feelings. The attraction was getting stronger. To


    conceal his emotion, he pretended to be mad and red at her. But she wasn''t looking at him. "I''m a


    patient. I don''t feel well," she kept saying.


    They were in a deadlock for two minutes. Wesley had only two options¡ªeither he took her upstairs like


    this, or he somehow made her get down. Finally, he made his decision. He wrapped both of his arms


    around her waist and made his way to the elevator.


    ir shed a triumphant smile.


    The elevator arrived at the sixteenth floor. When they reached her apartment, ir got off him and said


    sweetly, "Thank you for bringing me home. Bye."


    At this point, she didn''t look like a patient at all.


    Wesley took her medicine out of his pocket, gave it to her and left without a word.


    In the parking lot, he opened all the car windows to air out her fragrance.


    He lit a cigarette and smoked while he waited for her scent to disappear. When it was about done, he


    stubbed out the cigarette and got into the car.


    Determined to find out why she hadn''t met Wesley in the elevator in the past few days, ir got up


    early the next morning and waited at the elevator on the sixteenth floor.


    She wasn''t going to leave until she met him. And she did meet him this time.


    It turned out that he had been taking the stairs.


    She was surprised. If it were her, she would have been exhausted after climbing sixteen floors. But


    Wesley looked fine. He was only panting lightly.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As if ir were invisible, he walked by her without saying anything and went towards his apartment to


    open the door.


    Before he could close the door, the elevator doors opened with a ding. ir wondered who hade


    to their floor so early in the morning.


    A girl in a school uniform appeared. Seeing Wesley, who was about to close the door of his apartment,


    she ran to him as she called, "Uncle W¡ª Who are you?" She paused when she saw ir.


    ir recalled that this was the same girl who had been to Wesley''s ce the other night.


    Wesley saw Megan. He called, "Megan,e in."


    "Okay. Uncle Wesley, who is she?"


    "My neighbor," ir heard him reply.


    "Oh, that''s why she is here." Megan gave ir one more look as the door was shut behind them.


    All of a sudden, ir felt like what she had been doing all along had been pointless. She had been


    trying so hard to pursue him, but to him, she was only a neighbor. Not even a friend.


    She had been so forward with him, giving him all kinds of signals, but he remained indifferent towards


    her.


    ''Maybe he really doesn''t like me. I''m such a loser.''


    That evening, ir had dinner with Hartwell. She told him what had happened in the library. He picked


    up some food from the bowl and put it on her te. Then he said, "I heard that you had heatstroke


    yesterday. It''s been really hot outsidetely. And as a junior, you don''t even have to attend the military


    training. So, why were you running in the sun?"


    ir wasn''t surprised that Hartwell knew about her sunstroke. "Our substitute guidance counselor has


    been picking on me, so I mixed up some paint and told her that it was coffee. I convinced her to drink it.


    She was pissed, and made me and Joslyn do a five-kilometer run in the sports ground. The worst part


    was that she left us in the hands of the well-known, devil-like military instructor, Wesley. You already


    know what happened after that¡ªI got sunstroke."


    "Wesley?" Hartwell frowned. "He is known for being harsh, but every one of his soldiers turns out to be


    excellent. I''m not surprised that you got sunstroke if he was your military instructor."


    "Me neither," ir seconded.

 Chapter 540 Play Along

    Chapter 540 y Along


    Hartwellid his chopsticks down on the table and said, "Wesley goes to see my father very often. I''ll


    ask my father to talk to him and your substitute guidance counselor."


    "Thanks, Hartwell, but that''s not necessary. I''m fine now. Besides, he saved my life in the library," said


    ir.


    "I don''t know exactly what happened in the library, but he is a serviceman. He would have saved


    anybody under the circumstances."


    Hartwell''s words came as a wet nket. ir had been eating, but she paused when she heard that.


    Her spirits dampened even further. She knew that she had been fooling herself into thinking that


    Wesley cared about her, and that now it was time to wake up. "You''re right. As it happens, I was the


    one being held as the hostage that day. Anyway, why don''t we move on?"


    Hartwell studied her face; there was nothing unusual about her expression. "Have you gotten used to


    living alone? You''re too stubborn, you know. I told you not to move out, but you insisted."


    "I enjoy living on my own. I don''t like restraints. You know that." Everyone in the Ji family was nice to


    her. But she had to follow all kinds of rules, which were insufferable to her.


    Hartwell smiled helplessly. "As long as you''re happy. Since I work in another city now, I have so little


    time to take care of you. I''d like to check out your ce after dinner. Only after making sure that you''re


    safe andfortable will I be truly relieved."


    "All right, fine. By the way, why didn''t you let me invite Joslyn to join us tonight?"


    Hartwell smiled. "I''ll ask her out some other time."


    ir nodded knowingly. "Oh. So, you didn''t want me to be the third wheel."


    Hartwell didn''t deny it. "I have been really busytely, so I couldn''t call her. Now that I''m here, I want to


    make it up to her so that she won''t misunderstand."


    ir understood. At work, Hartwell''s phone was kept by his secretary. And when he was finally off the


    clock, it was usually veryte. This time, he hade to Y City because he had some work to get done


    here. Otherwise, this dinner wouldn''t have happened.


    After dinner, ir and Hartwell went back to her apartment together. It was past nine already. Usually,


    she never met Wesley at this hour. It would be embarrassing if the three of them met unexpectedly.


    And that was exactly what happened.


    No sooner had ir and Hartwell gotten off the elevator than Wesley appeared near the stairway of the


    sixteenth floor. They saw each other.


    Hartwell was surprised. "Wesley?"


    Wesley nodded slightly. "Hartwell."


    As the two men shook hands, ir was wondering how she was supposed to exin Wesley showing


    up on the floor where she lived.


    She didn''t need to exin anything to Hartwell. But since she had moved into the building to chase


    Wesley, she was nervous that Hartwell found out that she lived on the same floor as Wesley. She had


    failed to keep it a secret that she had a crush on Wesley from her uncle. If Hartwell found out too, it


    would be really embarrassing. So as soon as the two men greeted each other, she said in a hurry,


    "Wesley! You live here too? Are you my neighbor?"


    She pointed to the door of Wesley''s apartment and kept winking at him behind Hartwell''s back.


    Wesley understood that she was trying to tell him to y along. But he didn''t understand why she was


    pretending that this was their first meeting in the building.


    Normally, he would have said, "We''ve met many times here. Why are you pretending you don''t know I


    live across the hall?"


    After a moment of hesitation, he gave her a simple nod. "Hmm." And nothing else.


    But that sufficed.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Hartwell smiled. "Now that I know Wesley is your neighbor, I have nothing to worry about." Then he


    said to Wesley politely, "She lives alone. Please look after her for me. Thank you."


    "Will do."


    To avoid them giving her secrets away to each other, ir started dragging Hartwell towards her


    apartment. "Come on. It''ste. Check out my apartment and then go home and get some rest. You are


    a busy man!"


    Hartwell had to say goodbye to Wesley in a hurry. "Bye then. Let''s grab dinner together sometime."


    "Sure."


    After entering ir''s apartment, Hartwell looked around and said, "It''s a nice ce. Has my father ever


    been here?"


    "No, he has been in another city ever since I moved in." Adalson had rented the ce for her. She


    couldn''t afford it.


    "Okay then. I should leave. My work awaits me. Good night." Hartwell was in such a hurry that he didn''t


    even wait to drink a ss of water before he walked out of ir''s apartment.


    "Don''t be a workaholic. Take care of yourself. And marry Joslyn already, since you like her so much,"


    she said to him at the elevator.


    "Got it," Hartwell replied with a smile. "Bye."


    After he left, ir nced at Wesley''s door and walked back to her own home.


    The next morning, since she was feeling unwell, ir skipped the first ss to get more rest.


    Before the fourth ss¡ªher Arabic ss, she felt a little better and decided to go to the ssroom.


    Since she hadn''t fully recovered from the sunstroke, she looked listless. Joslyn, on the other hand, was


    upbeat. Of course, that was mostly because she had met Hartwell the night before.


    "Bless, you were all right yesterday. Howe you look so dispirited today? Are you still ill?" Joslyn


    asked with concern.


    Holding the Arabic textbook in her hands, ir bent over the desk. "I think so," she replied.


    Joslyn gave it a bit of thought and figured out what was going on. "You didn''t take your medicine, did


    you?"


    Busted, ir giggled. "I already had an infusion. I don''t need the medicine. I don''t know what''s going


    on. I was fine yesterday."


    Joslyn was unhappy. "You don''t know? You brought this upon yourself because you didn''t take your


    medicine! I''ll personally shove the medicine down your throat at noon. I''m not gonna leave you be."


    Joslyn knew that ir hated taking medicines, but she was worried about her.


    "All right. All right. I concede," ir said. She was feeling too miserable. This time, not having


    medicines was more terrible than having them.


    Near noon, the students started walking towards the cafeteria.


    Joslynined about the hot weather; it was making her ufortable. While they were chatting,


    she suddenly thought of Wesley. "How is everything going?" she asked ir.


    ir knew what she was referring to. "Here is my strategy¡ªsometimes take the initiative, sometimes


    be inactive; never be impulsive, always be perceptive; no matter how eager you are to give, always


    y cool to achieve. That''s how you make a man fall in love."


    Joslyn looked at her excitedly. "Sounds brilliant. So, how is that working for you? Did he fall in love with


    you yet?"

 Chapter 541 Have A Drumstick

    Chapter 541 Have A Drumstick


    ir shook her head. "No, because I did just the opposite. I was always taking the initiative and was


    never inactive. I was often impulsive and eager to give and was never able to y cool. So, he didn''t


    fall in love with me."


    The smile on Joslyn''s face faded. She patted ir''s shoulder andforted her, "Remember, your


    nickname is Bless. Good fortune will always follow you. Don''t be frustrated."


    ir wasn''t going to give up yet. "I need to change my strategy. I''ll keep a distance from him. He is so


    used to me following him around. If I stay away from him for some time, he might feel a void in his life."


    "You go, girl! Do you need my help with anything?"


    ir put her arm around Joslyn''s shoulders and said, "I can handle it. You just focus on locking down


    my cousin." Joslyn chuckled.


    They walked into the canteen. The cool air from the air-conditioners blew on their skin, cooling them off


    a bit. But since the ce was so crowded, the air-conditioners weren''t very helpful.


    At arge table not far from them, several military instructors, in their camouge uniforms, were


    having their meals. They were very conspicuous among the students. ir saw them as soon as she


    and Joslyn walked into the canteen. She also spotted Wesley, who was about to have his lunch.


    He was sitting opposite a few other military instructors. Talbot, who was next to him, noticed ir and


    Joslyn walk in.


    "Hey! Look! Isn''t that ir and her friend?"


    The others turned their heads to look, except Wesley. He remained indifferent as usual.


    "Talbot, how do you know her name?" one of the military instructors joked.


    Talbot bragged in a low voice, "Smooth, huh? I just found out that she is a top student here and is


    pretty famous in the university."


    Lenard Niu leaned towards the table and cut in, "Does she have a boyfriend? If she doesn''t, why don''t


    you fix us up?"


    Wesley, who was eating, paused for a second without looking up. Then, he continued eating without


    saying anything.


    Bowman, Talbot''s younger brother, pped Lenard Niu''s hand and retorted, "What are you thinking? If


    I''m going to fix her up with somebody, it would be my brother. He doesn''t have a girlfriend either."


    When ir looked towards the group, Talbot waved at her cheerfully.


    She smiled at him and went to line up to buy their food.


    Joslyn bought three drumsticks and put all of them onto ir''s tray. "Oh, my! Why did you buy so many


    drumsticks?" ir asked, looking at her filled tray.


    "For you, silly. You need nourishment."


    "I don''t¡ª"


    "Don''t argue with me. Look how lean you are. You are my responsibility till you find yourself a


    boyfriend."


    "Okay, okay. As you wish, mydy." After filling up their tes with everything they needed, the two


    girls turned to look for a table, with their lunch trays in hands.


    Before they could find one, Talbot ran to them and took ir''s tray. "ir, Joslyn, there are two vacant


    seats at our table. Why don''t you two join us?" he asked, pointing to their table.


    ir looked over there and saw Bowman and Lenard Niu shifting seats to make ce for them.


    Neither of the two girls knew what to say. They looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do.


    In the end, under the other students'' envious gazes, they followed Talbot to their table. Talbot put ir''s


    tray next to his, opposite Lenard Niu''s. Joslyn''s seat was next to ir''s and opposite Bowman''s.


    After Talbot sat beside Wesley, ir sat next to him and said hello to the rest of the group.


    She and Joslyn hadn''t expected Talbot to be so warm to them. He had a pretty smile.


    Lenard Niu noticed that ir didn''t greet Wesley. To impress the girls, he started to introduce Wesley to


    them. "ir, Joslyn, this is Wesley Li, the military instructor who trained you for the five-kilometer run


    the other day. He is our chief officer. Although he is around our age, he is much more sessful than


    us, and his position is a few ranks higher than ours." Seeing that Wesley was still eating silently with his


    head lowered, Lenard Niu called him in a hushed voice, "Chief, there are two beauties here."


    Wesley cast him a sideways look and continued eating.


    Lenard Niu didn''t mind. He knew his superior very well. He was always cold.


    ir and Joslyn exchanged looks. Then an idea popped up in ir''s head when her eyesnded on


    the drumsticks. She picked one up and gave it to Talbot. "Thank you for saving mest time in the


    library. Here, have a drumstick."


    Talbot and Bowman had not only ambushed the kidnapper, saving her life that day in the library, but


    had also taken her to the infirmary afterwards.


    So, ir gave the brothers each a drumstick with a thankful smile.


    Lenard Niu envied the two of them.


    Bowman stole a nce at Wesley and then told ir, "Our chief had directed that operation. He kicked


    the thug''s ass."


    ir was aware of that, but since the man had been ignoring her, she didn''t want to give Wesley the


    last drumstick. The rest of the group were waiting for her response. She bit into thest drumstick and


    said, "Oh, I already ate thest one. I''ll thank Officer Li properly some other day."


    The others were confused. They sensed that something was off between them, but they didn''t know


    what it was yet.


    They resumed eating. Instructing the freshmen wasn''t a big deal, so they ate at a leisurely pace.


    During the meal, ir felt thirsty. "Excuse me," she said to the others.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Where are you going?" Joslyn asked.


    "To get some soup."


    The guys at the table wanted to help, but ir left the table quickly, without even giving them the


    chance to offer their help.


    After a short while, she returned carrying a tray with the hot soup on it. Since Wesley''s seat was


    nearest to the ce where the soup was being served, ir had to pass him on her way back to the


    table.


    Just when she was walking by him, a boy, who was fighting yfully with his friend, identally


    stepped on a banana peel and fell towards ir.


    "Shit!" the boy cried as he copsed onto her.


    "Aah!" ir screamed as the hot soup spilled all over her bare arm.


    The bowl and the tray thudded onto the floor.


    The loud noise attracted everyone''s attention.


    Someone had grabbed her arm in time. She looked back and saw that it was Wesley.


    If it weren''t for him, the entire bowl of soup would have spilled all over the upper part of her body. And


    probably all over her face too. Thanks to Wesley, only one third of the hot soup spilled onto her arm.

 Chapter 542 Why Are You Crying

    Chapter 542 Why Are You Crying


    In an instant, ir''s arm was scalded. It turned red and swelled, and her face went pale.


    Wesley let go of her arm, and quickly unscrewed the lid from the bottle of water Talbot had drunk from.


    He took her arm again and pulled her to the nearest trash can, dumping water onto her arm to cool the


    burn.


    The student who bumped into ir was scalded by the hot soup too. Some of the soup had sshed


    on his chest and legs. Worse, it was summer and he was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. So he was


    now groaning in pain on the floor.


    Many students around were still in a daze as everything happened so quickly. Luckily, Talbot and the


    other soldiers reacted quickly and took charge of the situation. Some of them handed their bottles of


    water to Wesley one by one, while the others began tofort ir. "Does it hurt?"


    "ir, are you okay? Oh, my God. Your arm is so red now..."


    The noise of the crowd snapped Joslyn back to her senses. She shot to her feet and ran to ir''s side.


    "Bless, you okay? Let''s see your wound," she said worriedly.


    Face still pale, ir shook her head, though tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. She gritted


    her teeth and reassured her friend in a weak voice, "Don''t worry. I''m okay."


    Wesley knitted his brows and cast her a sidelong nce, wondering if she was pretending to be strong.


    But her face was already white as a sheet. And strangely, her pained expression made his heart ache a


    little bit...


    Students ringed around the boy on the floor; some came forward to help him to his feet. He pulled up


    his T-shirt to check his scalds. His chest was just a little red, andpared to ir''s wound, it wasn''t


    worth mentioning.


    Wesley had gone through all the water bottles he had been given. He still felt it wasn''t enough. So he


    grabbed her hand and led her towards the nearest sink in the cafeteria, while giving Talbot orders.


    "Talbot! Go buy some aloe vera cream."


    "Yes, Chief!" Talbot responded and turned on his heels to carry out his orders.


    Dragged by Wesley, ir felt embarrassed as they walked through the crowd of students. But the pain


    in her arm was so intense she could scarcely put up a fight. Bowing her head, she just let him take her


    to the sink.


    Joslyn pondered her options, but in the end, she decided against following them. ir was alone with


    the man she loved. Why was she to get in the way?


    She then turned around to get even with the boy student. Lenard had told the boy to pour some mineral


    water onto his slight scald. Joslyn told him off angrily, "This is the school cafeteria! Why would you run


    around like a wild animal in here? Do you know what you did to ir?"


    The boy student didn''t mean to hurt ir. He felt guilty and apologized quickly, "I''m really sorry. I didn''t


    mean to. Sorry..."


    Before she could harangue him more, a girl student suddenly interrupted her and asked curiously,


    "Joslyn, what is it with ir and Wesley, anyway? He seems to care for her a lot."


    "I know, right? He carried her to the clinic when she got heatstroke the other day. He even stayed there


    with her!" another girl said.


    So now they were gossiping about ir and Wesley.


    Wesley''s men wanted to go over and check on ir''s wound. But hearing what the girls had said, they


    all froze on the spot and contented themselves with just watching at a distance.


    The two had already reached the sink. Wesley had turned on the faucet and ced ir''s arm under


    the running water.


    They observed their leader carefully. His face wasn''t as cold as usual, but instead, there was a hint of


    tenderness.


    Wesley''s men couldn''t believe their eyes. They stopped staring and averted their eyes, not wanting to


    be caught looking. "Could it be true? Is he a softie?"


    Bowman felt hard to believe it. "Could be..." He had never seen Wesley treat a woman like this.


    Although, as soldiers, they didn''t see too many women, Bowman saw how Wesley behaved around


    Megan. This was different. They used to tease him about Megan, and Wesley would silence them with


    his death stares.


    Not privy to Bowman''s thoughts, Joslyn merely red at the nosy girls and said, "Why are you even


    talking about this? Can''t you see ir''s hurt?"


    The girls felt a little guilty. Begrudgingly, they went back to their seats to continue eating.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    But Wesley and ir were unaware they''d drawn any attention to themselves. They were more


    concerned with healing her burns. When ir bowed her head, a few teardrops fell into the sink, joining


    the running water from the tap.


    "Thanks. If it weren''t for you, I don''t know what I''d do," she said, trying to sound as calm as possible.


    "It''s okay." He noticed the tears, and his face turned grim. For the first time in his life, he didn''t know


    what to do next.


    He had seen women cry many times. Each time he went on missions, he would see tons of women


    crying hysterically in the face of danger or catastrophe. But all he needed to do was make sure they


    were safe. He wasn''t ordered to help them feel better. This wasn''t something he was used to.


    He saw Megan cry, too¡ªa lot. The tiniest thing would open the floodgates. But most of the time, when


    Megan cried, he would let Damon handle it or call Curtis, the patient gentleman, tofort her.


    Watching ir, he had an overwhelming desire to do something or say something. So he tried.


    "Hey...hey...you were held hostage with a knife to your neck. You were brave then. Why are you crying


    now? It''s just a little scald. Maybe you''re not a fan of my first aid skills..."


    ir was angry. A bitterugh escaped her lips. How could she fall in love with such a rude guy?


    A normal man wouldfort her. But why was he acting like this? Like she was doing this intentionally.


    ir shook off Wesley''s hand and turned off the faucet. Eyes red from tears, she said, "You should


    know better than anyone. I''m a girl, like any other. I didn''t go through endurance training in the military.


    It hurts, dammit! But I get it. You did your best. I''m not bitching or anything. Thanks for your help, Mr. Li.


    Goodbye!"


    She had never talked to him like this. Frowning, Wesley called out to stop the woman from leaving.


    "Wait!"


    ir froze on the spot without turning around. She asked, "What now?"


    "ir Jing, I''ll never fall in love with you. You''re such a stubborn and unreasonable woman!" he


    announced firmly.


    ''I''m stubborn? Fine, yeah, I am. But unreasonable? Seriously? So everything I did, all my dreams of


    him and me, just made him hate me!'' she thought sadly.


    She turned around and red at the expressionless man. Gnashing her teeth, she asked, "Anyone tell


    you you''re an absolute jerk?"


    Her eyes became redder. He replied calmly, "Nope." His men would always tell him he was a demon.


    Maybe that was the same thing, but he didn''t care.

 Chapter 543 I Dont Deserve It

    Chapter 543 I Don''t Deserve It


    ir clenched her fists and lifted them in front of Wesley, threatening to punch him in the face. But


    instead of moving a muscle to defend himself, he stood rooted to the spot and smirked.


    ir felt humiliated about being looked down upon by the man she loved.


    She knew nothing about martial arts. But at that moment, she wished she did. If she were as skilled as


    he was, she would have surely taught him a lesson. She would have beaten him to the ground and


    made him beg her for mercy.


    "Whether you love me or not, that''s your choice. You''re free to decide. I admit that I do love you, but I


    won''t let you humiliate me like that!" ir said angrily.


    Wesley had figured out her feelings for him long ago. But this was the first time he had heard her say


    tantly that she loved him. He looked at her, aplicated look in his eyes. "I don''t need anyone''s


    love," he dered coldly.


    He couldn''t promise any woman a bright future. That was the kind of life he led. So, he didn''t want to


    love anyone, nor did he need anyone''s love.


    ir seethed in anger. She was hurt once again by his sharp words.


    "Oh really? Then please, doe back to your apartment more often and stop trying to avoid me by


    taking the stairs. You know my physical strength is no match to yours. I can''t take the stupid stairs! So,


    take the damn elevator with me! And mark my words, I''ll make you fall in love with me one day. You''ll


    have to take back your words when that momentes."


    Wesley didn''t care about her provocation. He said, "Don''t bother. I won''t fall in love with a woman who


    can''t even take the stairs with me."


    ir breathed heavily, unable to utter another word. Tears threatened to fall from her reddened eyes.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    When Talbot ran back to them gasping for air, he saw ir trying to kick Wesley in his shins.


    He was taken aback by shock and surprise. ''What the hell is she doing? That''s Wesley, the military


    hero! Why is she trying to kick him? Is she nuts?'' Of course, ir failed to make contact with his body.


    Wesley easily sidestepped her attack and she only managed to kick the air.


    Frustrated, ir felt like she was about to explode. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Why do


    you bully me like this every time?" she protested.


    Ignoring her question, Wesley walked up to Talbot and took the ointment from his hand. He extended


    the ointment to ir and said in the same cold tone, "Stop crying. Apply the ointment to your arm."


    Ignoring his words, she walked past him and to Talbot. She pulled out her phone and asked with a


    slight sob, "I''ll add your WeChat ount and return you the money."


    In a daze, Talbot took out his phone and opened the WeChat app. "I''ll send you a friend request."


    Wesley silently watched them add each other''s WeChat ount. Talbot asked ir, "Your ount


    name is ''Bless?''"


    ir replied in a low voice, "Yeah. Joslyn, my best friend, always calls me ''Bless, '' so I use that name."


    After adding each other''s ount, she said, "Thank you for buying me the ointment. How much was it?


    I''ll pay you via WeChat."


    Talbot shook his head. "No need."


    "I need to. Otherwise, I won''t use that ointment," ir insisted.


    Talbot shifted his gaze to Wesley, expecting a reply from his leader. But Wesley said nothing, still


    maintaining his expressionless face. Left with no choice, Talbot said, "Fifteen dors."


    ir nodded and began to walk away as she typed the password on her WeChat Pay. Talbot called out


    to stop her. "ir, you haven''t taken your ointment."


    After transferring the money, ir turned around and told him sarcastically, "Your great leader has


    touched it with his holy hands, so I don''t deserve to use it anymore. I''ll buy another one myself."


    But she still thanked Talbot. She decided to buy him a drink next time.


    Then she left. Talbot was confused about the whole situation.


    "Well¡­That was¡­" ''What''s going on between them?'' he wondered. He shifted his gaze from ir''s


    receding figure to Wesley, who was still holding the ointment in his hand. Talbot was at a loss for what


    he should do next.


    Joslyn saw ir walking in her direction, so she hastily ran towards her. But before she could reach


    ir, Wesley caught up to her.


    He slipped the ointment into ir''s hand and said, "Talbot bought this for you, not for me. And you''re


    the one who is scalded. Take it!"


    Without giving her the chance to retort, he quickly disappeared from the canteen.


    ''Yes, Talbot bought it. But on your order, Wesley!'' ir sulked. If there weren''t so many students


    watching them, she would have tossed it at his face.


    After Wesley left, the other soldiers in camouge uniforms got up and left the canteen in no time.


    Meanwhile, ir was surrounded by a group of girls before she could say a word to Joslyn. "ir, do


    you know Wesley?"


    "Why does he treat you so well? He gave you first aid himself."


    "What''s the rtionship between you two?"


    The girls bombarded ir with a barrage of questions. To avoid more trouble, she shook her head


    vigorously. "No, no. I don''t know him. He once trained Joslyn and me in the college ground. That''s all."


    Her reply disappointed the girls. They sighed with pity and dispersed.


    After the girls left, the boy student, who had knocked into ir earlier, came over to apologize to her.


    "ir, I''m really sorry. I didn''t mean to do it. How about I take you to the clinic now?"


    ir took a look at her scalded arm. A few blisters had formed on the scalds. But she said, "No. I''ll try


    applying the ointment first. If that doesn''t work, I''ll go see a doctor."


    The boy nodded. After his friends reminded him, he exchanged contact information with ir. He told


    her that if she needed any help, she could call him at any time.


    ir and Joslyn left the canteen and walked to a pavilion on the campus. Joslyn helped ir apply the


    ointment to the wound. As she wiped her hands with a wet tissue, Joslyn asked, "Did you two quarrel?"


    ir shook her head. "We''re not a couple. Not that close to have a quarrel. But he looked down on me.


    Joslyn, what do I see in him? Why would I fall in love with such a sharp-tongued man? He doesn''t


    deserve to have a girlfriend!"


    Joslyn was surprised by ir''s anger. "What on earth happened? What did he say to you? Why are


    you so angry?" ir was a soft and patient girl. She always smiled to everyone. Joslyn seldom saw her


    like this.


    ''Maybe she loves Wesley so much that she cares about every word thates out of his mouth, ''


    Joslyn reckoned.


    ir felt embarrassed to repeat Wesley''s words. She blew on her scalded arm and said, "Whatever, he


    did look down on me. Joslyn, I don''t want to love him anymore. He''s such a jerk!"


    Joslyn sighed. "If you can control your feelings, then just forget about him."


    Like many young girls, ir had had her first awakening of love when she was around seventeen years


    old.


    She used to admire Wesley as her idol for two years. Then when she was neen, their paths had


    finally crossed. Since then, she had secretly loved him and had tried to pursue him. So, to be precise,


    she had loved him for more than three years.


    The two girls silently sat on the bench of the pavilion, watching the studentse and go around the


    campus. asionally, they could hear some students gossiping about ir and Wesley. It seemed like


    the students had already begun to put their names together.


    On their way back to the ssroom, they walked past the training ground and saw arge group of


    students in a circle. Thunderous exmation and apuse arose from the crowd.


    Joslyn excitedly dragged ir towards the crowd. "Bless, let''s go have a look. I heard some girls


    exim about someone being very handsome. There must be some hot men in the training


    ground!"

 Chapter 544 Her Fair Skin

    Chapter 544 Her Fair Skin


    The words "handsome" or "beautiful" always get people''s attention. Hearing Joslyn say this, ir


    merely nodded and followed her into the crowd of students.


    Much to ir''s surprise, she discovered Wesley and the other drillmasters were onsite at the training


    ground.


    Wesley led the other drillmasters in regr military exercises, like lying down, crawling on the belly and


    crawling in different postures. Every soldier needed to finish a whole set of exercises.


    ir elbowed her way to the front row and watched them training with keen interest. Now the soldiers


    were practicing capturing techniques, roundhouse kicks, wrestling, throwing left and right hooks, and


    switching opponents. The crowd was excited by the show.


    Then the most interesting part: More than ten drillmasters surrounded Wesley, backing him into the


    metaphorical corner. He had no choice but to fight back. In the blink of an eye, all of his opponents


    were dispatched¡ªthrown to the ground, or signaling they were unable to continue.


    The deafening screams from the crowd made ir''s ears ring. Nheless, she ignored it and locked


    her eyes on the handsome and capable man, eyes glimmering with admiration. The way Wesley took


    down his own men was so cool that she wanted to scream as well.


    Her anger towards him vanished into thin air. Shepletely forgot what she had said earlier. Drawing


    closer to Joslyn, ir whispered, "I take it all back. He''s so hot and I''m not giving up on him now." He


    was sharp-tongued. But his handsome face and his nearly superhuman ability outweighed his


    shorings.


    ''I knew it.'' Joslyn rolled her eyes at ir and said, "Good luck to you. If you can win over a guy like


    that, you''ll feel secure every night in his arms."


    Practically drooling, ir nodded and echoed her words, "Agreed."


    After a day''s sses, ir and Joslyn had dinner together and then went their separate ways.


    It wasn''t until she was back home that ir found her body temperature was a little high. She touched


    her forehead. It seemed like she had a fever.


    She sighed gloomily. One misfortune followed another.


    She was held hostage in the library, got heatstroke on the yground, scalded her arm at the cafeteria


    and now had a fever. Probably, the fever was caused by her burn. But she did have quite a week.


    Drained of energy, ir changed into her pajamas without a shower, and then climbed onto bed.


    She had just closed her eyes when the doorbell rang. ''Who is it now? It''ste, '' she wondered. After


    she trudged across her apartment, she pulled open the door. Wesley was there, gasping for breath like


    he''d just run a marathon.


    She guessed he must''ve taken the stairs, rather than the elevator. Expressionless, she said, "Hi, Mr.


    Li."


    Wesley threw her a quick nce. "Your uncle asked me to check on you."


    ''Uncle Adalson is so concerned about my love life. He helps out a lot, '' she thought, though her head


    was heavy and all she wanted was rest. ir merely nodded and added, "Thanks."


    She didn''t invite him in, and he really didn''t want to do that, either.


    He looked at her arm¡ªshe had thered some ointment on it. "How''s the arm?"


    "Better. I put some ointment on it. Thanks for your concern, Mr. Li."


    Wesley nodded his head. Before he left, he caught a glimpse of her bright red and weary face. Her


    eyelids drooped. She didn''t seem all right. But he didn''t press the issue.


    Watching him go back to his apartment and shut the door without giving her a second nce, ir


    smiled bitterly and closed her own door.


    She plodded back to her bedroom and hit the hay at once. She was fast asleep in no time, thanks to


    the fever.


    It barely seemed like she closed her eyes when a doorbell invaded her sleep. But it was faint. She


    wondered if she was dreaming. She kept her eyes closed and drifted off.


    Wesley stood outside her apartment and called Adalson. "Hi Uncle Adalson, what''s the password to


    ir''s apartment?"


    On the other side of the line, Adalson was stunned for a moment. "Why? What''s up? Is she okay?"


    Wesley thought of ir''s red face earlier and replied, "I know what I said, but something didn''t feel


    right. I''m ringing her doorbell, and she''s not answering."


    Adalson told him the password and reminded him, "Let me know!"


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    "Sure, Uncle."


    In her dream, ir felt a big hand on her forehead. She wanted to open her eyes to see who it was, but


    no matter how she tried, she just couldn''t open her heavy lids.


    At the hospital


    Wesley silently watched the girl lying in the hospital bed. She was put on a drip. He called Adalson.


    "She has a high fever¡ª39.8 degrees Celsius. Her burn wounds are infected. She''s been put on a drip


    in the hospital."


    Adalson frowned deeply. "39.8? Wow. She can''t even take care of herself? I''m busy these days.


    Hartwell just left the city and her parents..." He paused, let out a sigh and continued, "Wesley, please


    take care of her for me, for just a few days."


    Wesley looked up at the ceiling, baffled. After a moment''s silence, he promised, "Don''t worry, Uncle


    Adalson. I got this."


    After ending the call, he returned to the ward and sat down in a chair beside the bed. He fixed his eyes


    on the sleeping girl.


    He remembered how she red at him at noon. She was full of life then, but now shey motionless in


    the hospital bed, with an IV drop.


    When he checked on her the first time, she didn''t look that bad. The second time, she''d fallen into a


    stupor induced by the high fever.


    He felt so helpless. Why didn''t she take care of herself?


    After thinking for a moment, he stood up from his chair and grabbed a cotton ball. He dipped it in a


    ss of water and cleaned her wounds. After that, he applied the new ointment to her arm.


    She trembled a little in her sleep, maybe because it stung. Wesley adjusted his technique and did it


    more tenderly and carefully.


    He noticed theplexion difference between his arm and hers. Her skin was fair and creamy-white.


    It looked as soft as a baby girl''s arm.


    Wesley put the ointment away. Hardly thinking about it, he took her small left hand in his big one.


    It felt so soft and smooth. He had never felt anything like this. He totally lost himself in this special


    feeling.


    Niles hade to the military hospital with his teacher to attend a medical seminar. It wasn''t easy to


    get a chance to attend that seminar, so he had hurried here. He heard from an acquaintance that


    Wesley was there too. He asked the ward number and came to see his brother. When he was about to


    push the door open, he was taken aback at what he saw through the windows in the door.


    ''Oh my God! Will wonders never cease?


    That''s my idiot brother! And he''s holding a woman''s hand!'' Niles eximed in his mind.


    An idea popped up in his head, and immediately, he took out his phone, switched it to silent mode and


    aimed the camera at the pair inside.


    Wesley was supposed to be pretty savvy and aware of his surroundings. He was hard to sneak up on.


    But since he was so engrossed by the touch of ir''s hand, his guard was down. He didn''t know Niles


    was standing at the doorway, snapping pics.


    Suddenly, Wesley came back to his senses. Realizing what he was doing, he was flustered and


    dropped her hand at once.


    He shot to his feet and ran his fingers through his hair, annoyed.


    Niles carefully put his phone back into his pocket and politely knocked on the door beforeing in.


    "Oh! Hey, Wesley."


    Wesley wasn''t surprised to see Niles. Or if he was, he didn''t show it. Instead of exining anything, he


    said, "You came at the right time. Watch her. I need a smoke."

 Chapter 545 Wesley Was Guilty

    Chapter 545 Wesley Was Guilty


    Before Niles could say a word, Wesley fled from the ward at lightning speed.


    Niles could do nothing but watch him disappear from sight. He figured that his brother was fleeing


    because he was guilty. The truth was that Wesley indeed felt guilty for his stupid behavior.


    If word got out that he had covertly touched a woman''s hand, he would be so embarrassed to face the


    soldiers and would beughed at by others in the army. ''It''s all her fault. Women are serious trouble!''


    Wesley thought angrily as he left the ward.


    Inside the ward, Niles quietly approached the hospital bed. The woman was lying in it with her eyes


    closed. Curiosity filled his entire system. He wondered what kind of woman she was. Even the


    righteous Wesley was tempted by her.


    As he took a closer look, Niles found that she was pretty young, probably under twenty. She had long,


    ck hair. Her small, lightplexioned face was flushed because of the high fever. She had beautiful


    facial features¡ªa small nose, cute and plump lips, and long eyshes. Although her eyes were closed


    and she didn''t look healthy at that moment, he could tell that she was a pretty girl.


    As he continued staring at her face, Niles started to feel that she looked a bit familiar. He tried to ce


    the face in his mind. ''Wait! She''s that outstanding interpreter who attended the research seminar held


    by my school and the British Medical University!''


    Niles was shocked when he realized who she was.


    He remembered that he had sat in the first row at that research seminar. He was so impressed by her


    linguistic ability and adored her so much. After the seminar, he had even told his roommates that ir


    Jing would be his idol from then on.


    And now his idol was in front of him and maybe, she would be his sister-inw some day in the


    future. His eyes shone and excitement flooded through him.


    If ir and Wesley became a couple, then he would be able to see his idol every day. That sounded


    good. No, that sounded perfect!


    But then, Niles frowned. His elder brother was such a blockhead when it came to matters of love.


    Judging from Wesley''s flustered reaction earlier, it looked like they weren''t even dating yet.


    ''Looks like I need to do my brother this huge favor, '' Niles thought mischievously.


    Two minutester, he rushed out of the ward and found Wesley smoking in the exit passageway.


    "Wesley, is ir your girlfriend?"


    Wesley turned to look at him with his eyebrows raised sharply and questioned, "You know her?"


    "Yes. Just answer the question, will you?" Niles was anxious to know the status of their rtionship at


    that moment.


    Wesley exhaled a mouthful of smoke. "No."


    Niles grinned and stared at the aloof man with so much enthusiasm in his eyes. "So, how do you know


    her? What do you think about her? She''s a nice girl, right?"


    Wesley wasn''t happy with the expectant expression on Niles'' face. His younger brother was speaking


    in a way as if he were asking his family''s opinion about his own girlfriend.


    "Not very impressed," Wesley said tly, put out the cigarette and threw it into the trash can.


    "Why not? She''s an outstanding person. Although she hasn''t graduated yet, she has already mastered


    fournguages, especially English! She speaks English like a native. I once heard her speech. It was


    amazing!" Niles tried to highlight ir''s achievements to Wesley.


    Wesley cast him a sidelong nce and said nonchntly, "I know sixnguages. Do you hear me brag


    about it?"


    With that, he turned and walked away without another word, leaving Niles in a fix.


    It dawned on Niles that his elder brother was remarkably outstanding too. ''I was too excited about ir


    to remember that, '' he sighed inwardly. But he wasn''t going to give up. He hastily caught up to Wesley,


    who was about to open the door to ir''s ward. "Wesley, is it that difficult for you to acknowledge how


    amazing she is?" Niles asked persistently.


    Wesley''s hand froze on the door handle. He tilted his head to look at Niles. "I never said that she''s not."


    Niles chuckled. "Be straightforward, Brother. So, do you think it''s okay for me to pursue her?"


    ''Pursue her?'' Aplicated look shed in Wesley''s eyes. He spat icily, "I don''t think that''s a good


    idea."


    He then pushed the door open and walked in. Niles tried to follow him in, but the door was already


    locked. Confused, he peeked through the window and saw that Wesley had bolted the door from


    inside.


    Niles couldn''t believe his eyes. Without giving him a second nce, Wesley walked straight to the


    hospital bed, sat in the chair and continued to watch the infusion bottle.


    ''Not very impressed, huh? Not a good idea to pursue her? Humph! You are such a bad liar, Brother!''


    Niles thought with a smirk.


    Standing in front of the door, Niles texted the cold man. "Wesley, what do you mean by this?"


    Wesley texted back very soon. "You''re my brother. I can''t bear to see you make such a big mistake in


    your life. This woman is not good for you. Now get lost!"


    Even without looking at Wesley''s face, Niles could guess what kind of expression he was wearing.


    ''What ame excuse!'' Niles wasn''t convinced and texted again. "She''s pretty cute, isn''t she?"


    After sending the message, he peeked through the window to catch a good look at Wesley. Thetter


    was observing ir''s face after checking Niles'' message. Then, he wrote back, "Only on the outside.


    Women are good at hiding their true identity."


    ''So, he is saying that ir is just pretending to be cute? Tsk, tsk! Wesley, you horrible liar.''


    Niles let out a cold hum and put his phone away, not interested in replying to his brother''s oundish


    lies. He left the hospital and headed to the hotel to get some sleep. ''I''ll just leave him alone. Let him be


    single for the rest of his life!'' he sulked.


    Noticing that Niles had left, Wesley stood up and went to unlock the door.


    ir didn''t wake up until the next morning. She felt her whole body ache after the ufortable sleep.


    Even before she was fully conscious, she could smell the disinfectant in the air. She wondered why


    there was this smell at her home.


    "Awake?" She heard a familiar cold voice.


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    ''Wesley?'' She parted her eyelids abruptly.


    Wesley, who was sitting upright in a chair next to her bed, came into sight. Their eyes met.


    She blinked in confusion. Although she couldn''t make sense of the situation, it felt wonderful to see


    Wesley in front of her when she woke up in the morning. She wished she could see him every morning


    when she opened her eyes, for the rest of her life.


    Since she said nothing, Wesley continued to speak. "How are you feeling now? Does it hurt


    anywhere?"


    It was supposed to be a caring gesture. But he sounded indifferent, as if he was just asking what the


    weather was like today. ir concluded in her mind that Wesley was really a blockhead.


    He didn''t know how to carry a girl in his arms the right way, nor did he know how to be tender or show


    any care towards others.


    She shook her head, sighing inwardly.


    She shifted her gaze away from him and looked around the room. ''Am I in a ward?''


    Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Wesley exined, "This is a hospital. You had a feverst night."


    ''A fever? Oh...'' She finally got a grasp of the situation. No wonder she felt ache all over her body.


    "Did you bring me here?" she asked, although she more or less knew the answer.


    Wesley nodded and stood up from the chair. "Have your breakfast now."


    ir slowly sat up on the bed and asked casually, "What was my temperature when you brought me


    here?" She touched her forehead. It felt normal now. The fever was gone, but she felt a little tired.


    "39.8 degrees," he said.


    ir was taken aback. It had almost touched 40 degrees! ''Could the fever have affected my brain?


    Would I be stupid?'' But she still recognized Wesley, so her brain should be fine.

 Chapter 546 Goodbye, Sister-in-law

    Chapter 546 Goodbye, Sister-inw


    ir got out of the hospital bed and dragged her weak body to the bathroom to freshen up.


    When she was brushing her teeth, she noticed that her arm wasn''t as red and swollen as it was the day


    before. A newyer of ointment had been applied to the wound, nourishing her skin. It had a slight


    fragrance to it.


    She wondered who had applied the ointment to her wound. Was it Wesley, or a doctor?


    When she came out of the bathroom, Wesley had already left. She settled herself back on the bed, and


    wheeled the cart over that held the bowl of wontons and noodles. She then began eating. She was


    already half-done by the time Wesley came back with a few pieces of paper and some boxes of


    medicine in his hands.


    She looked at him, asking, "You eaten yet?"


    He shifted his gaze to her and nodded, "Mmm hmm."


    He quietly waited for her to finish before letting her know how to use the medicine. Staring at his


    serious profile, ir said sincerely, "Thank you, Wesley." It was good to be his neighbor. She felt


    protected, safe with him.


    And what if she were his girlfriend? She knew that feeling of security would be even more intense.


    Betraying no emotion, Wesley threw her a quick nce. "You''re wee." He handed the medicine to


    her and turned on his heels without a word.


    Breaking out of her reverie, ir found he was gone. She left the bed again, and jogged out of the


    ward. It wasn''t long before she caught up to him. He was waiting for her in front of the elevator.


    The doors opened. When they were about to step inside, they heard a panting voice call out, "Brother,


    Sister-inw..."


    ir was pretty sure that wasn''t for her, so she continued walking into the elevator. Wesley suddenly


    grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her out. The elevator doors closed again. She turned to look at


    him, confused.


    He coldly pointed to a young man gasping for air behind them. He was dressed in a blue shirt and a


    white gown, and obviously was out of breath, rushing to catch them before they boarded the elevator.


    The young doctor looked a little bit like Wesley, but hisplexion was much lighter.


    ir felt like she had seen him somewhere before.


    But that wasn''t important now. He just called Wesley "Brother" and referred to her as "Sister-inw!"


    ir looked around. This was a military hospital with heavy security, and almost no one was on this


    floor. At the moment, only the three of them stood in front of the elevator. ''Who is this guy? And why did


    he call me that?'' ir wondered, shocked.


    She then heard Wesley tell the young man off. "Dude! You okay? How are your eyes? How about your


    brain? Need a doctor?"


    Confused by his words, Niles looked at the unhappy man and rubbed his eyes. "No. What are you


    talking about?"


    "She''s not your sister-inw. So clearly you need an optometrist¡ªor a psychiatrist." As he was done


    speaking, he pressed the down button again, ready to go downstairs.


    Ignoring the bad-tempered man, Niles turned to look at the dazed girl, and greeted her with a big smile,


    "Hi ir. I''m Niles Li, Wesley''s younger brother. Actually, we met once at my university. You were the


    excellent English interpreter at the seminar..."


    With his reminder, ir finally remembered who he was. Surprise written all over her face, and she


    said excitedly, "Oh, it was you! I remember you made a speech as the student representative!"


    It turned out that he was Wesley''s brother. If she''d known that earlier, she would''ve been friendlier.


    The two greeted each other enthusiastically, as if they were old friends who hadn''t been together for a


    long time.


    Nodding vigorously, Niles said, "Yeah, that was me. Hey, your face still looks pale. You should maybe


    stay another couple days? I guess you''ve already been discharged." The elevator arrived on their floor


    again. Niles naturally followed them in.


    As ir walked inside, she replied, "Thanks, but I''m good. What I need now is rest, and I can do that at


    home."


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    Wesley had been listening to the two without a word. But his face had darkened considerably as they


    talked.


    They didn''t spend long in the elevator. As soon as they walked out of the inpatient department, a rush


    of hot air blew over their faces. The sun was hung high in the blue sky.


    Wesley continued walking forward. ir was about to follow him but Niles stopped her. "I think my


    brother''s bringing the car around. Just wait here. It''s too hot to walk."


    Niles was being so considerate. ir was moved. Too bad Wesley couldn''t be like that.


    Hearing him, Wesley turned around to look at his brother. He changed his mind and threw his car keys


    to the young doctor. "You can get the car."


    Niles reflexively cupped his hands to catch the car keys. Shocked, he asked, "Why me?"


    "Because I''m older. Just do it."


    Niles was speechless. He refused in a low voice, "No way."


    Wesley cast him a sharp look, and it was enough to make the young doctor cower in fear. "Okay, okay.


    Got it. We can''t be rted..."


    Nilesined as he began to walk away. Wesley and ir silently stood there waiting for him.


    Shortly, the car pulled up to the entrance of the inpatient department. Wesley opened the passenger


    door. Without thinking much, ir headed to the back door. Wesley stopped her and said, "You take


    shotgun."


    She caught a glimpse of the vacant passenger seat, and obediently, she climbed in.


    And she literally climbed, bracing one foot on the running board and holding on to the handle on the


    side. The vehicle was pretty high up.


    Meanwhile, Niles jumped out of the driver''s seat and headed inside the building, where the air-


    conditioner was blowing cool air. He waved goodbye to them from the entrance. "Goodbye, Brother and


    Sister-inw!"


    That was the second time he called her "Sister-inw." She shook her head. "Hey, I''m not..." However,


    Niles had already hurried inside. He didn''t want to be around them in case Wesley tried to punch him.


    Embarrassed, she looked at the sullen man.


    Sulking silently, he sat in the driver''s seat and started the car. "Don''t mind him. He''s an idiot, and has


    been since we were kids. I''ll teach him a lesson next time."


    ''What? An idiot? An idiot made a speech on behalf of his school?''


    ir was confused. Was he trying to say there was nothing between them?


    He skillfully turned the wheel and drove the car away. "Don''t worry about it," she said. "I know he was


    just joking. He''s only a kid."


    Wesley gave her a sidelong nce. "A kid? You guys aren''t that far apart in age. You may be just a few


    months older."


    "A few months or a few years, he''s still younger. He''s lively and carefree, like a child."


    Wesley said nothing, lost in his own thoughts.


    When they rounded a corner, his phone suddenly rang. As soon as he tapped on the screen of the in-


    car phone, a man''s voice echoed through the car. "Wesley, we have a priority alert. Need you ASAP."


    "Understood!" Wesley''s face turned serious. He made a U-turn and was about to head to his toon.

 Chapter 547 Your Girlfriends So Hot

    Chapter 547 Your Girlfriend''s So Hot


    ir knew that a soldier could be called to duty at a moment''s notice. She told him, "If you have


    something urgent to handle, just drop me off here. I''ll just get a cab."


    Wesley mulled it over. He did have to get going. But when he saw her face, still drained of color, he


    thought better of it. He didn''t even slow down. "No, it''s okay."


    ir was surprised, but said nothing.


    She was brought to the ce where he worked. As soon as his car pulled into the parking lot, a few


    men dressed in army-green shirts came and surrounded Wesley, who was getting out. "Chief! You''re


    finally here. Please report to Mr. Zhao''s office now."


    Wesley closed the car door. Without responding to his men, he walked around the car to the passenger


    door.


    The soldiers followed their leader and kept urging him. But they all shut up when the passenger door


    was pulled open. Their eyes widened in shock. A woman was sitting in the passenger seat, wondering


    if she should get out.


    Seeing her indecisiveness, Wesley actively helped her unfasten the seat belt, while talking fast. "My


    office is on the third floor, first room on the left; your uncle''s office is on the fourth floor, second room on


    the right. Head there and wait for me. I''lle find you when I get a chance."


    ir nodded her head. She moved slowly in the seat, looked down at the ground and carefully


    stretched out a leg. His vehicle was so high andrge that she needed to get out of it carefully, holding


    the handle like when she got in.


    Seeing she had bnce issues, Wesley held her hand, and wrapped the other around her waist when


    she was halfway down. Straightaway, he took her into his arms and let her get to her feet. The other


    soldiers were even more shocked by this scene, their jaws dropped. Wesley ignored their curious looks


    and pointed in the direction of his office.


    ir smiled at Wesley''s men, greeting them with a nod. After that, she headed towards the office


    building.


    As soon as she left the parking lot, the soldiers all besieged their leader and said with keen interest,


    "Nice going, Chief! She''s cute."


    "Finally. We were wondering why you never dated any girls. When did you get a girlfriend? You''ve been


    holding out on us. Jerkwad."


    "Your girlfriend''s so hot. Bring her around more often! Work will get more interesting."


    The soldiers were so excited that some of them were pulling on him. Wesley pped their hands away


    and exined, "Knock it off. She''s not my girlfriend. She''s Lieutenant General Ji''s niece."


    Nheless, before Wesley could reach his superior''s office, ir became the topic of hushed gossip


    around the instation.


    ir was oblivious to this. She was still a little weak, and chose to wait for Wesley in his third floor


    office. She was curious about his workspace anyway.


    Wesley''s colleagues stared at her as she pushed open the door to his office.


    Although she was Adalson''s niece, she had nevere here. This wasn''t a ce that anyone could


    come and go as they wished.


    It was the first time she had been here, and Wesley brought her here himself. Curiosity filled her heart


    as she ran her eyes over each item in his office.


    His office looked more or less the same as what she had seen on TV. The decoration was simple, low-


    key but solemn. There was arge desk in the middle, a few chairs, a cab, and a lot of books and


    folders that lined the bookshelves.


    On the desk were a few buttons for the inte, a ss, andline phone and some other stationery.


    A dozen certificates and awards hung on one of the walls. Wesley had earned a ton of honors.


    She sat down in Wesley''s chair and randomly flipped through a few documents. Of course, those were


    just somemon files like attendance records. The confidential ones were all locked somewhere


    beyond her reach.


    After absentmindedly flipping through papers for a few minutes, she put them back and pulled out her


    phone. She began to text Joslyn. "Joslyn, guess where I am now?"


    Joslyn had just woken up when she got ir''s message. "You don''t have sses today. Why are you


    up so early? Where are you?" She didn''t know of ir''s high feverst night.


    "Early? Look at the time! It''s nearly noon!"


    Unconvinced, Joslyn retorted, "I know. But since you''ve already gone somewhere, you had to be up


    early. Get it?"


    ir sent the ellipsis to mean that she was speechless. Then she sent another message to answer the


    question herself. "I''m in Wesley''s office."


    Joslyn sent an astonished face emoji. "Were you with Wesley all morning? You two dating now?"


    "We were together." ir didn''t want Joslyn to worry about her so she didn''t tell her about the fever.


    "But we''re not dating," she added.


    They were far from dating. Nothing changed. Wesley was as cold to her as usual.


    "Never mind, Bless. You''re in his office! That''s amazing! And a great opportunity. No one else has


    gotten this far with him."


    Joslyn''sforting words made ir smile. Her friend always encouraged her. "Uh huh. I''ll try harder.


    Thanks, dear."


    "I''ll stop interrupting you and Mr. Li. I''m gonna go brush my teeth. Bye now."


    "Bye."


    After that, ir browsed her WeChat Moments for a while, but Wesley was still busy.


    Now she was starting to feel drowsy. She was probably still recovering. So shey her head down on


    the desk to take a nap. When she started to drift off, the sound of the door opening jarred her awake.


    Abruptly, she raised her head and sat straight up. Through her sleepy eyes, she saw Wesleying in.


    Seeing her drowsy look, he knew at once what was going on. "I''ll drive you home now." He should have


    asked her to wait for him in his dorm, rather than his office. The girl looked really tired.


    Dazed, ir rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. "Get your work done?"


    "Mmm hmm."


    When they left the office, some of Wesley''s colleagues craned their necks to look at them. ir noticed


    and asked, "Wesley, what are they looking at?"


    Looking straight ahead, he answered outright, "You."


    "Why?"


    Wesley continued descending the stairs. He caught a glimpse of her when he turned a corner and


    exined, "You''re the niece of Lieutenant General Ji. They''ve never seen you before."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Oh, I see..."


    After the two werepletely out of sight, the group of men hidden in the corner began to gossip.


    "Wow, she''s gorgeous."


    "Yeah she is. She got such nice eyes, and the way she rolls them..." One of them clutched his heart to


    make his point. "But he''s so bad-tempered. What does she see in him?"


    "Maybe he''s more tender to her than he is with us."


    "Point taken. So I wonder if he''s marrying into Lieutenant General Ji''s family."


    "Maybe. He''d be smart to do it. He''d work his way through the ranks quickly."


    The fervent discussions didn''t subside even after the pair had left the office building.


    Wesley escorted ir back home. He watched as she unlocked the door to her apartment. He followed


    her in.


    Out of habit, he vigntly walked around her apartment to check if there were any safety problems.


    After confirming that everything was safe, he walked towards the door and said, "Get some rest. I


    should jet."


    ir suddenly called out, "Wait."


    Heced up his boots before turning around to look at her.

 Chapter 548 Let Me Be Your Girlfriend

    Chapter 548 Let Me Be Your Girlfriend


    ir strolled over, stood in front of Wesley and looked up at him. He frowned in confusion. Suddenly,


    she put her hands on his strong waist, stood on tiptoe, and quickly nted a kiss on his lips. "Thanks


    for your help."


    Last time, she kissed the corner of his lips, but this time, her kiss fell fully on his lips. She was getting


    bolder.


    ir was wallowing in the smugness when Wesley suddenly leaned forward. She was startled and


    instinctively took a step back. ''What does he want to do? Will he kill me just because I kissed him?'' she


    wondered.


    "ir."


    "Yes?" Was this the first time he said her name? It sounded so great!


    "I don''t love you." His cold and straightforward words rang in her ears.


    ir grinned, a hint of unnoticeable bitterness lingering on her lips. "I know." She was the one crushing


    on him, not the other way round. In a rtionship, whoever falls in love first hurts more. ir was well


    aware of that.


    It only proved that Wesley was a good man. He didn''t love her, so he turned her down from the start.


    Quickly. It was better than stringing her along.


    Wesley felt a headacheing on. She was quite stubborn so he decided to be blunt. He exined


    further, "I''m only 24. I don''t have time for love. I don''t need it. My job is to serve my country and its


    people. That''s it. That''s what I was born to do."


    "Wesley Li," she suddenly called out, interrupting him.


    "What?"


    "You''re a grown-up. You can marry and have kids and still be a soldier. Plenty of military types do that.


    And I''m not asking you to marry me now. Let''s just date. I promise I won''t bother you when you''re


    working." ir didn''t know where she got the confidence to say things like that. She knew it was now or


    never. She probably wouldn''t be that bold a second time.


    Wesley gave her a long look. "No, it''s not in the cards, okay? Don''t kiss me again. Keep your hands¡ª


    and your lips¡ªto yourself, and we can still be friends."


    "Friends..." She hesitated for a second. "I can''t just be your friend. I love you."


    "I told you, I don''t love you. Hate me if you have to, but just leave me alone." He left her apartment after


    dropping thest words.


    ir took a deep breath and ran to the doorway. "Hey, I can''t cook tonight. You hungry? We could


    order some takeout."


    Wesley pressed the down button on the elevator panel and turned around. He red. The girl hid her


    body behind the door, leaving only her head visible in the doorway, staring at him with sparkling eyes.


    He wondered why he had to care about her dinner. "I''ll order takeout for you."


    ir was relieved. He didn''t ask her to order takeout herself.


    So she decided to keep going. "But can''t you cook too? I cooked for youst time. Now it''s your turn.


    Fair''s fair, right?"


    The elevator hadn''t arrived yet. Wesley became a little impatient and had an urge to bolt for the


    stairwell. "What do you want for dinner?"


    Maybe he was a softie, or maybe she was getting to him. He had bluntly rejected her just a few minutes


    ago, and now he was caving to her. "Anything is okay. I''m not particr about food. I''m easy to


    please..."


    Not waiting for her to stop talking, Wesley hastily strode into the elevator as soon as the doors opened.


    When he turned around and made eye contact with her, she blew him a kiss before the doors closed.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Inside the elevator, Wesley closed his eyes in frustration. He wondered why he listened to her. All he


    wanted to do was head back to work.


    He hurt her, true, but the girl didn''t back down. She kept making excuses to be together even after that.


    Wesley felt even more frustrated.


    On the other hand, after closing the apartment door, ir leaned against it, the smile fading from her


    face.


    His words stung her heart.


    She felt sad. She loved him so much that she cared about every word that flew from his mouth.


    But she wouldn''t give up so easily. Otherwise everything would be in vain. She needed to strive for her


    happiness.


    ir caught some zzz''s. When she woke up, it was nearly five in the afternoon. Wesley would be off


    work in about two hours.


    She felt much better after a good rest. She went to the bathroom for a hot shower, and then began to


    clean her house.


    Around half past seven, she heard the elevator open, for she had kept her apartment door ajar for just


    that purpose. In an instant, she dropped everything and hurried outside. To her surprise, she saw


    Talbot emerge from the elevator with arge bag of ingredients and groceries in his hands.


    Their eyes met. Talbot''s eyes were as wide as saucers as he shifted his gaze between ir''s


    apartment and Wesley''s apartment. "You two are... neighbors?"


    ir nodded, "Yeah. Where''s Wesley?"


    "He''s parking the car," Talbot said.


    "Oh," ir responded. She pointed at the bag in his hand and asked tentatively, "Are you the cook


    tonight?"


    "Yeah. You know what? I''m an awesome cook. My unit can''t wait to taste my cooking," he said proudly.


    ir nodded and echoed his words. "I can''t wait, either." Meanwhile, she thought to herself, ''No wonder


    Wesley didn''t turn me down. He''s not cooking.''


    When they were chatting happily, the elevator doors opened again. Wesley walked out and saw them


    standing in the corridor. He asked Talbot, "Why are you just standing there?"


    "You didn''t give me the keys," Talbot said innocently.


    Wesley walked towards ir''s apartment as he said, "Isn''t the door open?"


    Talbot''s lips twitched as he didn''t know what to say. Wesley had asked him toe and cook for a


    patient. So it was ir? He thought it was Megan! After all, Megan''s health was bad and she was the


    only girl he''d ever seen Wesley with.


    It turned out Wesley had asked him to cook for ir.


    ir was surprised too. She didn''t expect they would be cooking in her apartment. She moved aside to


    allow Wesley to get in. "In my house?"


    "Yeah. Know how long it''s been since I cooked?" Thinking of something, he turned around to look at


    Talbot, who was still in a daze. "Get in there. I''m going back home to change."


    Talbot nodded and ran towards ir''s apartment.


    Wesley headed over to his own ce. Talbot changed into a pair of clean slippers that ir gave to


    him. As he walked inside, he asked curiously, "So how long have you known Wesley?"


    ir thought for a second before answering, "A long time. But we didn''t really get to know each other."


    "So...are you two... close with each other now?" Talbot asked with an evil smile.


    ir shook her head. "No. But we know each other a little better. After all, we''re neighbors. And he


    helped me out a few times."


    "Oh..." Talbot nodded. He took out the ingredients from the bag while running his eyes over her


    apartment. "Your apartment is pretty much the same as our dear leader''s. It''s warmer here somehow,


    and morefortable."


    ir helped him carry the food to the kitchen. "It''s the decorations."


    "Yeah, maybe."


    ir told him where all the cooking utensils were. In the end, she said, "Sorry for the trouble. Thank


    you for cooking for me tonight."


    Talbot shook his head. "We''re good. I like it. Wait out in the dining room. I''ll take care of everything in


    the kitchen."


    "No, I can stay. I''ll help you wash the vegetables." Her arm was hurt but it wasn''t a big deal to wash the


    vegetables.

 Chapter 549 Blair Was Green With Envy

    Chapter 549 ir Was Green With Envy


    "Get out of here," Talbot said in a teasing tone. "I''m used to working my magic alone." He shed ir


    a disarming smile.


    "Okay. I''ll leave you alone. Call me if you need me," ir offered.


    "Sure."


    After leaving the kitchen, ir returned to her bedroom and began to clean. She straightened the


    furniture, dusted around the trim, and smoothed out the covers on her bed.


    By the time she was done, Wesley still hadn''t arrived. She sat on the sofa, watching TV to kill time.


    After a while, the doorbell rang.


    She sprang up from the sofa and made her way to the door. Wesley had just had a shower and looked


    quite fresh. ir pouted andined, "I thought you were going to cook for me."


    Casting a casual nce at Talbot, who was busy cooking in the kitchen, Wesley said indifferently, "You


    get fed either way. What''s the difference?"


    ''I want to taste your cooking. That''s the difference, '' ir thought to herself.


    Noticing a dash of disappointment shing through her eyes, Wesley exined, "I''m so bad I can burn


    water. Talbot''s a top-flight cook. He won first ce in apetitionst year." What he said was true.


    Although he knew how to cook, the food he cooked could only be described as edible, far from


    delicious.


    ir was still recovering from a fever. Talbot had learned how to cook ideal meals for patients and


    people getting over illnesses. He had done it for his father more than a few times.


    That was why Wesley had asked him to cook for ir.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    "Got it," ir nodded, but her expression showed that she was not convinced. ''He didn''t want to cook


    for me, and even found ame excuse.''


    Wesley could tell that she didn''t buy his exnation, but decided not to push the issue. He went to the


    kitchen to see if he could help Talbot, but the cook drove him out too.


    Seeing that ir was watching TV, Wesley came over and sat next to her, pulling out his phone to y


    a game.


    Within two minutes, his phone started ringing. ir couldn''t help but turn her head to look at him,


    wondering, ''It''ste. I wonder who that is. A coworker or a friend?''


    Wesley stood up and walked toward the balcony, phone to his ear. ir heard him say, "Hi, Megan."


    ''Megan? Who? Sounds like a girl''s name. Is that his girlfriend?


    Is she the girl I met at his apartment the other night? Hmmm... I wonder...''


    Thinking of this, ir put on her slippers and ran toward the kitchen to get some answers. In the


    kitchen, Talbot had already finished prep, and was about to start cooking in earnest.


    "Talbot!" ir said cheerfully.


    "Hi, Miss Jing. Dinner''s not ready yet." Talbot turned to look at her and saw that she closed the door to


    the kitchen.


    "Don''t call me Miss Jing. It''s just ir."


    "All right, ir!" Talbot gave her a shy smile.


    "So...um...who''s Megan?" Afraid that Wesley would hear her, ir whispered it in his ear.


    "Just a girl. Why do you ask?" Talbot shrugged.


    "Nothing. I''m just curious." ir tried her best to make herself sound indifferent.


    While cooking, Talbot answered honestly, "She''s a foster kid. Mr. Huo and our chief are her guardians.


    They''ve been really nice to her. Almost everyone in the city knows that much. Didn''t you?"


    "No." ir shook her head; she knew nothing about the upper-ss world.


    Wesley said something about Carlos the other day. After she hade back, she had searched for


    Carlos'' information online, but found nothing. It was her ssmate who told her who Carlos was.


    "She''s in high school and pretty cute. Our chief and Mr. Huo adore her."


    "Hmm." ''So they''re not rted. She''s in high school. I think I met her, then, '' ir thought to herself.


    ''Wesley adores her.'' ir was green with envy.


    Talbot picked up a slice of stewed beef and reached out his hand. "Try it. I found this at a delicatessen."


    ir took it from him and put it in her mouth. After finishing it, she smiled from ear to ear and praised,


    "That is so good!"


    "And easy to digest." Talbot turned on the gas burner and the fans under the range hood, and began to


    cook.


    Outside the kitchen, after Wesley hung up the phone and went back to the living room, he found ir


    was not there. He looked all around until his gaze fell on the kitchen. He happened to see Talbot


    handing ir a piece of beef. They were eating and chatting cheerfully.


    Standing there, he fixed his eyes on the man and woman, wondering, ''He kicked me out. Why not her?''


    The more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He went out to the balcony again, lit a


    cigarette and decided to stay out there to cool down.


    Eventually Talbot shooed ir out too. She stared at the balcony and saw Wesley out there, smoking.


    ''So he''s off the phone now. What did they talk about?''


    She plopped down on the sofa and yed on her phone.


    After he finished his cigarette, Wesley entered the living room and walked past ir. Smelling the


    tobo, she called out, "Wesley!"


    Wesley looked at her and then sat beside her.


    "Do you..." She wanted to ask, "Do you have feelings for anyone?" But on second thought, she decided


    not to ask. She didn''t really want to know, especially if the answer was "yes."


    She sighed and changed the subject. "Do you use WeChat?" she asked.


    Wesley knew that wasn''t what she was going to ask, but he decided not to worry about it. "I almost


    never use it."


    ''Seriously? Everyone uses WeChat!'' she thought. "Then how do you talk to your friends?" she asked.


    "Texting or calling," he answered honestly.


    "Then do you have a WeChat ount?"


    "Yes. But I''m hardly on there."


    ir rolled her eyes. "May I friend you?" They had known each other for a while, but she didn''t have


    his number.


    Wesley didn''t turn her down this time. He fished out his cell phone and tossed it to her. "Knock yourself


    out."


    ir picked his phone up. It was old, the OS was at least two years out of date. She swiped the screen,


    and it asked her for a PIN. "Password?"


    "1104."


    "Sounds like a birthday," she said casually.


    "Yeah. Megan''s." He didn''t feel the need to hide it from her. Megan had changed his password.


    ir froze for a moment. ''Megan again! She has him on a short leash.''


    Suddenly, she lost the desire to friend him.


    She threw his phone back to him. "Forget it," she spat.


    Wesley caught his phone. ''What''s her problem?'' he thought.


    Under his confused look, ir said in a sad voice, "I quit. You don''t care for me. I know you feel it''s


    your responsibility to help me. I''m sorry I came on to you."


    She sounded like a girl who had been hurt by her boyfriend.


    Wesley figured out what she was doing. He looked at his phone and asked, "You ying cat and


    mouse? Hoping I''ll feel sorry for you?"


    ''Seriously? Why does he know everything? Oh God! How embarrassing!''


    ir forced a smile and stammered, "You...you''re imagining things."


    Wesley sneered. He raised his phone and asked, "Sure you don''t want to friend me?"


    Being a proud girl, ir answered firmly, "No, I don''t."

 Chapter 550 A Wuss

    Chapter 550 A Wuss


    ir could only watch helplessly as Wesley put his phone back in his pocket.


    It wasn''t long after that Talbot finished cooking. When he walked out of the kitchen with a te of food,


    an awkward silence hung between ir and Wesley. But he was too slow to realize it. "Come and get


    it!"


    Wesley shot to his feet first and went to the kitchen to help Talbot set the table.


    ir followed him and began todle porridge for them.


    Just as she picked up thedle, someone stopped her. "You scalded your arm, remember? Let me do


    it," said Wesley.


    He took thedle away from her without a second thought and began to dish it out into the bowls.


    ir shrugged and sat at the dining room table, waiting for the two.


    Talbot''s cooking skills were amazing, like he said. ir raved about the dishes, telling him what a


    terrific cook he was.


    The cook, however, blushed. He tried to change the topic. "Have some more. Try this Chinese yam.


    Easy on the stomach and good for healing."


    ir nodded. "Thanks, Talbot." After she ate it, she eximed, "Wow! That''s really sweet!"


    "Of course! I picked it myself. Hey, you know how to pick Chinese yams?" ir shook her head, so


    Talbot continued, "Make sure they''re firm all the way around, and the skin isn''t all wrinkled. And you


    don''t want any cracks in it, either." It was obvious he was passionate about the subject.


    Wesley, who kept silent all this time, watched Talbot continue to heap food onto ir''s te while the


    twoughed happily. As time went by, anger rose in his heart.


    After dinner, ir sat on the sofa to get some rest.


    Talbot cleaned up, while Wesley washed the dishes.


    Talbot came over to Wesley and whispered in his ear, "What''s going on, Chief? Yeah, I saw you at


    dinner. You sure there''s nothing between you and her?"


    Wesley cast a scornful nce at him and asked in reply, "What''s it to you?"


    Talbot scratched the back of his head and gave him a shy smile. "I figured I''d ask her out. But if you like


    her, I''ll back off."


    Wesley pushed him away and spat out, "I don''t like her!" He had a murderous look on his face, his


    hands balled into fists. Talbot steeled himself in case Wesley tried to swing at him.


    This was not the way he expected the conversation to go. He took a few steps back, murmuring in a


    low voice, "Hey, hey. I''ll drop it, okay? You don''t like her."


    When Wesley said those words, ir happened to walk past the kitchen. "Hey, who were you guys


    talking about?" she asked casually.


    Talbot was still trying to defuse the situation, and still stunned at Wesley''s reaction. Without a second


    thought, he answered casually, "You."


    ir and Wesleypsed into shocked silence.


    There was no taking that one back.


    The moment Talbot uttered that word, he realized something wasn''t right. He raised his head and saw


    ir standing at the door to the kitchen.


    "No, no, not you. I meant me. Our chief said he didn''t like me," Talbot said hurriedly.


    ir smiled and patted his shoulder. "It''s fine. I know he doesn''t like me." ''He made that pretty clear, ''


    she thought, sad and dejected.


    "You already know?" Talbot asked with the utmost care.


    Still, Wesley remained silent.


    "Yeah. I''m the one with the crush. He probably has his pick. Are a lot of women into him?"


    The two acted as if Wesley weren''t right there. Talbot nodded. "Oh yeah. Don''t get upset. He doesn''t


    really date anyone. We''re used to it."


    "Fine. Seems like I''m no different from any other woman, at least where he''s concerned. Hey, Talbot.


    Do you like fruit? I''m putting together a fruit te," she offered and opened the refrigerator.


    Talbot put the mop away and took the apple from her hand. "Let me make it. I slice, I dice, but wait,


    there''s more," he said, mocking the knifemercials. irughed in delight at his wit.


    Since Wesley had no feelings for ir, Talbot decided to woo her. He thought he might have a chance.


    "Come on! I''m not disabled. You already cooked dinner," ir argued and took the apple back.


    "No, no! You''re still sick. Your arm is hurt, and you shouldn''t overextend yourself. I''ll make it," Talbot


    said anxiously.


    Before ir could even say another word, Wesley threw the chopsticks into the sink heavily, spilling


    water on the floor.


    The two who were fighting for the apple turned to look at the angry man at the same time. While


    holding half of the apple, Talbot asked his superior innocently, "What''s going on, Chief?"


    Wesley washed his hands under the running water and ordered, "You, wash the dishes!"


    "Yes, Chief!" Talbot answered by instinct. He let go of the apple.


    But ir didn''t have a good hold on it either, and it dropped onto the floor, rolling in Wesley''s direction.


    She was about to pick it up, but Wesley turned his foot sideways and kept it from rolling further. "Get


    out! You''re not well, and you need your rest!" he spat. Then he picked the apple up, walked to the


    refrigerator and took out several other varieties of fruit.


    ''Is he angry? Why?'' ir really couldn''t figure out the reason he was so hostile.


    ''Poor Talbot!


    He has to worry about hismanding officer blowing his top constantly. He cooked and cleaned, and


    now he still has to do the dishes.''


    Soon, Wesley brought the fruit tter out to the table. But when ir saw it, her face twitched. He


    simply had no cutting skills at all! The apple was simply cut in half. The dragon fruit was inrge,


    uneven pieces.


    He didn''t even remove the cantaloupe seeds.


    ir began to wonder whether Wesley could even cook. Maybe he wasn''t exaggerating about how bad


    he was.


    "Why aren''t you eating?" Wesley asked when ir didn''t move.


    Seeing no other choice, ir speared a piece of dragon fruit with her fork. It took her five bites to finish


    it!


    Instead of wondering if he cut it right, Wesley rolled his eyes and spat, "You could''ve finished it in one


    bite. If you didn''t want it, then why did I make it?" In order to prove himself, he picked up a piece of


    dragon fruit and ate it in one bite.


    "No, I''m full. I left it for you to enjoy," ir exined in a hurry.


    Wesley looked at the kitchen, and Talbot was still washing the dishes. They could clearly hear the


    tter of dishes and utensils, not to mention the running water. "Real men don''t eat sliced fruit!" Wesley


    said, deliberately loud enough for Talbot to hear. And Wesley wasn''t finished yet. "Wuss!" he snapped.


    ir couldn''t believe her ears.


    ''Seriously? Is he trying to mess with me?'' She took a deep breath to calm down. "Are you trashing


    fruit? How is a man supposed to eat fruit, then?" she asked in a calm voice.


    It took a Herculean effort to keep her voice even, because deep inside, she was quite unhappy.


    "Like this!" Wesley took a piece of apple which had been cut in half, and took arge bite. He ate so


    much of it that only a smaller bite would be needed to finish it off.


    ir''s eyes almost popped out of her head.


    She also realized Wesley was in a bad mood and would find something to bitch about no matter what


    she said or did. She decided that saying nothing was better than having her head bitten off.


    But she was wrong. Wesley was not trying to mess with her. For some reason, he was angry at Talbot,


    calling him a wuss. What a way to repay him for that delicious meal he cooked!Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    When Talbot finished washing the dishes and left the kitchen, his jaw dropped when he saw the fruit


    tter. He picked up a hunk of dragon fruit and looked at it, a dubious look on his face. "Chief, did you


    use a pickax to cut this?" he joked.


    Wesley was boiling with rage. "Fuck off. I worked my ass off to make this."


    "Sorry, Chief. It''s fine." Talbot made a face and stuck out his tongue.


    "You always bully Talbot like this?" ir asked.


    ''Bully?'' Talbot shook his head. "Don''t worry. Our chief never bullied us. This is how he talks to us. He''s


    actually a great guy."


    ''Except that he''s a hothead and a relentless taskmaster, '' Talbot thought.

 Chapter 551 I Can Stand The Heat

    Chapter 551 I Can Stand The Heat


    Wesley fixed his eyes on ir and sneered, "You think I''m bullying Talbot? Are you trying to protect him


    from me?"


    "Talbot cooked for us, cleaned the house and washed the dishes. Are you not moved at all?" ir


    asked in return.


    Wesley was about to say something when the room went dark. The electricity had gone off.


    "What happened?" ir asked as she unlocked her phone.


    Wesley stood up from the sofa, fished out his phone and opened the shlight application. "You sit


    here. I''ll go take a look."


    "Okay." ir had her phone light on to light Wesley''s path.


    The two of them lived in the same housing estate, so their main power switches had been installed


    likewise. He found it soon enough, and after checking it, he didn''t find anything wrong.


    At that moment, they received a text message from the State Grid. It said, "Dear resident, sorry to


    inform you..." It turned out that all the apartments in the housing estate were out of power and they


    were not sure when it woulde back on.


    ir was at a loss for words. It was summer!


    "I''ll go buy some candles," Wesley offered.


    When he arrived at the door to change his shoes, he saw Talbot and ir chatting under the shlight.


    He immediately changed his mind. "ir, you are more familiar with the housing estate. You go buy the


    candles."


    ir agreed without hesitation.


    She walked towards the door, but when she turned back to look at the dark apartment, she figured it


    was an excellent opportunity to bond with Wesley. She didn''t want to miss this chance, so she told


    Talbot, "Talbot, will you go buy the candles? I''m scared of the dark."


    Talbot nodded. ir told him the location of the grocery store cheerfully. When he was about to leave,


    he turned back to look at his superior and his dream girl. ''Something is not right, '' he thought.


    Talbot shook his head and went down the stairs.


    ir fixed her eyes on Wesley without looking away. He felt aroused by her gaze, so he got up from


    the sofa quickly. "I need a smoke," he said, as he turned towards the balcony.


    But a soft, warm hand wrapped around his wrist tightly. "Don''t. It''s so dark in here."


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Wesley sighed helplessly. "I''ll just be on the balcony." ''Why is she such a chicken?''


    She swiftly grabbed his wrist using both her hands as she said in a trembling voice, "But, I don''t wanna


    stay in the living room alone."


    Wesley had to sit back down on the sofa. "What are you nning to do if the power is still off by


    tonight?"


    ir stared into his eyes and said, "It''s too hot. I won''t be able to stand the heat. If the power doesn''t


    come back on in an hour, how about we get a hotel room?"


    Wesley''s eyes darkened. "No. I can bear the heat." As a soldier, he had gone through intense training,


    and he could endure extreme temperatures. He had experienced hotter days with neither an air-


    conditioner nor even a fan.


    ''Is he so slow that he doesn''t get my point? Or does he just not want to getid?'' ir couldn''t help but


    lower her sight to look at her chest. ''Is it because he''s not interested in my body? Or is he gay?''


    Wesley followed her gaze, and his heart started racing. He had thought that ir was a petite girl. But


    now, he realized that she had a well-developed body.


    Wesley sprang up to his feet, and ignoring ir''s protests, he went to the balcony. He closed the ss


    sliding door and lit a cigarette to calm down.


    He took a few drags, but the shape of her bosom still lingered in his mind.


    At that moment, the sliding door opened and ir stuck her head out. "Wesley, are you not feeling this


    horrible heat?"


    "No," he answered coldly.


    After hesitating for a while, she asked, "I want to get a hotel room. Will you please drive me there?"


    She really couldn''t stand the heat like Wesley could.


    Ignoring her question, Wesley continued to gaze at the city and took another drag on his cigarette.


    "I''m guessing that means no. Never mind. I''ll ask Talbot to drive me. I''m going to change my clothes."


    Still, Wesley said nothing. With a broken heart, ir closed the sliding door and went back to her


    bedroom.


    She took out her clothes from her wardrobe and put them on the bed. Then, she took off her pajamas.


    "Aaah!"


    A shriek came from the bedroom. Stubbing out the cigarette, Wesley rushed into her room at full


    speed.


    Bang! He pushed the door open and asked, "What ha¡ª"


    With the help of his shlight, Wesley located ir easily. She had her back against the closet, her


    upper bodypletely naked. He immediately looked away.


    ir grabbed a dress to cover her chest and stammered in a shaking voice, "I...I saw someone..."


    "Where?" Wesley''s eyes swept across the bedroom, but he didn''t see anything suspicious.


    "On the balcony." ir pointed to the balcony of her bedroom. The curtains were open.


    ''On the balcony? This is the sixteenth floor!'' Wesley found it hard to believe.


    When he walked to the balcony to check the situation, ir put on her dress quickly. She was so


    frightened that she leaned against the wardrobe again, her body shaking.


    At that moment, a shadow shed on the balcony. ir shrieked again and yelled, "That''s him!"


    Wesley saw the shadow too and realized what was going on. "Come here!" he called out.


    ir wanted to turn him down, but on second thoughts, Wesley was there and would protect her. So,


    she went over to him.


    Wesley pointed to a building with multi-colored lights in the distance. "See that? There is a light show at


    this hour every night. You didn''t know?" he asked.


    ir nodded. "I know. But the light show has nothing to do with¡ª"


    The light shot towards them again, the shadow of which looked exactly like a man''s figure.


    ''Oh! It was just a shadow from the light show!'' ir thought to herself.


    Embarrassed, she tried to exin to him, "Usually, the moment I get home, I turn on the lights. So, I''ve


    never seen this before. Please don''t get me wrong."


    She was telling the truth. Every time she entered her bedroom, she would turn on the lights and close


    the curtains. It was the first time that the electricity of her apartment had been cut off.


    Wesley looked at the girl before him and raised her chin to force her to look into his eyes. "Were you


    trying to seduce me?"


    He didn''t believe what she had said. He thought that she had done it on purpose to lure him into the


    bedroom. ''She doesn''t even mind using her body to seduce me.''


    ir was stunned by his question and clenched her fists. ''Is this how he sees me?'' ir didn''t think it


    necessary to clear her name. She shed a charming smile, held his waist and pressed herself against


    his strong body. "Bingo! How about we spend the night together?"


    Wesley gave her an evil smile as he moved forward, which made her automatically step backward.


    Bang! Her back hit the wall and she gave a choked cry, her grip on his waist loosening. ''What a jerk! He


    doesn''t know how to treat a girl properly!''

 Chapter 552 I Have No Time For Love

    Chapter 552 I Have No Time For Love


    Wesley pressed ir against the wall and put his hands there as well. She was boxed in, with his


    hands on either side of her head.


    He lowered his head, leaned in, and said in a low voice, "You want me to act like this, huh?"


    "Wh-what?" she stammered. His face was inches away from hers. She caught a whiff of some scent or


    other; it smelled like grass¡ªit must be his shower gel. There was no electricity, and ir''s phone was


    the only source of light. It shed enough light for her to see his waist.


    Romance was in the air, there in the bedroom. Her heart raced, her mind running wild with visions.


    ''You''ve shown me what you want, so I''ll y along.'' A scornful smile shed across Wesley''s face.


    Before ir knew it, he lowered his head and kissed her red lips, sending her into a blissful trance. The


    brush of his lips against hers was everything she imagined it to be¡ªgentle, passionate, perfect.


    ir widened her eyes, not knowing how to respond. His kiss was demanding yet soft. She felt like


    hundreds of fireworks had exploded simultaneously in her mind.


    She remembered a song all of a sudden¡ªJane Zhang''s "Finally I Have You."


    One line from that song in particr said, "Finally I have you. I''m d I never gave up."


    And that song was so perfect, describing exactly what she was feeling. She was ecstatic that he finally


    showed his feelings for her. She had worked hard for his love¡ªshe deserved it.


    She was so moved her eyes reddened from tears. She closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe and cradled his


    neck, kissing him back. She poured every bit of her heart and soul, her hopes and dreams into that


    kiss.


    After what seemed like an eternity, the doorbell of her apartment rang, breaking rudely into the couple''s


    romantic moment.


    Wesley let her go and regarded the girl in his arms. ir was finally able to breathe again, her face as


    red as a ripe tomato. She broke free from him, moving to open the door for Talbot.


    Before she could leave her bedroom, Wesley pulled her back and pressed her against the wall again.


    "I''ve seen so many women like you. Kabedon, kisses...That''s what you want, right?"


    He sounded so sarcastic the color drained from her face. He''d been messing with her again.


    Of course Wesley saw it, but he didn''t care. Ignoring the doorbell, he continued, "You watch too much


    TV! That stuff you see in the dramas? That''s not real. No wonder I don''t really like women. Now that


    I''ve given you what you want, leave me alone. Quit bothering me."


    ''Bothering him?


    So he thinks I''m a pest, '' ir thought bitterly.


    Wesley thought she would give up, but to his surprise, she wiped away her tears and retorted


    stubbornly, "No, you''re wrong. I want more. I want everything." She pointed to the bed beside them.


    Rage could be seen in his dark eyes. ''She''s never going to change her mind!''


    "Tell me, how did you feel when we were kissing? Did you want me as much as I wanted you? Did you


    feel the love?" ir asked as she pushed him away from her.


    In the beam of her phone''s light, she looked at his crotch. "Mr. Li, actions speak louder than words. Oh


    God! Why am I in love with a coward? A coward who can''t even admit how he feels!" she mocked.


    Wesley pulled a long face. This was the first time he had been called a coward. By a woman!


    The phone in his pocket rang. Ignoring that, Wesley grabbed ir''s wrist, scooped her up in his arms


    and threw her roughly on the bed. She was grateful that the bed had this much spring to it.


    "Trying to get me to fuck you?" he mocked.


    One of ir''s slippers fell to the floor, and she kicked away the other one. She sat up and answered, "I


    know I can''t trick you into anything. But I''m telling the truth. You ARE a coward!"


    ir heard a definitive sound, a click.


    That was the sound of a belt being unbuckled. ''Wesley?'' she thought.


    ir suddenly had a bad feeling about it. She wanted to grab her phone and throw a little light on the


    situation. But before she could do that, she was pressed against the bed by his strong body.


    Wesley fished out his ringing phone and pressed the green button to answer it. "Keep the candles and


    catch a cab back home," he ordered.


    He didn''t even bother to wait for Talbot to reply. He hung up the phone right away.


    Standing outside the apartment, Talbot looked at his phone and the candles.


    ''Are they in there? Why not open the door?'' he thought, baffled.


    Wesley turned off the shlight on ir''s phone. Suddenly, the room was bathed in darkness, making it


    all the more enticing when they felt each other''s hot breath. Her heart was pounding like it would burst


    through her chest, her eyes wide. ''Is he really going to sleep with me?''


    "Oh, Wesley!" she called out and pinched his biceps.


    Wesley tossed their phones away and grabbed her both hands. "Why not call me ''dear Wesley''? Girls


    like to call me that." His voice was low and sexy.


    ir opened her mouth wide. ''He''s so hot!'' "Dear Wesley," she called out in a sweet voice.


    Wesley swallowed hard. ''She''s easier than I thought. Damn! Her voice turns me on!''


    "Shut up!" he ordered in a harsh voice.


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    "You asked me to say it! And now you''re telling me to shut up. You''re really rude!" ir pouted her


    mouth,ining.


    She had known for a long time that Wesley was kind of a jerk. She was just flirting with him.


    Wesley, of course, knew himself well. "Yes, I am. You should''ve figured that out by now, before kissing


    me," he spat. While he was speaking, he couldn''t help but touch her soft lips with his rough fingers.


    ir felt like lightning bolts were shooting through her, this sweet tingling in her heart, her body


    trembling. Wesley held her waist and warned in a low voice, "Don''t move."


    Her scent made him lose his cool.


    His body was heavy on hers, and ir was suffocating. "Get away from me... Mmmph..." Her lips were


    blocked again.


    Just as ir thought Wesley was going to make love to her right here and now, he suddenly stopped.


    Holding back all his emotions, he asked in a hoarse voice, "Scared?"


    "Mmm Hmm..." ir nodded. No one had ever done what Wesley just did to her.


    Wesley was done with it. "I don''t think it''s a good idea toe around anymore. I don''t really want a


    woman in my life, as a friend or lover. I''m a soldier, and I have no time for any of that."


    ir bit her lips, body shaking. After she heard what he said, she bit his shoulder hard.


    She wanted to make it hurt, so she bit down with all her might.


    Wesley clenched his teeth, refusing to make a sound.


    ir felt like she was biting a brick. Wesley didn''t respond at all. Instead, she felt her teeth aching.


    When she let go, Wesley left the bed and the apartment.


    The sad woman heard the door to her apartment close. She didn''t move or do anything else, other than


    sit there and think, miserable.


    She had nned to get a hotel room, but there was no need. The electricity came back on about a half


    hour after he left.

 Chapter 553 A Gala To Welcome The Freshmen

    Chapter 553 A G To Wee The Freshmen


    For the next two days, ir and Wesley didn''t see each other at all, not on campus or in the elevator.


    ir was afraid that once the freshmen''s military training was done, he would get reassigned


    somewhere else and she''d never see him.


    Although they were neighbors, they didn''t spend much time together. As he said, he was usually gone.


    She hoped that the military training would never end. She wanted to at least see him, even if he didn''t


    say hi. Her eyes were full of affection when she saw him.


    Joslyn sighed in her heart, ''Bless, I hope you get what you want someday.''


    Time flies! Two weeks flew by, and the military training program came to an end. The annual g to


    wee the freshmen was also fast approaching.


    The g was held on the training ground. The date was the night before thest day of training. The


    guests were the teachers and students at the university, as well as the soldiers who hadn''t left yet.


    One of the hosts was a girl in a red evening dress, a senior, and the other was a handsome junior in a


    suit and leather shoes. To the audience''s surprise, after their opening, the first program was neither a


    song nor a dance performance.


    The male host dered in a charming voice, "Now let''s wee ir Jing, a junior majoring in


    Business English, to give us an English speech to kick this thing off. Let''s give her a warm wee."


    The students started screaming and whistling in excitement. The din was deafening. As that was going


    on, a lovely girl in a sky-blue knee-length dress and a pair of white high heels stepped onto the stage.


    She was very naturally made up, to entuate her best features, and looked as if she had no make-up


    on at all. She wore some pink lip gloss as well.


    Talbot patted Wesley''s shoulder excitedly and yelled, "Chief, it''s ir! Wow! What a hottie!"


    Wesley, who sat upright, rolled his eyes at him and then looked at the girl on the stage. Then he looked


    away, as if he were not impressed.


    Mouth wide open, Lenard looked at the boys screaming and whistling for ir, and murmured in


    disappointment, "ir has so many fans! I don''t stand a chance with her."


    Talbot remembered something, so he stopped apuding and tapped Lenard on the shoulder. "ir''s


    in love with someone else," he said in a low voice.


    Tears welled up in Lenard''s eyes. "Ahh, my heart! My first crush, and I had no chance to act on it."


    "Same here," Talbot said with a shrug.


    Lenard turned to look at him in shock.


    On the stage, ir smiled politely and took a microphone from the female host. When she moved the


    microphone near her lips, silence filled the ce.


    She lifted the script in her hand and began, "Good evening, everyone. I''m ir Jing. First of all, let me


    congratte you on your being a member of our university. We are no longer kids when we..."


    From the start, many students could understand ir without reading the Chinese trantion on the


    big screen behind her. A boy in his fourth year who thought he could speak English well began to


    interpret for his friend sitting next to him.


    He did well at first, but then started to stumble over his words. They were eventually forced to read the


    Chinese trantion on the screen.


    Facing more than a thousand people in the audience, ir was not nervous in the slightest.


    Confidence was written all over her face.


    It was said that a confident girl was the most attractive one, and that was certainly the case here.


    Her lip gloss glistened under the stage lights. Wesley had an urge to run up there and kiss them


    without mercy.


    He closed his eyes and listened to her speech. She was so fluent it was amazing. He was quite proud


    of her, and it only intensified as time wore on.


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    The speech onlysted for a couple of minutes. When it was done, the audience gave her a standing


    ovation that echoed throughout the whole venue. ir gave them a broad smile, thanked them with a


    bow, and walked off the stage.


    Wesley was in no mood to enjoy the rest of the g, no matter how wonderful the programs were.


    Feeling frustrated, he left his seat and told Talbot, "Assemble in the school hall tomorrow morning for


    the final closing ceremonies. I''m going home."


    Before Talbot could even respond, he had already left.


    Wesley found a ce away from people and the noise. He leaned against a tree and lit a cigarette. He


    needed the quiet, and he needed to get a hold of himself.


    He was about to drop the cigarette and grind it out when he heard a voice. "Look, ir, I think you''re


    awesome. It was love at first sight. My dad runs thergest food factory in the city. We''re rich, and I can


    give you a rich life. Will you go out with me?"


    ir opened her mouth, and to the boy''s and Wesley''s surprise, she said in English, "I''m just not into


    you, Farris." She got a dreamy, faraway look in her eye. "When I get the guy I want, it won''t matter if


    he''s rich or poor. It''ll be an affair of the heart. And I just don''t think of you that way. Leave me alone."


    The boy, Farris Tong, was from a rich family. He was a yer, a real "love them and leave them" type.


    ir didn''t even want to talk to him.


    "What? Can you say it in Chinese?" he asked in confusion. Obviously, he couldn''t make heads or tails


    out of what she said. His English wasn''t as good as hers.


    "Tell you what. Pass the TEM8 exam, and you can ask me out again," ir said in Chinese. She knew


    he wasn''t good enough to pass that high-level test for English majors, so she figured he wouldn''t


    bother her anymore. ir sighed helplessly. Since she left the stage, three boys had confessed their


    love to her. What was more, none of them were men worth having. She was on the brink of a nervous


    breakdown.


    Farris Tong didn''t know what ir had said in English, but Wesley could. He curled his lips, and felt


    lucky that he had obtained the TEM8 certificate.


    Farris Tong got angry and threw the flowers he held to the ground. "Hey, don''t y the holier-than-thou


    card with me! I have money, and I can buy as many TEM8 certificates as I want."


    ''Money? I really don''t have money, '' ir thought and sneered. ''But I don''t give a damn about it.'' "I


    admit that the TEM8 certificate is nothing. I also passed the TOEFL and IELTS exams. And now I''m


    studying for my GRE. Tell you what, buy me those test results and I''ll be your girlfriend. Oh, and the


    CATTI certificate for trantors too. Level 1, 2, or 3, doesn''t matter."


    The boy''s face turned red with embarrassment as he listened to her. He couldn''t get all that. It would


    cost a small fortune. Besides that, it wouldn''t matter. His grades weren''t up to snuff.


    He felt he would burst with anger and shame. "Just tell me yes or no. Quit jerking me around," he spat.


    "My bros are here. I have a reputation to uphold!"


    ir looked behind her and saw several boys following closely.


    ''Is he trying to threaten me?'' she thought. "Look, I''m ttered, really. But the answer is no. Goodbye,"


    she said firmly.

 Chapter 554 Then We Can Sleep With Each Other

    Chapter 554 Then We Can Sleep With Each Other


    "Stop!" Farris shouted and grabbed ir''s arm to stop her from leaving. She hated being touched by


    strangers and shook him off with all her might.


    Caught off-guard, Farris staggered backwards and tripped over a stone, which sent him plummeting to


    the ground. He rolled over to a sitting position, trying to get his bearings.


    ir couldn''t believe her eyes. ''Am I that strong? Or is he that weak?''


    She immediately helped Farris to his feet and apologized to him. "Wow! I''m sorry. Are you okay?" Many


    onlookers couldn''t help but giggle at what happened.


    Farris was pissed off. When he stood up, he grabbed ir again with both hands and reprimanded,


    "Don''t pull away from me when I''m talking to you! Who do you think you are? You should be grateful to


    me for liking you. You y goody-two-shoes when you''re just a cheap-ass ho! Last chance! You can


    either agree to it, or I''ll just do what I have to."


    ''Be grateful to him for liking me? Ha-ha! That''s hrious, '' ir thought. She regarded the discussion


    as over, so she turned to leave.


    Farris, however, pushed her to the ground, him on top. "Everyone''s at the g. If I fuck you right here,


    there won''t be anyone riding to your rescue."


    ir panicked. "Lay a finger on me, and I''ll paint the walls with your blood," she said through gritted


    teeth as she struggled to free her hands. He had them pinned on either side of her head.


    After a short pause, Farris said, "Then agree to be my girlfriend."


    ir clenched her teeth and struggled against his weight. "Not a chance!"


    Farris'' friends saw this and ran over. "Dude, not cool," one of them said.


    "You know her uncle''s¡ª"


    "I don''t give a shit who her uncle is!" Farris cut him off. "I''m gonna fuck this bitch, and no one''s gonna


    stop me."


    Birds of a feather flock together. Some of Farris'' friends were also from well-off families, and they acted


    as if they were above thew. One of Farris'' friends lit a cigarette and stared at them coldly. "Yeah.


    Teach this bitch a lesson so she''ll know her ce."


    "Exactly! Farris, since she likes ying the good girl, fuck her as hard as you can, and don''t stop until


    she begs you. She might even like it enough toe back to you."


    "Ha-ha!" The boys leered at ir.


    Farris covered ir''s mouth so she was unable to call for help. His weight suffocated her. His eyes


    were red with excitement. "I''ve never fucked a straight-A student before. This is gonna be good. Quit


    struggling. I''ll take you to a hotel if you behave."


    At this moment, a man''s voice came from the darkness. "Only wusses force themselves on a girl."


    "Who''s that?" Farris turned in the direction of the voice.


    Tears welled up in ir''s eyes when she heard the voice. ''He came! My knight in shining armor, '' she


    thought.


    "It doesn''t matter who. What matters is that I''ve got everything recorded. Now amscray, or I turn this


    over to the cops." He held up his phone.


    Frightened, Farris took his hand from ir''s mouth. But then he remembered something and covered it


    again. "Go ahead. Give it to the cops. Only wusses do that. Why are you hiding? Afraid to face me?"


    A figure came out of the darkness. Before Farris could see who it was, he was hauled to his feet, and a


    hook kick sent him flying.


    "Aaaargh!" Farris yelled at the top of his lungs, scaring a flock of birds.


    "M-Mr. Li..." Farris stammered while backing up. He was lying on his back, so the scene was somewhat


    comical. If looks could kill, Wesley would haveid those boys out in an instant. They decided


    discretion was the better part of valor and ran off.


    Wesley bent down, grabbed Farris by his cor and lifted him in the air. Farris covered his head and


    pleaded, "Oh God, no! Please let me go. I won''t do it again!" He had seen Wesley fight off more than


    ten soldiers on the training grounds. He knew this guy had seen his share of real battles as well.


    Wesley raised his right fist, ready to punch him in the face, but a pair of soft hands grabbed his fist. He


    turned around and saw ir.


    She shook her head. This was a university, and Wesley was a drillmaster. If he beat a student, his


    reputation would be ruined and he might be punished.


    Wesley knew what she meant. This guy wasn''t worth his career. He let go of Farris, and the would-be


    rapist ran off at full speed.


    ir and Wesley were left alone. After consideration, she said, "We gotta stop meeting like this. You


    saved me again. I owe you my life." She would never miss a chance to confess her love to him.


    ''Sounds like she''s not done. What more could she say?'' Wesley thought.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As expected, ir continued, "Do you wanna get married? Then we can sleep with each other. I can


    take care of you." ''For the rest of my life, I want you, for better or worse, '' she thought.


    To her disappointment, Wesley turned and left without saying a word. In fact, he was afraid of what he


    would say if he stayed.


    Sighing in defeat, ir walked to the entrance of the university instead of following Wesley. She didn''t


    want to annoy him.


    At the entrance, she grabbed a bike with a bike-sharing application on her phone and rode back to her


    apartment.


    The next morning, when ir came to school, she saw a couple of military vehicles driving out of there.


    She knew that the military training was over and they were leaving.


    She saw Wesley sitting in the passenger seat of the second vehicle. The girls beside ir got excited,


    giggling, pointing, and whispering. They thought Wesley was super-handsome.


    Wesley''s eyes met ir''s, but in the next second, he looked away as if she were a mere stranger.


    Talbot was in the third vehicle. He asked the driver to stop and waved at ir. "ir, we''re taking off.


    Don''t be a stranger, okay?"


    ir waved back. "Sure. Bye!"


    Lenard, Bowman, and others who knew her also waved goodbye.


    After they left, she went inside, feeling frustrated.


    Somehow, she was suddenly struck with a deep sense of loss.


    Hartwell''s birthday was just around the corner. Joslyn asked ir along on a shopping trip to buy him a


    gift. ir herself had to give her cousin a gift too, so she didn''t turn Joslyn down.


    When Joslyn took her to the Shining International za, ir''s eyes widened. "Joslyn, did you win the


    lottery? Prices are sky high here!"


    Joslyn sighed and said, "I know. But your cousin''s worth it. What can I do?" She felt her heart ache at


    the thought of buying something in here.


    ir grabbed Joslyn''s hand and led her to the entrance. "Look, he''s not that kind of guy. You can''t buy


    his love. One dor or a thousand, he''ll just be happy you got him something."


    Joslyn stopped ir. "Don''t worry. Although they don''t give me any pocket money, I''ve got some money


    saved from my part-time job. I have enough to get him something special."

 Chapter 555 He Doesnt Even Like You

    Chapter 555 He Doesn''t Even Like You


    The "they" Joslyn was referring to were her father and stepmother. Apparently, they treated her badly.


    Joslyn and ir entered the Shining International za and were dazzled by a superb collection of


    beautiful things inside.


    Standing outside a clothing store, Joslyn admired a beautiful dress in the shop window. "Wow, that


    dress is amazing. The price is amazing too¡ª29, 999 dors. There was a time you could have afforded


    that."


    She was right. When ir''s parents were still alive, her mom was rich, even though her dad was a poor


    professor. However, after the ident, ir had to pay her neighbors back for their losses. The huge


    fire had caused a great damage in the vi zone.


    Her uncle and cousin offered to give her pocket money many times, but she turned them down every


    time. She got a schrship every semester, enough to cover her living expenses.


    "Hey ir, why not try it on?" Joslyn asked and pinched her arm.


    ir shook her head. "Why bother? I don''t have the money. It''ll tick off the salespeople."


    Her words made sense to Joslyn. "All right. Let''s go."


    While walking, Joslyn put aforting hand on ir''s shoulder. "I''ll find a good job and work hard after


    graduation. And I''ll give you a dress as expensive as this one as a birthday gift," Joslyn promised.


    "Really? Then I''m looking forward to it." ir kissed Joslyn on her cheek.


    Joslynughed out loud. "No problem. That''s me, studying hard for your future. However, I think maybe


    you should buy me the dress. You are a straight-A student. You''ll be a postgraduate one day. Or even a


    doctor. You''ll probably make a ton more money."


    Looking at the clothes in the mall, ir answered absentmindedly, "I hope so. But I''m really burned out.


    I feel like all I do is study." Actually, she didn''t want to be a strong, self-made woman. She just wanted


    to marry Wesley and be a housewife, taking care of her husband and children every day. That was


    hard, because he didn''t like her.


    Joslyn leaned in and patted her softly. "Bless, don''t give up. Not everyone can get a schrship every


    semester, but you can. You are the best, Bless."


    ir sighed, "Of course I won''t give up. What else is there?"


    Wesley had turned her down, so she had to get a job. She would study hard and earn as many


    certificates as possible. That way she might have a chance at some good money.


    Joslyn selected a belt for Hartwell. It was usually a girlfriend''s gift. At the thought of it, she grinned ear-


    to-ear.


    ir''s eyes fell upon a cigarette lighter. It had a simple yet ssic design. She thought it would suit


    Wesley, who was a heavy smoker.


    But her face fell when she saw the price tag. ''6, 800? Why is it so much?''


    Joslyn took the cigarette lighter from ir and gave it back to the saledy. "Wow, you must really


    have it bad for that guy. And he doesn''t even like you. Why would you get him such an expensive gift?"


    Her words were like a knife piercing ir''s heart. "What are you talking about? It''s for my cousin," ir


    spat.


    Joslyn snorted. "He doesn''t smoke."


    ''That''s right. I forgot!'' ir sighed inwardly.


    She did some mental calctions. She could use the virtual credit card Ant Credit Pay to buy the


    lighter now, and pay it off next month. After that, she had about 2, 000 or 3, 000 dors in her ount.


    She found a part-time job tutoring a kid. She believed she could make ends meet.


    "I''ll take this. Ring it up for me, please," she said to the saledy.


    Joslyn grabbed her hand and said anxiously, "You crazy? It''s $6, 800! Do you have that kind of cash?"


    Then she lowered her voice and added, "He''s not your boyfriend yet. Get a grip!"


    ir mumbled something in English. Joslyn cast a warning nce at her and asked, "What''s that


    supposed to mean?"


    ir gave her a smile. "You can''t make an omelet without breaking eggs."


    Seeing ir''s excited look, Joslyn sighed helplessly and said, "Fine. If you''re low on cash, I got your


    back. After all, I''ll be your cousin''s wife someday."


    "Sure." ir didn''t turn her down.


    They left the boutique, and ir picked up an ordinary gift for her cousin. It only cost her 600 dors.


    Joslyn rolled her eyes and taunted, "Seriously? You spent 600 on Hartwell and nearly 7, 000 on


    Wesley. If Hartwell finds out, he''ll be crushed."


    "Hartwell doesn''t care about my gift at all. He cares about yours. I''m merely acting as a foil," ir said


    with a smile.


    "Come on! When we''re together, people always look your way."


    "Don''t say that. I believe my cousin will totally fall for you."


    "Meh!"


    The two girlsughed out loud together.


    A monthter, ir posted an update on her Moments, which said, "There''s less than 1, 000 in my


    ount. And I still have to pay off the credit card. Are you guys in the same boat? Leave ament


    so I can see how much misery lovespany."


    She had originally found a part-time job as a family tutor, but the family moved to another city. So her


    job went bye-bye. Although she was short on money, she was long on hope.


    When Talbot finally got a chance to get to his Moments, it was already three dayster. He put his


    phone in front of Wesley and said, "Chief, look at this. Poor ir! She lives in a pretty pricey area,


    right? If she could afford an apartment there, why is she having money issues?"


    Wesley saw the post, and after a short pause, he simply said, "I don''t know."


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Isn''t she Lieutenant General Ji''s niece? He has money, right?"


    "I have no idea," was Wesley''s answer.


    Talbot rolled his eyes and went to talk about ir with others.


    ir had forgotten to block her rtives when she sent the post. Soon, Natalia Deng, Adalson''s wife


    called her. "What do you mean, ir? Are youining that we don''t give you money? You want


    others to look down on us?"


    "It''s not like that, Aunt Natalia. I was just kidding. I''ve got a schrship. And Uncle Adalson paid for my


    rent. I''m really grateful to you and him," ir answered softly.


    Natalia Deng spat, "I don''t care what you were thinking. I''ll wire you some money tonight. When you


    get a job, remember to pay us back."


    "There''s really no need to¡ª" She was going to get a schrship soon.


    However, before she could finish, Natalia Deng cut her off. "Just shut up! What can you do with less


    than 1, 000? Do you want to starve? We''ll feel bad if you starve. How will we ever face your mother in


    heaven if we let that happen? You refuse to live with us, and that''s bad enough. Now you don''t have


    the money to support yourself. You want people to think we''re mean?"


    Natalia Deng was starting to yell. ir had to take the receiver away from her ear.

 Chapter 556 The Days When I Don’t See You

    Chapter 556 The Days When I Don¡¯t See You


    Natalia was, in fact, a nice person. It was just that she had a sharp tongue.


    She sounded harsh over the phone, but she was only calling ir to tell her that she was going to wire


    her some money.


    After Natalia had scolded ir for five minutes, her throat dried up. She drank some water and


    continued, "I''m too tired to say anything more. Just hang up. You didn''t even spend the night here on


    your cousin''s birthday. Do you ever think about me? What will your grandpa think of me? He might


    think that I mistreat you or something."


    Even though she had asked ir to hang up, she didn''t stop talking. ir didn''t dare hang up while she


    was still scolding her. "Aunt, Grandpa knows how nice you are to me. He will only think that I am the


    luckiest girl in the world to have an amazing, caring aunt like you."


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Natalia''s gloomy face broke into a smile. To conceal her happiness, she feigned an annoyed tone and


    said, "Whatever. Bye."


    After ending the phone call, Natalia saw her younger son, Wacian Ji,e down the stairs in a neat


    suit. "Now I know why your father likes ir so much. Girls are indeed more lovable. Neither you nor


    your brother brings me any form offort. You both worry me all the time. Hartwell is in his thirties,


    unmarried, and you are 29 years old, without even a girlfriend. When am I going to have a grandchild?


    In my nies? Maybe it''s my fault. I should have given birth to two girls."


    Wacian Ji felt wronged. He hadn''t even said a word since that morning. He wondered how he had


    gotten on his mother''s nerves.


    Natalia walked past him and urged, "Don''t spend all your time and energy on work. Go on a blind date


    or something. I will go with you and select my daughter-inw."


    Wacian Ji tucked his hands into his pockets, looking at his mom, stone-faced. "Hartwell brought his


    girlfriend homest time. Since you are so anxious to see him get married, why haven''t you paid her


    family a visit yet?"


    "I don''t need you to remind me of that. I''ll visit Joslyn''s parents as soon as she graduates."


    To get his mom off his back, Wacian Ji brought up ir''s secret. "I heard that ir has a crush on


    someone. Don''t you want to know who it is?" His mom was always so strange. Usually, people showed


    their concern face to face to let the other person know that they cared about them. His mom, however,


    did the exact opposite. She had never expressed her care for ir in person.


    "What? " Natalia looked at her son in surprise. "ir likes someone? What''s he like? Why hasn''t


    anybody said anything to me about this? What does he do? Does he really care about her?"


    Wacian Ji felt his head throb as his mom bombarded him with so many questions at once. Sometimes,


    he felt that it was a shame that his mom wasn''t an official matchmaker. "I only know that she has a


    crush on someone. You can ask Dad if you want to know more."


    That was a sessful distraction. Soon, Adalson got a call from Natalia.


    Less than an hour after her phone call with Natalia, ir received a notification from the bank informing


    her that a sum of money had been credited to her ount. Natalia had wired $100, 000 to her. Now,


    ir had $101, 502 in her bank ount.


    After that, her grandpa, Hartwell and Wacian Ji called her one after the other, offering to transfer money


    to her. ir thanked them all and told them that she was good because Natalia had already wired


    some to her.


    Some boys left gantments on her WeChat Moments, asking if she was hard up. Some of her


    former ssmates sent her private messages and told her that if she needed anything, they were only


    a phone call away.


    Thements and messages made ir very happy. She wasn''t in need of money. She had only


    made that post to mock herself. It surprised her that so many people were concerned about her. It was


    touching.


    Three dayster, Talbot made ament on the post. "ir, I don''t spend much in the army. I can lend


    you some money."


    ir smiled and replied, "Thank you. My aunt has already helped me out."


    Talbot didn''t respond until the next day. "That was very sweet of your aunt."


    Knowing that they were all very busy, ir didn''t say anything else. After reading his reply, she put her


    phone aside.


    Just as she had anticipated, it was very hard to meet Wesley after he had returned back to his normal


    duties, now that the military training in the university was over.


    It had been three months since she hadst seen him.


    Three more dayster, she saw Wesley walking out of his apartment as she stepped out of the


    elevator.


    ir was surprised when their eyes met. Wesley nodded to her and strode towards the elevator.


    "Wesley," she called in a hurry.


    He turned to her without speaking.


    "Are you leaving?" she asked hastily.


    "Hmm," he responded. He had onlye home to get something.


    ir took a deep breath, her heart aching. "Will you have a few days off anytime soon?" She barely


    saw him anymore.


    "I''m not sure." He was too busy. He couldn''t even remember thest time he had a break.


    However, ir thought that he didn''t want her to know. Her eyes reddened. ''Maybe he really doesn''t


    want to see me.''


    She waved goodbye to him absent-mindedly. The second the doors of the elevator closed, she forced a


    smile.


    ''Goodbye, Wesley.'' She didn''t go back to her apartment until the elevator started descending.


    She had thought that she would have more chances to win his heart if she moved into his building and


    became his neighbor. But reality was so disappointing. Home was like a hotel room to him, and he


    seldom came back. He spent most of his time working.


    After leaving his apartment building, Wesley went back to his office. He sat in his chair with his eyes


    closed and sank into deep thoughts. After a while, he walked into his superior''s office.


    "I need a few days off," he said.


    His superior agreed without lifting his head. "Granted. You have been working for three months in a


    row. You do need to get some rest. Just remember to submit the note for leave."


    "Yes, sir."


    ir counted the days as they passed by without Wesley''s presence. Five days after their brief meeting


    in the hallway, she once again saw him. When she was waiting for the elevator to go to her apartment,


    Wesley walked over with a few bags of food in his hands.


    The elevator arrived and he went straight in. Looking at his figure, ir lost her nerve to walk into the


    elevator. For some reason, she was afraid to be near him.


    Wesley turned around in the elevator and pressed the button. The doors closed.


    But soon after, the doors opened again. He looked at her.


    She blinked in bewilderment.


    Seeing that she wasn''t moving, he asked with a frown, "Are youing?"


    ''He is talking to me.'' It was a ray of hope. ir was happy. She scampered into the elevator.


    The doors closed again. Confined in the little space, neither of them made an attempt to start a


    conversation.


    It was normal for Wesley to remain quiet, but ir had to tell herself to shut up.


    She was afraid that he didn''t want to hear her speak. If that was the case, she would only push him


    away by talking too much.


    The elevator arrived at the sixteenth floor, and ir walked out first. She was about to say goodbye to


    him when a girl in a zer standing in front of the door to his apartment caught her eye.

 Chapter 557 Dinner For Three

    Chapter 557 Dinner For Three


    The girl was Megan.


    When she saw ir and Wesley walk out of the elevator together, she was taken aback at first, and


    then she squeezed out some tears and ran into Wesley''s arms, weeping.


    Wesley was concerned. "What''s the matter?" he asked tenderly.


    "I think someone is still stalking me."


    Wesley turned towards the other side of the hallway. Seeing what he was doing, ir turned her head


    too. Two bodyguards stood there. Noticing Wesley was staring at them, one of them walked over.


    "They were gangsters, Mr. Li. They followed us all the way here. Mr. Huo is still out of the country."


    While they were talking, ir ced her finger on the fingerprint scanner. With a beep, the door was


    unlocked, and she pushed it open and walked in sullenly.


    When she closed the door, she could still hear Wesley discussing the stalkers in the hallway.


    She turned the lights on, changed into slippers, and walked into the kitchen.


    It was only when she opened the fridge that it urred to her that she had forgotten to go to the


    grocery store. The fridge itself was pretty bare. There were only a few tomatoes sitting in there. She


    checked the cab and could only find two packages of instant noodles.


    It seemed instant noodles would be the only thing on the menu tonight.


    She tossed a packet of instant noodles onto the top of the counter and walked into the bedroom to get


    changed.


    Just then, the doorbell rang. Who could that be?


    It couldn''t be Wesley. He wasforting his sad, terrified niece.


    ir peeked through the cat''s eye and saw Wesley standing outside, looking a little impatient. She


    opened the door quickly and asked, "What can I do for you, Mr. Li?"


    Wesley always got to the point. "I have stuff in my fridge. You''re a better cook than I am, so why not


    come over and cook? We can eat together."


    ''We?'' "By ''we, '' do you mean you and me or the three of us?" asked ir. That was an important


    distinction. She wanted to get Wesley alone.


    "The three of us." Megan hadn''t eaten either. Wesley intended to give her a lift home after dinner.


    "Oh. It''s no fun being the third wheel, so I''ll have to say no. Bye." With that, she shut the door in his


    face.


    Staring at the closed door, Wesley felt frustration rising in him. But he didn''t give up. A momentter, he


    rang the doorbell again.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Leaning against the door, ir listened to the doorbell ring. She counted to herself, ''One, two, three,


    four, five.'' Then she opened the door again. "Hi. Forget something, Mr. Li?"


    "You wouldn''t be a third wheel. Her name is Megan Lan. She''s not my girlfriend," Wesley exined.


    ir smiled. ''Not bad. He''sing along nicely. At least he''s trying to let me know what''s going on.''


    Then she asked, "How do you know her?"


    Wesley was starting to lose patience. He looked at her and asked her point-nk, "Are youing or


    not?"


    ir had to say, "Yes." ''Wesley, you son of a bitch.''


    ir followed Wesley into his apartment. Where was Megan? She didn''t see the girl anywhere. When


    she heard the door close, Megan trotted out from a bedroom. "Hi, nice to see you," she greeted ir.


    "Nice to see you too," ir nodded with a smile. Then she grabbed the ingredients from the fridge and


    walked towards the kitchen.


    "Thank you for dinner," Megan said to her politely.


    ir felt the girl was very cordial. She turned around and gave Megan a smile.


    Wesley had bought a ton of groceries. ir looked inside the bag and got an idea what to cook. She


    started to wash and trim the vegetables.


    Not long after, Wesley walked in as well. He wore casual clothes, his hair half wet. From the looks of it,


    he must have just taken a shower.


    ir nced at him, wondering why he was in the kitchen.


    He pointed to the vegetables on the floor and said, "Here. I''ll trim them."


    ir craned her neck to look in the direction of the living room. The living room was empty again. She


    briefly wondered where Megan was, but figured the girl had gone into the bedroom to do her


    homework.


    ir nodded to him and continued busying herself with cooking. She kept thinking about when to give


    him the present, and how happy he''d be.


    She nced at the empty living room again. Since Megan was nowhere to be seen, she wondered if


    she should give it to him now.


    With only the two of them around, it wouldn''t be too embarrassing¡ªeven if he turned her down.


    "What are you looking at?" Noticing that she was staring at the living room, spacing out, Wesley


    followed her gaze.


    His question disturbed her thoughts and broke her out of her reverie. She dropped the celery, washed


    her hands in the sink, and said, "Wait a minute."


    She left Wesley''s apartment in a hurry, dashed into her own and found the bag with the present in it.


    Her heart was racing from the rush. She took a few seconds to calm herself down. She looked as if


    nothing had ever happened when she walked back into his apartment.


    In the kitchen, Wesley had just trimmed the chives. He picked up an eggnt, wondering whether ir


    would cook it up or not.


    Just then, ir quietly walked into the kitchen.


    Wesley stole a nce at her figure out of the corner of his eye. Then he grabbed the broom and silently


    swept the leaves and stray cuttings off the floor.


    Standing at the door to the kitchen, blushing, ir stumbled over her words, "Um, Wesley."


    He looked at her and put the broom down.


    Right then, they heard the sound of a door opening. Startled, ir ran back into the kitchen and threw


    the bag into a random cab.


    Wesley caught a glimpse of the bag, but he had no clue what was inside.


    Before he could ask, Megan walked over to him. "Uncle Wesley, this English question baffles me. Help


    me out?"


    "English?" Wesley looked at ir, who was washing the chives. "She''s an English major. Ask her."


    ir had been preupied with what she''d say when she gave Wesley his present, and how he might


    react. This made her way too nervous to pay any attention to Megan. Suddenly, she realized that he


    seemed to be talking about her. "Huh?" She turned to him, confused.


    Tilting her head, Megan asked, "Uncle Wesley, your English is excellent. She couldn''t be better than


    you, could she?"


    Wesley admitted, "You bet she is. She''s passed the TEM8, TOEFL, and IELTS tests." He sounded firm.


    Megan''s eyes were filled with admiration when she looked at ir. "Wow! You''re smart!" she said. The


    next second, the expression on her face changed. She grabbed Wesley''s arm and pleaded, "But I like


    the way you teach me. I''d have to get used to a different style if she helped me. It''s better if you do it.


    Please..."


    ir noticed the way Megan leaned on his shoulder and the way she talked to him. Wesley wasn''t


    annoyed at all. "Okay, fine. I''ll be there in a minute."


    Megan scampered away. Wesley walked over to ir, turned on the faucet and washed his hands.


    "What was in the bag?"


    ir''s heart hurt as she watched the way Megan was with him. She pushed the sadness away and


    answered, "Nothing. Just seasoning."


    He could tell at a nce whether she was telling the truth or not. Now that she didn''t want to let him


    know, he didn''t press the issue. After turning off the faucet, he left the kitchen and walked into the


    bedroom where Megan was doing her homework.


    He didn''t leave the room, even when dinner was ready.


    Heart sinking, ir carried the dishes out, ced them on the table one by one. She kept shifting her


    gaze to the bedroom. The door was closed, so she had no idea what was going on in there. When all


    the dishes had been served, she shed the apron and left Wesley''s apartment without a word.

 Chapter 558 Why Did You Eat My Food

    Chapter 558 Why Did You Eat My Food


    Hearing the noise in the living room, Wesley looked at his watch to check the time. ''It''s about time for


    dinner, '' he thought. He stood and told Megan, "Come and eat. You can do the rest after dinner."


    "Okay,"


    They walked out of the bedroom to find that ir was nowhere to be found. The table was set, chock-


    full of various dishes. The smell reached Wesley''s nostrils, and his stomach growled obligingly.


    Megan jogged over to the table excitedly and said, "A six-course meal and soup. Man, I''m starved!


    Let''s wash up, Uncle Wesley."


    Wesley pondered for a while and said, "Wait a sec. I''ll be back."


    Then he turned and left the apartment. The smile on Megan''s face vanished as she watched him leave.


    Wesley rang the doorbell a few times, but ir didn''te to the door. Anxious and impatient, he


    keyed in the password to her apartment and slipped inside.


    The apartment was dark. It seemed no one was home. "ir," he called. But no one answered.


    He believed ir wasn''t home.


    ''She cooked dinner, but left my apartment. She didn''t eat, she didn''t even say goodbye. What the hell?''


    Because he couldn''t find ir, Wesley grew anxious.


    He took out his phone to call her, only to realize that he didn''t have her number.


    ir had once tried to friend him on WeChat, but she changed her mind in the end.


    Looking around her empty apartment, Wesley grew more irritated by the minute.


    After leaving his ce, instead of going back to her own apartment, ir took the elevator, went


    downstairs and walked out of the apartmentplex.


    ''Oops, I left the gift I bought for Wesley in the cab, '' she remembered, not long after she had left the


    building. ''Never mind. I''ll grab it some other time.


    If he finds it, then I won''t have to go through the trouble to give it to him.''


    Night had fallen. They were in deep winter, and you could see your breath in the air, but ir only wore


    a thin coat. The cold wind chilled her to the bone. Roaming the streets, she had no destination in mind.


    She had to take a walk and try to make herself feel better.


    Seeing Wesley again after so many days had put her in the best of moods.


    But they were not alone. There was Megan. ir couldn''t stand that girl.


    It bugged her, especially when Wesley had stayed so long in that bedroom alone with Megan. She


    wondered what they were doing in there, and her thoughts went into some ugly corners, tugging at her


    jealous side.


    She couldn''t concentrate, but she couldn''t just knock on the door, either. That would be rude. She


    waited and waited for what seemed like forever, until she couldn''t take it anymore. She had to get out


    of there. Out of sight, out of mind.


    When Wesley finally found her, ir was sitting in a snack bar near her apartment building, holding a


    piece of fishcake in her chopsticks. It was sodden, dripping dashi broth back into the bowl. As he got


    closer, he could see the bowl full of boiled eggs, daikon, and konjac on a bed of ramen noodles. Oden.


    She was shaking from the cold. Anxious to eat something to warm herself, she blew onto the food to


    cool it off as she repeatedly pulled her coat closer to her.


    Either she was too cold or she was too hungry, she didn''t wait for long enough before she put a piece


    of steaming fish tofu into her mouth.


    So it wasn''t surprising that her tongue got burned and she chewed in a hurry while covering her mouth.


    After swallowing the fish tofu, she sipped some soup and let out a long sigh. Then she put her


    chopsticks in to grab another bite.


    Yet before she could put the food in her mouth, someone held her wrist and pushed the oden away


    from her.


    She looked up and saw Wesley, standing next to her with a grim face and tightened lips.


    He was only wearing sweats. ''It''s so cold outside, and he didn''t bundle up. Is he looking for me? Did he


    leave in a hurry? Was he worried?''


    "Why... why are you here?" asked ir. The grimness on his face scared her a little.


    He grabbed her frigid right hand without answering and pulled her to her feet.


    He was going to lead her out of the snack bar. "Hey, I''m not done yet."


    Wesley looked back at the steaming oden. He let go of her, picked up the bowl and poured all of it into


    his mouth. His cheeks bulged like a chipmunk while he chewed it up and swallowed it all. "Now you''re


    done," he said.


    ir gaped at him. ''He ate from the same bowl as me. It''s like a second-hand kiss. Haha.''


    In the end, he even ate all the soup. After that, he showed her the empty disposable paper bowl, threw


    it into the bin and held her wrist, leading her out of the shop.


    "There''s a meal waiting for you at home, you know. Why did you eat my food?" she asked pitifully. That


    snack bar was locally famous, the food fantastic. She loved it, but had been too busy preparing for


    exams toe here. So she finally made it here today. However, she had only taken a single bite, and


    he ate the rest.


    He didn''t even let her have any soup.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Wesley meant to reply, but noticing she was only wearing a thin coat, he quickened his pace.


    ir had to jog to keep up with him. "Wait up. Let go of me. I want to walk on my own."


    However, Wesley didn''t stop. He led her into the building, still holding her wrist.


    When they were waiting for the elevator, ir leaned on the wall, panting. It was only then that Wesley


    spoke. "I invited you over to have dinner, not to cook."


    Hearing this, somehow, she stopped. She massaged her aching wrist. "Oh," she responded.


    But that was it. She said nothing else. Wesley was surprised by her silence.


    Later, the elevator arrived, and the two of them walked in, one after the other.


    On the sixteenth floor


    ir got out of the elevator and walked towards her apartment, but once again, Wesley gripped her


    wrist. He was trying to take her to his ce.


    ir looked at his hand holding her wrist. Suddenly she put her right hand on it and said, "Wait a


    minute."


    The softness of her hand made his heart flutter. "Go ahead. Go in."


    "No, not before getting this straightened out." She didn''t want to see the weird girl inside.


    Realizing that it was inappropriate to hold each other by the wrist, Wesley withdrew his hand. "Go


    inside and eat."


    "No, thanks. I already ate."


    "What did you eat? You mean a piece of fish tofu? A mouthful of oden soup?" Wesley argued. His


    hands started doing the talking for him.


    "Not just that. Before you got there, I also had some sausage." It was true. She had been so hungry


    that when she was standing in line for her order, she bought a sausage to ease her growling stomach.


    Wesley''s face turned gloomy again. "So you are telling me that you ate junk food for dinner?"


    ''Why is he so cranky? What a jerk.'' "That''s not junk food! It''sfort food." A smug smile spread


    across her face. "And you ate it too," ir retorted.


    "Youing in or not?"


    "No. I''m going home." If Megan wasn''t there, she would have gone inside his apartment without him


    inviting her. She hadn''t seen much of him at alltely. She would seize any opportunity to be with him.


    But she drew the line at seeing him with another woman.


    Wesley ran out of patience. Before ir knew it, he squatted down and draped her over his shoulders


    in a fireman''s carry.

 Chapter 559 The Gift

    Chapter 559 The Gift


    ir''s head was spinning. When she could finally think clearly, she found herself sitting at the table


    already.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The dishes on the table remained untouched. Megan sat on the couch, ying games on her phone.


    Seeing Wesley and ir were back already, she put her phone away and stood up.


    "Where did you go? I''m starving. Let''s eat," Megan said pouting as she sat opposite ir.


    ir smiled. "I took a walk." She was surprised to know that Wesley and Megan hadn''t eaten yet. ''Was


    he waiting for me, then?''


    Wesley took the seat next to her and threw her a pair of chopsticks. "Here. Eat."


    ir picked up the chopsticks and tried a couple pieces of tofu. The dinner was already cold.


    "I''ll heat these up," she said as she stood up.


    Wesley dragged her back into her seat with one hand. "It''s not too cold. Don''t go to the trouble. Just


    eat."


    The heat had been turned on, so the dishes were just room temperature. ir sat back.


    After taking a couple bites, Meganined, "The beef bone broth is cold. Uncle Wesley, can you


    warm it up for me? It might cause a tummy ache if we eat it cold."


    "Okay." Wesley dropped his chopsticks and walked into the kitchen, carrying the beef bone broth.


    ir gaped at him. ''He just said the dishes weren''t that cold.''


    After dinner, the three of them left Wesley''s ce together. Wesley was going to drive Megan home,


    and ir went back to her own apartment.


    When the doorbell rang, ir was rxing, reading on the bed after afortable shower. She jogged


    to the door. It was Wesley. He had juste back home.


    He was holding his phone in his hands. "What''s your WeChat ount?"


    Before ir could say anything, he added, "I''ll be pretty busy from now on. So I might need help taking


    care of my ce."


    "Oh..." ir grabbed her phone from the bedroom, and they friended each other on WeChat.


    His username was Wes, and hers was Bless.


    The two names rhymed and even looked simr. ir couldn''t help thinking that judging from their


    usernames, one might think they were lovers.


    "I know the password to your apartment. Mine''s 1104. You might need it one day."


    ''Megan''s birthday again.'' Leaning on the door, ir asked, "Do you like... Megan that much?"


    Wesley put his phone away and gave her a confused look.


    ir shrugged. "Her birthday is your phone password. And it''s the code to your apartment. Now that


    you like her that much, why not tell her and make her your girlfriend? What are you waiting for? Too


    young?"


    "ir!" came his warning.


    ir smiled. "Let me guess: you use her birthday as a PIN for your credit cards?"


    "No!" Wesley turned around to enter his apartment.


    "Since you like her and you''re not rted, why not make her your fiancee? She might be too young


    now, but when she''s old enough, you can marry."


    ''Marry Megan?'' Wesley frowned. That was when it hit him¡ªir misunderstood his rtionship with


    Megan. It irritated him.


    Turning, he strode over to her, pressed her against the door, held the back of her head in his hand, and


    kissed her passionately on the lips.


    He had kissed her in her apartmentst time. It had been wonderful, and for a long time afterwards, he


    dreamed of it every night; her scent, her sweetness, her softness. He tried to forget it by burying


    himself in his work. Over time, he managed to think of her less and less.


    ir was startled by his sudden decisive action. ''Wh-what''s happening? He''s kissing me!'' Wesley was


    still in control, so it wasn''t a long kiss.


    After letting her go, he warned in her ear, "So quit talking like that, or it won''t be just a kiss."


    ''Not just a kiss?'' Her eyes lit up. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and asked, "What


    kind of punishment did you have in mind?" She didn''t think of this as a punishment, but rather a reward.


    Wesley also started to realize this. ''I think she''s enjoying this, '' he thought.


    He pried her hands away and stressed, "Next time, I''ll make you do a 5k run with a 9 kg pack."


    "Bye!" Hearing that, ir turned around, ran into her apartment and locked the door. She leaned her


    back against it, panting heavily.


    A five-kilometer run would kill her. She liked him, but she wouldn''t risk her life to chase him.


    Looking at the closed door, Wesley smiled, amused by her reaction.


    He returned to his own apartment and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. But soon


    something urred to him. He opened the door and walked into the kitchen.


    He opened one of the cabs. And he was right. There was the bag ir had brought here.


    He took it out of the cab and looked inside. Just then, the doorbell rang.


    He nced at the bag again. Was she trying to get it back?


    He reced it and went to open the door.


    It was ir outside. "I left something here. I came to get it," she said as soon as he opened the door,


    hurrying towards the kitchen.


    She was relieved when she saw the bag was still in the cab. On the other hand, she wondered if


    she should just give him the present.


    And how exactly was she supposed to do that? As a friend? As his girlfriend? If he asked why, what


    would she tell him?


    Would it be awkward if she just handed it to him?


    Wesley stood at the door of the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest. The expression on her


    face kept changing. He could tell that something was on her mind. "What''s in it? You look


    conspiratorial."


    Unable to make up her mind, she felt frustrated. In the end, she took the bag out of the cab and


    handed it to Wesley. "I saw itst time when I was shopping. I thought it suited you, so I bought it. I


    haven''t found an opportunity to give it to you until today."


    Wesley took the bag and opened it. Inside was a ck embroidered box containing a lighter.


    He tried the lighter. A me whooshed out, about as tall as the lighter itself.


    "Looks expensive." Wesley smiled, extinguished the mes and put the lighter back into the box.


    ''She isn''t rich. Then how did she afford it?'' he thought.


    ir shook her head and said, "It''s okay. I bought it with my own money. I hope you like it."


    Wesley put the box into the bag and handed it to her. "Return it. You''re a student. You shouldn''t have


    bought something so expensive."


    "But I already paid for it." ir didn''t take the bag. ''Is he rejecting me?''


    Wesley stuffed the bag into her arms and walked out of the kitchen. "Then give it to your uncle."


    Adalson also smoked.


    ir''s heart broke into little pieces.


    She had been so excited to give it to him. At this moment, her heart was filled with disappointment.


    After ncing at the bag in her hands, she asked, "You really hate me, don''t you?"

 Chapter 560 Its A Wonder Youre Still Alive

    Chapter 560 It''s A Wonder You''re Still Alive


    When Wesley heard what ir said, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, paralyzed by her words. "No, I


    don''t," he replied.


    ir wouldn''t let the matter drop. She hurried over to him and asked, "Then why won''t you take my


    gift?"


    After giving it some thought, Wesley grabbed the bag in her arms and took out his phone. "How much


    was it? I''ll pay you back. WeChat Pay okay?"


    "No, you don''t have to. I¡ª" She wanted to tell him that she had money now; her aunt had floated her


    some funds.


    But Wesley interrupted her. "It''s not easy to win a schrship. You''re taking the GRE test, right?


    Studying abroad is expensive. You shouldn''t be spending money on stupid things."


    ir said dully, "My uncle will help me out."


    Since she would have to ask her uncle to help her with living expenses and schooling once she was


    overseas, she didn''t think the meager thousands of bucks she had spent on the lighter would make


    much difference.


    "In that case, let me buy your ticket. It''s the least I can do."


    ir was disappointed seeing how persistent he was to pay her back. "Seriously, guy? Why can''t it just


    be a gift? No strings."


    Wesley had never gotten a present from a girl before, so he had no idea how to handle this. He gave


    her an infuriating answer, in his single-word style: "Because," he said eventually.


    For a moment, ir didn''t know what to say, nor did he; the apartment fell quiet. After a while, she


    smiled, "Okay. I''ll remind you to book a flight for me before I leave."


    Her smile was so sweet, but Wesley wasn''t fooled. The sadness behind her expression was obvious.


    "No problem," he said.


    ir decided she needed to get out of there, but needed a way to make a graceful exit. She didn''t run


    away.


    She walked straight to the door and then stopped. Without turning back, she asked, "Wesley, the kisses


    we shared...were those...just punishments?"


    That question caused him to think of so many things¡ªhis future, her future, their future...


    ir left his ce without waiting for an answer. If that were true, she didn''t want to hear it. Being


    rejected again and again would finally break her heart. She might be a confident, skilled woman, but


    underneath she was just a girl with a fragile heart, after all.


    Wesley eventually had to go back to work. Once he was back on base, the hellish days for his soldiers


    began. He was merciless¡ªthe slightest mistake meant a harsh punishment. Meanwhile, Wesley wasn''t


    easy on himself either. He put himself through strenuous training exercises: hiking up mountain trails


    with a loaded backpack, kicking a tree to toughen his feet until he could barely walk, thrusting his fists


    into ice-water, and lifting weights until he dropped from exhaustion, shuddering from muscr failure.


    Seeing him like this, the soldiers started wondering what was bothering him.


    One day, during a break, Talbot found Wesley, who was gulping down a bottle of water. He spotted one


    or two drops of water spilling from the corner of Wesley''s mouth and streaking down his neck. He


    looked extremely masculine at that point. Talbot couldn''t help but marvel at this man, who seemed like


    the iconic soldier¡ªsquare-jawed, well-developed physique, rugged features. He looked for all the world


    like he had been made up for amercial.


    Talbot was in a daze for a while, lost in reverie. Wesley noticed it and red at him. Talbot came back


    to his senses and asked, "You okay, Chief? I know you''re a ruthless taskmaster, but you should treat


    yourself better. You''re pushing yourself harder than anyone. What''s wrong?" Wesley shot him a stern


    look. "Hey, hey, don''t take this wrong. The men are worried. These exercises are kicking our collective


    asses, and you end each day looking like something the cat dragged in. Is there something going on?"


    Wesley threw the empty stic water bottle into the bin. "Mmm hmm," was his only reply.


    "Mmm hmm what? Something''s going on?"


    "Mmm hmm."


    ''My God, something''s bugging the tough guy.'' Realizing something, Talbot followed behind Wesley


    excitedly and asked, "What is it, Chief? Girl trouble? Let me guess¡ªir, right?"


    As soon as he finished talking, Wesley shot him a cold nce. "Go do a hundred burpees. Miss one


    and get two hundred more. And grab a few other guys to join you¡ªanyone you think is worried." He


    said thatst word with a sarcastic sneer.


    The grin on Talbot''s face died. "No way! " All he had done was ask a few innocent questions.


    He wanted Wesley to reconsider his punishment. But he knew him. The more he talked, the worse it


    would get.


    Talbot went back to the training field in misery. What surprised him was that Wesley was right behind


    him.


    Under his confused gaze, Wesley began to do burpees.


    Talbot was taken aback. He realized that Wesley was hurting worse than he had initially thought.


    While Wesley was going through his calisthenic routine, his head was filled with thoughts of ir. Her


    face, her figure, her voice. Actually, he wasn''t depressed, but angry. He was pissed that he didn''t know


    what his heart wanted.


    When ir expressed her feelings for him, he turned her down; but now that she wasn''t around, she


    was all he could think of.


    So he took it out on himself by engaging in the most difficult training programs. He forced himself to


    focus on enhancing his strength and endurance. To make sure he wouldn''t ck off, he had even


    asked some of his soldiers to supervise him during the training.


    Soon, lunar New Year arrived. ir spent the holidays with the Ji family. She overheard Adalson say


    that Wesley had left the country for his hometown to celebrate the New Year.


    It had been one month since she saw himst. She didn''t know when she would be able to see him


    again.


    After Spring Festival, ir focused on preparing for the GRE test.


    She spent all her time studying. Joslyn had invited her out, maybe take a walk or go out dancing. She


    turned her down every time. One evening, ir realized she might be a nerd if she kept studying


    like that. Studying too long without a break was the best way to fail.


    So when Joslyn asked her once more to go outside and have some fun, she said yes.


    They didn''t go far. They went hiking in a national forest, 45 minutes from the city, and returned that


    night.


    They came back by minibus. ir slept on the way back, head bobbing to the bumps in the road.


    Suddenly, she heard someonein, "This traffic is murder!"


    "Should we get out and walk? We''re close to the school," Joslyn suggested. It was bumper-to-bumper


    traffic. Try as they might, the line of cars stretched as far as the eye could see. ir and Joslyn could


    only wait in the minibus.


    ir, who was carsick, agreed to Joslyn''s suggestion right away.


    They told the driver, and he kindly opened the doors for them and let them out. They started walking


    down the sidewalk.


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    They talked as they walked. "I''m d we ditched the minibus. Those cars aren''t moving at all. There


    must be an ident," Joslynmented.


    ir looked ahead and then behind them. "I suppose so. Look at that¡ªthey must be lined up outside


    the city." The traffic in Y City wasn''t usually this bad.


    They continued walking for a few more minutes. Then they heard sirens screaming. The police and


    emergency vehicles showed up on the scene.


    People had be impatient because of the traffic jam. Hearing the sirens, they fell silent. Since the


    emergency vehicles hade, they realized that someone must have been hurt. Something serious


    had happened.


    ir was soon able to see what was going on. There was a car ident. One car had plowed into


    another, caving in its back end. A military vehicle was also there.


    That section of the road had been cordoned off. A crowd gathered, as well as the usual EMTs and


    police. There were three emergency vehicles. The police and the firemen were all actively working. A


    few of them were out with signs and shlights, trying to redirect traffic and keep it flowing.


    Right then, another car pulled up. A woman got out of the Porsche and walked over to a man who was


    lying in the street and drenched in blood. "How did this happen? Why is he dead? Who did this? And


    you! You are soldiers. You save people. How could you let this happen?" she yelled like a crazy person,


    obviously distraught.


    People attempted to calm her down, but to no avail.


    ir and Wesley were doomed to meet at random.


    Like right now.


    The scene unfolding before her eyes made her sad. ir was going to walk away when she heard a


    familiar voice. He said to the grieved woman, "We know this is a difficult time for you. Sorry for your


    loss. Your husband died during the ident. We wanted to save him, but we couldn''t¡ª"


    The woman let go of the man in her arms, and shouted at Wesley, "Bullshit! You didn''t do your jobs! Is


    this how you operate? It''s a wonder you''re still alive."


    The onlookers couldn''t stand her wild usations anymore. A murmur traveled through the crowd. But


    since she was grieving, none of them came forward to confront her.


    Talbot and Bowman, who were standing next to Wesley, took one step forward, intending to reason


    with the woman, but Wesley stopped them.

 Chapter 561 Defending Wesley

    Chapter 561 Defending Wesley


    Wesley kept silent, intending to ignore the woman, but she wasn''t going to let it go. She grabbed his


    clothes and said, "Nice uniform. You must be themanding officer. Did you tell them not to save my


    husband?" He red at her, but she wasn''t giving up yet. She continued, "They say you were nearby


    when the ident happened. So close and you didn''t save him? You''re slow. If you can''t do your job


    well, then just quit!"


    Talbot couldn''t bear it anymore. "Shut up! Our chief saved three people! What did you do? Nothing!


    Just stop, okay?"


    p! To everyone''s shock, the unstable woman pped Talbot across the face.


    And that act used up thest bit of sympathy in the crowd. People began to curse her. "Who the hell do


    you think you are,dy? Calm down."


    "It wasn''t his fault. Why me him?"


    "Your hubby was probably happy to die. Anything to get away from you."


    The woman trembled in anger when she heard the reactions from the crowd.


    Wesley dragged Talbot behind him and stared at the woman grimly. "Look, I get it. You''re hurt. I don''t


    know what I''d do in that situation, but you shouldn''t have hit him. You should apologize."


    "Why should I? Who the hell is he?" the woman yelled, without a single tinge of regret or shame in her


    voice. "Don''t tell me what to do!"


    Smack! And at that, she pped Wesley too. Hard enough to make his head rock.


    He was a man serving the country bravely and keeping its people safe. The humiliation of getting


    pped by some random woman was beyond words.


    The coldness in his face deepened, mixed with fury. He balled his hands into fists. Meeting the killer


    look in his eyes, the woman suddenly lost her nerve to utter another word.


    Several men stepped forward to grab the hysterical woman. Just then, another woman dashed over to


    her, and gave her a p as well. The sound of that one reverberated even louder than the previous two


    ps. "Ahh!" the crazy woman shrieked as she was struck. She was so shrill that many onlookers had


    to cover their ears. They were all shocked.


    Immediately, Talbot recognized the neer. Excited, he tugged at Wesley''s sleeve and said, "Chief,


    it''s ir."


    Wesley gave him a sidelong nce. ''I know. I''m not blind.''


    "ir! It''s you!" called Bowman, as excited as his brother.


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    "Damn you!" the crazy woman shrieked. "Fucking bitch!" She continued berating ir.


    ir''s hand went numb from the impact of the strike. She curled it into a fist and was ready to unload


    on her. "Want some more? Then I suggest you stop! They didn''t hit you back, because they''re soldiers.


    They know their duty, even if it''s to protect ungrateful women like you. They didn''t kill your husband. He


    died on the spot. They told you that." "I know that!" the crazy woman spat. "I''m not done," ir said.


    "These people are our heroes. Why would you p them? What makes you think you''re better than


    them? Compared to them, you''re nothing!"


    "Bitch, I''ll strangle you right now!" Purple in the face, the woman shrugged off the men holding her, and


    pounced on ir.


    Someone took ir''s hand. The next thing she knew, a dozen men in uniform stood in front of her.


    Wesley and the other soldiers had blocked the crazy woman with their bodies.


    The angry woman showered them with fists and kicks while cursing, "Come out, you cowardly bitch! I''ll


    kill you!"


    The woman acted like a lunatic. Since they couldn''t calm her down, the police cuffed her for


    obstruction.


    The scene was chaotic. Considering that she would be of no help even if she stayed, ir left quietly to


    join Joslyn by the side of the road. The police guided the crazy woman, still sputtering, to the patrol car.


    When the woman was taken away, Wesley turned around to look for ir, but she was nowhere to be


    seen.


    Talbot and the other soldiers couldn''t find her either. Yet there was no time for them to ponder it. The


    wrecked car had to be removed from the road.


    Late that night, the buzz of her phone woke ir from her sleep. Muddled, she opened one eye to


    check her phone. It was a WeChat message from Wesley.


    The unexpected text woke her up a little.


    "When are you taking off? Do you have a date set?" he asked.


    ''Taking off? Oh right. He wants to buy me a ne ticket.''


    ir was sad, feeling that he didn''t want anything to do with her. Even though she had agreed to let


    him buy the ticket, she had never taken it seriously. She didn''t even remember it. Now she realized he


    meant it.


    When ir replied to his message, it was already five minutester. "I''ll give up studying abroad for


    you."


    His job and position meant that he couldn''t leave the country, unless it was on official business. So


    they''d mostly be apart.


    Wesley didn''t reply to her message.


    Without warning, the next day, ir went viral.


    When the crazy woman was making a scene after the car ident, someone recorded the whole thing


    and uploaded it. Everyizen that cared could see ir pping her.


    They all apuded her. "Nice!"


    "Smart, cute, and fierce. She is my goddess!"


    "Wow, that woman was nuts! How could she just p a soldier?"


    "They could have taken her easily. Those guys were patient and understanding. And she had the nerve


    to p Officer Li! I am d that girl put that woman in her ce. Bravo!"


    Before long, reporters found out who ir was and where she studied.


    They came to the university, hoping for an interview.


    Before this, someone had also found out that ir''s uncle was Adalson, a lieutenant general, and that


    her grandfather was a general. "She''s awesome. And why not? Her family is career military. She has


    good genes."


    "She and Wesley make a perfect couple. When Wesley got in between her and that woman, he was


    amazing!"


    "Ah! Be still, my heart."


    When ir knew that so many reporters were waiting to interview her, she didn''t even dare step out of


    her dorm.


    She never wanted to be a celebrity. Gossip was like fame''s evil twin.


    She relied on her grandfather, uncle and aunt now. She didn''t want to make trouble for them.


    So ir turned down all the interviews. She never showed up in front of the camera. Gradually, the


    reporters gave up, and her life was back to normal again.


    Some of the reporters thought it would be even better if they could interview Wesley.


    But as an officer, of course, Wesley wouldn''t give an interview. Since the press didn''t have anything


    more, they dropped it.

 Chapter 562 The Proposal

    Chapter 562 The Proposal


    It was getting hot. After ir had passed the GRE test, she got busier. She sent her past school


    reports, along with her IELTS and TOEFL transcripts to a prestigious overseas university. Since ir


    was an outstanding student, and her university had written a shining rmendation for her, she got


    her eptance letter very soon.


    When the junior year came to an end, ir went to see Adalson.


    In the study.


    Adalson banged the desk angrily, his sonorous voice travelling across the entire second floor as he


    scolded, "This isplete nonsense!"


    ir pleaded, "Uncle, just this once! Please."


    "Not gonna happen!" Adalson snapped.


    He had no issues with Wesley, and he thought that it was right to take bold actions to pursue love.


    But what ir was suggesting was outrageous.


    "Uncle, I am confident that my n will work."


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    "No! Absolutely not! I cannot allow this!" Adalson felt that since he and Natalia had given ir enough


    freedomtely, she thought that she could do whatever she wanted.


    ir drooped her head. She had known that her uncle would say no.


    Seeing how disappointed she was, Adalson sighed. He calmed himself down and said, "You can chase


    him in any other way, but this is not right."


    ir shook her head. "I want to try this. If it still doesn''t work, I''ll focus on my studies."


    The look on her face made Adalson''s heart ache.


    Finally, he said resignedly, "Fine. There will be a drill in four days. Wesley and his soldiers will be there.


    You can take that opportunity." He thought about it. This was the only chance where he could let ir


    through to enter the military site and carry out her absurd n.


    Four dayster on the military training area in the suburb.


    The most courageous thing ir had ever done was fall in love with Wesley.


    The boldest thing she had ever done was propose to him in a wedding dress.


    The most humiliating thing in her life was that when she popped the question, Wesley rejected her in


    front of hundreds of soldiers and then punished them for cheering at the scene.


    Early that summer, with Joslyn''s help, ir found a wedding dress she liked after searching for a long


    time. It was simple, but elegant. After selecting a pair of matching wedding bands, she went to the


    military training area with Joslyn.


    The drill went on till noon.


    The troops were dismissed and they were resting on the field before having lunch.


    Just then, a white Hyundai rolled to a halt at the roadside near the field.


    Wesley frowned at the vehicle. Due to the ongoing drill, the ce was heavily guarded. There wasn''t


    supposed to be any irrelevant people hanging around the area. And he had never seen that car before.


    It attracted the attention of the soldiers as well.


    They wondered who it was. After a long while, Joslyn got out of the car and waved to Wesley. "Officer


    Li, can youe here for a moment?"


    The sudden appearance of a female in the army field was definitely dramatic, not to mention she was


    there for Wesley. More and more soldiers were interested in the scene that was unfolding in front of


    them.


    "Whoa! The beauty hase for our chief."


    "Isn''t she ir''s friend?"


    "Chief, the girl is talking to you. Hurry up!"


    Wesley looked at the soldiers and then strode towards the car.


    Meanwhile, ir was thinking of backing out of the n. Joslyn craned her head into the car and


    grabbed her hand. "Get out of the car! He ising over."


    ir wanted some more time to think about it. As Wesley got closer, she started to have doubts.


    Maybe she was being too impulsive.


    But Joslyn wasn''t nning on letting her regret her decision. "You''re already in a wedding dress. You


    bought wedding rings. You had everything prepared for this moment, and you want to bail out now?


    How can you even think of being Wesley''s woman if you are such a coward?"


    Herst words hit the spot. Joslyn was right. Wesley was a soldier. How could she chicken out now?


    "Go, Bless! You''re the bravest girl I''ve ever known." Joslyn hugged her, trying to boost her spirit.


    ir gave her a smile, too nervous to speak. She lifted the hem of her dress and got out of the car.


    Wesley slowed down his pace when he saw the sight before his eyes.


    ir was wearing a white wedding dress, and she had gentle makeup on her face. She walked towards


    him, holding a bouquet of red roses in her hands.


    Her smiling face was crimson. Wesley was engrossed as heid his eyes on the woman.


    The veil pped in the breeze, and she looked stunning.


    Before the two of them could say anything, the soldiers started cheering and whistling. Some of them


    were amazed by how bold ir was. Most of them envied Wesley. The rest were just excited to see


    what was going to happen.


    ir stopped when she was about a meter away from Wesley. He looked nonchnt, which made her


    even more nervous. "Wesley," she said quietly.


    As they stood face to face, the soldiers became quiet. Only the rustling of the leaves could be heard.


    Everyone held their breath, waiting.


    "You have been my idol since I was seventeen. My parents died when I was only neen, and I could


    never forget the way you hugged me." ir paused. "I fell for you when I first met you. You''re the first


    man who has made me want to get married."


    She had prepared a long speech, but as she stood facing him, she forgot all of it. She could only follow


    her heart and say whatever she was feeling. "I''m going abroad to study. I want to settle this before I


    leave. It won''t be a big deal that we are in two different ces. We can video chat. But if you don''t want


    me to go, I will stay here. All you need to do is say it. I''ll be a good wife and I will take care of our home.


    I already got a check-up. I''m healthy, except for some cold syndromes in my¡­uh...uterus. But it''s


    nothing serious!


    This is my check-up report." ir handed him the medical examination report along with the box


    containing the matching wedding rings. But Wesley didn''t even look at it; his eyes were fixed on her.


    "Wesley, will you marry me? Will you stay with me and let your feelings for me grow?" she asked with


    all the courage she could summon.


    He stood there motionless. A long while had passed, but he still didn''t speak.


    The soldiers behind him started to roar, "Chief, say yes!"


    "Marry her! Marry her!"

 Chapter 563 The Choice

    Chapter 563 The Choice


    "ir is so brave! Our leader''s a lucky guy. If a gal proposed to me like that, I''d say yes in a heartbeat,"


    a soldier cried.


    Wesley silently stared at ir, paying no attention to his men''s enthusiastic discussions. She was


    dressed in an borate wedding gown.


    Finally, he said gruffly, "I''m a soldier. My life belongs to the country, and I would die for my fellow


    citizens. But it''s too dangerous to get involved. I don''t want to put your life in danger too." He had been


    ready to shed blood for his country and people long before. His life was not his own.


    ir took in his meaning. She figured he was worried about getting her hurt or killed. With hopes in her


    heart, she shook her head. "I want to be with you. I''m not afraid! I''m an orphan, so they can''t really go


    after my family." The moment she fell in love with him, she knew the risks. She already had an answer


    ready for that.


    The Ji family members were her only close rtives now. Her uncle and aunt would take care of her


    grandpa, while her two cousins would take care of her uncle and aunt. They were a strong family. ir


    didn''t need to worry about anyone else. She could just stand at Wesley''s side and share life and death


    with him.


    Wesley could see the determination in the girl''s eyes. She was serious. But he still tried to change her


    mind. "Think about your uncle and your cousins. They would still be in danger."


    After a pause, ir said honestly, "Well, my uncle is our biggest cheerleader. He''s the matchmaker and


    I got his approval beforeing here today."


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    So he finally had his suspicions confirmed. He knew it. They were conducting military exercises here.


    No cars were allowed to drive into the training area without permission from the higher ups.


    Wesley had wanted to frighten her away byying out what she might have to go through. But it didn''t


    work on this brave girl.


    She was young and should have a bright and happy future. However, there was no telling if he would


    come back safe and sound from the next dangerous mission. His future was unpredictable. With that in


    mind, Wesley refused bluntly, "No."


    He was calm. He didn''t raise his voice, but it was loud enough to be heard by everyone standing


    nearby. Everyone was stunned, including ir.


    She had chosen to do it this way. In front of everyone. It would be bold, and eye-catching. And since he


    seemed to like her, she figured that this would definitely work. He wouldn''t be cruel and turn her down


    heartlessly. Even if he wanted to say no, he''d have to say yes, and then turn her down in private. Of


    course, it wouldn''t work. She''d hold him to his word. He said yes, so she''d badger him till he finally


    broke down and decided to be with her.


    But she hadn''t anticipated this. Her ns failed. Or maybe she had been thinking too highly of herself.


    She wasn''t that important to Wesley.


    Suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, ir forced a smile and said, "This is a turning point,


    Wesley. It''s now or never. If you say no, I''ll turn another page in my life and try to forget you. If you say


    yes, I''ll love you with all my heart and soul. Think carefully before you answer."


    Wesley didn''t answer, but instead turned to his men. His loud and powerful voice echoed around the


    training ground. "Ten-hut!"


    The soldiers, who were watching the show curiously a few seconds ago, immediately returned to their


    serious selves, and lined up in orderly rows.


    But a few of them still looked at ir withpassion in their eyes.


    "Everyone, listen up! Obstacle course! Whoever fails to get to the end will get a 5k run in full gear!" he


    ordered.


    ir looked at him, but his back was turned. She wanted to call out to him and ask him why he didn''t


    love her. Wasn''t she hot enough? Or just not his type?


    But she never had the chance to confront him. He anxiously joined his men and ran off as the troops


    marched over to the obstacle course. ir stood rooted to the spot, watching him running farther and


    farther away, as if he were being gradually erased from her mind.


    Joslyn felt her heart ache for ir. She hugged the sad girl tightly, hoping to give her a littlefort.


    With her eyes reddened from tears, Joslyn cursed, "He''s such a jerk. He needs his eyes checked.


    You''re such an awesome chica and he still blows you off. I hate him! Forget him, okay? I''ll introduce


    you to some guys who are worth your time."


    The troopspletely disappeared from sight. ir shifted her eyes to Joslyn. She smiled and


    nodded, "Good idea! I''m young. I''m gorgeous. Why should I keep pursuing someone who doesn''t want


    me?"


    Joslyn carefully studied her face but couldn''t find a trace of sadness. She was worried. "Bless, if you''re


    sad, please just cry on my shoulder. You don''t have to be strong for me. You can just be yourself."


    However, irughed out loud. She tore the physical exam into pieces as she said sarcastically,


    "Cry? Why should I cry over a guy who doesn''t love me? There are a lot of fish in the sea. I''ll hook one


    that doesn''t want to be thrown back in. If Wesley doesn''t want me, tough."


    Joslyn frowned, knowing that her friend was just trying to be strong.


    Then they returned to the white car and left. Everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened.


    After going back to her apartment, ir put the wedding gown and the ring in a big gift box, and threw it


    in the neighborhood garbage can.


    After that, Joslyn kept busy¡ªbusy arranging blind dates for ir. She introduced all kinds of rich single


    men to her, from age 18 to 30.


    In the end, ir chose a sry man in histe twenties. He worked in apany and had the freedom


    to leave the country whenever he wanted. He coulde see her while she studied abroad. And the


    most important point was that he was very caring.


    But soon after they began to date, his family pushed them to get engaged as soon as possible.


    ir wanted to hold off the engagement. She even had a good excuse¡ªher studies abroad. But his


    family said that it didn''t matter, and that it would be more convenient for their son to take care of her, if


    he became her fiance.


    That was logic ir couldn''t argue with, so she agreed to get engaged to him.


    Two weeks before she went abroad, ir texted Wesley. "Mr. Li, I''m flying to Ennd on the 10th, next


    month. Here''s my ID number, so you can buy my ticket. Thank you."


    Shortly, ir received a message, detailing her flight information. Wesley must have put her email


    address on the reservation. The date was right, the 10th of next month, and it was a first ss ticket.


    The day before her departure, ir came back to Hillside Apartments, along with her fiance. She was


    going to pack up her things and move out. She''d be out of the country for awhile, so she didn''t need the


    apartment anymore.


    After packing everything, they lugged tworge suitcases out of the apartment. When ir was about


    to lock the door, the elevator doors opened and a man emerged.


    It was Wesley.


    ir''s hands trembled a little when she saw him, but she managed to regain herposure quickly.


    He silently stared at her luggage. She took the initiative to greet him, "Hi, Mr. Li. Long time no see. I''m


    moving out. I''ll be out of the country for awhile, but you knew that."


    After a moment of silence, he nodded, and then gave a quick nce at the man behind her. ir


    smiled and wrapped her arm around her fiance''s. "Honey, this is my neighbor, Wesley Li." She looked


    at Wesley and continued, "Mr. Li, this is my fiance, Miller Hong. We just got engaged. I''m moving in


    with him until my flight leaves."


    ''This is my fiance, Miller Hong...''


    Those words struck Wesley like a bolt of lightning. He stared intently at the woman, but she didn''t seem


    perturbed in the least. He wanted to find out if she was joking or lying, but he couldn''t detect anything


    from her face.


    It hadn''t been that long since she proposed to him, but she was already engaged to another man. That


    was beyond ridiculous. Why did she rush into marriage like that?


    He then shifted his gaze to scrutinize her fiance. Miller Hong looked very ordinary and about ten years


    older than ir. Wesley wondered what her uncle had to say about this. Or if he even knew.


    His mind was filled with a lot of questions that stung his heart like bees. Yet, he acted nonchnt and


    shook hands with Miller Hong politely.


    Miller Hong looked at Wesley''s military outfit. "Mr. Li, thank you for taking care of my fiancee for me,"


    he said unctuously. "We should get going now."

 Chapter 564 He Felt Lost

    Chapter 564 He Felt Lost


    ''My fiance, my fiancee...'' Wesley''s face fell as he heard these words. But he said nothing and merely


    nodded his head.


    After the small talk, Miller walked off, two suitcases on wheels and two bags on his back, and carefully


    escorted ir into the elevator. Wesley stood and watched how Miller treated ir. It was how


    marriage should be¡ªnice andfortable.


    Before the elevator doors closed, the woman inside the elevator made eye contact with the man in the


    hallway, their eyes full ofplicated emotions. But Miller didn''t notice the silent exchange between the


    two.


    The doors closed. Standing in the silent, empty corridor of the 16th floor, Wesley felt lost. ir had left,


    and he felt a hole inside his body where his heart was supposed to be.


    Miller wasn''t rich. His house downtown was nothingpared to her space in Hillside Apartments. But


    ir didn''t mind. She moved all her belongings there and stayed in Miller''s house.


    The next day, Joslyn, Hartwell and Miller saw ir off at the airport. They didn''t leave the airport until


    they saw ir pass through security smoothly.


    When Miller was about to leave, Joslyn suddenly called out to him. "Mr. Hong, ir''s gonna be all


    alone in London. Her family set her up there, but new city, new people. It''s rough. Please see her


    whenever you can."


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Without hesitation, Miller nodded his head. "Sure. Thanks for hooking us up. Don''t worry, I''ll treat her


    right."


    Joslyn was satisfied with his assurance.


    But the truth was, she didn''t introduce Miller to ir. She wouldn''t hook ir up with someone who


    wasn''t rich and couldn''t give her afortable life. When ir was on a blind date, Miller was at the


    same restaurant, on a blind date too. His table was right next to ir''s.


    ir wasn''t really clicking with her date, but Miller seemed a lot nicer.


    Coincidentally, things didn''t work out between Miller and his blind date, either. After the girl left, ir


    walked over to his table and struck up a conversation. In the end, they hit it off and decided to go out


    with each other.


    Miller bade farewell to Joslyn and Hartwell. After he left, Joslyn got into Hartwell''s car.


    With a sullen face, Hartwell sat in the driver''s seat. She knew how he felt. Joslyn sighed heavily. "Don''t


    be mad. It''s ir''s choice. She can''t be with the man she loves the most, so she settled for this guy. All


    the other men mean the same to her."


    Hartwell was good at hiding his emotions. He was quick with a smile when he had to be. It was his job.


    But he could be himself now. He pulled a long face and med the girl who was already on the ne.


    "Maybe it''s all the same to her, but there are still a ton of better men I could find for her. Why Miller?


    He''s nearly ten years older than she is. Even if age doesn''t matter, he''s still so mediocre. What was


    she thinking?" Hartwell was eager to find out who was the man ir really loved. He wanted to know


    who had hurt ir, but no one told him about it. Adalson didn''t allow him to look into it, either.


    Joslyn, of course, knew the answer, but she said it wasn''t her secret to tell. She wouldn''t betray her


    best friend like that.


    Joslyn caressed his cheek and soothed him. "Okay, no more frowns. Look on the bright side. ir''s


    gonna be out of the country for three years. A lot can happen in three years. Maybe they will break up


    tomorrow. Then you can set her up with the perfect guy."


    Hartwell gave her hand a gentle squeeze. His mood was a little better now. "Okay."


    Ever since she set down in Ennd, ir had been busy with admission procedures and getting her


    bearings. A monthter, when everything had settled down, she finally had the time to hit the London


    streets.


    The weather was quite cool these days. She feltfortable walking outside.


    School life kept her busy, and she found it fascinating. Her ssmates were friendly, and always invited


    her to different events. All the better to practice her English. They even invited her to their family parties


    so that she could get a better handle on the local culture.


    Time flew by quickly. The Spring Festival was just around the corner.


    In Y City, Hartwell had juste back home when Wesley arrived at the Ji family''s house. The steward


    led Wesley inside. The two men engaged in small talk before heading upstairs to Adalson''s study.


    Adalson was practicing Chinese calligraphy in his study. He was a little surprised to see the two show


    up together. He gestured for them toe in, then greeted Wesley with a nod and asked his son,


    "Something up?"


    "Yeah. It''s about ir. I called her just now. She said she had a part-time job and would be staying


    there instead ofing back for the Spring Festival. Dad, she''s been studying hard all the semester.


    I''m afraid she''ll get lonely if she doesn''t fly back," Hartwell replied. He wanted Adalson to talk to ir


    and try to convince her toe back.


    Adalson secretly nced at Wesley. He was pretty sure that would be a touchy subject. But Wesley''s


    face was as calm as usual, as if he hadn''t heard the name or it meant nothing to him.


    Adalson sighed inwardly, and said to Hartwell, "She''lle back. Your grandpa was pretty pissed when


    he found out she was engaged. I bet ir will have a hard time facing the old man when shees


    home."


    Hartwell fell silent. He then took a quick nce at Wesley and asked cautiously, "Don''t worry about


    Wesley. He knows ir. So what''s going on with her?"


    It was so quiet there. The silence felt oppressive. After a while, Adalson grabbed his brush, dipped it in


    the ck ink and continued his calligraphy. Without looking at them, he said, "Leave ir alone. You''ll


    be here on the third day of Spring Festival, right? I''ll ask your grandpa to talk ir intoing back,


    and we''ll have a reunion dinner then."


    Now Hartwell really wanted to open an investigation. His father never hid anything from him. Hartwell


    became even more curious why she''d run off and get engaged to that guy. It didn''t sound like she knew


    him well. "Okay, got it. I only came back to grab a file. I should get going now. Dad wants to talk to you,


    Wesley."


    Wesley nodded to Hartwell and watched him leave the study.


    Adalson put down his brush again. "I asked you toe here because I''m interested in the goings on


    in a nearby city. I need two men from your team. They''ll be stationed in that city for two years..."


    They began to talk about work. They didn''t even go off on a tangent into personal matters.


    Adalson acted as if he knew nothing about what was between ir and Wesley. Even after Wesley


    turned down ir''s proposal, he didn''t ask Wesley a thing about it.


    They talked for quite a while. When Wesley turned around to leave, Adalson called out to stop him.


    "Wesley. You have a bright future in the military. Work harder. Try to move up in rank in two years."


    Adalson was clear about one thing. It wasn''t that Wesley had no feelings for ir. The main reason that


    Wesley had turned her down was because he was already married¡ªto the country. The ambitious


    young man wasn''t satisfied with his current situation. He wanted to hit the battlefield and protect his


    country.


    Adalson also understood ir rushed her engagement because she was angry at Wesley. It wasn''t a


    rational decision.


    Anyway, he couldn''t get involved. Together or not, it was up to them.


    Wesley stood straight and saluted Adalson. With a resolute and confident look in his eyes, he


    answered loudly, "Yes, sir! I won''t fail you."

 Chapter 565 The World Is Big

    Chapter 565 The World Is Big


    Wesley hopped in his car after leaving the Ji family''s house. But he didn''t start the engine. He whipped


    his phone out and tapped on a WeChat dialog box. He scrolled down the chat log to find messages


    from six months ago. Thest message was ir asking him to book the flight ticket.


    He then tapped on her WeChat Moments. He found a new post from yesterday. It was all in English.


    Wesley read it carefully. She wrote, "Someone says, if you dream of a person you haven''t seen in a


    long time, then he''s erasing you from his memory. Someone says, if you dream of the same person


    three times, it means that everything between you and that person is ending. I saw the guy in my


    dream. Did he forget me? And I dreamed of him three times. So it''s over, right?"


    He saw that Talbot left ament a few minutes ago. "What do you mean?" he wrote.


    Wesley sat in the driver''s seat, patiently waiting for ir''s reply to Talbot''sment. A few minutes


    later, she replied in Chinese, "I meant I was sleepy. Time for bed."


    Wesley sighed. He wanted to post ament, but didn''t know what to say.


    ir rarely updated her Moments. Butpared to Wesley, who never posted anything, she was an


    active user.


    After scrolling through her posts, Wesley locked his phone and rested his head on the steering wheel,


    deep in thought.


    He hadn''t seen ir in over six months. However, he felt like the girl had sown a seed in his heart, and


    it began to sprout, blooming and growing minute by minute. Her kiss, the soft touch of her hand, and


    her incredible beauty in that wedding gown haunted his mind every day. He couldn''t shake off these


    thoughts.


    Her words always rang in the back of his mind. "I''m your new neighbor. I may have to bug you more..."


    "Will you stay with me and let your feelings for me grow..."


    As soon as Wesley returned to his toon, he went to the dormitory to find Talbot. At that time, there


    was a crowd of soldiers around Talbot, all staring at what was on his phone. They were so engrossed


    they didn''t notice Wesley hade in.


    They were gossiping. "I bet our leader''s sitting in a corner somewhere, reading ir''s post."


    "Probably. My brother told me one thing. He saw our leader''s phone one time. He didn''t lock it in time.


    Guess what was on his screen? ir''s WeChat Moments!"


    "Oh my God! Really? He''s got it bad for her. Ever since he turned her down, he''s gotten meaner, and


    he broods more."


    "But why say no? If he liked her... Proposing in public wearing a wedding gown? Bold move. Really, if I


    were her, I''d hate him for rejecting me like that. He was so heartless!"


    A familiar voice interrupted them. "So what''s it to you, huh? Mind your own business!"


    The soldiers didn''t pay much attention to who this voice belonged to. Talbot thought it was just one of


    them asking, so he answered, "ir is a goddess! But our leader can''t see that, even though she loves


    him. Now she''s off to London, all by her lonesome..."


    Lenard was the first to recognize the voice. He nervously tugged at the hems of Talbot''s and other


    soldiers'' clothes.


    They snapped back to reality and turned around simultaneously. ''Oh, crap!'' They were all startled and


    leaped up from their chairs. Talbot quickly put his phone away. "Chief... M-Mr. Li... When did you get


    here?" he stammered.


    "Chief, we''re...taking a break. It''s break time now," another soldier said. He meant to say that they had


    the freedom to talk and do whatever they wanted during break time.


    Wesley coldly ran his eyes over the soldiers. He ordered them, "Two hundred push-ups now, all of you.


    Never mention her name again. If I hear you again, do three hundred. After that, it''s seven hundred!"


    The younger soldiers started looking worried. They wanted to beg for mercy, but decided against it¡ª


    they''d probably get worse. Left with no choice, they lined up in a row, dropped to the floor to assume


    the correct form, and began to do the push-ups.


    They had just counted to thirteen when Wesley suddenly took off his army cap, put it aside and joined


    them in their punishment.


    Seeing their leader punishing himself as well, the soldiers all stoppedining. They focused on


    finishing the two hundred push-ups they''d been given.


    ir, far away in Ennd, knew nothing about all these episodes happened in Y City. She was now


    feeling extremely gloomy after a phone call from her maternal grandpa¡ªGilbert Ji. She had nned to


    pick up some part-time jobs in Ennd during the holidays. But her grandpa had already booked a


    flight ticket for her, haranguing her until she agreed toe back home.


    On the second day of the Spring Festival, ir''s ne touched down in the city airport in the afternoon.


    Wacian came to pick her up. ir had told Miller her ETA beforehand. But her fiance wasn''t around


    now. He had returned to his hometown to visit his rtives during the festival.


    ir spotted Wacian in the crowd. He held a bouquet of lilies in his hand. When they reached each


    other, ir greeted him happily. "Hi Wacian!"


    Wacian handed the bouquet to her and then took the suitcase from her hand, saying, "Wee home!"


    "Thanks." She breathed in the fragrance of the lilies, delighted.


    Her cousin scanned her from head to toe and praised, "Wow, you''re even hotter than before you left.


    You hair''s much longer, too. Working too much to get a haircut?"


    irughed. "You''re wrong. I waszy. I had tons of fun."


    Wacianughed too as he walked forward. He slightly tapped her forehead. "I know you like to ck


    off. Lucky you''re so smart. Otherwise you would''ve flunked everything."


    They bantered with each other as they walked towards the exit of the airport. Suddenly, a tall figure


    caught their eyes.


    A man in green camouge walked in their direction, holding a phone to his ear.


    The world is big, but sometimes it can be small.


    ir had just arrived, and now she bumped into a man she hadn''t seen for six months.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Of course, she wouldn''t be as naive as before. She knew Wesley didn''te to the airport for her.


    Only Joslyn, Miller and her family knew that she wasing back that day. He couldn''t have that info.


    The next second, the man on the phone seemed to notice her too. However, he only looked at her for a


    couple seconds before his gaze fell on Wacian.


    The two men had known each other before. Wacian knew ir had a crush, but he didn''t know it was


    Wesley. So he turned to look at ir and said, "Hey, there''s a buddy of mine. Let''s go say hi. I''ll


    introduce you."


    The smile froze on her face. Embarrassed, she tried tob her long hair with her hands, and nodded,


    "Okay."


    While Wacian and Wesley shook hands, ir''s phone buzzed in her pocket. Before Wacian could


    introduce them, he saw the girl walk to one side, answering the call. ''Fine, forget it. Maybe next time, ''


    Wacian thought. He then shifted his attention to Wesley again. "My cousin just came back from abroad.


    Why are you here? Picking up or dropping off?"


    Wesley was stealing nces at ir out of the corner of his eye. Hearing Wacian''s question, he


    focused on the conversation and nodded, "Picking up. My family''s flying in from A Country. I''vee to


    pick them up."


    It wasn''t easy for Wesley to get a vacation. His parents hadn''t seen him for a year, so they couldn''t wait


    anymore and flew out to Y City for a reunion.


    "Oh really? Since I''m not in a hurry, I''ll wait with you," Wacian said with a smile.


    Wesley caught a glimpse of ir''s back. "Sounds good," he nodded.

 Chapter 566 Im Engaged

    Chapter 566 I''m Engaged


    After ending the call with Adalson, ir walked back to Wacian. Her cousin suggested at once,


    "Wesley''s meeting his family here. Let''s go say hi before leaving."


    ir was stunned for a moment. This was unexpected. ''Say hi to his family?''


    Wacian then exined to her, "Wesley''s grandfather and our grandfather are old buddies. And


    Wesley''s father helped me out a lot when I studied in A Country. This is a rare chance. Let''s wait a


    while longer, okay?" Wesley''s grandfather¡ªKeith Li, and ir''s maternal grandfather¡ªGilbert Ji, had


    been friends for decades. Wesley''s father¡ªBaldwin Li, and Adalson had beenrades-in-arms for


    ten-odd years too. So, the Li family and the Ji family were close. That was why Adalson paid so much


    attention to Wesley. But most importantly, Wesley was one of the army''s finest. So, Adalson always


    thought highly of the young man and threw a lot of opportunities his way.


    ir nodded, "Okay."


    The three of them then walked through the passage together. Wacian formally introduced the two to


    each other. "Wesley, this is my cousin¡ªir Jing. She''s studying in London, and just came back for


    the Spring Festival. ir, this is Wesley Li, the finest soldier in your uncle Adalson''s eyes. To be frank,


    I''m jealous. I think my father likes Wesley more than me!"


    ir was initially embarrassed with Wesley around. Now sheughed because of Wacian''s joke. She


    tilted her head to look towards Wesley, who was also looking at her. "Hi," he said.


    ir nodded and said calmly, "I know him pretty well. He''s a local legend. He saved me when my


    parents'' house caught fire."


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    With the mention of her parents, the two men naturally fixed their eyes on the pathetic girl, but her face


    betrayed no emotions. Wacian looked at his cousin withpassion in his eyes. "Oh, I see. I thought


    you didn''t know each other..." He quickly changed the topic and asked, "So, Wesley, your family here


    yet?"


    Wesley nced over the exit and replied, "They were at the baggage im just now when I called.


    They should being out... Oh, look, there they are."


    The Li family easily spotted Wesley since he was dressed in green camo fatigues, standing out from


    the crowd.


    Wesley frowned. "My grandpa is here too," he said to Wacian.


    Wacian was shocked to see the oldest man among the four members of the Li family who were


    heading their way. "Eighty years young! Man, he looks healthy. And so active," he marveled.


    ir saw Niles lightly holding an old man''s arm. The old man was holding a crutch in his other hand but


    he wasn''t really using it. He was actually walking steadily on his own.


    Next to them was a middle-aged couple. The man was dressed in a simple, dark-colored coat. He had


    ck, neatlybed hair. Thedy wore a knee-length, dark-blue down jacket. Her long, ck hair


    was neatly coiled at the back of her head. Her skin was well-maintained. If you looked at her and


    Wesley you could see the family resemnce. She was walking gracefully with a polite smile on her


    face, just like a nobledy in the upper-ss circles.


    However, the moment she spotted Wesley, her eyes lit up with excitement. The next second, her


    elegant image copsed... Thedy broke free from the man''s arm and lunged at Wesley, eximing


    excitedly, "Wesley, Son! Oh, I missed you so much!"


    Helpless, Wesley stretched out his right arm to catch the middle-ageddy. "Mom. I know. Calm down."


    Cecelia Shi cupped Wesley''s face, her eyes full of love. "I haven''t seen you in a year. Did you miss


    Mom? Oh, you''re too skinny again. I heard that you needed to train every day now. But aren''t you a


    leader? Why do you need that much exercise?" "Mom, I¡ª" Wesley tried to say something, but his mom


    cut him off. "You''re too hard on yourself. Why didn''t youe back home to see me when you had a


    holiday..."


    Bombarded with a barrage of questions, Wesley felt a headacheing on. He looked over his mom''s


    shoulder and looked at the three men approaching. Baldwin Li was as helpless as his son. He knew his


    wife well and he could do nothing about it.


    Niles winked at ir, and she returned a smile. Wacian greeted Keith Li and Baldwin Li with great


    respect.


    He saved Wesley from the embarrassment by joking, "Aunt Cecelia, I''m hurt. I''ve been standing here


    the whole time and you can''t so much as nod in my direction."


    Cecelia Shi finally let go of Wesley and spread her arms towards theining boy. "Hi Wacian! I


    told you already, you''re like a son to me. Come here, let me hug you."


    They hugged warmly and then pulled away. It was then that Cecelia Shi noticed ir.


    ir was wondering if she should give the bouquet of flowers in her hands to the middle-ageddy


    when she suddenly met her eyes. Thus, naturally, ir lifted the bouquet and said politely, "Hi,


    Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, wee to Y City. This is from my cousin." She handed it to Wesley''s mom.


    Cecelia Shi took the bouquet from ir''s hands with a huge smile on her face. She looked at Wacian


    and asked, "This girl''s cute. Is she your cousin?"


    Wacian smiled. "Yes, her name''s ir Jing. She came back from Ennd today. I came to pick her up


    and then we bumped into Wesley."


    Cecelia Shi held ir''s hand, looking her up and down. "ir, you''re pretty. Do you have a boyfriend?"


    Niles found a chance to cut in, "Mom, my brother is..."


    ir had a gut feeling that Niles might blurt out something that she didn''t want anyone else to know, so


    she beat him to the punch. "Yeah, I do. Aunt, I''m engaged. My fiance went back to his hometown for


    the festival. So he didn''te to pick me up today."


    Niles'' jaw dropped, eyes popped out in shock. He studied her face, but she didn''t seem like she was


    joking. He shifted his gaze to Wesley, who wore an expressionless face.


    ''ir''s engaged? Am I dreaming? Did my brother say yes?''


    "Oh, is that so..." Cecelia Shi sighed. Neither of her two sons had a girlfriend. She was nning to


    introduce one of them to ir, so that this beautiful girl would be her daughter-inw. But it was too


    late. She was engaged.


    Cecelia Shi felt really gloomy. Her sons had no chance to pursue such a nice and beautiful girl.


    Keith Li, the oldest man here, looked intently at ir. He tried to ce the girl''s face in his mind.


    Suddenly, he blurted out something that shocked everyone there. "Aren''t you the girl who pped that


    crazy woman in the car ident. That was you, right?"


    ir''s lips twitched. ''He''s got a good memory for an old guy! What should I do now? Should I admit it


    or not?'' she thought anxiously.


    With the old man''s reminder, Cecelia Shi observed ir''s face more carefully. "You look a lot like her!


    ir, do you know Wesley? You stepped in and set that woman straight! You know what? I was grateful


    for that girl, and now I find out she''s you!" Cecelia Shi then stuffed the bouquet of flowers to her


    husband''s hands and held ir''s arms enthusiastically.


    Ignoring all the other men, she led ir to walk forward.


    ir didn''t know what to do. She turned around to look at Wesley, signaling to him for help.


    He made eye contact with her. But pretending not to notice her signal, he moved his eyes to his


    grandfather and began to exin what happened that day.


    Snapping back to reality, Niles wanted to catch up to the two women walking ahead of him, but Wesley


    grabbed him by his cor and dragged him back.


    "Hey, let go. I have something to ask ir."

 Chapter 567 Smart Grandfather

    Chapter 567 Smart Grandfather


    Keith shifted his sharp and observant eyes between his two grandsons. He could sense they were


    hiding something. Squinting at them, he asked outright, "You know who she is?"


    Niles shook his head, but on second thoughts, he nodded. "Not really, but Wesley does."


    Wesley instantly cast him a warning nce. Niles flinched in fear and moved his eyes away, avoiding


    any eye contact with his brother.


    "Okay, that answers my question." Keith slowed his pace as he was deep in thought. ''So Wesley likes


    her?'' That was something new to the old man. From what he knew, Wesley never showed any interest


    in girls. Megan was the only girl around him.


    Seeing his grandfather''s contemtive face, Wesley had no choice but to remind him, "Don''t read too


    much into that, Grandpa. She''s engaged."


    "Oh...yeah." Keith shook his head. "What a shame..."


    ''But wait. I noticed Wesley looking at her, and then looking away before their eyes could meet, '' the old


    man suddenly realized.


    Wesley thought his family would drop it, so he sighed with relief. However, his grandfather suddenly


    questioned, "Do you like her? Did you try dating her? Or is it the other way round? She loved you but


    you turned her down?"


    Wesley''s heart skipped a beat. He felt like a secret was discovered out of the blue. Sometimes it wasn''t


    a good thing to have a smart grandfather.


    Wesley wanted to deny everything, but his grandfather added sternly, "Wesley, listen. Think it over


    before you answer. I''ve told you many times. An honest man is a good man. Don''t lie to me."


    Niles was trying his hardest to stifle hisughter. Nheless, still one or twoughs reached Wesley''s


    ears. The officer red at the young doctor. He would remember that. Then he turned to the old man


    again. "You''ve gotta be tired. That was a long flight. I''ll exin it to you after you get some rest."


    "Alright." Keith knew he shouldn''t push Wesley too hard. Anyway, his grandson would have to confess


    everything to him sooner orter.


    On the other hand, ir had a hard time exining herself to Wesley''s mother. "Wesley...he... I''ve


    admired him for a long time. But that''s all. It''s nothing. Besides, I''ve got a fiance and we''ll get married


    after I graduate."


    Although Cecelia liked ir, she knew she shouldn''t press the issue, since ir was already engaged.


    You shouldn''t break up a couple. So she stopped asking about Wesley and ir. Before they got in


    their cars, Wacian told the Li family, "Grandpa Keith, my grandpa knows you''re here, so we''re having a


    dinner party. We''ve booked a room. How about we head to the restaurant now?"


    Keith had nned to meet some old friends¡ªGilbert was one of those friends, so he was quick with a


    "yes." Then they all got into their own cars and drove off, making for the restaurant.


    ir sat in Wacian''s car. After a moment of silence, she requested, "Wacian, please drive me to


    Joslyn''s house. I told her I''d be by when I was done here."


    Wacian didn''t notice anything unusual about her. With his eyes on his phone, he replied casually,


    "Why? Call Joslyn and take a rain check. We''re having dinner with the Li family. You shoulde."


    "I''d rather not. I don''t know them very well. I just met them today." ir just wanted to avoid seeing


    Wesley again. She felt so embarrassed.


    Wacian thought for a second. "Well, okay. I think Wesley''s mom likes you, and she''d probably be happy


    if you came. But... It''s up to you. Just tell the driver the address." If ir weren''t engaged, WacianText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    would try and hook her and Niles up. He was around the same age. Moreover, Cecelia liked her. But he


    remembered she was engaged, so he dumped the idea.


    Finally, the driver dropped ir off near Joslyn''s house. She didn''t take her luggage out since she


    would return to the Ji family''s houseter that night.


    What ir didn''t tell Wacian was that Joslyn wasn''t home. She was in her hometown too and wouldn''t


    be back until tomorrow. ir just randomly found an excuse to bow out of dinner with the Li family. She


    looked up at the sky. It was nearing dusk. She then looked back at the traffic on the road. Wesley''s


    huge, eye-catching vehicle still could be seen among the traffic. She grinned and walked along the


    busy street.


    She hadn''t been home in six months, so she wanted to walk the streets by herself.


    Wesley saw ir get out of Wacian''s car from the rear-view mirror in his car. When he lost sight of her


    in the crowd, he forgot about it.


    His mother''s nagging rang in his ear again. "I''ll stay here for a few more days. I have a friend here. Her


    daughter is the same age as you. Why don''t I call her up and you guys can go out? Who knows?


    Maybe you can get married, and I don''t need to worry about it anymore."


    Wesley was with his parents in his car, while Niles and Keith were in the car behind them.


    "Don''t bother. I don''t have the time," Wesley refused bluntly.


    Cecelia wasn''t surprised by his refusal. She had an obvious question in her mind. "Son, be honest. Are


    you...gay?" Cecelia decided to ask it.


    Wesley caught a glimpse of his mother''s worried face from the rear-view mirror. He replied calmly, "If


    that will stop you from setting up any blind dates, then yeah, I am."


    ''What? He didn''t deny it?'' Cecelia was shocked by how much her son resisted seeing a girl. That was a


    heavy blow to a mother.


    Baldwin scolded his son, "Watch your mouth. Don''t scare your mom."


    Wesley fixed his eyes on the road ahead of them, but ir''s smiling face popped up in his mind. He


    thought of how she looked when she held the bouquet of flowers. "I''m not gay, Mom. But I don''t want to


    go on any blind dates."


    Cecelia rolled her eyes at him. "Your EQ is even lower than your brother''s. You frighten every girl away.


    So if I don''t arrange a blind date for you, when do I get to be a grandma? When my hair is gray and my


    teeth are gone?"


    Wesley said slowly, "Then try it on Niles. Your youngest son will intern in a hospital here. He''s kind of


    hard up, too. Besides, he''s as lightplexioned as you. He''ll give you a cute grandkid."


    Niles resembled their father in appearance but had the sameplexion as their mother.


    Wesley was on the opposite. He looked like their mother but his skin was as dark as their father''s. He


    used to be light-skinned, but after military school, he had a permanent tan.


    "Niles? Humph! Neither of you can make me happy. The Ji family has two sons as well. What a pity


    that they don''t have a daughter. If they had a girl, our two families could be joined by marriage. I was so


    happy to see ir just now. But she''s already engaged. Ugh! I''m sad." Leaning over Baldwin''s


    shoulder, Cecelia put her hand on her chest to show her heartache.


    Baldwin squeezed her hand andforted, "Honey, take it easy. Hartwell''s a few years older than


    Wesley, but he''s not married yet, right? Young people think differently from us."


    Cecelia sighed heavily. She finally dropped the issue. "What about our rooms tonight?"


    "I''ll sleep in my dorm, you all can stay in my apartment." Wesley knew his mother didn''t like checking


    into a hotel room, so he had it all nned out. His apartment had three bedrooms, so it was enough for


    them.


    "Okay." Cecelia nodded. She hated staying at a hotel. "But you don''t need to head back to your dorm.


    You can share a room with Niles."


    Wesley remembered how ugly Niles looked when he was asleep. A dash of disdain shed in his eyes.


    He didn''t like the idea. But anyway, he nodded in agreement since it was only for a few days.


    When they reached the restaurant, Gilbert, Adalson and Natalia were already there.


    The two families hadn''t seen each other for a long time. They greeted and embraced each other


    enthusiastically. After a few warm pleasantries, they all settled down at a table in the VIP room.


    Adalson''s gaze swept over the guests. He asked Wacian, "Where''s ir?" His question attracted


    everyone''s attention.


    That was when Cecelia noticed ir''s absence.


    Wacian exined, "We dropped her off halfway. She said she made ns with Joslyn and she''d head


    backter."

 Chapter 568 Are You Friends With Niles

    Chapter 568 Are You Friends With Niles


    Adalson furrowed his brows. "Don''t you know Joslyn is spending time with her family? She asked your


    brother to pick her up tomorrow."


    Hearing his father''s words, Wacian was stunned. He didn''t know that at all.


    Cecelia instinctively took a nce at Wesley. Her oldest son held the pitcher, filling everyone''s ss


    with water. He wore a poker face.


    Compared to Wesley, Niles was friendly and excited, a huge smile on his face. "We should get her over


    here. I want to hear about Ennd. Can you help me out, Uncle?" Of course, that was just an excuse.


    He had an ulterior motive¡ªto help his elder brother be happy.


    Cecelia red at her younger son. "You brat! I gave you lots of opportunities to study abroad, and you


    turned me down. Now you want to hear about it from someone else?"


    "What are you up to, Niles?" Keith saw right through the young man.


    Niles looked at his discerning grandfather. Scratching the back of his head, he looked down in


    embarrassment. "Um..." Yet, he didn''t exin anything, but looked hopefully at Adalson, expecting an


    answer.


    Adalson smiled joyfully and instructed Wacian to make the call. "Call ir. Ask her toe here ASAP.


    Tell her not to keep her elders waiting."


    "Sure, Dad," Wacian nodded and left the VIP room.


    When ir got Wacian''s call, she stood in a line, waiting for her turn to order. She wanted some oden.


    The thought of a steaming bowl of crab cakes, tofu fritters, potatoes and radish floating in a dashi soup


    was making her mouth water. There were only three customers ahead of her now. She picked up the


    phone. "ir, are you friends with Niles?" Wacian asked as soon as the call was connected.


    "We met twice. Why?" she answered, craning her neck to look at the front of the line. She wasn''t that


    focused on the conversation. She was set on scoring some oden.


    "Nothing. We''re all here at the restaurant. Everyone''s waiting on you."


    ''Waiting on me?'' she wondered, confused. "Didn''t you tell Uncle Adalson that I''m noting tonight?"


    Wacian walked over to the window and lit a cigarette. "I told him. Dad said Joslyn wasn''t due back until


    tomorrow. He specifically invited you. What''s more, Niles wanted to hear about your time in Ennd."


    While he was talking on the phone, he noticed Wesleye out of the room and walk to the window


    too. Wesley stood next to Wacian and pulled out a cigarette from the pack in his pocket.


    "Forget it. I''ll call Niles if he wants to know that bad."


    Wacian felt confused by her unusual behavior. "What''s wrong, ir? You''re acting weird."


    "Nothing..." ir stammered, not knowing how to make up an excuse. She wondered if she had been


    so bad at hiding her emotions.


    "Then juste to dinner. Six elders are waiting for you here. Kind of impolite, isn''t it? So where are


    you now? I''ll swing by and pick you up."


    ir sighed inwardly. She was almost to the counter. The one ahead of her was paying. Yet, she had


    no choice but to walk away. "I''ll get a cab. What''s the address?"


    "Okay, I''ll text you. Be quick."


    After sending the address to ir, Wacian happened to see Wesley light a cigarette with a high-ss


    lighter. "Nice lighter. A high-end brand of ZL Group, unless I miss my guess. A gift from your mom?"


    Wesley took a nce at his lighter. He put it back to his pocket and replied, "No."


    "So you bought it? You don''t buy things just because they''re cool. A lot like Dad." Wesley and Adalson


    held the same concept that buying luxurious goods was a waste of money.


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    Wesley didn''t answer his question but changed the subject. "Your cousining?"


    "Yeah. She''s kinda strange after returning from Ennd. She might just be shy." That was the only


    reason Wacian could figure out. After all, ir didn''t know many at the dinner.


    Wesley said nothing. He smoked quietly.


    After finishing his cigarette, Wacian stood by the window for a few more minutes to let the tobo


    smell fade. He then returned to the private room to talk with the elders.


    Wesley was left alone in front of the window. He looked outside, contemting the night scene of the


    city while smoking one after another.


    A few momentster, a waitress led a young woman to the VIP room.


    The room Adalson had booked was at the end of the corridor, by the window. So when ir came near,


    she saw Wesley smoking in front of the window.


    Wesley heard the footsteps and tilted his head. Their eyes met. ir hesitated a little and then nodded


    politely to him.


    As she continued walking towards the door, she heard his voice. "Wait."


    She thought he was calling out to someone else, so she didn''t stop. "ir." His voice rang in her ears


    again.


    Now she was sure he was talking to her.


    Confused, ir turned around and looked at him. "What?"


    Wesley blew out a mouthful of smoke, put out the cigarette and threw it into the trash. "Pleasee


    here."


    The waitress left. ir took a few steps in his direction and stopped a meter away.


    Six months ago, she proposed marriage to him, standing the same distance away. And he turned her


    down...


    However, Wesley naturally took a step closer to her this time. Maybe he felt the distance between them


    was a little too much. "You don''t need to avoid seeing me," he said curtly.


    ir was surprised. Again, she wondered if she had been so bad at hiding her emotions. "It''s not like


    that. I don''t know your family well. They shouldn''t miss me."


    ''Don''t know my family...'' Wesley stared at the girl. She no longer wore the same sweet smile as before


    when facing him. A part of him didn''t like this change and he asked outright, "You don''t know me,


    either?"


    "Not really." On the outside, ir forced a polite smile; deep down, she scolded him, ''I totally got it


    wrong, and you turned me down. I need some distance.''


    Wesley took a step forward again. They were very close to each other now, physically, at least. ir


    was confused. ''What...does he want?''


    She could smell the reek of cigarette smoke from his clothes. It stung her nostrils. Involuntarily, she


    took a step back.


    However, he walked forward again. "Don''t you love me? Why did you say you don''t know me?"


    ''Women are so unpredictable. They change at any time, '' he thought.


    ir kept stepping backwards until she could back up no more. A wall was in her way. She took a deep


    breath and said, "I loved you, but not anymore. Mr. Li, you think I''m still waiting for you? Think again.


    I''m engaged to a great guy. We''ll get married after I graduate. Don''t worry. I''ll invite you to our


    wedding."


    She smirked, eyes full of sarcasm. Her words got on his nerves. He felt he had to say something.


    "Really? You sell yourself cheap. You jumped into another man''s arms a few days after I turned you


    down?"


    "That''s none of your business, Mr. Li. We''re not lovers; we''re not anything to each other. Stay away


    from me!" They were too close to each other now. ir could have easily wrapped her arms around his


    waist if she wanted to.


    The petite woman was cornered by a tall and strong man. It looked like he was bullying her.


    "Wesley, what are you doing?" Hartwell''s voice suddenly came from behind Wesley.


    ir''s heart skipped a beat when she heard the voice. She pushed Wesley away, kept a distance from


    him and asked in panic, "Hartwell...why are you here?"


    With his eyes staring at the calm Wesley, Hartwell took off his gloves and handed them to his assistant.


    "If I hadn''te at the right time, I would have missed this lovely scene. Think you can bully my cousin


    and get away with it?"


    ir hastily shook her head. "It''s okay. Wesley just had a few questions to ask me... That''s


    all..."

 Chapter 569 I Know What I Saw

    Chapter 569 I Know What I Saw


    ir''s voice gradually trailed off under Hartwell''s sharp gaze. How could she tell a lie in front of her


    cousin? He was a man of power and influence, and young at that. Besides that, he was her family.


    Indeed, Hartwell had figured it out, and saw into the young girl''s heart. Joslyn had already told him ir


    was heartbroken after being turned down by the man she loved. He had been wondering who it was.


    Imagine his surprise¡ªit was Wesley!


    Hartwell just thought ir merely admired Wesley, just like any other girl worshiping a star. He never


    imagined her feelings for him were something more than that.


    Now he finally pieced everything together. Wesley was a hot-blooded young man, ambitious, and


    driven. As far as love went, he was clueless, so it wasn''t surprising that he turned ir down.


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    "Got an exnation, Wesley?" Hartwell asked coldly.


    ir knew her cousin was trying to protect her. She ran up to him and took his arm. As she tried to pull


    him into the room, she said in a hushed voice, "Just let it go. I''m engaged now. Don''t embarrass me,


    please?"


    Hartwell silently turned his head to shoot Wesley a look before following ir into the VIP room.


    The room was filled withughter. You could hear it all over the restaurant. After everyone came in,


    there were four young men there as well as the elders, and they were loud and noisy. The Li and Ji


    families got on quite well. Keith''s and Gilbert''s wives had passed away long ago. So including ir,


    only three women were in the room.


    As soon as ir came into the room, Niles called out excitedly, "Hi ir. I saved a seat for you." He


    stood up and gantly pulled out the chair next to his own.


    ir couldn''t turn him down. She nced at Adalson and then walked around the table to Niles'' side.


    She managed to keep her smile steady.


    Wesley walked in just as she sat down.


    The first thing he saw was ir sitting next to Niles. Wesley was a little surprised and then heard Niles


    say, "Hey Wesley. Have a seat next to Mom."


    ''Have a seat next to Mom.'' It sounded innocent, but he knew it was a trick from his younger brother. If


    he took the seat arranged by Niles, then he''d have Cecelia on his right and ir on his left.


    Niles sat next to ir and Wacian sat on the other side of Niles. Normally, Niles should exchange seats


    with ir and sit next to his own brother.


    However, the young doctor pretended he knew nothing about it. He quickly sat in between ir and


    Wacian after gesturing to his brother.


    Wesley was baffled. He sat next to his mom earlier, so he had no other choice now. Making a fuss


    would be uncalled for.


    Hartwell wasn''t fooled, either. He angrily looked between ir and Wesley. When he was about to ask


    ir to change seats, Adalson cut in to urge the baffled man, "Sit down, Wesley. Everyone''s here. Your


    grandfather must be pooped after that ne ride. Let''s finish up early so that the old guy can get some


    rest. We can talkter if we need to."


    Wesley nodded, pulled out the chair and sat down. After the waiters ced the dishes on the table,


    they all took their chopsticks and dug in.


    In the middle of dinner, Adalson invited the Li family to stay at his vi, but Baldwin nixed that idea.


    "We''ll stay with Wesley. He has enough room for us, I think. Please don''t put yourself out."


    Adalson stared at his old friend. "C''mon, we''re friends. Why so formal? Mi casa es su casa."


    Baldwinughed. "Of course we''re friends. But I''m sure Wesley wouldn''t mind. Maybe next time we''ll


    storm your three-story vi."


    "Bwahaha..." They broke into a fit ofughter.


    ir silently lowered her head to eat her food. Niles moved his chair a bit closer to her and whispered,


    "ir."


    She took a second to chew the food in her mouth and swallow it. "Yeah?"


    "That true? You''re engaged?"


    "Well... yes."


    Confusion was written all over his face. "Why? I thought you were crushing on my brother," he asked.


    ir almost choked on her saliva. ''Cut it out! Your brother can hear us, '' she thought helplessly in her


    mind.


    She was right. Wesley did hear their conversation and shot a warning nce at Niles.


    His reaction made ir a little sad. She kept her voice as low as possible as she replied to Niles, "We


    were just neighbors. ''Were'' being the operative word."


    What ir didn''t know was that Cecelia had been watching them the whole time. The happy mother


    pinched her husband, tilting her head in their direction.


    Baldwin followed her gaze and saw ir and Niles whispering to each other, while Wesley gulped


    down his food. However, he could see how Niles reacted around ir. His younger son was friendly


    and animated, but he saw no deep abiding love in the young man''s eyes.


    It could be because he considered ir a friend, or maybe because he had an axe to grind. Either way,


    Baldwin was sure that Niles wasn''t in love with ir.


    However on the other hand, Wesley was acting strange. He seemed to deliberately avoid eye contact


    with ir. But when he asionally took a quick nce at her, the look in his eyes wasplicated.


    Baldwin thought that Wesley might have a thing for ir.


    Niles wasn''t buying it, either. ir picked up her ss, starting in on the lemonade. He suddenly drew


    closer to her and whispered again, "You can''t fool me, I know what I saw. Last time..."


    "Ugh..." Shocked by what Niles had told her, ir awkwardly choked on the lemonade and coughed a


    few times.


    Luckily, she didn''t spit out the drink in her mouth. Otherwise, she would be even more embarrassed.


    Her coughing fit drew everyone''s eyes toward her.


    Adalson looked at her and asked, "ir, what''s wrong?"


    With everyone''s eyes on her, ir felt nervous and embarrassed. She wished she could hide under the


    table now. She waved a hand at her uncle as she patted her chest with her other hand. When she was


    able to breathe more easily, she apologized. "I''m okay. Sorry... Ugh..." She was cut off by another


    coughing fit.


    Niles pulled out a few tissues and handed them to ir. She took them and covered her mouth to stifle


    the coughs.


    "Have some water," a voice said. She recognized the voice. She took the ss of water handed to her


    by the man on her right, and drank a mouthful.


    Niles had told her a big secret about Wesley. She guessed Wesley heard nothing. If he had, he


    wouldn''t have been so calm, handing her a ss of water.


    After taking a few sips, ir stopped coughing. Seeing this, Niles patted her back and said, "Hey, why


    are you so shocked? I was telling the truth." Cecelia saw how considerate Niles was in taking care of


    ir. She believed even more that her younger son was in love now.


    ''She might be engaged, but she''s not married yet. Anything is possible!'' the mother thought happily.


    Niles kept talking, and ir couldn''t help but drink two more mouthfuls of water to control her emotions.


    She put the ss on the table and shot to her feet. "If you''ll pardon me, I''ll make my way to the little


    girl''s room."


    Keith nodded, "Was it something Niles said? I should show that young man some manners..."


    Niles shook his head. "No, no. Grandpa, I didn''t..."


    "Shut up!" The old man''s authoritative voice silenced the guilty man at once.

 Chapter 570 Bad In Bed

    Chapter 570 Bad In Bed


    ir went to thedies'' room and looked at herself in the mirror. There was a bit of paper tissue


    clinging to her face.


    She turned on the faucet, washed her face and hands, and turned it off. Staring at herself in the mirror,


    she couldn''t help but recall what Niles had just told her¡ª"I saw Wesley stroke your hand."


    ''Really? When did that happen? Why didn''t I know? Was Niles lying?'' she mused.


    At that moment, her phone buzzed. It was a WeChat message from Wesley. "Come out."


    ir was stunned. ''What? Where is he? What''s going on?''


    When she walked out of thedies'' room, she saw Wesley waiting for her. Niles stood next to him with


    a sad face.


    Upon seeing her, Wesley asked, "Care to tell me what Niles said?"


    He guessed that Niles must have said something bad about him to ir. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have


    looked at him that way.


    ir knew she had to tell him something. After all, Wesley hade here for an answer. ''I just looked


    at him when Niles told me that, and Wesley immediately found out this had something to do with him. I


    guess it wouldn''t take Sherlock Holmes to figure it out, '' she thought to herself. She decided to concoct


    an excuse. "He said you were bad in bed," she said.


    She wondered if he''d believe it.


    Actually, she''d pondered this before. Wesley was always in a hurry, eating, jogging, changing his


    clothes, and so on. He didn''t slow down for anything. So she wondered if he would be too fast for fun in


    bed.


    Niles gazed at ir, eyes wide open.


    Wesley seemed to buy it and his face was as dark as ink. If looks could kill, Niles would have already


    been dead.


    "No, no. Wesley, it''s not like that..." Niles stammered. He almost had a nervous breakdown, and


    everything just seemed to cave in on top of him.


    Wesley, however, didn''t give him a chance to exin. He grabbed his cor and dragged him into the


    men''s room.


    Niles reached out his arm and yelled, "ir, you can''t do this to me. It was a secret. If I didn''t tell you,


    you''d never know. Help!"


    However, his words only made ir''s bogus exnation more convincing to Wesley.


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    Wesley really believed that Niles had told ir that he was bad in bed. He threw Niles into a stall and


    locked the door. "Who told you that?"


    "What?" Niles kept retreating until he hit the wall. Nowhere to go!


    "I didn''t even know I was bad in bed. How did you find out?" With his left hand in his pocket, he put his


    right hand on the wall, giving Niles some Kabedon action.


    Niles was scared out of his wits. "No, no. Don''t listen to her. I said¡ª"


    Before he could finish speaking, Wesley cut him off. "Stop making excuses. You''ve been asking for this


    for a while." He cracked his neck, like he was going to teach Niles a lesson.


    Niles was so scared that he almost cried. "ir, you can''t do this to me! Help!" he yelled at the top of


    his lungs, hoping she could hear him.


    With a guilty conscience, ir rushed into the men''s room toe to Niles'' rescue. She knocked on


    the door to the stall where the two men were with a t palm. "Wesley, calm down."


    The two didn''t expect her to barge into the men''s room. They looked at each other helplessly.


    At that moment, a man entered. When he saw ir, he was stunned and apologized to her. "I''m so


    sorry. I must be drunk. This is thedies'' room!" Before ir could exin, the man left in a hurry.


    ir kept patting the door and said, "Niles is your brother. It''s fine if you''re a jerk to me. But you can''t


    treat him like this. You¡ª"


    The door was suddenly opened, and Wesley''s face came into view. ir looked into the stall and saw


    Niles trembling in the corner.


    Niles went back to the private room first.


    The elders saw that he was alone, so one of them asked, "Where''s your brother? You left together."


    Niles looked at the door and stammered, "He... He went to buy cigarettes."


    "Where''s ir?" Cecelia asked.


    "ir... She went with Wesley."


    When Niles saw their expressions change, he immediately changed his tune.


    "Okay, fine. I have no clue where ir is. Maybe she''s still in thedies'' room. I thought you were


    asking about Talbot. He and Wesley went to the store together to buy cigarettes."


    Now everyone else realized Niles was talking bullshit. What did this have to do with Talbot?


    In the men''s room, ir was in the same situation as Niles had been not long before. Wesley locked


    her in the same stall and yed with a cigarette in his hand, rolling it between his fingers. "I''m a jerk?"


    he asked.


    "Aren''t you?" she asked in reply. Her heart started racing when they were in such a small stall alone.


    "So you hate me now?" he asked. This woman was infuriating. Hot and cold running love.


    "No."


    "Really?"


    "I don''t hate you."


    Wesley heaved a sigh of relief. But what ir said next made him frown again. "I don''t hate you


    because I don''t love you anymore."


    ''So quickly?'' He found it unbelievable.


    Seeing her round doe eyes, he suddenly had an impulse to kiss her.


    Wesley shook his head in an attempt to drive the mad thought out of his mind. He unlocked the door


    and said, "Fine. You can go."


    ir, however, didn''t move.


    It had been six months. Now she and Wesley were in confined quarters again. She felt they were


    surrounded by romance, even though this was the men''s room.


    An inappropriate ce, to be sure.


    "Any regrets?" she asked.


    Wesley stopped ying with the cigarette. "No," he said simply without even raising his head.


    ir didn''t know whether he was telling the truth or not.


    "The Wesley I know is upright and honest, and he is the enemy of all evils. He wouldn''t lie. Now, I''m


    going to ask one more time. Any regrets?" she said.


    ''She knows how to tter me, '' he thought. "You''re right. I don''t lie," he said with a smile.


    ir''s eyes lit up as she thought he was going to admit that he regretted turning her down. "No. Never."


    She had a bright future, but she had told him twice that she wanted to marry him and be a housewife.


    He didn''t want that and he wasn''t sad he rejected her.


    ir''s eyes reddened from tears. She pinched herself secretly and told herself, ''See? This is his


    answer. If you keep bugging him, it''s just going to get worse.''


    She took a deep breath and opened her mouth saying, "Actually I know you''re not a jerk. It''s just you


    don''t like me. If you liked me, you wouldn''t break my heart. So, I have to thank you, Wesley. Thanks for


    turning me down without mercy. Now I finally know you have no feelings for me at all." Actually the


    reason why she had gotten engaged to Miller was that she wanted to make Wesley jealous.

 Chapter 571 So Shes Not Good Enough For You

    Chapter 571 So She''s Not Good Enough For You


    ''I thought he''d be jealous when he heard I got engaged. I was naive. He doesn''t care at all, ''


    ir thought bitterly as she tried hard to not shed tears in front of him. If she cried, she would look


    weak. In a rtionship, whoever falls in love first hurts more. She was well aware of that, but she was


    also a proud girl.


    She walked past him and reached out her hand to open the door to the stall, but he stopped her. He


    pressed her against the wall and pressed his lips against hers. She was trembling the whole time.


    ir was unable to hold back her tears anymore, and they streamed down her cheeks. ''What''s he


    doing? If he doesn''t like me, why kiss me? And this isn''t the first time! What does he want?'' she


    thought to herself.


    A teardrop rolled into her mouth. The salty taste reminded her of their rtionship, and the many things


    that happened. Wesley loosened his grip on her and panted in her ear. After a long pause, he said in a


    hoarse voice, "Study hard and forget me. Maybe you should go."


    ''What? Does he think I shouldn''t havee to dinner? Maybe he has a point there. Among the other


    four juniors, two are Uncle Adalson''s sons, and the other two are Uncle Baldwin''s sons. I''m only Uncle


    Adalson''s niece. Does he think I came here to see him?


    But if I didn''te, would he think I was ying hard to get? Ugh!''


    Tears welled in her eyes once more. Actually, she really didn''t n to bug him, nor did she want to be


    here in the first ce. She was afraid that once she saw Wesley, she''d lose control and all the feelings


    woulde rushing back.


    ''He kissed me because he wanted tofort me? But that''s not what I want!''


    ir raised her arm and was about to hit him.


    She knew she shouldn''t. This man was a superhero. But she was so pissed off that she just couldn''t


    fight the urge to p him.


    However, Wesley was faster than her, catching her wrist.


    ir grew even angrier and punched him hard in the chest with her other fist.


    This time, Wesley didn''t stop her nor dodge. He just let her punch him nonstop. If this made her feel


    better, he was happy.


    ir finally stopped after a while, her knuckles red and swollen. She felt like she was hitting a rock.


    They heard someone lock the stall next to theirs. ir wiped her tears off her face and said in a low


    voice, "You look strong, but I bet you''re bad in bed."


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After that, she pushed him away and left the stall.


    Wesley couldn''t believe his ears as he looked at her retreating figure. ''I''ll show her how good I am in


    bed, '' he swore to himself.


    To ir''s intense surprise, before she could leave the men''s room, the door of the stall next to theirs


    was opened. She looked back out of instinct and saw Hartwell.


    Wesley also walked out. ir''s face was flushed from embarrassment.


    She wanted to exin, but Hartwell said, "You two were gone a long time, so I came to look for you.


    Lucky I found you here."


    ''So he just happened to find us here?'' ir and Wesley both thought it was Niles who snitched on


    them.


    "Hartwell, it''s not what you think. Wesley and I are just friends. We were trying to have a private


    discussion," ir exined hurriedly.


    ''What ame excuse! Having a discussion in a toilet stall? And caught by Hartwell. How embarrassing!''


    she thought.


    Hartwell said nothing, and Wesley said, "Why don''t you take off, ir? I need to talk to your cousin."


    ir heaved a sigh of relief as she didn''t want to stay any longer. She didn''t need to be told twice, and


    left straightaway.


    Outside the door to the men''s room, ir turned around and saw a sign, which said, "Under Repair."


    ''Who did that? Niles? Or Hartwell?''


    Inside the men''s room, Wesley was leaning against the wall, smoking. "Think my cousin is hot?"


    Hartwell asked.


    "Yeah, she is." ''She is pretty, and when she smiles, the whole world stops and stares for a while, ''


    Wesley thought.


    "Is she a bitch?" Hartwell continued his line of questioning.


    "No." On the contrary, Wesley thought she was a good person. She always wore a warm smile. Or at


    least, she used to. She didn''t smile so much tonight.


    "So she''s not good enough for you, then?"


    "What are you talking about? Of course she is." Sometimes, Wesley thought he wasn''t good enough for


    ir. Confident, friendly, beautiful. It was not like she didn''t have her choice of guys.


    "She doesn''t like you? Is that it?" Hartwell asked.


    "I''m pretty sure she does." ir liked him a lot, and Wesley knew it. She had even put on a wedding


    dress and proposed to him in front of all his men, but he refused her.


    Hartwell, usually the refined gentleman, grabbed Wesley''s cor and shouted, "Then why did you turn


    her down?"


    Wesley calmly shook off the fuming man. He took another drag on his cigarette, and said calmly, "You


    know I''m a soldier. I won''t give my career up for a woman. My life''s in danger all the time. On any given


    mission, I might note back. So where does that leave her? She''s a straight-A student with a bright


    future. She deserves a better guy. It''s not fair to her." She once told him she was willing to give up her


    studies for him. He didn''t like that. The chance to study abroad didn''te along every day. He''d feel


    bad for her for the rest of his life if she did that. He didn''t want her to make any sacrifices for him.


    He thought about saying yes. About giving in to his urges and bing her boyfriend. And he would


    wait here while she was overseas. They could get married when she came back. But what if he died?


    He didn''t want her to be sad at all, so he decided to put those thoughts aside.


    What Wesley said convinced Hartwell.


    He was a man and once served in the military too. He understood what Wesley was saying.


    Wesley was due for a promotion soon, and he also had a bright future.


    "Listen, I know ir pretty well. If she made up her mind to be with you, she''s already thought it


    through. She decided to ept the risk. Since she''s not afraid, what are you afraid of?" Hartwell asked


    in confusion.


    Wesley looked him in the eye and answered honestly, "I''m afraid of letting her down. I can''t be the ideal


    boyfriend. So it''s better if I don''t say yes."


    Hartwell wanted to press the issue, but decided better of it. He didn''t want to interfere in their


    rtionship. "You turned her down. Now live with it. Don''t y games with her or get her hopes up.


    Just leave her alone," he warned.


    "I know." Wesley thought he could do it.


    When they returned to the private room, ir and Niles were bantering back and forth. "You''re such a


    sissy. You won''t even try fish eyes," ir taunted.


    Niles puffed his chest up and retorted, "Taste is subjective. You don''t eat everything put in front of you,


    either. Are you perfect? Uh-huh. Didn''t think so."

 Chapter 572 Back To Normal

    Chapter 572 Back To Normal


    "Actually, I am perfect," ir answered.


    At this, Niles pretended to sneeze. It sounded suspiciously like "bullshit," however. Adalson cast a


    warning nce in his direction.


    Wesley took his seat. ir acted as if he weren''t even there and continued talking with Niles.


    The dinner didn''tst long, as the party included two old men and they needed to go to bed early.


    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    After the two families bade each other farewell, ir got into the back seat of Adalson''s car. Natalia,


    who sat in the passenger seat, turned to look at ir and said, "Your fiance is a nice guy. I met him


    once randomly, and he did me a favor. In my opinion, a woman should find an ordinary husband and


    live a happy life."


    Adalson cast a casual nce at his wife and asked, "What? Are you not living a happy life?"


    Natalia snorted and said, "Now, sure. But before...you don''t know what it was like. ir, believe me.


    Never marry a man like Wesley Li. I''m not saying that he''s a bad guy. He''s not. But imagine worrying


    about him when he''s gone, and wondering if the next knock on the door would be hismanding


    officer notifying you he died a hero''s death. If¡ª"


    "Natalia!" Adalson cut her off helplessly.


    Natalia rolled her eyes at her husband. "What? I''m serious. Keith was trying to fix ir up with Wesley


    this evening." Natalia then looked at ir and continued, "Niles is probably your best choice here. He is


    the life of the party. Cheerful, attentive. He''ll make youugh every day. Wesley is clueless when it


    comes to matters of love. He hasn''t got a romantic bone in his body. He''s 100% devoted to the military.


    Marry him and you''ll be sorry."


    "But Wesley makes me feel safe and protected," ir suddenly said.


    ''It seems that it''s toote to warn her, '' Natalia thought.


    When they passed the Hillside Apartments, Adalson parked the car near the entrance. "Remember


    your old apartment, ir? Well, I left a contract there. Can you grab it for me? It''s in the second drawer


    under the TV set."


    "Didn''t you terminate the lease?" ir asked in confusion.


    "I wanted to, but your cousin bought the apartment. He wants to move Joslyn''s family in there." Joslyn


    was from a poor family, and they lived in thepany dorm.


    "Okay." ir got out of the car and went into the building.


    When she was out of sight, Natalia asked her husband, "Why did you let ir get engaged to Miller?


    Why not fix her up with Niles? Niles has a residency at the military hospital and has a promising future.


    ir could do worse than to marry a doctor. And she''d be part of the Li family¡ªthey''re loaded."


    The Li family was one of the most powerful families in A Country. Many girls from well-off families


    wanted to marry into the Li family.


    "Niles and ir would never hit it off," Adalson smiled.


    Like ir said, Wesley made her feel safe. ir needed a man like Wesley to protect her.


    When ir reached the 16th floor, the door to Wesley''s apartment was still open and Niles stood


    outside the apartment.


    When the elevator arrived with a tinkling sound, Niles turned his head and saw ir. "Hi, ir! Why are


    you here?"


    ir didn''t expect to meet anyone here. Earlier at the dinner, Wesley was the only thing on her mind,


    and she was daydreaming when they talked about where they''d be staying. She thought that they


    would stay in some hotel. "I...I came to get something." She pointed to the apartment that she used to


    live in.


    Cecelia walked out and was surprised to see her here. "ir! It''s really you! Did you leave something


    here?"


    ir walked towards the apartment while saying, "Uncle Adalson asked me to grab a contract. He left it


    there."


    Cecelia''s eyes lit up and she followed after her. "You lived here before?" she asked.


    "Used to," ir answered.


    She opened the door to the apartment. To her surprise, Cecelia walked in as well. "Then you and


    Wesley used to be neighbors!" she eximed.


    ir''s smile froze. "Yes," she simply said. In order not to make Cecelia misunderstand her and


    Wesley''s rtionship, she added, "Wesley was pretty busy. He was almost never home. We only saw


    each other a few times."


    After a moment, Cecelia nodded, "He''s too busy. He should havee back home more often." The


    "home" she was referring to was here.


    ir soon found the contract that Adalson wanted, and waved it at Cecelia, who was looking around


    the apartment. "Aunt Cecelia, I found it. I gotta go. Uncle Adalson is waiting for me."


    Cecelia looked back at her. "Okay." Then she added, "Did Wesley ever visit you? When you lived here,


    I mean."


    ir didn''t know how to answer that. "Uh...I don''t think so. I don''t remember. It''s been a few months."


    Cecelia nodded. She could feel that ir was not willing to talk about Wesley with her, so she stopped


    asking.


    Niles was standing outside all the while, waiting for them. When he saw theme out, he grabbed his


    mother''s hand and led her to Wesley''s apartment. "Mom, you stay here. I need to talk to ir."


    "What? Alright. Hey, don''t push me." Cecelia was smiling ear to ear as if ir were her daughter-inw.


    As the doors of the elevator were about to close, Niles ran over and stopped it with his foot. "Hey!" he


    said breathlessly. "You asked me when Wesley stroked your hand. Do you really wanna know?"


    ''Yeah, but...'' ir looked at the maning out of Wesley''s apartment and reminded Niles, "Your


    brother!"


    Niles immediately took two steps back. Before the doorspletely closed, ir saw that Wesley


    grabbed Niles by his cor and dragged him into his apartment.


    ir, Joslyn and the Ji family members had a family reunion dinner on the Lunar New Year''s Eve. On


    the third day, ir flew to Ennd without seeing Miller.


    Everyone''s life went back to normal.


    When Wesley was 26 years old, he was fast-tracked to a higher official post in the army, and moved up


    in rank.


    At Megan''s 18th birthday party, he met a woman named Debbie Nian.


    She and ir looked nothing alike, but her personality reminded him of ir.


    Debbie said, "Nice to meet you, Officer Li. I''m Debbie Nian. I''ve practiced martial arts for years. I''d love


    to spar when you''re free sometime."


    He couldn''t help but remember how ir had greeted him before. "Nice to meet you, Officer Li. I''m your


    new neighbor. I may have to bug youter on."


    Thest time he saw her was before the Lunar New Year. It had been almost a year since that time.


    Eleven months, to be exact.


    Carlos seemed to have found his true love. His eyes were full of affection when he looked at Debbie.


    Debbie and Megan were always at each other''s throats. Carlos valued his wife more, so he asked


    Wesley to keep Meganpany.


    At the Ji family''s house, the subject of ir came up again.


    She had alreadye back from abroad and started her internship in somepany. She was now


    living in her fiance''s apartment, and they were about to get married soon.


    Miller''spany arranged a retreat at a mountain vige, and every employee could bring a family


    member. ir just returned from Ennd three days ago. When Miller invited her to go with him, she


    didn''t turn him down.

 Chapter 573 The Torrential Flood

    Chapter 573 The Torrential Flood


    To get to the vige, ir and Miller took the tour bus that hispany had hired. There were more


    than ten people on it, and they ranged from executives tomon employees.


    They were going to stay in a guesthouse run by the local vigers. Due to limited resources and


    number of rooms, the employee in charge of amodations made ir stay in a room with a young


    woman, while Miller stayed in another room with a man.


    It was the beginning of July, but the weather was still cold in the South Mountain. People had to wear


    thick coats in the morning and in the evening.


    The guesthouse itself was nested in the mountain. The scenery was spectacr¡ªmountains, valleys,


    nts, and sunshine. Every now and then, a few clouds floated across the range.


    Various kinds of blossoms filled the air with their fragrance, and all the way around a small stream,


    birds chirped pleasantly, jumping here and there among the boughs. The flora was marked mostly by


    willows.


    The woman sharing the room with ir got up early in the morning. The moment she got out of her


    bed, ir, who hadn''t slept wellst night because of the cold and damp air, woke up as well, springing


    out of an uneasy sleep with a tired yawn.


    After that, when the woman went to the bathroom and began to clean herself, the sound of running


    water was too loud for ir to fall asleep again, so she had to get out of bed as well.


    By the time they were ready and went downstairs to have breakfast, it was 7 a.m. and the sun was long


    out. Many of Miller''s colleagues were already in the canteen.


    Miller was sitting at a table nearby with someone from thepany. When he saw ir, he waved at


    her and called out, "ir, over here!"


    ir walked over to his table. To her pleasant surprise, Miller had already brought breakfast for her¡ª


    two boiled eggs, two small dishes of different vors of pickles, two deep-fried dough sticks, and a bowl


    of congee.


    When the man sitting opposite Miller saw ir, his eyes lit up. Green with envy, he teased Miller,


    "Dude, it''s quite a stroke of luck for you. You''ve got yourself such a pretty girlfriend."


    The man had been busyst night; he hadn''t taken the bus here with the others, and had arrived there


    by himself. So this was the first time he and ir had met.


    ir smiled politely at the man. Miller felt proud and told him with a smug smile, "Dude! She''s not my


    girlfriend; she''s my fiance."


    The man gave him a thumbs-up and then turned towards ir, assuring her of a happy life. "Miller is a


    good guy. Although he''s not that young, he will take good care of you. You''ll be a happy wife."


    ir took a sip of her congee and gave the man a smile. "I know."


    Actually, ever since she and Miller had gotten engaged, they had been pretty busy, and this was the


    first time they had been together for such a long while.


    ''I''ll stay in Y City from now on. I think we''ll spend more time together in the future, '' she thought to


    herself.


    She had stayed in Ennd long enough to change her taste in food. Congee and pickles, the


    traditional Chinese breakfast, suddenly tasted a bit alien to her. She might need some time to get used


    to it.


    Therefore, she only ate a little before putting down her chopsticks.


    Miller, however, was busy talking about work with his colleague and didn''t notice that ir had eaten a


    very small portion of her breakfast.


    Afraid that she might get hungryter, ir put the two eggs Miller had ordered into a clean, disposable


    food bag and put it into her backpack. Most of the guests had already finished eating and were starting


    to walk outside.


    An old granny, who was clearing away the bowls and chopsticks, raised her head and looked at the sky


    with a deep, lungful sigh. Out of kindness, she then reminded the guests, "You better take some


    umbres with you, dears. I''m afraid it''s going to rain."


    Miller, ir and the man they had been with were about to follow theirpanions when they heard


    the granny''s prophecy. The man waved his phone and replied, "I just checked the weather forecast. It''s


    a sunny day. No need to take umbres."


    ir had left her umbre in her room. Looking back and forth between the man and the old granny,


    she chose to believe thetter. Age is wiser than technology. She stopped walking and told Miller, "I''m


    going to fetch my umbre."


    Miller frowned as he was a little unhappy. But he didn''t turn her down. "I''ll be right here waiting for you.


    Hurry up!"


    ir elerated and hurried upstairs. She opened her suitcase, took out her umbre, and then


    hurried back down.


    When she joined Miller and they were about to leave, she heard the old granny ask her son, "I think


    something is not right. Son, is there a rainstorm?"


    Her son was busy cooking in the kitchen as they still had some guests. He was too busy prodding the


    fire with a poker to notice his mother''s mumbles.


    After some hesitation, ir suggested, "Miller, the old granny said there might be a rainstorm. This is


    the mountain area. How about we¡ª"


    Before she could finish speaking, Miller cut her off. He was slightly annoyed by her and the granny''s


    superstitious nature. "You have an umbre, don''t you? If there really is a rainstorm, we can take


    shelter from rain." He grabbed her wrist and led her to catch up to his colleagues.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "All right." Despite her reluctance, she chose to listen to him.


    Together, they were a group of more than ten people and followed a small path up the hill. After dozens


    of minutes, they saw a clear stream. The water was so clear that they could see fishes swimming in it.


    They jogged and chatted with each other cheerfully. Soon the sun rose even brighter than before.


    Miller''s male colleague said with a smug smile, "I told you. The weather forecast said clearly that there


    would be no rain today. The old granny is too old to keep her mind clear."


    "The weather forecast is not always correct. The granny has lived in the mountain area for so many


    years. I think she can tell more about the weather than the weather department just by looking at the


    sky. We should be careful," ir replied politely with a smile.


    The man cast a scornful nce at her and snorted inwardly, ''It''s true what they say¡ªthe prettier a


    woman is, the dumber she is!''


    However, just a few moments afterwards, either karma or nature itself gave him a tight p in his face.


    Several dark clouds soon blocked the sun and threatened to release a big storm. The wind began to


    howl.


    People raised their heads and cried inwardly, ''Oh, no!''


    ir took her umbre out of her backpack with a calm smile.


    Spots of rain began to fall, beating on their faces hard. Not a single person from the men had brought


    an umbre, and only some of the women were carrying umbres with them. They had only four


    umbres in total.


    What was worse, they were unable to find shelter from the rain. Holding ir''s shoulders with one arm,


    Miller held her umbre with the other, guiding her forward in his protective embrace.


    Not ustomed to being in his arms, ir struggled at first, but soon gave up and let Miller take her


    forward.


    They had all underestimated the rain. They had thought it was going to stop soon. But after a while, the


    sudden rainstorm brought the mountain torrents rushing down. The rain had turned into a flood.


    As time went by, even the torrential flood didn''t get weaker. Instead, it became more and more fierce,


    annihting everything in the mountain and bringing down more and more trouble in their path.


    Everyone panicked. They screamed and cursed in distress, a bit the weather but mostly their own


    stupidity. As the saying went, "Cmitiese in session." They not only failed to get under cover,


    but also had to face the torrents.


    They were not the only ones trapped there. Apart from them, there were several dozen other tourists


    too.


    Also, a group of soldiers had been stationed in the vicinity of South Mountain, to ensure the safety of


    people in the surrounding viges. They were unprepared for the downpour, which had urred almost


    instantly without the slightest warning. They had to ask for support from their superiors.


    Two hours passed, but the torrential flood kept rushing down with a terrifying force, showing no


    intentions of stopping.


    The soldiers had lost no time evacuating the vigers. So, luckily, there were no human lives lost. But


    their houses werepletely destroyed and their livestock and grains were all gone.


    Several hundred tourists who had just entered the scenic spot were lucky enough. They were found by


    the soldiers and left in time. Those who had entered a long time ago were not so lucky. The soldiers


    were still searching for them, but they were too far in.


    The rainstorm was getting heavier and heavier, causing great difficulties for the soldiers in their rescue


    mission. Visibility was already down to three or four meters.


    Miller and ir had gotten separated due to the torrential flood. The umbre had been in his hand,


    and he was nowhere to be found.


    Even people who could swim perfectly might have lost their lives in the face of such a powerful flood.


    ir didn''t even know how to swim. She could only walk up the mountain in the heavy rain.

 Chapter 574 I Regret Everything

    Chapter 574 I Regret Everything


    ir was with the girl who shared the same room with her, a new employee of Miller''spany.


    The girl had an umbre, but it was of no use in the rainstorm. The two ran helter-skelter along the trail,


    trying to find some kind of shelter they could stay dry under. But the same unhelpful trees, rocks, and


    root systems met them at every turn.


    Eventually, they were out of luck. Even though they kept moving up the mountain, the flood stillpped


    at their ankles. They had to hold onto a huge tree branch hand in hand to prevent the flood from


    washing them away.


    The girl could no longer hold back her tears. "It''s so terrifying. I can''t swim. Are we going to die? Why


    isn''t there someone to save us?" she sobbed.


    It was the first time that ir had encountered a natural disaster like this. She was terrified as well. But


    she was still a little calmer than the girl. She encouraged her, "Hey, get a grip! Yesterday, I saw troops


    stationed near the South Mountain. Don''t worry. They''ll send out rescue teams. They have to build lost


    person profiles, ping our cellphones, figure out where we are, and set up search points to safely


    intercept us. It''s just a matter of time before they find us. All we need to do now is stay alive."


    "I...I know. But we can''t even find shelter. Even if we''re not washed away, pneumonia and hypothermia


    will do us in. Look at us¡ªwe''re soaked to the bone." She held ir''s hands tighter. Their hands were


    cold as ice. They were starting to lose body temperature rapidly; color had drained from both their


    faces. ir was on her period, and feeling weak. ''I probably didn''t get enough water, '' she thought.


    ir was not the hardiest woman at the best of times. Now that her feet were soaked in the cold water,


    she felt her energy running low.


    "Don''t cry or talk. We need to save our energy. This mountain is full of stones, and the flood isn''t strong


    enough to dislodge those. But we have to keep climbing." The two girls began to move up the mountain


    again.


    The trail was so slippery they had to be extra cautious. ir not only had to keep alert, but also had to


    take care of the girl. The water was constantly rising. Out of options, ir clenched her teeth and


    leaped onto a huge rock.


    On the rock, ir saw Miller and his colleagues on another huge rock. The two groups were separated


    by the surging floodwaters.


    ir wasted no time and pulled the girl onto the rock as well. The two girls finally heaved a sigh.


    ir wiped the water from her face, smoothing her rain-slicked hair back, and looked around. The


    situation was rather grim.


    The floodwaters seemed to be everywhere, rushing past them, brown with the asional log ripped


    from the forest. If the flooding didn''t stop, they had to go higher. But the rock was so smooth that they


    wouldn''t be able to scale it.


    With shaking hands, she fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed the emergency call for the


    umpteenth time. But the result was the same. There was no signal at all.


    ir trembled from the coldness. Staring at the running water, she couldn''t help missing Wesley. If he


    was here, he would be able to save her.


    But she knew Wesley wouldn''t be here. He had been promoted, and wouldn''t be one of the first


    responders.


    ir blew on her palms to warm them. Ignoring the weeping girl beside her, she opened WeChat.


    Despite theck of signal, she clicked Wesley''s dialog box and typed, "Maybe this is thest time you''ll


    hear from me. I regret everything. I regret having gone abroad. We didn''t even talk once when I was in


    London. It doesn''t matter whether you love me or not. There will be no ir soon. No one to bother you


    anymore..."


    She clicked the "send" button, but it didn''t work. She got the message saying, "You are offline. The


    message will be delivered when you are online." She didn''t give up, but stood up and tried to find a


    ce where there was signal.


    Lucky for her, after more than ten minutes, the message was finally sent. ir was ted when she


    heard the "ding" sound.


    She stared at her phone excitedly and began to call the emergency number. But to her disappointment,


    she lost signal again.


    Good thing the heavy rain was easing off. When ir could almost not feel anything from the freezing


    cold, she saw several people in orange uniforms.


    She stood up in an attempt to call for help. But she had been sitting there so long, the moment she got


    to her feet her legs went soft, and she almost fell into the water.


    Fortunately, the girl was quick enough to pull her back, and ir was able to steady herself in time.


    She took a few deep breaths to calm down.


    She then took off her pink coat and waved it in the air while yelling, "Help! We''re here! Help!"


    But no one heard her. The rescue workers found Miller and his colleagues first, and went to help them.


    Helicopters were flying overhead, and some people were being airlifted.


    ir became dispirited when she saw this.


    Her head was killing her. If it kept raining, she didn''t think she would be able to make it.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Two hours ago, a certain organization had received orders from their superiors. Wesley assembled a


    team of soldiers on the training ground as soon as he got the word.


    When the heavily outfitted soldiers were ready, Wesley dered in a loud voice, "I''ve got an emergency


    rescue alert. The rainstorm in the South Mountain has caused disastrous torrential floods. Estimated


    rainfall is 180 mm. There are more than a hundred people trapped on the trails. We''re the second string


    of search and rescue operations. They got some of them to safety. Now it''s up to us! Count off!"


    "One!"


    "Two!"


    "Three!"


    After that, Wesley reported over the inte, "Sir, we''re ready!"


    "Good! Wesley, head to the South Mountain to save them now! There are approximately 103 people


    trapped at 914 meters. A rock-fall caused sh flooding at 1.524 km and has trapped some hikers and


    climbers. We''ve sent helicopter recon teams. You''ll conduct ground ops. Make sure everyone is safe


    and sound."


    Wesley saluted sharply. "Yes, sir!"


    When Hartwell arrived at the South Mountain, Wesley and his men had begun working for more than


    ten minutes. Hartwell was in a suit and leather shoes. Apparently, he came as soon as he got ir''s


    news. He saw Wesley directing the operation and was relieved.


    Wesley was giving his men orders when he saw Hartwell. He suddenly had a bad feeling.


    Hartwell stood in a tent and looked at Wesley with a worried face. After a long time, he said, "ir


    came back from abroad four days ago. Yesterday, she went hiking with her fiance for some work


    function. I think she''s trapped in the mountain."


    It was Adalson who told Hartwell that ir came here. After the torrential floods broke out, Adalson and


    Hartwell repeatedly tried to get a hold of ir, but couldn''t get through. As a result, Hartwell rushed


    here from work, despite the heavy rain. He had driven almost a hundred miles.


    Wesley''s heart sank. Without hesitation, he gave his walkie-talkie to hispanion. Then he changed


    his clothes and rushed into the driving rain.

 Chapter 575 Ill Bring Her Back Safe And Sound

    Chapter 575 I''ll Bring Her Back Safe And Sound


    Before Wesley left, Hartwell reminded him, "Be careful!"


    Wesley nodded. "Don''t worry. I''ll bring her back safe and sound."


    Staring at his retreating figure, Hartwell had mixed feelings about this. ''I know he cares for ir a lot.


    Why does he keep pushing her away?''


    After half an hour, Wesley''s phone buzzed. He stopped to drink some water, and then fished his phone


    from his waterproof holster. It was a WeChat message from ir.


    A myriad of feelings welled up in Wesley when he read it. He didn''t reply to the message, but instead


    picked up the pace.


    On his way up the mountain, he met quite a few rescue workers and tourists, but ir was not among


    them.


    As time went by, the four people that hade with him descended the mountain once more, bringing


    some tourists they had saved with them. Still, ir was nowhere to be found.


    The rain was beginning to ease off, which made it a little easier.


    When Wesley located Miller, the water was already chest-high. The rescue workers had to use flotation


    devices to continue their operation. Miller and his colleagues were stranded where the flow was


    sluggish. Therefore, two rescue workers were able to lead them to safety and wrap them in dry


    nkets.


    Wesley scanned the crowd carefully, but ir was not among them.


    His heart started racing wildly and he couldn''t help but me Miller for not having taken good care of


    her.


    Wesley moved forward cautiously, and to his surprise, he spotted two figures on a huge stone, blocked


    by a tree.


    Judging from their slim figures, he could tell they were two girls. They were hugging each other to keep


    warm.


    One of them was wearing a pink coat and leaning on the shoulder of the other girl. Wesley couldn''t see


    her face clearly and was not sure if that was ir.


    Even though he had not seen her for a long time now, his heart told him she must be ir.


    Wesley scanned his surroundings. It wouldn''t be easy to get to her. The current of the flood had


    developed whitecaps, pushing a mass of deadly debris with it. If the current didn''t catch him, the debris


    would surely crush him, carrying his battered body away.


    He called two rescue workers over, who were busy saving Miller and his colleagues. In ten minutes,


    they were at his side. They also saw the two girls. One of them shook his head. "We can''t get there.


    The going is too treacherous. You don''t want to get caught in that. Let''s wait a bit for the rain to let up.


    That might let things slow down and you''d have an easier time of it."


    Wesley''s eyes darkened. "Wait a bit?" he asked.


    "Yeah. It''s courting death if we try to get to them."


    Wesley''s eyes were as cold as ice. "Don''t you see that they don''t have much time? If we keep waiting,


    they''ll die of exposure."


    "But the ce they are¡ª"


    Before the man could finish speaking, Wesley took the rescue equipment away from him and told the


    other rescue worker, "You! Come with me!"


    "Yes!"


    With a bullhorn, the man instructed the girl beside ir to fasten the rescue rope to the big tree.


    ir seemed to have passed out. Shey huddled up on the rock and didn''t respond to their requests.


    The girl took the rope hesitantly, but with some prompting, she tied the rope around the trunk. A little


    more instruction via the bullhorn, and she had the mps and carabiners fastened. After the rope was


    secured, Wesley and the rescue worker fastened their harnesses to the rope and made their way to the


    rock, suspended above the roaring floodwaters. They''d set it up that way so they wouldn''t have to be


    caught in the current; they''d be hanging above it. They inched closer and closer.


    Excited, the girl pulled ir''s arm and yelled, "Hey, wake up! We''re being rescued! Boo...hoo... We''re


    safe now."


    Upon hearing that, ir struggled to open her eyes and saw a rope tied to the tree near the rock. Two


    people were in harnesses, suspended from the rope over the surging flood. They were carefully making


    their way to their position. The rain was still heavy, and her eyes were blurry. She couldn''t see their


    faces, but she was sure the man in the front was Wesley.


    She tried her best to sit up on the rock. Color drained from her, and her face was as pale as a sheet.


    Staring at the man, she shed a happy smile. ''It''s him! My superheroes to my rescue.


    I have no regrets!''


    Suddenly, her eyes dulled and she almost cked out. But luckily, she bit her tongue and shook her


    head to keep herself lucid.


    She had never expected that they would meet again in such circumstances¡ªshe would be in danger,


    and he would save her. ''Geez! I must look like something the cat dragged in. Will he hate me more,


    seeing me like this?''


    Wesley could tell that something was not right with her as she was having trouble keeping her feet on


    the rock.


    Her perfect fair skin was covered with mud, and there was even a green leaf stuck to her forehead. Her


    pink coat now looked like a grey one thanks to the rain. Wesley''s heart ached at the sight of her. How


    he wished he could pull her in his arms and console her right now! A girl like her should be loved and


    protected.


    When he was about three meters from the rock, he shouted, "ir, I''m here. Just hold on!"


    ''Just hold on? I want to, but I''m really exhausted. It''s been hours. I''m wet, I''m cold. It''s a miracle I''m still


    awake, '' ir thought with a bitter smile. She had thought that the girl had a stronger physique than


    her. But when Wesley and the rescue worker arrived, she passed out.


    ir reached out her hand in an attempt to grab her, but she failed. She could only helplessly watch as


    she fell into the water. Luckily, Wesley was fast enough to grab her and prevent her from being swept


    away in the current. He passed the girl to the rescue worker and went to help ir.


    When Wesley pulled her into his arms, ir felt this was the happiest moment of her life. She cradled


    his neck and buried her face in his arms. Her face and forehead were burning hot, which made him


    frown. ''She''s got a high fever!'' he thought.


    "Wesley."


    "Hmm?"


    "You''re holding me so tight I can''t breathe," she murmured.


    Wesley loosened his grip a bit, but ir still felt she couldn''t breathe. "Wesley," she called out again.


    "Hmm?"


    "I thought I''d never see you ever again." Her teardrops fell on his chest. They were so hot his heart


    stung.


    Wesley lowered his head and kissed her wet hair, his eyes full of affection. "Don''t be afraid. I''m here.


    You''re safe now."


    "Hmm..." His embrace was the safest ce for her.


    The rain finally stopped, but it still wasn''t safe. He rigged a second line with the help of the rescue


    workers on the other side. He set ir up with a harness, and had the workers pull her along the line.


    Wesley followed. After what seemed like an eternity, Wesley finally reached the river bank. When they


    were both safely on the other side, he took ir in his arms.


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    When people on the bank took ir from Wesley, he tripped in the mud. He staggered and failed to


    steady himself, falling into the water.


    People eximed and ir turned her head to look at Wesley. She happened to see him being carried


    downriver before vanishing beneath the tide.


    "Wesley!" ir yelled hysterically, feeling devastated.

 Chapter 576 She Gave Up

    Chapter 576 She Gave Up


    What was worse, the big tree that was used to fasten the rope was flushed away by the flood and


    drifted downstream.


    "Wesley!" ir yelled at the top of her lungs. If it weren''t for several people dragging her back from the


    water''s edge, she would have jumped into the water to follow him.


    "Girl, don''t worry. We''ll save him." Two rescue workers tried tofort ir. Then they ran downstream


    along the banks while trying to raise other workers on their walkie-talkies.


    ir broke free from those people''s grip and ran after the rescue workers barefoot.


    ir had never been in such a pitiful state before. Her hair was dripping wet, stered to her head,


    and there were even leaves on her face and shoulders. Her clothes weren''t in the best state, either.


    The harness had done nothing to enhance her appearance. Due to high fever, her face was as red as a


    tomato. Her lips were blue with cold. Splotches of mud marred her otherwise elegant beauty.


    Her sneakers were gone, and she had minor cuts and grazes along her once-smooth feet. She looked


    much more like a homeless person than a young professional woman.


    "Wesley!" ir cried his name hysterically while running downstream, but Wesley was nowhere to be


    found.


    Her head was splitting thanks to the high fever. ir staggered. When two men caught up to her to


    steady her, her eyes dulled and she slumped to the ground.


    ''Wesley, please be safe!'' This was her only wish before she lost consciousness.


    By the time ir woke up again, she was in the military hospital in Y City. She opened her eyes, and


    the first person shey eyes on was Miller.


    When he saw her open her eyes, Miller immediately pressed the nurse-call button. Soon, a doctor and


    several nurses hurried in and gave her a thorough check-up.


    "How are you feeling now? Are you hurt anywhere?" the doctor asked.


    ir nodded. "I have a headache." She raised her hand and touched the bandage around her


    forehead.


    "When you passed out, you bumped your head on a rock. Don''t worry. There doesn''t seem to be any


    lasting damage. An MRI confirmed no bruising or bleeding in your brain. We''ll need to run some more


    tests to be sure. Is anything else hurting?" the doctor asked.


    ir shook her head slowly. They then looked at her pupils and conducted a few quick tests for


    reaction time and memory. They even gave her cognitive tests like reciting the alphabet backwards.


    Miller stood by quietly, holding her hand through all of this.


    Taking a look at the test results, the doctor told Miller, "Miss Li is expected to recover quickly. We''re


    going to keep her under observation for two days. If everything is fine, she can be discharged. Please


    take good care of her."


    Miller nodded. "Thank you so much, doctor."


    The doctor and nurses left the ward. Miller asked ir, "Are you hungry or thirsty? Want a ss of


    water?"


    "Sure." She didn''t know how many hours she had been asleep. She was now both thirsty and hungry.


    Miller poured a ss of warm water, put it on the table, rolled up her bed and put the water to her lips.


    With his help, ir drank the water slowly.


    While she drank, Miller told her, "I didn''t expect us to be separated by the flood. We''d been waiting for a


    long time before we were rescued. I saw your cousin waiting in the rescue site. After a while, they


    brought you back. You were unconscious then. We rushed you to the hospital. You''ve been asleep for


    more than 24 hours. Your uncle and cousin just left. My parents were here too. They made me promise


    to take good care of you."


    ir finished the water. She still felt thirsty, but she knew she shouldn''t drink too much. "I''m hungry. Is


    there any food?"


    Miller thought about it for a moment. "I''ll go grab something for you. Wait for me. I''ll be right back."


    "Thank you."


    When Miller was out of sight, ir struggled to reach her phone while still in bed. She could just reach


    the counter where it sat. She nearly dropped it, but managed to recover quick enough. It was


    waterlogged, and she was unable to turn it on. Sighing in defeat, she used thendline in the ward to


    call Adalson. "Uncle, it''s me."


    "ir? You''re awake? How are you feeling?" Adalson got the call as soon as he got home.


    "I''m fine, Uncle. I just want to ask..." Her voice trailed off as she didn''t know how to say it. From the


    moment she woke up, all she wanted to know was if Wesley was all right. She had to get Miller out of


    the room so she could make this call.


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    Adalson immediately got her point. "He''s safe. Don''t worry. He saved himself and about ten more


    people. He got some minor injuries and is in the same hospital you''re in."


    ir heaved a sigh of relief when she heard Wesley was fine.


    "Which ward?" she asked urgently.


    After a short pause, Adalson eventually told her the room number.


    After ending the call, ir stared nkly at the translucent IV bottle. Words were printed on it,


    describing the solution and instructions for its use. She knew Wesley had saved her life.


    She hadn''t expected him to be anywhere near South Mountain.


    The hospital cafeteria was closed at this hour, so Miller found a restaurant nearby. He came back with


    some takeout¡ªit smelled amazing. ir ate the food slowly, trying to get her stomach used to food.


    When she was full, there was still more than half of it left. "My mom says you''re too thin. You need to


    eat more," Miller said.


    "All right," ir murmured. She ate a few more bites, but then she dropped the chopsticks again. She


    always ate like a bird, and she didn''t have any appetite left.


    "I''m tired. I need some sleep," ir said and looked at Miller.


    Left with no choice, Miller began to clean up the food containers, putting them back in the bags, and


    rolled the bed back.


    ir looked at the near-empty IV bottle and said, "You can go home when this is finished. I don''t need


    another. I can take care of myself."


    After some consideration, Miller nodded and said, "Alright. Get some sleep. I''ll let the nurse know. Then


    I''ll go back home."


    "Okay." ir was exhausted and dozed off soon.


    After the nurse removed the needle, Miller left the hospital.


    At almost half past midnight, ir woke up and stared nkly at the clock on the wall. She was dying


    to go to Wesley''s ward to see if he was all right. But she didn''t dare to. She was another man''s fiancee.


    ir thought for a long while before finally giving up. She decided to wait till Miller was back. She


    wanted to thank Wesley, but it could wait until she was fully recovered.


    She dozed off again at around 1 a.m.


    At 2 a.m., a man''s figure appeared in ir''s ward quietly.


    He squatted at her bedside and stared at her for a long time before reaching out his hand to touch her


    forehead. The soldier heaved a sigh of relief after confirming her fever was gone.


    As far back as he could recall, she was a delicate girl who got ill or injured easily.


    She once got burned and had a high fever. She had had heatstroke and passed out. This time, she


    cked out and had a high fever once more. ''Had she really taken good care of herself when she was


    in Ennd?


    I hope her fiance will take good care of her now.''


    Wesley left her ward quietly.


    On the third day, ir was discharged from the hospital. She coughed sometimes, but there was


    nothing else wrong.


    Miller and ir hailed a taxi to the housing estate they were living in. As soon as they got home, he


    gave her a new phone. "Your phone got wet and isn''t working. I bought you a new one. Remember to


    get a new SIM card."


    ir''s phone was bought by Wacian two years ago, which cost him nearly a thousand dors. The


    phone Miller bought her was with a lesser-known and inferior brand, which was under $100.


    ir didn''t turn him down. She took it over and said, "Thank you, Miller. I need to get some rest. Go to


    work. Really. I''m fine."


    Miller left for hispany. ir went to her bedroom and sat on the bed, lost in thought.

 Chapter 577 Breakup

    Chapter 577 Breakup


    ir had only asked for three days of leave. She should have been back to work now. Since her mobile


    phone was ruined in the constant downpour and sh flood, she hadn''t been able to reach her superior


    to extend her leave. To her co-workers, she was a no-call no-show. She was worried she might get


    fired for it.


    She had nned to thank Wesley in person with Miller after she recovered. But she didn''t have a


    phone number yet, so the matter had to be put off for a little while. The message to Wesley was her old


    phone''sst gasp before the screen went ck and it refused to turn back on. Miller had gotten her a


    phone, but it was up to her to get everything transferred.


    One day, Debbie and Megan had a huge fight. Fed up with Megan''s whining, Wesley went to Carlos''


    manor, insisting Debbie go to the hospital and apologize to Megan. To his surprise, Debbie got upset.


    She refused to apologize to Megan, and even implied there was a reason he was single.


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    What baffled Wesley most was that she thought ir was his girlfriend, and that she''d left him over


    Megan.


    Of course, he realized Debbie didn''t have a clue what was going on. But Wesley didn''t owe her any


    exnations. She wasn''t his girlfriend, so he didn''t care what she thought.


    Later, after he drove Debbie to the hospital, Carlos showed up too. Though Wesley had a reputation as


    a tough guy, the way Carlos spoiled Debbie made him jealous. Not paying much attention to where he


    was going, he ended up at a certain housingplex.


    This was where ir and her fiance lived. And she was pregnant.


    Or so Megan had told him. The girl imed that she met ir at the airport; ir had told the man with


    her she was pregnant.


    Wesley brooded silently for a whole afternoon after he had heard the news.


    He scrolled through the images on his phone and found a picture. It used to be a photo of Niles and


    ir, but Wesley cropped his brother out of the picture, so right now, it was just a pic of ir, smiling.


    Niles had sent him that one.


    Six months ago, Niles had nned a trip to Ennd. When Cecelia heard of it, she insisted that Niles


    visit ir after he got there.


    Niles didn''t want to. But after thinking about it, he decided it was not a bad idea. He could check up on


    her for his brother.


    Niles met ir soon after he arrived at his destination.


    Having lived alone so long in a foreign country, she was thrilled to see another person from her


    homnd. And the brother of the man she loved. Happy tears welled in her eyes. She was super nice


    to Niles then, taking him out to dinner and showing him around, looking after him like her own little


    brother.


    When the two of them grew tired and took a break, Niles took out his phone and suggested that they


    get a selfie together. ir agreed dly and posed for the camera.


    Later, Niles secretly sent the picture to his brother. "Why did you send this to me?" Wesley asked. But


    the next second, he opened the picture in a photo-editor and cut Niles out of it.


    Niles told ir he was sending the picture to his mom. She believed him.


    The soldier pondered this over a cigarette. When the cherry had grown sorge it threatened to burn


    his fingers, he put it out in the ashtray and started the engine, ready to go home. Then a cab came into


    view and ground to a halt at the entrance. A man in his thirties got out of the cab. His face caught


    Wesley''s eye.


    ''Isn''t that ir''s fiance?''


    A woman Miller''s age also emerged from the vehicle. Then they walked into the housing estate


    together, arm in arm.


    One thing particr struck him: that wasn''t ir! After a brief moment of confusion, he realized what


    was going on.


    He thought she was happy. Now he knew she wasn''t.


    Complex emotions filled him. Part of him was d while the rest of him felt sorry for her. He didn''t know


    which one affected him more. When a dull pain shot through his heart, he knew the answer.


    He called someone on his phone and asked him to call ir.


    ir was at work when she got the call. It was from an unknown number.


    "ir Jing, your fiance had an ident. He''s at home now," the person at the other end of the line told


    her. ''An ident? He''s supposed to be at work.


    When did this happen?''


    By the time ir had more questions, the person had already hung up. She called back and was told


    that it was a payphone. The mysterious caller had left. She went to her boss and asked to leave early.


    This was a family emergency, after all. She hurried back home to see if Miller was okay.


    Once the bus stopped, she hastily got off and dashed into the housing estate. Wesley followed quietly


    behind her, worried that she might be distraught and need somefort.


    The shabby door of the apartment wasn''t soundproof at all. Maybe too horny, Miller and the woman


    didn''t even make it to the bedroom. ir could hear everything standing outside the door.


    However, she wasn''t sad, because she wasn''t in love with Miller. She never loved him.


    And she felt bad about that. Maybe it was her fault he was having an affair.


    A few minutester, the room quieted down. ir opened the door and walked into the living room. The


    room was empty. From the sounds, she realized that they had gone into Miller''s bedroom.


    When she closed the door, she figured the two might get startled by the noise. She was right. She


    could hear both of them discussing this. She heard the girl say, "Expecting someone?" Miller mumbled


    something about how ir was supposed to be at work. ir could sense how flustered they were.


    She gave them enough time to get dressed. Then, she said his name. "Miller."


    Before Miller could open the bedroom door, she barged in and saw the woman, who didn''t have


    enough time to hide.


    Miller tried to stay calm. "ir, listen to me. It''s not what it looks like. This is my boss. We''re talking


    about work."


    ir sneered. ''He can''t even admit it. Does he think I''m stupid?''


    As if to cover his guilt, before ir responded, Miller shouted, "She''s here for work, dammit! Why don''t


    you believe me?"


    ir red at him in disbelief. ''He''s the one who cheated. And now he''s mad at me? Do I look like that


    kind of girl?'' she thought angrily. "Who talks about work in the bedroom? The bed''s not even made!


    Think I''m an idiot?"


    This was the first time she''d screamed at him. By then, Miller had realized his mistake. He was not only


    a liar, but slow as well.


    He lowered his voice and said, "ir, let''s talk."


    "No need. We''re done. Bye." ir pulled the engagement ring from her finger and threw it at him. She


    stalked into her bedroom to pack her things.


    Miller followed her into the room. Watching her pack, he got anxious. "It''s not my fault. You wouldn''t let


    me touch you."


    He and ir had been sleeping in separate rooms the whole time. Once, he got drunk and came back


    late. When he stumbled into her bedroom and tried to make love to her, ir pushed him out.


    ir kept silent. There was nothing left to say.


    "I know you like Wesley," Miller continued.


    ir was stunned. ''How does he know?''


    The look on her face made him feel better. He continued through gritted teeth, "You were painfully


    obvious. You followed his Moments on WeChat and spent a lot of time checking his updates, even if he


    hardly posted one. What''s up with that? You deleted all your chat history, except for his. Your wallpaper


    has a cartoon soldier on it. There''s no wriggling out of this one."

 Chapter 578 Love Nest

    Chapter 578 Love Nest


    ir turned around and red at Miller, who had a gloomy expression on his face. "You got into my


    phone?"


    "Yeah," Miller admitted. "But I found out about you and Wesley by ident. You think I wouldn''t? That''s


    where you were wrong. When you really miss someone, your eyes will tell that story. The way you


    looked at him on the day you moved, that was love."


    ''So he knew all this time.'' ir smiled bitterly. Then she said calmly, "You''re right. I love Wesley. But


    you know what? I was going to spend the rest of my life with you, because you were so good to me.


    Wesley doesn''t love me. But you cheated on me. Hope you two are happy together."


    She meant it. Wesley didn''t care about romance. All he thought about was work. She gave up on him.


    She chose Miller out of desperation. But it wasn''t fair to him. She didn''t love him.


    Even Miller could tell that she loved Wesley. She loved him so much it hurt. But so what? His heart


    never belonged to her. ir''s eyes misted up, her world was now seen through tears.


    She knew Miller cared about her. She had even thought about getting their marriage licenses after she


    got hired on permanently. She was still on probation at work. However...


    A teardrop fell on her suitcase. Miller was genuinely sorry. He walked over to her and gave her a back


    hug. "I''m sorry. I was wrong. Can we start over?"


    ir forced back tears. "No. I think we''re past that point. Don''t think I don''t care, but I can''t love you the


    way you want. Bye."


    Suddenly, she saw no point in packing the rest of her things. Zipping her suitcase, she pushed Miller


    aside and walked out of the room.


    Miller''spanion was smoking on the sofa in the living room. The look on her face was calm, as if


    this happened all the time. Seeing iring out of the bedroom with luggage, she said with a smile,


    "Sorry. Didn''t know you''d be back this early. Guess we don''t have to worry about a hotel now."


    She said she was sorry, but neither her face nor her words betrayed a shred of apology.


    ir returned her smile. "It''s okay. This ce is all yours. So is he." With that, she left Miller''s


    apartment.


    As soon as she finished descending the stairs and came to the lobby on the first floor, a big hand


    grabbed her wrist.


    "Ah!" ir screamed. That was when she caught sight of the uniform.


    Wesley noticed her red eyes. ''She''s been crying, '' he realized. ''Is she sad for leaving him?'' He took her


    suitcase and walked towards his car.


    ''Why is he here? How did he know where I was?'' Watching Wesley walk away, ir broke out of her


    reverie and half-jogged half-walked to catch up to him. "Hey, why are you here? Give that back."


    Wesley didn''t say a word. After helping her into the car, he drove away.


    The car pulled into a different apartmentplex. She hadn''t seen this one before. It wasn''t Hillside


    Apartments, but it was just as expensive.


    Wesley helped her out of the car, and led her into another apartment. Before ir could ask any


    questions or look around, Wesley remarked, "Since you''re pregnant, stay here and take care of


    yourself. Don''t worry about a thing."


    That came as a shock. ''Pregnant? Who? Me? When? Why would he say that?'' ir wondered.


    "Pregnant? Why do you think¡ª" He shot her a look that told her to keep quiet.


    ir recalled long ago, Megan had told her with an innocent expression, "I''m Wesley''s girlfriend now,


    and we''re living together. Too bad you moved. We could have been neighbors."


    ir was taken aback. ''Didn''t he say he didn''t want a girlfriend? Then why does he live with Megan?


    Does he really love her? If so, why did he take me here?


    Why does he care what I do? Shouldn''t he leave me alone?''


    "Did you sleep with her?" she asked.


    Wesley stared at her in confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about. He didn''t feel he owed


    her any exnations, since he hadn''t done anything like that. "The code to the door is your birthday.


    Just stay here and rest. I won''t bug you unless it''s necessary." She was still dumbfounded by the whole


    affair.


    He saw her face and decided to borate. "It''s Niles'' ce. He won''te here, so don''t worry," he


    told her as he made his way to the door of the apartment. Niles nned to stay in Y City after


    graduating from university. Cecelia bought the apartment for him.


    "Of course you won''t bug me. It was always me bugging you!" she said hastily when she saw that he


    was leaving. ''I won''t do it again. Ever...'' She felt her heart was falling to pieces.


    He said nothing when she had used him of sleeping with another woman. He didn''t feel like saying


    anything now, either. He just left.


    Sadness overwhelmed her, but left alone in the empty apartment, she had no shoulder to cry on. After


    letting it all out, she wiped her eyes and went to work. She had a life now, and he wasn''t really part of it.


    On her way, she couldn''t help but wonder why Wesley thought she was pregnant. Who told him that?


    Niles had barely even slept here. Wesley just called him one day and told him not to go home; when


    Niles was in town, he could stay at his brother''s ce.


    Niles was unhappy to hear that. "Why should I? Megan''s over a lot and I can''t stand that bitch. And


    what''s wrong with my apartment? Why can''t I stay in my own ce?" He was starting to get annoyed.


    "I let ir stay there," Wesley replied. Joslyn''s family had moved into ir''s old apartment in Hillside


    Apartments a long time ago. Wesley couldn''t leave her alone with him. It would be weird. So in the end


    he decided to let her live in Niles'' apartment. Niles could crash at Wesley''s ce.


    "That is so not cool. How could you use my ce as your love nest? Does Mom know?" Before Wesley


    could respond, Niles'' tone changed abruptly from glum to excited. "I''ll tell her. She''d be so happy she''d


    put up the cash for another apartment."


    Then he''d have two apartments before he even started work. That would be awesome!


    ''Love nest?'' "It''s only temporary. I''m helping her out. She''s my friend."


    "Oh..." Niles drawled.


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    Wesley hated it when he did that. "Back off!" Then he hung up.


    Niles stared at his phone. ''Something I said?'' But he didn''t dare tell his mom about Wesley and ir. If


    he did, Wesley might start using him for target practice.


    Yet, Cecelia found out anyway.

 Chapter 649 Even a Rose Can Grow Through Concrete

    Chapter 649 Even a Rose Can Grow Through Concrete


    "Hang out? Sorry, not interested in shopping. How about a gun range? Or an honorable person CS


    game? Maybe horseback riding? Still want to do something?" Ga stared at ir, a provocative look


    in her eyes.


    ir straightened up and replied without hesitation, "Sure! Let''s do all of it. I''ll just wait for you in Y


    City." The young trantor looked Ga straight in the eye without the slightest trace of fear. Her


    grandpa and uncle were both brave soldiers. Could she be any less? She couldn''t chicken out and


    bring shame to the Ji family.


    It was crystal clear to the two women that they both loved the same guy. But they weren''t going to y


    any dirty tricks, or yell at each other. ir didn''t think Ga was a hypocritical rival, or even a cunning


    one. Maybe it was because she was a soldier as virtuous as Wesley.


    Ga watched Wesley drive his Hummer away, aplicated feeling stirring in her heart. She was


    confused by ir''s behavior. ''She should know very well I love Wesley too. We''re love rivals, but why


    was she so blunt? She looked like she didn''t care if I loved him or not, '' Ga mused.


    She wondered if ir was just pretending to be kind and innocent. Of course, she''d eventually slip up


    and the truth woulde out. ''But if ir really doesn''t care about my love for Wesley and has a fair


    competition with me, then... I''ll try to make friends with her, '' Ga thought further.


    Seeing her daughter''s contemtive look, Lauren felt sorry for her and tried tofort her. "Ga,


    just give up. Any man would be lucky to have you. You''ll meet another guy, maybe even better than


    Wesley."


    As an experienced woman, Lauren could see that there was something going on between Wesley and


    ir. The affection in their eyes was evident when they looked at each other.


    Ga smiled and said casually, "Mom, I always get what I want. Maybe Wesley doesn''t love ir at


    all. Otherwise, why won''t he say she''s his girlfriend? I still have a chance!"


    Lauren smoothed her short hair and said lovingly, "Good luck then."


    Wesley stopped at a few more houses and said his goodbyes. ir didn''t get out of the car because


    these people were strangers to her.


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    Some of them were Wesley''s rtives and some were higher-ups in the military.


    After all, he didn''t often return to his hometown, and he needed to show respect to those who loved him


    since he was a boy.


    ir usually got a little carsick in a bus, but felt much better riding in a private car. She fell asleep while


    the car sped along the expressway. Two hourster, she woke up and was more than a little hungry.


    She tilted her head to look at the back seat. A few bags of snacks were lying quietly there. Cecelia


    wanted to make sure they wouldn''t go hungry on the way back. "Could you stop at the next rest stop?"


    "Why? Need anything?"


    "No..." ir moved her eyes away from the snacks and sat up straight.


    He threw her a sidelong nce. "Not sleepy now?"


    "No." She just wanted to eat something. Her mouth watered when she thought of the mangosteens,


    macadamia nuts, dried mango slices, dried durian slices, candied dates, beef jerky, choctes... And


    she wanted something to drink, too. But she felt embarrassed to tell Wesley that, so she lowered her


    head to y on her phone, trying not to think of the delicious food.


    Wesley knew she must need something, though she wouldn''t say. So he decided to take a break at the


    next service area.


    Shortly, he pulled the car into the parking lot. As he turned it off, he asked, "Need a restroom?"


    ir shook her head. "No. Go ahead."


    Wesley nodded, "I need a cigarette."


    They got out of the vehicle. Wesley leaned against the car door and was about to light up when ir


    said, "Um...I could really go for a few mango slices..."


    ''So that''s it. She''s snacky, '' he realized. Cecelia had covered the back seat with some newspaper and


    put all the food there, tucking the drinks on the floor. All kinds of delicious smells mixed and floated in


    the air of the car.


    "Then get some. I''ll wait." He moved a few steps away from the car and began to smoke.


    ir joyfully opened the back door and took out one of the bags. As she picked out the snacks she


    wanted to eat, she asked the man, "Want some dried fruit?"


    "No, thanks." He didn''t really like those sorts of snacks.


    After a minute, she asked again, "Maybe some beef jerky?"


    "No, thanks."


    "Coke?"


    "No."


    "Soda water?"


    "Okay."


    ir heaved a sigh of relief. Finally there was something he was okay with. If he didn''t have any, she''d


    be embarrassed.


    She wasn''t about to eat these all by her lonesome.


    Before long, they got back on the road again. Wesley focused on driving, while ir concentrated on


    eating the delicious snacks in the passenger seat. From time to time, she''d grab a piece of beef jerky,


    or a macadamia nut, or a piece of chocte, and hold it in front of his mouth for him to eat.


    Of course, Wesley refused it at first. But ir had many ways to make him eat at least something.


    For instance, when she lifted a bite-size piece of chocte, she''d say "Oooh! This is too sweet for me


    to finish. I''m full already."


    He had a predictable response. "I don''t like sweets either," he said, frowning.


    "Then what should I do? Throw it in the garbage? That''s wasting food..."


    He was silent for a moment. Sighing, he said, "Fine."


    Then the bite-size chunk of chocte was in his mouth.


    As he chewed, Wesley suddenly realized that if they continued like this, he might be a fat man


    fairly quickly.


    When they were back in Y City, it was already evening. Wesley drove ir to the Ji family''s house and


    paid a Lunar New Year visit to Gilbert.


    Everyone had dinner together except Hartwell, who was busy with work as usual. After dinner, Wesley


    and Adalson talked in the study. ir went to Joslyn''s bedroom and they whispered to each other


    happily. ir couldn''t stop touching Joslyn''s baby bump, feeling the wonder of new life.


    Joslyn was eager to know how things were between ir and Wesley, so she asked earnestly, "He


    took you home for Spring Festival. Did sparks fly?"


    ir shrugged. "Hardly. He even told his mom not to be too nice to me, because I''d never be her


    daughter-inw." She didn''t feel sad when she talked about it, because she remembered that Wesley''s


    mom was only an excuse.


    Wesley wouldn''t confess his true feelings for her. He was brave at everything except love.


    "What? He said that? What a jerk!" Joslyn felt her heart ache for ir. Why did she have to go through


    so much for one guy?


    ir smiled. "I''m not gonna quit, though. I''m young, so there''s lots of time to win his love. He has a


    thing for me. I know it! You know what they say, ''Even a rose can grow through concrete.'' I''ll melt his


    cold heart. I''ll win. I have to."


    If Wesley really didn''t have a shred of love for her, ir wouldn''t bother him anymore. But she could


    see that he cared about her. She wouldn''t give up so easily.


    "You''re lucky that his family is on your side. Just keep them happy and your chances will be better,"


    Joslyn suggested.


    "I think so. I''ve tried to make the Li family like me. You know what? Sometimes I think if Wesley''s


    grandpa forces us into a shotgun wedding, I''d still say yes! I love that stubborn soldier. I want to stay by


    his side forever! He doesn''t love anyone else. But I don''t think his grandpa likes me enough to force the


    issue. At least, not now. I have to try harder." Every time ir was around Joslyn, she couldn''t help but


    pour her heart out, sharing almost every secret.

 Chapter 650 You Need To Sort Them Out

    Chapter 650 You Need To Sort Them Out


    Joslyn had always been very supportive of ir. She wanted her friend to pursue her one true love, but


    she was not a fan of her going to the extremes. She looked at her friend with sympathy in her eyes and


    tried to persuade her, "Bless, don''t be silly. You can''t marry him if he is only coerced by his grandpa!


    You have a lot of options. He''s not the only man there is."


    ir sighed. "But he''s the only one I want for the rest of my life. I once told Wesley I was done loving


    him. Look at me now, Joslyn. I can''t quit him. That same night I told him I was done with him, I saw him


    only wearing a bath towel. I immediately regretted the thing I told him." Being a soldier, Wesley''s body


    was not surprisingly in a good shape. ir almost drooled at the thought of his chiseled abs, as if gods


    sculpted it themselves.


    Joslyn found amusement in her best friend''s words. "So, you like him ''cause of his bod?"


    "Well, duh?" ir admitted. "We live under the same roof, and he''s been treating me nicely. The only


    catch is that he''s unwilling to make me his girlfriend." She let out a sigh of defeat.


    "He cares so much for you and he keeps you around him, but he is unwilling to make you his girlfriend.


    I think Wesley is a giant weasel!" Joslyn spat, quite more angrily than she had intended.


    ir was not a fan of how her friend was talking shit about Wesley. "Please don''t speak ill of him. He''s


    made everything between us clear. He drew the line. It''s me who keeps on pestering him."


    "Tsk, tsk. Listen to what you''re saying. Why are you defending him? Technically, I''m not speaking ill of


    him because everything I said is true," Joslyn retorted.


    ir''s face turned red. "Excuse me, it is not! We are on good terms. If for some kind of miracle, I find


    another man in the future, and Wesley and I go our separate ways, only then you can talk shit about


    him."


    "Okay, Miss Jing. I hear you. Let''s just drop it, okay? By the way, you should stay here tonight! We


    haven''t had a night together in such a long time," Joslyn suggested.


    ir made a crying face. "I want to! But you''re a married woman now. My cousin may return any time


    tonight. How about you go to my ce?"


    "Don''t worry. He won''t being home tonight. He''s not in Y City. Your cousin''s out of town for an


    important meeting. We''re having a sleepover! There won''t be any problem."


    ir hesitated for a moment but this was her uncle''s house anyway. She nodded. "Okay, I''ll just go give


    Wesley a heads up."


    "Yay!" Joslyn''s face was filled with excitement.


    ir found Wesley in Adalson''s study. The two were still talking, so she waited for Wesley by the door.


    Adalson knew ir was waiting for Wesley toe out, so he quickly summarized his thoughts and


    ended their discussion sooner.


    When Wesley got out of the study, ir was leaning against the wall, ying on her phone. She heard


    the footsteps and put her phone away. "Are you two done talking?" ir asked.


    "Uh huh," Wesley nodded.


    "Okay, here''s the deal. I''ll be having a sleepover with Joslyn here, so I''m not going back to the


    apartment with you."


    Wesley raised his brow. "What about Hartwell?"


    "He''s in meeting out of town. He won''t be home tonight."


    A frown formed on Wesley''s face. "But Mom made us bring a lot of stuff. You need to sort them out."


    "I don''t see why you can''t do that. The fresh fruits, meat and drinks go to the fridge; the dried fruits and


    the snacks go to the cab¡ª"


    "I can''t do that. You have toe back to the apartment with me first, sort them out, and I''ll drive you


    back here after," Wesley interrupted before ir could finish giving instructions.


    ir was baffled by his proposal. That would be such a hassle for everyone. She paused, thinking if it


    was okay to leave the perishable goods out of the fridge tonight. She wondered if she could sort them


    out tomorrow instead.


    Seeing ir think hard, Wesley added, "Mrs. Ji is pregnant. You move around a lit in your sleep. What


    if you kick her belly?"


    "How do you know I¡ª" ir''s face started warming up. She''d been drunk twice and each time she


    forced Wesley to sleep beside her. ''Did I roll around a lot when we shared a bed?


    Did I kick him in my sleep?'' she wondered.


    Soon enough, ir gave up the idea of staying overnight. "Forget it. I''lle another time," she said


    quietly. She was a bit disappointed and defeated.


    Wesley''s face rxed. "I''ll wait for you downstairs."


    "Okay."


    ir went back to Joslyn''s room and broke the sad news. "Sorry, I can''t stay tonight. Wesley''s mom


    packed a lot of foods for us. They will go bad if I don''t put them in the fridge. I''ll be going now. I''lle


    see you next time."


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    Joslyn instantly knew what happened. "Just let him do that. It''s easy! He surely knows how to do it."


    "I told him that, but I don''t think he could remember my instructions. He also said you''re pregnant and I


    might kick your belly in my sleep. He''s just being reasonable." As she said it, the more it made sense.


    She was more determined to go back to their ce.


    Joslyn shook her head and sighed helplessly. Onlookers see more than the yers do. Joslyn was well


    aware of how Wesley manipted ir''s head. Nheless, she still agreed, "Okay. Then I guess I''ll


    just see you next time. Whenever you get free time, please call me and let''s go out. Otherwise, I''d get


    bored to death."


    "Will do!" ir promised.


    The two had arrived at their apartment. Cecelia had given them a lot of stuff. Wesley made multiple


    trips from the car to the unit.


    ir was sorting out the foods and the groceries in their unit. By the time Wesley finished bringing up


    all the luggage, she had put everything away. She was holding some dried vegetables when she asked


    him, "Will you have lunch here tomorrow?"


    "No. A colleague of mine hasn''t taken a break the entire Spring Festival. I''ll take over his shift and give


    him two days off."


    "Oh, I see. Then I''ll cook these dried vegetables and noodles for you some other time," she said


    understandingly. She didn''t need the dried vegetables immediately, so she put them away in a cab.


    The next day, Wesley left for work and didn''te home for two consecutive days. ir also returned


    to the office since the holidays were over. Their life went back to normal.


    Lately, ir had been receiving flowers from Orion on a daily basis.


    At first, ir was confused. After a few times though, she finally understood what the flowers meant.


    "Orion, this is thest time I ept flowers from you. Please don''t do this again," she told him off,


    holding a bouquet of lilies. "We are just friends, forever."


    Orion put one of his hands behind. "ir, you don''t have a boyfriend, right?"


    "No, I don''t. But you know that for the longest time, I have someone else in my heart." The scent of the


    lilies brought a smile on her face. Just the thought of Wesley made her feel all giddy.


    With a sad look, Orion handed her the car keys and said, "You don''t have a car for work. I bought you


    one that is suitable for girls. It doesn''t matter if you don''t ept my love for now, but can you at least


    ept my gift?"


    ir looked at the car keys. She was familiar with the brand. It was a luxury car model popr among


    many female celebrities. She smiled politely. "Thank you for this. I live very close to the office. You see,


    I travel on foot. Sorry, Orion, but I can''t ept this. This is too much."


    Orion grew flustered. He''d been rejected twice consecutively. "You don''t like the car? What do you want


    then? I can give you anything, just name it. ir, I fell in love with you the very first time we met. Do


    you remember the coboration between thispany and the Jin Group? I asked my grandfather for


    that to happen. I knew you were working for the Jin Group." He wanted more chances of seeing her.


    He slowly approached ir.


    ir was in awe, but she shook her head at once. "You''re a good guy, Orion. But we''re not meant for


    each other. Please, stop. You''ll always be a friend to me."


    Orion grew a bit more emotional. He didn''t know what else to do but embrace her. "ir, I don''t want us


    to be just friends. I want you to be mine. I''ll love you, spoil you, and take care of you until we''re old and


    grey. Please?"


    ir broke free from his hug and graciously smiled at him. "Thank you, Orion, but I''m sorry. I''m heading


    out now. See you tomorrow." She already had someone taking care of her; she didn''t need another


    man''s protection.

 Chapter 651 Orion Is Pursing Me

    Chapter 651 Orion Is Pursing Me


    The moment she was done speaking, ir hurled herself around without hesitation and began to leave.


    However, her departure was cut short within just a few steps by the unexpected sighting of a car.


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    Not far away from them, a familiar ck Hummer was parked on the roadside in front of thepany


    building. That wasn''t the only familiar or unexpected sight! ir could also see a man dressed in a


    green military uniform and ckbat boots leaning against the car door; he was smoking a


    cigarette leisurely, and staring in her direction. For all his magnificence, he still wore an expressionless


    face.


    ''Wesley? When did he get here? How long has he been standing there? Damn! Wesley understands


    English; so did he hear what Orion and I were talking about?'' ir wondered inwardly.


    Orion saw the man too. Like an elephant seeing an old foe, he immediately recognized him as the


    person who had all but carried ir away from the pubst time. He took a couple of steps towards


    ir and asked under his breath, "Is that him? Is he that ''one'' person in your heart?"


    Without turning her head around, she nodded and replied in a confident and decisive tone, "Yes, that''s


    him. I''ll be his girlfriend sooner orter, Orion."


    Orion fell silent upon hearing that powerful tone.


    ir herself seemed uninterested in him now. Holding the bouquet of lilies, she walked up to Wesley.


    "You finished your work?"


    Wesley put out the cigarette and threw a fleeting nce at the flowers she was holding in her hands.


    "Mmm hmm. Get in the car." He was his usual tacit self, wasting no words and conveying everything


    shortly.


    "Yes." They walked towards the passenger door. Orion clearly saw it with his own eyes that without


    seemingly any effort at all, Wesley naturally carried her into the passenger seat and fastened her seat


    belt. Then, the soldier walked around the front of the vehicle at a crisp trot and got into the driver''s seat.


    The next moment, the car rolled into the traffic.


    Once they were safely clear of the building, ir nced at the lilies, lost in some thought. A moment


    later, she told Wesley tentatively, "Orion is pursuing me."


    "I can see that," Wesley responded calmly, though his eyes fluttered towards the flower for just a


    second.


    She continued, "I mean we were good friends. But suddenly, he started giving me flowers, and today,


    he gave me a car! He told me that he will give me everything I want. I''m a bit moved."


    ''Moved?''


    His Adam''s apple bobbed. "Hmm." The tone remained t.


    ir began asking his opinion after that. "Wesley, do you think I should ept his love? Should I marry


    him and settle down in Ennd with him? I mean, he treats me well, and we sometimes have fun. His


    mom treats me well too. They helped me a lot when I was in Ennd..." Her voice trailed off. It dawned


    on her that she was especially popr with the elders. It was amusing to think that someone as young


    as her was stealing the hearts of older people.


    Wesley, being the careful driver he was, didn''t choose to answer her question until they had stopped at


    a traffic light. ncing at the flowers in her arms, he then said slowly, "A criminal psychology teacher


    once told me: the more enthusiastically a boy pursues a girl, the more aggressively he will hurt her at


    the time of the breakup. So..." He paused meaningfully and looked her straight in the eye. "I can''t make


    your decisions for you. I can only tell you that you shouldn''t lose your head or yourself. Never put your


    guard down. And always be cautious." This was perhaps the longest he had spoken to her at a stretch


    recently, and each of his words was specially stressed on.


    ir didn''t know how to respond to this outpour. Surely, he was exaggerating, wasn''t he?


    The car fell silent once again. When they stopped at the next intersection, Wesley broke the silence


    once more. "You turned down the job I rmended you for. I think now I know why. Am I correct in


    thinking that you had a backup n from the very beginning? Was hispany your backup job


    opportunity?"


    He sounded calm, refraining from betraying any emotions like he always did. She shook her head. "No.


    When I resigned from the Jin Group, I had no idea that Orion had opened a branch of hispany


    here. It surprised me too."


    This was thest intersection. Wesley said nothing in response and pretty soon, the car pulled up in the


    underground parking lot of their apartmentplex.


    After turning off the engine, he didn''t seem to be in a hurry to get out of the car. ir sat still too.


    The fragrance of the lilies was filling the air of the car, reaching his nose. Perhaps that was what made


    him annoyed and threw him into action. Out of the blue, he grabbed the bouquet from her hands,


    opened the door, and got out. The next moment, he had angrily thrown it into a garbage can.


    As he helped ir get out of his vehicle, he reminded her in a cautious tone, "Since you haven''t yet


    agreed to be his girlfriend, don''t ept flowers from him again. It sends the wrong message."


    "No, it''s not like that. In fact, I didn''t even know why Orion was giving me these flowers at first. When I


    said he didn''t have to, he just told me that one of his friends overseas had sent these flowers to his


    girlfriend by air. For some unknown reason, there was always an extra bouquet of flowers in the bunch,


    and Orion told me that he was giving that extra bouquet to me..." ir exined. That was the truth.


    Besides, it was only a bouquet of lilies, not roses. So ir hadn''t thought too much about it and had


    just epted the flowers every time.


    However, after receiving them every day for a whole week, ir had finally realized that something was


    up; he had a purpose behind this, an ulterior motive of some sorts. And then, he had confessed his


    love for her.


    Wesley said nothing and just strode towards the elevator. But ir could feel that he was oozing with


    anger. Was he unsatisfied with Orion? She ran and hurriedly caught up to him. "Wesley, if you don''t


    want me to ept Orion''s love, I won''t ept his love. I haven''t said anything to him till now."


    She was expecting a response in affirmative. However, Wesley changed his mind all of a sudden. After


    pressing the up button, he turned around and told her in a calm voice, "No. If you like him, then you


    should go out with him. Sure he isn''t strong enough to protect you all the time, but he''s certainly


    wealthy enough to hire top-notch bodyguards for you. So, I guess he''s more or less qualified to be your


    boyfriend."


    One might have thought Wesley was venturing guesses based on the fact that Orion had apany.


    But the truth was, the night that Orion had called ir to the pub, Wesley had conducted a thorough


    investigation on his background. The man hailed from a wealthy family abroad. Unlike several famous


    sons of rich families, he wasn''t a yboy who would fool around with women. Instead, he had led a


    healthy and decent life.


    "But didn''t you just tell me... The more enthusiastically a boy pursues a girl, the more aggressively he


    will hurt her?" ir questioned. She was confused. What did Wesley want? Obviously, he had said all


    that only because he didn''t want her to date Orion. What criminal psychologist would study break-ups


    after all? So why did he change his opinion now?


    "Then don''t break up with him." Wesley proposed a simple solution as he walked into the elevator.


    The response threw ir into a virtual frenzy, since she was unable to understand what he was


    thinking.


    It had been almost a whole week since he hade back to the apartment. She was really happy to


    see him here but right now, they were quarrelling once again.


    As soon as they entered the apartment and ir threw a light-switch, Wesley told her at once, "Listen. I


    came back because I needed to tell you something. I am going for a mission two days from now, and


    it''s a long one. I won''t be back for quite a while. If you need help, contact Curtis. I remember giving you


    his number. Have you kept it?"


    "Yes..."


    Before she could say anything further, she was cut off. "Good. Fix yourself something to eat. I need to


    leave right now." With that, he turned around and was almost through the door when...


    "Wesley!" ir called out.


    He stopped and turned around to look at her. There was something strange about her voice this time.


    "What kind of mission?" she asked. She was wondering why he hade back home just to tell her


    this. Generally, he never told her that he even had a mission, let aloneing back home just for that


    sole purpose. Was this different from the other missions he had gone on before? Was it a more


    dangerous one? Or was it going to take a longer time for him to fulfill this one? So many questions


    popped up in her mind at once that she didn''t even know what to ask. There was an ominous feeling in


    her heart this time.


    Wesley was silent for a minute, then he replied casually, "Just amon mission. Don''t worry about it.


    Anything else?" He wasn''t going to talk much about his mission like usual.


    ir shook her head helplessly. She couldn''t make him talk.


    He opened the door again, and ir called out again too, "Wesley."


    He turned around and looked at her once more.


    Without saying a word, ir mustered up her courage and ran up towards him. She threw herself into


    his arms, stood on tiptoe and nted a kiss on his lips. For some reason, she didn''t feel like holding


    back this time.


    Wesley wrapped his right arm around her slim waist. ir stopped kissing him before he could react


    further, but she held onto his waist and cautioned, "Please take care. I won''t date Orion. I''ll wait for you


    toe back and continue to protect me like you always do, until I find a real boyfriend that I love very


    much."


    Without a word, he tightened his arm on her waist and lowered his head to kiss her. It waspletely


    in contrast to the small peck she had given him. Wesley kissed her deeply and affectionately.


    ir didn''t sleep well that night. She dreamt of him; sometimes he was cold, sometimes he was


    considerate; sometimes he refused her, but then he cared for her too...


    A few dayster, she was working in the office when she received a call from an unknown number.


    "Hello?"


    "Hello ir. It''s me, Megan," the girl on the other end of the line told her with a sob.


    "What''s up?" ir''s voice became cold when she heard who was calling.


    "ir, how are you feeling now? I''m really sad..."


    ir rolled her eyes impatiently. "What do you mean? And don''t cry in front of me. I''m not Wesley. Your


    tears won''t work on me. You can cry your heart out and I won''t feel a thing!"


    Megan stopped crying at once. The transformation was remarkable! She asked, "Uncle Wesley went


    on a mission. Do you know that?"


    "Yes, of course I know that!" ir was a little bit proud when she replied in affirmative to the question.


    Luckily, Wesley had told her about this. Otherwise, she would be super-embarrassed if she had to say


    no when Megan asked her about Wesley''s whereabouts.


    "Wesley and Carlos risked their lives for me. I feel really sorry." Megan sounded smug. There was not a


    single hint of sadness in her voice.

 Chapter 652 They Might Not Survive

    Chapter 652 They Might Not Survive


    ir''s brows furrowed tightly. "What do you mean?"


    "You don''t know? So Wesley didn''t tell you what mission he was part of? He and Carlos embarked on a


    manhunt for those gangsters who tried to kill me. It''s arge criminal organization with a ton of illegal


    weapons. Wesley and Carlos may not survive!" Megan continued speaking in a smug tone, her voice


    betraying not the slightest trace of sadness.


    ir was so pissed she gripped her phone tightly, hand trembling. She shot to her feet and walked to a


    quiet corner, and then roared, "Megan Lan! You''re a garbage human! They''re risking their lives to help


    you, but all you''re doing is bragging about it! It''s like they''re your toys!"


    "So what?" Megan was happy to hear ir go off like that. Debbie had pped her face earlier. Now


    she had someone she could take out her anger on.


    "Megan Lan! Wesley and Carlos have cared for you forever, so why don''t you seem to care about


    them?" ir felt sorry for the two of them. After everything they did for her, she still wasn''t grateful.


    "Care about them? When my parents died for them, they felt sorry for me and fostered me. But what


    about now? Thanks to you and Debbie, they always pawn me off on the bodyguards. They don''t care


    about me anymore! They''re the ones who made me an orphan!"


    mes of fury burning in her eyes, ir retorted, "You brought this on yourself. You yed dirty tricks


    and stirred up trouble for everyone. Megan, if you were nice, even Debbie and I would care about you.


    Things could have been good. But it''s all on you now!"


    "Why should I be nice? Give me one good reason! Why should I let them be happy? Iugh when


    they''re sad! My parents died for them! But they''re still alive. Why?" Megan suddenly burst into a fit of


    wildughter, sounding like a lunatic. "I was spoiled by the four most respected men in the city.


    Everyone admired me. It felt good¡ªreally good. But you and Debbie showed up and changed


    everything. I''m not the only girl in their lives now. I''m so pissed!"


    "You know, I think Debbie was on to something! I want to strangle you, too!" ir cursed between


    gritted teeth. She was usually calm, even-tempered. Now all she felt was white-hot rage.


    "Strangle me? If youy a finger on me, Wesley will never forgive you. So go ahead, if you want to lose


    the love of your life. I was there long before you! You can''t have my ce in his heart. He''d risk his life


    for me. Would he do the same for you?"


    "It''s his duty. He''s supposed to risk his life to save people. It doesn''t mean you''re special. But he


    deserves your respect and gratitude. It''s not something you should brag about to others just to make


    you feel better!" ir felt her heart ache for Wesley. He might be hurt, all for this ungrateful bitch!


    "Humph, whatever! Oh, I forgot to tell you. Damon called Debbie a bit ago. He told her that Wesley and


    Carlos were wounded and are in emergency surgery. They''re in a military hospital. Why don''t you go


    check on him? Hurry up, or you might be saying goodbye to his corpse!"


    Megan let out a happyugh before hanging up.


    ''Emergency surgery?'' ir''s heart skipped a beat. Her whole body shuddered, but she tried her best to


    compose herself, trying to clear her head so she could think about what to do next.


    She called her superior to ask for time off. Getting the approval, she returned to her office desk and


    grabbed her purse. Then, she called Adalson. "Uncle, you have a list of all the military hospitals in Y


    City?"


    "I do, but we won''t need it. Wesley was transferred to the hospital you stayed atst time. I''m heading


    over there, too. ir..." Adalson paused.


    The silence on the other end made ir nervous again. Tears sprang to her eyes as she sobbed,


    "Uncle..."


    Adalson sighed and said in a low voice, "I''m not gonna lie to you. It sounds bad."


    ir was unable to say another word, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    When ir arrived at the hospital, she saw the whole ground floor was a mess. In the hallway, there


    was a surgical glove here, a gauze pad there. They''d mopped up most of the blood, but there was still


    a red spiderweb of stains, a grisly reminder of the violence. Some soldiers screamed in pain when the


    doctors applied medicine to their wounds.


    ir stood still in a daze, watching the doctors and nurses scrambling to and fro to handle the patients.


    She didn''t know where Wesley was. She didn''t even know who to ask.


    As she anxiously scanned the room, she spotted Damon, who wore an expression of worry. His clothes


    were torn and bloodstained, too. Immediately, she dashed towards him and clutched his arm, saying in


    a shaky voice, "Mr. Han."


    Damon raised his head. "ir, calm down. Wesley''s in the operating room."


    "O-operating... room..." she stammered, holding back her tears. "Where''s that?"


    "I''ll take you there." Damon led ir to the operating room where Wesley was. The doors were closed


    and the red light was still on. ir waited at the door, seeing some nurses rush in and out, bearing


    more blood bags.


    Damon told her, "Wesley and Carlos are both gravely injured. I already called Niles. But I won''t tell


    Grandpa Keith or his parents right now. We don''t know anything yet."


    ir nodded. "He''ll...pull it through, right? He''ll be...fine?" She found it hard to finish a full sentence.


    Unlike his usual yful self, Damon now looked very serious when he spoke. "You know it''s serious


    when they''re in surgery. But they''ve been in worse scrapes. They''ll be fine," he said firmly.


    His assurance lifted ir''s mood a little.


    Wesley''s men were wounded too. At first, a few soldiers with minor injuries stood guard outside the


    doors, but Adalson ordered them to leave and get their wounds tended to.


    When Niles arrived, he saw ir sitting down, face ghastly pale. Adalson sat beside her, speaking


    words offort.


    "Hey, Uncle Adalson. How''s my brother?" Niles was still in his white doctor''s gown. He was getting


    practical training at another hospital when Damon called. He didn''t even take the time to change his


    clothes and hurried there. The young doctor wore a solemn look on his pale face.


    Adalson tried to calm down the young. "Be patient. He''s still in surgery."


    "How long has he been in there?"


    "More than two hours..." Adalson sighed.


    Niles stayed quiet. He waited there with them, but he''d never been known to be patient.


    ir had sat so long, her legs were numb. But Wesley was still in surgery.


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    In the middle of the surgery, a doctor emerged from the OR, and asked Niles to sign a few papers. ir


    saw one of them was the written notice of the patient''s critical condition. Seeing that ir was almost


    on the brink of a meltdown, Niles tried to tell a few jokes to cheer her up. He told her that every


    member of the Li family had signed a "critical condition notice" for Wesley in the past, but each time,


    Wesley would pull through.


    Later, Adalson got a call and he had to exit the hospital, leaving ir and Niles there.


    The soldiers with minor injuries all came to the operating room after they had their wounds treated.


    ir saw Talbot, Bowman, and a few others she didn''t know. They all looked a mess, and their clothes


    were stained with blood.


    Talbot''s arm was bandaged, his face bruised and torn. He looked pretty bad, but he was still not as bad


    off as Carlos or Wesley.


    Some soldiers who had leg injuries limped all the way to the operating room. They all stood in front of


    the doors and waited for Wesley.


    ir had adjusted her emotions. Now she was calm, and it was her turn tofort Niles. He''d be


    agitated and paced back and forth. "Don''t worry, Niles. They said they already patched them up as best


    as they could."


    Niles stamped his foot and plopped back in the seat.


    It was dark outside before the light above the operating room finally shut off.


    A few doctors came out, all looking exhausted. The soldiers immediately rushed over and surrounded


    the doctors, asking anxiously, "How''s the chief?"


    "Is it serious? When will he wake up?"

 Chapter 653 His Life Hung In The Balance

    Chapter 653 His Life Hung In The Bnce


    One of the doctors gestured for the soldiers to pipe down. Then he said, "We removed five bullets from


    Colonel Li''s body. The good news is that most of the bullets didn''t cause much damage on their own.


    The bad news is that a couple of them tumbled, and tore through several vital organs. We got to him in


    time, but he''s in aa. We don''t know if he''ll regain consciousness. It all depends on his will to live.


    We''re taking him to the ICU."


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    Everyone fell silent after the doctor was finished talking. ''It all depends on Wesley''s will to live...''


    Wesley was wheeled to the ICU. ir silently followed the group of nurses and doctors.


    She saw him lying motionless in the bed with an oxygen mask on, face drained of all color, as if he


    were already dead.


    The heartbreaking scene stirred up her emotions again. She tried her hardest to fight down her


    sadness and managed to collect herself. She trusted Wesley; he promised toe back and protect


    her. He never lied. He was going to make it.


    Since Wesley''s condition was severe, the soldiers had no choice but to let his parents know. Baldwin


    and Cecelia hurried there, but Wesley was still unconscious.


    Cecelia had seen her son wounded many times. The bandages, casts, slings and so forth were just


    part of the job. But seeing him lying in the ICU, covered in tubes and wires made her sob


    uncontrobly.


    ir held back her tears all this time. However, Cecelia''s cries opened her floodgates as well. She


    covered her mouth and ran to thedies'' room, crying at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her


    face.


    She remembered how energetic and healthy he usually looked. This was the first time she saw him


    hurt, and it was a serious injury to boot. His life hung in the bnce.


    A dozen soldiers were wounded in varying degrees; Wesleyy in the ICU, motionless, covered in


    tubes and wires; Cecelia cried hysterically in Baldwin''s arms. As these scenes reyed in her mind,


    ir suddenly understood the reason why Wesley didn''t want to get married.


    If she were Wesley, she might do the same. No one wanted to make their loved ones worry every day


    and suffer sleepless nights.


    But the country needed heroes like Wesley. Wherever the fight, whoever the enemy, the country would


    send their best. He followed a different path from others, a path of sacrifice, a path of service. He stood


    ready to defend the nation, ready to fight for what mattered. When the people needed him, he was


    there.


    In ir''s eyes, Wesley was a hero.


    Thanks to Wesley''s strong will to survive, he lived. Soon, he started breathing on his own. Three days


    later, he was transferred to an exclusive ward. He was better but he still hadn''t woken up yet.


    Cecelia, tended to Wesley every day, along with a nurse. ir woulde help after she was off work.


    When she saw the nurse was about to wipe down Wesley''s body, ir grabbed the towel and offered


    to help.


    Cecelia was surprised. ir told her calmly, "Aunt Cecelia, I told you Wesley always took good care of


    me. Now it''s my turn to take care of him." She had already seen Wesley naked, even if it was only


    once. She would do what she could. And these were extraordinary circumstances. It wasn''t the time for


    her to feel shy about seeing his body.


    Seeing the sincerity in ir''s eyes, Cecelia was moved and nodded. ir was a good girl.


    Cecelia dismissed the nurse and walked out of the ward. ir and Wesley needed their privacy.


    ir dampened the towel in a basin of warm water, wrung it, and began to wipe down his body


    carefully.


    It was then that she got a closer look at his wounds¡ªsome were deep cuts and some were minor


    scratches. She tried to avoid wiping the gauze or the small wounds with ointment on them.


    Tears blurred her vision as she gently touched the gauze on his body. It pained her heart to see these


    wounds. Poor guy. Stabbed, shot. He had to be in a lot of pain.


    She cursed those criminals who wounded Wesley so badly. They were so cruel. Didn''t they know she


    was waiting for him? She let out a heavy sigh at the thought of it.


    A few days passed. ir did the same thing every day and got better at tending to a patient. The nurse


    only came in to monitor vital signs, tend the machines, and be there when ir could not be. But the


    day-to-day tasks like rotating the patient, wiping him down, etc, were handled by the young trantor.


    ir had asked for two weeks off. She devoted all her time to taking care of Wesley at the hospital.


    One day, Talbot came to visit Wesley. He chatted with ir in a hushed voice in the ward. What they


    didn''t know was that Wesley was starting to wake up from aa.


    Talbot told ir stories about Wesley. "Do you remember when we were training freshmen at your


    university? One day, our chief went to the girls'' dorm to check the sanitation. Eight girls blocked his way


    and flirted with him mercilessly. They were brave, but they chose the wrong guy. Chief is a guy who''d


    been taught all sorts of tricks to resist torture. It was nothing for him to resist a gaggle of hot girls."


    ir pictured the scene in her mind where Wesley was surrounded by a group of beautiful women. She


    couldn''t see it.


    The wound in Talbot''s arm was healed. As he ate the sunflower seeds, he continued the story. "So


    those university girls were too much. How could they ever get through to that guy? And it backfired,


    really. Far from being tempted, he was a rock. I heard that our chief wore an angry face the whole time,


    as if he were about to throw those girls out of the building! And they paid for it, too. He was so hard on


    them the next day in training. Few, if any of us, would have been able to resist these girls'' charms. So,


    naturally, we wondered if he was gay."


    "And then?" ir''s curiosity was piqued.


    Talbot paused to recall more details. Then he went on slowly, "Those eight girls were too tired to walk


    after their punishment and they ally down on the yground to rest. One of them was ballsy and


    reported Wesley to the principal. But it onlypounded her misery. Our chief ordered her to write a


    three-thousand-word letter of self-criticism, and read it to the whole ss."


    ir trusted what Talbot was saying. It did sound like Wesley''s style. He was never merciful to girls.


    A chill ran down her spine as she remembered how she tried to flirt with Wesley back then. ''I guess I


    got off easy, '' she thought.


    "I bet that girl hates Wesley now," shemented.


    "No." Talbot shook his head. "She vowed to win our chief''s heart. She found his WeChat ount and


    sent messages to him every day. But our chief never wrote back. He had her ount deleted. She got


    to Lenard for help. So Lenard asked our chief why he deleted the girl''s ount. Do you know what he


    said?"


    "No. What did he say?"


    "Chief said...Ahem..." Talbot cleared his throat and imitated the way Wesley spoke. "I''ll delete anyone I


    don''t like. Any other dumb questions?"


    ir was amused by Talbot''s funny expression. She asked with augh, "Anything else?"


    "No, so much for this story. By the way, are you two really living together?"


    ir was surprised by his sudden change of the subject. She rolled her eyes at the nosy boy and said,


    "Wesley doesn''t reallye home that often. It doesn''t make a difference whether we live together or


    not. Besides, we sleep in separate rooms."


    "What? You two sleep in separate rooms?" Talbot was disappointed. "Wow. I wonder if he''s impotent?"


    A scene popped up in ir''s mind. Her face blushed as she stammered, "Ahem... How...would I know


    that..." She knew if he was impotent. He didn''t seem to have any problem getting an erection. But she


    wasn''t about to tell Talbot.


    Talbot left the ward without noticing the man in the bed had opened his eyes. Neither did ir. She


    turned on herptop and was about to trante a document from herpany.

 Chapter 654 Why Blame Him

    Chapter 654 Why me Him


    "ir..." Wesley''s voice was hoarse, still clearly heard in the quiet ward.


    ir was busy entering the password to herptop. She paused and wondered if she was hearing


    things. Was Wesley calling her name?


    As if knowing what was on her mind, he croaked her name again. "ir..."


    It was Wesley! She stood up from her chair abruptly, almost knocking it over, and rushed to his


    bedside. When her eyes met his, ir was thrilled. "You...you''re awake!" she eximed.


    "Mmm hmm." He was as taciturn as usual.


    ir immediately pressed the nurse-call button. Seconds after she did this, the attending doctor was in


    the ward to give him a thorough check-up. While the doctor was checking on Wesley, she called


    Cecelia, who stayed in her and Wesley''s apartment. She needed to hear the good news.


    After the exam, the doctor said that Wesley was out of danger. All he needed was to have enough rest


    and eat some nutritious food.


    The news that Wesley had woken up got out. He had more visitors now than when he''d been in a


    coma.


    Whenever people came to his bedside, ir would remain quiet, busy taking care of Wesley as if she


    were a nurse.


    And when Cecelia came to take care of Wesley so that ir could get some rest, ir would leave the


    hospital. Wesley didn''t have a chance to say a word to her.


    Every day, Wesley''s ward was overcrowded with flowers, fruits, supplements and various kinds of gifts.


    They ran out of room on the tables, and things were now being stacked on chairs or even on the floor.


    There were far too many well-wishers, too. He found dealing with these people really exhausting.


    Three dayster, he finally put his foot down and told his friends to stoping to visit. He was happy


    when he did that¡ªhe finally got some peace and quiet, and was able to rest as per doctor''s orders.


    More importantly, he finally got the chance to talk to ir. She was sitting at the bedside, peeling an


    apple. "ir..." he ventured.


    "Huh?" ir paused, holding the knife to the apple, but didn''t raise her head.


    "Why do you..." He stopped mid-sentence.


    It was really rare for him to behave like this. ir waited for a bit, but didn''t hear anything more, so she


    raised her eyes to look at him. "What?"


    "Why do you neverin?" He had already learned from his mom that ir had been taking care of


    him the whole time. When people came to visit him, she would hide. If she couldn''t hide, then she''d just


    act like a nurse, keeping quiet and taking care of his needs.


    "Why should Iin?" She lowered her head to keep on peeling the apple.


    Before he could say something, she added, "I''m not your girlfriend. So why should Iin? But


    don''t worry. I''ll take care of you. It''s the least I can do after you saved my life."


    ''So this is just to repay me? Not because she cares? Maybe I misread things, ''


    Wesley thought. He could vaguely sense that she wasn''t happy. She kept her calm, betraying no


    emotion on her face, but somehow he knew she was angry. In the past, she always had a sweet smile


    for him.


    But now, she was expressionless. Since he had opened his eyes, she hadn''t smiled once.


    After peeling the apple, she de-cored it, and cut it into wedges. After that, she put the slices on a te


    and ced it on the bed table before him.


    Wesley looked at the apple and then asked, "Why not me me?" ''She probably knows that I got


    injured for Megan. And she hates Megan a lot, '' he thought.


    ir found Wesley really hrious. "Why should I me you?" ''Now he''s being silly. me him? For


    what?


    Megan''s parents died saving Carlos and Wesley. He needs a way to repay that debt, '' she thought.


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    She knew she was mad at him, and she knew the reason why she was mad. But she didn''t want to


    admit it.


    The truth was, she was jealous.


    He would give his life for Megan.


    ''Would he do the same for me?'' she thought.


    Wesley caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes and held her hand in his. "We kicked everyone''s ass.


    No more bandits. Megan''s safe now," he said.


    ir looked at his hand and asked, "So?"


    "I won''t have to do this again." Actually, it was notpletely for Megan''s sake. Even if she weren''t


    involved, he would still take on those thugs. He was a soldier, after all.


    ''So he knows he got hurt for Megan.'' Jealousy flooded her heart.


    "Oh really? So you took out the bad guys, but what if she pisses somebody else off? You''ll have to


    protect her, right? After all, she''s your responsibility," she said bitterly. It was not that she was telling


    him to leave Megan to her own devices. But she really felt bad for Wesley and Carlos. The two of them


    had risked their lives to protect Megan, but the bitch didn''t appreciate it at all. She even started


    bragging about it to ruin her rtionship with Wesley.


    Wesley couldn''t retort because she was right. Protecting Megan was his responsibility.


    ir was in no mood to talk to him anymore and pulled her hand back. "Enjoy the apple. Now that


    you''re fine, I''ll go back to work." She walked back to herptop and began to pack her stuff.


    The next day, ir didn''te to the hospital. Cecelia, on the other hand, brought a thermos with her


    and opened it before Wesley, treating it as if it had her most precious belongings. "ir made this


    soup. I''ve already had some at home, and it''s delicious. Try some."


    Wesley didn''t turn her down. It did smell amazing.


    While he ate the soup, Cecelia couldn''t hold it in anymore and said, "Actually... ir made the soup for


    you." ir told her not to tell Wesley that. But Cecelia thought that he should know what ir did for


    him.


    Wesley paused for a while and nodded, "Okay." Then he continued to eat the soup.


    ''Ugh! This man is impossible, '' she thought to herself, anxious and annoyed. "I like ir a lot. If you


    keep acting like this and she leaves you one day, I swear I''ll disown you! And don''t think you can find


    just anyone. I used to think that as long as you were going to get married, that was fine. But not


    anymore. It has to be ir!"


    Wesley''s face twitched at his mother''s words. He simply nodded, indicating that he got it. Actually, he


    had made up his mind that he would not get married.


    If he had to, then he''d marry ir. That made perfect sense to him.


    Carlos had also been seriously injured, but his condition was better than Wesley''s. While Wesley was


    still lying in bed because of his injured leg, Carlos showed up in his ward with a pale face.


    Damon and Curtis followed behind him.


    Damon scanned the ward and asked curiously, "Where''s your little girlfriend?"


    "What are you talking about?" Wesley rolled his eyes at him.


    Damon nodded, "All right. Fine. Where''s ir? She took care of you while you were unconscious.


    Where is she?" Damon had visited Wesley a few times when he was still in aa, and saw ir


    taking care of him every time.


    "She''s working," Wesley simply answered. He looked out the window, wondering if the foreign guy was


    still hitting on her.

 Chapter 655 Like Being Shot In The Head

    Chapter 655 Like Being Shot In The Head


    When he heard what Wesley said, Damon pulled up a chair and sat beside his bed. "Bro, you and ir


    have been living together forever. Why haven''t you put the moves on her yet?"


    Wesley looked at Damon and said seriously, "Cut it out. We live under the same roof, but we''re in


    different bedrooms."


    There was disdain in Damon''s eyes, like he thought the bedridden guy was an idiot. "You kidding me?


    You haven''t gottenid? What''s wrong with you?"


    "I''m living with her so I can always protect her," Wesley said in a matter-of-fact tone.


    Curtis chuckled and teased him, "You can''t be serious. This is a joke, right?"


    Carlos, on the other hand, thought of his wife, who was now in Ennd. "My wife is mad at me over


    this. What about your girlfriend? She mad, too?" he asked. He assumed ir was mad at Wesley too,


    just like Debbie was. She should be here, taking care of Wesley, right?


    Wesley didn''t bother saying anything more about his rtionship, and just said "Mmm hmm" in


    response.


    To be honest, Wesley still didn''t understand why ir was mad. Just because he got injured protecting


    Megan? Couldn''t be! Although ir would fight with him from time to time, she was still a kind-hearted


    girl. She was pretty level-headed, to boot.


    Damon leaned forward and looked at Wesley conspiratorially. "Dude, be honest with me. Ever see a


    girl and think ''I really want to bang her?'' Seriously."


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    Wesley looked at him, expressionless. The contempt was obvious in his eyes. "Why do you ask?"


    "Just asking. Can a girl crack that cold exterior? Do you know how it feels? I''m dying to know."


    ''How it feels?'' Wesley didn''t think he needed to hide anything from one of his best friends, so he


    nodded, "Of course. It feels like being shot in the head by a Kar98k." He only felt like that when he was


    with ir.


    The other three didn''t know what to say.


    ''No wonder he''s still single. He made a sexy moment seem like a murder.''


    Damon was really curious what a tough, cold man like Wesley would be like around a woman he loved.


    So he asked, "People always talk about ''the look of love.'' Your eyes should be full of tenderness when


    you''re around your girlfriend. Does that happen when you''re around ir?"


    Wesley''s lips twitched as he simply spat, "Get out!" ''I don''t love her. Why would I have the look of love?


    Fine! I admit I like her, but we can''t be together.''


    Damon rolled his eyes, thinking that Wesley was really hopeless. "You''re too much, dude. You''ll regret


    it if she finds another guy. Just the other day, I saw ir and another guy at a restaurant. Nice-looking,


    too¡ªblonde hair, green eyes. You can''t tell me you''re not jealous."


    ''Blonde hair and green eyes? Orion?'' Wesley thought bitterly. Angry and red-faced, he snapped at


    Damon, "Fuck off!"


    Damon''s jaw dropped at his sudden outburst.


    Carlos kicked Damon''s chair and said, "Hey. Don''t forget why we''re here."


    "Oh right. I almost forgot. It''s about ourst mission..." Damon put on a serious face and began to


    discuss the matter with Wesley.


    That evening, another two came to visit Wesley¡ªHartwell and Joslyn.


    When she caught sight of them, Cecelia came over and held Joslyn''s arm. There was evident


    admiration in her eyes when she looked at Joslyn''s belly. "Wow, you''ll be a dad soon, Hartwell. And


    your mom will be a grandma. Jealous! I don''t even have a daughter-inw!"


    Hartwell cast a casual nce at the man in the bed. "I''m pretty sure that you''ll have one, if Wesley


    wants to."


    Of course, Cecelia got his point. But changing Wesley''s mind proved to be impossible. "Have a seat,


    Joslyn. I''ll wash some fruit for you." She changed the subject.


    "Don''t put yourself out. We won''t be around long." ir had told Joslyn that Cecelia was very


    weing. And now Joslyn knew it was true.


    "No trouble at all. Besides, I''m sure Wesley will be grateful for thepany. I''ll be right back." After


    saying that, Cecelia took some fruit from the fridge and went to the bathroom.


    After she was out of sight, Wesley looked at Joslyn and asked, "Where is she?" Of course, he was


    referring to none other than ir.


    He sent her a messagest night, asking, "You asleep now?" But he hadn''t gotten a reply back.


    The smile on Joslyn''s face was reced by a scornful look. "ir? I think she''s holed up with a guy in


    some hotel. See? She''s popr, huh?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.


    Wesley couldn''t believe his ears.


    Even her husband was stunned for a while. ''We drove ir home before we came here, '' he thought.


    Then he realized what Joslyn was doing.


    So he pretended to sigh helplessly. "She''s really something else."


    Joslyn sighed as well and said, "She''s an adult now. It''s her body, she can do what she wants. You


    guys don''t take it seriously, anyway."


    Both men were again at a loss for words.


    Wesley was ufortable because of what Joslyn said. After the couple left, he urged his mom to


    leave. When he was alone, he called Talbot over and struggled to leave the ward.


    He limped to the parking garage and eased into Talbot''s car. After he was settled in the passenger


    seat, beads of sweat trickled down his face. His leg wasn''t fully healed yet.


    Talbot was confused. "Chief, what happened? Why do you wanna leave so bad?"


    Wesley scrunched up his eyes, suffering from the intense pain. Instead of answering his question, he


    simply said, "Take me to the Eastern Coastal Apartments."


    "What? All right."


    About a half hourter, the two men stood in front of the door to the apartment. Wesley gestured for


    Talbot to stay put, and he entered the apartment alone.


    He pushed the door open and was greeted by darkness.


    ''Is she really not here?'' Wesley''s heart sank.


    He quietly opened the door to her bedroom, and when he saw the bedsidemp was on, he secretly


    heaved a sigh of relief.


    He tiptoed to ir''s bedside. It was one o''clock in the morning; she was fast asleep, and had no clue


    there was a man standing beside her bed, looking at her. If she woke up now, she would be scared out


    of her wits.


    Finally Wesley left the apartment. Talbot was waiting for him, restless as an ant on a hot pan. Seeing


    Wesley, he jogged over and asked, "Chief, you feeling all right?"


    Wesley''s face was as pale as a sheet. "I''m good. Well, back to the hospital," he said.


    "Sure, Chief." Talbot looked at the closed apartment door in confusion before helping Wesley to the


    elevator.


    Spring sprung. ir hadn''t visited Wesley for eleven days.


    Neither ir nor Wesley seemed to care, but Cecelia was anxious!


    Even though Wesley wasn''t fully recovered, she flew back home, leaving her injured son behind.


    Before boarding the ne, she called ir and told her she had urgent things to deal with and asked


    her to take care of him.


    Left with no choice, ir came to the hospital after work.


    When she arrived at his ward, he was having supper. He greeted her calmly and asked, "You eaten


    yet?"


    "Not yet. I''m going to a party tonight. I just came by to make sure you were eating. I got to go now."


    She turned around and left. She hadn''t even stayed in the ward for two minutes.


    What made her angry was that Wesley didn''t even try to stop her.


    ir wasn''t lying. She had an office party that evening. By the time it was over, it was more than ten


    o''clock at night. Orion insisted on driving her home. After saying goodbye to him at the gate, she


    strolled towards the apartment building, pondering her rtionship with Wesley.

 Chapter 656 Wesleys Blair

    Chapter 656 Wesley''s ir


    While strolling to her apartment building, ir thought about how she left Wesley alone in the hospital.


    She realized that it was a poor way to repay him, and he was as helpless as a kitten up a tree. The girl


    was considering paying him a visit when a man appeared out of nowhere.


    The man wore a mask and a cap, and she couldn''t see his face. She was startled for a moment,


    wondering if he was a bad guy.


    She was about to run away when the man asked, "Are you Wesley''s ir?"


    ir was confused. "I''m ir, and I know a Wesley. What''s this about?"


    Now that he had confirmed who he was talking to, the man looked around vigntly before fishing


    something from his pocket and holding it out to her. "Please give this to him. It involves the lives of 128


    people."


    The man ced a micro-SD card in ir''s hand, and closed her fingers in a fist around it. ir was


    more puzzled than afraid, and slowly opened her fingers, looking at the SD card in her hand. When she


    raised her head again, the man was gone.


    She looked around, but only darkness met her gaze. She got goose bumps all over.


    ''This thing must be really important. I should probably call Wesley, '' she thought, closing her fist around


    the SD card. She took out her phone, about to call Wesley, but her battery was dead.


    She had to turn around to hail a taxi; she decided to go to the hospital.


    At this moment, she saw two men in masks approaching her out of the corner of her eye. Her gut


    instinct told her that something was not right. With that, she ran away as fast as her legs would take


    her.


    Like she thought, the two men ran after her as well.


    ir realized that they wanted the SD card. She had to find a ce to hide it. There! The perfect spot!


    At the hospital, Wesley had closed his eyes, deciding to surrender to sleep. Suddenly, his phone began


    to vibrate under his pillow.


    It was a foreign number. Wesley saw no red gs, since he did get called to service from all over. He


    sat up in the bed and answered it.


    "Wesley Li?" The person on the other end of the phone was using a voice changer, pitched extremely


    low, so Wesley couldn''t tell if it was a man or a woman.


    "And you are?" Wesley asked.


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. What matters is..." The person paused, and then a woman''s shriek came


    from the other end. "You hear that? I think you know that voice."


    He did know it, to his consternation. And judging from how it sounded, she was in pain, or danger, or


    both. His hands balled into fists. "What do you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.


    This was no ident. Whoever it was waited until he wasid up in the hospital, and then kidnapped


    ir.


    "She has something we''re looking for. We asked her about it, but she won''t talk. She''s so stubborn,


    huh? No wonder she''s your woman."


    "You idiots! She doesn''t have it. I do. Come and get it!" Wesley spat. ''She got kidnapped because of


    me, '' he thought bitterly.


    The other personughed out loud. "My people saw someone giving it to her. I guess he thought she''d


    give it to you. We got to her before she could."


    ''So that''s what''s going on. I have to find a way to save her, '' he thought. "If you don''t believe me, then


    there''s no point in continuing this," Wesley said.


    "Wait!"


    "What?"


    "How about this? Let''s talk face to face. Come here. Alone! If you gather a team, she dies. If you go to


    the authorities, she dies. If you don''te, she dies," the person threatened.


    Wesley''s heart hurt at the thought of ir suffering, but his voice was as calm as ever. "She''s not my


    woman, but she''s innocent. Just let her go. If she''s hurt, then there will be nowhere on earth you can


    hide from me. I will find you and I will kill you."


    The other personughed viciously. "Toote. Her bare feet are full of broken ss now. Blood''s


    everywhere. God, what a mess!"


    "Where are you?" Wesley clenched his teeth.


    After hanging up, Wesley dialed a number and talked to the person on the other end briefly. Then he


    took off his hospital gown and put on his fatigues. Fortunately, his men had brought him all new togs,


    as his old ones were bloody and torn beyond repair. Before he left, he called ir''s phone, but it went


    straight to voicemail. Her phone was off, or the battery was dead. It didn''t matter which at this point.


    Wesley followed their directions, and found himself at an old and lonely house. The ce needed love,


    because what paint it had worn away, and rot had ckened some of the timbers. Two men were


    guarding the door; they were apparently unarmed. Upon seeing Wesley, one of them yelled, "That''s far


    enough! I''m going to pat you down."


    ir came to for just a moment, and in her pained state saw a familiar figure at the door. Just like when


    she had encountered the torrential flood on the South Mountain, the superhero in her heart came to her


    rescue again.


    They were frisking him, trying to determine if he had any weapons. When they were satisfied, the guy


    patting him down gestured to his buddy. Hispanion closed on Wesley, as the other guy aimed a


    right cross at the soldier, who blocked it instinctively. Weapons or no, Wesley was a force to be


    reckoned with.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    This was the first time that ir had seen Wesley fighting, at least for real. Weakened as he was from


    thea and his injuries, he was still deadly. He charged one, and smashed him into the door frame.


    The thug copsed in pain. The other gangster saw his chance, as Wesley''s back was to him. But


    Wesley simply aimed a spinning backfist at him, and it hit the man full in the face. At this point, both


    men were knocked senseless.


    The soldier, having dispatched the immediate threat, looked around. He saw ir sitting on the floor,


    leaning against the wall, eyes shut. She had been at the hospital not long before, safe and sound. But


    now, her face was deathly pale because she had lost much blood.


    Her usual fair and smooth feet were now covered with blood. The floor before her was littered with


    blood-stained broken ss.


    What was worse, her arms were limp at her sides. They must have done something to her!


    Wesley instantly red up, his face as red as fired brick. Even his eyes were red as if he were going to


    explode. Fighting the urge to go to check on her, he shouted, "Show yourselves!" His yell echoed


    through the empty house.


    Soon, more than ten men appeared from all directions, each of them holding a weapon. Given the sorry


    state of the house, some of them literally came out of the woodwork. Walls with holes and missing


    beams gave lots of angles for attack.


    ir slowly opened her eyes again; she wanted to call out his name, but she had no strength left.


    ''I was so useless, '' she thought. The two men had easily caught up to her and taken her here. That was


    when she realized the SD card must be really important, and she also found out what lengths these


    thugs would go to in order to get it.


    They kept asking her where the SD card was, but she refused to answer. They hit her, and did


    something even more terrible.


    They pricked her fingers with needles, but she still didn''t give in. Then they forced her to walk on the


    broken ss. But she just refused to disclose the information. The thugs had no choice but to call


    Wesley and threaten him with her life.


    She didn''t expect herself to be this strong. All she was thinking was that she couldn''t drag Wesley into


    this. To focus away from the pain, her mind retreated. She pictured herself in a bridal gown, and


    Wesley in his dress uniform, medals glinting beautifully. Wedding music was ying, and everyone was


    happy. She could see it, hear it, smell it, taste it. It was as real as anything, and she felt safe and happy


    here in this secret ce in her mind.


    Their leader wore a ck mask. He looked in his forties, based on the wrinkles around his eyes and his


    gray hair that spilled around the top edges of the mask. He was very thin. "Colonel Li, if you can


    persuade her to give us what we want, then you''re free to go. Both of you," he said with a smile.


    Actually, these people didn''t know where it was. Who had it? ir, or Wesley? The two men following


    the mysterious man didn''t see anything too clearly. They just knew his ns, andy in wait.


    But even if she didn''t have it, ir was still Wesley''s beloved woman. They kidnapped her to threaten


    Wesley. If she did have it, then torturing Wesley would be the way to make her cave. If she didn''t have


    it, then Wesley might be able to track it down for them.


    Wesley didn''t fall for his trap. His eyes were locked on ir''s feet, and he said in a cold voice, "I have


    it, actually. I can give it to you, but you have to let her go first."


    "Ha-ha! Turns out the news I bought is true! She''s important to you." The man burst outughing.


    "She is." Wesley didn''t deny it. ir could hear this through her pain-filled haze. Her heart started to


    race wildly in her chest.


    "After all, she saved my life once," Wesley added.


    ''I did? When did that happen?'' ir was confused.


    The man sat on a chair. "You''re a good man, Colonel Li. Let''s cut the crap. Give it to me, and you two


    can leave. Otherwise, the only way you''ll leave here is in body bags."

 Chapter 657 To Catch Bandits, Nab Their Ringleader First

    Chapter 657 To Catch Bandits, Nab Their Ringleader First


    Wesley sneered. ''We can leave after we give you that thing? You think I was born yesterday? If I give it


    to you, then we''re dead meat.'' "I''ll say this one more time. Let her go, and I''ll give you what you want,"


    he said firmly. There were pieces of broken ss in the soles of ir''s feet, and she was still bleeding.


    She needed to go to the hospital now.


    ir shook her head. ''Wesley is still hurt. There are more than ten bandits and they''re all armed. He''s


    doomed if he stands and fights.'' She wanted to say something, but had no strength to talk. Wesley


    didn''t look at her; he couldn''t afford to let the bandits know he cared for her.


    The masked man was chewing a betel nut in his mouth. "I can let her go. But how far do you think she''ll


    get on her own? How about this? If she can walk by herself, I''ll let her go."


    Wesley walked towards ir, and this move rmed the bandits. They all raised their guns, aiming at


    him. ir''s heart raced wildly in her chest. "Watch out!" she tried to yell, but she could only manage a


    weak croak.


    Who knew if he heard what she said? Wesley didn''t even pause and continued walking forward. He


    squatted down before her and said in a voice that could only be heard by her, "Don''t worry. They can''t


    hurt me. Are you all right?" While speaking, he tore a strip of cloth from his T-shirt and wrapped her


    feet.


    There were still pieces of broken ss in her feet, but this might stop them from bleeding. This was the


    best he could do for right now. "I''ll be quick. Just hold on," he said in a soft voice.


    ir gave him a sweet smile despite the pain. "Mmm hmm."


    She looked like a weak girl, but she could be pretty strong because of him. Although her feet were


    killing her, she clenched her teeth, determined not to cry.


    After Wesley was done, he held one of her hands to check on it.


    A pained groan escaped ir''s lips as the sharp pain shot through her arm. Wesley was heartbroken at


    her groan, and when he found the pinpricks in her fingers, his rage red.


    His face was rigid and tense because of his anger. He swore to himself that whoever did this to her


    would suffer the same fate.


    The bandit leader lost his patience. "Give it up. I know you''re hurt and unarmed. So stop wasting time


    and give me what I want."


    Ignoring him, Wesley scooped ir up in his arms and walked towards the door. His leg was almost


    recovered, but it still ached when he put weight on it. Despite this, he walked as steadily as he could


    and focused through the pain¡ªhe didn''t want the bandits to know it.


    Every bandit in this house knew of Wesley''s heroism. When he moved, they followed him, guns still


    trained on him. They were afraid that he would just leave this ce with ir in his arms.


    When he reached the door, a man shouted nervously, "Freeze, or I''ll shoot!"


    Wesley turned a deaf ear to the man''s threat and kept walking. His course took him out of the house.


    There was no one else outside. Wesley told the leader, "Take her to the hospital. I''ll stay here as


    insurance."


    "I don''t think so," the leader said. Then the bandit took a step forward. "Give me that damn thing! Then


    we''ll take her to the hospital."


    "If something happens to her, no one makes it out of here alive!" Wesley said through gritted teeth. His


    voice was so cold that the expressions of the bandits changed to fear.


    The leader turned to look at one of his men and ordered, "Get her to a hospital."


    Before the man could respond, Wesley shook his head and said to the leader, "Nuh-uh. I asked you to


    do it."


    Although Wesley''s face was a little pale because of his wounds, he was still the awe-inspiring crime-


    buster. These bandits didn''t dare look down on him or rx their guard just because he was not in his


    peak form.


    "Hahaha! I knew you were a hero, but I didn''t know you were aedian. You''re in no position to make


    demands, Colonel Li. Don''t forget¡ªwe have you and your woman as hostages. You do what I say."


    Wesley couldn''t care less about what he said. "You take her to the hospital. Quit toying with me."


    The leader clenched his teeth and wanted to curse. But Wesley continued, "Don''t forget I have what


    you want. Go ahead, kill me. But then, you''ll never get your hands on what you went through all this


    trouble to find."


    "Why do you want me to take her? Why can''t someone else do it? What are you nning?" the leader


    asked warily.


    "I don''t trust you. What if I give you the thing and you order your man to kill her anyway? I''m not that


    stupid,"


    Wesley said. ''He has a point, '' the leader thought. He spat out the debris of the betel nut he''d been


    chewing, walked over to Wesley and took ir from his arms. The poor woman was already


    unconscious.


    Wesley just watched as the leader walked off with ir in his arms. Ignoring the bandits pointing their


    guns at him, he took a cigarette out from the pack in his pocket. Then he took out the lighter that ir


    had given him as a gift, lit the cigarette and took a drag. He was acting like everything was under


    control.


    The bandits were pretty scared without their boss around. They clutched their guns tighter, watching as


    Wesley smoked. They were afraid that this man would kill them all after he was done smoking.


    A few minutester, Wesley dropped his cigarette on the floor, and ground it out with his heel. He


    watched as the leader walked back with ir in his arms.


    "Fuck you, Wesley Li!" the leader shouted angrily at the soldier. Then more people came into view.


    They were Wesley''s men. Several of them had their guns trained on the leader and followed close


    behind him. The remainder walked closer, and red dots suddenly appeared on the thugs'' foreheads.


    The soldiers were usingser sights, and probably wouldn''t miss at this range.


    The truth was, Wesley had taken a contingent of soldiers along with him. They had been hidden all this


    time, following at a safe distance and then taking positions around the house while they were inside.


    When the leader approached where they were hiding, they sprang the trap.


    As the saying went, "To catch bandits, nab their ringleader first."


    Few soldiers were better at strategy and tactics than Wesley. These bandits certainly were no match


    for him in that arena. Wesley wasid-back about the whole thing.


    Some of the bandits around him were scared out of their wits. They threw down their guns, not wanting


    to be filled with lead.


    Two bandits, who were very bold, approached Wesley and pointed their guns at his head. One of them


    said, "Not so fast. Let our boss go! Otherwise, you won''t¡ª Aargh!" Before he could finish speaking,


    Wesley moved like a bolt of lightning and grabbed his rifle, mming the butt in his face. He spun and


    pointed his newly acquired firearm at the other. The bandit surrendered and dropped his weapon.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When the leader saw this, he threw ir to the ground rudely, ignoring her wounded feet.


    "Mmmph..." She was in so much pain that her tears streamed down her cheeks. She grabbed onto the


    man''s sleeve to steady herself.


    The man took out a knife and yelled hysterically, "You got me, fine! But the bitch dies!" While speaking,


    he stabbed at ir''s neck without mercy.


    However, someone was fast enough to stop him. The person kicked his hand and sent the knife flying.


    "Aargh!" the man cried.


    Another person rushed over, jumped up, caught the knife and buried it in the man''s arm.

 Chapter 658 Avenging Blair

    Chapter 658 Avenging ir


    Ga was the one to quickly kick the leader''s hand. This was her first mission after she had started


    working in Y City. Wesley reacted immediately and caught the knife which had flown out of the leader''s


    hand. He lunged forward to stab the man in the arm.


    The man yelled in pain and couldn''t hold onto ir anymore. Without his support, she staggered and


    fell backwards. Ga was the nearest to her and immediately caught her, preventing her from falling


    to the ground.


    Seeing that ir was now safe, Wesley didn''t need to hold back. He tried to kick the man again, but the


    leader knew some kung fu and dodged his attack with some difficulty.


    Supporting ir with one arm, Ga fired twice, and the bullets hit the man''s leg. He yelped at the top


    of his lungs and went down on his knees, weak as pudding.


    The goons were soon under control. Wesley walked towards Ga and gently took ir in his arms.


    He rushed towards a military car.


    Two military doctors got out of the car. Wesley slowly ced ir in the back seat and told them, "Her


    fingers and feet are hurt."


    "Understood, Colonel Li."


    Wesley looked at the unconscious woman, his eyes full of affection. His hands balled into fists. Her


    eyes were closed, and her face was as pale as a ghost. He took a deep breath and got out from the


    vehicle.


    Wesley watched as the car drove off. When it was out of sight, he turned around and walked towards


    the house. The criminals were being taken, under escort, to the vehicles.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Wait!" Wesley stopped them, his face deadpan.


    After questioning some of them, he let the soldiers take two-thirds of the bandits to the vehicles and he


    took the rest of them back into the house with him.


    Soon, several noises came from within the house¡ªthe sounds of wine bottles breaking, and


    heartrending cries of the criminals.


    After a significant amount of time, he brought the criminals out once again. Their faces were ck and


    blue.


    They were all barefoot, and their feet were covered in blood. Their handsy limp at their sides.


    The leader looked the worst. His mask was now gone, revealing his face which was covered in burns.


    In any other situation, he would have looked terrifying. But now, he couldn''t even walk. He was almost


    crawling on the ground; Wesley had broken his legs and arms. He looked like the Little Mermaid, trying


    to walk on daggers. There was a trail of blood-stained footsteps behind him.


    Ga looked at Wesley, who was thest to leave the house. She had mixed feelings.


    She knew that he had tortured the criminals to avenge ir.


    After all of them were ced securely in the cars, Wesley told two of the soldiers, "You twoe with


    me. We need to find something."


    Ga walked over to him. There was aplicated expression on her face. "Your wound has


    reopened. Are you not going to the hospital?" she asked. What she really wanted to ask was, "Are you


    not going to the hospital to see ir?"


    Wesley looked at her meaningfully and answered, "I don''t have the time right now. We have more


    important things to do here." There was work to do before he could have his wound retreated and


    before he could run to check on ir.


    Ga was rendered speechless. But as a soldier herself, she understood why Wesley had made this


    decision. Soldiers had to give priority to their missions.


    Before ir passed out, she had told Wesley where she had hidden the SD card. Wesley and the two


    soldiers went to the location she had given him and soon found the SD card among the flowers. It was


    the very SD card the mysterious man had given ir.


    The moment Wesley found the SD card, he heard some noiseing from behind him. He


    immediately pushed the soldiers aside, and flung himself down as well. "Watch out!" he yelled.


    The bullet hit the soil. The sound was barely audible. Obviously, the gun had a silencer.


    The three of them were quick enough to find ces to hide themselves. Wesley took out his gun and


    told his men, "Enemies at four o''clock and eight o''clock. There are innocent citizens around. Do not get


    them involved."


    "Yes, Chief!"


    At the hospital


    After Wesley was finally done with the mission, he went to the in-patient department to check on ir


    before he could get himself treated. ir was already awake, though her face was still pale. There was


    a man standing by her bedside. Orion was in a nice suit and a shining pair of leather shoes.


    Wesley was about to open the door when he saw the pair in the room. He pulled back his hand and


    stood outside the door, peeping through the ss window.


    "ir, drink some water. You must be thirsty, right?" Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Orion had


    never taken care of anyone before. He was holding the ss of water with utmost care as he stared at


    ir with concern.


    "Thank you, Orion. But, I''m not thirsty." ir shook her head. Before Orion had arrived, her aunt had


    already given her some water.


    Orion ced the ss on the table beside the bed and asked nervously, "Are you hungry? What do


    you want to eat? I''ll ask someone to buy something for you."


    ir looked at the IV bottle and answered helplessly, "I''m neither thirsty nor hungry. Orion, please sit


    down. You are overreacting."


    Orion realized that he was being too nervous. He pulled a chair over and sat down next to her bed.


    Seeing the bandages on her feet and fingers, he felt his heart break into a thousand pieces. "If the


    criminals weren''t all caught already, I would have personally gone there to avenge you." Saying that, he


    stood up and held her in his arms.


    ir felt a little embarrassed. She wanted to struggle away from his grasp, but had no strength left in


    her. "Thank you, Orion. I''m fine now. But my work..." she started to say, changing the topic.


    Orion patted her back and assured her, "Don''t worry. I''ve already informed the HR manager. Just take


    your time and get well. You can return to work after you havepletely recovered."


    "Really? Thank you so much, Orion."


    Wesley''s hands balled into fists when he saw the scene inside the ward. He turned around and left the


    ce to find a doctor to treat his wound.


    As he walked away from her ward, he couldn''t help but remember what ir had told him before.


    "Orion is pursuing me."


    "I''m a bit moved..."


    "Wesley, do you think I should ept his love?"


    Wesley recalled what he had answered to that.


    He remembered saying, "If you like him, then you should go out with him." "Then don''t break up with


    him."


    ir waited for Wesley all day, but she was disappointed.


    The room was quiet in the dead of the night. All kinds of thoughts crossed her mind, keeping her


    awake. ''Wesley was not fully recovered when he hade to rescue me. Did he get injured again? Is


    that why he hasn''te to visit me?''


    She picked up her phone with her left hand. It was less injured than her right. She scrolled down her


    contact list and found Niles'' number. She wanted to call him, but on second thoughts, she decided to


    send him a message instead. "Niles, are you in bed?"


    Niles'' reply came quickly. "No, I just arrived at the in-patient department to visit Wesley."


    "How is he?" she couldn''t help but ask.


    "I haven''t seen him yet. Wait. Are you not taking care of him?" Niles was confused. His mother had told


    him that ir was taking care of Wesley.


    Apparently, Niles didn''t know that ir was injured. After some consideration, she typed, "I''m still busy


    working. You go check on him first."

 Chapter 1379 Not Real Friends

    Chapter 1379 Not Real Friends


    Matthew''s words sent Lucia to the floor on her knees and she begged, "Mr. Huo, I''m sorry. I promise


    that it will never happen again! I know that it was my fault, but..."


    The man didn''t seem to care about the woman''s pleading and he ruthlessly watched her get taken


    away. There were over a thousand people in the cruise ship, but not one person dared to speak for her.


    Matthew whispered in Erica''s ear, "The ship is heading back. We''ll go straight home when it reaches


    the shore."


    "Okay!" She nodded in response.


    "I''ll have someone bring you a fresh set of clothes first."


    "Thanks, but that won''t be necessary. I''ve cleaned up most of the stains with wet tissues. We''ll be


    home soon, so don''t bother!"


    "Fine." Matthew didn''t force her.


    For the remainder of the party, there wasn''t a single man or woman who dared to provoke Erica.


    When Chantel was in the bathroom, Erica took the chance to call Gifford. "Gifford, I think that Chantel


    has offended someone she shouldn''t have because of me. You have to keep her safe."


    "Are you serious? What kind of trouble have you gotten Chantel into now? You''ve already made every


    member of the Li family suffer. Just make trouble for the Huo family if you have nothing better to do!"


    Erica stuck out her tongue and goaded him deliberately, "I didn''t mean to get her in trouble. Are you


    going to help her or not? If you don''t, I''ll find someone to protect her!"


    "Who said I wasn''t going to help her? I know how to take care of my wife. I don''t need your help. You''d


    better worry about having to coax your husband."


    Erica answered proudly, "My husband is not angry with me anymore. Just now, he punished a bad


    woman for hitting on him in front of everyone."


    "Humph, you think too simply of your husband. Just because he is looking out for you doesn''t mean he


    isn''t angry with you. I bet he was just being nice in front of everyone. Wait till you get home, that''s when


    you''ll have to apologize to him." Any good man would look out for his wife in front of others, but it didn''t


    mean that Matthew wasn''t angry at Erica.


    "It doesn''t matter! At least, my husband has shown me enough respect in front of people. I don''t mind


    apologizing to himter when we go home." After returning home, Erica was nning on doing


    whatever Matthew would ask of her without anyint.


    "What''s on your mind? Matthew is not an ordinary man and he is very sessful. Shouldn''t you show


    him respect in public as well? How can you let him act humble around you in public? You''re wrong


    there!" Gifford lectured his sister.


    "No, no, no. Gifford, I disagree. Yes, he is a sessful man, but all men and women are equal. Only


    when he gives me enough respect can I return him the same respect. Don''t you think so?"


    "Um... I guess you''re right." Gifford seemed to have been brainwashed by his sister.


    "Listen, you need to treat Chantel well in the future too. Don''t always try to make her give you face.


    Forget your male chauvinism and just take good care of her. Only in this way will she love you more!"


    Gifford came to his senses and said, "I don''t need you to tell me what to do. She''s my wife. I can take


    care of my own problems. Mind your own business."


    "Okay, don''t forget to keep your wife safe."


    "If there is nothing else, I will hang up." Gifford hung up before Erica could even respond.


    She was rendered speechless. Ever since she came back from Tow Vige, Gifford had been


    indifferent to her. He must have been mat at her about something!


    ''Forget it. Just let him be angry. Chantel will cheer him up for me, '' she thought.


    Erica picked up a cherry and put it into her mouth. A momentter, several women surrounded her and


    looked at her with smile. One of them plucked up the courage to speak and finally said, "Mrs. Huo, we


    want to ask you a question."


    Erica nced at the women in front of her and recognized them instantly. They were the richdies


    who had a good rtionship with the Su family from a few years ago. Now some of them had already


    been married as well.


    The two women she had dealt with earlier were from the entertainment circle, and now this group of


    women was from the business circle. Erica thought to herself, wondering why she was so popr


    among women. ''Why can''t I attract more handsome men instead?''


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nheless, she still nodded expressionlessly. "Please go ahead!"


    The women approached her with excitement and asked, "Mrs. Huo, how did you get pregnant with four


    sons? Is there some kind of secret? We are all so envious of you!"


    ''Secret?'' Erica nodded and smiled mischievously, "Yes!" ''Of course it''s because my husband is strong


    and has good genes!'' sheughed in her mind.


    "Mrs. Huo, will you please share your secret with us?" After all, if they could sire a few sons as well, the


    richdies wouldn''t have to worry about their status in their husband''s family.


    Erica took out a tissue, wiped her mouth and leaned her head forward.


    Thedies leaned in closer with their ears as if to listen in carefully.


    When Chantel came out from the bathroom, she heard Erica say, "The secret of having four sons... I


    only drank the holy water from a river of Tow Vige in K Country. The origin of the river is a spring that


    has existed for thousands of years. After the baptism of time and nature, it''s said that it''s be a


    river with spirituality. Many women in Tow Vige have been pregnant with three babies, four babies,


    and even eight babies because of drinking the water of that river."


    "What? Really?"


    "Oh my God! Eight babies? How is that possible?"


    "Calm down. There was something on the news about a woman who got pregnant with eight babies!"


    "Yes, I''ve heard of that news as well. It''s a true story based in M Country! Apparently, this kind of thing


    also happens in K Country."


    Erica''s words caused all the women to break into heated discussions.


    Chantel remained silent and shook her head in amusement. How could she not admire that woman''s


    skills? Erica went to Tow Vige for the first time when she was about to give birth. What did her


    pregnancy with four babies have anything to do with the water from the river?


    Besides, Chantel had been to Tow Vige more than ten times, but she had never heard of such


    stories.


    "Mrs. Huo, please give us the specific location of that river."


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. We will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives."


    Erica pretended to be baffled. "Okay!"


    Meanwhile, Matthew, who had been keeping an eye on Erica all this time, thought that Erica was being


    bullied by someone again, so he strode over, leaving his business partners behind.


    He only heard the woman''sst words. "It''s at the entrance of Tow Vige. There is only one entrance


    and the other three paths are surrounded by mountains. The spring wateres down from the


    mountain. If you can live there and drink the water for a few months, you''ll be sure to be pregnant with


    at least a set of twins! If you are lucky enough, giving birth to four babies like me will be a piece of


    cake!"


    "Wow! Thank you so much, Mrs. Huo!"


    "Mrs. Huo, you''re so kind. You''re an angel!"


    "You''re wee. We''re friends. d to be of help," said Erica with a bright smile on her face. ''Not real


    friends at all, '' she sneered in her mind.


    "Yes, yes!"


    Matthew stood still and he couldn''t help but shake his head as he listened to their conversation. ''Just


    another group of brainless women! The only reason why Erica was able to give birth to four babies was


    because of me. Was there any other reason?''

 Chapter 1380 A Spoiled Brat

    Chapter 1380 A Spoiled Brat


    ''If you all want to believe in Erica''s nonsense, don''te to me when you realize you''ve been fooled.


    I''m not going to punish my wife for these stupid women!'' Matthew thought to himself.


    The group of women celebrated excitedly for some time. Only when their state of awe began to fade,


    they came to notice the man standing behind them.


    Having got what they wanted, the women surrounding Erica dispersed and freed the way for Matthew.


    Erica looked at the man walking towards her and grabbed a cherry, waving it in front of him. "Come on,


    eat it!"


    Matthew shook his head and stated, "We''re leaving."


    "Oh, okay!" She was actually d to go home. Regardless of where she was, Erica stretched her body.


    Then she turned to Chantel and asked, "What about you? Come to our ce with us."


    Chantel showed her the phone in her hand. A notification from a recent missed call from her assistant


    disyed on the screen. "No, thanks. My assistant is waiting for me at the hotel. I''m going abroad


    tomorrow morning. You can go home first!"


    "Okay, we are leaving now." Erica intertwined her fingers with her husband''s.


    His big palm was still as warm as she remembered. It felt so good to get back together with him.


    "Okay, bye!" Chantel watched the couple go before she answered the phone, which was already


    ringing in her hand again.


    "Hello, it''s me."


    "Chantel, there are several bodyguards at the hotel now. They said Mr. Li sent them. Do you know what


    happened?"


    "What? Mr. Li?" ''Did Gifford send them?'' she wondered.


    "Yes. How is everything with you there? Can youe back now?" asked the assistant.


    Chantel nced at the lively cabin full of people before she answered, "Well, I''ll talk to Mr. Li first. If I


    can leave earlier, I''ll go back to the hotel immediately."


    "Okay."


    Outside, Matthew and Erica had barely left the cabin when she began to stir ufortably beside him.


    Holding his arm, she stood still and didn''t let go of him.


    "My feet hurt!" she said in a soft voice. The man nced at her but didn''t move.


    Ignoring his silence, Erica tightened her grip on his arm and added, "You should carry me to the car. It''s


    the first time in years that I had to wear high heels for so many hours. I can''t walk when my feet hurt so


    badly." No one could me her for being in pain.


    ''Huh! We hadn''t seen each other for over three years, but she got more and more sensitive, didn''t


    she?''


    The man pretended to be impatient. "No one ever dared to ask me to do such a thing." Despite his


    harsh words, he immediately scooped Erica in his arms.


    She didn''t hesitate to put her arms around his neck as she smiled sweetly at him. "Well, I asked you


    because you''re my dear husband!" And she could ask him whatever she wanted.


    Yet she would never realize how much the words "my dear husband" had filled his heart with joy.


    After getting off the cruise ship, Matthew put her in the back seat of his car and sat beside her.


    The first thing Erica did once she was inside the vehicle was to free her feet from the grasp of those


    painful high heels.


    Next, she put her feet up on Matthew''s slender legs and swayed them in search of some relief.


    Matthew''s eyes hovered over the pair of feet resting on him, and then he clenched his jaw. "Erica Li!"


    he warned.


    "Hey, don''t be so mean! My feet hurt. I rarely put on high heels, please be considerate!"


    ''Hmm... So, her spoiled brat behavior seems to have increased a lot over these past few years. And


    she still manages to manipte me with it, '' he thought to himself.


    A few momentster, Erica removed her feet, adjusted herself, and finally rested her head on hisp.


    Looking up at the scowl on Matthew''s face, she asked, "Honey, are our sons at Dad and Mom''s ce?


    Let''s go there. I really miss them."


    "No!" Matthew refused. He didn''t want to go there that evening. Since his wife had finallye back to


    him, he''d been looking forward to spending the whole night with her, and he didn''t want anyone to


    disturb them.


    "What? Why? Then bring the boys back to our vi." She really missed her children.


    "There is something I want to talk to you about this evening. We can discuss our sons in the morning!"


    "Fine!" Erica agreed. She happened to have something she wanted to talk about with him as well.


    When they arrived at the vi''s gate, Erica sat up and released Matthew''s legs so he could get out of


    the car. After he got out, he waited for her beside the vehicle. But instead ofing out, Erica curledThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    up her legs above the seat without making any mention to stand.


    Matthew knew what she wanted. Only this time, he didn''t lift a finger to carry her into the vi.


    ''He was so gentle on the cruise ship! I knew it was all an act!'' she thought wistfully.


    A couple of minutes passed, and Erica heaved a heavy sigh. Holding her high heels in one hand, she


    moved towards the car''s door and whined, "Oh, I shouldn''t havee back. No one cares about me in


    Y City anyway. I''ll go back to Tow Vige tomorrow... Ahhh!" Matthew hauled her up from her seat


    before she could even conclude that stupid sentence.


    Despite her first shock reaction, the woman soon smiled in triumph while she kissed Matthew on the


    cheek. Not even the dark look on his face could intimidate her now. "I take back everything I just said.


    My husband is very good to me!"


    Matthew rolled his eyes at her and remained silent.


    Once they got inside the vi, Erica wanted to get off him and leave the shoes at the entrance.


    But Matthew didn''t give her a chance. He told her to simply drop them on the floor and carried her


    upstairs.


    As soon as they came into the bedroom, he threw her over the king-sized bed. Erica tried to escape,


    but Matthew quickly grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her to the middle of the mattress. When he


    had her where he wanted, he pressed his body on top of hers.


    Close enough to feel each other''s heart beating inside their chests, he pinched the woman''s chin and


    stared at her red lips before he asked word by word, "Erica, have you had enough fun?"


    Putting her arms around his neck, Erica was confused. "I don''t get it. What do you mean?"


    "You''ve been away for over three years. Were you happy during this time?"


    "No, I was not!" She had learned fast that a life without Matthew was a mess.


    "Really?" He didn''t believe her at all. "Because I think that now that you had your fun, you finally


    decided toe home."


    Erica smiled awkwardly before she kissed his thin lips. "Honey, I won''t leave you anymore."


    Nevertheless, now that she was back, he was going to punish her in bed. Matthew leaned over and


    kissed her sultry red lips as he pulled the hem of her dress up her thighs.


    When he was about to take off her dress, Erica grasped his hand and said out of breath, "Wait a


    minute, honey. There''s something I want to talk to you about!"


    Kissing her on the neck, he whispered, "Just say it."


    "I can''t say it with you acting like this. Matthew, you don''t want to listen to me, do you?"


    "No, I don''t." He just wanted to make love to her as much as possible. After all, he had been deprived


    of having sex for the past few years.


    Depressed, Ericained, "You will listen to me whether you want to or not.


    Would you always hang out with other women while I was away? If I hadn''te back tonight, would it


    have been Noreen in this bed with you now? Ouch! Why did you bite me there? I''m not kidding." She


    brought a hand to where he had just bitten her and rubbed it. He did it on purpose!


    Matthew''s eyes flicked over the woman rubbing herself, and his pupils dted. He found Erica so


    attractive.


    Pushing the man who had been watching her, she ordered, "Say something!"


    Matthew held her hands over her head and asked, "What do you want me to say?"


    To begin with, he had never brought another woman back home. And even if he had, he wouldn''t have


    been so stupid to do it when he knew that his wife was about to return. Did she really think that he was


    so clueless?


    Her flight number, her boarding time, her time of arrival, the time she went to ZL Group... He knew


    everything.


    There weren''t so many coincidences in this world. But there was a man who orchestrated it all behind


    the curtains, and that man was Matthew.

 Chapter 1381 See How Much I Love You

    Chapter 1381 See How Much I Love You


    Teaming up with Paige in thepany offices, the party tonight on the cruise ship, the evening dress


    and expensive jewelry... Matthew had arranged every bit of that. Not her fits of pique, of course, but


    everything else, surely.


    He couldn''t help but shake his head. ''How naive she is! If Paige hadn''t gone through me first, would


    she have even dared toy a finger on such an expensive jewelry set? Of course not. She knew on


    which side her bread was buttered.''


    Matthew had made a bet inwardly. It was a private bet, and no one else was in on it. The only payout


    would be how right he was about how things yed out.


    Heid odds Erica would head to the office looking for him, particrly if she found he wasn''t home. He


    figured she woulde to him first even though she knew the four boys were at the Huo family manor.


    The CEO knew how jealous she got, so he had Paige imply that he would be at the party with another


    woman. That was all the impetus Erica needed to show up at the party. Not only would she attend, but


    she would make sure everyone there knew that he was hers and hers alone.


    It turned out he was right. She did show up. And she did humiliate these other women.


    But she had made one error in judgement. She hadn''t noticed that Sheffield and Evelyn weren''t there.


    Why would they skip a party like that? And why would Matthew go to a party that a yboy like


    Sheffield didn''t care about?


    The only reason so many business bigwigs were there was so they could schmooze with Matthew.


    Many of them had never met the man before, and they figured it was just good business to go.


    Erica had no clue this was all arranged. She figured she was doing what came naturally, and was


    unaware of Matthew''s machinations. ''My wife is still so adorable.''


    Thinking of this, Matthew smiled.


    Seeing his smile, Erica was shocked and snapped, "You''re even smiling about it! So is it true?"


    "No."


    "Huh?"


    "I''m not smiling, and you don''t know the half of it!"


    Erica pinched his face heavily until it was deformed. "You are smiling, but you won''t admit it!"


    Looking at the woman in front of him, Matthew didn''t say anything. ''I love how power and money


    haven''t changed her! She''s the same old Erica.''


    Erica thought he was unhappy, so she loosened her grip on his face and stammered, "Well, it''s fine if


    you don''t want to tell me. But I have something to tell you." Speaking of this, she suddenly became


    very downcast. "I found it''s hard for me to be a woman worthy of your love. I was gone for more


    than three years, and I missed you every day. I love you more than I did three years ago. I learned who


    I was, and what I wanted. Other than that, nothing much has changed. So don''t hate me, okay?"


    This time she really just wanted to settle down. That was why she came back. She wanted to just live


    with him and love him with all her heart.


    She had been looking at him the whole time, expectation and cautiousness in her eyes.


    The wary look on her face made Matthew''s heart ache. He felt sorry for her.


    Why did she feel she had to walk on eggshells around him?


    Everyone has his or her own emotions. He hoped that she couldugh loudly when she was happy,


    lose her temper when she was unhappy, and cry when she was sad. She shouldn''t have to feel like she


    couldn''t express herself around him.


    It was very quiet in the bedroom. No one spoke in what seemed like forever. Erica stretched out her


    arms and wrapped them around the man''s neck. "Matthew, you know what? Life without you is like


    having no pepper or vinegar in hot and sour rice noodles..."


    The man was at a loss whether to cry or tough. What kind of simile was that?


    "I changed my name to Erma Huo while I was away from home. Erma is a portmanteau of Erica and


    Matthew, and I used your surname. That''s how much I love you!"


    This time, Matthew finally reacted. "So you do love me?"


    The woman''s face suddenly turned red. She was so anxious to express herself just now that she just


    started blurting things out. Now that Matthew suddenly asked the question, she suddenly became shy


    and faltered into his arms. "You''re my husband. Of course I love you. I love you, and our sons..."


    Matthew grabbed her hands with one hand and forced her to look at him with the other. "Do you love


    me, Erica?"


    He must hear her answer now.


    Erica took a deep breath and tilted her head to one side, refusing to look at him. "You know, it doesn''t


    really matter who I love. You divorced me."


    "When did I¡ª" The man''s voice suddenly stopped.


    He couldn''t believe his ears. Did he just blurt that out at one time? And when did that happen?


    Erica suddenly looked back at him and couldn''t wait to ask, "In Tow Vige. I was pretty floored by the


    news, too. Don''t you remember?" Although she didn''t believe it at first, she was still excited when she


    heard the answer from Matthew.


    A rare trace of uneasiness appeared on his face. "I didn''t say that. Owen did."


    "How could he say that without asking you?"


    she asked. ''I have to give her credit there. Sometimes she''s smarter than me. But only sometimes...''


    He had to change the topic. "I''m serious, Rika. Do you love me?"


    "Of course... I love you," she answered in a quiet voice.


    Or what? How could she love anyone else? Smart, good-looking, rich...There was no one else good


    enough. And she was not that stupid.


    Erica would never know how long Matthew had been waiting for her to say that.


    And finally, she admitted she loved him. He couldn''t be happier right now.


    This was something he''d never experienced before. He was so happy he wanted to get up and dance.


    He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her head at thest minute, and his lipsnded on her neck. It


    was still like lightning running through her. She shuddered from the passion.


    "Wait a minute. There''s something I need to know!" Now that she confessed her feelings for him, she


    wanted to know his feelings too.


    "Ask." Matthew had to hold back his desire for her a little longer.


    Erica blinked and asked in a clear voice, "Do you love me?"


    The man paused for a moment, and finally responded with only a deep kiss.


    If he didn''t love her, he wouldn''t even kiss her.


    If he didn''t love her, he would never marry her. Everyone believed it was a shotgun marriage. That


    Carlos had forced him to marry Erica. But they were wrong. He''d had his eye on her for a while. If he


    hadn''t wanted to marry her, even his dad couldn''t make him.


    If he didn''t love her, he wouldn''t have missed her day and night. Every single hour of those three years


    was sheer torture.


    ''I love you, Erica. From now until forever, no matter how many ups and downs we go through, the only


    woman in my heart is you. It''s always been you, '' he said inwardly.


    Meanwhile, on the cruise ship, all the guests heard the screaming and pleading from the top deck as


    they disembarked.


    "Help! Help me! Mr. Huo! Mrs. Huo! I was wrong... I don''t want to be here..."


    There were some who were naturally curious, so they climbed the stairs to take a look. Lucia was tied


    to one of the cell towers, bound tightly. The wind and rainshed her in the cold, dark night.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    A few bodyguards stood beside her, making sure she wouldn''t break free. Not only that, they were


    there to stop anyone from rescuing her.


    They weren''t heartless. They got her whatever she wanted to eat or drink. Not like she had much of an


    appetite. But they would be the ones to me if she died on their watch.


    The party had been over for a long while, and everyone was still talking about it. Obviously, the guests


    enjoyed themselves. And they got an extra floor show¡ªtonight, Erica had dealt with two women who


    had designs on Matthew. That was fun to watch. After everyone got off the cruise ship, the news


    spread like wildfire through the city. No one wanted to anger Miss Troublemaker.

 Chapter 1382 Her Tears

    Chapter 1382 Her Tears


    Erica''s actions at the party had gone viral. It wasn''t just the guests on the cruise ship who knew this.


    Everyone knew that Matthew and Erica loved each other very much. Those women who wanted


    Matthew for themselves were quiet, at least for now.


    Late at night


    Erica sat up from the bed, stretching, feeling her muscles protest. She quietly got out of bed, trying not


    to disturb the man lying next to her.


    As soon as she opened the door and left the bedroom, the man she left behind opened his eyes.


    He picked up his phone and looked at the time. It was half past three in the morning.


    He rolled out of bed, put on his pajamas and followed the woman out.


    Downstairs, Erica opened the walk-in freezer and walked in.


    The fruit in the freezer was already washed. She stuffed a few cherry tomatoes into her mouth and


    continued to paw through the contents of the freezer.


    A few minutester, she came out with some veggies and frozen shrimp.


    "Ahhh!" Erica practically jumped in fright when she walked out of the freezer. There was a man


    standing in the kitchen. She almost choked on the cherry tomato in her mouth.


    ncing at what she was holding, Matthew asked, "What are you doing?" Actually, he knew very well


    what she was up to.


    The woman wore a thin nightgown, and when she shook her head, her hair swept aside briefly to


    reveal the love bites on her neck. Swallowing the cherry tomato in her mouth, she answered unhappily,


    "It''s all your fault. You can''t seem to keep your hands off me! I can''t get dinner, so now I''m hungry!"


    Matthew''s mind was blown. Well, it was indeed his fault. He neglected that she didn''t have dinner


    tonight. And yeah, it was his fault. They had made love past dinner time, and he forgot to get her


    anything to eat.


    He took the vegetables and frozen shrimp from her hands and asked helplessly, "What do you want?"


    "How about some noodles with veggies and shrimp?" she answered.


    "That''s it?" he asked in disbelief.


    Erica popped another cherry tomato in her mouth and nodded, "Yes."


    Thinking of the mess she had made of the noodles in Tow Vige, he sighed helplessly.


    The man tilted his head toward living room and said, "You go and watch TV. Maybe they''ll rey one of


    those pce dramas you love so much."


    The woman''s eyes lit up. "So you''ll cook it for me?"


    She hadn''t eaten the noodles cooked by him in a long time. She missed the way he cooked them so


    much!


    "Of course." ''Let her cook the noodles? No way! She messed that upst time!''


    Since Erica hade back to him, Matthew wanted to make sure she was well-taken care of. He


    wouldn''t let her eat just anything. He would cook for her from now on. And if he was busy, there were


    professional chefs who could do the job. He would make sure she ate delicious, healthy food every


    day.


    Erica was so moved that she felt her eyes go hot as tears formed in them. She happily hugged the man


    from behind and said in a soft and ttering voice, "Thank you, Matthew! You''re so good to me!" A long


    lost sense of happiness came back to her.


    With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Matthew said in an indifferent voice, "Just go watch TV."


    "I can help you wash the vegetables," she offered.


    Matthew pulled her hand away and walked towards the freezer. "No, just wait in the living room."


    "Fine!"


    Erica turned on the TV and flipped channels, bored. Finally, she stopped when she saw one station


    featuring the horror movie "Midnight Hair." She devoured the gruesome images on the screen with


    obvious interest.


    It was a quiet night. Life seemed to go back to normal. It was like she had never left.


    He cooked for her while she took in a horror movie.


    Matthew was too busy in the kitchen to pay attention, but the woman in the living room was already


    crying.


    Before she ran away, she hadn''t known how good she had it.


    She saw many things when she was gone the past three years. But one thing she never saw was a


    man willing to cook for his wife after a busy day.


    The other men were eitherzy or they just copsed on the bed after a whole day''s work.


    However, Matthew, who was busy with his work day and night, had time and energy to cook for her.


    If a man loves you, he will spare some time for you no matter how busy he is.


    If a man loves you, he will cook for you no matter how tired he is.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    If a man loves you, you''ll know his feelings for you even though he never confesses directly.


    It turned out that Matthew really loved her. This time, even without his telling her, she could feel it.


    Erica didn''t see what was on the TV, nor did she hear a word. All she could hear was the sizzling sound


    of the bacon Matthew was frying up in the kitchen. She loved that sound. It sounded just like home.


    "Come here," he called out.


    It was not until she heard his voice that the woman, tear tracks drying on her face, came back to her


    senses. She forgot that she had cried. She turned off the TV and put on her slippers, rushing to the


    dining room.


    The familiar noodles with seafood were set on the table, steaming. Next to them was a te of fresh


    fruit.


    She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and was about to sit down to eat.


    Matthew went and fetched a fruit fork from the kitchen. She was about to grab the chopsticks when he


    came out. "You should wash your hands first," he suggested.


    The woman, feeling mischievous, grabbed some noodles with her chopsticks and put them in her


    mouth. Then she quickly stood and ran to the bathroom, a smug smile on her face.


    "Wait!" His tone made her stop.


    Raising her hands, Erica turned to him and asked in confusion, "What''s wrong?"


    This was the first time he saw her face after cooking up the meal. And he knew this was a new


    development. When they got intimate, he simply mopped her face with wet tissues. So he knew how


    she was supposed to look.


    But now, her face was lined with ck tear stains, mascara and eye shadow running down her


    beautiful face, and her eyes were red and swollen. She must have been crying.


    The man''s face changed. He threw the fruit fork on the table, strode to her, held her hand gently and


    asked in a deep voice, "Why the tears?"


    If she was sad in the past, she would cry loudly, and everyone heard her wailing. She couldn''t have


    been more obvious about it if she tried.


    But it was different now. It took talent to cry that much and cause that kind of mess with her makeup.


    She''d apparently done it quite a bit, and he had no idea.


    When did she learn to cry silently? She had gone from a wailing banshee to a stoic sister.


    The change made Matthew''s heart ache.


    His question confounded her for a moment. Then she remembered that she came to the table right


    after a good cry. She hurriedly wiped her tears with one hand, trying her best to smile. "It''s been more


    than three years since you made anything for me. I love the fact that I get to taste your cooking again. It


    means so much to me that I broke down. That''s why I cried."


    Frowning, Matthew asked, "Did you cry just because of this?"


    "Of course! What else?" Erica asked him in reply. "I''m back where I belong, with my husband and kids.


    Why would I be sad?" Well, the only thing that she felt sad about was she hadn''t avenged Orange yet.


    But she knew that she couldn''t get too cocky. She needed to take her time and n.


    The man let her hand go and softened his voice as he said, "As long as you don''t run away again,


    you''ll get a meal made by yours truly every day."


    Erica went to hug him and buried her face in his arm. She took a deep breath and said, "Of course I


    won''t run away. You are so nice to me. I would be a fool if I ran away again."


    Matthew breathed a sigh of relief silently. Then he took a good look at her. "Hey, go clean up, willya?


    Look at my clothes!"


    Sure enough, there was arge ck stain on his light gray pajamas.


    Erica was dumbfounded. She immediately shook off the man''s hands and ran into the bathroom. "I


    didn''t mean to.


    Sorry!" Watching her running away, the disgust in Matthew''s eyes had already turned to tenderness. He


    loved looking at her, regardless of what condition his clothes were in.


    As long as she came back and stayed with him, everything would be fine.


    The noodles with seafood he cooked still tasted the same.


    When she was full, she took the empty bowl to the kitchen and dutifully put the bowl and chopsticks


    into the sink.


    She turned on the tap and began to wash the dishes.

 Chapter 1383 Trending Hashtags

    Chapter 1383 Trending Hashtags


    Sitting across from her, Matthew had a clear view of what Erica was doing and did nothing to stop her.


    On the contrary, he just quietly observed as she washed the bowl and chopsticks she had used.


    After a while, he suddenly asked, "When did you learn that?"


    "Learn what?" Confused, Erica took a cloth and wiped the water she identally sshed near the


    sink.


    "Washing the dishes." Before she left him, she wouldn''t even get near the dishes, let alone wash them.


    Erica thought about it for a moment before answering casually, "Well, Tessie couldn''t handle everything


    on her own, especially after the children were born. So I had to help her, right? I learned a lot while I


    was away."


    At that time, she soon realized that she wasn''t really unable to do the housework. Given no other


    choice, she had to learn how to get by on her own, and so she did.


    No matter how foolish she was, she could do some simple housework without any maids at her


    disposal.


    Once she finished cleaning up the kitchen, Erica turned off the lights and stretched out her hand to the


    man who was still at the table. "Let''s go upstairs and have some sleep!"


    Matthew looked at her hand. It used to be so smooth, but now it had some calluses that weren''t there


    before.


    He met her eyes again and couldn''t help getting a little angry. In a cold voice, he said, "Erica Li!"


    "What?" Picking up on his anger, Erica was confused. Why did he suddenly get so mad to the point of


    calling her by her full name?


    Rudely, he grabbed her hand and raised it to her eye level. "Look at your hand. It wasn''t like this when


    you left me. Look at those calluses! I demand that you take care of your hands and have them healed


    in a month!"


    Erica rubbed her hands together. She didn''t notice that indeed they were covered with calluses until


    now.


    "Even if I don''t do the housework, I still have to use my camera," she answered dully. She couldn''t get


    rid of her camera. She took pictures almost every day with it.


    "Then don''t take any pictures for the time being! And don''t do any housework! Not until you get your


    smooth hands back!" he ordered.


    For Erica, his overbearing behavior was a sign of the love he had for her.


    So holding his neck, she coaxed him, "Okay, I''ll do as you say. But don''t be angry! It''s just that the living


    conditions in Tow Vige are not that good. I''ll be fine now that I''m home."


    "Since you are aware of the poor living conditions in Tow Vige, why did you lie to those women and


    told them to drink the magic water from the river there?" he asked. It seemed that his wife was getting


    more and more naughty.


    "What? How do you know about this? Were you eavesdropping?" Erica smiled awkwardly before


    burying her face on his shoulder.


    Matthew sighed inwardly and shook his head, realizing that her facial cream would leave a stain on his


    clothes again. Nevertheless, her words still amused him. "Almost everyone at the party knew about it.


    How could I not?"


    Erica had underestimated her influence. ording to Matthew''s estimates, many women must have


    already booked air tickets to K Country by now.


    "Oh, some of the guests at the party were good friends with Camille and Phoebe. I just wanted to make


    fun of them. Who knew they would be so stupid to believe my tale of the magic water?" Erica was


    shocked to learn that people really bought into her nonsense and even booked air tickets to K Country.


    Helplessly, Matthew stood up and grabbed her hand, leading her upstairs. "This will be good to teach


    them a lesson, so they won''t rely on every word you say in the future!"


    Holding his arm, Erica wanted to prove her loyalty to him. "Matthew, you have to trust that I won''t lie to


    you!"


    He didn''t say anything. Based on her IQ, he knew that she couldn''t deceive him anyway.


    When they got to the bedroom, Erica immediately turned to the bathroom to wash her face and brush


    her teeth. While she rubbed the cleanser on her face, she kept chatting with the man in the next room,


    "You tore my dress. You must make up for it!"


    She really didn''t understand Matthew. Why did he have to tear her clothes before making love to her? It


    was sad to see such a beautiful dress being so easily turned into rags.


    "Okay." He was willing to buy her ten dresses if she thought it would make up for the other one.


    She turned on the tap and washed the cleanser away from her face. Looking at herself in the mirror, so


    fair and clean, she was quite pleased with the result.


    The next day, Erica was still asleep when she turned up in the top list of all the search engines on the


    Inte.


    Chantel didn''t waste any time when she decided to call Erica to make fun of her.


    "You''ve barely returned to Y City, but you''re already the hottest topic on the Inte! You didn''t see it


    yet, did you?"


    "Why am I on the Inte? I was sleeping." Erica yawned.


    Suddenly remembering where she was, Erica stretched out her free hand and felt the hard chest of the


    man lying beside her.


    She smiled and moved closer into his arms as she continued to talk to Chantel over the phone.


    Chantel chuckled. "The paparazzi took pictures of Noreen''s swollen face after she was stung by the


    bees, and then they said it was your doing. ording to the press, Noreen had been trying to get her


    ws into Mr. Huo and be his mistress to promote herself. But then, you, Mrs. Huo, decided to


    teach her a lesson."


    Moreover, the photos of Noreen falling to the floor at the party were also all over the Inte.


    Despite Noreen''s efforts and money to have all thetest news rted to her removed from the


    websites, it was toote. People had already reposted andmented on the news. She had spent


    millions of dors and yet, it didn''t have much effect.


    Only then did Erica realize that she might be in trouble.


    Her eyes red open, and then she looked at the man apparently still asleep on her side. She poked


    him in the chest, but there was no response.


    Sitting up in the bed, she whispered, "Then I''m in great trouble, aren''t I?"


    "What are you worrying about? It was Noreen who was trying to be Mr. Huo''s mistress. She''s the


    one in a tight spot. Ites as no surprise that you, as Mr. Huo''s legal wife, would want to teach her a


    lesson!"


    "Oh, that''s good to hear. I''ll check it out online and read thements," said Erica.


    "By the way, I took a flight from Y City to M Country. I''ll be there for half a month. Take care of... You


    know what? Never mind. I''m relieved now that you''re with Mr. Huo." Chantel had be used to


    reminding Erica to take care of herself, but now that she was back with Matthew, she didn''t need to do


    it any longer.


    "Got it." Erica yawned again. "Then take care of yourself. Call me if you need anything."


    "Okay, bye!"


    After hanging up the phone, Ericay back down in the bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she felt


    the weight of a heavy arm on her waist.


    She quietly nced back at Matthew and found that he still had his eyes closed. Unconcerned, she


    opened Weibo and began to browse the news of the day.


    ''Wait! It''s already eight o''clock. Why is Matthew still asleep? He would always get up at five or six at the


    latest.


    Has he developed the habit of sleepingte in the past few years?'' she thought.


    Before Erica could think it further, however, the word "hot" disyed on the screen and quickly grabbed


    her interest.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The topic "Mrs. Huo Came Back With Her Four Sons" was followed by the word "hot" all in red.


    Below she found the topic named "Erica and Noreen" also followed by the word "hot."


    And although this time the word "hot" didn''t follow it, the topic "Erica and Lucia" could also be found on


    the list of the hottest news.


    A reporter had also photographed Erica in her red evening dress on the ship.


    Erica was d to see that the photo had been filtered before it was posted. That woman in the photo


    looked much more attractive than she was in real life. Once she realized this, she hid beneath the quilt


    and snickered.

 Chapter 1384 Take After Niles

    Chapter 1384 Take After Niles


    ording to the article, someone had asked ZL Group about Erica''s whereabouts a long time ago. But


    ZL Group had merely stated that she had gone abroad to wait to give birth to her children.


    Now everyone could finally see Erica and her four sons on the Inte.


    In fact, countless people were praising Erica online withments as such that as the mother of four


    children, she looked as young as a teenage girl.


    Reading it, Erica began to think that someone must have spent a lot of money on those people to tter


    her online.


    The news about Noreen regarded the conflict between the two of them on the cruise ship. It said, "The


    real Mrs. Huo teaches the most popr female celebrity a lesson in public, and thetter ends up


    locked up with bees." The so-called most popr female celebrity was yet toment on this matter.


    The next news about Lucia was simr to Noreen''s, but Erica didn''t find the photo of Lucia being tied to


    the cruise ship. Now she wasn''t sure if it had been deleted or if anyone had even taken the picture at


    all.


    In thement section, everyone was on Erica''s side. For all it seemed, Noreen''s and Lucia''s


    reputations had been ruined overnight.


    "Is it so funny?" Matthew''s low voice came from behind her. Erica nodded, still not daring tough out


    loud. "Yes, I never knew I could look so beautiful!" Although she was a photographer, she had never


    taken a selfie of her own.


    "A bit narcissistic of you, isn''t it?" There was a hint of helplessness in the man''s voice.


    By hearing that, Erica finally came to her senses and turned over to face her husband. "Ah, you''re


    awake?"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yeah." He had been up for a while now. In fact, he woke up much earlier than when Chantel called.


    Besides, he had already checked that day''s trending news.


    "Hey, look at this photo. Isn''t your wife beautiful in it?" Erica handed him her phone.


    Matthew looked back and forth between the picture and her face before he answered seriously, "You''re


    way more beautiful in person than in this photo."


    "What? Why? I thought this dress suited me so well." The woman was confused. She had just woken


    up and hadn''t washed her face orbed her hair yet. How could Matthew think she looked any


    beautiful right now?


    Yet his next words caught her by surprise.


    "I think you''re the most beautiful when you''re naked!" Blushing, Erica turned away from him and


    scolded, "Matthew Huo, you''re such a jerk!"


    The smile on Matthew''s lips quickly reached his eyes with her reaction.


    "Well, you''d better ask your men to delete the news. I''m afraid..."


    "What are you afraid of?" he asked.


    "I''m afraid my father will call to scold me and..."


    Erica didn''t even have the chance to finish her sentence when her phone started to ring with Wesley''s


    call.


    Under Matthew''s gloating eyes, Erica pouted as she answered the phone, "Dad, what''s up?"


    The moment Wesley heard her voice, he started to nag, "You''re just a photographer. Why are you


    picking fights with celebrities? It''s all over the news now. The whole world knows that you, Erica Li, had


    a quarrel with that woman...Nora Xia."


    "Dad, it''s Noreen Xia," Erica reminded him kindly.


    "Oh, Noreen Xia... You don''t have to correct me. I know her name!"


    Wesley spat. ''You just called her Nora Xia!'' Erica thought to herself.


    Wesley continued, "I asked around about this Noreen Xia. She''s been in the entertainment industry for


    over ten years, and yet no one could ever shake her position. Do you know why? It''s because she has


    the support of powerful people behind her. Why did you have to provoke this woman?"


    "She attempted to seduce Matthew in front of me!"


    Erica hit the nail on the head, leaving Wesley speechless for a moment. But then he asked, "Don''t you


    believe in Matthew?"


    "So you''re saying that I should''ve pretended I hadn''t seen anything even though she was all over my


    husband in front of me and everyone else present?" she answered him with another question.


    Erica managed to make Wesley run out of arguments. After a while, he said, "Of course not. But you


    should''ve told me, I would''ve handled it." In that way, if Noreen ever decided to seek revenge, Erica


    wouldn''t be implicated in it.


    "Dad, Matthew won''t let her hurt me. Am I right, Matthew?"


    Seeing that his wife was looking at him for help, Matthew took her phone and put it on his ear. "Dad,


    don''t worry about it. I''ll handle it. I won''t let anyone hurt Rika."


    "Matthew, aren''t you at thepany yet?" As a matter of fact, Wesley had read the news early in the


    morning but waited to call Erica and scold her at a time he was sure Matthew wouldn''t be around.


    However, Matthew hadn''t gone to thepany yet. Instead, he was still in bed with Erica, listening to


    every word Wesley spoke to his daughter.


    Upon this realization, Wesley felt distressed. Now that Erica had Matthew to support her, it was a waste


    of time to try to scold her. Wesley needed to find some other moment when Matthew wasn''t around to


    teach Erica a lesson.


    "Well, I''m not very busy today. I''ll be thereter," Matthew answered. With his wife back home after


    being away for over three years, he wanted to spend more time with her.


    "You''d better keep an eye on Rika. I''m afraid you''ll spoil her," Wesley said seriously.


    "Okay, I know it, Dad!"


    Wesley pursed his lips. He did not doubt that Matthew would continue to satisfy Erica''s every whim. He


    might have promised him to keep an eye on Erica, but in fact, he wouldn''t resist spoiling her as much


    as he could.


    Oh boy! No wonder some people believed that Erica had saved the universe in her past life and now


    was granted to be reborn as Wesley''s daughter only so she wouldter be Matthew''s wife.


    "Okay, I hear you. Deal with the news, and don''t let it affect yourpany," Wesley advised Matthew.


    He believed that there was no need for Erica to take up public resources to deal with the two women.


    "Yes, Dad. Don''t worry. I will handle it," Matthew answered patiently.


    "Well, that''s good. I have to hang up now. I''ll leave you to go on with your day!"


    Before they could hang up, Erica quickly leaned over to the phone and said, "Dad, goodbye, I''ll miss


    you!"


    Wesley was rendered speechless Although he couldn''t say everything he wanted while Matthew was


    there, he couldn''t help thinking, ''You miss me? I can''t believe you had the nerve to say that. What


    about all those years you''ve stayed away from home? Didn''t miss me then? I really don''t know whom


    she takes after when ites to her naughtiness.


    Neither ir nor I have a naughty bone in our bodies. Oh, maybe she takes it after Niles.


    He is the naughtiest person in the Li family after all.''


    At that moment, Niles, who was teaching his grandson a lesson in A Country, sneezed all of a sudden.


    Rubbing his nose, he wondered who was thinking about him.


    After they hung up the phone, Erica decided to get out of bed with Matthew since she had already


    woken up anyway.


    She had the day already nned in her head. First, she would go to the Huo family''s manor to visit


    Carlos and Debbie, and then she would wait for her sons to get back from school.


    But as soon as she finished her breakfast, the few hours of sleep she had during the night were no


    longer able to keep her up. As her eyelids started to get heavier, she went upstairs to catch up on her


    sleep after Matthew left. As a result, she ended up waking up much past her lunchtime at three o''clock


    in the afternoon.


    When she looked at the time, she rose into a sitting position and sent a desperate message to


    Matthew. "I''m done. I overslept. I just woke up. I promised to visit Mom and Dad. What should I do?"


    "It doesn''t matter. Come and pick me up. Let''s go there together," he replied.


    "Okay." To make up for herte visit, she decided to buy some gifts for her inws and the kids. But


    first, she would pick Matthew up.


    By the time Erica came to ZL Group, she happened to bump into a middle-aged man as he walked out


    of Matthew''s office. The man was about fifty years old. He was still at the door when he greeted Erica


    as a perfect gentleman. "Mrs. Huo, nice to meet you. Are you here for Mr. Huo?"

 Chapter 1385 Reunion

    Chapter 1385 Reunion


    Erica had a clear look of surprise on her face and she said, "Have we met before?" The man was


    extremely tall andnky with dark, heavy bags under his eyes. If it weren''t for the wrinkles on his face,


    Erica would have thought him to be twenty or thirty years old. But she was almost certain that she had


    never seen this man before.


    He was very polite, well-mannered and respectful.


    The man smiled brightly, pushing his sses up the bridge of his nose and said, "Everyone in Y City


    knows you, Mrs. Huo."


    "Oh! Well, it is nice to meet you, sir." The two shook hands gently and exchanged pleasantries before


    the man left.


    When she entered Matthew''s office, he waspletely absorbed in his own work, meticulously going


    over a signed contract. When he saw here in, he said, "Please give me five minutes."


    "Sure, take your time. Who was that just now? Your client? He was very polite and charming," she said.


    Matthew exined briefly, "He is Michel Wang. He just moved the headquarters of Wang Group to Y


    Cityst year."


    "Oh, okay. Please, carry on with your work." Erica hadn''t been inside his office in a long time. The


    decoration and furnishings of the office had changed a lot.


    She looked around for a while and then finally opened the door to his private lounge.


    The grey bed sheet was reced by a new one with a lighter shade of brown. His clothes were neatly


    hung in the wardrobe. Strangely enough, the number of clothes he had here were no less than the


    ones he had at home. It seemed as though he had spent a lot of time in the office.


    When Matthew went inside a few minutester, he found the woman lying on the bed and ying with


    her phone. Without a change in his expression, he nkly said, "Let''s go! Aren''t we going to the


    shopping mall?"


    "Yes, we are!" Erica got up from the bed, pranced to him and held his arm. "Do you have time to go


    shopping with me?"


    "What do you think?" Since Matthew was finished with work, he could keep herpany even until


    tomorrow morning.


    Erica grinned and cheerfully said, "Let''s go!" After all, she couldn''t wait to see her boys.


    Knowing that they woulde today, Debbie called Sheffield and Joshua early in the morning, asking


    them to bring their family to the Huo family manor for a small reunion party.


    As such, when Matthew and Erica arrived at the manor, they could hear the joyousughter and


    screaming of children all the way from the outside when they rolled down the car windows.


    As soon as Godwin recognized their car, he rushed over to the middle of thewn with excitement. He


    cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Uncle, Aunt!"


    As soon as he spoke, the kids behind him all shouted, "Dad, Mom!"


    "Uncle, Aunt!"


    Erica waved her hands at them and screamed as loud as she could. "Boys! We are back!"


    Matthew couldn''t help but smile at such a wonderful scene.


    In the parking lot


    As soon as Erica got out of the car, she was surrounded by several children. They hugged her waist,


    arms, and legs. Although Erica could barely walk, even for just a moment, being surrounded by those


    children brightened up her day.


    Matthew watched it all in silence and sighed inwardly. Perhaps, children were attracted to people with


    the same IQ as themselves.


    When Terilynn came out brandishing a te of colorful fruits for the children, she saw Erica surrounded


    by the children. Without hesitation, she looked back at the vi and shouted, "Dad, Mom, Rika is back!"


    Several adults came out of the vi one after another after hearing this. Erica hadn''t seen Terilynn in a


    while, so they walked towards the gate holding hands with the children while politely greeting the


    people who hade out to see her.


    "Dad, Mom, Evelyn, Sheffield, Joshua." Erica let go of the children and stood up straight to greet them


    with a smile.


    Debbie shook her head to alleviate the look of guilt on Erica''s face. "You silly girl!"


    "I''m d you are back," Carlos added.


    "Rika, you are so capable. We haven''t found you and these brats for more than three years!" said


    Sheffield.


    Erica smiled awkwardly as she was still a bit embarrassed. "I''m happy to see you all here. I just want


    everyone to know that I am extremely sorry for making you worry!"


    Evelyn came over and held her in her arms. "It''s okay. What really matters is that you are here now


    with your family, safe and sound. Just promise me that you won''t pull something like that again, okay?"


    "I promise, it won''t happen again!" Erica assured everyone.


    Carlos waved at her. "Come on in! Matthew, what are you doing hiding behind Rika?


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Bring her in!" Matthew, however, cast a cold nce at Carlos when he said that and replied, "Why do I


    have to bring her in? This is her home too, isn''t it? I''m sure she knows the way inside."


    Having realized that the father and son were about to engage in an argument again, everyone quickly


    rushed to make peace. Debbie pulled Erica over and said, "Rika, let''s go inside."


    Evelyn held Carlos'' arm and said, "Dad, let''s go inside. It''s such a nice day. Everyone''s happy, please


    don''t stay mad."


    Sheffield winked at Matthew and then patted him on the shoulder. "Dude, you must be thrilled now that


    your wife is back. The family of six has made a gloriouseback! You have so many sons you could


    start your own band. I''m so jealous of you!"


    ncing at him, Matthew asked, "What are you going to do about Colman?"


    Lately, Colman had been pestering Sheffield about wanting to learn more aboutwork technology.


    Sheffield had told Matthew on many asions that he wanted to bring Colman into his home and make


    him his son.


    "I''m waiting for your answer. If you say okay, Colman will be my son from now on."


    Matthew always saw an exceptional resemnce in personality between Colman and Erica. In fact, if


    Matthew had to pick one, he''d say Colman was his favorite. "Stop coveting my sons. You are wee


    to have another child with my sister if you want."


    Sheffield raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "Forget it!" Besides, he didn''t want his wife to


    experience the excruciating pain of childbirth again.


    When they entered the living room, Gwh saw Erica as soon as she came downstairs. She hopped


    the rest of the way down and ran towards Erica. "Aunt!"


    Erica let Godfrey and Damian down gently and hugged the girl as tight as she could. "Gwyn!" she


    called out.


    "Aunt, where have you been? We''ve missed you so much!"


    Erica smiled sheepishly. "Oh really? I was just out to have some fun. But I''m back now!"


    Gwh nodded her head and smiled broadly.


    Erica looked her up and down and said, "Gwyn, you''ve grown up. You''re almost as tall as me now."


    Softly patting her daughter''s head, Evelyn said, "She is a junior high school student now."


    Gwh nodded with a smile. "Aunt, I was still in primary school when you left, and now I''m a junior


    high school student."


    Meanwhile, Damian, who was holding a toy gun in his hand, proudly said, "Mom, we are all in the


    preparatory ss!"


    "What? When did that happen?" How could these little three-year-old boys be in preparatory ss,


    looking to start primary school next year?


    Adkins exined, "It''s not like you don''t know that your sons are geniuses. Staying in the kindergarten


    is a waste of time for us."


    Colman echoed, "Yes. Life is too short for a man like me. We can''t waste our precious time on this


    earth."

 Chapter 1386 You Are Greedier Than Your Dad

    Chapter 1386 You Are Greedier Than Your Dad


    Colman''s words amused the adults around him. Erica rolled her eyes at her smug son and said, "Since


    when are you a man? You are just a weaned child. Don''t pretend to be mature!"


    Holding Colman in her arms, Debbie smiled at Erica as she pointed out, "This little guy resembles you


    a lot! Now, Adkins, he''s most like Matthew, a little Mr. Huo in our family. I think he will be taking over the


    CEO position in the future."


    None of the children agreed with Debbie, but Adkins was the one to first express his opinion.


    "Grandma, I''m not interested in Dad''spany. As a matter of fact, I want to run for public office when


    I grow up. I''ll be the most powerful leader in Y City, and then I''ll be able to protect my mom and


    brothers."


    The elders exchanged nces with each other. This little guy didn''t seem to be joking. On the contrary,


    he looked dead serious.


    Matthew was sitting quietly aside as he observed the scene. After listening to Adkins'' words, he


    crossed his legs with great interest and looked straight to his son. "Being the most powerful leader in Y


    City is not a big ideal. How about being the most powerful leader of our H Country?" In his steady


    voice, Matthew prompted Adkins.


    Knowing the characters of both father and son, everyone was shocked by the turn their conversation


    took. Neither Matthew nor Adkins were yful people. They always meant what they said. Therefore, if


    Adkins would take his father''s words seriously and be the most powerful leader in H Country in


    the future, that meant he would be... the president of the country?


    That was most definitely an ambitious goal.


    Carlos suddenly burst intoughter before he added, "From my grandfather to Matthew, we''ve never


    had anyone who had run for public office in the past generations. The Huo family has always engaged


    in business. So, I give all my support to Adkins'' dream!"


    Sheffield gave Adkins a little pat in the head and said seriously, "Boy, as long as you have a dream in


    your life, everything is possible! Go for it! Just don''t forget to share your glory with your uncle Sheffield


    here once you be rich and powerful in the future."


    Terilynn, on the other hand, had some reservations about the matter. "But politics are also full of


    intrigues. I can''t help being afraid for Adkins..." There were so many people with different and hidden


    interests in politics that she worried about someone who could set Adkins up at some point in his


    career.


    Putting his arm around her shoulders, Joshuaforted her, "This boy has inherited Matthew''s IQ. You


    don''t have to worry about him. He can do it. And Adkins, don''t be afraid of anything. Just fight for your


    dream!" ''It''s the other people who should be worried. Not Adkins. After all, the boy has two well-known


    families behind his back, supporting him.


    As far as I''m concerned, few people in H Country can count on families as powerful as the Huo and Li


    families, '' Joshua thought.


    Terilynn agreed with Joshua, so she didn''t say anything further.


    As for Erica, it was no surprise to hear about her son''s dream. She had learned about it a long time


    ago. But she was genuinely confused with Matthew''s intentions. Did he really want their son to be


    the president of H Country?


    As soon as the adults stopped discussing Adkins'' future, Boswell hurried to tell them about his dream.


    "Grandma, I''m more interested in Dad''spany. However, I don''t believe I need to be as cold as


    Grandpa and Dad to take over the business. In fact, I think Uncle Sheffield is also a good CEO for me


    to take as an example."


    The boy''s statement left everyone dumbfounded for a moment until Debbie kindly asked him, "Who told


    you that you have to be as cold as your father and grandpa to take over thepany?"


    "Boswell, who told you Grandpa is cold?" Carlos asked, unconvinced. ''I quitted being a cold man a long


    time ago!''


    Boswell couldn''t help but look at Terilynn, who at this time had already stepped back to hide behind


    Joshua. Not wanting to betray his aunt, the boy shook his head and lied, "No one told me that. As far


    as I know, Grandpa had always kept a stern look on his face while he was in charge of thepany,


    and Dad is no different now. I prefer to be a boss like Uncle Sheffield, who acts more like a regr


    person."


    Boswell thought it was better to smile than to be a boss like his grandpa and father, and risk scaring


    away the clients with a scowl. ''If Dad had put on a smile more often, I believe ZL Group would have


    been much more sessful, '' he thought.


    ttered, Sheffield said happily, "Come on, dear son. I love you! But I have to correct you on one thing.


    Uncle Sheffield doesn''t act more like a regr person, I AM a regr person. Got it? Only your grand...


    I mean, only someone like your father isn''t normal!"


    Sheffield swallowed back the word "grandfather" under Carlos'' sharp eyes.


    No matter how many years had passed, he still wouldn''t dare to say anything bad about his father-in-


    law.


    Confused, Godwin asked Sheffield, "Dad, didn''t I behave well? Why do you want either Colman or


    Boswell to be your son?"


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    "No, no, no, my son! You behave very well! It''s just that I wouldn''t mind having more children. Wouldn''t


    you like to have more brothers like the four of them?" ''I didn''t expect my son would be jealous!''


    Sheffield was quite pleased with it.


    After giving it some thought, Godwin shook his head and answered, "No, I don''t mind!" In fact, he was


    excited to have four younger cousins, who were so smart that they could remember every herb Godwin


    showed them at first sight.


    Sheffield pped his hands and said, "Well, it''s all settled then! Now it''s up to your uncle Matthew and


    aunt Erica to let us have them!"


    Terilynn chuckled. "Sheffield, are you mad?" Matthew loved his four kids too much. How could he ever


    agree to give them to Sheffield?


    Matthew gave him the side-eye and stated coldly, "If you ever cast your greedy eyes on my sons again,


    you''ll have to kneel on the keyboard!"


    Sheffield turned to his wife and said nervously, "Honey, you heard everything. I never offended him!"


    "You want to steal his sons. How is this not offensive?" Evelyn asked.


    "I was just kidding!" To be honest, he wanted one or two of Matthew''s sons for himself, but he knew


    that Matthew would never agree to that, so he could only joke about it.


    At that moment, Erica called her third child, who was making origami figures for Gwh. "C,e


    here!"


    Matthew frowned at how she addressed their son. She liked to call the four of them A, B, C, D, and he


    didn''t like it. "Doesn''t he have a name?"


    Erica responded nonchntly, "C is easier!"


    Matthew was speechless.


    With a smile that revealed the two dimples on each side of his cheeks, Colman trotted over and


    announced, "Mom, I''m here!"


    "Tell everyone about your dream. What are you going to do when you grow up?" Erica had heard


    Colman talking about his dream before, but since the chefs hadn''t finished cooking their dinner, they


    could still carry on with their casual conversation.


    "My dream?" Colman''s eyes lit up as he thought of his own dream. "I want to buy one hundred sports


    cars, open a hundred artisanal wineries, and start one hundred modeling agencies..."


    Erica asked in confusion, "Why one hundred of each?" ''Besides, didn''t he want to join the navy in the


    past? When did his dream change?'' she wondered.


    Patting his chest, he voiced out loud his greatest wish, "Because I''ll marry one hundred women when I


    grow up!"


    "Puff!" Erica burst intoughter.


    The others were at a loss for words, in doubt of whether they shouldugh or cry. How could a three-


    year-old boy say that he wanted to have one hundred wives?


    Carlos snorted, "You''re impressive, little one. Because your father is already greedy, but you are


    greedier than him."


    Matthew retorted calmly, "What about you, Dad? Isn''t he greedier than you too?"


    As the more experienced in the room, Carlos was unfazed when he snapped back, "I''m not greedy. I''ve


    never cared about any of those things. I''d never even wanted a wife. Only after I met Debbie, I realized


    how wonderful it is to share a life with a loved one!"

 Chapter 1387 Mother Complex

    Chapter 1387 Mother Complex


    Debbie''s cheeks blushed red at his words. "Go away. The kids are all here. What are you talking


    about?"


    Love was in the air and everyone was amused by the adorable couple.


    Erica bent down in front of Colman and sternly exined, "Son, I want you to be a good man


    when you grow up. If you have a hundred wives, you will be nothing more than a jerk! You should be


    like Grandpa and marry only one person. You only need to be good to one girl all your life!"


    Erica was always envious of the love between Carlos and Debbie, as well as the love between her own


    parents.


    Matthew, however, seemed a bit agitated by her words. ''Why would she ask our son to learn from his


    grandpa? Is she implying that I am not good enough to be a role model?''


    Colman scratched his head and he seemed quite confused. "But Uncle Sheffield said that I could have


    as many wives as I wanted and I could drive them around in sport cars. They could also help me


    manage the wineries and thepanies."


    After the entire room burst intoughter, Erica yfully squeezed the boy''s cheeks and followed it with


    a kiss. As it turned out the little boy''s idea of an ideal wife was his mother who could take care of


    everything for him.


    As soon as Evelyn pinched Sheffield, he immediately corrected the boy without wasting another


    second. "Colman, you''re such a good listener! But, I was just kidding! Sure, we can buy as many cars


    as we want, but when ites to having a wife, you should remember what your mother said¡ªone


    wife is enough! Look at me! The only woman I need in my life is your aunt Evelyn!" Sheffield pulled


    Evelyn into his arms.


    Evelyn''s face blushed red and she hid her embarrassment behind a fake smile. "The kids are watching


    us! Let go of me!" She whispered between clenched teeth.


    However, Sheffield, didn''tply and the two of them remained stuck to each other endearingly.


    Colman nodded, even though he was still a bit confused. "All right. I''ll marry a beautiful and lovely girl


    like my mother!"


    Erica''s heart melted almost instantly and she winked at him, giving him the thumps of approval. "Wow,


    that''s my good boy!"


    Matthew raised his eyebrows. ''Beautiful and lovely? This woman is truly narcissistic.''


    Then it was Damian''s turn. He was the youngest of the four children, but the most sensible one.


    Somehow having expected what Erica was going to ask him, he didn''t answer, but instead asked,


    "Mom, what do you want me to do when I grow up?"


    "Well... honey, that will depend on you, but I will support you no matter what." Whatever Damian


    wanted to do, as long as it made him happy, Erica wouldn''t obstruct.


    Then the boy turned to look at Matthew and asked, "Dad, what can I do to protect Mom forever when I


    grow up?"


    It was only then that Matthew finally realized that these four little boys all had a motherplex. Their


    entire lives revolved around his wife. With this thought in mind, he softly said, "First of all, my wife has


    me, so don''t you worry about having to protect her. If you really want to find someone to protect, you


    can just find your own wife when you''re old enough. You can do whatever you want, and your ns


    don''t have to include your mother."


    This hrious exchange between father and son caused a loud roar ofughter in the room again.


    Damian was vexed as he was able to protect his mother in the past even without his father''spany


    to support him. But, now that things had changed and his mother no longer needed his protection.


    What was he going to do?


    The boy remained silent, as if lost in deep thought and thus, no one tried to hurry him. However,


    everyone waited with anticipation to see what his answer would be.


    After a while, Damian smiled and said, "I know now. I want to be a big star like Grandma and Aunt


    Chantel!"


    However, Matthew was quick to disagree. "You''re not in good health, my boy. Why don''t you train with


    your uncle Gifford more often?" Matthew''s disagreement wasn''t attributed to the fact that he didn''t think


    Damian could be a star, he just thought that it would be better for the boy to train as a soldier for a few


    years to strengthen his body.


    "But then I won''t be able to see Mom very often." ''Isn''t Uncle Gifford unable to stay home very often?''


    Damian wondered.


    The boys'' unconditional love for their mother was starting to give Matthew a headache. He patiently


    exined, "You won''t be able to see your mother often if you be a star either. Besides, you can


    also choose to be a policeman in Y City. I''m sure there''s a lot of things you can do."


    ''A policeman?'' Damian thought this was a good idea, so he nodded, "Okay, Dad. I''ll be a policeman


    when I grow up."


    Matthew nodded with satisfaction. ''I''m just d that he''s not thinking about my wife anymore.''


    What he didn''t know was that his youngest son was actually thinking, ''Being a policeman is great


    because then I can protect my mother from the bad guys.''


    Gwh was a bit more matured than the boys. So, when the adults asked her about her dream, she


    only said, "It''s a secret!"


    Needless to say, all thanks to the influence of his father, Godwin''s wish was to be a doctor. How


    predictable!


    Godfrey''s wish was to be awyer.


    The youngest boy, Jeffrey Fan had no idea what everyone was talking about. He answered with a lisp,


    "I''m going to be Nezha when I grow up!"


    Everyone found Jeffrey so irresistibly adorable that he didn''t even need to pronounce his words


    properly.


    Finally when dinner was served, everyone gradually moved to the dining table.


    This was the first time in many years that the entirety of the Huo family shared this table once again.


    At the same time, they also witnessed the benefits of having a lot of sons. The four sons picked up food


    for Erica one after another, which made Matthew frown.


    He couldn''t understand why the boys treated their father and mother so differently.


    In the middle of the dinner, Erica stood up with a cup of tea in her hand, cleared her throat and


    apologized to the two elders. "Dad, Mom, I want to apologize for everything that''s happened in the past


    few years. I shouldn''t have run away from home without a word. I am sorry for making you worry. I take


    full responsibility for my actions and I wanted to apologize to you in person. I want to propose a toast,


    but if you don''t mind, I will rece my wine with tea. Please allow me, as a token of my apology."


    Carlos and Debbie looked at each other and said nothing.


    Sheffield chuckled. "Why do you want to rece wine with tea? Why don''t you toast with real wine?"


    When Erica realized that it was okay, she put down the cup of tea and said, "Okay!"


    Evelyn gently pinched the mischievous man and said, "Don''t you think you''re being too annoying


    today? Just drink by yourself if you want to drink wine. Why did you have to involve Rika?"


    Sheffield raised an eyebrow and snickered at Matthew. "This is a family reunion and everyone is happy.


    A little bit of wine won''t hurt anybody." ''I was speaking out of kindness, okay? Perhaps a bit of wine


    would do wonders for Matthew and Rikater in bed, '' Sheffield thought.


    Erica smiled at Evelyn. "It doesn''t matter, Evelyn. My brother-inw is right. A little wine could help to


    show my sincerity!"


    Then she picked up the ss of wine in front of Matthew.


    There was still half of Matthew''s liquor left in the ss. When Carlos tried to dissuade her, she refilled


    the ss with more liquor and looked at her parents-inw again. "Dad, Mom, I''m sorry. It will never


    happen again!" Then she gulped down the remainder of the wine.


    Sheffield pped his hands in amazement and said, "Wow! You''re something else, Rika!"


    Meanwhile, as the confused little boy watched Sheffield pping his hands, Jeffrey, who didn''t know


    what else to do, started pping his hands. "Wow! Aunt Erica is awesome!"


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    "Ha-ha..." The others werepletely smitten by this little boy.


    Carlos gave Erica a simple nod. "Well, it''s okay. Please sit down and finish your dinner. We both


    understand what you mean. Since it was you who chose to leave, I''ll me Matthew''s failure to look


    after you. From now on, I hope that he will pay more attention to the needs of his wife!"


    As she took a sip of tea, Erica rushed to exin. "No, Dad! This time it was really my fault. Matthew


    has been nothing but a kind husband to me!"

 Chapter 1388 Like A Queen

    Chapter 1388 Like A Queen


    Matthew quietly nced at the woman whose face was gradually turning red.


    "Matthew, you see? Rika is so kind to you. Remember to treat her well in the future, understood?"


    Carlos was a firm believer that it was mostly the man''s fault when something went wrong in the


    marriage.


    Matthew rarely did not oppose his father. But this time, he simply nodded in agreement and said, "I


    understand."


    In shock, Erica looked back at the man beside her and said in a low voice, "But it''s all my fault."


    Pouring her some tea, he answered lightly, "It takes two to quarrel. It was my fault too."


    Erica didn''t know how to react to his behavior.


    However, that was not the time or ce to voice out her concerns. So, for the time being, she


    suppressed her anxiety and forced herself to continue to eat.


    Two hourster, the dinner was over. As the kids had school in the morning, Erica and Matthew


    decided to bid everyone farewell.


    The elders wanted the four kids to stay in the manor, but that wasn''t the children''s wish. They missed


    their mother and wanted to spend some time with her.


    Therefore, the kids followed Erica and Matthew back to the Pearl Vi District.


    The moment they arrived, Matthew went straight to his study to get some work done. After a while, he


    headed back to the bedroom and heard some noisesing from the bathroom. When he walked in


    there, he found the four children and their mother.


    The scene in front of him rendered him speechless.


    While Adkins was getting a basin of water to wash Erica''s feet, Boswell stood on a chair to get her a


    towel. At the same time, Colman was on his feet behind her, massaging her shoulders and back, as


    Damian held a ss of juice to Erica''s lips. There was no doubt how much she was enjoying their


    services.


    When Adkins noticed his fathering in, he requested casually, "Dad, help me carry the basin to


    Mom. I''ve filled it with too much water." The basin was so heavy that the kid could barely hold it.


    Matthew twitched his lips.


    ''Is this my ce in this family? Of a servant?''


    Before he could say anything, Erica handed the juice she was drinking back to Damian and stood up.


    Then she pulled Matthew over and let him sit down on the chair. "My dear children, listen! Dad is the


    greatest and works the hardest in this family, so from now on, we should treat him well. C, you


    massage Dad. D, you let Dad drink the juice! A, I''ll help you carry the basin of water."


    "Got it, Mom!" they answered in unison. Immediately, the children began to move to follow their


    mother''s instructions.


    Matthew didn''t know what to say. He wondered if that was really happening.


    When Matthew saw Ericaing with the basin of water in her hands, he came back to his senses and


    abruptly rose from the chair.


    Under the woman''s confused gaze, he told his four sons, "Mom is wrong on something. Mom is the


    only girl in this family, and it''s the responsibility of men to protect and take care of the women in their


    lives. You were doing everything right before I came. Keep it up like this. From now on, I''ll help you take


    good care of your mother as well!"


    "Okay, Dad!" the kids answered in unison again, as if they had a connection.


    The next moment, a dumbfounded Erica and the four kids watched Matthew take off his coat. Colman


    thoughtfully stepped forward to get the piece of clothing from his father before throwing it into the


    basket.


    Matthew then rolled up his sleeves and squatted down to begin to wash Erica''s feet.


    After he was done, he stretched out his hand andmanded, "Towel!"


    "Here it is, Dad!" Boswell promptly handed him the towel.


    "Thank you!"


    "You''re wee, Dad!"


    Matthew wiped her feet and then carried her back to the bedroom, not bothering to put on her shoes for


    her.


    The four kids were left to clean up the mess. Boswell and Colman carried the basin together and


    poured the water into the sink. Damian took the slippers Erica had worn before to her bedside. And


    Adkins, who was obsessed with cleanliness, threw the towel into another basket.


    Erica couldn''t be any happier receiving that kind of treatment. In fact, she felt like a queen.


    As soon as the four kids finished their chores, they threw themselves on their parents'' bed and yed


    with Erica.


    This was a habit they had developed in Tow Vige. Every night before going to bed, the kids would


    stay with Erica and chat for a while.


    Only now things were a bit different since they had their father with them too!


    The children didn''t stay in the master bedroom for long, though. Matthew picked up Adkins and Damian


    in each one of his arms while Boswell held his neck from the front and Colman from behind. Matthew


    carried the kids towards the door this way and then sent everyone to their rooms simultaneously.


    As Adkins had to take a shower every night, he was thest one to be taken back to his bedroom.


    Thankfully, the servant had already gotten his bath ready for him.


    Despite having several servants at his disposal, Matthew had the feeling he had be a bit of a


    mother after the arrival of his four sons.


    Once he was finally back to his bedroom, Erica wasn''t there anymore. Assuming that she must have


    gone after their sons, Matthew headed straight to the shower.


    At ten o''clock sharp, all the lights in the four kids'' rooms were turned off. After saying good night to


    each one of them, Erica went back to the master bedroom.


    Matthew had been waiting for her for a while. When he saw hering, he asked casually, "Are they


    all asleep?"


    "Yes."


    She walked towards his side of the bed and threw herself into his arms. "Honey, I feel dizzy."


    Anxiety shed through his eyes. "What happened?"


    "I drank too much tonight. I guess I''m drunk!" The woman held back augh and continued to hug him.


    Matthew was speechless. She had only had a small ss of wine during the whole evening, and it had


    been almost three hours since. How could she still be drunk?


    Matthew was sure she had something in mind but didn''t question it. Instead, he said cooperatively,


    "Drink some warm water if you feel dizzy."


    "What? Why? Why do I need to drink some warm water if I feel dizzy?"


    "Warm water can heal any illness!" he answered.


    She pouted her lips. ''That''s what a jerk who doesn''t care about his wife would say!'' "Come on, honey,


    please give me a massage!"


    "A massage?" The man smirked. "Okay." Matthew put down his tablet andy his wife on the mattress,


    beginning to caress her body.


    The woman was soon screaming with his touch, "No, it''s not there! I''m dizzy. Rub my temples!"


    Matthew pretended not to hear her protest and went on caressing her.


    Naturally, his advances led them to make love. In the end, Erica was lying in the bed, exhausted.


    "Tomorrow night... I want to sleep with my sons!"


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    "With whom?"


    "Anyone of them." ''As long as I don''t need to share a bed with you!'' she thought.


    The man relentlessly refused, "No way!"


    "I will die!"


    "Don''t worry. You won''t die so easily!" At worst, he could give her a night off tomorrow.


    Erica was so frustrated. Was this man really her husband?


    The next morning, Erica was still asleep when the kids jumped on her bed.


    "Shh, Mommy seems tired," Adkins warned.


    "You''re right. We should leave her alone," agreed Boswell.


    "Okay, but first let''s give Mom a kiss," suggested Colman.


    "We need to be gentle not to wake her up!" said Damian.


    After the four kids kissed their mother gently, they ran back to their rooms in their pajamas to wash up.

 Chapter 1389 Shopping

    Chapter 1389 Shopping


    Matthew was just downstairs patiently waiting for the kids toe down for breakfast. As soon as the


    sound of their collective footsteps was heard, several maids immediately ran into the dining room with


    breakfast.


    Adkins was the first to greet him. "Good morning, Dad!"


    Boswell climbed onto the chair opposite to Matthew and sat down. "Good morning, Dad!"


    Colman moved his chair next to his dad and said with a smile, "Daddy, I want to sit with you!" He


    wanted to sit next to his father because he was quite fond of him.


    Every time Matthew looked at Colman, he could see Erica on him. His facial expression softened and


    he gently said, "Sure."


    Carrying an Ultraman toy in his hand, Damian walked to the other side of his dad and mumbled in a low


    voice. "Dad, I want to sit with you too."


    "Sure." Matthew smiled.


    Damian seemed quite satisfied to be greeted with a smile and he smiled back sweetly as he sat down


    next to Matthew.


    Shortly after, they began eating breakfast merrily. When the boys came back, the four of them would


    laugh and talk loudly during meals. Matthew only had to tell them once that it was rude to talk too much


    during meals and now they seldom made noise.


    After a while, Adkins wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Matthew, who had already finished


    breakfast and was waiting for them. "Dad, will you drive us to school today?"


    On most days, just as long as he was not too busy in the morning, Matthew would drive them to school


    before going to thepany.


    If he was too busy or he had to go out of town on a business trip, Carlos and Debbie would take them


    to school and pick them up after as well. At the very least, Sheffield, Joshua or any other family


    members would do the job. In any case, Matthew wouldn''t trust anyone else with the responsibility of


    his sons.


    "Yes. I''ll pick you up after school too."


    In fact, Matthew had no real ns of going to thepany today, so he decided it would be the perfect


    day to drop them off at school and pick them upter in the afternoon.


    While chewing thest mouthful of bread, Colman asked, "Dad, can youe to pick us up with


    Mom?" They had been going to school for a while now, but they had never been picked up by their


    parents at the same time.


    ncing at him, Matthew reprimanded the boy, "Didn''t I tell you not to speak with your mouth full?"


    However, the jovial boy didn''t feel annoyed by his dad''s scolding at all. He simply made a face at him


    before continuing to chew the food in his mouth.


    When the room was quiet again, Matthew told his sons, "I will see if your mom cane with me as


    well."


    Needless to say, his words gave the kids enough excitement as they grinned from ear to ear.


    Just as he had said, Matthew drove the four boys to school. When he returned to the vi, he received


    a message from Erica. "Honey, are you at thepany?"


    ''Why is she asking me this? I have a feeling she''s up to something again, '' he thought. "What''s up?" he


    replied nonchntly.


    "No, I was just wondering what you were doing." ''I just want to know if he''s gone to work so I can go


    out and take some photographs, '' she thought to herself.


    "Hmm." Matthew''s response was aimed at herst message.


    However, Erica mistook his answer as a response to her first question. As such, she cheerfully


    assumed that he had gone to thepany.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Much to her surprise, when Erica finished her breakfast and was happily heading out with her camera,


    she bumped into Matthew who wasing in from outside.


    The camera hanging on her neck was an obvious indication of her intentions. Unfortunately, it was too


    big for her to hide it quickly.


    The man squinted his eyes at her and said, "Where do you think you''re going?"


    "Well..." Embarrassed, she quickly changed the topic and said, "Weren''t you at thepany? What are


    you doing back here all of a sudden? Did you forget to bring a file with you?"


    "No." Matthew casually nced at his watch and said, "Put the camera back." ''You got up very early


    today.''


    The woman sighed silently and raised her hands in front of him. "I didn''t do the housework. I''ll buy


    some skincare products for my handster and I promise I''ll go to the beauty salon more often in the


    future until the calluses on my hands disappear. Please don''t stop me from going out to shoot pictures,


    okay?"


    That morning, Erica deliberately gave up the chance to sleep in, just so she could sneak out to take


    photos. She wasn''t expecting to get caught red-handed like that.


    "I''ll go with you."


    "What?"


    Half an hourter, the couple arrived at Shining International za.


    Their sudden and unexpected appearance made all the staff in the shopping mall panic. This time,


    Matthew was here as well. They didn''t know if he was here for an inspection or just a casual fun time


    with his beloved wife.


    At first, he took Erica to one of the most posh clothing stores in the mall. The person who was in charge


    of the floor, the manager, as well as two seeminglypetent saledies walked over to serve them in


    person.


    Erica fell into contemtion, wondering if this was the actual first time Matthew had taken her


    shopping.


    Yesterday, Matthew had asked someone to prepare a few gift bags in advance and asked her to pick


    out the gifts for the family in the VIP room upstairs. However, Erica didn''t consider that to be shopping


    at all.


    Erica brushed her eyes over the wide array of designer dresses and paused to think for a while. Then


    she turned around and snickered at the man who was staring at her. Despite of the man''s look of


    confusion, Erica decisively asked one of the saledies to bring her more dresses of different colors to


    try on.


    Matthew couldn''t tell what she was up to for some time, so he decided to wait for her in the VIP area.


    A few minutester, she walked out in a dress and a pair of high-heeled shoes that the saledy had


    matched for her.


    The upper part of the dress was off-shoulder, yellow and white knitted sweater with vertical stripes. It


    was connected to a ck half skirt with a slit on the side. The high-heeled shoes on her feet were


    ck. All of a sudden, it seemed as though she had transformed into apletely different person.


    She turned around to face the mirror and seemed to be quite satisfied, with a particrly bright smile


    dancing about on her face.


    However, Matthew looked at the side of the dress and frowned. The slit on the side went above her


    knees, and her fair thigh was partly visible with her every move.


    The off-shoulder sweater made her skin looked fairer. If it weren''t for the slit in the lower part of the


    dress, he might have been more epting of this dress.


    The man simply turned her down without hesitation. "Go and change into something else."


    "Okay!" Completely disregarding the man''s frown, Erica told the saledy as she walked, "Please set


    this one aside. I''m taking this one."


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo."


    Matthew refuted, "No need to pack it. Just try something else."


    Erica stopped and looked back at the man in confusion. "What''s wrong?" She twirled, slowly bringing


    her slender arms on her slim waist while her sheer dress flowed in the breeze, twisting around her


    body. "Honey, don''t you like it?"


    His deep eyes fell on her corbones first, and then on her slim waist...


    Erica immediately noticed the familiar look of desire in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and her face


    turned red. She muttered to herself, ''Damn it. This bad man thinks about sex all day long.''


    He stood up from the sofa, put his hands in his pockets and walked to her side. With a serious


    expression, he said, "You can buy it if you want. But, don''t wear it outside!"


    "What? Why?"


    "It''s not a suitable look for you." She looked young, just like a teenager who was under age. When she


    wore those mature clothes, it was as if a child had stolen an adult''s clothes.

 Chapter 1390 A Stumbling Block

    Chapter 1390 A Stumbling Block


    Tensing, as her annoyance grew, Erica huffed at his statement in disagreement. "It''s not that it doesn''t


    suit me. It''s just that you''re too used to seeing me in sportswear or casual clothes. I can see why you


    would have a hard time adjusting to my sudden change in style, but that''s not really my problem."


    Matthew rolled his eyes at her. She had an excuse for everything she did. Disregarding the other


    people around them, Matthew reached out and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, leaning in


    to whisper. "I''ll repeat what I''ve said, you are not allowed to wear this dress in public! Why don''t I help


    you take it off in the fitting room and teach you how to..."


    "Fine! I''ll go and change!" she interrupted him in a hurry.


    She couldn''t stand to face his lustful re anymore. Erica found herself utterly baffled at how the man


    could so easily go from buying her clothes to thinking up such dirty thoughts in his mind so seamlessly.


    "Good girl." With a satisfied smile on his face, he let her go and watched her retreat into the fitting


    room.


    Much to his surprise, the second dress wasn''t very different from the first in terms of style.


    Whitece top with long sleeves and ck tight skirt...


    With his long legs crossed and his back against the back of the chair, Matthew realized that this woman


    must have done it on purpose. If Matthew were to allow this woman to continue like this, it would take


    them forever to get out of there with a dress they could both agree on.


    Matthew sighed and stood up immediately, slowly buttoning up his zer. Then, without another word,


    he walked straight towards the woman and started picking up dresses of his choice, while she was


    busy looking at herself in the mirror.


    He turned to face the saleswoman and said, "Take away everything Mrs. Huo has picked out and don''t


    bring those in front of me again."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Erica pouted her lips with disappointment as she reluctantly dragged herself into the fitting room.


    The clothes Matthew picked out for Erica matched her usual style very well.


    She changed into an orange casual outfit, which could also make her skin look fairer.


    After trying on a few outfits, by the time Erica was starting to show signs of impatience, the saledy


    had packed more than ten outfits in ordance with Matthew''s wishes. The devious man, however,


    showed no indications of any impatience or frustration. Every time she went inside the fitting room,


    Matthew pulled out his phone and started working. Then when Erica woulde out, he would


    nonchntly put his phone away.


    This went on until Erica had tried over a dozen outfits. When he asked the saledy to pack the


    twentieth dress, Erica couldn''t tolerate it anymore. "I think that''s enough. I don''t want to try on any more


    dresses!"


    Matthew looked at Erica and nodded his head. "Okay, I''ll pay the bill." He noticed the frustration that


    shed through Erica''s eyes.


    Erica was confused. Why did he agree with her so easily? If she had known it earlier, she would have


    told him earlier that she didn''t want to try on any more dresses.


    The clothes that were packed got sent back to the vi by Matthew''s men. Afterwards, Matthew took


    her to buy shoes, jewelries and every other thing that she might need.


    After a bountiful lunch at one of the finest restaurants in the city, the two went to the beauty salon.


    The ce they went to was exclusive to women only and men weren''t even allowed to enter. However,


    since Matthew insisted on apanying his wife, the manager had to arrange a private room for them.


    Matthew spent the whole time working on his phone while Erica indulged in all kinds of services


    provided by the reputable establishment.


    From time to time, she would hold his hand and say a few words. "Why don''t you have some of the


    pretty girls give you a massage? You''re not busy are you?"


    He cast a cold nce at the woman who was talking to him with her eyes closed. ''That''s awfully


    generous of you. You''ll let other women put their hands on me? Perhaps I should be happy that I have


    married such a generous wife?'' he thought.


    In addition to the two of them, there were also two masseuses in the private room. One was giving her


    a facial, while the other was massaging her body.


    Matthew refused without hesitation. "No, thanks. You know, I''m not used to being touched by women


    except you."


    Erica raised the corners of her lips when she heard this. In truth, she was just testing him. Needless to


    say, she was quite satisfied with his answer.


    But she still sighed, feigning sorrow. "What a pity. You would have enjoyed it very much."


    ''What a pity?'' With a murderous look in his eyes, he said, "Since you''re having such a good time,


    please carry on for a little longer. I am in no hurry."


    As soon as they walked out of the beauty salon, gossips about Mr. and Mrs. Huo''s love for each other


    spread out like wildfire.


    Taking his hand, Erica proimed, "My fashion sense is a bit childish so I just wanted to be sexy for


    you, but why are you making it so difficult for me to do that?"


    "You have to remember that you look the sexiest when you..."


    Erica covered his mouth to stop him from finishing his sentence. She already knew what he wanted to


    say. He would have said that she looked the sexiest when she was naked. They were smack in the


    middle of a busy shopping mall. How could he say something like that in front of so many people?


    When she was sure he would keep his mouth shut, she whispered to him, "Can''t we talk about it when


    we get home?"


    A cheeky smile appeared on the man''s face. "Why must we only talk about that at home?"


    "Do you want the whole world to know when your wife looks the most beautiful?"


    Matthew pretended to be indifferent as he shook his head. "Am I being too loud?"


    "Not really."


    "So, what is the problem?"


    Erica couldn''t find the words to refute him. She realized that he was right¡ªshe was indeed


    overreacting.


    Matthew nced at his watch to check the time and they shopped until half past four in the afternoon.


    Then, they set off for the kindergarten where their sons were.


    A few years ago, Sheffield had invested in a kindergarten near their home for Gwh. Later, Godwin


    also studied there. When the four young masters of the Huo family started going there, many people in


    Y City tried their best to get their children enrolled at this school too.


    The school gate opened slowly and the four boys were led outside by two teachers, hand in hand.


    Except Adkins, who was a neat freak. He wasn''t fond of anyone holding his hand, not even his


    teachers.


    However, if his family members wanted to hold his hand, he would somewhat ept it.


    Erica was waiting patiently by the car. When the teachers brought her sons out, she greeted the


    teachers politely, "Hello!"


    When the children saw their mother, they let go of the teachers'' hands and threw themselves into her


    arms. "Mommy, Mommy!" For a brief period, their joyful voices andughter filled the air.


    The two teachers also greeted Erica with a smile.


    Matthew made a dramatic appearance as he pushed the car door open and stepped outside.


    "Daddy, Daddy!" Colman got into the car first, and then Adkins followed him.


    One of the teachers told them, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo, your sons did a great job today and they were very


    well-behaved in ss. You''ve taught them well!"


    Holding two children in her arms, Erica answered with a little embarrassment, "Thanks. They have


    been paying attention to you at schooltely. You''ve taught them well. Thank you for your hard work!"


    "You''re wee, Mrs. Huo! But there is one thing I want to tell you. It''s about Damian. The boy seems


    to be very interested in ying the piano. I think you should look into it a bit more."


    In fact, the teachers couldn''t tell the quadruplets apart, but it was easier for them to recognize Damian,


    because his face was slightly pale and his body was thinner than his brothers.


    Erica grabbed the boy and pulled him to her side. "Damian, is that true?"


    Damian nodded. "Yes, but Mom, it''s not a big deal. I was just enjoying the music because the teacher


    was ying the piano very nicely."


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The teacher smiled affectionately and said, "Thank you, Damian. I will work harder in the future."


    "You''re wee, Miss Xu."

 Chapter 1391 Mr. Huo The Third

    Chapter 1391 Mr. Huo The Third


    As soon as the four children said goodbye to the teachers, the vehicle slowly drove away from the


    school gate.


    On their way home, Matthew remembered what the teacher said about Damian and looked at the boy


    who was having fun with Erica. "Among the songs the teacher yed, which one do you like best?" he


    asked.


    Damian tilted his head to the right and replied, "I like all of them."


    "Would you like to learn how to y the piano?" ''Yesterday he said that he wanted to be a famous star


    like Debbie and Chantel. Does he actually want to be a pianist but still doesn''t realize it?'' Matthew


    wondered.


    Damian blinked for an instant before asking for his father''s permission. "Dad, is that okay?"


    Matthew looked at his son with a smile that reached his eyes and said, "Yes, as long as you want it."


    "Thank you, Dad!" The little boy''s eyes lit up. He resembled Erica a lot when caught by surprise.


    In fact, the boys looked more like their mother than their father.


    After dinner, Matthew took Boswell to thepany with him. There, Matthew started to show his son


    how to do the work.


    In order to prove how serious he was about what he had said, Boswell paid full attention as he learned


    from his father.


    Whenever he couldn''t understand about something, Matthew would patiently exin it to him until he


    got it.


    Meanwhile, many of thepany''s employees grew fond of the boy and began to address him as Mr.


    Huo the Third since he was Carlos Huo''s grandson.


    Later in the evening, Erica was with her children at home when she unexpectedly received a call from


    Matthew. "I got an emergency in thepany, and I can''t go home now. Could you bring me two


    documents I have in my safe in the study as soon as possible?"


    "Sure!" Noticing the unusual urgency in Matthew''s tone, Erica quickly got off the bed and told the maid


    to keep an eye on the three children ying in her room. Then she ran to the study.


    They were still on the phone as Erica followed Matthew''s instructions to open the safe.


    If Matthew hadn''t told her, Erica would never have known that there was a safe in that room. Putting


    her phone on the table, she said, "I''m done with the first lock, now what?"


    "Turn right once and then turn left three times."


    Crack! Erica heaved a sigh of relief and told the man on the other end of the line, "It''s unlocked."


    "Take out all the files on the topyer," Matthew instructed her.


    The moment Erica squatted down to get the documents, several items at the bottom of the safe


    inadvertently caught her eye.


    All of a sudden, the phone went silent.


    Matthew waited a long time, but Erica didn''t say anything else. So he called, "Rika?"


    There was no response from the other end of the line.


    Matthew raised his voice. "Rika!"


    He called her three times in a row before he finally got a response from her. Yet it didn''t get past him


    how faint her voice sounded. "I''m listening."


    "What''s wrong?"


    With reddened eyes, Erica held a stack of files in her hands and shook her head. "Nothing. What do I


    do next?"


    "Find an envelope with the number 19 and bring it to me in person. Ask the servant to look after the


    children until you''re back. Don''t let anyone else touch this file."


    A single tear rolled down Erica''s cheek as she nodded. "Okay."


    "Now, I''ll tell you how to lock the safe," Matthew continued.


    Before closing the safe, Erica took out several other things from it without Matthew''s knowledge. She


    then temporarily ced them on the table as she followed his instructions.


    After they hung up, Erica left the maid to take care of the kids and took a car from the garage so she


    could drive to ZL Group.


    With her hands on the steering wheel, Erica couldn''t shake the memory of what she had seen in the


    safe as tears kept falling down her face.


    It turned out that Matthew had pretended too well.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    About three minutes after she left home, she got past a parked car on the street. The mysterious


    vehicle immediately turned on its engines and started to follow her.


    Erica had too much going on in her head that she didn''t notice anything at first. She just kept driving


    fast towards thepany.


    However, once she stopped at the traffic light, she looked through the rearview mirror and saw a ck


    car with no license te right behind her. At that moment, she realized that perhaps she was being


    followed the whole time.


    Wiping her tears, she nced at the portfolio in the passenger seat and became vignt in the face of


    the possibility.


    The moment the light turned green, she stepped on the gas and drove off.


    As expected, the other car sped up to keep track of her. Although Erica should have continued to drive


    straight ahead, she suddenly turned to the right, changing her entire course.


    Whoever was behind the steering wheel of the other car seemed to have figured out that Erica had


    realized she was being followed. Therefore, the ck car picked up speed in order to surpass Erica.


    Once it finally got past her, it blocked her way in the middle of the road.


    Erica stepped forcefully on the brakes and ended up hitting her head against the steering wheel.


    "Ouch! It hurts!"


    When she raised her head, she noticed two fierce men as they got out of the other car. One was


    holding a dagger while the other had an axe.


    Quickly, she put the car in reverse to get out of there.


    However, the men seemed to have guessed her intention as they rushed to her car and blocked her


    way.


    ''Oh, this can''t be good!'' Erica thought to herself, already reaching out for her phone to try to call


    Matthew.


    Nevertheless, the people outside didn''t give her a chance. The man holding the axe smashed the


    window open within seconds.


    The moment Erica had seen the axeing down her way without mercy, she dodged it quickly. Yet


    the cellphone she had managed to unlock, had slipped down under the passenger seat, making it


    impossible for her to reach out for it.


    Now that her phone was not a possibility anymore, she had to focus on dealing with the man with the


    axe on her own.


    At that precise moment, her phone started to ring. She nced at the caller ID, and it was Matthew.


    Anyway, she couldn''t answer it now. Looking straight ahead, Erica sped up. She dragged the man


    holding himself at the window with her until she crashed into the car ahead.


    The impact caused the man to be thrust away as the ck car was totally knocked over.


    But she wasn''t off the hook yet. Before she could tell it, the other man at the end of the car, jumped


    onto her roof.


    Quickly, he leaned over to the driver''s seat window and reached out his hand to grab Erica''s hair.


    "Ah!" He pulled her hair so tightly that Erica almost cried in pain. Somehow she managed to step on the


    gas again, this time towards thewn nearby.


    Still, the man wouldn''t let go of her hair by any means at all. With no other choice but to stop the car,


    Erica pulled him down from the roof with her two bare hands.


    He fell to the ground but quickly got on his feet and grabbed the door handle.


    Erica realized she would have to open the door herself and get ready to fight.


    So, she jerked the door wide and fast, causing the man to be thrown back to the ground.


    Getting out of the car, she asked him, "Who are you?"


    However, he did not answer her question. Instead, he stood up and rushed towards her.


    Erica stretched out her leg and kicked him in the stomach. Due to the pain he felt, the man immediately


    took a few steps back.


    Meanwhile, inside the car, her phone kept ringing over and over again. She knew it was Matthew


    calling. But before she could get to it, she needed to deal with the man in front of her first.


    Only at that moment, the other man she had already struck down, ran over to her as well, and despite


    her initial thought, she would now have to deal with not only one but two men at once.


    At ZL Group, Matthew was truly worried about his wife.


    He knew something must have happened to Erica after calling her four times without getting an answer.


    Still on the phone, Matthew suddenly stood up from his chair and told Boswell, "Stay here. Don''t go


    anywhere before Ie back, okay?"


    Boswell agreed seriously, "Yes, Dad!"

 Chapter 1392 On Behalf Of Mr. Huo

    Chapter 1392 On Behalf Of Mr. Huo


    Matthew strode out of the office with an earnest look on his face and ordered, "Owen, get someone to


    locate Mrs. Huo''s phone now." Next, he turned to another assistant. "Get the surveince footage on


    the way from the vi to here."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    The two assistants immediately began to act on their orders.


    It didn''t take them long to figure out Erica''s location. So as soon as Matthew got the address from


    Owen, he headed out straight away.


    The moment he got there, he was greeted with a scene that made him feel both amused and helpless.


    Right next to Erica''s car, there were two men on the ground while she had one foot on each of them.


    With her arms crossed over her chest, shemanded arrogantly, "Call me ''mydy.''"


    The men wailing on the ground obeyed her promptly. "Mydy!"


    "Who pulled my hair just now? Apologize to me! And then p yourself in the face twice."


    The one guilty to have pulled her hair said with some difficulty, "Mydy, I did it. I was wrong!" p! He


    pped himself across the face.


    Matthew sighed helplessly before he walked towards her. "Rika!"


    When she saw himing over, the furious woman immediately calmed down her nerves. Then she


    waved at him and said, "Matthew! Ah! Sorry. I almost forgot. I''ve brought the file you asked." She had


    been so busy punishing those two thugs that she had entirely forgotten that the reason she left home in


    the first ce was to bring something to Matthew.


    Erica was about to retrieve the files from her car, but Matthew wasn''t interested in them at that


    moment. He just pulled his wife closer and looked her up and down with his arms around her waist.


    "Are you hurt?"


    Erica waved at him. "No, no. These two are just newbies. Even a younger version of me from a few


    years ago could have easily beaten them. I knocked them down with a single punch!" Indeed, she


    sounded so rxed that it was hard to believe she had just been into a fight.


    His wife was awesome! She was worthy of an apuse.


    Matthew nced at the two defeated men on the ground and noticed how Erica had beaten them ck


    and blue.


    Taking her hands into his, he examined them thoroughly. He found a small cut in the back of her right


    hand as a thin bead of blood oozed out from the wound.


    His face darkened. "Did they do this?"


    Erica withdrew her injured hand andforted her husband with a smile. "It''s no big deal. When I


    punched that guy, I identally scratched my fist on something metallic he had on his clothes."


    Despite realizing that her cut wasn''t deep, Matthew still couldn''t hold back the distress and anger he


    felt towards it. So, furious, he turned around and walked to the men lying on the ground. To everyone''s


    surprise, Matthew didn''te unprepared and took out a dagger he had attached earlier to his waist.


    Before the men or Erica could react, he cut a deep wound in the hands of the two thugs.


    "Ah¡ª" one of the men screamed while the other gritted his teeth not to make a sound.


    They thought it was over by the time they saw Matthew putting the dagger away, but they were wrong.


    Matthew kicked one man in the stomach and asked in a cold voice, "Who sent you here?" The two


    sweaty thugs exchanged looks between each other.


    Then, struggling to stand on their feet, they started to run.


    Matthew shed the fugitives a murderous look but didn''t chase after them. Instead, he waited a bit


    longer before leaving the two cowards for the bodyguards to catch. "Take them back and interrogate


    them!"


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Erica was right. The two thugs sucked. Although Matthew had given them a head start, the bodyguards


    caught them shortly after they were sent to get them.


    Next, Matthew averted his attention to Erica''s car. There was no way she could use it anymore. So, as


    soon as he retrieved her phone and the files from her vehicle, he took her hand and led her to his car.


    Matthew didn''t drive away immediately, though. First, he disinfected her cut and put a Band-Aid on it.


    Only after making sure that the wound was properly seen to, he drove back to thepany.


    Meanwhile, at ZL Group, everyone''s feelings were running high.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The executives looked like ants on a hot pan with anxiety after Matthew''s sudden departure. During the


    time he was out, at least a dozen senior executives came to the office to ask if Mr. Huo had already


    come back.


    However, no matter how much they insisted on asking, the only Huo they would find in there was


    Boswell and not Matthew.


    "Uncle, is there anything urgent going on that you need my father to be back so soon?" Boswell


    inquired thest person who walked into the office looking for Matthew.


    The senior executive wiped the sweat off his face. He was too nervous to mind that he was about to


    vent his anger to a child. "Yes, Mr. Huo is expected for the reading of a document. Severalpanies


    are waiting for him now. Mr. Huo the Third, do you know where Mr. Huo is?"


    "Do you mean that you need my father to just read a document out loud?" Boswell asked thoughtfully.


    "Yes, no one has the right to do so except for Mr. Huo. Then he will take out the contract he had signed


    earlier and..."


    Boswell listened to the executive''s words, and after a while, he surprisingly asked, "Can I do it? I''m my


    father''s biological son. Although I''m young, I can take my father''s ce..."


    The man stood there, speechless at the child''s idea.


    However, three minutester, the senior executive was walking into the meeting room, holding the little


    boy''s hand.


    Boswell had beening to thepany quite frequently in the past few days. Not to mention that


    Matthew had also taken the boy with him to all kinds of meetings. So, almost all the senior executives


    were already familiarized with the boy.


    As soon as Boswell came in, everyone greeted him before turning to the senior executive who brought


    him. "Mr. Chang, why did you bring Mr. Huo the Third here? Where is Mr. Matthew Huo?"


    Nevertheless, Boswell didn''t give Mr. Chang a chance to answer. Raising the document in his hand, he


    raised his voice and said, "Didn''t you want to hear the content of this document? I''ll read it to you now."


    "What?" The people in the meeting room looked at each other in shock.


    Despite being a group of executives in their fifties, they learned to ept the leadership of a man in his


    early thirties. After all, Matthew had not only proved himself to be powerful but extremely capable of


    doing his job. But this? What was this? A ridiculous joke? How could they ever acknowledge a meeting


    led by a child?


    One of the shareholders of thepany stood up and kindly urged, "Young Master, please don''t make


    fun of this kind of matter..."


    Someone else immediately echoed, "Yes, Young Master, how about you contact your father as a way to


    help us?" How could a little boy know the words on the document?


    There was a hint of coldness in Boswell''s eyes. Since he was only a three-year-old boy, he wasn''t as


    intimidating as Carlos and Matthew were, but he wasn''t to be underestimated either.


    Regardless of anyone''s approval of him, Boswell took his father''s seat and stated rightfully, "My father


    wrote this document. I''ll just read it out loud. Is there anything wrong with that?"


    A dead silence followed the boy''s speech. Paige then said calmly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe Mr.


    Huo the Third is right. The content was written by Mr. Matthew Huo, who had to attend something


    urgent and can''t be with us at the moment. But Mr. Huo the Third will only be announcing his father''s


    words. Besides, as Mr. Huo''s biological son, he''s allowed to represent his father. As long as Young


    Master can take it seriously, why can''t we give him a chance?"


    "Well..."


    Immediately, a lot of discussion started to take ce in the meeting room, but Boswell soon thumped


    his little hand on the table to stop it altogether.


    "It''s just a document. Why are you making a fuss about it? Weren''t you all anxious about what we''ll be


    working next? Whoever objects my reading, stand up now, and be responsible for the loss the


    The meeting room was quiet again. ''Who could afford this kind of loss?'' Even if Matthew stood there


    today, he wouldn''t dare to say he would take responsibility for it.

 Chapter 1393 Screwed Things Up

    Chapter 1393 Screwed Things Up


    Someone in the crowd quickly changed his tune. "Yeah, you''re right. The next step is more important.


    Go ahead, Young Master!"


    "True. I think we need to get the big picture! It''s just a file. Why can''t Mr. Huo''s son tell us what''s in it?"


    Everyone shut up, even the haters. They''d given him a task, so they decided to listen.


    Boswell opened the sealed document, skimmed the contents, and then read it out loud. "Senior


    executives and shareholders, to ensure cooperation with Strange Ind Company, the next phase is to


    purchase its strongestpetitor, Forever Poet Co., Ltd."


    That part of the meeting only took five minutes. Everyone held their tongues during that time. Only the


    child-like voice of Boswell could be heard, announcing major decisions that affected more than a dozen


    companies.


    After the announcements, the once quiet meeting room was in an uproar. "Mr. Huo, that can''t be right.


    Forever Poet Co., Ltd is a well-knownpany with a long history..."


    "Yeah. Traffic on the Sail site is at an all-time low. Why did Mr. Matthew Huo decide on that course of


    action?"


    Paige stood beside Boswell, motioning for everyone to be quiet. "I don''t think we need to question how


    and why he does things, do you? Really, has he ever let you down? Now we have to carry out the


    contract with Innocence."


    Based on what Matthew said, this was a done deal. Once the cooperation was dered, dozens of


    factories would be all over it.


    While the meeting was in full swing, Matthew drove the car and told Erica, "My phone''s dead. Call


    Paige and ask her to go to conference room 3. She can stall them till I get there."


    "Oh! Okay!" She did as he asked. It didn''t take Paige long to pick up, and Erica ryed Matthew''s


    message.


    Hearing that, Paige smiled. "Mrs. Huo, please tell Mr. Huo that Young Master has already announced


    our contract with Innocence."


    "What? I must be hearing things!" Erica eximed in surprise.


    "I wish you were. They were too anxious waiting for Mr. Huo, so Boswell took control of the meeting


    and made the announcement himself. Now the factories have started their production cycles."


    After hanging up the phone, Erica was still in shock.


    Matthew maneuvered around another car and tried to find an open stretch of road. After he did that, he


    nced at her and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Matthew... I think Boswell screwed things up..."


    "What?" Matthew was confused.


    Then Erica told him what Paige had said. Then she made a decision. "Get to the office, and step on it. I


    think we can fix this. Boswell needs to know he can''t do things like that!"


    Hearing that, Matthew smiled. "Even if we flew there, it would be toote."


    "What? Then what do we do?" Erica was in aplete panic.


    "Don''t worry." Matthew took her hand tofort her. "Actually, I don''t think there''s anything to fix.


    Boswell set the factories in motion, but that''s it. So they start early. No big deal. He may have just done


    us a favor."


    Time was money. If he started a project early, it could him hundreds of thousands more.


    If things went as nned, the next round of decisions would be his to make. As long as Erica brought


    the files to Matthew, seven or eight business deals could be made all at once.


    But unexpectedly, Erica was attacked by thugs. Of course, Matthew would choose his wife over his


    business dealings. And he would do it without hesitation!


    When Matthew arrived at thepany, Boswell sat in the conference room and listened to what the


    attendees were saying. Seeing the man stride in, everyone visibly rxed.


    Matthew picked up his son from the chair, put him on hisp, and pinched the little guy''s cheek. He was


    in a good mood.


    And he wanted everyone to know it. With that silent gesture, Matthew had signaled to all present that


    he was proud of his son.


    Which also shut down several of them. They didn''t like the idea of Boswell having any decision-making


    power whatsoever. But now they had no choice but to be quiet.


    The meeting returned to normal after Matthew arrived.


    Sitting in Matthew''s office, Erica remembered what she saw in the safe.


    She really didn''t expect to find the photo of her as a teenager in there. What was he doing with it?


    When did he take it?


    And the stars in the ss bottle. She''d made those a few years ago. What were they doing in there?


    Didn''t he say that the stars were for Phoebe? Why didn''t he give them to her? If they weren''t for


    Phoebe, then why did he tell her they were? Erica had so many questions it almost made her dizzy.


    After thinking about it for a few minutes, Erica couldn''t sit still any longer. She decided to head home.


    She told Paige to let Matthew know, and left.


    Paige arranged for a driver to take her back.


    When Erica got there, the kids were still ying in the eldest child''s room.


    After greeting the little ones, Erica went straight to Matthew''s study.


    She opened the safe again, using thebination that Matthew had told her.


    She rummaged through it again. One shelf had documents from work. The second shelf held a ton of


    boxes, as well as different keys. There were only four things at the bottom portion of the safe: the locks


    of hair she left him, the letter she wrote, the ss bottle full of stars, and her photo.


    It was all about her.


    Thinking why this might be, she felt hot tears forming in her eyes.


    Did he n all this from the start? Was the discussion about their marriage just a sham? Was it her in


    his heart all along? And if so, why did he hide it from her?


    Did he ever really love Phoebe?


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The ringtone shattered the still and brought her back to reality. She took the phone from her pocket.


    "Hello?" she said.


    "I''ve done some poking around, Miss Erma. The mastermind is in Y City, but that''s all we know. We


    don''t know his name or what he looks like yet."


    ''In Y City? That''s great.'' She didn''t have to run all over the ce looking for him. "I see. See what else


    you can dig up. Keep me posted."


    "Yes, Miss Erma."


    In the evening, when Matthew came back with Boswell, Erica was bathing Damian and Colman. The


    two boys sshed enough to leave great puddles on the floor, like they''d had a water war.


    Erica was a mess, her pajamas soaked through.


    On the other hand, Adkins sat on a chair next to them, holding a water gun and pointing it at his two


    brothers from time to time. Colman kept screaming. The noise was so loud everyone on the third floor


    could hear it.


    Boswell ran into the bathroom and wrapped his arms around Erica. "Mom!"


    Erica smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "You''re back. Where''s your dad?"


    "Downstairs. He''s on the phone. He said he''d be up here soon."

 Chapter 1394 Let Him Die

    Chapter 1394 Let Him Die


    "Well, would you like to take a shower with your brothers?" Erica asked.


    Shaking his head, Boswell answered, "No. How about my own bathroom? Please?"


    "Okay. Ask the nanny to fill the tub for you. I''ll be along after I''m done with your brothers!" She had so


    many sons and they had to take turns bathing.


    "Okay!"


    With the nanny''s help, Erica finally finished bathing each of her sons.


    Erica was in the master bedroom. She stared at the man exiting the bathroom, not saying a word.


    Matthew put on his pajamas and nced at her. "You should probably grab a shower," he said.


    "Okay." She nodded and walked into the bathroom, burying the questions she wanted to ask him deep


    inside her.


    At night, Erica was lying on the bed ying a mobile game, and Matthew was viewing the news on his


    iPad.


    Someone pushed the door of the master bedroom open. Eventually, a boy''s head could be seen in the


    widening gap. He gently called, "Dad, Mom."


    It was Damian, their youngest son.


    Erica sat up from the bed and looked at her son, confused. "What''s wrong? Why are you up again,


    Damian?"


    Standing at the door, an Ultraman toy in hand, he stared at them and said, "I can''t sleep. Can I sleep


    with you guys?"


    Matthew put down his iPad, got out of bed and walked towards him. Half squatting in front of the boy,


    he looked at him and asked, "Why?"


    "Well, I''ve never done it before, and I feel safe with you," the little boy answered bluntly.


    With a faint smile, Matthew closed the door and carried him to the bed.


    As soon as Damian climbed into the bed, someone opened the door once more. This time, it was


    Colman. He screamed and ran to their bed. "Oh, yeah! We can sleep with Dad and Mom now!"


    Under the couple''s stunned gazes, he quickly crawled into the bed and huddled under the nket with


    Damian.


    The two brothers couldn''t help but giggle. Erica was speechless. What a clever little guy!


    Matthew was nobody''s fool, and caught on immediately. "You didn''t really want to sleep with us, did


    you, Damian? Colman put you up to it, huh?" he asked in a condescending tone.


    "Yes, Dad. I was scared Mom would spank me if I asked," Colman answered and stuck out his tongue.


    Matthew patted him on the leg gently and said, "Mom won''t spank you just for that. Just ask, that''s all.


    But she might spank you for getting your brother to trick us." Colman was so young, and he already got


    the hang of using others to get what he wanted.


    Colman hid under the quilt and pleaded, "Dad, Mom, I''m still a kid. Don''t hit me, please?"


    Erica grabbed Matthew''s hand and said, "Hit my kid and I''m kicking you out of bed. You can find your


    own bed after that."


    Matthew couldn''t believe his ears. He just wanted to tuck the two kids in. He didn''t exin, but ordered


    his two naughty sons, "Close your eyes! Now!"


    "Okay, thanks, Dad!" Damian said politely.


    But as soon as Colman and Damian closed their eyes, Boswell also found his way in.


    Blinking his innocent eyes, Boswell said, "Dad, can I sleep with you too? I''ll do whatever you want


    tomorrow." Matthew knew there was a limit to whatever he''d ask.


    Matthew wanted tough, but he managed to remain serious. He rested his hands on his hips and


    asked, "But isn''t that how it works anyway? I ask you to do something, and you do it." Boswell sounded


    like he was doing him a favor by promising to obey Matthew. How else was he supposed to react?


    Shaking his head, Boswell disagreed, "Not really. And not now. But in the morning, I''ll be really happy.


    And do whatever you want me to¡ªI won''tin."


    "I don''t care whether you want to or not. I''m your dad, and I get to tell you what to do. How do you think


    this works?" Matthew patiently reasoned with him.


    At the same time, he noticed Colman reached out his hand from underneath the quilt and secretly


    waved at Boswell.


    ncing at his brother and then at Matthew, Boswell wondered why his dad was so hard-headed. He


    then looked at Erica for help. "Mom..."


    Before he could say anything more, Erica patted the bed and said, "Your dad was just kidding. Come


    on in!"


    Upon hearing her words, Boswell ran to the bed and snuggled up under the covers with his two


    younger brothers.


    Looking at the three little boys in the bed, Matthew shook his head helplessly.


    Erica looked at the man standing by the bed and said, "Go ahead!"


    "What?" Matthew was confused.


    "Bring Adkins here too. He''s gonna be mad if he doesn''t get in on this!" she ordered.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew sighed inwardly. He turned around and walked out of the bedroom to bring his eldest son


    there.


    Adkins was still thinking about thest thing he''d read on the story book. Hearing the knock on the


    door, he peered at it in the dim light and said, "Dad!"


    Matthew walked over and sat down by his bed. "Let''s go."


    Adkins sat up and looked into his eyes. "Where are we going?" he asked.


    "Your younger brothers are in our room now. You can sleep with us tonight too!"


    Adkins thought for a while and shook his head. "No. Don''t want to."


    "Why?" Matthew asked in confusion.


    "Sleep with Mom. Not with my brothers. And not with you."


    Matthew was shocked upon hearing that. "Why? Don''t you love me?" Adkins was only three. What if


    this got worse as he got older? What did he do that made Adkins feel this way? What if Matthew were


    dying? Would Adkins ask the doctor to unplug him and get his mom to marry someone else? Would the


    boy really let him die?


    "Yes, I do," Adkins answered.


    "So why don''t youe with me?" Matthew pulled him up, put him under his armpit and walked out of


    the bedroom, ignoring his cries.


    Now that the four boys were all here, the problem was logistics. If the six of them slept in the same bed


    with their heads on the same side, the bed would be not wide enough.


    The only option was for them to sleep with their heads on either side of the bed. Matthew and Erica had


    to separate and take care of two children each.


    Putting his arms around Matthew, Colman blurted out, "I sleep with Dad tonight. I get Mom tomorrow!"


    Without even taking a look at Matthew, Adkins and Boswell climbed over to Erica''s side without saying


    a word.


    Damian looked at his three brothers. He seemed to have no choice. Eyes wide open, he looked at


    Matthew and said, "Dad, let''s lie down."


    Finally, they could drift off to sleep.


    The family of six huddled in the same bed, and the four children fell asleep first.


    Matthew held Colman in his left arm, while Damian held his other arm and slept soundly.


    In the dark of night, the smile in the man''s eyes deepened.


    The next day, Adkins woke up first. He sat up from the bed and looked at the scene on the bed with his


    sleepy eyes. Suddenly, he was a little confused.


    He remembered that he and Boswell had gone to sleep with his momst night. When he woke up, he


    was with his three younger brothers, but his parents were snoozing on the other side of the bed.


    Colman slept horizontally, with his legs on Matthew''s, and his head on Erica''s legs.


    Before he could figure out why his brothers were there, Adkins pulled his brother away from Erica.


    Matthew suddenly woke up.

 Chapter 1395 Remember To Bring Your Brain

    Chapter 1395 Remember To Bring Your Brain


    Matthew checked the time on his phone. It was just half-past five in the morning. He sat up quietly as


    he observed Adkins struggling to move his brother away from Erica, and asked, "Why did you wake up


    so early?"


    Letting go of Colman, Adkins answered, "I need to go to the bathroom!"


    "Go ahead then!" Matthew urged. In fact, he wanted to hold his wife in his arms while he slept for a little


    longer.


    The little boy got out of bed in a hurry, but when he passed by Matthew, something urred to him.


    Stopping in his tracks, he asked in confusion, "Dad, wasn''t I sleeping with Mom? Why was I with my


    brothers when I woke up?"


    Matthew nced at the boy and replied calmly, "Your mom insisted oning to sleep with me in the


    middle of the night. You know, she''s the only girl in our family. We need to pamper her as much as we


    can, and I can only sleep with her."


    "Oh!" Matthew''s answer convinced Adkins enough, so he went straight to the bathroom.


    Like every other school day, Erica didn''t sleepte. She would always wake up with the boys in order to


    send the four to ss. That morning wasn''t any different.


    After washing up, Adkins asked Erica as she applied some skincare products on her face, "Mom, why


    did you have to sleep with Dadst night?"


    "What?"


    Matthew was passing by when he heard the question but paused only for a second. Continuing to look


    for his razor, he didn''t say a word.


    Adkins borated in a serious tone, "Last night, Boswell and I were sleeping with you. This morning, I


    found you and Dad sleeping together. I asked Dad about it, and he told me that you insisted on


    sleeping with him in the middle of the night. Then you hugged each other and slept together during the


    rest of it."


    Erica was rendered speechless. She then nced at Matthew through the mirror and came to the


    conclusion that she had indeed spent the night with him. "I didn''t have to sleep with your dad!" she


    said.


    Matthew stopped looking for his razor and walked to the woman in front of the dressing table. She


    seemed lost in thought. "You crawled to my side of the bedst night before we slept. Don''t you


    remember?"


    Erica frowned in confusion. Then she shook her head and answered truthfully, "No, I forgot." However,


    if she were to think about it, when she got up this morning, she was indeed at the other end of the bed


    where Matthew had slept the night before. Did she really climb over there?


    "Never mind." The man walked into the bathroom indifferently.


    Yet Erica couldn''t stop thinking about it. ''Why do I feel there''s something wrong with it?''


    At noon, Matthew acted on his word and sent a white piano to the vi. The instrument was settled in a


    room opposite to Damian''s bedroom. Additionally, a teacher was hired for the boy to start taking


    lessons.


    Meanwhile, at ZL Group, Matthew was working in his office when Paige walked in.


    "Mr. Huo, some women are causing trouble at thepany''s entrance right now," she reported calmly.


    ''Causing trouble?'' Matthew stopped typing on hisputer and asked, "What''s going on?"


    Paige coughed, trying to hold back augh before she exined, "They said they want to talk to you. It


    seems that Mrs. Huo lied to them about something in K Country. Several of these women are famous


    businessmen''s wives here in Y City." Paige didn''t think it was appropriate to ignore them, so she


    decided to tell Matthew about the matter.


    Understanding what she meant, Matthew sneered, "Take them to the reception room!"


    "Yes, Mr. Huo!"


    A few minutester, a man in a suit and leather shoes came into the room filled with angry, richdies.


    Their looks of dissatisfaction, however, immediately shifted into something else the moment they put


    their eyes on him.


    ''Wow! Matthew is so handsome!


    Look at his slender legs. Oh my God!'' Their husbands were nothingpared to this man.


    Sitting straight in the armchair, Matthew asked politely, "I heard that you were looking for me?"


    By the time the women came to their senses, one of themined, "Mr. Huo, your wife lied to us. In


    fact, she went too far!"


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The others echoed. "Yes, no wonder she is called Miss Troublemaker. We treated her as a good friend,


    but she reciprocated our kindness by lying to us!"


    "She told us there was holy water in Tow Vige. We trusted her! Each of us spent thousands of dors


    on a ne ticket, not to mention the long time it took to get to the fucking Tow Vige. And for what?"


    "That''s right. She didn''t simply deceive us into going to that shitty ce. The key point is that the river


    she mentioned is not some divine river. It''s clearly a stinky ditch!"


    ''A stinky ditch?'' A faint smile showed on Matthew''s face.


    As soon as the women were done rambling, the reception room grew silent again. At that moment,


    Matthew stood up and cast a cold nce at them. "Ladies, don''t you have anything else to do?"


    ''Huh?'' Thedies exchanged confused looks among themselves before one dared to ask, "Mr. Huo,


    aren''t you going to give us an exnation?"


    Putting his hands in his pockets, he answered them coldly, "What exnation do you want me to give


    you? Because, honestly, I can''t see why you''re ming others for your own stupidity. Or do you think


    you are all so charming that I''ll want to teach my wife a lesson only to satisfy you?"


    "But Mrs. Huo wronged us. Shouldn''t she be taught a lesson?" another woman retorted.


    "Yes! How can you say we''re stupid? All we did was trust Mrs. Huo''s word. She was the one who lied to


    us!"


    "Exactly!"


    Matthew''s face darkened as he called out in a piercing tone, "Paige!"


    The assistant immediately came over and answered calmly, "Mr. Huo!"


    "Buddha surged in the sky of K Country. Many people saw it and fell to their knees to make a wish. Of


    course, everyone''s wish came true after that. Go there and check it out now," Matthew ordered.


    His words left the women stunned.


    Paige frowned for a moment, unsure of what he meant. But then it dawned on her what her boss''s


    point was. "Yes, Mr. Huo! I''ll do it right now."


    Without any other word, she turned around and left the meeting room.


    Thedies were all speechless at the scene. Anyone smart enough could see that Matthew was


    making fun of them. Still, some people didn''t understand it. One of them muttered, "Is this woman a


    fool? How could there be a real Buddha in this world?"


    Matthew nodded and continued, "Yes, you are right. How could there be a real Buddha in this world?


    Also, how could there be real holy water in this same world we''re talking about? Were you idiots to


    believe such a thing is real? We''re in the twenty-first century. Don''t you know the reason my wife gave


    birth to quadruplets is because of our genes?"


    Without giving anyone a chance to react, he added, "Some of you even possess a master''s degree.


    Honestly, if I were you, I would find a wall to bump my head into it a few times to sober up.


    Also, if it''s not clear yet, I''ll tell you now that it''s impossible for me to teach Erica a lesson. She''s my


    wife! Has any of that convinced you already, or are you still looking for an exnation?


    If it hasn''t, I strongly advise you to remember bringing your brain with you next time you go out!"


    Afterward, Matthew strode out of the reception room.


    It didn''t take him three minutes to get rid of a dozen richdies from Y City.


    Paige, who was expecting at the door, couldn''t help but burst intoughter as soon as she heard what


    Matthew said. However, the moment she saw himing out, she regained herposure and began


    to follow him.


    The richdies remained in the reception room for a few minutes more. They still wanted to vent their


    anger, but they wouldn''t dare to cause any more trouble after being scolded by Matthew himself. Telling


    their husbands about it would be useless. Instead of taking their side, they might actually scold them as


    well.


    After all, most of their husbands were CEOs in the financial business and depended on keeping a good


    rtionship with Matthew.

 Chapter 1396 Not In The Face

    Chapter 1396 Not In The Face


    When the group of women left ZL Group, their faces were twisted into masks of rage.


    Erica was blissfully ignorant of what else was going on, and continued snapping photos from the


    balcony of their vi.


    ''Hmm...I still need a drone. But I don''t want to dip into the cash Matthew floated me. Let''s see if I can


    take on some frence work and pay for it that way, '' she thought.


    She took out her phone and sent a message to Chantel. "Hey, know anyone who needs portrait work?


    I''ll even take on a contract with apany at this point. I need cash and fast! Let me know, okay?" She


    was so short of money that she started to tackle other people''s projects for pay.


    It took a bit for Chantel to reply. "Hey, I just got your message. I was shooting my new drama. We just


    broke for a meal. And I''ve got a plum assignment for you. Why don''t you take pics of me? I''ve always


    wanted to be a model for the famous photographer, EM!"


    Erica chuckled, "Sounds like a n. And if we screw up, I can always fix it in post. But I couldn''t charge


    you¡ªyou''re a friend. And I have to focus on making money now."


    Tessie and Chantel knew better than anyone how good Erica was at photography.


    "No problem. Just use your professional name EM. People will be lining up in the streets to model for


    you! But I''ll put the word out you''re looking for work!"


    The name "Erica" wasn''t well-known in the photography industry, but everyone knew EM.


    "Thank you! Love you, dear sister-inw."


    Looking at the word "sister-inw," Chantel smiled happily. It had been more than two weeks since she


    saw Gifford. Keeping this in mind, she rang her assistant. "I''m heading back home in two days. Get me


    tickets, please. I''ll be gone for at least that long."


    "Yes, ma''am," came the assistant''s prompt reply. Chantel ended the call, and called her agent to let her


    know. Her agent wasn''t okay with it. "Two days? You''re in the middle of a shoot, not to mention the fact


    that your time off is affecting the work we can find you! Have you thought about that? Your


    opportunities will be drying up! Why don''t we wait a bit to schedule a vacation?" The agent was just


    looking out for her. She knew Chantel had always been short of money.


    But Chantel shook her head. She had promised Gifford to be home more often. No matter how much


    money she made, it was not as important as family. "Just make sure to let everyone know."


    Knowing Chantel had made up her mind, the agent had to acquiesce. "Okay," she said. "It''s your


    career."


    Like a good friend, Chantel came through for her. The next day, Erica had some lucrative work.


    The subject of her photo shoot was a famous young man named Dn. He was a rising star in the


    industry, and figured that some photos by a high profile photographer would do a lot for his reputation.


    He projected the image of a tough guy onscreen, and got tons of action movie roles. But he was really


    quite effeminate! Definitely not what Erica had bargained for.


    ''It''s not my business. I''m just a photographer. I take pictures, '' she thought.


    However, what annoyed Erica was that the effeminate man was way too chatty. While she tried to line


    up the perfect shot, he kept babbling away. "Why do you wear a mask?" he asked as he pointed his


    fingers at her in a womanly way.


    Erica didn''t want to talk, but she felt embarrassed if she ignored him. "I have a cold, and I don''t want to


    give it to you. Hence, the mask." She pointed at her face.


    "Oh, I see. How old are you anyway?"


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She answered perfunctorily while adjusting the shutter speed, "Take a guess."


    At that moment, the studio was in an uproar. Rather than the usual din of calls for "action," sound


    effects, and lines being recited, there was a different kind ofmotion.


    She didn''t pay much attention to it. Sometimes people stood and gawked at a star walking on set. That


    kind of thing happened at least a couple times a day.


    But this time, it was different!


    This was no star, even though everyone recognized him.


    The moment he stepped into the studio, he saw a woman in a mask snapping pics while a man posed


    for her.


    He walked up silently and finally stood beside her.


    Dn shouted excitedly when he saw the man beside Erica, "Wow! It''s Mr. Huo! Mr. Huo is here!"


    ''Mr. Huo?'' The woman who was taking photos suddenly had a bad feeling about this. She turned her


    head and¡ªsure enough! She didn''t even know how long Matthew had been standing behind her.


    "Ah! Honey! When did you get here?" Erica put down the camera at once and walked to her husband


    with a smile, holding his arm.


    But that was just an act, as she thought to herself, ''I''m screwed. He caught me lying again.''


    Matthew nced at the woman wearing a mask. Unsatisfied, he pulled it off. Only when her tiny face


    waspletely exposed did he feel better. "Is it fun to hang around in the studio?" he asked


    sarcastically.


    The scene astonished everyone nearby. They then realized that the photographer was Mrs. Huo!


    Erica smiled awkwardly. She told Matthew that she was hanging out with friends today. "I need the


    money. This shoot alone is worth a couple hundred thousand. How could I turn that down?"


    If it weren''t for the money, she would have smashed the camera in front of the effeminate man and left!


    Dn didn''t seem to notice what was going on between the two. He ran over and cut in, "Mr. Huo! I''m


    so excited to see you!"


    He must be really excited to have tears in his eyes like that.


    Matthew was not so enthused. He didn''t even acknowledge Dn''s presence.


    However, Dn didn''t seem to notice that, either. He continued, "I''m a big fan, Mr. Huo. Can I have


    your autograph?"


    Matthew''s cold eyes fell on his face. "Talk nicely!"


    "Oh¡ªwhat? What did I say that was so wrong?" The young star pouted his lips.


    "Hahaha..." Seeing the embarrassed look on Matthew''s face, Erica couldn''t helpughing out loud.


    Matthew couldn''t stand it anymore. He had always hated this kind of man. He cocked a fist, threatening


    to hit the star. When Dn saw his angry face, he moved aside and said, "Aw, Mr. Huo, please don''t do


    this to me! You''re my idol. Not in the face! Not in the face!"


    Seeing that Matthew was about to beat up Dn, Erica quickly pulled on his sleeve and said, "No,


    honey. It''s not worth it!" ''Let me finish taking photos of him and get the money first before you hit him!


    Otherwise, that''s two hours I''ll never get back!'' she eximed in her mind.


    Matthew straightened his clothes, grabbed her wrist and said, "Come with me!"


    "No, I can''t leave now. Look, I have a job to do! Just be patient, and I''ll be done soon!"


    "You don''t have to earn money this way!" Matthew disagreed. Why did his wife have to put up with this


    womanly man to earn that paltry amount?


    Erica held his hand tightly and begged, "It''s not the money; it''s my reputation. What if people knew I


    walked off a job like this? C''mon, let me finish!"


    Seeing the embarrassment in the woman''s eyes, Matthew sighed helplessly and his heart softened.


    With a straight face, he said, "I''ll wait for you in the car. I''m leaving in ten minutes!"


    "Okay, okay, I''ll be quick!" He said ten minutes. But she could shoot for twenty minutes.


    The man then left the studio.


    In the end, Matthew waited for the woman in the car for thirty-nine minutes before he saw her running


    over in a hurry.


    When she was about to get in the car, another staff member stopped her to talk about the clean-up


    process for the photos. More than ten more minutes passed.


    When she finally opened the door and got in the car, the man stared at her expressionlessly. After she


    sat well, he asked indifferently, "You value your time pretty highly. Don''t you think you should value


    mine?"


    Putting the camera bag aside, Erica leaned over to hold his arm and said in a low voice, "I''m just busy


    today. You know, I''m a normal person. I can''t just stay home every day, right? Part of it is that I''m bored.


    And you saw the gloves I''m wearing. I won''t hurt myself. Don''t worry!"


    "You have aeback for everything, don''t you?" He only asked one question, but she told him a


    lot.

 Chapter 1397 Go To The Zoo

    Chapter 1397 Go To The Zoo


    Erica chuckled and said, "No, I don''t. I promise you that I won''t take photos every day. Just


    asionally, okay? But don''t deprive me of my hobby, please?"


    She pouted, putting her hands together as she begged him.


    Seeing the pitiful look on her face, Matthew knew he would feel guilty if he denied her request. "Okay,


    but on one condition. I''ll check your clients out and pick them for you from now on."


    Clients like that effeminate young star from earlier, for example, weren''t an option. Erica wouldn''t


    benefit from getting in touch with people like him.


    "What? But you are so busy..." She didn''t want to bother him. "Besides, when Iined to Chantel,


    she told me that she didn''t mean to pick out that man. It was her agent who arranged it. Next time


    someone wants to be photographed, she will personally check them out before sending them to me."


    Although Matthew didn''t seem to like the idea very much, he didn''t say anything either.


    At that moment, Erica knew that she had seeded in persuading him. She then asked, "How did you


    know I was there?"


    Rolling his eyes at her, he thought to himself, ''She has the nerve to ask?'' "You were not in the mall." He


    had put his work aside to go to the Shining International za and look for her. But the moment he got


    there, he realized she had fooled him.


    "Ha-ha, you are so smart, honey. Oh, don''t be angry! If you had allowed me to work, I wouldn''t have


    lied to you. So, it''s your..."


    "It''s my fault?" Matthew blurted out what she wanted to say.


    ''Well...'' Despite her beliefs, she didn''t dare to me him out loud. "No, no, no. It''s my fault. From now


    on, I''ll tell you in advance where I''m going as long as you don''t mind my bothering you!"


    Matthew touched her chin, raising it slightly so he could look her in the eye. "Do tell me in advance!"


    How could he mind it? She was Erica, his beloved wife!


    "Okay, okay!" she agreed. Since Erica had vowed to love and cherish Matthew, she would listen to him.


    Then Erica sat back and closed her eyes, failing to notice when the car headed to the suburb. About


    ten minutester, she looked out of the window and didn''t recognize the scenery. She asked curiously,


    "Where are we going?"


    "The zoo!" His words were short and precise.


    "What?" Erica was confused. "Why do you suddenly want to go to the zoo?" Besides, shouldn''t they


    bring their four children along for a visit to the zoo? Why were the two of them going alone then?


    "You''ll know when we get there."


    "Where are the kids?"


    "In the kindergarten."


    Erica was even more puzzled. "Are you sure we should go to the zoo just the two of us?"


    Matthew nced at her and asked coldly, "You don''t want to?"


    How could she not? She immediately put on a smile. "Yes, of course I do!" She was happy to spend


    some time with him as if they were two lovers out in the world on their own.


    As Erica daydreamed, a few minutes passed until Matthew borated a bit more, "I''ll take you to see a


    few pets." Then he added, "I''ve raised them."


    "What? You''ve kept a few pets in the zoo? How is that possible?" Erica looked at him in astonishment


    before she began to guess, "What kind of animal are we talking about? A little Leo? A big ti-ker? Or a


    big leon-bard?"


    The man frowned and asked, "Is there any problem with your tongue?"


    "Oh. I mean, is it a little lion, a big tiger, or a big leopard?" She had taught her sons to identify some


    animals in the past, but the children would frequently slip on their pronunciation, and she would


    unconsciously imitate them every so often.


    "So what''s that little Leo... Or whatever you''ve just mentioned?"


    Embarrassed, instead of telling him the truth, Erica cleared her throat and began to talk nonsense.


    "Well... the little Leo is me! Don''t you remember I was born in August and I''m a Leo? I suppose I''m also


    a little pet you keep then!"


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    Matthew rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, really? You are my little pet? Then I think I should put you on a


    leash. Otherwise, my little pet might run away again."


    Erica scratched her head and chuckled foolishly.


    Finally, the car drove into the zoo. After a few minutes'' ride, the vehicle stopped in front of the Panda


    House''s gate.


    Once the driver got out of the car, he opened the door for Erica while Matthew helped himself out.


    Before she could decide whether she should take the camera with her or not, Matthew held her hand


    and said, "Let''s go!"


    A few staff members were already waiting for Matthew and Erica at the door. When they saw the


    coupleing, they greeted them warmly, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo, Wee!"


    Matthew gave them a single nod as Erica replied politely, "Hello!"


    Next, the staffers led the couple inside the Panda House.


    Seeing many pictures and panda elements around her, Erica finally came to her senses. She then


    asked the man beside her, "You have kept pandas?" ''Oh, my God! This is too expensive! Pandas are a


    national treasure!''


    "Yes, I''ve adopted three pandas." In fact, Matthew earned the right to adopt the pandas. He would


    regrly transfer money to the zoo, and the zoo would spend this money on the three pandas he


    chose to care for. Therefore, Matthew was the honorary owner of the three pandas.


    "Oh my God, you are too extravagant!" Erica eximed. Matthew really stood out from everyone else.


    Regr people may raise a guinea pig, a boa, or even an alpaca. But Matthew chose to raise pandas.


    They were a national treasure, for god''s sake! Rich people were indeed willful.


    Matthew held her hand tightly but didn''t say anything.


    Afterward, the staffers took the two of them to go through a standard disinfection procedure. It was


    necessary to put on a one-time istion suit, a mask, and gloves before entering the living area of the


    pandas.


    Erica was nervous and full of expectations during the whole process. Compared to her, Matthew was


    very calm. With his face nk, he kept listening to Erica showering the staffers with questions such as


    whether she could hold a panda or not while she was inside.


    Before getting into the living area of the pandas, Erica first noticed a square stone board fixed outside,


    with the words: Mr. Matthew Huo has adopted and raised the three pandas called Lili, Riri and Kaka


    since they were born.


    The date of the adoption was written just below.


    Staring at the three names given to the pandas, Erica felt a little strange. However, her brain didn''t


    register the meaning behind them at that moment. She asked Matthew casually, "Did you name them?


    Why Lili and Riri? These names are so strange."


    ''Kaka is fine. But don''t Lili and Riri sound almost the same?'' she thought.


    Matthew looked at her but didn''t answer her question. Instead, he pointed at one direction and


    suggested, "You go and ask them yourself if they like their names."


    "What?" Erica shifted her gaze to where he was pointing and said, "Wow! It''s a panda! A big panda!


    Matthew, look, they areing!"


    Although that wasn''t the first time Erica saw a panda, she never thought she would get so close to one


    before.


    She couldn''t help shaking Matthew''s arm, excited to see the panda in front of her.


    One of the staff members ran over to the nearest panda and picked it up. With his cheeks flushed from


    the effort he made to carry the animal, he waved at Erica. "Mrs. Huo... Don''t you want to hug it?" In his


    mind, he was afraid that Erica wouldn''t be strong enough to hold the panda.


    "Yes, yes!" Erica immediately let go of Matthew''s arm and hurried to them. "Little cutie, I''m here!"


    Meanwhile, another panda noticed theming and slid down from the tall tree. Then, it slowly


    crawled its way to the humans'' side, circling around them.

 Chapter 1398 Playing With The Panda

    Chapter 1398 ying With The Panda


    The Panda House staffer kept eagle eyes on Erica as she held the panda. Although the panda wasn''t


    that big, it seemed like he had handed her a bag of boulders instead. She couldn''t lift it. "Oh, it''s so


    heavy!"


    The staff member was on the verge ofughing, but he held it back. "Yes, Lili is six years old. That''s an


    adult panda. She weighs about 110 kilograms, much heavier than you, Mrs. Huo."


    "110 kilos?" Erica''s mind was blown. ''Wow. He''s right. She''s a lot heavier. No wonder he seemed like


    he was straining when he held the creature. It took a fair amount of strength to do that!''


    Soon, three pandas waddled up to Erica. She asked, "Since I can''t lift them, can I ''rua'' them here?"


    She used a Chinese Inte ng there, "rua" meaning that you like something a lot and you want to


    y with it.


    "Rua?" Matthew asked. He''d never heard that term before. He was now standing next to Erica.


    Even the staffer was confused by the word "rua." Erica then reached out two hands and made a


    gesture to exin, pinching a pretend panda in the air. "Yeah, rua. Like this."


    "Oh..." One of the staffers got it. He was a younger fellow who often surfed the. He pointed at the


    panda next to her with a smile and asked, "Mrs. Huo, sure you want to rua it?"


    Erica nodded with a smile, "Yes!"


    "You can y with it, but I wouldn''t get too rough. They look defenseless, but they''re not. If anything


    happens, don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    "No problem!"


    Looking at the woman gently touching the panda, Matthew asked the young staffer, "What was she


    talking about?"


    The worker racked his brains, trying to find a more suitable word to help Matthew understand. "Mr.


    Huo, Mrs. Huo wants to...well...y with it. Yeah, that''s it!"


    "y with it?" Matthew seemed to get even more confused.


    "Yes, she wants to y with the panda!" Ignoring the confused man, the staffer turned to Erica and


    reminded, "Remember Mrs. Huo, be careful. If you piss it off, it will rua you instead!"


    "Okay! I will!" Erica decided to pinch the panda more before it got angry!


    Matthew took out his phone and opened the Baidu app. He searched for the word "rua" and waited a


    second or two. Only then did he understand what it meant.


    He put away his phone and shook his head helplessly. He watched the woman y with the pandas.


    She pinched them so much before they ran off, and then she ran after them trying to entice them back


    with shoots of bamboo.


    The panda named Riri stretched out its paw and patted the woman on the leg. Erica loved it, and


    started giggling. Her brightughter filled even the dark spaces in Panda House.


    Matthew stood there, his eyes following the woman, his gaze filled with infinite tenderness.


    Erica had asked why he didn''t take the kids along in the car.


    It was because this was the ce he built for her. Why would he bring the children? So they could tear


    up the ce?


    However, he would definitely take his sons to the zoo to see pandas and hug them, but not here. Well...


    It was actually okay with him if he brought his kids here. After all, it was a testament to money spent


    well. But he''d only let them look through the fence. They didn''t need toe in.


    More than an hourter, Erica fed the pandas with the bamboo in her hand and reluctantly followed


    Matthew out of the Panda House.


    Before leaving, Erica looked at the stone board with the names of the three pandas engraved on it


    again, and a strange feeling washed over her.


    When she got to the car, she suddenly screamed, "Matthew!"


    The man was startled by her cry, and so was the driver. He quickly turned his head this way or that to


    see if there was anything dangerous.


    After calming himself down, he asked helplessly, "Why did you scream?"


    She turned to him and held his hand tightly, tears in her eyes.


    Before she could say anything, he frowned and asked, "Why are you crying?"


    Hot tears slid down her rosy cheeks. She finally understood how the pandas had got their names. Lili,


    Riri and Kaka were all named that for a reason. Each name represented a syble of her own name.


    After waiting for a long while, Matthew began to look her up and down. "You okay? Did one of the


    pandas hurt you?"


    She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, and answered him in a choked voice, "No...


    Matthew, how long have you had these pandas?"


    "Almost six years." The pandas had been adopted by him the day they were born.


    The woman wiped her tears messily. "Their names... Did you give them those names from the


    beginning?"


    "Yes," he nodded. ''Did she... figure it out?'' he thought.


    Seeing him nod, Erica leaned in his arms and burst into tears, her sobs racking both their bodies.


    Matthew couldn''t think of anything more to say.


    Even the driver was worried about her. He summoned up his courage and asked his boss, "Mr. Huo,


    what happened to Mrs. Huo? Is she hurt?"


    Rubbing the woman''s head, Matthew said, "No. It''s okay. Let me handle this." ''Those seem to be tears


    of joy, '' he thought.


    "Okay. Very good, sir!"


    Lulled by Matthew''s gentle words, Erica stopped crying. She raised her head and asked the man in a


    choked voice, "When your dad asked you to marry me back then, You said no, right? I remember


    that..."


    She was starting to get it. He didn''t just love her while they were married.


    He''d always loved her. Or so it seemed. He was smitten with her a long time before their marriage.


    When she was still a teenager, angering her father and then running all day to escape him. When she


    didn''t know what love was. He had a crush on her back then.


    Matthew took out a tissue and dabbed at the tears on her face. He didn''t deny anything, but said gently,


    "I didn''t like the idea of anyone controlling me, so you bet I said no."


    Erica burped. Although she knew it was not good to talk about this kind of thing in the car, home was


    too far away, and she couldn''t wait to know the truth. "But I once asked you if Phoebe was the goddess


    in your heart. You said ''yes''!" That was why she always thought Phoebe was the love of his life.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The man took out another piece of tissue and wiped her nose. "Do you remember what you asked me?


    You had two questions. My ''yes'' was the answer to your second question¡ªis that because your dad


    doesn''t like Phoebe?"


    As Sheffield said, women liked digging up the past and using it against their boyfriends.


    Erica was stunned. "Why didn''t you make that clear?"


    The man cocked an eyebrow. "Why didn''t you tell me Ethan wasn''t your kid?" He thought she carried a


    torch for Ethan''s father. After all, she''d given birth to his child. This was pretty early on, though.


    Matthew didn''t want to make fool of himself by hitting on a woman who couldn''t love him back.


    Later, when he knew Ethan was not her child, he didn''t know how to confess his feelings. It had


    be habit to hide them. If she hadn''t asked him, he wouldn''t have exined anything to her.


    After all, he had never confessed his love to a girl, so he didn''t know the words to use.


    To him, the matter of love was hundreds of times more difficult than signing a contract worth countless


    millions.


    Suddenly, Erica hugged him. "Matthew, you are so annoying. To think I didn''t know what I was missing


    out on. Have you ever thought about what you would do if I married someone else?" No wonder her


    parents always said she was lucky. They were right. She really was lucky.


    She had a family who loved her a lot before she got married, and after marriage, she had a husband


    who loved her deeply and four gifted sons.


    Her life was perfect.


    With a confident smile, Matthew said, "I always get what I want. And I wanted you."


    It all depended on his whim.

 Chapter 1399 An Experienced Driver

    Chapter 1399 An Experienced Driver


    Unconvinced, Erica punched Matthew on the shoulder. "You''re so annoying. You didn''t tell me anything.


    It''s your fault that I misunderstood you then!" If she had known earlier that Matthew had always loved


    her, she wouldn''t have wasted so much time being jealous of Phoebe in the past.


    Matthew said helplessly, "Yes, whatever you say. It''s my fault."


    Erica also wanted to ask him about the stic stars he ordered her to fold, but the driver was also in


    the car with them. She would have to save it for when they got home.


    Resting her head on his shoulder, she burped and then sighed, "Oh! I really wanted to be a panda. I


    would eat and sleep all day long. And no matter how fat I was, I would still have someone to love me."


    Matthew was amused by her words. Weren''t they just talking about themselves? Why did she suddenly


    change the subject back to pandas?


    ''My wife''s logic is really confusing. I always find myself trapped in its maze.'' He couldn''t help but smile.


    "You can eat and sleep all day long like a panda if that''s what you want," he cooed.


    "No, thanks. Men enjoy women with a good figure. If I get fat like a panda, I''m afraid Noreen Xia will


    show up at our house tomorrow."


    ''Noreen Xia?'' Matthew was puzzled, and then he asked, "What does she have to do with it?"


    "If you don''t like how I look, you will take her home as your mistress one day!"


    All the tenderness Matthew held in his eyes was quickly reced by wrath. At that moment, he wished


    he could strangle Erica. Did she really think that his love for her was that shallow? "Shut up. Don''t talk


    to me now."


    Erica couldn''t helpughing at his angry outburst. Holding his waist, she challenged him in a sweet


    voice, "If my weight reached 110 kilograms, you wouldn''t be able to carry me. What would you do


    then?"


    "I would exercise harder," he answered. In 2018, a weightlifting champion lifted 163 kilograms in the


    snatch, and 197 kilograms in the clean and jerk. That man won three prizes with a total of 360


    kilograms lifted, breaking the world record.


    If someone could lift that much weight, Matthew believed that he could do the same¡ªor even better.


    Erica, who had no idea that her husband was thinking of her now as a barbell, suggested melodiously,


    "Why don''t you also put on some weight? In that case, we can be a couple of fat people." ''We''ve


    shared weal and woe, why shouldn''t we gain weight together as well?'' she thought to herself.


    "Okay." Although he had agreed, he was afraid he wouldn''t be able to hold his end of the deal since he


    had been working out every day.


    "Then I can eat as much as I want from now on!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Of course."


    On the way home, Matthew answered a phone call urging him to get back to thepany. So, as soon


    as he left Erica at the vi''s door, he hurried to ZL Group.


    Erica didn''t mind it at all since she also had work of her own to do.


    Eventually, she realized she had lost track of time while editing Dn''s photos and forgot to pick up the


    boys. They had been off school for over an hour by the moment she remembered to check the clock.


    Apprehensively, she called Matthew. "Oh, Matthew! I forgot the time. Did you pick up our sons?"


    "No, I didn''t. But Mom and Dad picked them up. They should be in the manor now."


    "Oh! Really?" Erica heaved a sigh of relief. "That''s good. Will youe back for dinner tonight?"


    "Actually, I have a dinner to attendter. But you may eat at the manor. Terilynn will take Jeffrey too."


    "Okay!"


    The moment Erica hung up, she received a call from Terilynn inviting her to have dinner in the manor.


    Upon epting it, she turned off theputer and headed straight to her inws'' ce.


    Once the dinner was over, Erica went to y with the kids until she got a call from Owen. "Mrs. Huo,


    Mr. Huo has drunk some wine, but I''m busy now. Could you go pick him up?"


    "Sure!" She didn''t hesitate to agree to his request.


    Just in case, Owen asked to confirm, "Mrs. Huo, do you have a driver''s license? How many years have


    you been driving?" A long time ago, when Erica went to pick up a drunk Matthew, she dared to drive


    without a license. Owen wanted to make sure the episode wouldn''t repeat itself.


    "Yes, I have a driver''s license, and I''m quite experienced. I''ve been driving for over two years! Don''t


    worry!" she assured him.


    ''Experienced? Really?'' Owen didn''t believe her. How did Erica get a car to drive in that poor Tow


    Vige? Nheless, he said, "Please don''t race, Mrs. Huo. If you can''t make it, call me back."


    If he hadn''t known what Matthew was thinking, he would have definitely arranged a professional driver.


    "Got it!"


    Once she arrived at the Caesar Hotel, Erica parked the car in front of the main entrance.


    Before heading out that night, she had purposely chosen the cheapest car from the garage.


    Yet the cheapest car in the Huo family''s garage worth no less than five million dors.


    She could still remember thest time some gangsters stopped her car in the middle of the road and


    broke its window. Not to mention that time she drove to The Princess cruise ship at high speed and


    ended up scratching the vehicle.


    With those two experiences in mind, Erica was now very careful with her driving. Fortunately, nothing


    happened before she got to the hotel that day.


    Relieved, she dialed Matthew''s number and asked, "Honey, I''m here. How long will it take until the


    dinner is over?"


    "I''ming out now," Matthew replied.


    "Okay, I''m waiting for you at the door."


    "Alright."


    A few minutester, people starteding out of the hotel. Erica could see Matthew in his grey suit in


    the middle, leading the group.


    He was followed by at least seven or eight people who hade out just to see him off.


    At the same time, Erica got out of the car and opened the passenger''s door for her husband in


    advance. She then stood beside the vehicle, waiting for him with a smile on her lips.


    As the men approached her, she saw one who seemed familiar to her next to Matthew. Then Erica


    remembered she had met him at Matthew''s office door one day she went to thepany looking for


    her husband. His name was Michel Wang, who, in turn, had also recognized her.


    "Mr. Huo, you and Mrs. Huo love each other so much. We are all so envious of you!" Michel told


    Matthew with a grin.


    Matthew then looked into Erica''s eyes and felt really good inside. With a smile that reached his eyes,


    he asked, "Shouldn''t a man marry his wife only to love and spoil her?"


    Michelughed heartily. "You''re right, Mr. Huo." Next, he greeted Erica, "Mrs. Huo, it''s sote. You must


    be tired, and yet you came to pick up Mr. Huo."


    Erica wasn''t much used to attending social events and didn''t know how to return hispliment.


    Therefore, she answered sheepishly, "It''s fine. I was free anyway."


    Matthew held the woman in his arms and said, "Thank you, Mr. Wang. We''re leaving now."


    The moment Matthew came near her, she smelled the strong scent of alcohol emanating from him. But


    instead ofmenting about it, she smiled and nodded as everyone said their goodbyes.


    By the time they left the hotel, Matthew leaned back in the passenger seat and then nced at his wife


    behind the steering wheel. "Have you brought your driver''s license?"


    "Ah! I forgot!" She didn''t take her purse with her when she got out.


    "But don''t worry, I have a driver''s license. I''ve been driving for over two years now. I won''t make the


    same mistake as before."


    Matthew closed his eyes and said helplessly, "Then my life is at the hands of Mrs. Huo!"


    "Don''t worry! I promise you will get home alive!" she said with great confidence.


    Matthew twitched his lips. "Well, I''m d to know I''ll be home alive. But Mrs. Huo, promise me I won''t


    lose an arm or a leg in our way there, okay?" He couldn''t afford to lose any of his members. After all,


    he needed his body intact in order to satisfy his wife''s sexual drive in the future.


    Erica chuckled. "Fine, I promise you, Mr. Huo! You won''t get hurt."


    "Good girl."


    Matthew sounded like he had too much to drink. However, the smell in the car was not bad, perhaps


    due to the quality of the wine he had drunk.


    Finally, the car drove into the Pearl Vi District. Once Erica parked it, she got out of the vehicle and


    ran to open the door for Matthew. As she helped him out, she warned, "Slow down!"

 Chapter 1400 Acting Like A Spoiled Kid

    Chapter 1400 Acting Like A Spoiled Kid


    Matthew took this opportunity to wrap Erica in his arms. He put his lips closer to hers and drank deeply.


    "Honey, I feel a little dizzy."


    His voice was soft and seductive, like music to her ears. She hugged him happily. "Come lean on me.


    I''ll help you in."


    "Okay. You''re so good to me."


    The couple finally entered the vi. Erica kicked off her shoes and bent down to take Matthew''s shoes


    off as well. He leaned against a wall for support.


    Realizing what she was about to do, he yanked his foot away from her. "I''ll do it myself!" He quickly


    took off his shoes and put on the house shoes.


    "We''d better get you upstairs," Erica said. "Let me help you," she continued. ''We''d better take the


    elevator; we''re both pretty beat.''


    Erica had figured out the best way upstairs, but the man wasn''t heading for the elevator. He stayed in


    the living room.


    Confused, she looked at the man who stood rooted to the spot and asked, "What are you doing? Let''s


    go!"


    Matthew held her in his arms and cupped her cheeks. "Honey, do you love me?" His warm breath fell


    on her face.


    She blushed and said, "What do you think?" ''Didn''t I already tell him I love him?''


    The man lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. "I want to hear it again." His voice was deep and


    hoarse.


    The tenderness in his eyes and voice melted her heart. She asked uncertainly, "Matthew, is there a


    reason you''re acting like a spoiled kid?"


    He reminded her a lot of Adkins and Boswell when they wanted something from her. They came to her


    trying to butter her up. They looked gentle but a little cold.


    She was now sure they got this from Matthew.


    Colman and Damian were more like her. They often yed it cute and sweet.


    Embarrassed, Matthew raised his voice and retorted, "Spoiled? Seriously?" How could he act like a


    spoiled child? That was not like him. If word got out about that, wouldn''t he be aughingstock?


    Erica stepped away from him and said, "Yeah. You should take a look in a mirror. If you''re just trying to


    get something out of me, I''m not saying it. It doesn''t matter anyway, does it?"


    Matthew grabbed her wrist, stopping her right there. "It matters to me. Now say it!" This woman would


    drive him crazy sooner orter!


    Of course he cared whether she loved him or not.


    Erica snickered. "Okay, let''s say I do say it. What''s in it for me?"


    "Seriously?" He looked at her clothes and fought the impulse to tear them from her. "I''m all yours


    tonight. So where do you want to do it? In the living room, dining room? Maybe on the sofa, out on the


    balcony..." Seeing her face turn as red as a ripe apple, he chuckled and added, "Wherever it happens,


    I''ll make sure you have fun, too!"


    Erica gritted her teeth. ''Wow! Really? This is so not cool!'' "Not happening. I''m going to sleep, and you


    should too!" She just wanted to get some rest.


    Matthew seemed to take great delight in flirting with her. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe not. He


    mimed taking off his clothes. "Come on, Erica. Take it all off! Do this for me, and everything I own is


    yours! Even me!"


    The woman''s reaction was beyond Matthew''s wildest dreams. Her eyes lit up. "Really?"


    "Of course!" This woman was still as lovely as she ever was!


    Erica immediately took his hand and guided him to the elevator. "Let''s get to the room! I''ll take off


    everything and you''ll be penniless!"


    Matthew just stood there. When she turned to leave, he said, "No. I want to see you strip those clothes


    off right here, right now. We''ll go back to our roomter."


    ''Here?'' Looking at therge living room, Erica hesitated.


    The living room was big and bright. She didn''t feelfortable doing anything right there.


    Matthew seemed to know what she was thinking. He smiled and took out his phone. As he tapped on


    his phone, several lights in the living room faded out, and finally, only the lights by the stairs were lit.


    Erica crossed her arms over her chest in the dim light and warned the man nervously, "Don''t do


    anything stupid!" ''This is the living room. What if our kidse in all of a sudden? The bedroom is


    better. That way we can lock the door, '' she thought.


    "I won''t." He wouldn''t do anything stupid. But this wasn''t stupid at all!


    They stood there, staring at each other. "Don''t touch me," the woman said.


    "I won''t," he said, inching closer to her.


    A momentter, the woman said, "I mean it!"


    "Okay!"


    The moment hung in the air as if frozen. Time seemed to freeze. But she missed his touch as much as


    he missed hers. Finally, the woman said, "Alright,e on!"


    Just like that, the two shared their bodies in the living room.


    And, atst, Erica relented. She said "I love you," over and over, as they explored each other''s bodies.


    Erica was soaking in the tub after midnight, trying to recover from lovemaking. She was sore and tired.


    The man came in, and she only had the energy to groan at him. ''I guess that''s what they mean about


    dying for money.''


    Matthew kissed her slightly swollen lips and said, "I''ll carry you to bed after I catch a shower."


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ''That''s more like it!''


    But Erica couldn''t help thinking something was wrong. She had said "I love you" to Matthew many


    times during the course of the night. But he hadn''t said it to her once!


    What could she do to make Matthew, the man who always locked his feelings away, confess his love to


    her?


    Three dayster, Matthew was poking around the safe. He found some items were missing!


    He knew Erica had been staying home and behaving herself. Since he had her there, he didn''t need to


    look at the things in his safe. Those items were what kept him sane when she ran off for three years.


    He had something to put in the safe. When it was safely tucked inside, he went to look at the photo of


    teenaged Erica, but he couldn''t find it at all!


    He figured out a couple more things were missing, too. When he calmed down, he remembered that


    Erica had opened his safe a few days ago. She must have taken the missing items.


    That meant she had found the secret buried in his heart for so many years. Matthew''s face changed


    dramatically when he realized it.


    He closed the safe, and went to the bedroom to find the woman. She was still editing Dn''s photos.


    "Give them back to me," he said.


    "What?" Erica had forgotten she''d taken anything from the safe, so she was a little confused when


    Matthew asked her for something.


    He was visibly displeased. "You know what I mean."


    "How would I know if you don''t tell me?" she retorted.


    The man''s Adam''s apple bobbed and he slowly spat out, "The photo." ''And the bottle of stars, the letter


    she wrote to me, the lock of hair.''


    "Oh!" It was not until then that Erica remembered what she had hidden. She had wanted to ask him


    about those things the day they came back from the zoo, but because he went straight to work, she


    had never found a chance to ask him.


    Keeping this in mind, Erica raised her head and asked the man, "Why did you take a pic of me while I


    was still a teenager?"


    Matthew didn''t say anything, like a child who didn''t know how to exin his behavior.


    "Why did you ask me to fold those stars and say they were for Phoebe?"


    The man still kept silent.


    Erica withdrew her hands and said, "Those things are mine now!"


    Unexpectedly, Matthew reacted quickly and pulled her out of the chair. He looked at the woman with a


    long face and insisted, "Give them back to me!"


    It was a secret he had kept for a long time. When the secret was out, and he hadn''t been prepared for


    it, he went a little crazy.


    Even if Erica was the only one who knew, Matthew hadn''t had any time to psych himself up to admitting


    anything. He just couldn''t ept that someone knew his secret before he was ready to confess it.


    Erica could see that he was clearly upset. But why should she give them back? They were hers, right?


    If she didn''t know better, she would have thought the woman in the photo was not Erica herself, but


    someone else entirely, and he didn''t want her to know.

 Chapter 1401 Love Laid Bare

    Chapter 1401 Love Laid Bare


    When Erica found out Matthew''s secret, he flipped out on her. He was so desperate to keep it a secret


    that he lost all sense of reason.


    To Erica''s intense surprise, the woman in the photo was none other than herself.


    She didn''t know what Matthew was angry about. She approached him and asked defiantly, "And what if


    I don''t give it to you?"


    His hand tightened around her wrist. The pain made her grit her teeth, but she refused to budge.


    Fortunately, it was not that painful, and she could ignore the pain.


    The man acted like a three-year-old child and answered willfully, "Give it here! Now!"


    He was like a broken record, repeating that phrase over and over again. He wouldn''t say anything else.


    Erica reached out her other hand to touch his cheek, and talked to him in a quiet voice. "Matthew,


    Phoebe was never the goddess in your heart. You never liked her. She''s just your best friend''s wife. I''m


    the woman you loved from the start. There''s nothing between you and Phoebe, and I can prove it. You


    don''t know how long you''ve been in love with me or when you started to fall for me, do you?"


    After she came back from the Panda House that day, she remembered what he said, what his feelings


    were. He revealed all that in the car.


    When he heard what she said, Matthew''s jaw tightened. What she said was the truth.


    "But I had another man''s child. When your dad asked you to marry me, you turned him down. I can


    think of two reasons for that. One is that you don''t like others getting involved in your business, and the


    other is that you didn''t want to marry a woman with someone else''s kid. In the end, you said yes


    because you like me. That love won out over a kid out of wedlock..."


    "Erica!" His sharp cry stopped her from saying anything more.


    Matthew''s face was pale, but there was no anger in his eyes, but shyness instead.


    "Matthew." Erica hugged him and said, "I know you don''t like to talk about your feelings, so let me do it.


    It would be great if I could marry you now. After all, I''m a few years older now, than when we were


    married. I''d have a different view of things from that time. Maybe I would know you liked me earlier. But


    on second thought, I''m d that we got married years ago. I don''t regret getting married to you, or


    giving myself to you.


    To tell you the truth, maybe I fell in love with you earlier than I thought. At that time, I knew there was a


    goddess in your heart who shone like the new moon in the night sky, and I deliberately ignored how


    good you were to me. I was afraid I''d fall for you, and that you''d choose her. You''d chase the moonlight,


    always overlooking the red rose. I was afraid you''d always want her instead of me. What I didn''t know


    was the moonlight and the red rose were the same person, and that''s me."


    She was the goddess in Matthew''s heart, both the moonlight and the red rose.


    Erica also found something terrible. Since she came back from Tow Vige, every day she was with


    him, she would find more and more clues he had loved her from the beginning.


    And she kept finding more. It was almost like he was leaving a trail of lovecrumbs for her to find. It was


    getting obvious how much he liked her even before they met.


    "You will never know how grateful I am you waited for me all these years. I''d been away for more than


    three years, and you waited for me, patiently, for all that time. I don''t know what I''d do with myself if you


    found someone else. I might kill myself because I can''t live without you."


    The bedroom was very quiet. Instead of holding her wrist tightly, Matthew embraced her tightly.


    "Lili, Riri, Kaka, they sound simr to Rika Li. Matthew, why not just tell me about it? Why wait so


    long?" No wonder Matthew didn''t take their four children to the Panda House, because it wasn''t the


    pandas that were the point. It was his love for her.


    At this moment, Matthew''s feelings for her wereid bare.


    ''Sometimes I wonder if she can tie her own shoes, but other times her IQ is at least 200, '' he thought to


    himself.


    He still didn''t say "I love you," but he didn''t need to. She knew how he felt, how much he loved her. He


    loved her more than she loved him.


    The bedroom got very quiet, and the man still didn''t say a word.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Then she continued, "I don''t want to lose you or miss you for the rest of my life. I want to love you for


    the rest of my life. You know, I''m a stupid woman. So, Mr. Huo, please give me a map of the road of


    love and tell me where I should go. Or, I can love you in my own way. Anyway, I only love you, Matthew


    Huo. You are my God, my destiny... Oh, and our sons. I love them deeply too. After all, they are what


    came from our love."


    Tears welled in Matthew''s eyes, but the woman couldn''t see them. His love finally was paid back.


    He also wanted to tell her that he loved her from the beginning to the end, but she already finished


    what he wanted to say, leaving him speechless for more than a moment.


    He never dated anyone, and he was a newbie when it came to love, so he still didn''t know what to say,


    how to respond to her confession. All he could do was hold her.


    She looked at him atst, eyes full of expectation. He said, "I want to... make love to you." He wanted


    to express his love for her in another way, and he hoped she could understand. Erica was on the verge


    of breaking down. s, she was so tired, mentally and physically.


    She knew he was strong and she had to give in. "Hold me!" she demanded.


    The man lifted her up and walked towards the bathroom. "Rika," he called out.


    "Hmm?" The expectation in her heart was ignited again, and she was desperately hoping he would say,


    "I love you."


    But the reply she received was "This time, guide me in bed. Let''s do what you want." She wanted to


    scold him.


    ''Wow, what a jerk! He won''t say he loves me, and now he wants me to be the dominant one in bed.


    Forget it. I know he loves me lots! He just can''t find the words sometimes.


    And, as the saying goes, the winner will be the one whoughsst, '' Erica thought to herself with a


    wicked grin. He didn''t even notice.


    Because of the sudden arrival of Erica''s aunt Flo, Matthew not only had to give up on the idea of


    bathing together, but also had to handle her carefully.


    The next day, because of the cramping Erica stayed at home all day to beautify Dn''s photos. She


    never left the house.


    In the evening, Matthew picked up the four kids from the manor. Seeing that Erica was still in bed,


    Damian immediately knew what was wrong with her. "Mom, is it time for you to drink brown sugar water


    this month?"


    But they only knew their mom needed to drink brown sugar water for a few days every month and


    couldn''t take care of herself. They knew nothing else.


    "Yes." Erica nodded listlessly. Her lower abdomen always hurt on the first day of her period.


    Without saying a word, Damian and Adkins turned around and walked out of the bedroom. Colman


    kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed. Lying next to her, he patted her on the shoulder and


    comforted her gently, "Mom, it shouldn''t hurt. Let me keep your belly warm."


    Then he blew on her belly.


    Erica was amused by his sweet behavior. She gently pinched the tip of his nose.


    Boswell told the man who came inter, "Dad, you can sleep in my room tonight."


    ''Huh!'' With a faint smile on his face, Matthew thought to himself, ''He allows me to sleep in a room I


    own. Like he has any say! What a little brat!"

 Chapter 1402 Spoiled By Us

    Chapter 1402 Spoiled By Us


    When his dad didn''t say anything, Boswell continued, "I think you should experience the happiness of


    sleeping in your kid''s room. Alright! I''ll let you sleep in my room for tonight! You sleep there, and we will


    sleep with Mommy!"


    Raising his eyebrows, Matthew asked, "And why would I want to do that?"


    Boswell looked back at his mother, who was half lying on the bed, listening to their conversation. He


    replied, "Mom needs to be taken care of during this time of the month, and we do that all the time."


    Matthew hung his coat on the hanger, walked up to the kid and patted his head. "You only need to take


    good care of yourselves from now on. Your mother has me to take care of her. Go back to your room


    and sleep." He grinned at his sons. These fellows wanted his wife all to themselves and were trying to


    drive him out.


    Boswell was still unconvinced. He tried everything to fight for the opportunity to take care of his mother.


    He argued, "Mom ispletely spoiled by us! She will be super irritable for the next few days and she


    will need brown sugar water. Dad, you have a bad temper! So, you can''t take care of Mom. Let us do it


    instead!"


    Erica almost burst outughing. She was spoiled by them? She finally spoke. "Boswell, don''t make Dad


    sleep alone. We can all sleep here."


    However, to her surprise, Boswell refused decisively. Pouting his lips, he protested, "Dad will cheat!


    Last time, he secretly slept next to you after moving us to the other side while we were asleep. He held


    you all night and slept nicely. It''s not fair!"


    His father was always good to them, except when it came to his wife. He acted like a kid himself and


    oftenpeted with them for her attention. ''Dad has his own mom! Why won''t he go and sleep with


    her?'' the boy thought to himself.


    Taking a reproachful nce at his second son, Matthew walked over to him and picked him up. He


    threatened in a serious tone, "Do you have any evidence to prove that? If you don''t, then I will sue you


    for nder. After that, you will be taken away by the police and will be forced to paypensation."


    Boswell was not frightened. "You know we were all asleep and don''t have any evidence! That''s why


    you are so arrogant," he pouted angrily.


    ''Aren''t you a smart one?'' Matthew was amused. ''He is my son, after all.'' Still, he pretended to be


    serious and said, "Remember to collect evidence before you question me next time. Without evidence,


    it''s just ndering. ''n-der-ing.'' Do you understand what that means? Let me tell you how serious an


    offense that is. Depending on the case, you could be sentenced to less than three years in prison or


    detention, and could be ced under public surveince, while being deprived of political rights. Do


    you understand now? So, think twice before you speak next time. If you end up spouting something at


    the wrong ce and at the wrong time, what kind of consequences will you bring upon yourself?"


    Stunned, Erica scolded, "Matthew! You can''t be serious! The child is only three years old. What does


    he know about all these?" ''Is this man really his father? Why is he frightening his own kid?'' she


    pondered.


    Matthew thought otherwise. "Do you really think that our kids are as innocent as other three-year-old


    kids?"


    "Well, that..." Erica stammered. As their mother, she knew better than anyone else that her sons were


    much smarter than peers of their age.


    Sometimes, she felt like they were smarter than her.


    "We have to teach them all this while they are still young. Habits¡ªgood or bad¡ªare developed from


    childhood," said Matthew.


    Leaning his head against his mother''s belly, Colman looked at his father excitedly. "Dad, you''re so


    cool!"


    Matthew arched his brow in surprise. ''What''s so cool about this?'' "Don''t try to tter me," he said to his


    little boy.


    Sitting up straight, Colman retorted seriously, "I''m not ttering you; I''m serious! Do you think we''ll be


    as cool and handsome as you when we grow up?"


    This time, Matthew couldn''t keep his calm. He was thrilled deep inside. After all, he just received a


    sincere praise from his son. He smiled and sat on the edge of the bed with Boswell in his arms.


    Instantly, Boswell slipped out and climbed into Erica''s arms. Matthew didn''t mind and continued to chat


    with Colman. "Tell me, why do you want to be like me?"


    Unexpectedly, the little guy became shy. He lowered his head and whispered, "Hmm...I can only marry


    once in my life, and I want a beautiful wife. If I don''t look handsome, I won''t get the most beautiful girl in


    the world!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew was dumbfounded and Ericaughed out loud.


    She patted Colman''s little butt and said, "You are only three! Why do you want a wife already? You are


    nothing like your father! I wonder whom you take after!"


    His butt didn''t hurt at all. After thinking, Colman answered, "Probably Uncle Sheffield!" After all, it was


    his uncle who had told him this.


    Erica rolled her eyes.


    "I don''t think you take after your uncle Sheffield; you are just influenced by his stupidity," Matthew


    commented. He was going to have a word with Sheffield when he was free. He couldn''t let his idiot


    brother-inw instill such thoughts in his son''s mind.


    Just then, Damian pushed the door open and walked in, followed by Adkins, who had a tray in his


    hands. Behind him were two anxious maids.


    Under Damian''s intense gaze, Adkins came to the bedside with the tray. With a gentle smile on his


    face, he said, "Mom, I brought you the brown sugar water."


    Matthew picked up the ss from the tray and looked at the two maids reproachfully.


    He didn''t say anything, but one of the maids was frightened and immediately exined, "Mr. Huo, we


    wanted to help Adkins, but he¡ª"


    Adkins looked at Matthew and exined unhurriedly, "Dad, don''t scold them! I insisted on bringing the


    water for Mom."


    Matthew checked the temperature of the water. It was still a little hot, so he ced it on the bedside


    table. Then he told Adkins, "You are still young, Adkins. What if you trip and fall? Next time, don''t do


    such dangerous things."


    Damian interrupted, "Dad, don''t worry! We always make the brown sugar water for Mom. We can do it."


    Matthew was slightly stunned upon hearing that. He touched Damian''s head and said, "If you burn your


    little hands, my wife will be very upset." And in turn, he would be sad too¡ª for his wife and his child.


    The kids blinked. Normally, Matthew should have answered, "If you burn your little hands, I will be very


    upset." But instead, he had said, "If you burn your little hands, my wife will be very upset."


    Erica was amused by the five of them andughed. "Well, well, my dear babies. I was okay with you


    making this brown sugar water for me because my room was close to the kitchen in Tow Vige. But it''s


    different now. You need to climb the stairs to the third floor. It''s too dangerous. Dad and Mom are


    worried about you. So, let the maids do it next time, okay?"


    The four boys nodded at the same time and answered in one voice, "Okay, Mom!"


    Matthew sighed. When he said something, the children would argue with him. However, no one refuted


    Erica''s words. They were so obedient. Was that the difference between being a father and a mother?


    That night, since the children insisted, the family of six slept together in the same


    bed.

 Chapter 1403 Evidence Of Crime

    Chapter 1403 Evidence Of Crime


    What Matthew wasn''t aware of was that after he headed to the shower, the four kids sneaked out and


    orchestrated a grand n behind his back.


    Later that night, Adkins and Boswell went to sleep with Matthew on one end of the bed, while Colman


    and Damian slept with Erica on the other end.


    Obediently, the kids closed their eyes as soon as theyy down.


    Since two of his sons weren''t letting him work anymore, Matthew gave up on the idea and went to


    sleep with them.


    After a long time, the bedroom was quiet again. Matthew then sat up and got out of bed in silence.


    He first picked up Damian on the other end of the bed where he was sleeping, and then Colman...


    "Ah! Dad! I caught you!" Colman, who was supposed to be asleep in Matthew''s arms, screamed all of a


    sudden. The other three children all sat up immediately.


    Getting up from the bed, they rushed to Matthew andughed at him. "Dad, you said that we needed


    evidence before using you of anything. We''ve got it now!" Boswell stated.


    Colman put his arms around his father''s neck and said, "Dad, we weren''t asleep yet. We only


    pretended to be so we could deceive you."


    Damianughed out loud this time.


    Adkins held Matthew''s leg and used him, "So it was true. It turns out that you really took us away


    from Mom while we were asleep!"


    During this whole time, Erica had been half asleep until the voice of her children fully woke her up.


    Sitting up, she asked in a daze, "What''s going on?"


    Damian ran to turn on the lights, exposing Matthew''s livid face to everyone else in the room.


    The children onlyughed louder and louder when they saw their father''s expression. They wanted


    their mother to know they had now the evidence of Matthew''s "crime."


    Matthew wanted to put Colman on the bed first, but the boy didn''t let go of him. Instead, he took the


    chance toin to Erica, "Mom, Dad took us away from you while we were sleeping. Look! He


    hasn''t even put me down yet!"


    After hearing her son''s words, Erica burst intoughter.


    Despite being caught red-handed by his children, Matthew managed to turn his face nk but only on


    the surface. Deep down, he wanted to grab the kids and p each one on their buttocks. Casting a


    cold nce at the four boys, he pretended to be angry. "How dare you set me up!"


    If the news that Matthew Huo himself was framed by his own sons spread, people wouldugh their


    heads off. And Matthew wasn''t very fond of this idea.


    Yet Colman wasn''t afraid of him at all. Standing on the bed, he wrapped his arms around Matthew''s


    neck and started to jump up and down. "Father and son hierarchy doesn''t matter in this case. In war,


    those who win be rulers, and those who lose are reduced to bandits. You taught us this yourself.


    So, tonight, you''re the bandit."


    Adkins stated, "The bandit should sleep on his own for a night as punishment."


    "Dad, I don''t mind your stinky smell, so you can have my room," Boswell suggested.


    "Dad, if you''re afraid of sleeping on your own, I''ll keep youpany," Damian offered gently.


    Matthew was speechless for a moment. Once he recovered from his momentary shock, he pulled


    Damian into his arms and nced at his other three sons and the woman snickering at him. "This won''t


    happen again!"


    Then he left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he got out, though, he heard the three


    children''s cheersing from inside the room.


    Matthew looked down at his youngest son, who he was carrying under his armpit before straightening


    him up in his arms. Helplessly, he sighed and said, "I''m counting on you to support me in the future!"


    Damian held his father''s neck and answered, "Dad, don''t worry. I''ll make a lot of money to support you


    and Mom when I grow up."


    "Good boy."


    Early on the next morning, the other three children didn''t seem as brave as they were on the night


    before. Carefully, they went downstairs to have breakfast, pushing each other forward as they slowly


    walked towards the dining room.


    Eventually, as the eldest child, Adkins, stepped into the dining room. He politely greeted the man with


    the iPad and his brother, "Dad, Damian, good morning!"


    Putting away the iPad, Matthew nodded at the boys and ordered the maids to serve the dishes as


    usual.


    The three kids exchanged looks before Colman found the courage to ask, "Dad, aren''t you angry with


    us?"


    Matthew, who was wiping his hands with a wet tissue, paused and nced at the three kids on the


    other end of the room. "Why should I be angry with you?" ''Are you scared now? What aboutst night


    when you pretended to be asleep and set me up? Weren''t you thinking about the morning after?'' he


    wondered.


    Matthew''s words caused the three children to breathe a sigh of relief. Boswell seldomplimented


    his father, but at that moment, he took the opportunity to do so. "Dad, you''re so kind!" Before heading


    downstairs, the kids were sure that Matthew would be angry for being kicked out of the master


    bedroom with their brotherst night.


    Adkins had even decided he was going to sleep with his father the following night in order tofort


    the man.


    Damian looked at his brothers and took a sip of milk. Then he said, "Don''t worry. Dad said that we are


    his and Mom''s children. He can''t really get angry with us." Last night, while he had a heart-to-heart


    conversation with Matthew, thetter revealed this piece of information to him in person.


    Matthew''s magnanimity brought a mix of guilt, excitement, and happiness to the three children.


    "Dad, can I sleep with you tonight?" Adkins finally exposed what he had in mind.


    Matthew raised his eyebrows at him and questioned, "You want to drive me out of my room again?


    Don''t even think about it. I want to sleep with my wife!"


    Adkins waved his hands at him immediately. "No, no, no. We just felt sorry for you because of what


    happenedst night and reached an agreement that I will sleep with you first, then Boswell and


    Colman."


    ''They feel sorry for me?'' Matthew put down his unfinished sandwich and said, "If you feel sorry for me,


    you can sleep on your own from this day forward and just leave your mom to me."


    After a moment of hesitation, Boswell asked, "But what about us? We''re only three years old. Dad, do


    you really have the heart to do that to us?"


    "Of course I do. As men, shouldn''t you be sleeping on your own already?" Matthew''s voice remained


    unaffected. He had spent over three years away from his wife. Now that she was finally back, he still


    couldn''t have her in his arms to sleep every night. How pathetic!


    The four kids looked at each other before Adkins dered, "Dad, let''s eat first." ''Since we can''t reach


    an agreement now, we better talk about itter!'' he thought.


    "Okay," Matthew agreed.


    Later that night, Y City was bustling. Even though it was cold outside, by eight or nine o''clock, the town


    was still crowded.


    As Matthew got caught up in a trip abroad for two days, the four kids were temporarily at Sheffield''s


    house in the care of Evelyn and a group of servants while Erica was out in the city.


    The woman wrapped herself up tightly to remain protected from the cold. She had a hat, a mask, a


    sweatshirt, and trousers on. She was careful to specifically wear only ck clothes as she walked in a


    high-end bar through a side door, not wanting to draw any undesired attention to herself.


    As soon as she stepped into the bar, someone spotted her.


    A seemingly ordinary man in jeans walked towards her. When he was about to pass by, he whispered,


    "Erma, they are on the second floor!"


    "How many people are there?"


    "Six."


    "How many of our people havee?"


    The man in denim looked around the first floor and answered, "About a hundred or more. Six of them


    are in Room 205 upstairs."


    "Okay, you guys stay here. I''ll go upstairs and walk around. I''ll be right back."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    Erica walked towards the stairs at the end of the bar and went up.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    When she reached the second floor, she noticed that itcked all the noise she was met with on the


    first floor. She found many waiters on standby in the corridor, and next to them, there were a few


    bodyguards in ck in front of one of the private rooms.

 Chapter 1404 End Up As Matthews Wife

    Chapter 1404 End Up As Matthew''s Wife


    As soon as Erica opened the fire door, several pairs of eyes looked in her direction.


    She closed the door behind her as if nothing happened. A waiter came over immediately and asked


    politely, "Excuse me, can I help you?"


    Erica was dumbfounded for a moment, then shed him a charming smile. That was when she


    remembered she wore a mask and he couldn''t see her face. "Room 205, please!"


    The waiter led her to Room 205. When they passed by Room 206, three bodyguards in ck snapped


    to attention and looked alert.


    After entering Room 205 without incident, Erica was relieved by the voices of her henchmen greeting


    her one by one.


    Taking off her hat and mask, Erica asked the people in the room to have a seat. Once everyone did as


    they were bidden, she asked softly, "Found anything yet?"


    "Not yet. I heard them talking about a dock, but we don''t know the location or what''s going on there.


    Check out the photo, Erma." One of her minions handed his phone to Erica.


    Erica erged the pic he took, the result of ndestine activity. She looked at it, but didn''t recognize


    anyone. When she was about to give the phone back to the man, her gaze fell on a particr woman in


    that photo.


    "Wait. Who''s that?" She immediately erged the photo and re-centered it. Erica looked carefully at


    the woman holding a man''s arm. The woman looked familiar, but she just couldn''t figure out why.


    She spent more time looking at it, and the longer she stared, the more the woman resembled Noreen.


    She gave the phone back to the man, took out her own and called Chantel. "Hey, it''s me. You busy


    now?" she asked.


    "No, I just finished a shoot. I''m on my way back." Chantel leaned against the back of the seat wearily.


    She''d taken on too much work to handle. Fortunately, the day after tomorrow was her day off. She


    could visit her son.


    "Any idea what Noreen is up to, by chance?"


    Hearing her mention Noreen, Chantel shook her head and said, "When we humiliated her on the cruise


    ship, Noreen and I have be mortal enemies. I haven''t even so much as bumped into her in


    forever."


    She really hadn''t given her a second thought. She had no clue what TV shows she was on or


    interviews she gave.


    "Here''s the thing¡ªI ended up at that bar thanks to the intel my brother gave you. Our people snapped


    a pic of the group. One of them looked like Noreen, but I''m not sure. She wore shades, and it was dark


    out. I figured you might have more contact with her than I do," Erica exined.


    Gifford told Chantel where this group of thugs was, and she told Erica. It was a rather efficient


    information pipeline.


    "I''ll have someone look into it." With something to take her mind off show business, Chantel cheered up


    quickly.


    Erica nodded, "Ask my brother. Your hubby is pretty good at sussing these things out!"


    Chantel sighed and answered, "Let me have a crack at it first."


    "Okay. I can''t wait to find out what you turn up."


    If her suspicions were confirmed that Noreen was one of those people in the photo, things would be


    much easier.


    After the two ended their call, Chantel asked her agent first, "Do me a favor. There''s an actress,


    Noreen, that I want to talk to. Can you find out what she''s doing tonight? If she''s taping, I can catch her


    afterwards."


    "I''ll try. But no guarantees." The agent made a few calls, but no one knew.


    Chantel had no choice but to call Gifford.


    The phone rang twice before someone picked up. "It''s me. You home now?" the man asked.


    "No," she answered. Chantel was a little nervous talking to him. "I wonder if you could do me another


    favor."


    Instead of replying, Gifford took a deep breath. Finally, he asked, "You''ve been busytely. When do


    you get some time off?"


    "I already booked my flight. I''ll be there the day after tomorrow," she answered.


    "Awesome! Now what do you need?"


    Taking a deep breath, Chantel pushed away the excitement and nervousness in the bottom of her heart


    and asked, "Do you know Noreen?"


    Gifford thought for a while, but he didn''t remember the name. "No. Should I?"


    Amused, Chantel couldn''t help but tease him, "She''s the ''it girl'' in the industry right now. You can''t tell


    me you haven''t heard of her."


    "I don''t really watch TV. Why should I know who she is? And why do you care?" Gifford asked in reply


    and thought she was just being funny. He didn''t run in those circles. The only big star he knew was


    Chantel. And he liked it that way.


    "No, it''s not like that. Fine. I just want to know where she was this evening."


    "Well, I need a little more info than that."


    "Well, she''s a big star right now, her full name is Noreen Xia, and she''s 35. That''s really about it, but


    IMDb is bound to have something on her."


    Gifford sighed helplessly. "All right. I''ll call if I find anything."


    "Okay. Did I disturb you?" she asked.


    Gifford smiled, "Littlete for that, isn''t it? I mean, we just had a conversation, right?"


    Chantel blushed. "I was really nervous. After all, Rika''s still waiting for the info."


    Gifford knew it was his sister who made Chantele to him for the goods. "Tell her to take care of


    herself. If anything happens to her, I end up as Matthew''s wife!" He really didn''t know if that was the


    case, but he also didn''t want to find out, either! Anyway, he and Erica were all Li family members.


    "You want to be Mr. Huo''s wife? I''m sure he''d spoil you," Chantel said, not knowing whether to cry or to


    laugh.


    "You can''t be serious. I think we''ve established which team I''m batting for,"


    he said in a serious tone. She seemed to be quite clear about it. "You can prove it to me the day after


    tomorrow. Now let''s focus on that info that your sister wants."


    "Okay."


    After the two ended the call, Gifford thought he should call Matthew and tell him about it. He was afraid


    Erica would go off and her husband wouldn''t know.


    After delegating the task to his men, he dialed Matthew''s number.


    It was not until the two of them talked on the phone that Gifford realized how bold his sister was. She


    really wasn''t waiting for anyone this time! She not only did what she wanted, but also went there when


    Matthew was not in the city.


    ''Erica might not know what these thugs are capable of! She doesn''t know how many people they''ve


    killed, and now she goes into the proverbial lion''s den to investigate!'' he thought to himself.


    Matthew was out of town on a business trip and wouldn''t be back for a while. After receiving the news,


    he had to ask Sheffield to gather his bodyguards and head to the bar to protect Erica.


    When Sheffield found Erica, Chantel had just hung up the phone. She confirmed to Erica that Noreen


    was in that establishment.


    When Sheffield swaggered into Room 205, Erica looked at him in astonishment. "Sheffield, why are


    you here?" she asked.


    He sat leisurely on the sofa and said, "Your husband called. From thousands of miles away, he gave


    me this bodyguard duty! I must have done something pretty bad to Carlos and Matthew in the previous


    life!"


    Erica rushed over excitedly and asked in a quiet voice, "Does he know?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Raising his eyebrows, Sheffield nodded, "Of course. And he was pretty pissed. Rika, do you know how


    dangerous those guys are? They kill with impunity."


    Those people ran in the shadows, while Erica and Chantel were the army of light. And no one knew


    who was running the show as far as the thugs were concerned.


    But Erica wasn''t dumb. She exined to Sheffield, "I haven''t done anything yet, have I? I just want to


    make sure if it''s them. If it''s true, I''ll call the police or Matthew as backup."


    She knew what she was doing, and what kind of danger she was in. That was why she had people in


    ce downstairs, to help her beat a hasty retreat if necessary.


    Sheffield looked at Erica up and down and said, "You look like a killer. I thought you came here alone."


    He made a gesture of rubbing his neck.


    Erica was amused. "Have you ever seen a killer in sportswear?"


    "No, I have never seen him before." Sheffield''s phone rang. It was Matthew.


    He answered the phone and called out in an exaggerated effeminate voice, "It''s dear


    Matthew."

 Chapter 1405 Dont Judge A Book By Its Cover

    Chapter 1405 Don''t Judge A Book By Its Cover


    Matthew rolled his eyes, holding his phone to his ear. "Where''s my wife?" he asked on the other end of


    the line.


    "Don''t worry. She is right here next to me. Safe and sound. You shouldn''t worry about her. She just


    came here to check something out," Sheffield answered.


    "Well, take her back and put a bodyguard on her. We''ll talk about it when I get home," Matthew said.


    "You got it!" Sheffield didn''t hang up the phone. He told Erica, "Let''s go, Rika. Your husband asked me


    to take you home and keep an eye on you!"


    Erica reached out her hand and said, "Let me talk to him."


    She took his phone from his hand. Before she could say anything, Matthew quickly said, "Don''t try to


    exin anything to me.


    The only thing you need to do now is to wait for me at home." Erica let out a sigh of frustration. "All


    right!" But she still tried to defend herself by saying, "I have my people upstairs and downstairs. They


    have my back. I''ll be fine."


    Matthew''s voice became colder and colder as he spoke. "Those gangsters have weapons. Are your


    men armed?"


    "Fine! I''ll go home, I guess," she said dejectedly. How could her people get weapons? Most of them,


    especially guns, were illegal! About the only thing they were allowed to carry was pepper spray, and


    even that was iffy.


    "Good girl."


    After they both hung up, Erica returned the phone to Sheffield and sighed helplessly. "You ready to go,


    then?"


    Sheffield stood up from the sofa with a smile, and the two walked out of the private room one after the


    other.


    Coincidentally, as soon as they came out, someone opened the door to Room 206. Some people


    shuffled out.


    Sheffield met with the head of the group, a mysterious expression on his face. Before the head of the


    group saw it, it had all but vanished. With his usual smile, he greeted him gregariously, "Wow, what a


    coincidence, Mr. Wang!"


    Michel was a little surprised to see him, and to see Erica behind him. But he smiled and responded in


    kind, "Oh, Mr. Tang! Mrs. Huo! What are you doing here?"


    The two men shook hands. Noreen looked at Erica in confusion, and Erica pretended not to notice.


    Michel''s greeting pulled Erica''s thoughts back to reality. "Mrs. Huo! Doing well, I take it? You haven''t


    aged a day! Uh, where is Mr. Huo?" He also looked behind them to see if Matthew was there.


    Erica smiled at him and was about to say something, but Sheffield cut her off. "My brother-inw is out


    of the country on a business trip. Erica and he had a little tiff and she went out for a drink. Matthew


    asked me to make sure she got home okay. Fortunately, I got here quickly. I arrived before she could


    order any wine!"


    It was pretty convincing, if only partially true. Michel was taken in by and seemed satisfied. He nodded


    and struck a conciliatory tone. "Fights aremon among couples. The nice thing is, they don''tst


    long. You should probably go back home and get some sleep. Everything will be fine tomorrow."


    Sheffield did his part, and Erica picked up the conversation and ran with it. In cooperation with him, she


    acted annoyed. "Matthew went too far. He can stay out all night drinking with you, Mr. Wang. But he


    doesn''t allow me to drink. Next time you see him, tell him that''s messed up."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Michelughed. "You must be kidding, Mrs. Huo. I think you give me too much credit."


    "I see. Thank you, Mr. Wang!" she answered with a smile.


    Sheffield shifted position, pretending he had just seen Noreen. Feigning surprise, he asked Michel, "Mr.


    Wang, isn''t this the famous star, Noreen?"


    There was a sh of emotion in Michel''s eyes, but the smile on his face remained the same. "Yes,


    she''s my goddaughter. I have a good rtionship with her mother, so I made her goddaughter. Noreen,


    come and say hello to Mr. Tang and Mrs. Huo!"


    Noreen walked over. She did as she was bidden. Walking up to Sheffield, she said, "Good evening, Mr.


    Tang!" Her smile was more a grimace, showing lots of teeth. A smile that said her toothpaste tasted


    bad. But when she was face to face with Erica, she looked like she was struggling with that smile. The


    actress looked angrier than anything. She said reluctantly, "Mrs. Huo, what a surprise."


    Erica did her best to ignore her. Sheffield knew there was bad blood between them, so he tried to


    smooth things over. "Miss Xia, I''ve heard a lot about you. And they''re right. The number one actress is


    beautiful and captivating. Now I have something to tell my grandkids!"


    No matter how unhappy she was, Noreen couldn''t help smiling at Sheffield. He was handsome, rich


    and powerful. Not only that, he was exceedingly charming. "Why Mr. Tang, I''m ttered!"


    After some more small talk, they all went downstairs.


    They climbed into their cars and went their separate ways. After everyone had driven off, Noreen asked


    Michel worriedly, "Why was Erica there?"


    The polite smile was gone from Michel''s face. He didn''t have to act the gentleman anymore. With a


    gleam in his eyes, he ordered his assistant in the front passenger seat, "Is Matthew really gone? Look


    into it."


    Two minutester, the assistant answered honestly, "Mr. Wang, It looks as if Mr. Huo is really out of


    town, at least."


    Michel nodded, "I hope we''re just being paranoid." Thest family he wanted to mess with in Y City


    was the Huo family.


    He had dealings with them, true. He''d go out for drinks, or attend their dinner parties. But they kept it


    surface level¡ªwork-rted topics only.


    Holding the man''s arm, Noreen said in a spoiled tone, "I''m not happy. Erica humiliated me on that


    cruise ship. You should help me teach her not to mess with me!"


    Michel didn''t say anything. He just patted her hand tofort her. He wasn''t about to offend the Huo


    family over a woman.


    Since he said nothing, Noreen didn''t dare to press the issue. Michel was responsible for a lot of her


    fame. He made videos of her and they went viral. He got her in front of the cameras whenever he


    could. Even if she wasn''t doing anything, she was still famous.


    After hanging up the phone with Sheffield, Matthew ordered Owen, "Trace my wife''s journey from the


    slum to K Country. I have a sneaking suspicion..." It was obvious that there must be something


    important and dangerous that Erica hadn''t told him.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Erica drove here by herself. Sheffield threw his car keys to his bodyguard and got in Erica''s car, trying


    to find out what she was going to do.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Sheffield fastened his seat belt, leaned back, and asked her, deadpan,


    "Rika, why did you look for those people?"


    Erica tightened her grip on the steering wheel, but she didn''t say anything in the end. Instead, she


    asked, "Hey, do you think Michel''s involved? I mean, hees off like a refined schr, but I think


    that''s just an act."


    "Well, I don''t know. Anyway, don''t judge a book by its cover." Michel''spany moved their


    headquarters to Y City two years ago. The Wang Group was doing well there, and now had thousands


    of branches all over the world.


    "You talk to him much?" she asked.


    Sheffield replied, "Yes, but not as much as Matthew does. I think you should ask your hubby about


    Michel."


    "Okay."


    "Well, if there''s really something fishy about Michel, you better stay away from him. I''ll ask someone in


    the gang to dig into his background if you want."


    "Thank you, Sheffield!"


    Resting his hands behind his head, Sheffield decided to tease her and said, "Rika, why don''t you give


    Colman to me as a gift in return? That''s the best way to thank me!"


    ying along, Erica nodded, "Okay. Thanks to you, he''s talking about finding a wife every day. Maybe I


    should just let him stay with you and Evelyn!"

 Chapter 1406 Middle Stage Of Gastric Cancer

    Chapter 1406 Middle Stage Of Gastric Cancer


    "Hey, Rika, don''t try to stir things up here. Let me correct you. I don''t need to look for a wife every day


    because I already have the best wife in the world. Got it? Evelyn would make me kneel on a keyboard


    again if she heard that!" Sheffield made sure to exin himself clearly, even though he knew it was just


    a joke.


    Ericaughed out loud and said, "Perhaps, I should learn from Evelyn and make Matthew kneel on


    some durian shells in the future. That man needs to know just how powerful I am!"


    "That sounds like a great idea, Rika. You have my full support! If you need any help, just let me know!"


    Sheffield was amused at the idea of Matthew''s misery.


    In fact, he was dying to see Matthew crying in pain on a pile of durian shells.


    When they arrived at the Pearl Vi District, Erica went straight to Sheffield''s vi to see her sons, but


    they were already in bed with Godwin, ready for sleep.


    However, the moment they saw Erica, they jumped out of bed in a split second, yelling her name with


    excitement. "Mommy!"


    Gwh, who was telling them bedtime stories, helplessly said, "Aunt Rika, they are so naughty when


    they are together. It''s so hard to get them to lie down in bed!"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Erica turned her face towards the boys, ring at them angrily, and asked, "Have you been naughty


    again?"


    Adkins immediately apologized, "Mom, I''m sorry. I''m going to bed now!"


    As soon as he crawled into the bed, the rest of them followed suit and closed their eyes at once,


    pretending to be asleep.


    Gwh chuckled and shook her head with amusement. "Aunt Rika, you''re the only one who can deal


    with them so easily. My voice is starting to be hoarse because I have to keep yelling at them."


    Erica whispered in her ear, "These kids can be very considerate as well. They will listen to you if you


    pretend to be aggrieved."


    "I see! I think I understand what you mean, Aunt Rika. I''ll be sure to try that out next time."


    When Erica returned home, she found an empty vi, full of nothing but loneliness. She took out her


    phone from her pocket and called Matthew. "Honey, are you asleep?"


    "No. What''s up?"


    "Nothing, it just feels very lonely at home without you." All the maids had gone back to their own


    quarters for the rest of the day, while Erica was hanging from the railings of the staircase,zily


    dragging herself up the stairs.


    Matthew snorted in amusement and said, "Really? I thought you were having a good time. If I didn''t ask


    Sheffield to go there, you would still be in the bar, wouldn''t you?"


    "Well, I had no intentions of hiding anything from you. When I got the news about them, you were on a


    business trip. What was I supposed to do? So, I took some people with me. Nothing happened! Don''t


    worry about me," she said.


    "What if something happened to you today? Who am I going to settle ounts with? Gifford? After all,


    he''s the one who gave you the news in the first ce," Matthew argued, furiously.


    "Please don''t me Gifford. Otherwise, he won''t help me anymore!" Erica stood up straight.


    However, Matthew was too upset to care. "So what?" The only person he cared about was his wife.


    "Matthew, please stop making such a big deal out of it. I promise I won''t do anything before youe


    back, okay?"


    Finally, he got what he wanted and he responded with a resounding sigh of relief. "Hmm."


    The two had been talking on the phone for almost half an hour, but since Matthew had to deal with


    some problems at work, he had to hang up.


    Erica decided to call it a night and hit the sack, but soon after, she felt a strong pang of pain in her


    stomach.


    She tossed and turned in bed, and finally pressed the buzzer to ask the maid downstairs to bring her a


    ss of hot water.


    After slowly drinking a ss of hot water, Erica realized that it was pointless, because apart from the


    momentary pain relief, it did nothing else.


    She racked her brain, trying to trace back what she had eaten today to see what was causing her


    stomach to ache so badly.


    The more she tried to think, the sleepier she felt. Eventually, Erica''s sleepiness helped her to ovee


    the pain and she fell asleep.


    The next morning, when she woke up and stretched her arms, there was no sign of the pain from the


    night before.


    Erica assumed that the worst was over, until it was near noon, when the unwee stomachache


    returned. This time, the pain seemed to be more severe. In fact, not only was the pain excruciating, but


    she was also starting to feel nauseous. Soon after, she had no choice but to get herself checked up at


    the hospital.


    Erica had to go through registration, inquiry, examination and other procedures.


    The disy screen of the hospital was broken. Moreover, Erica was busy ying with her mobile


    phone, so when she heard someone call her name, she grabbed her bag as quickly as she could and


    rushed to get the result. However, when she couldn''t understand the test result, she passed it to the


    attending doctor and asked for an exnation.


    The doctor looked at the examination result and then slowly shifted his eyes to her. Finally, he pressed


    her stomach a few times and suddenly asked, "Does it hurt here?"


    "Ouch! Yes, it hurts a lot!" she cried.


    "Are you 27 years old?"


    "Yes, I am!"


    The doctor drew back his hand and simply said, "Stomach cancer, stage III."


    "Oh... What? What did you say?" Erica''s mind went nk even though she was staring at the doctor.


    Did she hear it wrong?


    After confirming her name, the doctor exined to her slowly, "You are going through the middle stages


    of gastric cancer.


    The best treatment at present is to remove most of the stomach." Suddenly, Erica felt as though the sky


    was crashing down above her. She shivered, as streams of tears traced paths through her cheeks. The


    doctor continued, "s! Youngdy, just go through the admission procedures. Don''t worry, you are still


    young. But, even though your life is not in danger, there are still some risks..."


    Erica had no idea how she came out of the outpatient room. The people waiting in the corridor stared at


    her in wonder while her eyes were lowered to the floor, focused on nothing in particr. She couldn''t


    stop crying, as ifpletely oblivious to the confused gazes of those around her.


    She was dying. Cancer...


    ''Matthew, my sons, my parents, my family... I will have to leave them and won''t be able to see them


    again...''


    After walking out of the hospital, Erica fell into deep contemtion and she wondered whether she


    should find another ce to spend her remaining days in. After all, the thought of dealing with the pain


    of treatment seemed horrifying enough.


    However, when she thought of her parents, husband and her children, Erica felt despondent and


    disheartened. How could she think of doing such a thing to them without even telling them?


    Without paying much attention, she somehow managed to pull out her phone and call Matthew.


    Unfortunately, before she could even figure out what she was going to say to him, the call got


    connected.


    Matthew always answered her calls on time. No matter how busy he was, he wouldn''t miss any of her


    calls.


    "Rika?" The man''s gentle voice graced her ears from the other end of the line.


    The moment she heard him, she burst into tears, failing to control her emotions any longer. "Matthew..."


    Erica''s voice trembled and her muffled sobs wracked against her chest.


    Matthew, who was just now talking business with a client, frowned and walked to the side, while his


    client gazed at him in confusion. "Rika, what''s wrong?" he asked in a worried voice.


    However, the woman could barely utter a proper word without bawling or sniffling like a baby.


    Matthew could tell that Erica wasn''t joking and that something very bad must have happened for her to


    be in such a state. This time, when he spoke, he sounded quite anxious. "Rika, don''t cry. Just tell me


    what happened."


    "I... I...I might be dying... Well, I want to die alone..." In truth, she didn''t want anyone to feel sorry for


    her.


    Her words caused Matthew''s face to change dramatically. As he walked out of the room, he patiently


    tried tofort her. "What are you talking about? What do you mean you''re dying? Just tell me


    everything clearly."


    Erica wiped her face with a tissue and took a few deep breaths to ease her mood. After a minute or so,


    she exined, "I just came from the hospital... The doctor said I... have...gastric cancer and it is at


    stage III. Matthew, I don''t want to undergo a partial gastrectomy. It hurts so much. I''m afraid of pain..."


    "Gastric cancer? Stage III? That can''t be right!" Despite his efforts to remain calm while facing


    problems, Matthew''s voice rose in shock.


    "But it''s true..."

 Chapter 1407 Such A Jerk

    Chapter 1407 Such A Jerk


    Furious, Matthew denied in a low voice, "No way! How could you have gastric cancer? What kind of


    quack did examine you? Go and tell him that his career is over because I''m going to sue him! He will


    never be a doctor again in his life!"


    He had been away for only two days on a business trip, and all of a sudden, he got the news that his


    wife had middle stage cancer. Before he left, she was just fine. How could he believe such nonsense?


    "It''s true. I''ve had a stomachache since yesterday. I went for a check-up today. Let me take a photo of


    the results for you." Erica knew Matthew was having none of it, and to be honest, she was having a


    hard time believing the results herself! But what was the point of it? The fact that she had cancer


    wouldn''t change just because they refused to believe it.


    "Send it to me!" Matthew ordered and hung up the phone.


    Next, Erica took a photo of the exam results and immediately sent it to Matthew.


    The moment he got it, Matthew swiped his finger down the photo, ignoring the bunch of words on the


    top. Reaching the bottom row, he read the results, which confirmed that Erica had middle stage gastric


    mucus cancer.


    The report was made at the Y City First General Hospital. The names of the gastroscopy operator and


    the attending doctor were also on it.


    Putting his phone away, Matthew took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.


    As he stared at the view outside the window, he took a drag on the cigarette.


    When Owen came over, he found his boss smoking. He then whispered to him, "Mr. Huo, Mr. Du is


    waiting for you."


    Matthew didn''t say anything. He simply took another drag on the cigarette.


    Once it was about to burn out, he managed to suppress the panic he felt in his heart before he stubbed


    it out in the trash beside him. Finally, he said in a hoarse voice, "Put the contract with Mr. Du aside and


    book the earliest flight to Y City. We need to go back as soon as possible."


    Caught off guard, Owen did not resist asking, "Mr. Huo, has something happened in Y City? The


    contract with Mr. Du will be signed soon..."


    Matthew nodded. "I''ll tell Mr. Du about it myself. You arrange a car for the airport right now. We can''t


    wait any longer."


    Noticing that something serious must have happened, Owen didn''t dare to insist more. "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    The moment he had everything settled, Matthew left thepany and dialed Erica''s number. He


    wanted to calm her down before she did anything stupid.


    Absent-mindedly, Erica drove straight to a river nearby. The phone kept ringing, but only after several


    rings did shee back to her senses.


    Pulling over, she got out of the car and answered the phone without giving Matthew a chance to say


    anything first. "Matthew, I''ve calmed down already. In fact, I''m grateful for the opportunity I got to be


    Wesley and ir''s daughter, your wife, and the mother of my four sons. I''lle into terms with my


    dying. Well, I guess there is a next life, right?"


    Matthew was short of breath, so he tried to calm himself down beforeforting her. "Rika, you don''t


    know that because you don''t often go to the hospital, but medicine is quite advanced nowadays. It''s


    just middle stage cancer. I''m sure that if you get proper treatment, you''ll get better. I''ve just checked.


    There are many patients at the advanced stage of gastric cancer who stabilized their condition after


    regr treatments. The first thing you need to worry about is your state of mind. Don''t give yourself


    up..."


    "My state of mind..." With her eyes fixed at the river in front of her, Erica sat on thewn. She had been


    in a bad mood since she left the hospital. "Matthew, I think... I think I''ve lived my whole life in vain. Even


    though I''m dying, I still don''t know whether you love me or not..." She was about to die and never even


    heard Matthew say that he loved her.


    "Why did you say that? Rika, can''t you feel my love for you?" Matthew asked. He thought he had


    already proved his love for her over and over.


    "Yes, I can feel it. But you never said it, so how can I be sure if you really love me or not?" Erica


    couldn''t hide the disappointment in her voice.


    Sensing her frustration, Matthew got a little flustered. "Do I have to tell you out loud? Well, Rika, listen


    to me carefully!"


    Regardless of how shocked Owen was from the driver''s seat, Matthew swore firmly, "I, Matthew Huo,


    will only love one person from beginning to end, and this person is none other than you. I love you, for


    this life, for the next, and forever..." With a roar, he stated atst, "I only love you, Erica!"


    Tears streamed down Erica''s face. He finally told her that he loved her.


    "Don''t cry. I love you so much, even more than you love me. I''ve been feeling this way for a long time


    already. I can''t tell when exactly I fell in love with you. Maybe you were thirteen or fourteen..." At that


    time, he was only eighteen or neen years old, but she was still too young for him. Even if he had all


    of these feelings for her, he had to suppress them.


    Owen was astonished when he heard Matthew''s love deration to his wife. ''Oh my God! Mr. Huo is


    such a jerk. How could he have fallen in love with Mrs. Huo when she was only thirteen or fourteen


    years old?'' Owen thought to himself.


    "Matthew, I love you too," Erica confessed. Despite the strange looks she kept getting from the


    passersby, she burst into tears.


    She was overwhelmed with joy!


    "So from now on, don''t cry anymore. I''ll take you to the hospital for the most precise examination. If the


    diagnosis confirms you have middle stage gastric cancer, I''ll take you to the best hospital, and you''ll


    receive the best treatment there is. No matter how difficult it is, I''ll be with you every step of the way. I


    won''t let you face anything on your own, and in return, you mustn''t leave me alone in this world,


    understood?" Matthew pleaded.


    "Understood..." Erica nodded obediently.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, Matthew closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. "Honey, I''m on my way


    back. Wait for me at home, okay?"


    "Did I keep you from your work?" Erica asked, feeling a bit guilty.


    "No." In fact, it was his work that kept him from being with his wife when she had to face that terrible


    news alone.


    After a moment of silence, Erica suddenly remembered something she had been wanting to ask him.


    "Matthew."


    "Hmm?"


    "Why did you marry me in the first ce?" she asked.


    Prior to their engagement, Erica asked Matthew why he wanted to marry her. And he said it was to


    fulfill a request from his father.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Unconvinced, she asked him again after they got married, to which he answered, "I wanted to do


    everyone else a favor and prevent you from causing trouble to another person."


    Now, five yearster, she was asking him the same question once more.


    This time, he replied, "Because I love you."


    With her arms around her legs, Erica buried her head into her knees as she cried andughed like a


    fool.


    After that, the two kept on the line until Matthew got on the ne and was forced to say goodbye.


    "Rika, wait for me."


    However, before turning off his phone for the trip, he made onest call to Paige. "Find my wife. You''ll


    keep track of her from now on." Even though Erica promised him she would wait for him, he still feared


    that the silly girl would suddenly take off to a remote ce to die on her own.


    "Yes, Mr. Huo," said Paige.


    As the hours passed, Erica was still sitting by the river in a daze. Her phone rang several times, but she


    didn''t seem to hear it.


    She also didn''t drink or eat anything from afternoon to dusk, and then from dusk to night...


    "Rika!" a familiar male voice called from behind her.


    At his call, Erica woke from her daze as she turned around.


    Not so far away, stood a man in a dark suit and a long ck overcoat. That man was none other than


    Matthew.

 Chapter 1408 I Like To Eat

    Chapter 1408 I Like To Eat


    Erica dissolved into tears. The pent up emotions in her heart seemed to find an outlet. Erica threw


    herself into her husband''s arms and cried bitterly.


    Matthew took off his overcoat and wrapped it around her. He inhaled her scent and kissed her long hair


    gently. "Honey, don''t cry," he said, trying tofort her.


    ''You won''t die without my permission!


    If the King of Hell wants you, he''ll have to defeat me first!'' Matthew thought to himself.


    Erica didn''t say anything and kept crying.


    They just stood by the river, holding each other tightly. The woman choked with sobs, while the man


    reassuring her.


    asionally, when someone came near, they couldn''t help but take a look at them. The sadness of the


    two people was reced by warmth and happiness.


    Ten minutester, Matthew suddenly said, "You still have your test results with you? Let me see them


    again."


    With swollen red eyes, Erica took out the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to


    him.


    Matthew straightened the paper out so he could read it. On top it said that it was the electronic


    endoscopy examination report of Y City First General Hospital. He was not in a hurry to read it. Instead,


    he asked her a question first, "Did they give you anesthetic before the exam?"


    "Anesthetic?" The woman was confused.


    "Yes!"


    Erica thought for a while and answered, "No." They never gave her anything for the pain, nor did they


    sedate her. Nothing.


    Matthew held her in his arms and asked in a trembling voice, "Silly girl, why didn''t you opt for the


    anesthetic?" Usually, these kinds of procedures involve knocking the patient out using some sort of


    anesthetic. A tube with a camera is inserted in the throat so the doctors can look around the stomach.


    It''s generally painful even when sedated.


    Erica didn''t know what was going on. They never offered her anything. She hugged him and said sadly,


    "It doesn''t matter. They''ll have to use it when I go under the knife!"


    Sighing silently, Matthew continued to read the results.


    There was a long paragraph in the middle consisting professional medical instructions. He could


    understand most of them. "Did the doctor say how you might have developed cancer?"


    The woman in his arms shook her head. "I was too sad to ask."


    "Why not?" Never mind. He would take her to do the examination again. Do it right this time, ask


    questions. No matter what the result was, they would face it together.


    Erica was still drowning in sorrow, and couldn''t find a lifeline. Matthew suddenly raised his voice and


    said, "Erica Li!"


    The atmosphere changed abruptly. Things felt different somehow.


    "What?" She raised her head and looked at him, her eyes red and swollen from crying.


    Matthew stood there, staring at her, a weird expression on his face. Erica couldn''t describe it to save


    her life.


    Anyway, he nced down at the examination results in his hand, and then shifted his gaze to her


    again. Finally, he asked, "So your name''s Erika Li now?"


    Confused, Erica asked, "Are you out of your mind?" Who was she if she weren''t Erica Li?


    Matthew clenched his fists and closed his eyes in despair. When he opened his eyes again, he gritted


    his teeth and asked, "I''m out of my mind? I think that describes you better than me. How carefully did


    you check that report? Think hard before you answer."


    The woman nodded like a chicken pecking rice. "I looked at every line. Why?" She kept reading the line


    "stage III cancer" over and over. It seemed like she''d read it thousands of times.


    "Then why did you cry after you''d checked it so carefully?" He really wanted to strangle the woman in


    front of him right now.


    "I have cancer! Why can''t I cry? Want me tough instead?" She suddenly let go of the man, feeling


    that he was insane.


    "So your name is Erika Li? When did that happen?" Since when did she change her name? Did she get


    Wesley''s permission before doing that?


    Erica was a little angry and she spat, "Are you insane?" How could he still tease her like that now she


    was deathly ill?


    "You''re not sick!"


    She thought what Matthew said was a rhetorical remark, so she retorted angrily, "Maybe not! But you


    are! Stop it!"


    Matthew was gobsmacked. He lifted the test results to eye level, pulled out his phone, and turned on


    the LED light. The exam report was all lit up. "Open your eyes wide and look carefully! You''re not sick!"


    "Are you crazy? Stop it Matthew, please. I''m not in the mood." Hands on her hips, Erica was now


    arguing with her husband.


    Matthew was tired of going round and round. He felt she was deliberately being obtuse. He put the


    report in front of her eyes, pointed at the name printed on the paper and gritted his teeth. "Check it out!"


    "Erika Li? So the doctor typed my name wrong. It''s not my fault... Wait a minute!" Erica''s eyes widened.


    She grabbed the exam results and thought she finally got what he was trying to tell her. She was too


    excited to say much.


    "I...I''m not...Erika Li. My name is Erica Li. These are not my test results!" She startedughing


    hysterically. She was so excited that she was about to cry.


    Suppressing theplex emotions in his heart, Matthew asked her again calmly, "Look at the


    procedure. Did they jam a camera down your throat?"


    "A camera...down my throat?" Erica silently lowered her head and took out her cell phone. She looked


    up what it was, checking Baidu to make sure Matthew''s description was urate.


    She wiped her tears and screamed excitedly, holding Matthew in her arms. "They didn''t do anything


    like that to me. These results aren''t mine at all. I don''t have cancer. Hahaha!"


    Matthew rolled his eyes. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and squeezed out, "Know what I think? I


    think you lied to me so I''d confess to you."


    He wondered how she got hold of such a thing.


    "No, I didn''t. I really had a stomachache when I went to the hospital. Look at you! You didn''t care about


    me at all. And now you start flinging crazy usations at me..." Erica''s voice faded away in the man''s


    disgusted eyes.


    Atst, she pulled a long face and said, "So you aren''t happy that I don''t have cancer?"


    Seeing her like this, Matthew felt a dull pain in his temples. He picked her up and left the river bank.


    In the following days, Matthew forced Erica to go to another private hospital, one owned by ZL Group.


    After a short exam, the doctor consulted with Matthew. "I think it was just a garden-variety


    stomachache. She ate a star fruit, and those things are high in acid. So it gave her a sour stomach for


    a few days.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She should be alright now."


    In the ward


    With a cold face, Matthew asked the woman in the bed who was having an infusion, "Where did you


    get the star fruit anyway?"


    Realizing that she was in the wrong, the woman tried to make herself as small as possible. "I went to a


    farmer''s market and bought it from an old woman..." She ate it all. It was the size of a baby''s fist and


    tasted sweet and sour.


    But it was not her fault. The olddy said the fruit was fresh.


    When he heard that, Matthew was really pissed off. His tone became colder and colder. "Don''t we have


    enough fruit at home?"


    The walk-in fridge at home was always full since Erica and their four sons were living in the vi


    together. They had no end of food, including twenty or thirty kinds of fruits.


    "All right, all right. It''s all my fault. I like to eat. Don''t get mad at me!" Fortunately, she got what she


    wanted. She was trying hard to control her emotions and stop herself fromughing out loud.


    The man''s sleeves were half rolled up, and he stood by the bed with his hands on his waist. It was


    obvious that he wanted to settle ounts with her to the end. "Seriously? You''reughing now!" he


    snapped.


    "Can''t help it. Sorry?" she said in a weak voice.


    Matthew didn''t know how to respond. ''What do I do? I can''t stay mad at her forever. She''s my wife, and


    I love her more than life itself!'' he told himself.


    "I need you to write a list of your faults. No less than a thousand words. Don''t go to bed until you finish


    it!" he ordered.


    ''What?'' She hadn''t written something like that in more than ten years. Pitifully, she raised her left hand,


    which an IV needle was taped to, and said, "How about not?"

 Chapter 1409 I Can Change My Mind

    Chapter 1409 I Can Change My Mind


    When Paige came in holding a pair of lunch boxes, she happened to see all this. Trying not tough,


    she told Matthew, "Mr. Huo, Mrs. Huo, I''ve got your midnight snacks."


    Erica''s eyes lit up. She immediately sat up straight and said with a smile, "Paige, you wouldn''t happen


    to have bought me seafood porridge?"


    Paige nced at the man next to her, who still had a long face, and shook her head at Erica. "Mr. Huo


    said you had a belly ache. I got millet porridge with yam. I hope that''s okay, because Mr. Huo asked me


    to get something light and digestible for you." ''But I got seafood porridge for him, '' she thought.


    With a grim face, Matthew snorted, "If you''ve got gastritis, seafood porridge should be thest thing you


    eat. Did you think I''d let your hurt yourself?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, no. You don''t get it. I wanted to make sure she got some for you." Erica didn''t dare admit what she


    really thought.


    To her surprise, the man said indifferently, "Well, she did get me some. And it''s yummy, thank you very


    much."


    Ericapsed into stupefied silence.


    A few minutester, she looked at the man eating seafood porridge next to her and sighed in her heart.


    He made her watch him eat that on purpose. She couldn''t eat so much as a single mouthful of his


    savory porridge, but she could only eat the nd and tasteless millet porridge.


    The man seemed to know what she was thinking. He deliberately picked up a piece of sirloin, taking his


    time looking at it before finally popping it into his mouth. After chewing it at a leisurely pace, he said


    slowly, "Yes, I did it on purpose. I let you watch me eat, knowing you can''t take a single bite." He


    figured this would teach her a lesson. See if she tried to eat anything without thinking about it next time.


    She was even more careless than her four three-year-old sons.


    Erica was upset, but she held it in. She had to say, "No matter. It''s good. Porridge and vegetables! I


    can lose some weight too!" What else could she say? Matthew was convinced he was right, and there


    was no use fighting over it.


    "Well, then eat some more."


    She pouted seeing his smug look. ''What a jerk! When I get better, I''ll show him. I''ll grab steaming bowls


    of hot and sour rice noodles, spicy hot pot, boiled fish with golden pepper... I''ll eat them in front of him,


    too.''


    That night, Matthew wore a long face the whole time, both when around her, and off to the side working


    on hisptop.


    The ward was so quiet that Erica felt uneasy. After tolerating the dead silence for two hours, she finally


    couldn''t stand it anymore. "Matthew."


    The man looked up at her and remained silent.


    "You just don''t want to confess to me, do you? Otherwise, why are you mad at me all the time? So go


    ahead. Get pissed off. Can you take back what you said to me?" Before he could exin, she


    continued, "You can''t go back in time. It''s toote. I waited so long to hear your confession of love, so I


    recorded it and saved it to the cloud. I''ll listen to it on my phone whenever I want!"


    Matthew was confounded. He put down the documents in his hands and came to her. Hands in his


    pockets, he stood by the bed and looked at her indifferently. "Who told you I was angry because of


    that?"


    ''So that''s not why?'' Erica was confused. "Is it because I ate a bad piece of fruit?"


    The man didn''t say anything, which meant yes.


    She was suddenly enlightened. "I told you that I won''t eat it again. It''s not worth staying mad over,


    right? My battery''s dead, and you won''t charge my phone for me. I''m so bored."


    Matthew remained unmoved.


    Erica became listless in an instant and muttered in a quiet voice, "I missed you day and night when I


    was in Tow Vige. Now I finally can see you every day, but you''re just being impossible. Ugh! I can


    hardly stand to be around you." Under the man''s cold eyes, she boldly snorted, "Humph! You are


    always so cold. I''m your wife, not your enemy! It almost makes me want to run away again!"


    "Didn''t you say you would be a fool to run away again?" Matthew said tly.


    ''Oh, did I say that? It doesn''t matter. I''m a girl. I can change my mind whenever I want!'' So, she nodded


    and said, "So, yeah, I guess I am a fool!"


    ''Now I can run away!''


    The man was first stunned by her words, and then chuckled. He had never been angry, and now he


    couldn''t pretend to be cold to her, either.


    He really couldn''t do anything about her behavior. He ced her hand gently under the quilt and said in


    a soft and loving tone, "It''ste. Get some rest. I''ll take you hometer."


    Seeing the smile on his face, Erica nodded proudly. "Okay, then you''re not mad anymore?" She would


    have gone to bed if she hadn''t considered his feelings.


    He bent over and kissed her forehead. "No. Now go to sleep."


    Hearing his promise, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    Erica asked Matthew not to tell anyone she''d been in the hospital. Especially her family, including her


    four kids. She was okay now, and she didn''t want to worry anyone. She cared about them too much to


    do that.


    Late at night, Matthew cautiously carried the sleeping woman to their bed. Heid her down gently, but


    she woke up. She opened one of her eyes and looked at the man in a daze. "We''re home?"


    "Yes. Go to sleep. I need a shower."


    "Okay!"


    When he came out of the bathroom after the shower, Erica was sleeping soundly. He tucked her in and


    then went to the study.


    In the study


    Matthew phoned Owen, and his assistant reported everything he''d learned to his boss. "Orange, a


    member of the FC group, suffered from heart disease. He died three years ago. His PR guy announced


    that he died of a heart attack at home, but in fact, he died in jail. Before this, he was a good friend of


    Mrs. Huo. He and his associates took good care of your wife in K Country when she was pregnant.


    Orange was closer to her than any of the others. To protect her, he let himself be framed and arrested.


    He never lived to serve his full sentence."


    It began to drizzle outside. Matthew stood in front of the window listening to both the raindrops and the


    report. "The person who framed Mrs. Huo and Orange was Kirk Qin. You defeated him in Tow Vige.


    His gang is quite powerful, and have a bad reputation. After that group of people were put behind bars,


    Mrs. Huo also sent someone to secretly investigate who Kirk''s boss might be. He''s a mysterious man,


    and even Kirk doesn''t know who he is."


    Owen paused, and then continued, "Oh, one more thing. In the past few years, Mrs. Chantel Li, Mrs.


    Huo and Tessie have been creating their own power base."


    Matthew was stunned for a second and asked in a quiet voice, "Are you kidding me?"


    "Never, sir. Their gang is called the Violet Eagles. At first, it was a small group led by a man named


    Latham Song. Later, Mrs. Chantel Li took over, and the three women began to increase the size and


    scope of the group. ording to reports, the group is several thousand strong. Half of them came to Y


    City with Mrs. Huo, and the remaining half are spread out in K Country and A Country."


    Owen''s report on the Violet Eagles was quite detailed.


    From the investigation, Matthew could see that Erica rooted out Kirk''s group and continued to figure out


    the mastermind behind him in order to avenge Orange.


    He remembered she went to the barst night. After getting off the phone with Owen, he called


    Sheffield immediately afterwards.


    Fortunately, Sheffield was quite busy with work of his own, so he hadn''t gone to bed yet. It was already


    three in the morning. When he saw the caller ID, he answered it and said in a yful voice, "Hey,


    Matthew. It''s prettyte. You miss me?"


    Without further ado, Matthew go straight to the point. "Who did you see in the bar?"


    After thinking for a bit, Sheffield got serious and answered truthfully, "Michel Wang, Noreen Xia, and


    three others I didn''t know. What happened to Erica?"


    "After doing some digging, I figured out the one she''s looking for is probably Michel Wang..." Matthew


    didn''t think Noreen had anything to do with it. She would never hang around with


    gangsters.

 Chapter 1410 I Will Teach Her A Lesson

    Chapter 1410 I Will Teach Her A Lesson


    If it turned out that Michel Wang was indeed the mastermind behind Kirk and his gangsters, then there


    was more to him than everyone had anticipated. Even before ZL Group started to cooperate with Wang


    Group, Matthew had asked someone to make a thorough investigation on Michel''s background, but


    they couldn''t didn''t find anything suspicious about him.


    "You mean Michel Wang is manipting the contraband trade in secret?" Sheffield asked. Matthew had


    told Sheffield about what Erica had been doing in Tow Vige to some extent, and as such, he had a


    rough idea about who she was looking for.


    "If I''m not mistaken, that''s it," Matthew replied with some certainty. The information from Gifford was


    wless and urate. Moreover, Sheffield and Erica did bump into Michel when they wereing out


    of the bar.


    "I also sent people from the gannd to investigate Michel, but they couldn''t find anything on that


    man," said Sheffield. As he clutched his chin in a pensive manner, the more Sheffield thought about


    this mysterious man, the more curious he was.


    He decided to have his people keep a close eye on Michel, just to ensure the safety of his sister-inw,


    Erica.


    "I''ll call Gifford and touch base with him. Good night."


    "Okay."


    By the time Matthew finally found Gifford on the phone, thetter had already returned to the Li family''s


    house and walked up to the second floor. There was no one else there with Gifford as his wife was


    supposed to be back the next day.


    Gifford answered the phone and whispered, "Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? Why


    aren''t you asleep in the arms of your loving wife?"


    "The information you gave Rika¡ªwhere did you get it?"


    "Oh, two days ago, I took a group of people to destroy the den of a notorious gang. After being


    tortured, the group of gangsters told me that they were going to make a deal in a bar in Y City in two


    days. I put two and two together and realized that I had found the clues Rika was looking for." Gifford


    stopped at the door of his son''s room and quietly leaned against it instead of going inside.


    "Have your men pay more attention to Michel Wang, the CEO of Wang Group in Y City. I''m sure you''ll


    find something fishy if you look hard enough."


    "All right! Got it! Sounds like you''re onto something. Just leave it to me and I''ll look into it." There was a


    sense of urgency in Matthew''s tone which led Gifford to strongly believe that Michel was not an


    ordinary person. Fortunately, Gifford was eager and ready to take up the challenge.


    Just like that, Matthew, Sheffield and Gifford joined hands to fight for Erica.


    But before Gifford could hang up the phone, Wesley pushed the door of his bedroom open and walked


    out in his pajamas.


    As he looked at his son standing in the hallway, he frowned and said, "I had a feeling it was you."


    "Old man, how are you still so vignt? Isn''t it supposed to fade at least a little with your age?" Every


    time Gifford thought he was being stealthy, his father would still find him out no matter what.


    Could it be because of Gifford''sck of skills or was it Wesley''s high vignce?


    Squinting his eyes towards his son''s hand, Wesley noticed that Gifford was talking to someone on the


    phone. "Who are you talking to in the middle of the night?"


    "Your son."


    After a short pause, Wesley understood that he was referring to Matthew. "What happened?"


    "No, actually your precious daughter ended up offending a big shot. Matthew was just worried about


    her!" Indeed, Erica''s reputation of being a troublemaker was undisputed. The moment she was seen in


    public after a few years, she ended up getting in the bad books of a dangerous person.


    ''A big shot?'' Wesley''s facial expression had a slight change. He quickly walked over, grabbed Gifford''s


    phone and put it to his ear. "Matthew, how is Rika now?"


    "Dad, don''t worry. She has gone to bed. She is fine now. I will keep an eye on her."


    Wesley breathed a sigh of relief after learning that the girl was safe and sound. At the same time, he


    suggested, "Make sure she doesn''t go anywhere alone. She can be quite difficult, but if you think she''s


    being too much, just send her back and I''ll teach her a lesson!"


    "Yes, I will keep an eye on her."


    "This girl will never grow up! Don''t hesitate to bring her to me when she''s gone too far. I know what to


    do with her!"


    Matthew couldn''t help but chuckle at Wesley''s words. His father-inw and Carlos were more and more


    alike. They were just duplicitous! ''Bring Rika to him and let him teach her a lesson? Would Wesley


    have the heart to do so?'' Matthew wondered in silence.


    "Okay, Dad! You should get some rest. I''ll handle it from here."


    "Well, you''ve been working hard all day. Don''t stay upte. We''ll talk about it tomorrow."


    "Yes. Good night, Dad."


    Wesley returned the phone to Gifford.


    Gifford eventually spoke out what Matthew was thinking in his heart. "You want him to bring Rika to you


    so you can teach her a lesson? Do you still have the stomach for that kind of stuff? Why don''t you just


    ask Matthew to punish Rika instead?"


    Wesley took off one of his slippers and waved it at Gifford angrily. "Why do you spew so much


    nonsense out of your mouth? You, young men are careless. What if Matthew hits Rika too hard and


    identally causes her internal injuries?"


    Gifford dodged his father and said, "That''s impossible! Matthew treats your naughty daughter better


    than you do. Erica left him and disappeared for more than three years without saying a word. I heard


    that when she went back to him, he didn''t even raise his voice to her. He would never hurt Rika! I think


    you''re wrong about him."


    Wesley dropped his slipper on the floor and wiggled his foot inside. Needless to say, he knew just how


    much Matthew loved Erica. However, he was just afraid that one day Matthew would run out of


    patience with his naughty daughter. What if Matthew lost his temper one day?


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Wesley, however, didn''t continue on this topic any more. "Just kiss your son goodnight and go to bed!"


    "Right, good night, old man!"


    This time, Wesley didn''t even look at him as he quietly went back to his room.


    Gifford walked into his son''s room with a cheeky smile. The little boy was sound asleep, clutching his


    favorite quilt between his tiny fingers. Gifford sighed, looking at him with affection before he pulled out


    the quilt and tucked his boy inside safely.


    He decided that he was going to sleep in his son''s room tonight.


    Much to his surprise, however, even after waiting for a whole day and a half, there was still no sign of


    Chantel.


    Meanwhile, scandalous news of Chantel and Red, the leader of the FC group, entering the same


    building at midnight was released on the Inte.


    It was nearly two days after the agreed time that the heroine in the news finally rushed back to the vi


    of the Li family.


    Wesley and ir had just gone out for a walk after dinner. The only people in the living room were


    Gifford and his son.


    The moment Hugo saw his mothere in, he threw away the toys from his hands and ran to her.


    "Mommy!"


    Chantel picked up her son with little difficulty and kissed him on the cheek. "Good boy." Then she


    looked at the expressionless man sitting with his lips sealed and awkwardly apologized, "I''m sorry. I


    was nning oning back yesterday, but something important came up in K Country, so I..."


    Gifford knew what she was going to say next, so he cut her short. "Something important? You mean


    when you went inside the same building with another man in the middle of the night?"


    With her son still in her arms, Chantel froze for a moment. Due to her best efforts to suppress the


    news, Chantel didn''t expect Gifford to find out so soon.


    "No, I just saw the news too. I was just in the same building with Red, but he was staying a floor above


    me." The paparazzi that photographed her deliberately made it look like she and Red were engaged in


    a morally questionable activity.


    Without a word, Gifford came over and took the boy from her arms. "So he''s in a favored position to get


    close to you?" he said.


    Chantel had nothing to say. Since she had to visit K Country quite often, Chantel decided to buy an


    apartment there. She had just stayed there a few times after she bought it. The idea of having to sell


    the new apartment just to avoid suspicion seemed a little absurd to her.


    However, the man, who was climbing up the stairs with his son in his arms, suddenly stopped and


    turned around to look at the woman. "Don''t people in the entertainment circles often y Weibo or


    something like that? You should probablye clean about everything on Weibo."

 Chapter 1411 Announce Our Marriage

    Chapter 1411 Announce Our Marriage


    The moment the news came out, Chantel was afraid it could have a negative impact on her and the Li


    family. Therefore, she immediately requested that the news should be suppressed, resulting in only a


    few people who saw it. However, if she posted a statement on Weibo now, wouldn''t everyone get to


    know about it anyway?


    Noticing herck of response, Gifford got a little angry. "What? Is it too hard for you to do that?"


    Chantel shook her head and said, "Of course not. I''ll do it right now."


    Satisfied with her promise, Gifford put Hugo on the floor and patted him on the head. "Go to your


    mother!"


    Hugo looked at his dad in confusion. He was in his mother''s arms just now. He didn''t understand why


    his father would bring him here and ask him to go to his mother again. Nevertheless, the boy still


    walked over to Chantel''s side obediently.


    Gifford stood still as he watched Chantel contact her agent. In little time, the actress requested that the


    photo of her property ownership certificate was sent to her.


    After that, she called Red. As soon as he picked up, she nced at Gifford and naturally pulled Hugo


    aside before asking in a low voice, "Red, did you see the news about us?"


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Well, I did. But didn''t you have it suppressed already? Some paparazzi are really shameless. They not


    only took our photos but also made up stories," he said angrily.


    "Well, who owns your house? Here is the thing..." She briefly exined the whole situation to Red. He


    was already a good friend to her because of the rtionship between Erica and Orange. Hence, he


    was aware that she had got married in secret a few years ago.


    Understanding how much trouble the news brought to Chantel and that now she would have to rify


    it, Red willingly cooperated and sent her the photo of his property ownership certificate.


    A couple of hourster, she received a text with the photos of the two property ownership certificates.


    After getting off the shower, she blurred half of the addresses on both certificates and uploaded them


    on Weibo with the following caption¡ª"Hello, neighbor!"


    Red, who had been keeping an eye on Chantel''s Weibo ount, shared andmented on the news


    as soon as she posted it. "Hey, neighbor, I''ll go downstairs to your apartment and have a free meal one


    of these days! I hope you won''t mind."


    The whole purpose of thements and posts were to exin the nature of Red and Chantel''s


    rtionship to the public. It turned out they were just neighbors, one living upstairs and the other


    downstairs. But Gifford wasn''t happy once he read their exchange ofments online.


    The man walked into their bedroom with his phone as Chantel dried her hair and read thements


    on Weibo. When she noticed her husband''s presence, she thought he might not have seen her post


    yet, so she told him, "Hey, I''ve exined everything just now."


    Gifford threw his phone aside and calmly sat on the bed. "He will go downstairs to your apartment to


    have a free meal one of these days? Chantel, am I that easy to fool?"


    "Gifford, you know he was just cracking a joke." She couldn''t help but feel he was being unfair.


    At that moment, Gifford beckoned to her. Holding the towel she was using to dry her hair, Chantel


    obediently stepped forward until she was standing in front of him.


    Quickly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    She jolted forward, and before she could see it, she was sitting on hisp. In order to regain her


    bnce, Chantel grabbed his arms and blushed at the touch.


    "Did you often have meals together?" he asked.


    Chantel shook her head immediately. "No, we didn''t. Don''t take it the wrong way."


    Gifford raised her chin so that she was looking him in the eye and warned her, "I hope you are not lying


    to me." "What?


    Of course I''m not lying. Don''t think too much about it. Red and I are just regr friends. If you don''t


    believe me, you can ask Rika about it."


    Gifford seemed determined to make things difficult for her. "Why should I ask Rika about it? She''s not


    with you every day. How could she know everything you do? Besides, between you and me, she


    doesn''t take me as her brother but you as her sister. She would have no problem helping you to


    deceive me!"


    After Erica ran away for four years, he never knew where she was even though he was her brother.


    Chantel, on the other hand, had always known Erica''s whereabouts. Gifford was heartbroken when he


    learned that.


    Chantel asked him patiently, "Then tell me, what should I do to make you believe that there is nothing


    between me and Red?"


    "It''s easy." Gifford smiled. "All you need to do is announce our marriage."


    At first, Chantel didn''t know what to say.


    But after thinking it through for a long time, she felt that it was too sudden to announce such big news.


    In the end, she refused Gifford''s idea on the excuse that she needed time.


    Furious, Gifford couldn''t stop thinking that this woman was getting more and more disobedient with


    time. First, she stood him up. Then, this gossip about her being with another man came out. Now, he


    asked her to announce their marriage, but she refused. He thought she needed to be taught a lesson


    as soon as possible.


    In the meantime, Chantel didn''t think she was on vacation at all. She wanted to spend more time with


    her son during the day and sleep more at night, but Gifford wouldn''t let her sleep at all. After two days


    of supposed rest, she seemed more tired than she was at work.


    At the entrance of ZL Group, two Bentley cars stopped at the front.


    Immediately, four children in blue rushed out of the vehicles, each carrying a limited edition toy 66K


    assault rifle.


    The kids ran inside thepany''s first floor in a line from the youngest to the eldest before Erica could


    even get out of the car.


    She wanted to stop the four boys, but they were fast. By the time she walked into thepany, they


    were already inside the CEO''s exclusive elevator.


    Erica sighed helplessly. She came to see Matthew, but as the four children didn''t have to go to the


    kindergarten that morning, she decided to bring them along.


    However, she was beginning to regret her decision. If she had known it would be so tiring and


    troublesome to bring the boys, she would havee alone.


    After taking another elevator to the CEO''s floor, she heard from afar the children''sughtering


    from the office.


    Quickening her pace, she reached the CEO''s office door and opened it. Once she was in, she found


    herself in front of a peculiar scene. While their sons'' fired water pellets with their toy guns, Matthew


    was fast to dodge their attacks. Despite the children''s efforts, none of them could hit their father. Yet,


    there were traces of water pellets left on the walls, the floor...everywhere.


    Adkins was the first one to surrender. "Forget it. This is boring, we can''t hit Dad!"


    Boswell looked at his brother and decided to put down his toy gun as well. "Colman, Damian. Adkins is


    right. Don''t shoot. Let''s clean up the office."


    Unwilling to give up, Colman didn''t listen to him and shot his dad two more times. Matthew dodged


    quickly, letting the water pellets hit the floor.


    Frustrated, the little boy put away his toy gun and promised, "Dad, I''ll make it one day!"


    Matthew looked at the kids and said, "Then you should practice harder. But first, go to the cleaner and


    get the tools to clean up the office."


    "Alright!" the four boys answered in unison. The four kids turned around all at the same time with the


    guns in their hands. When Matthew couldn''t see their faces anymore, they looked at each other.


    The quadruplets had a tacit understanding among themselves. They could tell what each other wanted


    with a single exchange of nces.


    Now, for example, after putting the toy guns aside, Adkins and Boswell suddenly ran towards the man


    who was ready to greet his wife.


    "Dad, give us a hug!" Adkins said.


    "Dad, it suddenly urred to me that I missed you so much!" Boswell confessed.


    Looking at the two kids, Matthew knew they were up to something. He then turned to find Colman and


    Damian raising their toy guns.


    But as Matthew was older and wiser, he promptly understood what their intentions were.

 Chapter 1412 Colmans Wife

    Chapter 1412 Colman''s Wife


    Matthew, however, changed his mind all of a sudden and decided to let his sons shoot him. While he


    held two of his sons in both arms, he smiled as his other two boys aimed their toy guns at him. They


    each took a shot, hitting Matthew sessfully with two water pellets.


    Colman couldn''t contain hisughter as he pped his hands with joy. "We did it!"


    Damian followed suit, as he proudly brandished his toy gun towards his father. "Dad, you got fooled by


    us, didn''t you?"


    The other two boys grabbed onto Matthew''s shoulders as tightly as they could. Adkins shouted at


    Colman and Damian, "Hurry up and get Dad again! Shoot him two more times. We won''t get this


    chance again."


    Boswell grunted and said, "We''ve got him. Do it now!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Much to their surprise, Matthew acted quickly and used his sons to block the shot causing the water


    pellets to hit Boswell and Adkins on the butt.


    This time, it was Matthew''s turn tough, but Erica was quicker than him. When she saw what had


    happened to the boys, she burst into a derisiveughter.


    Boswell pouted his lips andined, "Dad, how could you use your own sons to shield yourself


    away from the water pellets? We are just kids!"


    Matthew was very amused by Boswell''s annoyance and he replied, "Don''t forget that you set me up


    first!" To put it bluntly, the boy was just like his mother¡ªalways unreasonable.


    However, Adkins secretly winked at Colman, who upon receiving his brother''s signal did not hesitate to


    shoot the man on the leg while he was busy talking to Boswell.


    "Yeah! I did it again!"


    The four kids were genuinely proud of themselves for sessfully bullying Matthew. They jumped with


    excitement and rejoiced at their victory over their father. For a brief moment, the atmosphere in the


    CEO''s office became lively and vibrant.


    After a while, Matthew feigned seriousness and said, "All right, boys! Go get some towels and clean up


    this mess now!"


    Adkins straightened up and saluted his dad. "Yes, sir!"


    Boswell chimed in as well, "We will not fail our mission!"


    Colman, however, stuck his tongue out at his father and ran to grab his leg, tugging at him like a


    spoiled child. "Dad, I don''t want to clean up. Can I just ask the cleaningdy to clean this up?" he


    begged.


    Damian paused to think for a while. Before Matthew could say anything, Damian pulled Colman back


    and said, "I''m sure the cleaningdy has a lot of work to do. Let''s just clean this ce up ourselves!


    Come on, Colman, It''s not that hard."


    Colman had no other choice but to give in, as he sighed and said, "All right! I''ll help clean up this mess.


    Dad, don''t forget to thank meter!"


    Matthew was deeply confused, wondering whether Erica''s genes were stronger than his. After all,


    Colman was behaving exactly like her¡ªdifficult and unreasonable.


    Meanwhile, the woman who gave birth to the four boys was sitting on the sofa and ying with her cell


    phone, as if she werepletely oblivious to what was happening there.


    When the children went to get the cleaning towels, Matthew sat next to her and asked, "Why don''t you


    say something to your sons?"


    Erica looked at him and shook her head decisively. "Don''t you think they are troublesome enough as it


    is? If I dare to say something, each of them will say two things in return and that will only make your


    head hurt even more." Matthew nodded silently in agreement. It seemed as though she was right!


    This was the disadvantage of having four children¡ªsometimes they could be a handful.


    Without the help of the cleaningdy, the little boys diligently cleaned up the mess in the CEO''s office


    which was, in fact, in a mess because of them.


    While Matthew went to the lounge to get changed before he took his family and left thepany, under


    the envious eyes of those around them.


    Themercial building of ZL Group in Y City was next to the headquarters of ZL Group. Erica was


    renting a workspace in themercial building to develop her photography career.


    In themercial building


    Looking at the 12th floor of themercial building that had been cleared up for her, Erica sighed and


    looked at her husband with adoration. "Wow, the location of this building is great. Fortunately, I don''t


    have to pay any rent. Otherwise, I would be spending all my earning on just the rent itself!"


    Matthew looked away from the children and put his arm around her shoulder. "That''s ridiculous. Have


    you ever heard of an owner who pays himself rent?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    Erica was taken by confusion.


    Matthew smiled at her affectionately and said, "Don''t you remember? I promised to give you everything


    I own. Well, from now on you officially own everything I could ever give to you. This building actually


    belongs to you now."


    "What? No way!" Erica was clearly stunned and she couldn''t believe her ears.


    "Yes, you heard me right. Remember, a promise is a promise. I''ve already asked someone to decorate


    the space ording to your taste. Aren''t the kids supposed to participate in an autumn sports meeting


    the day after tomorrow? After the sports meeting, I''ll bring you to take photos of the aurora, okay?"


    Matthew said in a gentle voice.


    "Aurora? At this time of the year?" The woman''s eyes lit up at the mention of this topic!


    The man nodded. "I found a ce where people can see the aurora all year round. Do you want to go


    there?"


    "Of course I do!" In fact, Matthew didn''t even need to ask her. Erica had been itching to take photos of


    the aurora for as long as she could remember.


    With a tender look in his eyes, Matthew kissed her on the lips and said, "Okay, we can go together in


    two days!"


    "Dad, Mom! What are you doing?" asked Colman, as he stared at them in confusion, looking back and


    forth between the two people and scratching the back of his head in confusion. Erica immediately


    averted her son''s question and changed the topic. "Where are your brothers?"


    "They are ying over there. Mom, didn''t you say that a boy shouldn''t kiss a girl so casually? I''ve seen


    Dad kiss you secretly several times. Howe he is allowed to kiss you?" Much to Erica''s


    disappointment, Colman wasn''t so easy to stave off.


    Matthew, however, looked at Erica with a smug look on his face and told his son, "Your mother must


    have forgotten to tell you something."


    "What is that?"


    "A man can kiss his wife as much as he wants to. It''s not against the moral principles, let alone thew


    for a man to love his wife!" Matthew exined seriously.


    The boy nodded his head despite traces of confusion still painted over his face. "Dad, what about other


    people''s wives? Can I kiss them?"


    Erica burst intoughter immediately. "Of course not!"


    Matthew sighed and sat down to help his son understand. "Let''spare your wife to the toy gun in


    your hand. You can y with your own gun as much as you like, right?"


    "Yes!"


    "What if it belongs to someone else? You shouldn''t touch something that belongs to someone else


    without their permission, right?" Matthew looked at him expectantly.


    "Right!"


    "Good!" Matthew gently patted the boy''s head. At least, his son was smart enough to understand that.


    Then, Colman asked another question. "What if I ask for permission? Will I be able to y with their


    toys then?"


    "Well, sure." Matthew, however, forgot to add, "But that doesn''t apply to women."


    As such, many yearster, Colman ended up asking one of his friends, "Can I kiss your woman?"


    His friend, however, thought that he was just joking, so he decided to y along and said, "Sure!"


    Unfortunately for him, Colman wasn''t joking and he kissed his friend''s woman.


    The two friends ended up turning against each other almost immediately and engaged in a fierce fight


    on the spot. After that incident, they hardly kept in touch with each other.


    Later, that woman eventually became Colman''s wife and his friend''s ex-girlfriend.


    On the day of the autumn sports meeting, in order to allow every child to participate in the activity,


    Matthew took his three friends to attend the game, while Erica cheered for them in the crowd.


    Joshua had Adkins in his arms, while Harmon was holding Boswell. Sheffield and Colman were in the


    same group, while Matthew himself was holding Damian, his youngest son, in his arms.

 Chapter 1413 Where Are Your Manners

    Chapter 1413 Where Are Your Manners


    The eight dashing, handsome men¡ªfour adults and four small boys, participating in the fun activities


    caused a massive stir at the kindergarten. After one of the teachers uploaded a video of them ying


    with each other on the Inte, the number of followers on her social media ount grew at an


    astounding rate.


    Netizens all over the city sent private messages to the teacher asking her to upload more videos of the


    four little boys from the Huo family.


    Some ambitious agent even made the mistake of asking Matthew whether he would allow his sons to


    make a public appearance at a dinner party.


    It only took one cold nce from Matthew''s eyes for the agent to make himself scarce almost


    immediately.


    Just as Matthew had promised, after the autumn sports meeting of the four boys, he took Erica to M


    Country for a few days so she could take as many photos of the aurora as her heart desired.


    After returning from a refreshing vacation at M Country, Erica went straight to work with her camera.


    At the studio, Erica kept pressing the shutter, fingers dressed in a pair of white gloves. "Move a little to


    the right...move...move..."


    "Erica Li!" The subject of Erica''s photography, a ravishing beauty, called out to her angrily.


    Erica pulled her face away from the camera and replied, "Miss Xia, you are so impatient! I feel bad for


    all the photographers that have had to work with you in the past!"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Noreen red at her angrily.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Dn''s previous group of photos had caused a sensation, Noreen wouldn''t


    have been forced to ask her agent to contact EM.


    However, it wasn''t actually EM that Noreen had a problem with. She was just mad because no one had


    told her before that the best photographer in the industry right now was Erica.


    "Do you want your photos taken or not? I don''t have time to waste on you. There are still many people


    who are waiting for me to take photos of them!" Erica sneered. The contempt in her words clearly


    indicated that she did not even want to be in the same room as Noreen as the two of them were rivals


    in love. However, Erica couldn''t let Matthew lose his face to Noreen for her sake.


    Erica realized it would be better to rely on herself and figure things out on her own.


    With an air of arrogance around her, Noreen rolled her eyes at Erica and said, "I''m thirsty. I need to


    take a break. Somebody, please get me a bottle of water."


    The male assistant who was on standby next to her immediately brought a bottle of water, and


    considerately unscrewed the cap before handing the bottle to her.


    After resting for more than ten minutes, Noreen didn''t feel like continuing the shoot. Instead, she


    leaned back on the lounge chair and started ying games on her phone.


    Having lost her patience, Erica quickly nced at her wristwatch and stood up. "If you don''t wish to


    continue, I can send someone else to take your photos. But you''ll still have to pay what we''ve agreed."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Noreen smirked at her contemptuously and retorted in a cold voice, "Why should I pay you if you''re not


    going to take my photos? Are you really that hard up for money?"


    "You are the one who asked for me. I could easily be working with my other clients right now. You may


    have nothing better to do than to waste my time, but I don''t have time to waste on you," Erica said in a


    cold voice.


    "Did I hire you to act in such an unprofessional manner?" Noreen knew that she wouldn''t get a chance


    like this to bully Erica again, so she was ready to make the most of the situation.


    Instead of getting angry, however, Erica smiled and said, "Unprofessional? You know what? Miss Xia,


    my fists are itching to punch something. Would you like to take some hits for me?"


    As the two quarreled, the atmosphere in the studio began to intensify. In utter disbelief, Noreen looked


    at her and asked, "Erica, is this how Mrs. Huo is expected to act? You are threatening to beat me.


    Where are your manners?"


    "I don''t need to be civil with an unscrupulous person like you. You want to talk about manner? Why


    don''t youe here and I''ll show you what manners are with my fists?" Erica said as she took off the


    camera strap from her neck and quickly pulled out her gloves before throwing them on the table. She


    was just getting ready to teach Noreen a lesson.


    Fortunately, there were several other employees in the studio. When they noticed that Erica was just


    about to make a scene, they rushed over to stop her.


    Some of them started ming Noreen. "Miss Xia, this sort of behavior is something we didn''t expect


    from you. How could you act like this when Mrs. Huo took the time to take your photos?"


    With a ferocious re at the speaker''s face, Noreen said, "Who do you think you are? How dare you


    say that to me!"


    Just then, Noreen''s phone rang.


    Erica caught the subtle yet noticeable change of expression on Noreen''s face when she saw who the


    caller was. Then, after Noreen took a deep breath, she exited the studio with her phone to her face.


    "Miss Xia... Miss Xia!" The assistant called her name several times, but Noreen didn''t respond.


    With an embarrassed look on his face, the assistant then turned around to face Erica and stammered,


    "Mrs. Huo... I''m so sorry..."


    However, Erica''s attention waspletely focused on Noreen''s phone call. She waved at Noreen''s


    assistant perfunctorily and said, "Don''t worry about it. Please, excuse me, I''ll be back."


    "Okay, thank you, Mrs. Huo. I''m really sorry." The assistant was very grateful to Erica for not taking


    offense in Noreen''s behavior, while he cursed at Noreen silently.


    When Erica stepped out of the studio, she immediately looked around and found Noreen disappearing


    into a corner with her phone.


    Erica took out her phone and pretended to make a call.


    Before long, she could hear Noreen''s voice which meant that she was getting closer. "Ask them to


    unload the goods from the ship, and wait for my orders..."


    Just then, a voice came from behind and took Erica by surprise. "Mrs. Huo, it''s really you. Nice to meet


    you!"


    Erica''s heart skipped a beat as she quickly put the phone back to her ear before turning around and


    yelling at the person. "Hello, I''m here to answer a phone call!"


    "Well, Mrs. Huo, please go on ahead with your call."


    Erica nodded and pretended to be talking to the other end of the line. She continued to walk inside with


    her phone, as if she didn''t know that there was a woman in the room. "I don''t know either. Well, how


    about..."


    Suddenly, Erica turned around and noticed Noreen, who was staring at her expressionlessly, with a hint


    of malice in her eyes.


    The two looked at each other with great intensity. This time, Erica rolled her eyes at her and walked


    away.


    When Noreen came back, Erica was already waiting for her. When she saw the womaning in,


    Erica said angrily, "Where have you been? I''m giving you another chance. If you don''t want to continue,


    I''ll leave!"


    Noreen''s eyes swept over her face. Soon, Erica felt guilty as soon as Noreen took a few nces at her.


    She covered her guilt with impatience. "What are you looking at? Don''t you hear what I said?"


    An awkward silence permeated the air in the studio. This was the first time anyone who worked with


    Noreen watched someone else treat her like that. In fact, they had to admit that they felt great when


    Erica treated Noreen like that.


    Although Noreen''s agent was furious at Erica''s attitude, it didn''t matter. Since Noreen herself didn''t


    want to fight back, her agent decided to avoid more problems.


    This time, Noreen didn''t argue with Erica. She returned to the front of the camera and continued to


    shoot with Erica.


    After an hour and half, an exhausted Erica put down her camera and waved at Noreen''s agent. "I''ll go


    back to edit these photos on Photoshop. I''ll give them to you in a week."


    As she started to pack her equipment in her bag, a bodyguard quickly came over to help carry the


    camera bag and walked out of the studio.


    The driver opened the car door for Erica. Just as she was about to get in, she was stopped. "Erica Li!"


    someone called out. Erica could tell that it was Noreen without turning back.


    Erica turned around and looked at Noreen in confusion. "Isn''t the shooting over? What is it now?"


    With an unreadable smile on her face, Noreen walked towards her and said, "There''s a coffee shop


    next door. Why don''t we go there? I''d like to invite you to a cup of coffee, Mrs. Huo."

 Chapter 1414 A Living Hell

    Chapter 1414 A Living Hell


    Noreen invited Erica out to coffee. Since they weren''t friends, Erica doubted her intentions. ''That''s


    strange. She must have some kind of ulterior motive. What''s she up to?'' Erica thought for a bit. She


    shook her head decisively. "I''m sorry. ZL Group owns too many coffee shops as it is, most of them


    mediocre. Whenever Matthew is at home with me, he grinds the beans so that I can have a fresh cup.


    I''m really not in the mood for coffee right now.


    Even thinking about going out to the average cafe makes me hurl!" Noreen was furious. ''Listen to her!


    She''s literally bragging about her rich husband!'' Despite that, she continued, "Coffee not your thing? No


    problem! There''s a teahouse nearby..."


    "No. my husband owns tons of tea factories. After the tea is picked and packed, the bags of tea leaves


    are piled high like mountains in our warehouses. I never want for tea. But I feel bad for you, Miss Xia.


    You have to go to a public ce like a teahouse to drink tea? I would have thought a famous actress


    like yourself wouldn''t have to do that. How about this? Since you''ve been so nice to me, I''ll ask


    someone to send you a few pounds of our finest tea, so you can see how the other half lives," Erica


    offered.


    mes of fury were burning in Noreen''s eyes. "Honestly, you''re just a terrible bitch!"


    "What? A bitch? Moi? Miss Xia, why are you acting like this?" Erica said, pretending to be hurt. "I


    offered you some of our best tea, and you call me names? Wow! Just¡ªwow. I''m not sure what bug


    crawled in your panties, but that''s no reason to take it out on me!"


    "Erica Li!" Noreen was so angry she forgot that she was a public figure. Her rep could be damaged by


    losing it like this. She strode over and raised her hand to p Erica.


    But before she could do anything, a bodyguard came out, gripped Noreen''s wrist tightly and threw her


    to the ground. He was anything but gentle.


    Noreen fell to the ground awkwardly, and her eyes were full of defiance. "Erica Li, you''ll pay for


    humiliating me like this! I''ll make your life a living hell!"


    Erica walked past the bodyguards, squatted down and looked at her with a smug grin. "Oooh, I''m


    shaking in my boots, Aunt Noreen. Don''t worry. After we''re done here, we''re done, period. Find another


    photographer. Maybe they''ll be okay with being pped around."


    Then she stood up and got into the car.


    After the car left, her agent helped Noreen up.


    Looking at the car zooming away in the distance, she took out her cell phone and dialed a number.


    "Hey, it''s me. I messed with Erica just now. She shouldn''t suspect a thing."


    After Michel had said his piece on the other end, she nodded and ended the call.


    Erica heaved a sigh of relief when Noreen disappeared from her rearview mirror. She took out her


    phone and dialed a number. "Send people to every dock in the city. Yeah, you heard right. I want


    detailed reports on every shiping and going."


    Back to the vi, Erica turned on her camera and checked the photos she shot today. She was


    annoyed just looking at them. She really didn''t want to touch up the photos for Noreen. It disgusted her


    looking at the woman, but it was her job.


    ''Dammit! Forget it. Work is work, and I shouldn''t bring my personal feelings into it. I better start


    working.''


    Erica had a good work ethic, and was a consummate professional. This collection of Noreen''s photos


    caused quite a stir after they were released, just like Dn''s photos did. Erica was quite the


    photographer, and knew what she was doing.


    Everyone knew the photographer was EM, which made it even more exciting. She was getting famous


    for her photos.


    Matthew''s team was quite efficient, and delivered the design sketches for Erica''s new studio. The next


    step was to figure out decorations. Erica didn''t really care about that. She just needed to make sure


    everything went smoothly. Matthew didn''t need to worry about the decorations either. A group of interior


    designers were responsible for that.


    The members of the Violet Eagles had been dispatched to the 45 or so docks in the city. They were


    keeping tabs on them for about a week before they found something unusual at one of the docks. It


    was a smaller one, and a historic site to boot.


    When Erica received the phone call from her associates, she was ying hide and seek with her four


    kids. Everywhere in the vi was fair game¡ªupstairs, downstairs, didn''t matter. Damian was busy


    trying to find his mother, who was hiding. When he heard her phone go off, he knew where she was.


    He found her in the 2nd floor collection room.


    "That was too easy, Mom!" Damian said. Holding her hand, he walked downstairs with her.


    "Yes, you''re so smart. I love to be beaten by you!" said Erica with a big smile.


    "Ha-ha! You''re smart too, Mom," Damian said.


    When the mother and son arrived at the first floor, Erica told the kids, "I have something to deal with


    now, so Mommy can''t stick around. You can y a little longer and after that, you need to go upstairs


    with the nanny and sleep, okay?"


    The four kids answered at the same time, "Okay, Mommy!" This wasn''t their first rodeo. Plus, they were


    getting bored with hide and seek.


    They were only ying the game to make their mother happy, anyway. Their mom suggested it, and


    they went along with it. They had other things they liked to do, like board games or coloring.


    After making sure the kids were good, Erica changed her clothes and left the vi in a hurry.


    There was already a car waiting for her at the gate. She got in the car, and Edward was waiting in the


    passenger seat. He snapped to attention and gave her his report. "There was nothing unusual about


    the manifest. Just several tons of wing powder. But there were several attacks reported around that


    area. Our people found that if someone got too close, they got jumped. If our guys hadn''t had to use


    the bathroom and found those thugs hiding, they could have easily walked into a trap."


    There were people lurking around the boat? What was so important they were willing to attack others to


    protect it? There was definitely something unusual.


    The dock was about an hour''s drive from the Pearl Vi District. When they arrived, the dockhands had


    almost finished unloading the goods. They had seven or eight trucks loaded up with goods. They were


    ready to enter the city.


    Erica''s car stopped at an inconspicuous spot on the roadside. Erica, dressed all in ck, got out of the


    car first. They weren''t about to do anything stupid. It was dark, yes, and the others guarding the boat


    hadn''t left yet.


    She quickly climbed to the roof of the car, took the night vision telescope from Edward and scanned the


    dock.


    The view at night was not that good, but thanks to the lights on the dock, they could just barely see


    people moving over there.


    Thest group of people got in the same minibus and followed the other trucks, intending to leave the


    marina.


    Erica still wanted to see the people left on the dock, but suddenly a loud roar came from off to the side.


    "Who''s there?"


    ''Holy crap! I''ve been made!'' Erica folded the telescope and threw it to Edward. She jumped from the


    car with one hand on the roof.


    She got inside as fast as she could. At the same time, the driver started the vehicle up. When everyone


    piled in, they turned around and left.


    But it was toote.


    The hapless thug stumbled out of the bathroom. His stomach felt better, but he ran into a suspicious


    car. After finding a suitable hiding ce, he made a call. Dozens of people appeared in the darkness


    and blocked the road.


    Fortunately, Erica and her associates had removed the license te of their car before they came here.


    The lights of the car shone on them, and dozens of people with batons stood in the middle of the road,


    blocking their way.


    Erica rolled down the window and looked behind her. The lead car had about the same number of


    thugs as the car behind them. If there was any difference between the two cars, Erica couldn''t see it.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    The driver was a little nervous, and fidgeted anxiously. "Erma, what should we do?"


    Erica did some quick calctions. There were only three of them in the car, and she couldn''t defeat all


    of them. Ten people was a little unfair, and she''d be outmatched. She decisively ordered, "Slow down,


    honk, and speed over!"


    Receiving the order, the driver honked the horn and plowed into the crowd. They didn''t seem to hear


    the horn. But they stretched out their arms to cover their sight because of the dazzling light.


    Edward said to the driver, "Alternate the high and low beams! Do it now!"


    The driver turned on the lights. The high beams were so dazzling that the people in front of the car


    couldn''t open their eyes for a moment.

 Chapter 1415 Youre The Only One

    Chapter 1415 You''re The Only One


    Taking advantage of the opportunity, the driver slowed down and plowed into several other gangsters,


    knocking them over or sending them scattering. The car was finally home free.


    The people who were hit by the car rolled on the ground a few times. Because of how slow the driver


    was going, they were in no danger. But they did suffer minor cuts and bruises.


    The driver reacted quickly and threw the car into a higher gear.


    Before the three people in the car could celebrate, they saw two cars bringing up the rear. They were


    reinforcements for the thugs, and it was obvious the thugs wereing for them.


    The driver was forced to speed up again.


    Seeing one of the cars gaining on them, the driver shouted, "Sit tight!"


    The driver veered left, then right. Unable to shake his pursuers, he braked¡ªhard. Erica clenched the


    handle of the car door quickly, just as the car was hit. Bang!


    The driver of the other car had no time to slow down and mmed into Erica''s car. Unprepared for the


    impact, he careened off the road, steering wildly, trying to regain control.


    Both sides of the road were surrounded by the sea, and there was no guardrail. The car rushed off the


    road and ran aground on the rocks. The wheels were stuck in the rock cracks. That was one pursuer


    down, one to go!


    There was only a single car chasing them. Erica''s driver headed for the city again. When they got


    downtown, they ran a red light. A big red truck was bearing down on them.


    Fortunately, their car flew past, narrowly missing the truck. The other car was not so lucky. They heard


    the screech of brakes, the sound of shattering ss, and a loud bang! The truck couldn''t stop in time,


    and tore the smaller vehicle to shreds. The two people inside were killed on the spot.


    Having escaped her pursuers, Erica breathed a sigh of relief. She patted her chest to calm her


    hammering heart.


    Just then, the phone in her pocket vibrated. It was Matthew calling. "Where are you?" he asked as


    soon as the call was connected.


    Erica rolled down the window and looked out. "Out and about. I''m on my way home now. See you


    soon!"


    "Out and about?" he asked.


    "Yeah." Erica asked, "Are you home now?"


    "Hmm."


    She smiled sweetly and said, "Wait for me at home. I''ll be right there!"


    "I''ll be waiting."


    After hanging up the phone, Erica turned to Edward. "Get rid of this car. Those thugs will figure out who


    owns this vehicle. I''ll wire the money to you tomorrow and you can get another one."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    The driver found an intersection without a surveince camera and asked Erica and Edward to get out


    of the car. Then he left the figures alone as he drove a short way to an empty alley.


    He popped the hood, and pulled the transmission lines till they broke free of their moorings and leaked


    fluid all over the engine block. The he took a lighter from his pocket, lit it and threw it into the car. In an


    instant, mes roared to life.


    About five minutes after Erica and Edward got in the taxi they hailed, they could hear the car explode.


    And felt it, too. It was not quiet, nor was it subtle.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Arriving at the Pearl Vi District, Edward got out of the taxi and whispered in Erica''s ear for a while,


    then got back in the taxi and left.


    In the vi


    Matthew had already taken a shower and was waiting for his wife in the bedroom. Erica went to check


    on her sons, who were all sound asleep.


    Erica walked into the bedroom. d in pajamas, Matthew sat on the bed talking on the phone. He said


    a hasty goodbye to the person on the other end when he saw his wife.


    Erica walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck, acting like a spoiled child. "Honey."


    The man looked at the woman in ck sportswear and asked in a cold voice, "Where were you? I''ve


    been waiting a long time."


    "Well, I..." Erica hesitated. She didn''t know if she should tell him the truth, but since he asked, she


    guessed he already knew the answer. "You look guilty. Something I should know?"


    Matthew suddenly tightened his grip around her and said angrily, "Erica, if you do this kind of thing


    again, I''ll skin you alive!"


    The woman was frightened by the anger in his eyes. She immediately sat on hisp and held him in


    her arms, trying tofort him. "I didn''t do anything. Just a little recon. I didn''t do anything to attract


    their attention, either. I thought I was at a safe distance from them. But they still found me and took off


    after me." When she thought about it, she figured out it might be the red dot that blinked on the night


    vision binocrs. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. They gave away their own


    position.


    Matthew''s sullen face didn''t soften any because of her words. He put his hand on top of her head,


    fingers at her temples, and turned her head to face him. He wanted her to look him in the eye. "Aren''t


    you trying to find Kirk''s boss? From now on, I''ll take care of it. Don''t get involved! You could have been


    killed!"


    Erica was shocked. "You know everything?" How did he know? She didn''t remember telling him about


    this.


    "If I want to know something, I will find out," Matthew said curtly.


    ''He''s bragging!'' The woman blinked, a mischievous expression on her face. "You didn''t know where I


    was, did you? So, all-knowing one, why didn''t you know that? Or maybe you didn''t want to know where


    I was."


    Embarrassment shed across Matthew''s face. "You''re the only one who''s able to hide from me!"


    Thinking of this, he couldn''t help but admire Erica. After all, the Huo family and the Li family couldn''t


    find her even though they pooled their resources.


    "All right, all right. But you know I''m going out again, right? You can''t stop me." The woman became


    instantly serious, looking the man in the eye.


    "No way!" He refused directly without hesitation.


    If he hadn''t figured out where she was tonight and sent a big truck along to handle the situation, he


    couldn''t guarantee Erica would sit on hisp so easily. She might even be in the hospital if he hadn''t


    intervened.


    Leaning her head on his shoulder, Erica asked, "Honey, did I ever tell you what happened to Orange?"


    The man didn''t say anything, which meant no.


    "He was one of the first people we came across after we got out of the slum. He was so kind to me.


    Tessie and I lived near their film studio then. When he came out to rx during his break, he saw me


    and my belly was so huge. He hadn''t seen me in a long time. I''d changed a lot. He didn''t recognize me


    at all, so he didn''te over and say hi..."


    Thinking of the past, the woman''s tears fell silently along the corner of her eyes, and her voice


    trembled slightly. "A lot of things happened then... He often went to visit Tessie and me after filming or


    on breaks. He infiltrated the FC group so we could all hang out together. The four people in that group


    also took good care of me. They knew I was pregnant, so they wanted to protect me. Tessie and I were


    invited to Orange''s birthday party.


    Then something bad happened at that night. I''ll never forget what he did back there. It''s one of the


    nicest things anyone''s ever done. Kirk and his men were mad at me, and started making threats. They


    had guns and weren''t afraid to use them. Orange stopped me from going out there, and took the me


    himself."


    Matthew knew what happened after that. Orange went to prison, and before anyone could bail him out,


    his old disease came back with a vengeance. He died in that cold cell.


    "I swore on his grave that I would find Kirk''s boss and bring the man to justice tofort Orange''s soul.


    Since then, I''ve been trying to find out where they are. I''ll track them to the ends of the earth if I have


    to. After three years, we finally caught the members of his gang. With your help, of course. And the big


    bad is still running around free. In order to find him, Chantel and I have spent a lot of time and effort


    trying to grow our numbers, making new contacts, establishing new supply chains.


    If you won''t let me do this, then that doesn''t make me feel any better. I vowed to avenge him."


    The man wiped the woman''s tears and nced at her coldly. "Crying for another man? You have some


    nerve! Maybe I should teach you a lesson!"

 Chapter 1416 The Benefactor Of The Huo And Li Families

    Chapter 1416 The Benefactor Of The Huo And Li Families


    "If it weren''t for Orange, I would have been put behind bars. I owe him a lot. In fact, I don''t know if I


    would be able to get out of there at all if it weren''t for him. Can you imagine what would have happened


    if your sons were born in a jail cell? I didn''t even know where they would be taken after they were born.


    We both owe Orange for the lives of our boys!"


    Erica said seriously. If Matthew allowed Erica to continue, he wondered whether she would make it


    seem like Orange had been a benefactor to both the Huo and Li families?


    Sure enough, before he could speak, Erica wiped her tears with the back of her hand and continued,


    "Just thinking about it makes me nervous. I wouldn''t be able to sleep at night because of the guilt. If I


    had somehow managed to get out of jail, the first thing I would do is find my sons. If I had failed to find


    them, I would havee back to ask you for help. Surely, if the Huo and Li families knew that their


    grandsons were missing, they would have lost sleep, same as me. So, technically, if you think about it,


    Orange is the benefactor of both the Huo family and the Li family." Lo and behold, Erica had managed


    to make it look like Orange was the benefactor of the two families.


    "Since Orange has been of great help to both of the families, each family will send one person to


    avenge him. Gifford is chosen from the Li family and the person from the Huo family is me. You don''t


    need to get yourself involved in all this. You should just focus on running your studio and finally


    finishing school," Matthew dismissed her.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Erica had dyed her study because she had run away from home for more than three years.


    However, as education was paramount, they had reached an agreement to let her go to school for


    further study.


    Erica was stunned by Matthew''s response. The only reason why she took the time to exin


    everything to him was that she wanted him to know how much the matter of avenging Orange meant to


    her. Why was Matthew making light of the situation? Why was he so unsupportive of her wish to


    avenge Orange?


    In the end, however, Erica managed to persuade Matthew to agree with her, despite his reluctance,


    using both hard and soft tactics. But they agreed that Matthew would always apany her in person


    if she were to take action in the future.


    In another vi in Y City


    Michel slowly pushed his sses up the bridge of his nose and stared pensively at the red wine in the


    ss. Behind his sses, there was unconcealed viciousness in his eyes. "What''s wrong with the


    truck?"


    The man next to him reported, "We''ve checked the truck, and there was nothing wrong with it. The car


    our men were chasing was the first one to run a red light, and our men''s car was just behind it. Then


    our men''s car crashed into the truck."


    Two of their people died on the spot, but the truck driver survived the crash with minor injuries.


    If their people hadn''t died, they would have caught up to the people they were chasing and who knew


    what would have happened after that.


    "So there was nothing wrong with the truck?" Michel asked.


    "I believe so."


    "What can you tell me about that car?"


    "We checked the surveince footage and found that it was a verymon ck sedan, but we


    couldn''t find any other information because there was no license te on the car. By the time our


    people found the car, it had burned to ashes."


    Furious, Michel smashed the ss against the wall, spilling red wine all over the floor. "I''ve been doing


    this since I was twenty years old and I''ve never let the cat out of the bag, let alone let the police sniff


    something on me." Now, because of Kirk, several forces were secretly investigating him.


    At present, the prime suspect in his eyes was Erica. The reason why Michel suspected Erica was that


    two days before she came back from Tow Vige, Kirk and his men were arrested.


    The easiest way to untangle this mess was to ask Kirk if their capture had anything to do with Matthew


    and Erica. They didn''t even know why Kirk and Pike were secretly taken away and imprisoned. In fact,


    no one knew where they were being held as they couldn''t get any news out.


    "What about the goods?" Michel asked.


    "The goods are on the way. We will hand them over to the other party within the designated time."


    "Be more vignt when delivering the goods. Don''t let your guard down. We''re going to have to stay


    low and suspend all work for the time being after this," Michel ordered. Since there were too many eyes


    on him, Michel knew that he would get caught if he didn''t stop his operation for at least a while.


    "I understand, sir."


    After a moment of silence, Michel continued, "Also, have someone to keep an eye on Erica Li." Michel


    was smart enough not to have his people keep an eye on Matthew because he was afraid of alerting


    him.


    "Yes, sir!" said the bodyguard, before he turned around and walked out of the room.


    With his hands behind his back, Michel stared at the mural on the wall in silence.


    Michel had to transfer his entire operation from K Country to Y City because he was being hunted by


    the royal forces in K Country. In order to avoid the royal family, he had no choice but to move to Y City.


    However, when he moved to Y City, he met a bigger problem.


    And now, he wouldn''t even dare to make any moves against Erica¡ªa mere woman. Back in the day,


    he would have dealt with a person like Erica just by himself.


    Unfortunately for him, Erica was the apple of Wesley''s and Matthew''s eye. If he evenid a finger on


    her, the entire Huo family and Li family would get involved. Not to mention the Lu family and the Tang


    family from Y City as well. Things would be even more difficult to deal with then.


    After all, it was all Kirk''s fault. But what could Michel do now? Since Kirk was missing in action, Michel


    had no choice but to halt all high-risk operations temporarily until things got better.


    Erica got up early this morning on purpose, of course because she wanted to take her sons to the


    kindergarten by herself.


    By the time it took her to wash her face and rinse her mouth, Matthew was already dressed neatly,


    lacking only a tie toplete his attire.


    Erica walked over to him and took the tie from his hand. "Teach me how to tie a tie properly!" In fact,


    Erica should have learned how to tie a tie a long time ago, but she had been dragging it till now.


    Matthew didn''t refuse. "Here! Watch me closely," he said. He flipped up the cor of his shirt and tied a


    Windsor knot, then patted the tie and his cor t again.


    Erica observed carefully and her eyes widened in awe. "Wow, it''s so simple! I think I can do it!" she


    said. She was a smart girl! After all, she had just mastered the art of tying a tie just by watching him do


    it once.


    The man raised his eyebrows, untied his tie and asked her to do it on her own.


    Erica took the tie and started her performance. "The first step... The second step, er, no, that''s not


    right..." A few minutester, her face was downcast.


    Erica thought she had learned everything there was about tying a tie, but when it was her turn to shine,


    she fell at the first hurdle.


    Matthew took the tie from her hands and smiled. "Pay attention. Let''s do it again!"


    "Okay!"


    The man straightened his cor and hung the tie around his neck. When he was about to do the first


    knot, Erica suddenly stopped him. "Wait!"


    "What''s wrong?" Matthew paused and looked at her in confusion.


    Tilting her head, Erica reached out her hand to brush her finger over the cor of his shirt. She noticed


    two words embroidered on his cor.


    When the man noticed a subtle change in the woman''s facial expression, he swallowed nervously. With


    a sense of immediacy, he quickly took her hand and said, "It''s gettingte. You should get changed!"


    Unfortunately, the man''s expression told Erica that things weren''t as simple as she would have


    preferred.


    "Let go of me!" She was consumed by curiosity. Today, she had to find out what those two words


    meant!


    Matthew loosened his grip and dragged his cor back. Then he strode towards the bedroom door,


    tying his tie while walking. "I''ll wait for you downstairs!" he told her.


    It was tantly obvious that Matthew was trying to hide something from her. It must have been


    something he didn''t want her to know.


    Erica realized what Matthew was doing. Before the man could quicken his pace and leave the


    bedroom, she stood at the door and blocked him in the bedroom.

 Chapter 1417 My Rika

    Chapter 1417 My Rika


    The couple looked at each other. The man was helpless, while the woman was slightly angry. "Matthew


    Huo, did you do something you shouldn''t behind my back?"


    Matthew sighed. ''Do I look like I''ve done something wrong?'' he thought to himself. "No!" he said firmly.


    "If that''s so, then don''t try to escape!" Immediately, Erica reached out her hand for his cor.


    He tried to stop her again. But once he saw the anger in her eyes, he yielded and let her do whatever


    she wanted.


    ''Well, she''s going to find out myst secret then, '' he thought.


    Matthew stood still, giving Erica the chance to see what was on the cor of his shirt. On her tiptoe, she


    looked carefully at it and was shocked by what she found.


    The woman''s expression quickly changed from anger to astonishment. Holding her, Matthew leaned


    over and kissed her on the cheek. Then, giving it a gentle pinch, he said, "Am I free to go now? I need


    to head downstairs, the children are waiting."


    She didn''t know what to say.


    Given the opportunity, Matthew tidied up his clothes and walked out of the bedroom next. Erica, on the


    other hand, stood there in a daze until all of a sudden, something crossed her mind.


    Rushing into the closet, she opened the wardrobe where Matthew''s shirts were hanging and looked


    through them one by one. He had at least a few dozens of shirts in there. Most of them were white,


    while the rest divided themselves into shades of ck, light blue, wine red, and so on.


    As Erica expected, in each cor, there were two words embroidered: My Rika.


    The color of the embroidery thread matched to almost the same shade as the shirt. If she didn''t look


    closer to it on purpose, she wouldn''t be able to read the words at all.


    With her eyes filled with tears, Erica touched every one of his shirts with trembling hands. The soft cloth


    melted her heart...


    Matthew had never been a sweet talker. In fact, he had always professed the deep love he had for her


    through his actions.


    When she got downstairs, she found the five men of her life waiting for her to have breakfast. They


    didn''t dare to start it without her.


    Adkins saw her first. "Mom is here!"


    Boswell eximed, "Wow! Mommy is so beautiful today!"


    Colman patted his brother''s head and said, "Idiot, Mommy is always beautiful."


    ''That''s right!'' Boswell agreed inwardly.


    "Mom, you get more and more beautiful every day!" Damian echoed.


    That morning, Erica had her long hair pulled up in a high ponytail as she wore a light pink off-shoulder


    dress. The dress not only exposed her long neck and sexy corbones, but it also enhanced her slim


    waist.


    On her right hand, she carried a pair of white high-heeled shoes, and on the left, a light pink handbag


    with a long white overcoat hanging from her arm. On her beautiful face, she had a natural makeup on


    to finish her look.


    Although her tanned skin had almost returned to its usualplexion, she had also applied a wless


    foundation and setting powder, so her skin looked fairer and her whole body illuminated.


    Matthew, of course, had his eyes fixed on his wife from the moment she showed at the turn of the


    stairs.


    He had been so mesmerized by her beauty that he had even forgotten to tell the maid to serve their


    breakfast. When the maid realized the kids were going to gette for school, she reminded him, "Mr.


    Huo, the breakfast..."


    Staring at Erica, who walked towards him, he tapped his fingertips gently on the table and answered


    absentmindedly, "Yes, bring the breakfast up."


    ''What should I do if I''m so obsessed with my wife?


    Evidently, the answer is I must sleep with her.


    But herees another question. Should I take her back to our bedroom? Or should I have her in the


    carter? Or in my office? Perhaps I should try every ce.''


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    Matthew felt as if hot stream water ran inside him while he had those thoughts. He was turned on.


    Silently, he loosened his tie, but his gesture didn''t give him away. Instead, he looked even more


    handsome and charming.


    As soon as Erica got to the table, the kids started to move. Adkins rushed towards her and pulled her a


    chair. "Mom, please sit down!"


    Boswell took the meal from the maid and put it in front of Erica. "Mom, please eat first!"


    Putting the soybean milk next to her te, Colman said, "Mom, please have my favorite soybean milk."


    After his brothers had done everything they could do to please their mother, Damian felt a little anxious


    as he didn''t know what else to do.


    Erica thanked her three sons and then smiled at her anxious fourth child. "Damian, can you help me


    put my bag and coat aside? Thank you!"


    The little boy''s gloomy face was immediately reced by a radiant smile. Fast, he ran over to take the


    coat and bag from his mother, and temporarily left them in the living room.


    Matthew had long gotten used to that scene, which once had made him so envious. By the time the


    children sat down to have their breakfast, he asked the woman drinking soybean milk beside him in a


    low voice, "What do you have scheduled for today?" She had dressed up so nicely. Was she meeting


    someone?


    Because if she didn''t have any appointments for the day, he would take her straight to thepany


    with him!


    As she swallowed the soybean milk she had just drunk, Erica looked at the man tenderly and replied,


    "My only appointment is to send my children to school and my husband to his work!"


    ''My husband is so good to me! From now on, I will do my best to be a good wife, '' she thought.


    ''Send me to my work? Great. That''s exactly what I wanted to hear!'' With his eyes hovering over her


    corbones, he stated, "I don''t remember buying you this dress." She looked so lively and sexy in it.


    Erica naturally disposed of the yolk from her boiled egg on his te and revealed, "Evelyn had this


    dress sent to me from a brand''s clothing store." If all her clothes were arranged by Matthew, she would


    begin to wonder if she was back in the ancient times.


    Damian reminded her, "Mom, you''ve gone back to be a picky eater again. You can''t be picky about


    your food!"


    The other three kids were eating in silence when they heard their brother''s remark. Casually, they all


    nced at her boiled egg. Sure enough, the egg yolk was gone.


    "Dad, don''t you mind that Mom is a picky eater?" asked Adkins.


    Embarrassed, Erica chuckled and exined, "It''s just an egg yolk. It''s not like I''ll grow taller if I eat it. It


    doesn''t matter whether I''m picky about it or not. But you four are still growing up and need to have a


    bnced diet. You can''t be picky about your food!"


    The four kids didn''t listen to her. Instead, they all looked at Matthew simultaneously. Breaking their


    expectation, the man answered in a low voice, "Your mother is right."


    The children couldn''t believe their own ears, but Colman was quick to respond, "Okay. Since Mom is a


    girl, let''s not embarrass her. We''ll pretend we didn''t see anything!"


    The other three thought his brother''s words were reasonable enough, so they nodded and continued to


    have their breakfast.


    Erica didn''t know whether tough or cry. Looking at the children, she said in a spoiled tone, "I''m


    wrong. I shouldn''t be picky about food. I won''t do it again. Please don''t learn it from me, okay?"


    Adkins offered her a lovely smile and replied, "Mom, it doesn''t matter. We''re going to bete. Hurry up


    and have your breakfast!"


    "Alright!" She began to eat.


    After breakfast, the quadruplets carried their schoolbags as they ran out of the house. One after


    another, they rushed to the ck car and got themselves settled in their seats.


    A couple of minutester, they saw their parents walking out of the vi hand in hand.


    Staring at the two of them enviously, Colman whispered to Adkins, "Why isn''t Dad scolding Mom? He


    usually frowns at us whenever we run a littlete!"


    Adkins tilted his head and thought for a moment. "Maybe it''s because Mom is a girl and also his wife."


    Colman saw his brother''s point. After all, if he had a wife in the future, he would spoil her as much as


    his dad did his mother.

 Chapter 1418 His Pleasure Was Spoiled

    Chapter 1418 His Pleasure Was Spoiled


    Besides the driver''s seat and the passenger seat in the front row, there were six more ces in the


    back of the car arranged in two rows, face to face.


    Adkins, Boswell, and Colman upied one row as Damian, Matthew, and Erica sat opposite to them.


    The bodyguard was in the passenger seat next to the driver.


    The whole way to school went smoothly. After dropping the kids off, the couple headed towards ZL


    Group. Without the children around her, Erica felt free to get morefortable.


    Leaning against Matthew, she put her arms around his waist and acted like a spoiled child. "I''ll drive


    you to work every morning, and then work hard to make money for you." ''The money he earns should


    be saved for our sons'' future, '' she thought.


    The man caressed her long hair and said with a smile, "Then I''m going to starve to death, aren''t I?"


    "How could it be? If I work harder, I will make hundreds of thousands of dors a month, won''t I?" EM''s


    name was already well-known. Tons of people looked for her to take photos of them.


    Only she wasn''t taking any requests at the moment. After all, the studio was still under preparation, and


    she didn''t even have an assistant yet. She had just taken photos for Dn and Noreen so far, but it had


    been quite tiresome to do the whole work on her own.


    "Hundreds of thousands of dors a month?" Matthew thought for a moment and had to speak


    honestly. "It doesn''t buy one meal of mine."


    "What?" Erica suddenly sat up straight and gasped, "You are such a big spender!"


    With a smile that reached his eyes, Matthew took her hand andforted her, "So, I''ll continue to


    make money from now on. You only need to worry about doing whatever you want every day."


    "Well... that''s okay, but what about our four sons? You must be more frugal so we can ensure their


    future!"


    He didn''t think so. "We won''t have more money by saving, but by earning it. Don''t worry about it. I''ll


    keep working hard to make more and more money."


    She still wanted to discuss it further, but they had arrived at ZL Group. Once the car stopped, the


    bodyguard opened the door for them and interrupted the conversation altogether.


    Mathew got out of the vehicle first and turned around to help his wife out. At this time, her phone


    started ringing in her purse.


    Holding his arm not to fall, she picked up the phone and said, "Hello, it''s me."


    The rxed and joyful expression on Erica''s face gradually vanished as she listened to the person on


    the other end of the line. Slowing down her pace, she asked, "How many people have been


    hospitalized?"


    Her words immediately attracted Matthew''s attention, making him stop in his tracks. However, he didn''t


    interrupt her. He just stood there and waited for her to finish the call.


    "I see..." Erica paused and looked at Matthew in embarrassment. After a while, she said, "I''ll be there


    today."


    As soon as she hung up the phone, Matthew asked, "Where are you going?"


    "To K Country." She added in a low voice, "My people of the Violet Eagles had a conflict with others


    from a different organization. A few of them were killed. The leader in charge of the group informed the


    royal army of K Country... The situation is quiteplicated in there at the moment. Chantel is on a red


    carpet in Paris, and Tessie can''t handle what''s going on herself, so I have to... I have to go there in


    person."


    Matthew''s eyes darkened, but he quickly made a decision. "I''ll go with you!"


    "No, please. Go to your office. I''ll be fine. After all, the royal army of K Country will be present, and no


    one will dare to act rashly while they are there." In K Country, the royal family was the most powerful of


    all. As soon as they intervened, every gannd was forced to bow their heads and show them some


    respect.


    However, understanding how Matthew felt about the whole situation, Erica took his big hand into hers,


    showing off her diamond ring. Then she suggested softly, "If you''re worried about me, you can have


    two bodyguards apany me, okay?"


    Ignoring the envious looks of the employees around them, Matthew pinched Erica''s cheek and scolded


    her, "You''re so capable now. You can even mobilize the royal army, can''t you?" It seemed Colman


    wasn''t bragging. What he had said was true.


    Erica smiled sheepishly, shaking his hand slightly. "I was lucky to meet that old granny, but she was


    picked upter because of me. I''d like to visit her too while I''m there."


    The employees had no idea what they were talking about. All they could see was Erica acting like a


    spoiled child around Matthew, which made them quite jealous of their love.


    "Can I say no?" Matthew asked. Realizing that she would be away for at least three days, of course, he


    didn''t want to let her go.


    He had nned to sleep with her in his office that day, but they had barely reached the first floor of his


    company when one phone call had already spoiled his moment of pleasure.


    "Honey, please wait for me!" As there were a lot of people around them, she was too shy to give him a


    hug or a kiss in front of everyone. So she could only say him goodbye.


    However, Matthew held her hand tightly and urged, "I have another request."


    "What is it?"


    Looking her up and down, he said, "Change your dress and high heels!"


    She burst intoughter. ''That''s easy!'' "Of course I''ll change. I''m going to do something important, not


    attend a beauty contest. Not to mention that it''s not convenient for me to fly to K Country in this dress!"


    "Okay then!"


    Sooner orter, he would have his men take over the Violet Eagles. The three women would then


    finally be free to stay at home to look after their husbands and children. In fact, they shouldn''t have


    gotten involved in gannd matters in the first ce.


    Needless to say that if Gifford knew that Chantel was also one of the gang bosses, he would definitely


    cut off her rtions with the Violet Eagles. After all, how could a military officer like himself allow his


    wife to be the boss of a gang?


    Once she left ZL Group, Erica went home to pack her things and then headed straight to the airport.


    There, she found out that not only Matthew had sent four bodyguards to apany her, he also had


    booked the whole first-ss cabin, so there were only the five of them traveling in it.


    In K Country, it was already dark when Erica got off the ne.


    Not taking the time to rest, she rushed to the hospital with her bodyguards.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    More than ten of her people had been seriously injured. Two of them had just been rescued and were


    under close observation in the ICU.


    As it was already dark outside, there were only a few people in the hospital corridor at then. Erica''s


    sudden arrival with her bodyguards immediately attracted the attention of those present.


    Soon, two people came out to greet her respectfully, "Erma, you''re here!"


    "Where are they?" Erica took off her sunsses and looked at the ward nearby.


    "Please follow me!"


    Over a dozen wounded men had been distributed in the three buildings of the in-patient department


    ording to the different kinds of injuries they had suffered. Erica visited them one by one.


    After walking out of the hospital, she turned to the group leader and ordered, "Tod, pay for all their


    medical fees. When they recover, each person will be given five hundred thousand to one million


    dors aspensation. Once they are fully recovered, they can go back to the Violet Eagles."


    "Yes! Ma''am!"


    "Youe back to the Violet Eagles with me now. I want to know the details."


    "Okay. Please get in the car first." Tod Yang opened the door for her before he followed her inside.


    The headquarters of the Violet Eagles was located in a courtyard house in the suburb, where lots of


    people lived. Due to Erica''s arrival in the evening, many fellows gathered outside the door of the


    reception room to wait for her.


    Erica was finally aware of the whole story by the time she heard Tod''s report. As she was told, two men


    from the Violet Eagles had uncovered some clues about a crime the Immortal Killer Sect had


    Yet the Immortal Killer Sect people didn''t know who the boss of the Violet Eagles was. Therefore, they


    captured the two men they found investigating and killed them to keep their mouth shut. In order to


    avenge the two deadpanions, many people of the Violet Eagles had taken action against the


    Immortal Killer Sect. In other words, a gang war had begun.


    Quickly it became clear that the Immortal Killer Sect counted with many more people on their side.


    There was no way the Violet Eagles could deal with them on their own, so they contacted the royal


    army of K Country to put an end on the conflict and save them.

 Chapter 1419 The Power Of Erica

    Chapter 1419 The Power Of Erica


    Having realized what had happened, Erica rubbed her aching temples and began to devise a solution


    for the problem at hand.


    The most important thing was tofort the family of the two members who had died in duty. In


    addition to giving thempensation, Erica and the other members vowed revenge and offered their


    full support to the police so they could catch the murderers.


    That night, Erica was busy until two o''clock in the morning. After somehow managing to squeeze in a


    shower, she wanted to call Matthew, but she was afraid that he had already gone to bed. As she was


    worried about disturbing his sleep, she decided to leave it until the next morning.


    What she didn''t know, however, was that Matthew had contacted her bodyguards at three o''clock in the


    morning to ask about her. In fact, he didn''t go to bed until he was sure that she was asleep.


    The next day, in the Immortal Killer Sect of K Country


    A woman dressed in ck leather clothes and a pair of sunsses stepped into a vi. When her


    subordinates saw her, they all stood straight and saluted her. "Miss Xia, here is thetest news. The


    boss of the Violet Eagles has shown up on our radar!"


    "Yes, our informants have told us to expect an attack tonight."


    "I heard that the woman leading them is very smart. Apparently, she''s the one who brought about the


    sessfully expansion of the Violet Eagles!"


    The woman nced at her men with impatience. "What are you so afraid of?"


    "Well, if the Violet Eagles join forces with the royal army of K Country, we won''t stand a chance against


    them!"


    "Yes, we had to retreatst time because the royal army got involved. Otherwise, we would have


    destroyed the Violet Eagles with ease!"


    The woman sat on her chair, which loosely resembled a throne, lost in thought.


    The royal family was the most powerful family in K Country. As such, it would be futile to even think


    about going up against them. Not even in her wildest dreams did she expect the Violet Eagles to have


    anything to do with the royal army.


    After a while, she spoke, as everyone looked at her with great expectation. "There''s no need to be


    afraid! I''ll take some of our best men and meet with their boss tonight!"


    A fat man said, "I heard that they have three bosses. All women, and they are quite powerful."


    "Yes, I''ve heard that as well. There are three women, but only two of them are mainly in charge. They


    don''t always stay in the base camp of the Violet Eagles," another man said.


    Noreen took off her sunsses, revealing her face to the people there. The men swallowed nervously.


    After all, their boss was so beautiful and charming.


    "So what? They''re just three measly women!" Noreen snorted irritably. She wasn''t too amused with the


    idea of another woman being more powerful than her. After all, she was the leader of the most powerful


    force in K Country¡ªthe Immortal Killer Sect!


    Everyone shut their mouths. They all knew that Noreen was good at hiding her true strength. In fact,


    she could even beat ten men all by herself!


    That night, in the night club where everyone often gathered, when the people of the Immortal Killer


    Sect were waiting impatiently, a few minions of the Violet Eagles showed up in the club. However, none


    of the three bosses had shown up.


    Any person in that ce could tell that the people of the Violet Eagles were looking down upon the


    Immortal Killer Sect.


    An hourter, a woman in gray casual clothes swaggered into the tension-filled private room.


    Out of pure coincidence, the two women hadn''t run into each other yet because Noreen was in the


    bathroom.


    When she came back, Noreen heard the familiar voice of a woman before she entered the private


    room. "Tell your boss toe here now! Tell her, Erma Huo is here!"


    Noreen was shocked to hear that voice. ''Erma Huo?''


    Suddenly, she came upon a realization.


    Noreen quietly asked the bodyguard beside her, "Didn''t you say that the ones in charge of the Violet


    Eagles are mainly two women and they''re not often seen in their base camp?" The bodyguard replied,


    "Yes, Miss Xia."


    The difort in her heart increased. ''Could it be Erica Li? Is Chantel Ye also involved?'' Noreen


    became more flustered when she thought of them.


    Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the private room was just starting to intensify. A man from the Immortal


    Killer Sect snorted irritably. "How dare youe in here and make demands! Our boss has been


    waiting for you for more than an hour. You''ve just arrived. Can''t you be more patient?"


    One of the men from the Immortal Killer Sect quickly left the private room. He was just about to fetch


    Noreen when unexpectedly he ran into her just outside the door. "Boss!" he said.


    Noreen, who was standing there panic-stricken after she made the dreadful discovery, was taken by


    surprise. Not knowing how to handle the situation, she turned around and walked away without a word.


    Her hands shook as she picked up her phone and called Michel. When the phone was connected, she


    quickly mumbled in a low voice, "We have a big problem. The one behind the Violet Eagles in K


    Country is none other than Erica Li!"


    Michel was hoping to avoid getting involved with Erica because he didn''t want to mess with the Huo


    and Li families, but now it seemed as though it was bound to happen, despite his wishes.


    Michel suddenly stood up from his chair. "What?"


    "I don''t have the full details yet. Yesterday, the Violet Eagles announced that they were going to destroy


    our sect. Today I came here to ept their challenge, but the voice I heard just now is Erica''s! I am


    certain of it!"


    "Retreat with your men right now! Remember, don''t let Erica see you!"


    "Okay!"


    Meanwhile, Erica realized that the boss of the Immortal Killer Sect was just outside the room when she


    overheard the bodyguard just now.


    As she happened to be standing near the exit, she walked out of the door and noticed a familiar figure.


    Without hesitation, Erica pointed towards the retreating woman and shouted, "You over there, hold on!"


    When Noreen turned around and saw Erica behind her, her first reaction was to run!


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    However, as soon as Noreen ran towards the exit of the club, Erica began to chase after her.


    Erica never dared to act so rashly when Matthew wasn''t by her side before. However, now that


    Matthew and even the royal army of K Country were backing her, what else could Erica possibly be


    afraid of? She would have missed this golden opportunity to avenge Orange''s death if she had


    hesitated even for a moment.


    Fortunately, she was wearing a pair of specialbat boots today. She bolted in the direction of the


    woman with great ease andfort.


    Within seconds, chaos ensued and the people started panicking when the chase started. The other


    people in the club screamed and cursed at them as they made their way out of the club.


    Erica followed her all the way to an alley just outside the night club. The woman in front of her had no


    choice but to stop because it was too dark to see anything in the alley.


    When Erica came to a halt, she stood still, panting and trying to catch her breath.


    "Stop running. You can''t run away from me!" The crowd in the night club might have made it difficult for


    Erica to catch the woman, but now she could easily catch up with her.


    The woman who had her back facing Erica, didn''t utter a single word. Erica stepped forward and


    wanted to turn her around by her shoulders to see who she was.


    However, she didn''t expect that the other woman would attack her directly, so she had to fend off the


    woman''s attack first.


    When Erica came face to face with the woman, she only noticed the sunsses on the woman''s face.


    She tried to take a closer look at the woman''s face, but her moves were quick and fierce.


    The bodyguards who followed Erica would have contained Noreen, but Erica had lost her temper by


    then. She looked at the bodyguards angrily and growled, "Get out of the way. I want to fight her alone!"


    If Erica couldn''t beat this woman, then all the techniques she had learned and practiced in the past


    three years would have been in vain.


    The bodyguards immediately took a few steps back and encircled her in a defensive stance, in case


    Noreen tried to hurt Erica.


    Erica received a strong blow to her arm; the pain almost forced the tears out of her eyes. In a furious


    outburst, she shook the pain off and charged at Noreen. During the fight, Ericanded an open-handed


    smack that left Noreen staggering backwards in pain.


    The sound was as loud as thundering cracking in the night. The bodyguards couldn''t help but marvel in


    their hearts, ''That p is definitely going to leave a mark on the other woman''s face for at least a few


    days.''

 Chapter 1420 Destroy Your Immortal Killer Sect

    Chapter 1420 Destroy Your Immortal Killer Sect


    Erica then drew her foot back and ploughed it into Noreen''s stomach, blood pooling into her mouth as


    she gagged. The moment before her fistnded on her, Noreen tried her best to get up from the ground


    and found a chance to escape.


    Erica ran after her almost immediately with her bodyguards and she would have surely caught up to


    Noreen if it hadn''t been for the people from the Immortal Killer Sect blocking their way. The Immortal


    Killer Sect''s defensive stance made it evidently clear that if Erica and her cronies wanted to get to


    Noreen, they would have to cut through a dozen of their ranks. Having realized that it would be foolish


    to carry on with the pursuit, Erica raised her hand to gesture at her men. "Stand down. She can''t run


    from us forever!"


    As she puffed and panted, trying to catch her breath, Erica tidied up her messy clothes and shouted,


    "Go back and tell your boss that if the Immortal Killer Sect dares to provoke the Violet Eagles in the


    future again, I''ll have your entire faction decimated! Tell your boss, this is a warning from Erma Huo."


    Unfortunately, the people from the Immortal Killer Sect were not convinced. After all, Erica was just a


    woman, and the power of the Immortal Killer Sect was much stronger than that of the Violet Eagles.


    Before long, a few people stood forward and shouted, "Cut the crap! Do you think we''re afraid of you?"


    "Our sect is the most powerful force in all of K Country. You must be joking!"


    "Ah¡ª" All of a sudden, the ones who had stepped forward to taunt Erica and the Violet Eagles cried


    out in pain, as they had no idea what hit them or where the attack came from.


    Crack! With the blunt sound of each bone cracking, a cold shiver went up Erica''s spine.


    The aggressors who were standing just a moment ago, were now writhing on the ground with pain.


    The sheer speed and fluency of Erica''s bodyguards had everyone mesmerized and equally frightened.


    As all eyes, taken by curiosity, fell behind Erica, the bodyguards were standing with a sense of


    calmness almost as if they had no idea of what they had just done.


    In fact, it wasn''t only the people of Immortal Killer Sect that were shocked, even Erica struggled to


    make sense of what she had just witnessed. However, she deliberately didn''t show it on her face. After


    all, Erica had no idea that the men Matthew sent with her would be so strong. Judging from their short


    demonstration of speed and strength, Erica realized that she didn''t even have one third of their abilities.


    This disy of dominance was enough to convince the people of the Immortal Killer Sect, who wasted


    no time to turn around and retreated with their tails between their legs. It was made abundantly clear to


    them that they didn''t stand a chance against Erica''s forces.


    In the headquarters of the Immortal Killer Sect


    Half of Noreen''s face was covered with a pack of ice cubes, and she could barely hold the phone to her


    face as she spoke with Michel. Her voice was venomous with hatred. "It''s her! I''m sure of it! Her name


    in K Country is Erma Huo, the portmanteau of Erica and Matthew. I should have guessed it earlier!"


    Noreen couldn''t pronounce her words clearly because half of her face was swollen, but fortunately,


    Michel understood every word of what she had said.


    "I see. Get back here as soon as possible. Tell our men not to provoke the people from the Violet


    Eagles right now." ''I''ll have to take the long way and handle this with patience and care to get what I


    want!'' he mused, gritting his teeth.


    "Okay! But I can''t even feel half of my face because of Erica''s p..." Suddenly, Noreen broke down in


    tears and started to act like a spoiled child.


    Michel sneered, stifling the annoyance in his heart. "I hear there''s going to be a new drama show. I''ll


    see if I can get you the role of a heroine."


    After a short pause, Noreen asked, "Is it the drama called ''Green Gardenia''?"


    "Yes."


    She stopped crying immediately and said, "Thank you!" Rumors had it that Chantel was pegged to star


    in that TV drama, but now with Michel''s assurance, Noreen was almost certain that she would get the


    role of the lead female.


    Meanwhile at the base of the Violet Eagles, the more Erica thought about the woman she had fought,


    the more familiar she seemed to her. In fact, all evidence was pointing towards that woman being


    Noreen Xia. Now that Erica had her suspicions, all that was left was to uncover the truth.


    The most efficient way to do this, Erica realized, was to ask for Gifford''s help.


    Gifford was training his subordinates outside when he received a phone call from Erica. He wiped off


    the sweat on his forehead, holding his phone in his other hand and said, "Dismissed!"


    Everyone sat down all at once and eximed, "Finally, we can get some rest! I''m exhausted!"


    Gifford slid the answer key and sat down on a big stone casually. He teased the person on the other


    end of the line, "I wasn''t expecting the supreme leader to call my number directly. How can I be of


    service?"


    Erica pouted her lips. "Gifford, you can be so annoying sometimes!"


    "If you think I''m annoying, then why have you called me?"


    ''How could he say that to his own sister?'' Speechless, Erica rolled her eyes and said, "I need a favor


    from you."


    "I figured that much. Just tell me what it is!"


    "How did you know that I needed your help?"


    Gifford chuckled and said, "Mrs. Huo only remembers her brother when she needs help."


    "Hey, that''s not true! I miss you all the time."


    "All right, all right, that''s enough! Now, what is it? What do you need?"


    She cleared her throat. "Here is the thing. I want you to help me locate a person. It''s very important that


    I know about this person''s whereabouts."


    Sensing the seriousness in her tone, Gifford decided not to make light of things anymore. "Okay, just


    tell me what you know about this person."


    "Noreen Xia. She is 35 years old and the number one star in the entertainment industry. I don''t know


    anything else."


    Gifford''s face disyed utter confusion. "Wait, didn''t you ask me to investigate her once? Why are you


    asking me to investigate her again? Does she have some kind of a grudge against you?"


    "Yes! I think she is in cahoots with some other criminals. I just wanted you to confirm whether my


    suspicions were right or wrong." Erica knew that Gifford was a righteous man who wanted nothing


    more than to put criminals behind bars, even if it meant doing it by himself. Erica was smart to mention


    the word "criminal" in hopes of convincing him to help her.


    Sure enough! Gifford agreed without hesitation when he heard that Noreen Xia could be a criminal.


    "Wait for my updates!"


    The man could work wonders and just ten minutester, Erica got the answer she was looking for.


    He also found out the room number of Noreen''s amodation at the hotel she was staying in.


    Erica sneaked into the floor of the presidential suites of a five-star hotel with two people in a stealthy


    way. She and her bodyguards hid in the safe passage and secretly called in a cleaner.


    She took out a wad of money and waved it in front of the cleaner. "Go to Room 6033 and see if the


    woman''s face is swollen. If you do that, all this money will be yours after the mission is finished."


    The cleaner went to Room 6033 without saying anything else.


    The cleaner was smart. She picked up a duster cloth and rang the doorbell. Soon, the door was


    opened from inside. A woman opened the door and asked, "What''s up?"


    The cleaner smiled and said, "Hello, room service. Didn''t you call the reception desk just now for a


    cleaner? Here I am."


    With a deep frown, Noreen said, "I think there''s been a misunderstanding. I never called for a room


    service and I don''t need a cleaner!"


    "What? No?" The cleaner took a step back and looked at the door number. "Oh, I''m really sorry. I


    knocked the wrong door. It''s 6303. I''m sorry for disturbing you!"


    Nothing was going her way. Since the red mark on her face hadn''tpletely disappeared, Noreen


    decided to spend the rest of the vacation inside the hotel.


    The cleaner trotted back to the safe passage and told Erica in a low voice, "Yes, half of her face is


    swollen. If I''m not mistaken, it''s a p mark!"


    ''It was indeed Noreen!'' Erica was certain now.


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    She casually stuffed the money into the cleaner''s hand and said, "Thank you. We''re leaving now."


    The cleaner received the money and said happily, "Okay, bye!"


    Since Noreen was the leader of the Immortal Killer Sect, it could only mean that Michel was probably


    the mastermind behind Kirk. The trip to K Country was supposed to take four days, but it was dyed


    due to some disputes.


    A week had passed, since Erica finished cleaning up the mess of the Violet Eagles. She was also able


    to find some time to visit the old granny.

 Chapter 1421 I Dont Care About You Anymore

    Chapter 1421 I Don''t Care About You Anymore


    Before going home, Erica sent a message to Matthew in advance. "Honey, I''ve sent you a package. It


    should be delivered to you this afternoon. Could you sign it yourself when ites?"


    "What is it?" ''Why do I need to sign it myself?'' Matthew wondered.


    Erica smiled full of mystery even though he couldn''t see her. "It''s a secret! I''ll only tell you that I bought


    it for you. Now please, spare a few minutes to go downstairs and sign to get it, okay?"


    With a helpless sigh, he yielded, "Okay."


    Around four in the afternoon, Matthew received a call. Picking up the phone, he heard a man''s voice.


    "Hello, is this Mr. Matthew Huo?"


    "Yes."


    "I have a package that needs your signature. I''m on the ground floor of yourpany."


    After hanging up the phone, Matthew stood up and walked out of his office.


    Once the busy Owen saw his boss, he interrupted his work and asked, "Mr. Huo, are you leaving for


    the Yuan Group now?" ording to the CEO''s schedule, they would leave for the Yuan Group in ten


    minutes.


    However, Matthew shook his head and replied, "No, I''m going downstairs to get a package."


    ''A package?'' Owen looked at him in astonishment. Yet he wasn''t the only one. All the special assistants


    on that floor seemed shocked.


    Why would the CEO personally sign and fetch the package? Paige followed him in panic. "Mr. Huo,


    allow me to go and get it for you."


    Unexpectedly, Matthew refused her, "No, thanks. You guys may carry on with your work."


    Paige didn''t know what to say. Stopping in her tracks, she watched Matthew get in the elevator by


    himself.


    On the ground floor of thepany, Matthew felt a bit lost.


    He had never taken an express package himself, so he had no idea where to pick it up. With no other


    choice, he asked the security guard about it and was quickly guided to the mailroom.


    By the time he got there, Matthew saw no sign of the postman.


    He looked around and all but didn''t see anyone who resembled a mail carrier.


    Taking out his phone, he was about to call back the number which he had picked up in his office when


    someone unexpectedly rushed towards him.


    "Honey!"


    With no time to put his phone away, his first reaction was to hug the woman who had her arms around


    his neck.


    Holding her tightly, Matthew couldn''t helpughing. "Is this the package you mentioned?"


    "Yes. Are you surprised? I''m giving myself to you as a gift. Are you happy?" Erica stuck out her tongue


    naughtily. All she wanted was to surprise Matthew.


    After kissing her head, he answered, "Yes." In fact, he missed her a lot.


    "Did you miss me? I missed you so much that I had toe! I was afraid to disturb you during your


    work, so I didn''t call. But I''m not going to lie and say I didn''t notice that you never told me you loved me


    when I texted you!" She pouted, still in his arms.


    Followed by a chuckle, he teased her, "Didn''t you record my love confession to you thest time? You


    can listen to it whenever you are free."


    Letting go of him, Erica curled her lips sadly. "I lied to you. I never recorded it." At that time, she was so


    overwhelmed with a mix of anguish and excitement that there was no way she would remember


    recording anything.


    He caressed her hair and put his arms around her shoulder. "Let''s go to my office first."


    Erica refused to move but didn''t release him either. "I won''t go! You haven''t said you love me yet! If you


    don''t tell me now, I won''t go!" It was way too rare to hear him say that he loved her.


    Therefore, that day, no matter if she had to threaten him, she would hear him confess his love.


    She didn''t care whether he was willing to do it or not. She just had to hear him say those words.


    Matthew wasn''t really good at saying sweet nothings. So with his eyebrows pinched, he begged her in


    a suspiciously ttering tone, "Rika, let''s change this request of yours, okay?"


    "No way!" She stood her ground.


    But Mathew''s lips remained sealed.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Furious, Erica saw herself forced to do something outrageous. "It''s okay if you don''t want to tell me..."


    she said, causing Matthew to feel instantly relieved.


    However, when he was about to praise how considerate it was of her to say that, she suddenly turned


    her back at him and added, "But if you don''t, I''ll go find another man who will. I don''t care about you


    anymore!"


    The next moment, she felt a hand grabbing her wrist as a male voice whispered in her ear, "Rika, I love


    you, and I miss you very much!"


    The woman grinnedrgely. Turning around, she threw herself into his arms. "Honey! I love you too!


    Muah!"


    Helplessly, Matthew closed his eyes and warned her in a low voice, "I''ll teach you a lessonter!"


    The next moment, the couple headed to the CEO''s exclusive elevator and only got off when they


    reached the floor where the CEO''s office was on. Once they saw Matthewing with Erica, the


    special assistants immediately understood why their boss insisted on going downstairs in person. It


    turned out that his package was his wife, after all.


    As soon as they got into his office, Matthew kicked the door closed and held the woman in his arms as


    he kissed her. Matthew felt he was much better in expressing his longing for Erica through his actions.


    A few minutester, Owen received a call from his boss demanding that his schedule was canceled for


    the rest of the day.


    Looking at his phone, Owen shook his head in resignation. ''Mr. Huo loves his wife more than his


    business.''


    At the weekend, the weather was clear when Matthew was forced to take the children to the zoo so


    they could see the pandas.


    In the car, looking at the man''s scowl, Colman brought a hand to his own chin and made a face. "Dad,


    aren''t we cuter than Mom?"


    The corners of Matthew''s mouth twitched. "Yeah, you''re very cute."


    The little boy smiled narcissistically and said, "I also think so."


    Matthew couldn''t believe the boy''s audacity but didn''t say anything.


    At that moment, Boswell came over and grabbed his dad''s arm. "Dad, don''t me Mom. She didn''t


    mean to spill the beans!"


    Last night, while Erica was telling the four children a story, she spilled out that Matthew had taken her


    to see the pandas. The kids, of course, rushed to Matthew and protested immediately. How could their


    father not take them to see the pandas?


    Therefore, Matthew had no choice but to bring his four sons to the zoo early this morning.


    Damian told him gently, "Dad, we just want to have a look at the pandas. It won''t take you too long."


    Trying his best to calm himself down, Matthew lowered his head and exined, "I never med your


    mom. Don''t worry. Come with me now. I''ll take you in."


    "Okay!" Relieved to hear that their father wasn''t angry, the four kids surrounded him promptly.


    In the living area of the pandas, they came across the words carved on the stone board.


    Looking at it, Boswell muttered, "Lili, Riri, Kaka... Dad, your name is on the board. Are these three


    pandas yours?"


    The man nodded in response.


    Upon learning the truth about the pandas, Colman ran over to his father. "Dad, we like them so much.


    Can we go in and have a look? Can we hug them too?"


    Matthew shook his head and answered in a serious tone, "No matter how cute a panda is, it still


    belongs to the bear family. These are three adult animals, and they can be aggressive. But I''ll take you


    to see the baby pandas. They are more docile, and you''ll be able to hug them."


    The boys were looking forward to having a panda in their arms. Whether it was a baby or an adult one,


    it didn''t matter. So, with a nod, they agreed in unison, "Okay, okay!"


    At the end of their visit, Matthew did as he promised and took his four sons to another house, where


    the baby pandas were. Standing aside, he watched as the kids yed with the cubs.

 Chapter 1422 We Dont Need Him

    Chapter 1422 We Don''t Need Him


    Adkins walked up to his dad, a little panda in his arms. "Dad, can we assume the responsibility to raise


    pandas?"


    "No," Matthew refused directly.


    Boswell asked in confusion, "Dad, the man over there said all we need is money. A lot. So why not?"


    "Because you don''t have any money," Matthew replied bluntly.


    The brothers looked at each other. Adkins said, "I can give you an IOU. It''s only a million. C''mon, say


    yes! I''ll pay you back double!" They had asked the staff member. He said that if they wanted to raise a


    panda, they needed to pay a million dors upfront. That ensured they could keep the panda, and not


    have to surrender it when it got old.


    Their father shook his head vigorously. "When you can earn your own money, then you can save up for


    a panda." Erica advised Matthew to set aside some funds for their sons to marry. So, he couldn''t waste


    money now.


    At this moment, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a baby panda munching on some


    bamboo, Colman came over. "Hey Boswell. What are you talking about?"


    "We want to raise a panda. Dad said no, because we don''t have the money," Boswell exined.


    A disdainful smile appeared on Colman''s face. "I see. That''s not hard, you know? It''s just money. We


    don''t need him! We can make money on our own!"


    Matthew was too rich. The boys thought it was better to spend more time with their grandparents and


    there was no need for them to make money. But now it seemed they had to.


    Colman called Damian over. "Damian,e here. We got something to talk about!"


    Matthew raised his eyebrows and sat next to them, listening to his kids discussing how to make enough


    money to get a panda.


    Colman spoke first. He told his brothers casually, "I''m not worried. I can make tons of cash. Uncle


    Sheffield taught me. He makes tens of millions for a few lines of code. I can do that. It can''t be that


    hard, right?"


    Boswell let go of the panda and rubbed his chin. The panda ran off to go y. "I spent my allowance


    money on stocks. They shot up in value since then. If I sell now, I''ll have enough for two pandas."


    Pandas were endangered, thanks to humans destroying their habitat. So one was probably enough.


    Crossing his arms across his chest, Adkins smiled mysteriously. "I have some ideas too!"


    Looking at his three brothers and the panda in his arms, Damian nodded as well.


    The other three boys thought Damian meant he had his own way to make money too, so they pped


    their hands in approbation. "Okay! That''s settled."


    They''d have money to adopt pandas soon enough!


    This time, everyone was gobsmacked¡ªMatthew, the staff members of the Panda House, absolutely


    everyone. Never in his wildest dreams had it urred to him these kids might be able to make millions


    so quickly. When he was their age, he was able to make only a little money.


    That night, the four brothers began to put their ns in motion. Boswell sold one of his stocks, which


    netted him eight million.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    On the weekend, Colman started coding an app on hisptop at home and called Sheffield to ask him


    questions from time to time.


    Sheffield really treated Colman like his own kid. He taught him everything he knew, and Colman was an


    eager learner. Sheffield was even more patient than when he taught his own son to learn Chinese


    herbs.


    While Colman and Boswell were working with theirputers at home, Adkins had his own schemes.


    He snuck into the offices of ZL Group. He asked Paige for a phone number. When Matthew was away


    from his office, the boy dialed the number with his father''s office phone. "Hello, is this Aunt Jennifer?


    I''m Matthew''s kid, Adkins Huo. You free for dinner?"


    Jennifer Zheng had a thing for Matthew. She was the general manager of Season Group, and thought


    she''d mix business with pleasure. Getting together with Matthew would provide benefits for her


    company as well as for herself.


    Adkins knew her secret because Matthew once took him to a dinner party and he sat next to her. He


    could see Jennifer Zheng flirting with his dad. She''d ce her hand on the table near him, smile


    incessantly,ugh a little too hard at his jokes. Meanwhile, she''d shower him with ttery.


    ''Matthew''s eldest son just invited me to dinner?''


    Jennifer Zheng stood up from the chair excitedly, but she quickly got control of herself. The boy had


    only met her once. Why was he asking her to dinner?


    She smiled and asked tentatively, "I''m ttered, but why are you doing this? I mean, is there anything I


    can help you with, Adkins?"


    Sitting cross-legged on Matthew''s chair, Adkins answered, "Nothing. Dad and Mom are too busy. I''m


    bored here and need to talk to somebody."


    ''He''s bored, but he thought of me? Why? That''s too weird.'' Although she knew there was something


    fishy, Jennifer Zheng was still very excited. "Okay, Adkins. What do you want to eat? I''ll take you there."


    ''Maybe if his kid likes me, that''s my "in" with Matthew. Get close to his son, get close to him. If only...''


    she thought happily.


    "I''m not picky. How about the nearest restaurant, the one on the fifth floor of the Alioth Building?"


    "Sounds good. But you know, it''s not easy to get a table there. Are you sure..." Jennifer Zheng and her


    associates had to reserve a table at least two weeks in advance. Otherwise, they had to choose some


    other ce to eat, instead of the restaurant in the Alioth building.


    That rule had never changed since the restaurant opened.


    Adkins promised, "I''ll take care of it. We''ll get a booth. I''ll have someone let you know which one."


    "Okay! See you tonight, little Mr. Huo!"


    "Bye, Aunt Jennifer," replied Adkins in a sweet voice.


    The voice made the woman''s heart melt.


    No matter how mature the boy was ordinarily, he was still a child, and his voice was sweet and lovely


    when he yed cute.


    Besides, Adkins was not an ordinary child. If it was necessary, he could change personalities at the


    drop of a hat. Like here, he had pretended he was cute and innocent.


    Because he had to ask for a favor, his silent personality hadpletely disappeared, reced by the


    cuteness of a three-year-old child.


    On the fifth floor of the Alioth Building


    It was dinner time. Adkins asked the bodyguards to wait at the door. He pushed the door open and


    entered the VIP private room.


    Jennifer Zheng had been there for more than ten minutes, and seven or eight cold dishes already


    adorned the table.


    Watching the boy walk in, Jennifer Zheng was astonished. For a moment, she almost thought she was


    really looking at Matthew! When she came to her senses, she stood up and greeted him with a smile,


    "Hi, Adkins. How are you?"


    The boy nodded politely, "Good evening, Aunt Jennifer! I''m happy."


    She sighed in her mind, ''He''s definitely a Huo. He''s got the looks, and really is a polite little gentleman.''


    "Good evening, sweetie. Come and sit down!"


    Without hesitation, Adkins sat down next to her.


    She smiled and asked, "Adkins, would you like anything to drink?"


    "Lime honey water, please." He ordered this every time he came to this restaurant.


    "Okay."


    During the meal, Jennifer Zheng took good care of him. She picked fish bones out of his bowl for him,


    picked up food, and asked him about school.


    Finally, he was full, his little belly bulging. He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. Chin in his


    hands, he looked at the woman gloomily. "Aunt Jennifer, can I ask you a question?"


    She put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth elegantly with a tissue. "Sure!"


    "Do you know how much it costs to raise a panda?"

 Chapter 1423 He Would Have To Account For It

    Chapter 1423 He Would Have To ount For It


    Jennifer thought for a while and then shook her head. "I haven''t paid much attention to it, so I don''t


    know the details. Adkins, do you want to raise a panda?"


    "Yes, but I''m a little short of money at the moment. I''ve used the sum my father gave me in another


    investment, and he had already been generous with my pocket money. So, I didn''t want to ask him for


    more. You know, my father has been working so hard to earn moneytely..."


    Of course, Jennifer wasn''t stupid. Although she was stunned for a moment, she quickly recovered and


    understood what she had to do. Taking out her phone, she dialed a number. As soon as the call was


    connected, she asked, "How much does it cost to raise a panda?"


    After a while, she hung up the phone and pulled a check out of her purse. As she wrote a number on it,


    she said, "So, I''ve asked, and you need about one million to raise a panda. Since you like it so much,


    I''ll give you two million to raise a cub. Take it, my good boy!"


    Staring at the check, Adkins pretended to be embarrassed. "Aunt Jennifer, I can''t ept it!"


    Indeed, two million was a lot of money for Jennifer, but she still could afford it. "It doesn''t matter. It''s a


    small sum of money. As long as you''re happy, Adkins, it''s fine."


    Adkins was Matthew''s eldest son, and as she heard, all the four Huo boys were highly gifted children.


    There was no doubt that they had a promising future ahead of themselves.


    Therefore, if she could be friends with any of them, she would have much more than two million in


    return when the time came.


    Taking the check from her hand, Adkins looked at it seemingly touched. He then told the woman in front


    of him, "Aunt Jennifer, when I go back, I''ll tell my father that you took good care of me and helped me a


    lot. I was short of money, and you''ve lent me some. Rest assured that I''ll ask Dad to help you, too, in


    one way or another."


    That was exactly what Jennifer wanted to hear. It didn''t matter if he didn''t pay the money back. As long


    as Matthew owed her a favor, spending two million was definitely worth it! "Good boy, you''re so polite. If


    you have any difficulties in the future, you can tell me. I''ll be d to help you!"


    "Thank you, Aunt Jennifer. I know it''s not easy for anyone to make money. I''ll borrow this two million


    from you now and ask my father to return it to youter!"


    Amused, she giggled but had to hold back her urge to rub the boy''s head once she remembered he


    behaved like a neat freak during their meal together. Putting her hand down, she said with a smile,


    "Little cutie, you''re such a good boy. Auntie likes you a lot!"


    "I like you too, Aunt. You''re the best woman I''ve ever known!" Discreetly, Adkins put the check into his


    pocket, and then something urred to him.


    Taking out a business card, he handled it to Jennifer and told her, "This is my father''s private phone


    number. You can contact him whenever you need help with your work. But if it''s about any personal


    affair, please don''t bother him. For that, there is Mom!"


    ''Matthew''s private number? Oh my God! Only a few people in Y City knows about it besides Mathew''s


    best friends!''


    Jennifer got even more excited now that she had Matthew''s private phone number. Carefully, she took


    the gilded business card from the boy''s hand and nodded, "Of course, I understand. Don''t worry!"


    ''This meal and two million dors were really worth it!''


    She wanted to drive Adkins back to his home, but the boy already had his own car and driver waiting


    for him, so she had to content herself with escorting him back to his vehicle. However, she didn''t leave


    the ce until she saw the car disappear on the road.


    Adkins had handled everything quietly, but, sooner orter, he would have to ount for it. Secrets


    always had a way ofing out.


    One night, except for Damian, the three other boys were discussing when to raise a panda.


    Meanwhile, Matthew had just got upstairs when he saw the door to Damian''s room half-open. Stepping


    inside, he found the boy sitting on the balcony as he painted something.


    He approached his son quietly and saw the picture on the drawing board.


    The outlines of several pandas were sketched along with a few children who were ying with the


    animals. Next to them, Damian was now drawing an adult.


    The man had long and slender legs, wore a suit and a tie, and had his hands in his pockets... ''That


    should be me, '' Matthew thought.


    Not wanting to interrupt the boy''s concentration, Matthew stood there in silence as he watched.


    In the living room, Adkins suddenly looked all around.


    Then he asked, "Where is Damian?"


    "Dad is missing, too," Boswell noted after searching for them in the kitchen and the balcony.


    Colman guessed, "They should be upstairs. Let''s go and have a look!"


    Putting their toys aside, the three children agreed and rushed upstairs.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    In his room, Damian had finally sensed he wasn''t alone anymore.


    He turned around with the oil pastel in his hand and looked at the man standing beside him. Damian


    was slightly taken aback when he saw his father. "Dad, why are you here?"


    Rubbing his head, Matthew said, "Your brothers are all downstairs discussing when to raise a panda.


    Why don''t you join them?"


    At that instant, three little boys poked their heads through the door after hearing their father''s voice and


    became all ears to the conversation taking ce in the room.


    A trace of disappointment shed across Damian''s face. Although it disappeared as soon as it came,


    Matthew took notice of it and felt sorry for the boy.


    But the next moment, with a smile on his face, Damian replied, "Despite liking the pandas, I don''t want


    to raise them. I can''t make that much money now, so I will just stay at home and draw my brothers with


    the pandas! I think that''s good too."


    Damian didn''t have Adkins'' social skills, Boswell''s business acumen, or Colman''s talent for writing


    programs. It seemed that all he had was two capable hands. He thought all he could do was y the


    piano and paint.


    Matthew looked at the painting and thought for a moment. "How about this? Since I like your painting


    very much, I can buy it after you finish it. But I have one request..."


    "What''s that?" Damian looked up at him in surprise.


    "I''m your client now. If you want me to buy your work, you must continue to paint ording to my


    preferences." As much as he wanted to encourage his child, he also wanted him to know that making


    money wasn''t that easy.


    Tilting his head to one side, the boy became thoughtful for a while. Finally, he understood what his dad


    meant. "Dad, you want me to draw ording to your requirements so I can sell my work to you for one


    million dors?"


    "Yes!" Matthew nodded.


    At then, something crossed Damian''s mind, and he said, "In that case, it makes no difference. It''s you


    who is going to give me the money. My brothers earned their money by themselves, but I''ll get mine


    from my father. What if my brothers get mad?"


    "You are wrong. Even if you don''t sell this painting to me, someone else will buy it. You could earn two


    million by selling it at an auction. I''m just getting the benefit of buying it for one million. You see, I''m


    saving money but also saving you a lot of trouble. Anyway, whether you want to take it out for auction


    or sell it to your father, the choice is yours."


    Evidently, the Huo family''s influence added to the painting''s value. As long as it was about Matthew, the


    drawing could even sell for ten million dors.


    What was valuable was not the painting itself, but its connection to the Huo family.


    At that moment, the three boys standing at the door exchanged looks and shared the same thought.


    How could they leave their youngest brother behind now that they had the money? Determined, the


    three children jumped out and walked into the room together.

 Chapter 1424 Matthew Found Out

    Chapter 1424 Matthew Found Out


    "Damian, that is one sweet painting! I want it. Would you give it to me? I''m serious. I''ll pay you for it,"


    Boswell offered. He really liked the painting on the easel. It depicted a pleasant memory of the kids with


    their dad. Damian had just put the finishing touches on it, and was standing back, admiring his work.


    "Hey, I like it too. A lot. Maybe you should give it to me. I''ll double whatever Boswell offers you,"


    Colman said with a wicked grin. Of course he liked it. He thought he looked quite handsome in it. The


    painting would look nice hanging on his wall.


    When he heard his brothers discussing this, Adkins'' spirits fell. He also wanted it. He had cash, but he


    lost half of his money when he adopted a panda. Pandas were not cheap. He was sure he didn''t have


    as much as his brothers did. He had to use his wits to acquire the painting, not his wallet. "We all want


    it, but there''s only one. Why don''t we go in on it? Say, five hundred thou each?" he offered.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    With an offer like that, Damian''s mind was blown. He almost dropped the oil pastel in his hand. The boy


    had resigned himself to just buying a single panda. But now he''d have the money to buy more than


    one.


    As their dad, Matthew felt left out. Shouldn''t he have some kind of say in this? He cleared his throat


    and said, "What about me, boys? I saw it first."


    Boswell craned his neck to look up at his father. Matthew towered over all of his sons, because they


    were so young. "So? Stay out of it, Dad. You''ve got too much money. There''s no way we could match


    up. Besides, you like Mom the most, huh? Just get Damian to paint a picture of Mom. Then you can


    drop as much cash as you want on it."


    Matthew was floored by this. He didn''t know exactly what to say. ''Rika''s my wife. I see her every day.


    Why should I spend any money at all on a portrait of her? Never mind. As long as the boys are happy,


    I''m good.''


    He decided to give in and said, "Yeah, Boswell''s right. Damian, after you finish up here, take a good


    look at your mom. I want to see how true to life you can paint her. Deal?"


    Damian was on cloud nine, since his brothers and even his father liked his work. He was so excited he


    couldn''t contain it. He nodded his head like a chicken pecking rice. "You got it, Dad," he said with a


    sweet smile.


    "I knew you''de through!" Matthew patted his head.


    The four kids were too young to have bank ounts, so they asked Carlos to apply for four exclusive


    VIP bank cards in the bank owned by ZL Group.


    As soon as they got their money, they couldn''t wait to ask Matthew if they could buy more pandas.


    Technically, they had the money, but Matthew had to arrange it.


    Soon enough, the money changed hands, and they all had pandas. They even named them.


    And now everyone know what Adkins did for money¡ªhe sold his dad''s phone number. There were any


    number of people who wanted his money. And the women who might pay Adkins had more earthy


    pleasures in mind.


    At night, watching a freshly-showered Matthew walk out of the bathroom, Erica carefully ced her


    camera on the nightstand, yawning. She crawled into bed, ready to sleep.


    Matthewy in the bed with her, held her in his arms and kissed her forehead. "I should be content. I


    have a wife, great kids, more money than God. But I''ve always felt like something was missing..."


    "What is it?" Erica asked in a weak voice.


    "I think¡ª" Before Matthew could finish, his phone on the table next to him started to buzz insistently.


    The man picked up the phone and looked at it. It was an unknown number. ''That''s weird.'' He didn''t


    remember giving his number to anyone he didn''t know.


    Even so, he still pressed the answer key. "Hello!"


    "Good evening, Mr. Huo. It''s Jennifer Zheng. Sorry to call sote." The voice on the other end of the


    line was clear in the quiet night.


    It was a woman! A woman called Matthew in the middle of the night! Erica, who had been sleepy,


    opened her eyes wide. She stretched and snuggled closer to him, trying hear his conversation.


    "What''s up?" he asked. Matthew knew what Erica was doing. But he had nothing to hide. He tilted his


    head and drew the phone closer to her so that she could hear it more clearly.


    Jennifer''s voice was very gentle and sweet. "Nothing serious. I just want to ask if you''d heard anything


    more about the case we worked on together. Everyone else is here. You free now, Mr. Huo? Come on,


    have drinks with us. We can catch up."


    Matthew''s eyes turned cold. He didn''t answer the woman''s question. Instead he asked, "Why do you


    have my private number?"


    Jennifer faltered, "It''s okay if you don''t have time. Tell you what, forget I asked."


    "I have no time. I need to sleep. Bye!" he refused coldly and decisively.


    Jennifer was a little frightened. She said nothing more and hung up the phone in a hurry.


    After the call, silence returned to the bedroom. Erica red at her husband, but he was lost in thought.


    "How could another woman get your private number?" she asked in a jealous voice.


    "You tell me and we''ll both know," said Matthew tly.


    The woman got up from his arms and sat up straight. "Humph! And now you make jokes! I think you


    gave that number to her yourself!"


    She didn''t believe that another woman would be able to get it if Matthew hadn''t given his number to


    her.


    Matthew put his phone aside and pulled her back into his arms. "I really don''t know, honey," he said in


    a helpless tone.


    "Think I''m buying that?" Erica snorted. In the same gentle voice as Jennifer''s, she mocked, "Mr. Huo,


    do you have time? Come on, have drinks with us. We can catch up... Mr. Huo, a woman invited you out


    for drinks in the middle of the night."


    Matthew''s eyes darkened as he watched her continue her tirade. She never failed to make him angry


    by referring to him as Mr. Huo. "I heard it this time. Let me guess, she''s called before, when I''m not


    around. Am I right? I never asked you that before. But since I happened to listen in on your phone call


    this time, tell me honestly, how many women call you every day?"


    "It''s my private number. No one should have it. Nobody calls me on it except who I want to," he


    answered.


    Erica caught the loophole in his words. "So you want her to call you?"


    Matthew didn''t know how to respond. In order to set Erica''s mind at rest, he took out his phone and


    dialed Paige''s number. "Hi, Paige, it''s me. I have a problem for you to solve. Why does Jennifer Zheng,


    general manager of Season Group, have my private number?"


    "I don''t know, Mr. Huo. But I''ll get on it right away," Paige answered without asking why.


    But Erica still wasn''t convinced. She snorted and cuddled up to him again. "You''d better get the


    evidence to prove your innocence. If you can''t, I swear I''ll tear you apart!" Well, she was just bluffing.


    She would only tear his clothes off of him. Then she''d sit there and drool over his manly chest.


    A smile curling the corners of his mouth, Matthew didn''t take her threats seriously. Instead, he moved


    on top of her. She could feel his interest in his pants. "Honey, I just wanted to say I need a lover in my


    life..."


    Erica''s face changed dramatically. "Okay?" she teased. "What does this have to do with me?" ''So is he


    involved with this mystery woman? He didn''t seem happy to hear from her, though, '' she thought.


    "Listen to me. I need a little lover... Don''t they say a daughter is her father''s lover in a previous life?"


    Matthew asked. Erica red at him, patted her chest and said decisively, "Gross. Don''t go there.


    Besides, no. And hell no. I was scared to death when I gave birth to four boys! But you want another


    kid?"


    They were born early. She had a C-section so every child would have a chance at life. If it weren''t for


    Chantel and Tessie keeping herpany, she wouldn''t even have had the courage to do that.


    Matthew stretched out his arm, his big palm gripping her pajama top. He touched the light scar on her


    lower abdomen, and kissed her lips lovingly. "Okay, we don''t need a baby!"


    His quick promise made Erica a little uneasy. She whispered, "If you really want a daughter, let''s have


    another baby. I just don''t want four more of them."


    The man was amused by her. "I don''t think I have the power to control that." Having her get pregnant


    with four children was already quite the achievement. But another four kids? They''d hear theughter


    of their kids all day long.


    "I''m just putting it out there!" ''What if I did have another four? Oh my God! That would be something to


    tell the grandkids!'' she thought to herself.

 Chapter 1425 The Huo Familys Punishments

    Chapter 1425 The Huo Family''s Punishments


    Matthew kissed his wife''s red lips for a long time. When he finally let her go, he said hoarsely, "Honey,


    we won''t have another baby. Four sons are enough for us!"


    "Okay!" Erica wrapped her arms around his neck and added innocently, "Then let''s go to sleep!"


    The man chuckled at her words. "I said we wouldn''t have another baby, not that I wouldn''t make love to


    you."


    After that, Erica got tortured in bed for a while. Still, Matthew was very kind to her that evening. The


    moment he saw how tired she was, he let her go before she would begin to beg for mercy.


    The next morning, Adkins was sleeping soundly in his bed when his father unexpectedly woke him up.


    The little boy had no idea of the disaster that wasing his way. Sleepy, he looked at Matthew and


    rubbed his eyes before he asked in a daze, "Dad, what time is it?"


    With his arms crossed in front of his chest, Matthew stood still and didn''t say anything as he stared


    coldly at his eldest son.


    In less than two minutes, Adkins'' eyes widened. "Dad, why are you looking at me like this? Have you


    found something out?"


    Matthew sneered. His son was quick to think! "I know what you''ve done!" he stated coldly.


    How did a three-year-old kid dare to borrow money in his name? In fact, not only he did that, but he


    also gave his dad''s phone number to another woman.


    He wanted to show Erica what her treasured son had done behind their backs.


    With this n in mind, the man stretched out his long arm and caught the little guy. Then he strode out


    of the bedroom with the boy under his armpit.


    Along the way, Adkins shouted desperately, "Help! Help! Colman! Damian!" Colman and Damian were


    good at ying nice boys. If his two younger brothers managed to say anything loving to their father,


    maybe Matthew would let go of him.


    Upon hearing that, Matthew patted him on the hip and ordered, "Just shut up!"


    Adkins shushed immediately after being hit on the butt.


    Anyway, his cries had already woken up the other three boys, who had all promptly hurried out of their


    rooms.


    They came to find Adkins in their father''s bedroom in time to see the man tossing him on his big bed.


    Quickly, Adkins took the opportunity to crawl into Erica''s quilt and hide himself in his mother''s arms.


    "Get out!" Matthew ordered in a harsh voice.


    The only reason for him to bring Adkins to his room was to let Erica know what her dear son had done


    behind their backs. No way, he would allow the boy to ask for her protection now.


    Erica had been awakened since Matthew took the phone call in the morning. However, before she


    could ask anything at then, he had already left to get Adkins from his room. Atst, she asked,


    "Matthew, what happened?"


    Turning around, Matthew nced at the other three kids in their identical pajamas and messy hairs.


    "Since you are all awake, you''ll watch the lesson I''m going to teach your brother today. If you ever


    make a mistake in the future, that''s how you''ll all be treated!"


    His stern gaze made the other three kids nod immediately.


    "Get out!" Matthew turned to Adkins and ordered one more time.


    Under his dad''s stern re, Adkins had no choice but to get out of the quilt.


    "Get out of the bed!" Matthew specified.


    Reluctantly, the boy obeyed once again.


    "Kneel down!"


    Adkins, however, didn''t move this time. "Dad, you''re insulting me. Only a coward will kneel, and I''m a


    man. I won''t kneel!"


    "I''m your father! A man can kneel to heaven and earth, or to their parents!" Matthew said.


    Biting his lips, Adkins red at his father. "No matter what, I won''t kneel."


    Fury was written all over Matthew''s face. "Do you want to have a taste of the Huo family''s


    punishments?" Everyone always said that his eldest resembled him the most, but Matthew didn''t think


    so. A three-year-old Matthew wouldn''t have the guts to borrow two million dors in his father''s name.


    As soon as Erica realized the situation was only getting worse, she rushed over and hugged Adkins.


    Looking at Matthew, she asked, "What on earth happened? If you have something to say, just say it. It''s


    not appropriate to simply hit someone." She didn''t want to stop her husband from disciplining their son,


    but she wanted to know what Adkins did first.


    Matthew nced at her and exined in a low voice, "Your son borrowed two million from someone in


    my name!"


    The other three kids all gasped. It turned out that their brother''s money was borrowed after all.


    Erica was shocked to learn that. After requesting the boy to look at her, she asked him seriously, "Is


    that true what your father said?"


    Adkins didn''t deny. "Yes, it is. Mom, I didn''t steal anything. I used my own skills to borrow this money,


    and I never said that I wouldn''t pay it back. Why should Dad punish me for it?"


    At that moment, Erica felt a headacheing. Still, she patiently exined to the child, "That''s right,


    but how can you go out and borrow money at such a young age? You shoulde to your parents if


    you need money."


    "Mom, you don''t know the whole story. Dad knew we needed money from the beginning, but he didn''t


    give it to us. Instead, he said we should earn money on our own!" the boy exined.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Matthew snorted, "You think that borrowing money makes you capable of earning it?" Looking at


    Adkins, Matthew could finally understand why Carlos was more loving towards his daughters than his


    son. He realized now how annoying having a boy could be at times.


    His son had sold his phone number to a woman and asked that same woman to call him, causing his


    wife to be mad.


    Adkins looked back at his father in disgust and answered, "Indeed, I feel capable. But since you doubt


    my skills, you can pay the money back for me. If I''m going to be punished like this, I won''t ept it!"


    Trying to calm down, Erica asked gently, "Adkins, tell Mommy, why did you borrow the money?"


    "We want to raise pandas. But since Dad wouldn''t give us the money, the four of us had to get one


    million by ourselves. Mom, don''t you feel sorry for us?" The little boy sniffed and added in sorrow,


    "Dad''s clothes are worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dors, depending on which. But he


    wouldn''t give us money to raise some cute pandas. Mom, I''ll take you back to Tow Vige, okay? I can


    support you. We don''t need Dad..."


    p! Suddenly, he got spanked in the butt again. This time a little harder than before.


    Of course, Matthew was the one who beat him.


    Adkins cried even louder. "Mom, we can''t be his biological children. Dad is a stingy man. He''s so rich,


    and yet he doesn''t give us money. I''m going to run away from home and find Grandpa so he can teach


    his son a lesson. Boo...hoo..."


    Erica was rendered speechless. ''He''s going to find his grandpa? Wow, the little guy really knows how


    to deal with the situation, '' she thought to herself.


    However, Adkins was really in the wrong this time. It wasn''t a matter of how much money he had


    borrowed, this just shouldn''t have happened at all. Therefore, Erica wouldn''t interfere if Matthew taught


    the child a lesson.


    Pulling Adkins out of Erica''s arms, Matthew told him to stand straight in front of him. "Don''t cry! You are


    a man. Why are you crying like a woman?"


    "I''m still a child! It''s okay for me to cry," Adkins responded loudly. "I haven''t even graduated from


    kindergarten yet, but you''re always bullying your children. Are you not ashamed of yourself? Mom''s an


    adult, but you never bully her. Why is that? You can''t me me for using my skills to borrow money."


    ''He wants me to bully Erica? Not a chance!'' Matthew decided to beat his son up.


    With a frown, he said, "Stop crying first!"


    Adkins snorted twice and stopped crying.


    "Go back to your room, wash yourself and go to school. I''ll teach you a lesson when Ie back home


    tonight!" Matthew ordered expressionlessly.


    Upon hearing that, Adkins turned around and ran out of the bedroom without


    hesitation.

 Chapter 1426 Arent You Afraid That Dad Will Get Mad At You

    Chapter 1426 Aren''t You Afraid That Dad Will Get Mad At You


    Adkins left his parents'' bedroom as fast as he could, leaving behind a group of dumbfounded younger


    brothers. They turned around to look at their father, who was wearing a long face, and then at their


    mother, who was also stunned by Adkins'' disappearing figure. Eventually, they turned around and


    retreated to their respective rooms.


    After the kids went back to their rooms, Matthew took out his phone and called Owen. "Transfer three


    million to Ms. Zheng''s ount from Season Group," he ordered.


    ''Wow! Adkins borrowed two million and now Matthew is going to pay it back with three million.'' Erica


    shook her head and sighed, "It''s so good to have money!"


    As Matthew put his phone back into his pocket, he lifted his eyelids and nced at her. "This is your


    son. He is the same as you when ites to being unreasonable."


    This time, it was Erica''s turn to be angry. "When have I ever been unreasonable? Huh? You''re just mad


    because you failed to teach Adkins a lesson.


    And now you''re dumping all of that misced anger onto his mother! Who do you think is being


    unreasonable here?" Matthew, sighed in defeat, and decided to retreat into the bathroom in silence as


    he didn''t want to argue with her.


    When Erica went downstairs, the four children were having breakfast quietly as before, and Matthew


    was sitting opposite them.


    Noticing her presence, Matthew wiped his mouth with a tissue and asked, "Howe you''re up so


    early? Do you have something to do today?"


    "Yes!" She wanted to send her children to school and her husband to thepany.


    As usual, the four children pulled out the chair for her and served her breakfast. Adkins seemed a little


    absent-minded, perhaps because he was worried that his father was still mad at him.


    More often than not, Adkins would be the most energetic amongst his brothers when Erica was around.


    Today, however, he was just quietly sulking in his seat and having breakfast.


    Erica looked at her eldest son and then at the man beside her, but said nothing.


    After breakfast, the family of six got into the minivan. Adkins immediately jumped into the seat next to


    Erica, held her hand tightly and whispered, "Mom, may I borrow your phone please? I need to call


    Grandma."


    Confused, Erica asked, "Why do you want to call your grandma?"


    Adkins gestured to Matthew with his eyes and then shook his head. "Nothing."


    Having sensed his reluctance to speak, Erica didn''t force him to exin himself. Instead, she took her


    phone out and handed it to him. "Here you go."


    "Thanks, Mom!" Adkins gave his mother a gleeful grin and then called Debbie''s number.


    The line was connected soon after and Debbie''s cheerful voice came through. "Good morning, Rika.


    Have you had breakfast?"


    "Grandma, it''s me, Adkins!" said the boy in a sweet voice.


    "Oh, it''s you, Adkins! My dear boy, did you miss me?" Debbie was d to have received her


    grandson''s call.


    "Yes, Grandma. I miss you and Grandpa very much. Can you and Grandpa pick me up after school this


    afternoon?" he asked.


    "Adkins Huo!" Matthew warned him in a cold voice.


    The little boy shook at the sight of his father''s eyes, but he kept the phone glued to his cheek. He


    turned his back to Matthew and continued to talk to his grandmother on the phone.


    Debbie, on the other hand, was thrilled by her grandson''s request. "Sure! Your grandpa and I would


    love to see you. We miss you too! Be good at school. Your grandpa and I will pick you up this


    afternoon!"


    "Okay, Grandma. I love you!"


    After the call, Adkins nonchntly returned the phone to Erica. "Mom, are you going to Grandma''s


    house with us tonight?"


    He was afraid that he had also gotten his mother in trouble with his dad.


    "I''m not going, honey. I have some stuff to finish at work and I''ll be back a littlete tonight."


    Averting Matthew''s eyes, Adkins whispered in Erica''s ear, "Aren''t you afraid that Dad will get mad at


    you? Be careful. He is in a bad mood!"


    Amused by her son''s words, Erica didn''t know whether to cry or tough. She grabbed Matthew''s hand


    and said, "Don''t worry. Your father isn''t like that!"


    Adkins understood what she was doing and he shrank back in fear. ''Forget it.'' The little boy leaned


    back in his seat and looked out the window.


    Colman seemed to havee up with an idea and he nudged Adkins. "Hey, are you going to


    Grandpa''s after school?"


    "Yeah."


    "Then I''lle with you!" Colman was also trying to avoid Matthew for the next two days and what


    better ce for him to do that than his grandparents'' ce.


    Damian and Boswell followed in one voice. "And me!"


    Erica chuckled and whispered in Matthew''s ear, "Look at what you have done! You''ve scared our sons


    out of their own home."


    Matthew nced at them coldly and said, "It''s good that they won''t be home. I''m d that we can


    spend some time alone."


    The four boys looked at Matthew with teary eyes, clutching their chests dramatically. ''Boo...hoo... Dad''s


    words are so hurtful!'' they all thought.


    In the evening, Carlos and Debbie picked up the boys after school just as they had promised, leaving


    Erica and Matthew in thepany of each other.


    Matthew really put a lot of effort into giving his wife a romantic night. At first, he took Erica to a lovely


    restaurant for a candlelight dinner. Then, they drove all the way to the top of the mountain to see the


    stars scattered all across a velvet ck sky. How romantic!


    When the cold winds announced the onset of winter, Erica spared one day to take her sons shopping


    for some new clothes.


    The mother and her sons were always apanied by two bodyguards.


    Since the children wanted steak for lunch, Erica took them to a popr restaurant that served authentic


    Western cuisine along with the two bodyguards who sat at the table next to them.


    During the meal, Boswell put down his fork and said, "Mom, I need to go to the bathroom."


    The waitress who was serving the dishes smiled politely and said, "The bathroom is over there. Let me


    show you the way."


    Damian also stood up and said, "Boswell, wait a minute. I want to go with you!"


    Since they were at a Michelin star restaurant and every employee of that establishment, starting from


    the waiters and waitresses were all trained to provide nothing but first-ss service, Erica saw no


    reason to be worried when the waitress offered to take the children to the bathroom. Erica smiled at the


    waitress and politely said, "Thank you!"


    "Ma''am, you are wee!"


    The waitress held the two boys'' hands and walked towards the bathroom. One of the two bodyguards


    stood up and followed them.


    At the corner of the corridor, a cleaner identally pushed a cleaning trolley, sending it towards the


    bodyguard who somehow managed to dodge the trolley in the nick of time. Unfortunately, however, he


    failed to dodge the water that had sshed onto his trousers.


    "Sir, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to..." The cleaner apologized to him in a panic and took out a towel to wipe


    his trousers.


    The bodyguard looked up at the direction of the bathroom and stopped her. "No, thanks!" He brushed


    off the incident as a mere ident. Besides, his priority was the safety of the boys, not his trousers.


    The cleaner, however, didn''t intend to let him go. She grabbed his clothes and continued to wipe his


    trousers. "It doesn''t matter. I''ll clean them for you."


    The bodyguard looked at the cleaner''s face, who seemed to be a little nervous, and realized that


    something was wrong. The first thought that formed in his mind was, ''Oh, no!'' He pushed the cleaner


    away and rushed to the bathroom,pletely disregarding her screams.


    The restaurant was on the first floor and the two children were not in the men''s room. He turned around


    and went to the women''s room without a second thought.


    While the women in the bathroom screamed, he shouted, "Boys?"


    Having found no response, the bodyguard became so anxious that cold sweats started to form on his


    forehead. When he saw an open window, he quickly ran over and looked out.


    Just as he had feared it, he saw two men covering the mouths of the children and pushing them into a


    minibus.


    Without hesitation, he jumped out of the window and contacted his colleague in the restaurant with his


    Bluetooth headset. "Tell Mrs. Huo that something happened to the two boys. Don''t let her and the


    others get out of your sight. I''ll call for backup and go after the boys right away!"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When Erica found out that Boswell and Damian had been kidnapped, Adkins had just cut a piece of


    steak and put it into her mouth.


    The suddenness of the news shook Erica and she almost choked on that piece of meat inside her


    mouth.

 Chapter 1427 Something Happened To The Kids

    Chapter 1427 Something Happened To The Kids


    Erica simply swallowed the piece of steak whole and drank a mouthful of water to bring it down. As she


    stood up in a hurry, she grabbed the two boys and said to the other bodyguard, "Watch over them, I''ll


    be back!"


    "Mrs. Huo, please, I can''t let you get out of my sight..." Before the bodyguard could finish his words,


    however, Erica had run out of the restaurant almost instantly.


    The bodyguard sighed, standing beside the two confused boys and called the police first before he


    informed Matthew what had happened.


    "Did the bad guys take my brothers away?" Adkins asked the bodyguard.


    The bodyguard didn''t know what to say to them, so he nodded and said, "Boys, I''ve called the police.


    They''ll bring them back soon, I''m sure. Right now, I need to bring you two back home because I need


    to ensure your safety first."


    Although the two brothers were worried about the safety of their brothers and mother, they knew that


    they were too young to be of any help, so they obediently followed the bodyguard out of the restaurant.


    When Erica came out of the restaurant, she saw the other bodyguard rushing out of the alley nearby


    and chasing after a minibus that was speeding away.


    Her intuition told her that the children were inside that minibus. Without wasting another second, she


    found her own car and jumped into the driver''s seat. She pushed down the elerator and sped after


    the minibus.


    Just then, her phone rang. She controlled the steering wheel with one hand and found her phone with


    the other. It was Matthew. She answered the call and put it on speaker. Then she threw it on the


    passenger seat and apologized guiltily, "Honey, I''m sorry. Something happened to the kids!"


    Erica felt as though it was her fault as she had failed to watch over the kids properly. If only she had


    taken the boys to the bathroom, none of this would have happened.


    Matthew had already left thepany. He drove out of the parking lot as they were talking. "Don''t


    me yourself. It''s not your fault. I''ve spoken to the bodyguard. This was all a premeditated n. I


    have my people on this, don''t worry. Just tell me where they are heading."


    Holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands, Erica took a few deep breaths, adjusted her


    thoughts and calmly said, "They are now heading for Abby Road. It is a silver gray minibus without


    license te number. I''m following them. They are turning to the Spring Road now."


    "Okay. Be careful. Don''t drive too fast. I''ve already asked someone to locate them," said Matthew.


    "Okay! They turned a corner again. Now they are driving towards Sunset Road. I''ve taken a turn to


    Sunset Road as well." Erica skillfully controlled the steering wheel, and kept stepping on the gas,


    putting a distance of almost ten meters between her and the minivan.


    About ten minutester, the minibus drove into a suburb and then suddenly disappeared from the road


    after taking several turns.


    Erica broke down in tears. There was only a row of old houses in front of her. There was no road on the


    left and an endless rice field on the right.


    All of a sudden, she received a call from an unregistered number. She ended the call with Matthew and


    answered the phone calmly. "Hello."


    "Erica Li? Your sons are with me." A young man''s voice came over from the other end of the line, which


    sounded strange to Erica.


    Erica slowly stopped the car and stifled her throbbing heart. "What do you want?" she asked.


    "Have you seen the houses ahead of you? Keep moving forward!"


    the man ordered. Erica looked around, but there was no one around. "Okay, I''ll do as you say. Just


    don''t hurt my children. I can give you as much money as you want!" she said hurriedly.


    "Stop talking! Go forward first!" the man said impatiently.


    "Okay!" She started the car again and drove ahead.


    Meanwhile, the boys'' hands were tied up and their mouths were sealed with tape, but neither of them


    cried or made any noise. Theyy on their sides in the back seat and listened to the phone call


    between the man and their mother.


    There were two other fierce looking men inside the minibus with them.


    The minibus finally stopped at a deserted forest. Rolling his eyes, Boswell tried to attract the attention


    of the people in front of him.


    A man turned around and screamed at him angrily, "What are you doing?"


    He mped his legs tightly. "Mmmph..."


    The man tore the tape off his mouth mercilessly. "Ouch, it hurts!" Boswell cried.


    Damian grunted in anger and the tape on his mouth was torn off too.


    "Uncle, we need to go to the bathroom. We are going to wet our pants!" Boswell said.


    Damian nodded in agreement. "We were just going to the bathroom, but that aunt took us away. We


    haven''t had time to pee yet!"


    It seemed as though they were the only ones there, apart from the mountains that stood tall around


    them. The gangsters saw no reason to doubt them as they were just children. Besides, they were in the


    middle of nowhere. Where could the boys run to if they were allowed to pee? He quickly untied the


    ropes and sent only one person to follow the two children out of the minibus.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    After getting out of the minibus, the two brothers looked at each other and came an agreement without


    saying a word. As they were in no real hurry to pee, they looked around, carefully observing their


    surroundings and finally walked towards a small intersection at the same time.


    The gangster behind them shouted, "Why are you dawdling? Hurry up!"


    The two brothers were so frightened that they stood by the road and began to pee.


    "Let me do it," said Damian in a low voice.


    Boswell took a look at the leaf Damian was aiming at. The shape of it was simr to that of a lotus leaf,


    except it was not as big in size. The leaf was about the same size as an adult''s face and now it was


    filled with a lot of urine.


    After tidying up his pants, Boswell turned around and nced at the minibus. The two men who had


    been sitting inside the whole time also got out of the minibus. They stood by the door of the minibus,


    smoking and ncing at them from time to time.


    Suddenly, an idea came to Boswell. He shouted at the gangster in front of him, "Uncle, what''s that


    behind you?"


    The gangster looked back in confusion and found nothing.


    When he looked back, however, his face was met with a ssh of something liquid that had a strange


    smell.


    "Hahaha!" The boys burst intoughter, and the sound of their giggling voices seemed to be fading into


    the distance.


    Before he could remove the leaf from his face, he heard another man shouting, "Barry, the twerps are


    running away! Hurry up!"


    Barry Wang cursed and looked at the leaf on the ground with a long face. He finally understood what it


    was. "Damn it! How dare you throw pee on my face! When I catch you two little rascals, you''ll be


    sorry..."


    Thwack! Barry Wang received a hard blow to the back of his head. The two men who were smoking


    beside the minibus rushed over, while Barry Wang was still standing there, scratching his head.


    "Fuck! You''re an idiot, Barry! Hurry up!"


    "Okay!" Barry Wang followed the two men and ran into the forest.


    Suffice it to say, the two brothers were very cunning. They knew that they should run along the trail in


    the forest so that the gangsters wouldn''t be able to catch up to them by the minibus. They might have


    inherited this from Erica. They ran as fast as they could, scuttling through the forest quickly. They knew


    that as long as they kept off road, the kidnappers wouldn''t be able toe after them in the minibus.


    If they had taken the road, the gangsters would have caught up to them in no time.


    Fortunately, they had lived in Tow Vige before, a ce fortified by mountains in the south, west and


    north. This wasn''t the first time they had found themselves inside the woods which was why they didn''t


    feel frightened or lost.

 Chapter 1428 Fall Into A Trap

    Chapter 1428 Fall Into A Trap


    These gangsters, however, weren''t as dumb as they seemed. They were professionals who knew how


    to track the two boys by following the trails they left behind.


    After about ten minutes, they found themselves deep inside the forest.


    At a fork in the path, Boswell grabbed Damian''s hand, huffing and puffing to catch his breath. "Damian,


    let''s split up. Remember, when the coast is clear, get back on the road and wait for me there."


    Gasping for air, Damian nodded to show that he knew what the n was.


    Boswell started to worry about his brother when he sensed a hesitation in Damian''s expression.


    "Damian, are you okay?"


    Damian swallowed and answered, "Don''t...worry. Just go... I can do this..."


    "Well, just try to remember the rules of surviving in the wild Dad taught us!" Boswell gave his brother an


    assuring pat on the back. On the afternoon some time ago, Matthew didn''t go to thepany, but


    stayed at home with the four children.


    As Colman mentioned some primeval forest, Matthew took the chance to teach them the survival skills


    in the wild. Back then, Matthew thought that he would have to coax them into listening to him, but to his


    surprise, the children gave him their undivided attention and listened to every instruction he gave them.


    Luckily the kids were all gifted with good memory as they were able to catch all of the important


    information, even though Matthew only exined it to them once. Perhaps, that could exin why the


    four of them could speak so many words, even though they were only three years old.


    Damian nodded his head with confidence. He didn''t speak a word, because he had to conserve his


    strength.


    By then, the gangsters had already caught up to them. One of them shouted, "They''re over there! Hurry


    up!"


    In a panic, Boswell pushed Damian away and shouted, "Run!"


    Without wasting another second, Damian ran down the path on the right. What he didn''t know was that


    Boswell didn''t run. He stood exactly where he was and didn''t move.


    When the gangsters were close enough, Boswell made a face at them and taunted, "Come on, catch


    me if you can!" The brave boy was trying to lure their chasers away from his brother so that he could


    be safe.


    His arrogance infuriated the gangsters even more. One of the men, rested his hands on his hips,


    struggling to catch his breath. "Barry...go ahead and chase that one. We''ll go after this one here!"


    Barry could hardly speak as he wheezed and coughed for air, but he had no choice but to run after the


    boy. He carried on the path where Damian disappeared.


    The two brothers, now divided, ran in different paths hoping to lose the gangsters in the forest.


    This unfortunate circumstance, however, was an opportunity for them to show that they were, indeed,


    the descendants of the Huo family.


    Meanwhile, Erica had stopped in front of a house just as the man on the phone had instructed. She


    pushed open the door of the car and got out with a sense of alert watchfulness.


    The front door of the house was wide open and Erica could see the two bedrooms and one living room


    from where she was standing. As soon as she reached the door, Erica smelled something strange. She


    couldn''t tell what it was, but it was utterly ghastly.


    She shouted, "Boswell? Damian?"


    There was pin-drop silence and nothing moved, almost as though the house was deserted.


    Fearing that she was walking into a trap, she looked around more carefully. Suddenly, her phone


    started ringing. It was the same unregistered number. Erica answered immediately, "Hello?"


    "Go inside the house in front of you!"


    Erica looked around, but she couldn''t see anyone. She wondered how the man knew where she was


    exactly. "Sure, I''ll go inside, but where are my sons?"


    "Your sons are tied up and gagged inside that house. Why don''t you go and have a look!"


    Erica walked into the house without hesitation.


    As soon as she entered the living room, the call got disconnected. Her phone rang again. This time it


    was Matthew. "Where are you? I''ve arrived at the suburb. There are a few houses in front of me. Are


    you in one of them?" he asked anxiously.


    "Yes, someone asked me toe here," she answered.


    "Well, don''t do anything. I''ll be right there!" he ordered.


    However, Erica was too worried about their sons to wait for Matthew.


    The ce looked like no one had lived there for a very long time. The only upants of the room were


    a few pieces of broken furniture that had gathered multipleyers of dust over the years.


    Unfortunately, Erica had no idea that when she entered the house, someone sneaked up from behind


    her and threw a burning match at the wall just outside the house. As soon as the me made contact


    with the wall doused in gasoline, it caught fire, roaring wildly as it threatened to consume the house.


    Within the house the fire spread with ease, turning the once pretty first floor into a maze of me. ck


    smoke billowed up and there was no rm to sound.


    Matthew stopped his car right in front of what seemed like a towering inferno. His heart sank almost


    instantly. His mind, upied only by the thoughts of his wife and children, forced a scream out of his


    mouth. "Rika!"


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    Just as Matthew burst into the house valiantly, much to the surprise of the two people inside the house


    now, the arsonist came out and shut the iron door behind him.


    Crack! The familiar sound forced Matthew to turn around and watch helplessly as someone locked him


    inside. It was made clear to him that he had just walked into a trap.


    In spite of everything, he decided to look for Erica and the children first. After all, he had to make sure


    that they were safe and sound.


    Erica was rummaging around in a bedroom, but she still couldn''t find the boys.


    "Rika!"


    As soon as his voice entered her ears, Erica ran over to him and grabbed his arm. "Matthew, the boys


    are not here!"


    Matthew held her in his arms and looked around the shabby house. It was only then that he realized


    that the only two windows in the house, which were originally made of wood, were both sealed with


    steel from the outside.


    "Rika, we''ve fallen into their trap." Their enemy had used the children as bait to lure Erica here.


    Every time, before anything bad could happen to Erica, Matthew would show up without a doubt. This


    time their enemy trapped them both inside a burning house, sealed off all the exits and let them burn to


    death.


    This meant that the boys had to be in some other ce.


    Matthew took out his phone and dialed Carlos'' number. "Dad, something bad happened, but Rika and I


    are together. We haven''t found Boswell and Damian yet." Carlos already knew what had happened to


    the boys, but even though he was on the way, he was still far away as he had received the news a lot


    later than his son did.


    Carlos'' eyes darkened when he heard about the boys. "I''ll bring the kids back home. You make sure


    Rika is safe."


    "No, Dad. Listen, you have to send help here first. The house we are in is on fire. Gifford should be


    near Y City. I''ll call him and ask him to find the boys," Matthew said.


    "Okay, call Gifford now!"


    As soon as they both hung up, Carlos started making phone calls, asking his friends for help.


    Matthew called Gifford and told him what had happened. As soon as Gifford heard that his sister and


    two nephews were in danger, he left his work behind and started taking action.


    There was no way Gifford could keep this from Wesley, so before leaving, he left a message to


    Wesley''s phone, exining what had happened.


    As soon as Wesley saw the message, he took the first flight to Y City.


    When Sheffield heard the news, he was still shopping with his daughter. As soon as he got off the


    phone with Matthew, he quickly sent Gwyn back to the Tang family first, and then took people with him


    to look for his nephews.


    With more people helping them, locating the boys would be quicker and more efficient. Knowing that he


    and Erica couldn''t leave the house for the time being, Matthew also asked her to inform Harmon and


    Joshua to take people to look for the two children.


    Meanwhile, Matthew looked around the room for some sharp objects he could use to pry open the door


    or the windows.


    Unfortunately, their enemy had foreseen this and had made sure to leave nothing of use inside that


    house.


    The smoke billowed ck across the room, filling Erica''s lungs as she fell to the floor. The coughing


    was instant as were the tears that washed over her eyes.

 Chapter 1429 I Let Something Happen To You

    Chapter 1429 I Let Something Happen To You


    Matthew gave it everything he had. He struck the door with mighty kicks more than a dozen times. He''d


    studied fight science, so he knew how to kick with maximum effect. Each of his attacks was more


    powerful than a car crash. But it was all to no avail. After all, the gangsters had anticipated this. The


    iron door was reinforced by welded steel rebar, and while he could shatter the iron lock, they had


    ordered a special padlock in case he tried. The modern lock had a tensile strength of more than six


    tons. They wanted Matthew and Erica to burn with the house.


    There was no water in the house. The previous residents pumped water from the well in the yard. Even


    if they could get there, it took time to pump any appreciable amount of water. But because of the iron


    door, they couldn''t even try.


    The thugs were rather thorough. They didn''t want to leave anything to chance. And Erica and Matthew


    were at their mercy.


    Taking a deep breath, Matthew turned around and hugged the woman squatting on the floor, and tried


    tofort her. "Don''t be afraid, Rika. Dad and Owen are on their way. We''ll be okay."


    Leaning against his shoulder, Erica said, "I''m not afraid as long as you''re with me. But the kids..."


    "Don''t worry about them either. They''re brilliant. If anyone could survive this, it''s them!" Although


    Matthew tried to reassure Erica that the children would be fine, in fact, he was also worried. After all, no


    matter how smart the children were, they were still three years old.


    Matthew was never a man to sit and wait for death. He guided Erica to a rtively safe spot. Then he


    racked his brain for ways to escape the zing house.


    The temperature in the room was rising. It was getting hard to breathe, which made them panic. A


    smoky haze filled the air, obscuring their vision and stinging their eyes. Erica took off her coat, stood up


    and tried to smother the fire with her coat.


    Before long, the material in her coat caught fire. It was devoured and quickly burnt to ashes by the


    hungry mes.


    Soon, Erica was ovee by a coughing fit. She coughed violently and nced at Matthew.


    Even Matthew was coughing, but he fought the urge and was desperately going from one corner to the


    next, trying to find a way to escape.


    He was also a man, not a god. He was usually good at solving all kinds of normal problems. But now


    he was facing an iron door and barred windows. Death loomed closer. Even though he was actively


    trying to find a solution, a few minutester, he still couldn''t figure it out.


    Two minutester, Erica shrank into a corner where the fire was not burning. She put her hands to her


    soot-covered face and gasped for breath. Matthew, on the other hand, was still studying the door and


    windows. She wanted to ask him toe over and hide with her, but when she raised her head, she


    saw a zing beam about to fall from the ceiling.


    She stared at it for two seconds and was sure that the beam was shuddering, trying to give way.


    Matthew had smashed a door in the kitchen, and was using the wood, trying to put a hole in the wall.


    ''Oh no! If the beam falls, it''ll crush Matthew!'' Erica thought to herself, startled. She stood up, heedless


    of the danger, and sprinted towards him. "Matthew, look out!" she yelled.


    But it was toote. Erica leapt at him, knocking him over. The burning beam struck her across her back.


    "Aaargh..."


    Bang! The beam slipped from her back and fell to the floor with a loud noise.


    Erica felt as if her spine was on fire. It hurt so much.


    The beam was so heavy that when it struck Erica, Matthew felt it too. ''It must have been really heavy, ''


    he thought. ''Oh God, is she...?''


    Hearing the loud noise, Matthew crouched down. Then he quickly gathered the soot-covered woman in


    his arms. "Rika, are you okay?"


    Before he could see what was wrong with Erica, the woman spat out a mouthful of blood. "Mmmph..."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Instantly, Matthew panicked. His thin lips trembled slightly, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Rika!" He felt


    that his hand on her back was wet suddenly.


    He moved his hand to a different spot and looked her over carefully. Her creamy white shirt was grey


    from all the smoke. Her shirt was glued to her scalded skin, and he couldn''t bear to look straight at her


    back.


    "Rika!" Realizing what had happened, Matthew roared, tears falling from his eyes for probably the first


    time.


    The injured woman suddenly burst into tears as well. "Matthew, I left home for three years, hoping to


    be worthy of you. But apparently I hadn''t gotten any smarter. I was fooled by those gangsters


    again, and got you killed too!" If she hadn''t insisted on avenging Orange, Matthew would be okay. He


    wouldn''t be here, killed for her foolishness.


    She should have taken her revenge before finding him again.


    "You''re not dumb. It''s just that they had this all nned out. Why do you think they took the kids first?


    They were using our sons to get to you. You wanted to protect them, naturally." As a mother, she


    couldn''t stay calm when she saw her children being abducted.


    Even now, Matthew was still the rock he always was. Always protecting her. Erica was moved and


    really felt sorry for this man. "Matthew... I love you, honey..." She felt a sharp pain in her lower back and


    a wave of nausea shuddered through her. She didn''t feel hot anymore, but instead she was freezing.


    "This time, I''m really going to die. Don''t be sad, though, okay? Have a good life... with our kids..."


    The man wiped the tears from the corner of her eye and growled at her, "Shut up! Damn it! You''re not


    going to die. Besides, Dad would never let me hear the end of it. What do you think my family would do


    to me if I let something happen to you? Not to mention your family? I''d be lucky if all they did was stop


    inviting me around for dinner. No, you dying would suck a lot. Who would I cook for? Who would I


    spend money on? And could you bear to see me driven out of the family? Dammit, Erica, don''t close


    your eyes. You hear me?"


    ''Shit! Who let her rush over to save me? I''ll punish whoever let her do this!'' he cried inwardly.


    Hearing the man''s roar, Erica slowly raised her head. When she saw the grief and disbelief on his face,


    memories involuntarily flooded her mind.


    All of his shirts were embroidered with "My Rika," the photo with "My Rika" on the back, and the note


    "My Rika" on the bottom of the ss jar...


    He arranged a sedan chair for her, and rode a horse to their marriage ceremony. In the middle of the


    night, he made a bowl of seafood noodles for her, watched horror movies with her, carried her upstairs,


    washed and dried her hair, and did everything she asked him to do withoutint.


    These memories shed through her mind. This was how he loved her. This was how she knew he


    loved her.


    Oh, by the way, she forgot an important detail.


    Paigeter told her that their wedding¡ªfrom reserving the venue to the bride price, the apanying


    gift, the wedding dress, even the dress she would be in when the guests raised a toast to her, the


    wedding candy and the wedding wine¡ªall of it was arranged by Matthew himself. He had given her the


    best of everything.


    In the flickering light of the fire, the man kept shouting Erica''s name. It was the first time she had seen


    him cry.


    She raised her hand with difficulty, trying to touch the man she loved the most.


    Kneeling on the floor, Matthew grabbed her hand and pressed it against his cheek. His voice trembled


    slightly as he said, "Rika, believe me. I''m gonna get you out of here. We''ll be fine!"


    "Matthew, you''ve been the best thing in my life. If I can''t have you, my life won''t mean anything." She


    was willing to die for him, if it meant he would be safe and sound. She loved him that much.


    The man was sweating and out of control. He shouted at her, "You''re not going to die! You can''t!" At


    this point, he was screaming to the gods as much as her. "I won''t let that happen! You hear me? Not!


    Gonna! Happen!"

 Chapter 1430 A Similar Disaster

    Chapter 1430 A Simr Disaster


    Erica said with a forced smile, "Matthew, promise me that you will marry the beautiful and gentle eldest


    princess of some rich family instead of the naughty youngest one that always causes trouble..." She


    remembered her father himself once calling her his naughty little princess.


    "In my eyes, there is no distinction between the eldest and the youngest princesses. Rika, you''re the


    only princess in my heart," Matthew told her affectionately. No matter how naughty she was, he didn''t


    mind. His wealth, spirit, and body could withstand any torture she might inflict on him.


    With some difficulty, she forced another smile. ''Did I get burned in the back? It hurts!'' she thought to


    herself. "Matthew, I once said I would love you in my own way. In this life, I only love you. You''re my


    heaven and my destiny." And she would love him in her next life as well.


    A long time ago, her mother told her and her sister what happened the year that Gifford was born. Back


    then, ir had run into a group of gangsters, who had tried to kill Wesley at the gate of their house.


    ir, who had been pregnant with Gifford, had got seriously injured in order to save Wesley. With her


    body bleeding and spitting blood out of her mouth, she didn''t think she was going to survive at the time.


    Many yearster, it was Erica''s turn to save her beloved from the fire and get seriously injured in the


    process as well.


    Now, her whole body ached due to the burning beam that had hit her. She wanted to keep talking but


    spat out blood instead.


    Ironically, fate had brought mother and daughter face to face with simr disasters.


    In ir''s case, she had been in aa in the hospital for a long time before she woke up.


    But what about Erica? If she closed her eyes now, would she ever wake up to see Matthew and the


    kids again?


    Gritting his teeth, Matthew tried to calm himself down and asked, "Rika, don''t you want to hear me say


    that I love you? So, don''t close your eyes. Hold on. When you recover, I''ll tell you that I love you every


    day. Rika, I love you very much..."


    At that instant, the sound of someone kicking the iron door came from outside, but Matthew didn''t seem


    to hear it. Instead, he continued to confess his love to his girl, "You''re my heart, my lungs... If it weren''t


    for you, every organ in my body would copse. How could I breathe again without my lungs? Do you


    have the heart to let me die with you like this?"


    Blood kept flowing down from the corner of Erica''s mouth. However, she managed to shake her head.


    She couldn''t let Matthew die. There were still too many things he could do in his life. Unlike her, a


    useless person who could only eat, drink, and cause trouble; Matthew had a lot to aplish.


    "So, listen to me from now on! Don''t close your eyes. I''ll take you out of this ce. The kids are waiting


    for us, okay?" Matthew had a hopeful look in his eyes.


    Erica was too weak to nod, so she blinked slowly in response.


    "Don''t close your eyes. Listen, someone ising to save us!" Matthew said hurriedly.


    With his face flushed by the fire, beads of sweat kept falling from his face.


    "Matthew! Rika!" It was Carlos'' voiceing from the other side of the door.


    Then another car screeched to a halt. It was Owen with his men. "Mr. Huo!" He approached the door


    and shouted once again, "Mr. Huo! Mrs. Huo!"


    Matthew had to swallow to moisten his throat before answering, "We''re here! You guys need to find a


    way to break the door. Hurry up!" Although Matthew''s lips were getting dryer and dryer, he didn''t seem


    to notice it. From beginning to end, his whole focus was on holding Erica''s hand tightly in his.


    Just then, Carlos'' roar came from outside. "Get away from the door!"


    The fire department wasn''t near enough, and there was no water around them either. The temperature


    on the iron door was sizzling hot and couldn''t simply be broken open by the people.


    Looking forward to getting out, Matthew quickly put Erica in a t position on the floor and barked an


    order, "Drive! Hit the door with the car!"


    Carlos was ready to drive the car himself, but one bodyguard stopped him. "Mr. Huo, let me do this."


    Looking at him, Carlos said decisively, "I''ll save my son and daughter-inw myself."


    He had given his son too little in his life. The least he could do was save them himself so he wouldn''t


    feel so guilty.


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    The bodyguard tipped the others with a wink, and three of them immediately pulled Carlos away from


    the vehicle, restricting him.


    Not wasting any time, the bodyguard quickly got into the car and speeded up towards the door.


    Bang! It was a sess!


    As half of the house copsed, Matthew hid himself in the corner with Erica in his arms at a safe


    distance from the door. When the bricks fell down with the impact, he turned over and protected the


    woman with his body.


    Despite getting hit by the burning bricks, he didn''t seem to feel any pain on his back as he told the


    sleepy woman in surprise, "Rika, wake up! We''re saved!"


    Weakly, she opened her eyes to look at him. With her lips parted, she whispered a few words before


    closing her eyes again. Yet Matthew didn''t get anything she said.


    In fact, she just told him she couldn''t hold on any longer.


    "Rika!" Matthew''s voice exploded in her ears, but she couldn''t hear anything.


    Carrying her out of the house in his arms, Matthew put her in a car, which was intact, and drove her to


    the hospital as fast as he could.


    Soon, a loud explosion sound came from behind them. Matthew didn''t look back to check it out, but it


    was just the car used to hit the door that had exploded.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Damian kept running until he realized he would only get


    more and more exhausted with time. Therefore, he slowed down his pace to think of a way out of the


    situation.


    Looking back to see if Barry was near, he realized he must be exhausted too. From that moment on, he


    walked onward as he paid more attention to his surroundings.


    Unexpectedly, he found arge half meter deep hole and came up with an idea.


    Pulling a branch from the side, he picked up a fewrger leaves and did his best to cover up the hole. If


    one weren''t looking carefully where he stepped, he wouldn''t be able to see anything.


    Before Barry came over, the boy jumped to the other side of the hole and bent down, pressing his


    hands on his knees. As he gasped for air, he waited for Barry to get close.


    Barry had sweat running down his forehead once he noticed the boy had stopped. He took the


    opportunity to lean against a tree and regain his breath as well. "Son of a bitch, I finally caught up with


    you..."


    Damian took a few steps back and pretended to reason with him. "Stop chasing me. Please let me go.


    My father is rich. I''ll tell him to give you money. How about that?"


    "No. If I let you go now, I''ll be killed when I head back. The money will be of no use to me if I''m dead."


    Barry took a few steps forward, his legs visibly weak.


    Suddenly, Damian turned around and ran away. Barry reacted immediately and picked up his pace to


    go after the boy.


    But to his surprise, after a step or two, he stumbled and fell into the hole. "Ahhhh!" He screamed in


    pain. He had almost broken his leg with the fall.


    When Damian heard Barry''s cry, he knew that he had fallen into his trap. Looking back, heughed at


    him and provoked, "Come and catch me!"


    Barry struggled to pull his right leg out of the hole, but before he could stand up, a sharp pain came


    over his ankle.


    It was sprained.

 Chapter 1431 Search And Rescue

    Chapter 1431 Search And Rescue


    Noting his pursuer nursing his sprained ankle, Damian felt relieved and sat on a big stone to take a


    rest. He had run for a long time and his mouth was dry.


    He took a rest for a while and followed the sound of water to find a stream, ignoring Barry''s shouts.


    Fortunately, the stream was clear. He couldn''t wait around long. He drank two mouthfuls of water to


    moisten his throat, and then washed his face.


    As soon as he washed his face, he heard faint footsteps behind him. He suddenly turned and spotted


    Barry.


    Barry dragged his injured ankle behind him and chased Damian, and was closing fast. He was three


    meters away, and showed no signs of slowing down.


    Startled, Damian stood up in a hurry, bnced on the pebbles in the stream and crossed to the other


    side.


    Barry made his way down to the stream as well. He picked up a mouthful of water and took a couple


    sips. "You guys really must be part of the Huo family. I''ve never seen kids as resourceful as you two."


    They were only three years old, but sometimes their intelligence seemed to dwarf that of a teenager. It


    was terrifying!


    Damian blinked his eyes and answered proudly, "Of course we''re smart. We''re as smart as Dad!" To be


    honest, sometimes he felt that he took after his mother more, because he felt he was not quite as smart


    as his brothers.


    Everyone knew who Matthew Huo was, and they knew that angering him was dangerous. However,


    Barry had no other choice but to kidnap these two kids. But as dangerous as Matthew was, his boss


    was the more immediate threat. He wouldn''t disobey him. Not if he wanted to live, at any rate. He


    sighed, "You brat, if you keep running like this, we''ll be trapped in this forest overnight. Ever think about


    that?"


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    In fact, Damian didn''t care. "Yeah, I don''t like it either. How about you let me go? You can''t catch up


    with me anyway!" he said.


    Damian was right. Not only was Damian smarter, the man had sprained his ankle. There was no way


    he could keep up with the cunning, energetic little boy.


    But a light bulb came on in Barry''s head. He was going to trick the boy. "Okay!" he agreed.


    Damian didn''t move and sat still. "You mean it? If you go back on your word, you''ll be a cheating dog."


    "I mean it! Scram!" Barry nodded without hesitation. Who cared what a little boy called him? If he


    couldn''t bring this boy back, he would be dead.


    Of course, Damian didn''t believe him. His father had told them not to trust anyone. The only ones he


    could safely rely on were his family members. Anyone else might want something from him. This man


    was not his family. Why should he believe him?


    Then Damian turned and continued to run. Barry was a little confused. Didn''t he just agree to let him


    go? Why would the boy scamper off like that? If he lost him, he''d be in big trouble.


    Because one of his feet was injured, he couldn''t jump over the stream, so he had to walk through it,


    soaking his socks and shoes.


    But when he got to the other side, the child had disappeared into the forest. Damian was nowhere to be


    seen. It looked like Damian had tricked him, rather than the other way around. Barry continued to


    search for the boy in the forest, looking this way and that, moving branches out of the way as he


    continued on. It was getting dark, and the sounds of the night creatures fouled any chance he might


    hear Damian.


    At the entrance of the forest


    Gifford was trying to track down the kids when he came upon the minibus stopped at the entrance to


    the forest. He asked his men to bust the window of the minibus, and there were ropes strewn on a


    couple of the seats inside.


    His intuition told him that the ropes were used to tie up the kids. They were probably brought here. He


    looked at the forest briefly, wondering exactly where the children were.


    He formed two teams from the men he brought with him, and had them go in different directions. He


    figured if they carved up the forest, they''d eventually find the children. He contacted Sheffield and


    Joshua.


    Later, the forest was disturbed by a vehicle making its way up he road. Various nocturnal creatures


    found quieter ces to be. Wesley hopped out of the hum-vee. But by the time he got here, more than


    a dozen search and rescue teams had already entered the forest to search for the boys.


    Someone was waiting for him at the entrance. "Mr. Li, the chief said the children are inside. They have


    already entered the target area and he asked you to wait for them here!"


    Wesley nodded with a sullen face and asked, "Did you send for a helicopter?"


    "Our chief has arranged it. The helicopter will be here soon!"


    "Good!"


    On the other side, Boswell was chased by two adults at the same time. He didn''t dare stop, because he


    didn''t want to be caught. Fortunately, he was more nimble than they were. But their legs were longer,


    and they were organized. Before long, one of his pursuers popped out of the brush and stood in his


    way. He thought about doubling back, and saw the other behind him.


    The three of them stood in a stalemate, out of breath. They were only a few meters away from each


    other.


    After resting for a while, the man with tattooed arms threatened him. "Caught atst!" he said


    ferociously. "I''m so tired. I''ll kick your ass for this!"


    Absent-mindedly, Boswell plucked a leaf from a green nt. He didn''t bother to respond. He was


    hatching ns about how he might escape from these two men.


    Two minutester, the tattooed man walked towards him, an evil smile on his face.


    Suddenly, Boswell leapt into the grass nearby. The tattooed man immediately followed him. Rather


    than climb the hill, he stopped and reached into the tall grass. The man immediately stumbled


    backwards when an iridescent ck serpent reared up. The tattooed man screamed. In response, it


    spread its hood and sank its fangs deep into the man''s inked up arm.


    Then the thing who had bitten the man slithered past him. He could see a horseshoe shape on its hood


    as it made its escape. He wanted to kill it, but it had already slithered away.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Boswell rushed out of the grass, made a face at them and ran


    down another path.


    The tattooed man wanted to catch up, but the venom was starting to do its work. He felt faint, and his


    limbs felt rubbery. He was having difficulty standing, much less running.


    When his partner saw what was going on, he didn''t know whether he should stay here and take care of


    his buddy or continue his pursuit.


    However, the tattooed man scolded him, "Find him! If the child runs away, we''re both dead!"


    The man nodded and left in a hurry.


    The man with tattoos knelt on the ground. Their phones had already been lost because of the chase. At


    this moment, he could do nothing but let his body fall into the dirt.


    Boswell could only run as fast as he could. He didn''t know how long he had run before he came to the


    edge of a cliff.


    He looked down, and saw a deep chasm. He stood beside it and shivered. There was another cliffside


    near him, though, with roots he could hang on to and he could climb it.


    There was no way back, so he had to bite the bullet and climb up the side of the other cliff.


    Before the enemy caught up with him, he hid his little body behind arge stone. The man stood at the


    foot of the cliff and looked up, but didn''t see a thing.


    Then he walked to the edge of chasm and looked down, wondering if the boy had fallen.


    Luckless in his search, he retraced his steps and left.


    However, it was getting dark and fluffy clouds of fog clung to the trees. The man soon lost his way. He


    searched for a long time, trying to find his friend, but he didn''t know where he was.


    In the private hospital of ZL Group


    Finding out that Erica was sent to the resuscitation room, Matthew finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Terilynn was taking care of the kids at the Huo family manor. Debbie and Evelyn rushed to the hospital


    to meet Matthew.


    Matthew stood at the door of the resuscitation room. His suit jacket was little more than rags and


    ashes. It waste autumn, so he only wore a thin white shirt. It was sttered with blood and soot.


    The mother and daughter rushed to the door of the resuscitation room. "Matthew, how''s Rika?" Debbie


    asked in an anxious voice.


    Frowning, Evelyn waited for Matthew''s answer.


    Seeing them, the man''s thin lips moved slightly. "She tried to save me, and a beam fell on her. I think it


    might have damaged her ribs." His voice was hoarse. He trembled when he thought of Erica.

 Chapter 1432 Uncle Bear

    Chapter 1432 Uncle Bear


    Debbie''s face disyed an expression of stunned disbelief. "How did ite to this?" She felt her


    chest tighten into a knot, like a cramp.


    "Someone kidnapped the boys on purpose and tried to kill me and Rika!" Matthew exined, as he


    clenched his fists, barely managing to contain his anger. If his calctions were correct, then the


    person behind all of this had to be none other than Michel. Although Matthew didn''t have any evidence


    to support his allegations, he was certain that the people he had sent to investigate would eventually


    find out who had hired those gangsters to kidnap the boys.


    "Don''t worry. Rika and the boys will be fine," Evelynforted her brother.


    Closing his eyes with frustration, Matthew nodded to indicate his agreement. ''Rika and the two boys


    will be fine, '' he told himself continuously. If anything bad were to happen to them, Matthew would be


    consumed by guilt for the rest of his life.


    Thinking of her daughter-inw, Debbie paced back and forth in the corridor.


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    Not long after, Matthew, who had gone to the nursing station to get his wound taken care of,


    reappeared at the door of the resuscitation room. "Mom, Evelyn, you stay here and wait for Erica. I''ll


    check on the boys ande back right after," he told the mother and daughter.


    "Sure, go ahead. I''ll inform you as soon as Rikaes out," said Evelyn with a nod.


    Debbie reminded Matthew to be careful before she watched him leave the hospital in a hurry.


    Before he left, however, Matthew took onest look at the light above the door of the resuscitation


    room. Then, without changing his clothes, he rushed over to thest known location where the boys


    had disappeared.


    Meanwhile, after making sure that the man who had been following him was far behind, Boswell slid


    down the hillside from behind the rock.


    Disregarding the mud on his clothes, the little boy took advantage of thest light to pluck two pieces of


    wood from the ground in hopes of building a fire.


    Fortunately, his father had taught him how to make fire using two pieces of wood rubbed against each


    other.


    However, he had never once tried it before. Despite his best efforts, the poor boy was unable to make


    fire.


    Without heat from the fire, he would surely freeze to death. Not only did he need the heat, but he also


    hoped that it would help to signal to the people who were looking for him and his brother.


    Strange unknown noises from afar took him by surprise from time to time, reminding him that he wasn''t


    exempt of fear. However, he knew that it would be pointless to be afraid. The forest was too dark from


    him to proceed on foot.


    The weather began to turn colder and colder as the icy winds swept the forest. Poor little Boswell


    trembled under a big tree, thinking about the warmth in his parent''s embrace, the delicious food cooked


    by his grandparents and theughter of his brothers.


    He began to sob in a low voice at first, and then he burst into tears, wailing out in the serenity of the


    night.


    Boswell didn''t know how long he had cried when suddenly he saw a helicopter in the sky.


    Unfortunately, the people in the helicopter flew past him when they couldn''t see him because he was


    under a big tree.


    The next moment, he heard a loud bang, like the sound of a gunshot. He wasn''t sure if he was right


    until he heard it again. This time he was sure that it was a gunshot.


    The fact that there was a gunshot meant that someone else had joined them in this forest. Maybe his


    father had sent someone to rescue him, or maybe the gangsters had called in reinforcements.


    Whatever it was, Boswell was too afraid to sit around all by himself. He had to follow the sound and find


    the others first, before they found him.


    He heard a voiceing from ahead of him. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and listened closely to find


    the source of the voice under the dim moonlight.


    The forest was home to many pesky critters scurrying back and forth.


    The boy would sometimes catch a squirrel running into the bushes from time to time and sometimes he


    would catch a pheasant running to hide itself from him.


    Boswell told himself that even though it was dark out there, he had no reason to be afraid, unless it was


    a giant beast.


    Suddenly, he could hear buzzing sounds from above. He looked up in confusion and found a drone


    with lights on.


    The people sitting in the helicopter might not have seen him, but the drone was flying low enough to


    spot him from where he was.


    Boswell was thrilled. He waved his hands and shouted at the drone, "Hey! I''m here! I''m here!" The boy


    jumped and jumped, making sure he was loud enough to attract attention.


    Unfortunately, that was when what he had been fearing all along finally came true.


    Boswell was too focused on the drone in the air to notice any sudden movements around him. He kept


    shouting happily, "Dad, I''m here! Can you see me? I''m here..."


    When he realized that the drone couldn''t hear him, he stopped shouting. Just as he closed his mouth,


    he heard an unexpected noise around him. All of a sudden, he felt a chill run down his spine, as if he


    were being watched by a pair of sinister eyes.


    The little boy''s heart leapt to his mouth and he slowly turned around, disregarding the drone hovering


    right above him.


    "Ahh!" The enormous silhouette before him frightened Boswell out of his wits. As he took a step back


    quietly, he stumbled over a branch and fell on his back.


    ''Oh my God!'' If his eyes hadn''t deceived him, the ominous silhouette before him was a bear.


    The little boy''s face turned pale with fear, but he kept telling himself to calm down and think about what


    his father had said.


    Their thoughtful father had also taught them how to deal with wild animals such as snakes or bears in


    the wild. ording to his father''s words, when met with a bear, running would be the first mistake as


    no matter how fast a human could run, no one could ever outrun a bear in the forest.


    Another mistake would be to y dead. Although everyone had heard rumors of bears walking away


    from a dead body, this rumor was very far from the truth.


    In fact, the chances of a bear taking the initiative to attack a person was very low in the first ce. The


    best course of action would be to retreat without provoking it, but slowly walking away or climbing up a


    tree. If the person trying to escape the bear turned out to be unlucky, then the bear would climb the tree


    as well. Unfortunately, bears could climb trees faster than any man. Repeating his father''s instructions


    in his head, Boswell decided to calm his thoughts and look to his surroundings for help.


    The bear, however, was approaching him one step at a time. Just as it was only a few meters away


    from Boswell, it leaned forward and let out a deafening roar.


    The bear''s voice was so loud that it almost broke the poor boy''s eardrums, but he didn''t move a single


    inch of his body.


    When the distance between the bear and the child was less than three meters, he raised his hands in


    surrender and tried to negotiate with the bear. "Uncle Bear, I''m just an innocent child. I don''t want to


    hurt you. Please don''t hurt me, okay?"


    The bear was giganticpared to the little boy. In fact, it was taller than the two of Boswellbined.


    "As long as you don''t hurt me, I will leave right away and nevere back. I promise!


    Please don''te any closer! I''m too skinny! Look at me! I don''t have any meat on my body and my


    bones are too small. Why don''t you just let me go? Maybe I''ll bring you a fat pig some other day!"


    When the bear was just about a meter away from him, it suddenly fell to the ground, its eyes still staring


    at him.


    Boswell swallowed nervously.


    After staring at the bear for a long time, he tried to stand up slowly from the ground. When he was


    certain that the bear wasn''t going to harm him, he slowly tiptoed away.


    Perhaps, it was his good fortune that the bear didn''t attack him. He walked ahead with weary legs,


    while the bear followed him without any intention of attacking him.


    When Boswell was about to take another path, the bear suddenly ran ahead and blocked his way.


    Frightened, Boswell stood still and wondered what the bear was trying to tell him.


    Silence permeated the air between them. Only the sound of the drone in the air and the small creatures


    squeaking in the distance could be heard.


    When the bear saw him stop, it turned around and took the path that went deeper inside the forest.


    Boswell couldn''t figure out what the bear was trying to tell him, but when he tried to carry on in his way,


    the bear blocked his way again.

 Chapter 1433 A Bear And Two Kids

    Chapter 1433 A Bear And Two Kids


    Whenever Boswell tried to take the other path, the bear would stop him. Eventually, the boy realized


    the animal wanted him to follow it.


    Despite the fear of being eaten by the bear, Boswell followed it into the thick forest. He walked for a few


    minutes straight until he came across a dark cave. Its entrance was illuminated only by the moonlight.


    Noticing they were headed there, Boswell thought this should be where the bear lived.


    After the animal walked inside, Boswell didn''t dare to run away as he was afraid it might anger the


    bear. So he waited at the entrance.


    A momentter, another bear crawled out of the cave. No, no, no. It was not a bear.


    It was actually a human toddler dressed in rags. The child looked even younger than Boswell. With its


    long and messy hair, it was notorious that the kid had been living out in the woods for a long time.


    Boswell also noticed its face was dirty, and its body was wrapped in a strange animal fur when it


    followed the bear out of the cave.


    In the dark night, the child''s big ck eyes stared at Boswell curiously.


    Although Boswell couldn''t tell if it was a boy or a girl, he was still excited to see another human. He


    tried to greet the toddler in front of him. "Hi!"


    The toddler stared at him nkly, without saying a word or making any move.


    At that moment, the bear sat down near the cave, and the kid settled next to it as if the animal was its


    family.


    Boswell didn''t feel he had another choice but to sit down too.


    Throughout the night, the temperature in the forest dropped sharply. It was probably only a few degrees


    out there. When a gust of cold wind blew, Boswell couldn''t help but shiver. He quietly nced at the


    other kid wrapped in a piece of fur. It didn''t seem to feel cold even though its shoulders and legs were


    still exposed to the cold wind.


    Boswell thought for a while and took off his coat. It was slightly ripped due to the tree branches he had


    come across in the woods, but the boy stood up and walked over to put it on the toddler, anyway. "I''m


    wearing trousers and a sweater. I won''t feel cold," he exined.


    When he got closer to the toddler, Boswell realized it had a strange smell. Perhaps because it hadn''t


    taken a shower in a long time. Holding his breath, Boswell put his coat over the kid''s shoulders and


    then went back to where he had been sitting.


    They remained quiet in the forest for a while. The bear looked back at the toddler who was curiously


    staring at Boswell''s coat and slowlyy on the ground.


    When the toddler saw its posture, it immediately half stood and climbed onto its back in a sitting


    position.


    The bear carried the child until they were in front of their guest. Boswell didn''t understand what they


    meant at first, but atst, he plucked up the courage and climbed on the back of the bear, just like the


    other kid did.


    Then, the bear stood up from the ground and clumsily carried the two children away from the cave.


    A few minutester, someone seemed to have found Boswell when a drone hovered over the boy''s


    head. Next, several other drones were flying back and forth above his head.


    Boswell waved at one of the drones, which was trying toe down a bit. The device followed him


    through the woods for less than a minute until it crashed into a tree. Consequently, the drone fell to the


    ground motionlessly.


    "Wait a minute!" Boswell called out immediately.


    Seeming to understand what the boy meant, the bear stopped in its tracks. Boswell quickly got off the


    bear and picked up the drone that fell nearby.


    He realized the wing was broken, and it wouldn''t be able to fly anymore.


    Leaving the broken drone behind, Boswell climbed onto the back of the bear, and the animal


    proceeded slowly through the woods with the children.


    As time went by, more drones flew over, andter a helicopter showed.


    The helicopter urately tracked the hovering drones'' location as several fully armed people slid to the


    ground through a soft rope. Quickly, the men approached the bear and the two children.


    The bear took a few steps back warily. But when Boswell saw the man who was holding a weapon in


    the front, he cheered happily, "Uncle! I''m here!"


    At the sound of his voice, Gifford grinned and waved at him. "You brat,e over here!"


    Although he was an adult, when he saw the size of the bear, Gifford didn''t dare to approach it. Yet his


    nephew didn''t seem to be afraid at all.


    Boswell slipped off the bear and ran to Gifford, throwing himself into his arms. "Uncle, you''re finally


    here! I was so scared!"


    Gifford held him in his arms and looked him up and down as he asked worriedly, "Tell me, did you get


    hurt?"


    "No, I''m fine. Uncle, did you find Damian?" Boswell asked. He had been thinking about his brother the


    whole time.


    Gifford shook his head and told him firmly, "We haven''t found Damian yet. But don''t worry. Your two


    grandpas and your dad are looking for him. They will find him soon." Besides, the three gangsters who


    had kidnapped the boys had already been found and were now under control.


    "Okay, let''s go!"


    When Gifford was about to leave with the boy in his arms, it urred to Boswell. "Wait, Uncle!"


    At that moment, the little boy slipped down from his uncle''s embrace and ran towards the bear.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    One of the armed men behind Gifford praised, "Chief, your nephew is so bold! It''s a bear! Even I


    wouldn''t dare to approach it, but the boy is not afraid at all."


    "It would be great if this boy trained with us in a few years!" said another soldier.


    Gifford looked at the child who was talking to the bear, and then he said with a smile, "The bear isn''t


    stupid. Maybe it knows the boy isn''t aggressive, and that''s why it won''t attack him."


    A momentter, the toddler slipped down from the bear''s back and crawled like an animal towards the


    soldiers.


    The scene shocked the adults present. "Who is this kid? It looks even younger than your nephew."


    Gifford shook his head in astonishment. The scene reminded him of the news of a boy who had been


    growing up with a wolf a long time ago. The kid could not only howl like the animal, but he also walked


    back and forth, supported by his four limbs.


    ''Was this toddler raised by the bear?'' Gifford thought, furrowing his eyebrows.


    After the bear left, Boswell approached Gifford and asked, "Uncle, what does the bear mean? Does it


    want us to take the kid away?" He pointed at the child who was still lying prone on the ground.


    Looking back and forth between the leaving bear and the silent kid, Gifford made a decision. "Let''s take


    the kid with us!"


    After all, the forest wasn''t a ce for a child. Gifford decided that he would send the kid to an


    orphanage then.


    However, he would be lying if he said it didn''t cross his mind to bring the child back to the Li family and


    ask his parents to raise it. It was probably a terrible idea, though, since it could destroy his parents to


    raise another child that had no blood rtionship with them. Afraid of that, Gifford decided it was for the


    best to send the kid to an orphanage.


    When it was three o''clock in the morning, Gifford and his group came out of the woods with the two


    children.


    Many people gathered at the entrance of the forest, looking forward to seeing the Huo brothers.


    The moment Matthew saw the children Gifford brought with him, he strode over and called, "Boswell!"


    "Dad!" Recognizing his father''s voice, the boy burst into tears.


    Matthew took the dirty boy from Gifford''s arms and held him. Wiping his tears, heforted his son in


    a soft voice, "It''s all right. You''re safe now."


    Boswell leaned on his shoulder and nodded.


    Meanwhile, Wesley came over and looked curiously at the kid that was still in Gifford''s arms. "Why is


    Damian''s hair so long? This is strange. He seems shorter too..."


    Hearing his brother''s name, Boswell turned around and asked, "Where is my brother?"


    Gifford didn''t know whether tough or cry at his father''s words. Instead, he exined, "Dad, are you


    out of your mind? This isn''t Damian. I picked this kid up in the woods."

 Chapter 1434 Im Happily Married

    Chapter 1434 I''m Happily Married


    "Oh! So who''s this new kid?" Wesley asked, scratching his head. But the next moment, his mood


    darkened. "Do you just go around picking up stray kids? You can even walk into a forest, ande out


    with another kid. How do we know this kid isn''t yours, Gifford? Maybe one born out of wedlock? Maybe


    you''ve been hiding the kid all this time..."


    Gifford couldn''t believe his ears when he heard what his dad said. "Come on, Dad. Boswell found the


    kid, not me. And the kid''s not mine! What a crazy idea! I''m happily married, with a kid of my own!" How


    could he have a love child? That was impossible.


    Wesley''s words amused everyone. Boswell had no idea what a love child was. But he felt the need to


    exin. "Grandpa, we got this kid from Mommy Bear," he exined.


    "Mommy Bear?" After Boswell''s exnation, Wesley was even more confused.


    "Yeah!" Boswell nodded.


    "Apparently this kid was lost, and raised by a bear. No clue what happened to the parents. We''re the


    first humans the bear saw, so it gave the kid to us," Gifford said to his father.


    "Oh! How weird!"


    Matthew handed the kid to Wesley. "Dad, you and Boswell go home and get some sleep. I''ll have my


    men scour the forest for Damian. Don''t worry, we''ll find him!"


    "Dad, I know where my brother was headed. I can go with you!" Boswell said to Matthew, wrapping his


    arms around Wesley''s neck.


    Stroking his little head, Matthew said, "No, we''re good. You stay here with your grandpa. We''ll take


    care of this. We''ll find your brother, trust me." The child must be still in the forest. Sheffield and Joshua


    were still searching there with their people. With so many people looking for him, the child was as good


    as found.


    Wesley left with the two children. Matthew advised Gifford to take a break. Maybe nap in the car for a


    bit. He''d been looking for the kids nonstop, and a power nap would work wonders. Matthew relieved


    the other crew that had been searching for his son, and took a fresh group of well-rested men with him.


    Before Matthew could take a few steps inside the forest, he received a message from Sheffield. "I


    found Damian! The boy''s hurt! Have the paramedics stand by!" the message said.


    A while ago


    In the forest, when night fell, Damian leaned against a big tree, his stomach rumbling.


    He was very sleepy, but too jumpy to sleep. The forest looked very different at night. Branches that


    looked innocuous in daylight transformed to twisted, tentacle-like limbs in the darkness. The sound of


    night creatures was far fromforting, as well.


    He managed to build a fire with a little good old fashioned ingenuity. He looked for dryer lint in his


    pocket, took some of the dry grass around him and added it to his fire pit, then he used his house key


    and a rock to create the sparks. He took some rocks from nearby and arranged them to surround the


    fire. But he had nothing to eat, so all he could do was stare at the fire and watch as it died down.


    ''No, I can''t let the fire die, or I''ll have more problems.''


    Thinking of this, Damian stood up and began to look for some dry kindling to keep the fire going.


    Fortunately, there were many branches close by, and he could ignite one of them so he could see


    better.


    However, he didn''t know what was hidden under the branch. Just as he was fumbling the branches, a


    little creature suddenly jumped up from underneath the branches and pounced on him.


    "Ahhh!" Damian''s little body was knocked down by the animal, and the ck animal shed his


    trousers and scratched his legs. The animal left several cuts in his legs. His dark blue trousers were


    soon painted red by the blood.


    The little animal that hurt him left and vanished in the forest.


    Damian sat there and waited for his wounds to stop hurting. After a while, he gritted his teeth, picked


    up the branches he gathered, and made his way back to the campfire.


    A few minutester, he heard a buzzing sound. He craned his neck, so he could listen more intently.


    Damian opened one of his eyes, and some mechanical contrivance was flying more than ten meters


    overhead. When he took a closer look, he knew it was a drone.


    The drone began tond. It circled around the campfire and finally focused its lens on Damian.


    Damian shed a smile at the drone and said gently, "Hi Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom."


    ''And my brothers, I miss you so much!''


    The drone was sent by Sheffield and Joshua''s team. When they saw clearly that there was a boy sitting


    beside the fire on the screen, they rushed over as fast as they could.


    More than ten minutester, Sheffield''s excited voice came. "Hey, dear nephew!"


    The reason why he called him that was that Sheffield couldn''t see him clearly in the dark. He couldn''t


    tell whether it was Damian or Boswell.


    Hearing the familiar voice, Damian struggled to stand up, but the wounds on his legs were too painful.


    He sat back and called in a weak voice, "Uncle Sheffield, Uncle Joshua..."


    They didn''t know who it was until they found his campsite in person.


    The little boy''s face was dirty, but he was pale underneath. "Are you hurt, Damian?" Joshua asked


    worriedly.


    Damian nodded, pouting.


    Sheffield aimed his shlight at the boy''s body. His dark blue trousers were covered with dark red.


    He asked his men to find the first aid kit, strip off Damian''s pants and deal with his wounds first.


    Sheffield took a good look at the w marks. They weren''t shallow, but not real deep. He knew these


    wounds weren''t made by weapons, or happenstance. "Did an animal get to you?" he asked.


    Damian nodded and then shook his head. "Yeah, but I don''t know what it was. I''ve never seen anything


    like it."


    "All right! I''ll clean your wounds. This might sting a bit. So brace yourself!" Sheffield handed the


    shlight to Joshua and opened the first aid box himself.


    A few minutester, Joshua lifted the little boy in his arms. Sheffield worked on extinguishing the fire


    before catching up with the rest of the team.


    After more than ten hours, the group of people turned the forest upside down. It was impossibly vast,


    and a difficult task to find anyone. Finally, they found both boys who disappeared, but not all at once.


    They also recovered a little girl.


    Wesley had her cleaned and cut her hair because he could see lice in the strands. The next day, he


    took her to the hospital for a check-up.


    The child was a little more than a year old and couldn''t walk or talk. Except for a little malnutrition, there


    was nothing else wrong.


    In the hospital, after Erica was wheeled out of the resuscitation room, she was directly sent to the ICU.


    She didn''t return to the VIP ward until her condition stabilized. But she was still in aa. Debbie and


    Evelyn were watching over her.


    Matthew''s clothes were rumpled, he had a 5 o''clock shadow, and there were dark circles under his


    eyes. He hadn''t slept yet. Instead, he came to the hospital and asked someone to move Damian to the


    ward opposite Erica''s, so that he could take care of mother and son.


    In a vi in Y City


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    At this moment, there were more than a dozen people at the vi, and the mood was grim. Everyone


    was worried.


    The man at the head of the table held his cup tightly in his hand, wishing that he were holding a deadly


    weapon. He''d use that weapon to get rid of Noreen.


    In the end, Michel couldn''t help cursing. He didn''t behave like the gentle and elegant CEO anymore.


    "That fucking bitch! Who does she think she is? Why would she be so stupid as to try and murder


    Matthew Huo and his woman?"


    The people around him were so frightened they didn''t even breathe. They were worried he''d lose his


    temper.


    "Who allowed her to get after the Huo family? Damn it! Now Erica Li is in the hospital, in aa.


    What''s more, her father and brother are involved, not to mention Sheffield Tang!" This was the reason


    why Michel went into hiding. If he dared to hurt anyone in the Huo family, he would have countless


    enemies.


    Knowing that she had made a huge mistake and that Matthew and Erica had not been killed, Noreen


    ran away. She knew she was doomed. Michel gritted his teeth and demanded, "Go and find Noreen


    now. Get rid of her at all costs!"


    He had never thought this woman would derail all his ns. Now he needed to clean up her mess.

 Chapter 1435 Angelina

    Chapter 1435 Angelina


    Michel''s subordinate hesitated for a moment, twitching in his seat ufortably. After all, Noreen was


    Michel''s mistress. "Mr. Wang, all things considered, Miss Xia is still the leader of the Immortal Killer


    Sect. Are you sure you don''t want to save her?" he asked.


    ''Save her? Noreen is a blithering idiot. I would have wiped out the entire Xia family if I had the chance!''


    Michel gritted his teeth angrily. "I would have helped her, no doubt, if she had crossed someone else.


    Anyone apart from Matthew Huo, but unfortunately those are the cards we''ve been dealt. Just find her


    and..." Michel wrapped his fingers around his neck gesturing his wish to his subordinate.


    Noreen had served Michel for more than a decade. In fact, she had more information on Michel than


    his own wife did. If she were to fall into Matthew''s hands, it would be absolutely disastrous for Michel


    and thousands of his cronies. Unfortunately, Noreen had to die!


    "As you wish, Mr. Wang!"


    The big room sumbed to the dreadful silence once again. One of the men boldly suggested, "Mr.


    Wang, we can''t sit still and do nothing. We have to find a way to destroy the evidence first!"


    Needless to say, Michel knew exactly what to do. "Hide all the goods. Stop all distribution for the time


    being and tell everyone toy low until I say so."


    ''Even if Matthew suspects me, he can''t do anything to me without any credible evidence, '' Michel


    mused.


    "Yes! Mr. Wang!"


    Michel''s diligent subordinates didn''t leave until midnight.


    However, each and every one of them had one thing in mind¡ªNoreen. She was the biggest thorn in


    their side and the one person that could ruin everything for them.


    The next morning at the Huo family''s manor


    A little girl with her head shaved clean, sat cross-legged on a white carpet that almost covered the


    entire room, while the boys gawked at her looks.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Godwin rested his chin on his hand and stared at the quiet little girl. "Boswell, is she really a girl?" ''Why


    is there no hair on her head?'' he wondered.


    Boswell nodded. "The doctor said that she''s a girl."


    Godfrey leaned forward a little and asked, "What''s her name?"


    "She has no name yet. Grandpa asked us toe up with something," Adkins said.


    Crossing his arms over his chest, Colman thought for a while and said, "How about we name her


    Lemon?" Colman had a weakness for sour foods!


    Boswell shook his head almost immediately. "No, she doesn''t like lemons."


    "I think we can name her after the names of Chinese herbs. I know a lot of good ones," Godwin


    suggested. Since he was passionate about Chinese medicine, his wish was to find a girl in the future


    whose name was somehow connected to Chinese medicine.


    Boswell refused straight away, shaking his head again. "She doesn''t need to take Chinese medicine."


    Adkins looked into the little girl''s eyes and said, "How about we call her Grape? Look at her big and


    round eyes. Don''t they look like grapes?"


    "Too tacky!" Boswell shook his head again.


    As soon as he finished his words, the other boys looked at him at the same time and said, "You name


    her then."


    After racking his brain for a good name, Boswell finally decided to name the little girl Candy.


    The others snorted in derision at the same time, angrily ring at Boswell. Adkins sneered, "You''re


    even worse than Mom when ites toing up with names. You''d better take Godwin''s suggestion


    and name her after Chinese herbs."


    Embarrassed, Boswell scratched the back of his head. "Okay then. Godwin, what did you have in


    mind?" Boswell was the one who found and brought this little girl home, as such he felt as though it


    was his responsibility to give her a name.


    "Okay..." Godwin gave him a list of names. "Pollia japonica Thunb., Pinellia ternata, Aster, Angelina


    Root, Cistanche, Indigo..."


    ''Angelina?'' Boswell''s ck eyes lit up. He looked at the girl and bobbed his head up and down in a


    thoughtful manner. She was as cute as an angel! "Let''s call her Angelina!"


    "Angelina..." Godwin tried to recall what the Angelina Root looked like, but despite his greatest efforts,


    he wasn''t able to remember as there were too many Chinese herbs dancing about in his mind.


    Eventually, he gave Boswell the nod of approval. "Okay! Then her name will be Angelina."


    As Debbie came downstairs, shaking a feeding bottle in her hand, she mumbled to herself, "I''m d I


    found this in the storage room. I remember getting this for Jeffrey but we never got to use it. I didn''t


    think it was going toe in handy now." When she passed by the living room, she said to the


    children, "Take care of the baby girl. I''m just getting her some water."


    "Okay, Grandma!" Adkins replied loudly.


    Debbie rinsed the feeding bottle and poured some water. Then she went back to the living room, picked


    up the little girl and began to feed her.


    Carlos walked in with a can of form in his hand. "Honey, I got this, but they didn''t have the brand you


    asked for. The man at the store said this was very popr with the kids now."


    "Okay, put it in the kitchen first. I''ll feed her some water first."


    Adkins told Debbie, "Grandma, we have given her a name."


    Boswell nodded, "Yes! Godwin named her after a Chinese herb and we all agreed to it!"


    Carlos overheard their conversation, as he poured himself a ss of water and walked up to them.


    "Wow, that''s great. What''s the name? Tell me."


    Boswell puffed up his chest proudly and said, "Her name is Angelina!"


    Carlos thought for a while. ''Angelina is a good name, but... what kind of Chinese herb is that?''


    Godwin exined, "Well, it''s a kind of traditional Chinese medicine. Angelina Root! It''s my idea! And


    Boswell made the final decision."


    "Cough¡ª" It was indeed rare of Carlos to lose hisposure like that and spit out the water from his


    mouth.


    Debbie was stunned too. Deep down inside her heart, she couldn''t help but feel amused.


    Godwin and Boswell didn''t know what had happened. Boswell asked gleefully, "Grandpa, what do you


    think?" Why else would their grandfather be so excited?


    Godwin felt quite proud of himself. "Grandpa, slow down. You shouldn''t drink water in such a hurry."


    Carlos took out a tissue and wiped the water from the floor. Then he asked the maid to clean the rest.


    He took a deep breath and asked Godwin, "What did your father teach you?"


    "What?" Godwin was confused.


    Carlos was on the verge of breaking down. He took out his phone and sent a message to Sheffield.


    "What have you been teaching my grandson? If you can''t teach him good things, just send him to me!"


    Confused, Sheffield asked, "Wait, what''s wrong, Dad?" ''What did Godwin do this time?'' he wondered.


    "The boys picked out a name for the little girl¡ªfrom a list of Chinese medicines provided by your son.


    And Boswell decided on the name atst¡ªAngelina! Because your son told them that apparently there


    is a Chinese herb called Angelina Root! Do you see the problem now?" Carlos exined to Sheffield


    patiently.


    The correct name was Angelica Root!


    Sheffield understood the problem at once and texted back. "Dad, I''ll bring him back home right now and


    teach him well!"


    Carlos gently patted Boswell''s head and corrected the kids. "There''s no Chinese herb called Angelina


    Root. It''s Angelica Root. A-N-G-E-L-I-C-A."


    Confused, Boswell asked, "Angelica?"


    Carlos nodded and said, "Yes. But, both Angelica and Angelina are good names. You can pick one."


    The boys nodded their little heads in unison and Boswell affirmed that they still wanted to name the


    little girl Angelina.


    Later that day, Sheffield brought Godwin back home and made him write the words "Angelica Root"


    one hundred times. Since then, Godwin had lost his love for Angelica Roots. However, from time to


    time, he would add some Angelica Root to his father''s food out of spite.

 Chapter 1436 Interrogation

    Chapter 1436 Interrogation


    As a result, Sheffield felt very confused about his own body for some time. After all, he used to be a


    doctor. He was well aware of the changes inside his body¡ªchange in sleep, appetite, and blood


    cirction.


    One day, Sheffield found that the Angelica Roots he had stored away were getting fewer and fewer in


    number, which made him suspicious.


    Soon after, he caught his son red handed, secretly adding Angelica Root powder into his bowl of


    porridge. A misdeed, to which Godwin admitted full responsibility in the end.


    Ever since, Sheffield couldn''t help dreading the idea of his son switching Angelica Root to Datura when


    he was older. What if Godwin decided to add poisonous herbs instead to his food in the future?


    As such, he decided to stop his son from learning about traditional Chinese medicine in its entirety.


    Godwin, however, was passionate about traditional Chinese medicine. When Sheffield forbade him


    from learning about Chinese medicine, he snitched on him to his grandfather. Needless to say,


    Sheffield would never dare to speak over Carlos, so he had no choice but to turn a blind eye to


    Godwin''s love for Chinese medicine.


    Matthew couldn''t stay calm anymore that afternoon when he watched Erica lying still in aa. He


    paced around the ward in an irritable mood before he decided to pay the attending doctor a visit.


    The man frowned and coldly asked, "Didn''t you say that my wife would wake up today from hera?"


    The attending doctor wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said, "Mr. Huo, don''t worry. Mrs. Huo


    will be awake before tomorrow morning."


    Matthew cast a cold nce at the doctor, who was so frightened that he immediately shut his mouth.


    The man warned him coldly, "If my wife doesn''t wake up before tomorrow morning, I''ll burn down this


    hospital!"


    "Y-yes, Mr. Huo!" The doctor had no choice but to agree.


    In the evening, Matthew, who had returned to Erica''s ward from his son''s ward, received a call from


    Owen. "Mr. Huo, she''s here!"


    "Okay, I''ming now."


    After hanging up the phone, Matthew walked to the bedside, kissed the forehead of the woman whose


    eyes were still closed, and softly whispered, "Rika, I''m going out for a while. When Ie back, I want


    you out of bed, okay?"


    The woman didn''t respond. Stifling his sympathy, Matthew turned around and strode out of the ward.


    The group of bodyguards that stood outside the ward all stood straight at once and saluted Matthew.


    He nodded back at them and went to the opposite ward.


    Inside the ward, Damian was leaning against the bed, attentively listening to Wesley telling him a story.


    "Dad!"


    Matthew felt a little better when he heard his son calling him. He walked over and touched the little


    boy''s head. "Does it still hurt?"


    "It doesn''t hurt, Dad!"


    "Well, just get some rest tonight. If you''re feeling better tomorrow morning, you can go home." Luckily,


    Damian didn''t suffer any serious injuries. He could have been discharged from the hospital that day, but


    Matthew didn''t want to take any risk with his son''s health. After all, he was attacked by an unknown


    animal, so Matthew made him stay in the hospital for close observation.


    "Okay!" Damian was relieved to hear that he could be going back home tomorrow. "But, what about


    Mom?"


    Matthew replied affirmatively, "Mom is fine. Sleep well tonight and she will be up tomorrow morning!"


    "Okay!"


    Matthew then greeted Wesley before leaving in a hurry.


    As soon as he left, Carlos and Debbie came to the hospital to take care of the injured mother and son.


    After leaving the hospital, Matthew went straight to a dock where a slightly old ship was parked near it.


    Dozens of bodyguards surrounded the ship, as Matthew entered the underdeck cabin led by his trusted


    men.


    There was a faint musty odor inside the damp cabin that filled Matthew''s nostrils. A woman was tied to


    a pir. Her eyes were covered tightly and her mouth was stuffed with a duster cloth. Owen and six


    other bodyguards were watching her in the room.


    After Matthew came in, Owen went over to take off the blindfold from the woman''s eyes, but he


    deliberately left the duster cloth in her mouth.


    Noreen slowly squinted her eyes open and gradually adapted to the light. Atst, her eyes fell on


    Matthew, who had a malicious expression on his face. A shiver travelled down her spine, shaking her to


    the core. She kept mumbling through the gag in her mouth. Clearly, she was trying to say something.


    The man seemed unmoved by the look of remorse in her eyes. He took off his coat and handed it to his


    subordinate next to him.


    Slowly rolling up his sleeves, he picked up a whip hanging on the wall and cracked it in the air to attract


    everyone''s attention.


    The sharp sound of the whip shook Noreen back to her senses and her face disyed a deathly pallor.


    Matthew looked at the whip and said, "I''ll give you one chance."


    The bodyguard next to her immediately removed the duster cloth from the woman''s mouth. When she


    could finally speak, she immediately said, "Mr. Huo, what are you talking about? Ah!" Before she could


    finish her words, Noreen was silenced by the excruciating pain that surged her entire body.


    The whip left an open wound that hurt so badly that she had to shut her eyes and grit her teeth to


    withstand the pain.


    Dizzied, the pain almost knocked her unconscious as she whimpered helplessly.


    Matthew''s eyes widened in anger and he screamed, "How dare you hurt my wife and my children? I will


    show you what the true meaning of suffering is!"


    Erica was lyingatose in a hospital bed after she broke two of her ribs when she shielded Matthew


    from a falling roof beam.


    Of course, he wouldn''t spare Noreen even if she begged him!


    "No, I didn''t..." she answered with difficulty, gritting her teeth.


    Crack! He whipped her again. The woman felt a simr burning pain coursing through her whole body,


    but this time she didn''t even have the strength to scream.


    Matthew took the wet tissue from the bodyguard and wiped the blood off the whip. "I won''t take no for


    an answer. I want everything you have on Michel Wang, nothing more, nothing less."


    On the verge of passing out, she raised her head with great difficulty and looked at the man in front of


    her, who maintained a calmposure, as if he was not the one who had just whipped her. "Michel...


    I''m not very close to him, and he doesn''t tell me... everything..."


    As soon as Matthew dropped the wet tissue on the floor, he whipped Noreen again. In an instant, the


    whip was stained with blood again.


    "Ahhh!" Noreen was starting to lose consciousness.


    Owen shook his head helplessly. This woman had to be the dumbest woman in the world. In his ten


    years of serving Matthew, he had never seen his boss strike a woman so hard and with so much


    hatred.


    Matthew''s actions were a reflection of how angry he really was.


    It became very clear that Erica and the boys were everything to him.


    Matthew''s hatred was so venomous, he couldn''t even look the woman in the eye. "I have many ways to


    make you yield. With every second of mine that you waste, I will double your suffering!"


    Noreen was fully aware of her current situation. As she was Michel''s mistress, she definitely wouldn''t


    expect Matthew to let her go. In the end, she decided to ce herst hope on Michel. "Mr. Huo, what


    do you want to know?"


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    yfully throwing the whip in the air and catching it, Matthew said, "I''m giving you one chance at life.


    Tell me everything you know and don''t waste my time anymore!"


    Michel, that cunning old fox, never gave Matthew an opening for him to attack from. The people


    Matthew had sent in the past to gather information about Michel''s crimes all came back empty handed.


    The bloodied floor was proof of how hard Matthew had whipped her. Somehow stifling the pain, Noreen


    exined, "Michel... He took bribes and made false ounts. We are a couple..."


    Crack! Matthew whipped her until her back was a bloody mass of open flesh in front of everyone else


    to witness.

 Chapter 1437 Actively Prepare For Pregnancy

    Chapter 1437 Actively Prepare For Pregnancy


    "Ah!" Noreen screamed.


    The pain from her wounds suddenly washed over her like a tidal wave, ten times worse than before.


    Instead of showing her an ounce of respite, Matthew whipped her without mercy.


    "Ah...no!"


    Matthew was like an imp of the Devil, if not probably the Devil himself incarnate. "I am not interested in


    what he has done in hispany."


    Noreen tried to stay awake but it was too hard, her head spun and the dizziness overcame her.


    "Matthew Huo, I am the number one star... in the entertainment circle. Do you know what a big mistake


    you''ve made by kidnapping me? In less than 24 hours, news of my disappearance will spread all over


    the Inte, and then..."


    Finally, the pain was just too overwhelming and Noreen lost consciousness as she couldn''t take it


    anymore.


    ''How dare she threaten me at the face of death?'' Matthew thought furiously. Every fiber of his being


    wanted to strangle that woman, even if the whole world found out that he was the one who killed her.


    Matthew could care less about what the world thought of him.


    Thinking of his wife who was still in aa, Matthew chucked the whip to his bodyguard beside him


    with a murderous look in his eyes. "Throw her down into the sea."


    "Yes! Mr. Huo!"


    Plop! At night, the waves were powerful in that violent way of storms and their roar echoed across the


    sea to thend.


    A woman was thrown into sea with her hands tied by a rope. The other end of the rope was fastened to


    the guard rail of a speed boat. Noreen flipped chaotically across the water as she was dragged on a


    rope behind a running speedboat.


    "Cough, cough, cough." If the pain had rendered Noreen unconscious, the torture she was


    experiencing now woke her up.


    She spat out water, coughing and struggling to catch her breath, but the pain had drained her body of


    all strength.


    Matthew stood on the deck and looked at the woman in the sea, his cold eyes disying no emotions.


    Just as she was about to go under, one of Matthew''s bodyguards pulled the rope and brought her back


    to surface.


    Thirty minutester, when the speed boat had returned to the pier, the woman was almost lifeless,


    barely holding on to her life.


    Just as Matthew was about to confront her again, his phone started ringing. It was Debbie. "Mom?"


    "Rika has regained consciousness! Matthew,e to the hospital at once!" Debbie was almost


    screaming because she was so excited.


    The murderous look in that man''s eyes suddenly dissipated when he heard the good news. "I''ll be right


    over!"


    Before leaving, Matthew nced at the woman on the floor and ordered his men, "Keep an eye on her.


    If she is hungry, feed her peanuts, and if she is thirsty, give her sea water."


    Noreen was allergic to peanuts; even a tiny piece could make her suffer for an entire night.


    And drinking sea water was only going to make Noreen suffer serious dehydration. It seemed as


    though Matthew had no intentions of giving her some respite.


    When Matthew returned to the hospital, Damian had already fallen asleep and Wesley was talking to


    Carlos in the corridor.


    He greeted the two elders first. Wesley replied, "Matthew, Rika has regained consciousness, but she


    hasn''t fully recovered yet. She still needs some more rest."


    "Yes, the doctor said that there is nothing to worry about anymore. She''ll make a full recover soon,"


    Carlos said.


    Matthew nodded and walked into the ward.


    Inside the ward, Debbie was texting ir, keeping her updated on Erica''s physical condition. When she


    noticed hime in, Debbie put away her phone and helplessly said, "Rika was acting like a child. She


    kept asking to see you the moment she opened her eyes. Luckily she''s asleep now."


    Matthew nodded, maintaining silence so that Erica wouldn''t feel disturbed. He sat down on the edge of


    the bed and held Erica''s hand, and his eyes, that bred nothing but hatred just a while ago, was now full


    of tenderness.


    "Where have you been? Your sister said you didn''t go back to the manor," Debbie asked in a low voice.


    Putting his wife''s hand to his lips, he replied in a cold voice, "I was just out to take care of some


    unfinished business. After all, someone has to pay the price for putting Rika here."


    Debbie understood what he had meant. "Your dad said it was Noreen Xia''s doing. Is that true?"


    "Yes."


    Gifford had his people torture Barry, who in turn confessed that they had received their orders from the


    boss of the Immortal Killer Sect.


    Carlos pushed the door open and stepped inside just as he had overheard the conversation between


    mother and son. He snorted derisively at Matthew and said, "This was your fault! How many women


    have you been messing with? Phoebe, Camille, Noreen... All of that stops now! I don''t want to hear


    another word about this again!"


    Before Matthew could say anything, Wesley stepped forward and said, "Carlos, it''s not the boy''s fault.


    It''s obvious that Rika had provoked Michel''s people. This time, it had nothing to do with him."


    Frustrated, Carlos looked at Matthew contemptuously and said, "It seems that you have found


    someone to back you up?"


    ncing at him, Matthew didn''t bother to answer his question. "Dad, Mom, please go home and get


    some rest. I''ll stay here with Rika."


    Debbie didn''t want to leave, but she had no say in the matter as her son was already pushing out.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Wesley also wanted to stay and look after Damian, but Matthew said that Gifford and Sheffield would


    come overter, so Wesley followed the elderly Huo couple to the Huo family''s manor.


    Around midnight, Sheffield and Joshua appeared in the hospital together.


    Sheffield exined to the man who was waiting for them at the door of the ward, "Gifford had to leave


    on some urgent business. Don''t worry, Joshua and I will be here tonight."


    Nodding his head, Matthew took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and nced at the two men.


    The two men knew what Matthew was insinuating, so they told the bodyguards to guard the door and


    left for the smoking area at the end of the corridor.


    In the smoking area


    Matthew lit a cigarette and looked out the window in a pensive manner.


    Sheffield exhaled a mouthful of smoke and teased, "You might as well quit smoking now that Rika is


    back. Don''t you want to try for a daughter this time?"


    Joshua chimed in, "I think Sheffield is right. When Rika recovers, you two should just stop worrying


    about anything else and think about having a daughter or two while you''re still young!"


    Thinking of the scar on his wife''s belly, Matthew flicked the ash off his cigarette and said, "Last time


    when Rika was pregnant with four babies, she left me for more than three years. What if she leaves me


    again if I get her pregnant again?"


    In truth, Matthew didn''t want Erica to suffer the pain of childbirth again.


    Not even if he wanted a daughter.


    Sheffield puffed smoke on his face, which angered Matthew at once. He was just about to teach the


    naughty man a lesson, but Sheffield yielded just in time. "Hey, we''re in a hospital. Be a gentleman! To


    be honest, I don''t think Rika is to me for what happened between you two. You never confessed


    your feelings to her even though you loved her since such a long time ago. Then one day, Rika


    suddenly found out that not only did you have feelings for her, you were deeply in love with her. The


    fact that the goddess of your heart wasn''t that bitch from the Su family, must havee as a shock to


    her. I can totally see why she would feel confused and unable to make the right decision."


    Joshua nodded, "Now that she''s back in your life, just have a good and happy life with her. Give birth to


    a niece for me as soon as possible."


    In the days when Erica went missing, Matthew had been looking for her everywhere like a madman. To


    quell the sadness in his heart, he would force Joshua and Sheffield to drink with him, and sometimes,


    their night-outs would end up in a friendly fight. Since Matthew was trained in martial arts, he would


    easily beat up Joshua.


    Matthew, however, wasn''t feeling very chatty today. "Of course, I want to have a happy life with her."


    Not only did he want to have a happy life with Erica, Matthew wanted her to have the best possible time


    of her life with him.

 Chapter 1438 Licking Her Wounds

    Chapter 1438 Licking Her Wounds


    "I like the way you think." A cigarette hanging out of his mouth, Sheffield sent his wife a message


    asking her to go to bed early.


    There was a moment of silence in the smoking area. Matthew didn''t wait for the man who was furiously


    tapping away at his phone to acknowledge him. "So, after this, go ahead and assumemand of the


    Violet Eagles. When you have time, of course."


    Sheffield looked up from his phone, and stared at Matthew. It was a look that said, ''Seriously?'' "Now I


    know you''re a masochist. Erica won''t be happy." Matthew knew quite well what he was doing. He was


    muscling in on Erica and Chantel''s territory. But he only focused on what he wanted.


    "She has me. What does she need a goon squad for? No, I''ll be the person she goes to when she


    needs help." The longer Erica wielded the power of the Violet Eagles, the more dangerous she''d


    be.


    Sheffield put his phone away, and started stroking his chin thoughtfully. "But your wife is using your


    name to gather power. The branch of the Violet Eagles in our city alone has more than one thousand


    members. It''s a challenge to keep them all in line."


    Not to mention the number of people in K Country involved with them. Membership there dwarfed their


    numbers in Y City. It required a generous amount of funds to maintain an international cartel of that


    size.


    ''Matthew knows how to pile on the workload, '' Sheffield sighed.


    "If the Violet Eagles were formed using my name, then you can use your name to take over, right?"


    Sheffield was well-known in gannd. And these guys weren''t even all that violent, mostly preferring to


    run ATM cloning schemes, protection rackets, etc. Should be easy for him to get a piece of the action,


    and leverage that into control.


    Joshua knew what Sheffield was talking about. With a smile, he quietly looked at the two big shots who


    were jockeying for advantage. Matthew was no dummy, and neither was Sheffield. It was just that


    neither of them wanted to handle this.


    But Sheffield lost it first. He always did. Erica might be able to get Matthew''s goat quite easily, but he


    was better at dealing with Sheffield.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    This time was no exception. Sheffield snorted at Matthew, "Don''t y dumb. You know that''s a damn


    lot of cash! And I can''t get it easily, thanks to your dear sister. She''s starting to mp down on the


    money we have. I want to see some moh first before I take this on! You hear me?"


    Matthew was unconvinced. He had a wife too. "What a coincidence! My wife''s the same way. Only I''m


    more miserable than you. Rika not only has control of the family checkbook, but has her hands in the


    company''s financial affairs."


    ''What''s Sheffield ying at? It''s not like they''re an unruly bunch. They''re a well-oiled machine. Why


    would he need any money at all? Even if he did need cash, Sheffield could afford it. It''s just a few mil, ''


    Matthew thought. ''He doesn''t deserve to be my brother-inw if he can''t afford that.''


    Joshua put out his cigarette and kept smiling. He watched the two top figures in the city exchange their


    tales of woe, trying to outdo each other. This was like watching a chess game between two masters.


    And Joshua was nowhere near as influential as these guys. He knew better than to interfere.


    "Wow! Matthew, you''re one of the richest men in the world. Why are you such a penny-pincher?"


    Sheffield wondered where Matthew got it from. ''My mother-inw''s not like that, so maybe it was...


    Aww, forget it.''


    Sheffield was also one of the richest men in the world. Matthew didn''t want to put up with his crap any


    longer. He got straight to the point. "Noreen hasn''t told us any useful information yet. Michel Wang is no


    fool, though. He has to know she has been captured by my men. Still, it wasn''t like it was a small thing.


    It attracted a lot of unwanted attention. I don''t think he''ll try anything dumb, though. But we can look


    into it."


    Sheffield nodded and said seriously, "But we can''t focus on her right now. Our real concern is Michel.


    Luckily, most criminals are dumb, so Michel will slip up and leave some evidence behind. He''ll give


    himself away eventually. Don''t worry. I consider it my civic duty to put people like him behind bars."


    Joshuaughed and mocked him, "People like him? You''re not so innocent yourself." If it was a civic


    duty to put bad guys in prison, then wouldn''t Joshua have to do the same to Sheffield?


    Sheffield chuckled and gave him a yful punch on the shoulder. "Get real, dude. This is serious!"


    Joshua stoppedughing, lost his smile, and let them continue talking. "Please, go on."


    Matthew told Sheffield his n, and they finally reached an agreement. The three men returned to the


    wards as soon as the smell of tobo on them faded.


    Sheffield and Joshua looked after Damian. Sheffield had wanted to go to Erica''s ward and tease her a


    bit, but Matthew kicked him out. So, he had to hang out with Joshua in the boy''s ward.


    At 2 A.M., Matthew caught a quick shower. He''d already set everything up, so he thought it might be a


    good time to rest. He gently moved Erica over, slipped into bed himself, and decided to catch some


    zzzs.


    However, less than half an hour after he closed his eyes, the sleeping woman slowly opened hers.


    In the darkness, she sat up in bed. "Ouch!" Because of her sudden movement, it aggravated her injury.


    Matthew sat up too and looked nervously at the woman. Her face was contorted in pain. "Rika, what''s


    wrong? You hurt yourself, didn''t you?"


    When the pain gradually subsided, she shouted, "I''m fine! I''m going to take revenge! Matthew, I''m


    going to kill Michel Wang!"


    Erica had slept for a long time and had been dreaming.


    There were quite a few people in her dream, including Michel. He had wrapped a rope around


    Boswell''s neck and told her, "Back off, or I''ll kill your kids!"


    Then the scene panned over to show all of her kids tied up, and Erica awoke, enraged.


    She was panting in anger, her heart beating a mile a minute. Matthewforted her. "Rika, it''s toote


    now. You''re hurt, so you couldn''t even if you really wanted to. Just get some rest and focus on getting


    better, okay?"


    She suddenly looked back at the man beside her, confused. "Matthew?"


    "Yeah. It''s me." He wanted nothing more than to hold her, but he simply helped her lie back down on


    the bed. Her ribs were broken, so hugging her would be bad.


    After crying for a while, Erica finally calmed down, shook off the anger and fear.


    She looked at the man lying next to her pitifully. "Matthew, I didn''t see you when I opened my eyes


    today. I thought you left me!"


    Her distressed look made his heart ache. He lowered his head and kissed her on the lips. Touching her


    face gently, he said, "That''ll never happen, honey. That''s not me."


    Erica was his life. There was no way he''d abandon her.


    "My back hurts. And it itches. Think it''ll leave a scar?" When she reclined on the bed, she needed to lie


    on her side.


    "Don''t worry. I got this. Sheffield is working hard preparing some traditional herbs for you. Trust in his


    skill." He''d love her, scar or no. It didn''t matter to him. But if she was really broken up about it, he''d take


    her to get stic surgery. They could cover up a scar like that, no problem.


    She nodded. "Where are the kids? Are they okay?"


    She drifted in and out of consciousness. When she woke up this afternoon, Debbie told her the kids


    were fine. She was hoping to get them on video chat, but she fell asleep before that could happen.


    "Of course they are. They came to see you when you were asleep." Matthew wasn''t about to tell her


    about Damian. He was in the ward opposite hers. He was afraid she''d spend her time worrying about


    him and not be able to get a decent night''s sleep. She needed to heal.


    "Ahh. They''re so sweet!"


    She believed him implicitly, and Matthew felt relieved. That was one less thing to worry about. "Yeah,


    they are. It''ste. You need your rest. We''ll talk about it tomorrow, okay?"


    "Okay!" And he was right. Erica was sleepy. She put her arm around Matthew''s waist and closed her


    eyes.

 Chapter 1439 Your Son Picked Her Up

    Chapter 1439 Your Son Picked Her Up


    Outside Erica''s ward, Sheffield lowered his voice and said, "It''s okay. Nothing happened. Matthew is


    with her."


    Joshua nodded, and then the two returned to Damian''s ward.


    When they heard Erica''s scream, they thought something had happened. Therefore, the two sleepy


    men suddenly sobered up and ran out to see what was going on.


    But in the end, it seemed that Erica just had a nightmare. And since she had her husband with her, they


    didn''t think it was necessary to worry about it.


    By the following day, Erica got the news that all her body levels had returned to normal. Now she only


    needed more time to heal from her injuries. As the attending doctor made rounds in the wards, he


    reminded her, "For now, you should breathe into your abdomen to avoid any activity on your chest.


    Also, you must pay attention to have more nutritious meals such as food high on protein, fruits, and


    vegetables. And try not to cough so forcefully..."


    Erica kept nodding throughout the doctor''s rmendations. After he was done, she said, "Thank


    you, doctor!"


    "You''re wee, Mrs. Huo."


    As soon as the doctor left, she asked the man standing next to her, "Do you remember anything he


    said?"


    Obviously, she didn''t. Matthew sighed inwardly and said, "I could see how carefully you were listening."


    "Well, I remember a thing or two. For example, I should eat more fruits and vegetables, but do you


    remember anything else?" Erica answered confidently.


    With no other choice, Matthew answered, "I''ve asked the nutritionist to arrange your meals ording to


    your physical condition. Don''t worry."


    "Well, that''s good!"


    At that moment, the ward''s door was pushed open, revealing Wesley and Carlos with Damian in his


    arms as they came in.


    "Mommy!" Damian was really happy to see his mom.


    However, Erica''s heart skipped a beat once she saw her son in a hospital gown. "What''s wrong with


    Damian?"


    Sitting down on the chair by her side, Wesley exined, "He was scratched by an animal. But don''t


    worry, he''s fine. You''re the only one who''s still lying on a bed, seriously injured."


    Erica looked at Matthew reproachfully. "Didn''t you tell me the children were fine?"


    Matthew didn''t deny it. "He''s indeed fine. I just wanted him to stay here for one more night to observe


    his condition."


    Carlos carried Damian to Erica''s side and added, "Rika, don''t worry. The doctor has just reexamined


    him. He''ll be discharged soon. We''ll just need to apply ointment on him when we get home."


    The child leaned over and held her hand carefully.


    Erica then raised her free hand and pinched the boy''s cheek. "That''s good. What was the animal that


    scratched you?"


    "I don''t know. It reminded me of a squirrel, but it was ck and also much uglier than a squirrel..."


    Damian reported quite seriously.


    Erica was amused by his stern expression but didn''tugh at him. "I''m sorry, baby. I couldn''t protect


    you and your brother. It won''t happen again!"


    Damian shook her head. "Mom. No, it''s our fault. We didn''t protect you as we should. You''ve been


    seriously injured. Mom, I talked to Grandpa. He''ll teach us martial arts in the future so we can better


    protect you!"


    Moved by her son''s thoughtfulness, she praised him with tears in her eyes, "Damian, you''re so


    awesome! You''re such a considerate young boy!"


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Wesley looked at his phone and informed, "Your mother and sister are on the ne with Hugo. I''ll pick


    them upter."


    "Why are Mom and Yvetteing here?"


    Wesley rolled his eyes at her. "Do you assume everyone is as heartless as you are? Your mother


    couldn''t sleep all night after your ident. She will only have peace of mind once she sees you."


    This bad girl was the reason his wife couldn''t sleep well at night. Once she recovered, he must teach


    her a lesson.


    "Okay then."


    Soon after, Debbie and Terilynn arrived with the other three boys.


    For a moment, the ward was quite agitated. As soon as Boswell saw his mother, he ran over and


    hugged her on the bed. "Mom, I''m so sorry. I didn''t protect you!"


    "Neither did I!"


    "Neither did I!"


    Adkins and Colman also approached Erica apologetically.


    Lowering his head, Adkins said guiltily, "Mom, as a man, I failed to protect you and my younger


    brothers. I''m sorry."


    "Mom, you must get better soon, or I will always be sad," Colman dered.


    Erica was so moved by her sons that she was finding it hard to hold back her tears. "Thank you, my


    boys. I don''t me any of you. You''re still young but have done a good job!"


    Boswell shook his head. "No, Mom. Damian and I got you into trouble."


    "Yes, Mom. Don''t feel guilty..." Colmanforted her.


    The ward was noisy, with all the boys speaking simultaneously.


    Suddenly, Matthew took a step near them andmanded, "Shut up!"


    The four kids immediately became silent as they looked at their father with their eyes wide open. A


    momentter, Adkins asked in a low voice, "Dad, do you want to say something?"


    ncing at the four kids, Matthew answered, "What happened had nothing to do with you. It''s my fault.


    I was the one who failed to protect my wife and sons..."


    "Well, Mom, I''m sorry. I didn''t protect you and my brothers," Adkins restated himself.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t protect my mom and Damian," Boswell said.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t protect my mom and brothers," Colman apologized.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t protect my mom and brothers either," Damian echoed.


    The adults were all rendered speechless. The four boys were really incredible. They should be praised


    for remaining united and caring, not to mention for being brave for taking all the responsibility for


    themselves.


    A few minutester, Joshua came into the ward with a child in his arms, only to find a crowd already


    present there. "Sorry, I''mte." Last night, he and Sheffield barely had any sleep while they were in the


    hospital, so this morning they headed home to take a nap. After Joshua got up, he rushed back to the


    hospital.


    The moment Erica saw the toddler in his arms, she asked in shock, "Terilynn, when did you and Joshua


    give birth to a third child?" ''And why did they shave the baby''s head?''


    Terilynn burst intoughter.


    Joshua waved his hand and quickly exined, "It''s not ours. It''s a baby girl that your son had picked


    up. Look how cute she is!"


    "What?" Erica was even more astonished.


    Boswell exined, "Mom, I got lost in the woods, and then a bear brought me to her."


    Debbie took Angelina in her arms andplimented her. "She''s such a good girl. Anyone can hold her,


    and she won''t cry. But we can''t put her down, or she will crawl all over the floor."


    Terilynn said, "It''s understandable. After all, the child was raised by a wild animal and didn''t learn how


    to walk yet. Of course, she can only crawl on the floor like a bear."


    ''It turns out that the baby girl was raised by a wild bear, '' Erica nodded thoughtfully.


    Then she looked at Wesley and said, "I guess our family is really good at picking up other people''s


    children, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 1440 Lets Give It Five Years

    Chapter 1440 Let''s Give It Five Years


    It all happened like magic. First, Erica took care of Ethan and gave him a home. Then, Gifford brought


    Chantel home and his parents took her in. But of course, no one expected the two would marry. After


    that, Erica and her sons took in a little boy named Kenney and got him off the streets. And now Boswell


    hade upon a little girl in his misadventures in the forest¡ªAngelina.


    Wesley felt a headacheing on. "Okay, you''ve figured it out, huh? You''re like a kid ma. Every


    time I turn around, you''ve found some poor child to take care of. You even have kids yourself, and yet


    you''re still surrounded by other people''s children. A few years ago, your mom and I helped you take


    care of Ethan. But what about this little girl?"


    They had so many kids to watch over. What if Erica and Matthew wanted to have even more? Too


    many young ones would definitely be a pain to handle.


    Yvette might have her own ce, but she still lived close by. When she had to work or attend to other


    obligations, her daughter, Wendy, would live with Wesley and ir. She was also the Li family''s child,


    and they took good care of her. Although Gifford only had one kid, he confided in his mother that he


    wouldn''t mind having more.


    Matthew suggested, "Maybe we could consult with a welfare house. They should know what to do with


    her." ZL Group donated a lot of money to the welfare houses every year. After he had his own kids, he


    knew how expensive raising a child could be, so he doubled the amount he donated.


    Although he also wanted a daughter, he didn''t want to adopt Angelina without knowing who she was,


    who her family was. Were they good people? Would they want her back? But after he got her housed


    and settled, he could spend more money on this girl and ask people there to give her special treatment.


    That was not a problem.


    Debbie agreed with her son. "That''s a good idea, I think." When Ethan''s biological father came to im


    him, Wesley and ir were very sad. He was still a powerful memory, and they often talked of him


    fondly. But they were too far away to visit him easily. Debbie was afraid the same thing might happen if


    she adopted this little girl.


    Carlos stayed out of it. He let the young couple handle the matter.


    But no one really wanted to take care of her. Terilynn, Joshua, Sheffield, and Evelyn were far too busy


    to take care of their own brood. And they didn''t feelfortable using a nanny. So, their kids spent


    most of their time at their grandparents'' houses.


    However, the four boys weren''t so sure about that. When they heard Angelina would be sent away,


    they were a little reluctant.


    "Dad, can you find her a ce nearby?" Adkins asked. If she lived close, they could go visit her more


    often.


    Boswell felt depressed. "Dad, why does she have to go?" After all, he brought her back here. But life, to


    a child, was quite simple. They had only been together two days, and they''d already be friends.


    Why would you want to see your friends go away?


    Taking a look at Boswell, Colman asked Matthew, "Dad, don''t you want a daughter?"


    Of course, Damian agreed with his brother. "It''s not like she''s sick or anything! That has to count for


    something! Can''t you adopt her?"


    After listening to the children''s opinions, Matthew came to a resolution. "I like Adkins'' idea. We''ll send


    Angelina to a welfare house nearby. This isn''t a decision we need to make right away. Let''s give it five


    years. If no one''se to im her in that time and you still want her around, I''ll adopt her. But if her


    parents find her first, then..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but the kids understood.


    Wesley nodded and said, "You should listen to your father. He''s a smart guy, and I like his n."


    Angelina must have parents. But was she kidnapped? Did she get lost? Or did her parents abandon


    her?


    Matthew had sent someone to look into this, but he wouldn''t have answers overnight. After all, the bear


    that cared for her couldn''t speak. There were no cameras nearby, no guards posted that far into the


    woods.


    Boswell asked, "What if someone else adopts her before that?"


    Carlos answered, "We''ll ask the welfare house to do an extensive background check. If the adoptive


    family is rich, then at least they could provide a good home for her."


    No matter how good the welfare house was, it could only provide food and shelter for the girl. If she


    was adopted and brought home as a daughter by someone, then she''d be loved and cared for.


    "Being rich doesn''t mean they''re good people. What if they''re bad? Would she be able to go back


    there?"


    "Yes. Like your dad said¡ªfive years. If Angelina''s still there, we''ll take her home and you''ll have a little


    sister!" Carlos liked girls too. It didn''t matter if the Huo family had one more daughter.


    He, too, was afraid this girl would be another Ethan. If Angelina''s biological parents found her and took


    her away after they had gotten attached, the four children would be even sadder.


    Although the kids didn''t want to see her go, they had to listen to Matthew. After all, she was not a stray


    animal they found on the streets, but a person.


    After discussing it with his children, Matthew ordered Owen to handle this matter in person.


    In the welfare house


    After filling out all the paperwork, Owen handed the little girl over to the director of the welfare house in


    person. She looked pretty in her light pink princess dress. "Mr. Liu, her name is Angelina. We want her


    to be given the best care. Remember that, and remember her name!"


    Mr. Liu nodded, "I will, Owen."


    "Take good care of her. Maybe one day she''ll be the little princess of the Huo family." Although she


    wasn''t rted to the Huo family by blood, she''d have a good life if she could im a connection to


    them.


    Hearing his words, Mr. Liu immediately took custody of the child. "Don''t worry, sir. I''ll ask someone to


    take good care of little Angelina here."


    "The four young masters of the Huo family wille and see her when they get some free time. You


    know what to do, right? I''m leaving now."


    After seeing Owen off, Mr. Liu made special arrangements. Angelina had her own room, and the


    employees were under strict orders to treat her well.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    After leaving the welfare house, Owen went to the suburb outside the city.


    When he arrived, Matthew wasn''t there yet. So, he asked his men to prepare everything first.


    It was getting dark. Since Erica was being taken care of by the hospital staff, not to mention ir and


    Yvette, Matthew took this opportunity to do something else.


    That something else was rather sinister, if satisfying. He was going to give Noreen a taste of her own


    medicine.


    He figured out she was responsible for his wife''s injuries. For their own harrowing ordeal trapped inside


    a burning house. Time to repay the favor. He doused the area with gasoline, and watched the mes


    rise higher. When the whole house was aze, Noreen''s hoarse voice came from inside. "I was wrong.


    I know I was wrong! Please! Mr. Huo, please don''t kill me!"


    Sitting in the car outside the house, Matthew pretended not to hear her screams.


    Ten minutester, a bodyguard came over and reported, "Mr. Huo, I think she''s had enough."


    Matthew nodded, "Fine. Get her out of there."


    "Yes, sir!"


    The men forced their way into the ze, wearing special protective suits and using crowbars and axes


    to clear a way in. Then they brought Noreen out. Most of her body was covered in burns, her once


    elegant looks ruined by a spiderweb of burnt and melted flesh. Then, the pitiful figure, half-wailing half-


    coughing, was thrown on the ground outside the house. Matthew was sitting on a chair.


    In less than three days, Noreen had been brought down. Once she was a star, now she was barely


    alive. Shey on the ground and tried to open her eyes. Between coughs, she forced out the words,


    "You taught me... a painful lesson... I''ll tell you everything I know about Michel. Just please, help me."


    The man sneered, "You''re in no position to make any bargains."


    As she moved her fingers, she identally touched the blisters on them. She closed her eyes tightly,


    knowing that she would be tortured even more cruelly if she didn''t talk. The pain was intense; it was


    like fire lived and danced inside her.


    When the pain faded a bit, she said weakly, "Once a month. 3 A.M., on the 20th day. You can find him


    at the Teddy Bar of Parasol¡ª"


    Bang! Suddenly, a shot rang out.


    "Ah!" Noreen''s body convulsed, and her eyes widened. Atst, shey motionless. Blood pooled in her


    mouth, and a thick, redke spread across the ground.

 Chapter 1441 The Protection Of So Many People

    Chapter 1441 The Protection Of So Many People


    Several bodyguards had already run to try to find who had shot Noreen. Matthew stood up from his


    chair and looked at where he had heard the gunshot sounding. He couldn''t see anything.


    After checking on Noreen, Owen said, "Mr. Huo, she''s dead." She got shot straight in the heart.


    Frowning, Matthew ordered, "Leave it to the police."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Early the next morning, the news about Noreen''s death was already spread all over the Inte.


    The main headlines read: "The number one star of the entertainment industry, Noreen Xia, was killed in


    the wilderness."


    "Noreen Xia died at the age of 35."


    "Noreen Xia was murdered and looked miserable before her death."


    By the time Erica grabbed her phone, she also came across the news and was shocked for a moment.


    Then, she raised her head and looked at the man working beside her. "Noreen is dead!"


    The man replied lightly, "Hmm."


    ''What does that mean? Did he already know it?'' she wondered. "You knew it?"


    "Yes." Matthew didn''t hide it.


    His answer sent a shiver down Erica''s spine and she stammered, "Did you...kill her?"


    ''After all, Noreen was the one who orchestrated our sons'' kidnapping and the fire that almost burned


    me to death. Did Matthew kill her out of revenge?''


    mming the document on the table, he answered, "No."


    She was relieved to hear that. "Then who did it?"


    "Who else could it be except him?"


    Erica fell silent, understanding who he was referring to.


    As far as she knew, Noreen was caught by someone sent by Carlos when she tried to escape, and only


    afterward was she handed over to Matthew.


    Erica was about to ask him how he would deal with the woman when she came across the news of


    Noreen''s death.


    "Matthew, don''t do anything against Michel yet. I want to take part in it once I''m recovered."


    With so many people having her back, Erica was confident that she could get rid of Michel Wang!


    However, despite agreeing to her demand, Matthew still nned to take care of everything first so she


    could join only at thest minute to savor the victory.


    It didn''t take long for Matthew to find out the location that Noreen''sst words referred to once he set


    his n in motion.


    As it happened, in the northern district of Y City, there was a mountain named Parasol Mountain, and in


    its foot was located a resort called Parasol Resort. The ce operated in a VIP membership business


    model, but Matthew didn''t know anyone who was a member of it.


    In fact, ording to their preliminary spection, only Michel and his people had a membership card.


    Gifford had sent his men to spy the ce, but after half a month, they still hadn''t got the chance to get


    inside. It seemed there was something really wrong with the Parasol Resort.


    Two monthster, it was already winter. Although it was freezing outside, Matthew''s vi was filled with


    joy.


    Almost fully recovered, Erica had a lollipop in her mouth when she slowly got in the elevator and


    traveled from the third to the first floor. In the open kitchen, father and sons gathered around the stove


    with their eyes all fixed on the cooking pot.


    As a matter of fact, the man cooked while the boys were watching him.


    "If I''m not at home, you can cook for my wife. And in the future, you can cook for your wives," Matthew


    told them.


    The four kids nodded simultaneously, and then Adkins asked, "Dad, do you enjoy cooking for our


    mom?"


    He would often see his father preparing a bowl of noodles for his motherte at night, and every time


    he would make different kinds of noodles, unless his mother specifically wanted to eat a certain kind of


    noodles.


    With a smile stretching the corners of his lips, Matthew answered, "Well, your mom likes to eat what I


    cook, and I also like to cook for her. So, I do enjoy it very much."


    "Oh!" Adkins nodded, even though he didn''t fully understand what his father meant. But as far he was


    concerned, it seemed that cooking for his wife was a really happy thing for a husband to do. Adkins


    then decided that in the future, he would treat his wife just like his father treated his mother.


    Meanwhile, Erica was leaning against the stair railing with a sweet smile on her face while she


    remembered all the good things that happened in the past few months.


    As Matthew had promised, ever since she woke up after she got injured, he would say "I love you" to


    her every morning. He would often give her a good morning kiss afterward, which made her feel quite


    happy as well.


    In the meantime, her studio had also started its activities, not to mention that her agenda was already


    full from the beginning to the end of the next year.


    Matthew had apanied her to take the photos of aurora before, and her work won the first ce


    prize again. The winning photo was taken to ZL Group by Matthew formercial use, which earned


    Erica a lot of money!


    Now, twirling the lollipop in her mouth, Erica thought about how she could repay her dear husband for


    everything he did for her. ''How about giving birth to a daughter for him?''


    She touched her belly; there was a slight scar in it. If she gave birth to another baby, she would have to


    go through a C-section again.


    But if giving birth to a daughter could make her husband happier, she wouldn''t mind having another


    surgery! It wouldn''t kill her anyway. ''Yes! That''s it!''


    Damian was the first to notice Erica at that moment. He said in surprise, "Mom, why are you


    downstairs?"


    Grinning with a lollipop in her mouth, Erica came into view for Matthew and their sons. "I was just


    taking a walk in the living room. I was so bored upstairs." As she kept fiddling with her camera, she was


    almost going mad with boredom.


    Boswell ran to her and took her hand. "Mom, didn''t we agree that you should rest? Come and sit down


    now!"


    Instead of sitting down, Erica stretched herself and said in a spoiled tone, "Ah, it''s been over two


    months. I''m almost fully recovered. If you don''t believe me, look!" She lifted her hand as if she was


    ready to punch the air.


    But before she could do it, Colman grabbed her hand and said, "Mom, Mom! We know you''re a good


    fighter, but the doctor said you should rest for another ten or fifteen days. Let''s listen to the doctor,


    okay?"


    Adkins pulled the chair for her and added, "Yes, Mom, Colman is right. Sit down, please. Dinner will be


    ready soon. Just wait for it!"


    Erica had been quitezytely. Matthew had hired a chef to cook all kinds of delicious food for her


    every day, but she couldn''t exercise yet. So, she was almost getting fat.


    Looking at the busy man in the kitchen, she didn''t know whether tough or cry. Matthew tore his gaze


    away from her and acquiesced in their sons'' behaviors.


    ''Why doesn''t anyone believe me? I''m really fine!''


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Erica patiently exined to her sons, "My dear boys, I''m really recovered. I can fight and climb. If you


    don''t believe me, I''ll take you outside so you can watch me climb a wall!"


    "Mom, please stay at home. We''ll practice boxing with you in half a month!" Boswell wrapped his arms


    around her neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek in order tofort her.


    Damian nodded, "Yes, Boswell is right. So, Mom, you have to be obedient!"


    Erica was speechless.


    ''All right, all right. I lost! I can''t resist my sons warning me so tenderly.''


    Therefore, Erica stayed at home for another half a month. On the day she finally regained her freedom,


    she got up at six in the morning and went for a thousand and five hundred meters run with her husband


    and children.


    In the end, Matthew was afraid that her health couldn''t take it anymore, and with the help of the four


    children, he carried Erica on his back all the way home.

 Chapter 1442 Preparing For Pregnancy

    Chapter 1442 Preparing For Pregnancy


    Erica felt like crying when she looked at the number on weighing scale and then at Matthew''s eight


    pack abs. "Matthew, we agreed to eat together to gain weight. What''s your secret? How is it that you''ve


    lost weight?" ''But I''ve gained five kilograms more!'' she thought sadly.


    The man''s face remained unchanged. "There is no secret. I just make sure to exercise every morning


    and go to the gym regrly. I have never done anything else to lose weight."


    Erica was speechless. The secret to keeping a healthy and fit body was to exercise a little bit in the


    morning and to maintain a regr gym life.


    Forcing the words through gritted teeth, Erica said, "Just wait. I''ll do morning exercises with you every


    day from now on. I''ll be as lean as I was before!"


    Matthew held her in his arms andforted her, "Well, honey, you don''t look that fat. You''ve just


    gained a little weight. Besides, it''s easier to hold you now."


    Erica wasn''t going to fall for his sweet words!


    What if he was just trying to make her fat and ugly because he wanted to have a beautiful girl on the


    side?


    Erica was determined¡ªthe excess weight had to go, by hook or by crook.


    After breakfast, Erica dropped her sons off to the kindergarten and her husband to thepany, before


    heading to the hospital.


    After a thorough examination in the gynecology and obstetrics department, the doctor finally told her,


    "Your body is fit to have a baby now. You can eat some folic acid supplements when you go back


    home. Try not to stay upte..."


    Erica responded to the doctor''s suggestions with a respectful smile. "Thank you, doctor."


    "You''re wee. Besides, you were pregnant with quadruplets before. You must be careful this time.


    You should stay in bed and get as much rest as you can get, just in case if you get pregnant with more


    than one baby again."


    Erica replied, "I understand. I don''t think I will be pregnant with multiple babies again, but thank you for


    your concern." She would strangle Matthew to death if she were pregnant with a set of twins or more.


    After the doctor''s appointment, Erica left the hospital in a good mood. When she came across a big


    pharmacy just across the street, Erica wondered if she should pick up some folic acid supplements.


    When she walked past the traffic light intersection, she unsuspectingly nced at a car with the


    window half open, revealing the face of Michel.


    The moment her eyes caught sight of him, the smile on her face transformed into a frown and she


    quickly hid herself before he could notice her. She turned around, waiting for his car to pass by before


    she hailed a taxi and got in without saying anything.


    Since Erica wasn''t able to deliver Michel''s retribution yet, she decided to set her pregnancy aside until


    she had exacted revenge on him.


    After all, many more people would suffer if she didn''t first deal with Michel, the biggest drug dealer in


    the city.


    As she was curious to see where he was going, Erica asked the taxi driver to follow Michel''s car.


    More than twenty minutester, in order not to arouse the suspicion of Michel''s driver, Erica paid the


    taxi driver quickly when they stopped at the red light, and then got in another taxi to continue the


    pursuit.


    Michel''s car finally drove to a suburb in the north district of Y City. Erica had already known of the


    existence of Parasol Resort. For the third time, Erica got out of the taxi and changed the car


    This time, however, she found amon private car instead of a taxi.


    Without any hesitation, she opened the door of the back seat and sat in. In response to the driver''s


    confused eyes, Erica took out her mobile phone and said to him, "I''m wiring you five thousand dors.


    Please follow the Mercedes in front!"


    The driver was utterly stunned as he looked at a Mercedes Benz in front of him and then at Erica''s


    face. "Why do I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere?"


    The Mercedes Benz was already driving off, doubling Erica''s fear. "Hurry, I don''t have time to lose. Ten


    thousand dors,st offer! Show me your QR code. I''ll transfer the money to you right now!"


    As such, when he heard that he could get ten thousand dors, he stepped on the elerator and


    followed the Mercedes Benz.


    Erica transferred ten thousand dors to the man''s ount and then urged him, "Please drive slowly.


    Don''t let them notice you!"


    Michel''s final destination was indeed the Parasol Resort. When he got out of the car, he almost found


    that Erica was in the car behind him.


    Luckily, she ducked quickly and hid in the back seat of the car, before she told the driver, "Get out of


    the car and ask the security guards at the gate if you can go in. If you can, then tell them you want to


    have a get-together with some friends in there. I''ll give you more money."


    The driver got out of the car with his phone, but before he could even get close to the main entrance of


    the Parasol Resort, two bodyguards came over. "What are you doing?"


    The driver hid the nervousness inside his heart behind a fake smile and did as Erica had asked him.


    One of the bodyguards waved his hand to him and said, "This is a private manor. No outsiders are


    wee. Please leave now!"


    The other bodyguard tried to look inside the car. At this point, Erica was almost glued to the floor of the


    car, fearing that the bodyguard would see her.


    The driver quickly ran back to his car, turned around in a jiffy and left without hesitating for even a


    minute.


    On the way back, Erica met with her own driver and bodyguards. However, she wasn''t ready to go


    back home just yet. Her next stop was the camera store where she bought a drone.


    She returned to Parasol Resort with the drone, but this time she found a higher ground within the


    vicinity, with a rtively t surface to fly the drone.


    Erica paid extra money and bought a rtively quiet drone to avoid being detected.


    The entire resort epassed arge area, but the tallest building was only two-story high and there


    were a few bodyguards patrolling the yard.


    Erica kept the drone as high as possible and she only ever lowered it when she was absolutely certain


    that there were no guards walking back and forth.


    After carefully observing the ce for more than ten minutes, Erica finally found something amiss on


    one of the two-story buildings.


    There were five or six people sitting in a pavilion on the second floor. If she didn''t see it wrong, the


    person on the host seat was none other than Michel.


    There was another suspicious man that seemed familiar to Erica, but she wasn''t certain as she couldn''t


    see his face clearly. She had never seen them before, but they didn''t look like ordinary people to her.


    With the press of a button, Erica recorded everything.


    Unfortunately, as soon as she clicked the automatic return button, one of the bodyguards was quick to


    notice the drone. Immediately, a group of reinforcements gathered around and pointed their guns at the


    drone in the sky.


    Frightened, Erica quickly downloaded the video she had just recorded into her mobile phone and then


    ran away with the remote control. In fact, she didn''t really have a need for the drone anymore.


    By the time the security guards came to Erica''s location, she was already long gone.


    In the Parasol Resort, Michel stared at the drone in his hand and asked someone to pull out the


    memory card and connect it to theputer.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing on it.


    "Go and find the owner of this drone," he ordered calmly. The drone was brand new and rtively


    expensive. Only a handful of people in the city could afford such a drone. As such, it wouldn''t be


    difficult to find the owner.


    Michel''s subordinates took the drone and left to fulfill their boss''smand.


    They had already found a scapegoat to pin the death of Noreen on. This man was a nobody, who


    imed that he had killed her because he was too envious of her fame, even though he didn''t have any


    connections with Noreen prior to the incident.


    This was the exnation provided for the public, but Matthew didn''t believe a word of it.


    The discovery of the drone led Michel to believe that the Parasol Resort was no longer the safe haven


    he thought it was.


    Three of Michel''s bodyguards took the drone and drove towards downtown. However, when they


    reached a corner halfway, they were intercepted by a woman.


    The woman was a pitiful sight to see, face covered in grime and clothes barely hanging on to her


    shoulders. She limped to the driver''s window and asked, "Sir, I haven''t eaten for three days. Can you


    spare some money for a meal?"


    The three men in the car were annoyed by the woman and the driver pushed her hand away. "Go


    away!"N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

 Chapter 1443 Watkins Father

    Chapter 1443 Watkins'' Father


    The woman walked up to them again, exaggerating the side-to-side motion of her hips. She made her


    voice about an octave higher. "You know, I''ve got a birthdaying up soon. Know how old I''ll be? 18.


    If you could help me, I''d be really grateful..."


    ''She''s only eighteen! And she''s pretty too!'' The men in the car were obviously taken with her. While the


    driver hesitated, the woman suddenly pressed the unlock button next to her. The mechanism made a


    sound and the door was unlocked.


    Under the driver''s vignt eyes, she opened the door and said in a soft voice, "Don''t worry. I just want


    you to see what you''ll be getting."


    Then, the woman moved quicker than the eye could see. She pulled the car keys from the ignition and


    threw them in the bushes. After making sure they couldn''t find the car keys without a concentrated


    search, she pped her hands and turned around to look at the men in the car with a smile.


    The three men in the car knew something was up now, so two of them got out of the car to deal with


    her.


    Before they could do anything, they were ambushed by two men who jumped to the ground from the


    small hill next to them. They advanced on the men threatening Erica. A short tussle ensued, where one


    of the attackers waited for the thug to attack him, then stepped inside his attack and took him down


    with a series of palm strikes and a knee to the gut. Another thug brandished his gun, and got it taken


    away from him¡ªand his arm broken.


    Erica was quick and urate. She took the man who was fighting with her to the ground as fast as she


    could, employing some joint locks.


    Then she ran to their car to look for the drone.


    It was on the back seat! She sessfully grabbed the broken drone, and then the three of them ran


    away as fast as they could.


    Back in her own car, Erica patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had gotten


    the drone back. If they decided to look into it, they would find out in short order that she was the one


    who bought it.


    On their way back, they passed by the Champion Group. Looking at the tall building through the car


    window, Erica suddenly recognized the man she''d captured on video.


    Because of this, she asked the driver to head to ZL Group. She had to find Matthew before she did


    anything else. He needed to know.


    The car stopped at the entrance to the main offices of ZL Group. Heedless of her image, Erica rushed


    into thepany, drone in hand.


    If the driver hadn''t been there to run interference for her, the security guards would have caught Erica.


    She ran past them so fast they could only catch the barest glimpse of her.


    Erica entered her husband''s office like a gust of wind. Paige was taken aback for a moment before she


    realized who it was.


    Another special assistant tried to sort his papers. She had messed them up as she flew past. He raised


    his head and asked Paige, "Miss Shen, did a bird get loose in the building?"


    Paige nodded, "Mrs. Huo just flew by."


    The assistantpsed into stunned silence at what she said.


    Since Matthew was not in the office, Erica had to head to the main operations area and ask Paige


    where he was. Then she knew Matthew had left with Owen.


    She didn''t know when Matthew might be back. It could be in the afternoon sometime.


    Erica nodded thoughtfully. "Then I''ll grab a shower first. I''ll need something to change into."


    "Yes, Mrs. Huo. I''ll only be a moment!" Paige answered with a smile.


    When Erica finished bathing and changed into clean clothes, Matthew still hadn''te back yet. She


    had to call him. "Hi, honey. You busy now?" she asked.


    "Yes. What''s wrong?" he asked in reply.


    "Nothing. I was just wondering. I''ll let you get back to work. I know you''re busy. Call me back when


    you''re done?" Erica didn''t want to interrupt his work, so she didn''t tell him what was up right away.


    "Yeah. I''ll be along shortly."


    After hanging up the phone, Erica stowed the drone in Matthew''s lounge and went to her studio.


    This was where the corporate photographers mainly plied their trade. Thepany made extensive


    use of photography and videography used to promote their brands, products and services. Each


    person had a part to y. Some documented social events. Others specialized in portraits or even


    head shots. They all created visual content forpany newsletters, quarterly reports, and marketing


    materials.


    Erica strolled around the studio. She didn''t have to wait long. Matthew called her about ten minutes


    later.


    Phone in hand, she walked into herrgely unused cubicle. She secured a hands-free set and


    connected to her phone. Erica couldn''t wait to ask, "Honey, guess who I saw at Parasol Resort?"


    Frowning, Matthew asked, "Did you go to the Parasol Resort alone?"


    "Yeah, but don''t worry. I just used the drone to snap a few pics; I didn''t show up in person."


    "Okay. By the way, who did you see?" he asked.


    "Neville Chai! Watkins'' dad! So? Are you surprised?" she asked. She actually saw Watkins'' father at


    Parasol Resort.


    As far as she knew, after staying in the small vige for two years, Watkins had been secretly sent to


    America. Matthew knew that. He hadn''t gotten where he was by being stupid. He let him go only


    because Watkins hadn''t started anything. He kept his head down for two years.


    Camille married the famer who lived next door to Watkins. Her mother-inw was from hell. She had


    her doing all kinds of housework. Indeed, she taught her how to do the housework. But still, she didn''t


    like Camille at all.


    When the poor farmer found out Camille and Watkins were ex-lovers, he hatched a devious n. He


    moved their bedroom so they''d be close to Watkins, separated by only a single, thin wall. He tortured


    Camille in bed every night. He knew Watkins would hear it, and all Watkins could do was fume.


    Watkins was disabled, and Matthew''s men were watching him, so he couldn''t stir up trouble again.


    When her husband left her alone, Camille always ran to Watkins forfort and loving. But they were


    found out. The sharecropper beat Camille ck and blue, and then beat Watkins with a stick.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Fortunately, when Watkins was nearly dead from the beatings, his father showed up and whisked him


    away to the United States.


    Camille begged Neville to take her along too, but he refused coldly. It was her fault they were in that


    situation. He would be a much more powerful man if his son hadn''t tempted the wrath of Erica or


    Matthew. She put his son up to it.


    How could he be bothered to care about a woman who ruined his son?


    So Watkins was now in the United States, and the businesses under Neville''s Champion Group were


    transferred bit by bit to the US as well.


    Camille gave birth to two daughters in the vige. Many rural dwellers preferred boys to girls. Her


    mother-inw was not happy that she had only given birth to daughters. As time passed by, Camille''s


    mother-inw found a woman willing to try and give birth to a son. She moved her in, and she became


    the man''s mistress.


    And the mistress was more than willing to do whatever Camille''s mother-inw wanted.


    As for Phoebe, she was in a better situation than her sister. Although Nathan''s tombstone in the


    mountains was a grim reminder of the price they paid for challenging Matthew, she reimed a piece of


    land and lived an idyllic life.


    Matthew chuckled when he heard what Erica said. "I''ve known about this for a long time."


    "What?" Erica was staggered at the thought. So Matthew knew all this time there was something wrong


    with Neville.


    "I don''t think I stuttered." Matthew felt a little guilty and realized that he should have told her earlier.


    Erica was a little upset and asked, "Then what else do you know?"


    "I also know that there''s something up at the Parasol Resort, not to mention Parasol Mountain." Erica


    had been taking it easy, healing for more than two months. And it turned out Matthew and his buddies


    were not idle. Gifford''s men had already found a way into the Parasol Resort.


    "Then why didn''t you tell me?" Erica asked unhappily.


    "Honey, don''t worry about it. Just run your business. When we''re almost done, I''ll let you do thest


    step!"


    ''Thest step?'' She pouted and asked happily, "What''s thest step?"


    "Take all the evidence and give it to the police. Let''s sit back and watch Michel and his men get hauled


    off to jail,"


    said Matthew. Erica was in a gloomy mood after hearing that. Her four sons could do that as easily as


    she could!


    It was an insult to her intelligence!


    Erica didn''t say anything for a long time. Matthew knew what was on her mind, so heforted her


    patiently for a while. Finally, he hung up the phone after telling he''d get back to herter that night.


    Sitting in her office, Erica pondered over a confounding conundrum¡ªwere her enemies too powerful or


    was she just useless?

 Chapter 1444 Wedding In Spring

    Chapter 1444 Wedding In Spring


    At the end of the year, Hyatt and Rhea held a wonderful and beautiful wedding ceremony.


    Matthew was very busy during the Spring Festival. Since he couldn''te back from Singapore, he


    sent his bodyguards to escort his wife and four sons to A Country.


    Gifford and his entourage were already at the airport of A Country to pick them up.


    The arrival of a certain group of people in the VIP passage of the airport attracted the attention of


    many.


    There were more than a dozen bodyguards passing through in convoy, all surrounding the mother and


    her sons.


    The four boys looked almost identical as they were wearing the exact same clothes. As soon as they


    saw Gifford, they released the hands of their bodyguards and ran towards him with excitement.


    "Uncle!" they called out in one voice. Everyone in the hall watched them in awe.


    The crowd couldn''t help but marvel at the adorable children. ''Wow, quadruplets!''


    Their muscr bodyguards trotting behind them anxiously was a spectacr scene to behold and the


    crowd broke into a boisterousughter.


    The boys ran and jumped on Gifford¡ªone hung from his neck, one on his back and two on both hands.


    Gifford still kept smiling the whole time. "Wow, these guys are a handful, huh? No wonder Matthew still


    keeps a good figure even though he hasn''t gone to the special training in such a long time." Matthew''s


    real secret to keeping a good figure was grabbing his sons and running twops around the house


    every day.


    Dressed in a thin white down jacket, Erica took off her sunsses and greeted the people beside


    Gifford, "Hello, guys!"


    "Hello, Mrs. Huo." They greeted Erica respectfully.


    After exchanging greetings, they all left the airport together.


    This time, the Li family household looked livelier than ever. Erica and her four sons were back, so was


    Yvette. Now that Yvette was back home, both her husband and daughter would be joining her as well.


    Suddenly, there were all these people breathing in new life into the Li family residence.


    Needless to say, the children were the happiest, especially Wendy. All of a sudden, she had so many


    cousins taking care of her that she even forgot about her mother.


    But there was one more person who hadn''te home yet¡ªChantel.


    Unfortunately, she wasn''t able toe back for the holidays because she was still shooting a movie


    abroad.


    Although Gifford was disappointed that his wife couldn''t make it, he didn''t show it on his face. However,


    he did start to consider whether he should persuade Chantel to quit the entertainment industry and


    have her find a stable job in A Country.


    In truth, he never thought that Chantel would be an internationally recognized celebrity one day


    after he had taken her to a big city.


    The next day, Erica left the four children and Hugo in the care of her parents as she had to attend and


    bear witness to Hyatt and Rhea''s wonderful wedding.


    Hyatt was a sessful photographer now and his studio in A Country was doing well enough to


    support him and Rhea.


    Another person who was equally, if not more, thrilled to see Erica was Hyatt''s father.


    Three years ago, he met Matthew when he was on a business trip to Y City. Thanks to Erica, Matthew


    poached him to work in a bank under the ZL Group in A Country. His sry was now three times higher


    than it was before.


    The living standard of his family had improved greatly just because of Erica''s help. No wonder he was


    very happy to see her at the wedding.


    Hyatt and Rhea''s wedding went on without a hitch. That night, Erica didn''t go home until the wedding


    was over.


    On their way home, Yvette held Erica''s hand and asked, "Rika, do you still want another child?"


    Erica nodded without hiding her real emotions. "Of course! I want to have a daughter with Matthew."


    "Okay, then you should be more mindful of what you eat in the future!"


    "I know, thanks Yvette. What about you? Do you want one more kid?" Erica asked.


    "I haven''t decided yet. Your brother-inw isn''t bothered either way. Anyway, I''ve been struggling for a


    long time," Yvette sighed.


    "Come on, don''t worry about it so much. Just let nature take its course. If you get pregnant, then keep


    the baby. If you don''t, then forget about it," Erica said, smiling warmly.


    "You''re right. If I ever have another child, be it a girl or a boy, the kid can be Wendy''s friend in the


    future."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Yes, that''s the spirit. Look, I already gave birth to four sons and I still want to have a daughter with


    Matthew. Yvette, don''t you think I''m a good wife?" Erica asked. She was starting to feel proud of


    herself.


    Yvette was amused by her and echoed, "Yes, you''re right. My sister is the best wife in the world!"


    "Of course!" Erica brazenly winked at Yvette.


    The two sisters didn''t go back home straight from the wedding; instead they went to pay Tessie a visit


    first.


    Tessie didn''t attend Rhea''s wedding because she felt ashamed to see her, so she waited for Erica in


    her flower shop.


    Tessie''s flower shop was not by any means a small one. Under her diligent management, it had been


    upgraded from a few square meters to more than thirty square meters.


    When they arrived, it was at about ten o''clock in the evening. To Erica''s surprise, Tessie was


    apanied by a man in a camouge uniform, who was mopping the floors, in the flower shop.


    Erica was taken by curiosity and she asked Tessie directly, "Is he one of your new employees?"


    Tessie chuckled and joked, "Yes, he is!"


    The man turned around when he overheard their conversation. Almost immediately, Erica screamed,


    "Louie? Is that you?"


    Yes, it was indeed Louie Meng. Louie Meng was the soldier that Erica and Tessie got to know when


    they were sent to the military training by Wesley.


    Erica heard rumors that Louie Meng had a crush on Tessie, but she thought that Tessie had turned him


    down.


    But why was Louie Meng here today?


    Louie Meng put down the mop in his hand and politely invited the two sisters to have a seat.


    Tessie didn''t hide the truth from Erica for too long. "Rika, I''m with Louie now!"


    Louie Meng held Tessie''s hand with a grin on his face and nodded at Erica and Yvette. "Yes, I''ve also


    brought Tessie to meet my parents.


    We''re going to get married in the spring next year!" Erica was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped


    to the floor. Tessie not only had a boyfriend, but also was going to get married next spring.


    Just at the thought of this, she pulled Tessie out of Louie''s hand and led her out of the door, while the


    two people watched them in confusion. She pulled Tessie close and whispered, "Does he know about


    Ethan?"


    Tessie thought that something was wrong, but when she heard what Erica had to say, she burst into


    laughter and said, "He knows. He is divorced as well, but he doesn''t have a child. I have told him


    everything. He doesn''t mind."


    Tessie even told her the truth about letting Erica take the me for her. Although Louie Meng was


    disappointed at her, when he saw that she had realized her fault, he changed his mind and decided to


    give her a chance.


    "Oh, that''s good. Do you really like him?" Erica asked. She was just worried because it was all so


    sudden.


    Tessie shrank back as she felt a little shy. "Yes, we have been living together for some time." Louie


    Meng woulde to help her manage the flower shop on his break.


    "What? So soon?" Erica was so surprised. "As long as you are happy, I am happy for you!"


    When the two went back inside, Louie Meng stood up straight, looking a little anxious. He was so


    nervous when he watched them leave abruptly that he couldn''t wait to ask Erica, "Mrs. Huo, do you


    have any objections with Tessie marrying me?"


    Erica wasn''t expecting him to confront her like that, but she responded with a smile. "Of course not! As


    long as you promise to treat Tessie well, I wish you both all the happiness in the world!"

 Chapter 1445 The Rest Depends On Her

    Chapter 1445 The Rest Depends On Her


    When he heard what Erica said, Louie breathed a sigh of relief and nodded seriously. "Don''t worry! I''ll


    be good to Tessie," he said. As long as Tessie was okay living with him, he''d make her really happy.


    His first wife had cheated on him. She couldn''t take the loneliness anymore, or so she said. He


    divorced her once he found out.


    They continued their bull session. Louie told Erica he owed her dinner. He had to find some way to


    repay her for taking care of Tessie.


    Erica didn''t turn him down. Anyway, she was going to stay with her family for Spring Festival. Matthew


    would being up to visit, and they''d go back home to Y City together.


    She had never imagined she''d be without him for so long. She''d been there half a month, and Matthew


    hadn''t shown up yet. And he did something pretty major while she was gone.


    One day, she was out with the kids. They were at a yground, and the kids were having a great time,


    laughing and shrieking. Wesley was ying with his grandsons nearby. Erica sat on a swing and


    casually opened Weibo.


    She listlessly scrolled through the shared content and status updates. Finally, something caught her


    eye. "Michel Wang, Drug Lord, Captured."


    She tapped it to get a more in-depth look. It said, "Michel Wang, CEO of Wang Group, long suspected


    as a drug lord and racking up an impressive list of charges, was hauled in for questioning by local


    police yesterday.


    Eight major yers in the financial industry remain under suspicion, including the well-known


    entrepreneur Neville Chai, chairman of Champion Group. The police say they''ll know more as they


    continue their investigation."


    She jumped off the swing excitedly and asked Wesley, "Dad, where''s my brother?"


    Gifford hadn''t been home these past few days. Chantel had been here two days already, but hadn''t yet


    seen her husband.


    Wesley knew he couldn''t hide it from her anymore. "Your brother, Sheffield, and your hubby are doing


    something in Y City," he answered.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "And just what are they doing?" Erica pressed.


    Standing in front of her, Wesley didn''t answer her question. Instead, he said in a soft voice, "The men


    in our family can handle themselves. We don''t want you going up against a drug lord."


    They had Matthew, Gifford, Sheffield, Joshua, Remus, Harmon and Sean. Each of them had their own


    strengths, each of them useful in the fight against evil.


    Erica pouted and cried indignantly, "Dad! You''re so sexist, you know that?"


    Although she was not as powerful as a man, she could at least help. She thought Matthew would bring


    her along.


    But now? What was he doing? He did everything behind her back.


    "I''m not sexist. I just think that men should protect their women. Come on, let me exin it to you."


    Wesley pulled out a small stool and sat beside her.


    What Matthew feared most was that Erica would be angry, so Wesley decided to talk to her first. Maybe


    he could smooth things over.


    "What is there to say? You can talk to me till you''re blue in the face, but it won''t change anything.


    Matthew broke his promise. He not only left me here alone, but also dealt with my enemy. He thought I


    wouldn''t find out? I wanted to avenge Orange myself!" The more Erica thought about it, the angrier she


    became.


    Wesley patted her on the arm and demanded, "Come here, you. Let''s talk about this like reasonable


    adults."


    Seeing his stern eyes, Erica had to reluctantly sit back down on the swing, gripping the chains defiantly.


    "Put yourself in Matthew''s shoes for a minute. If you were him, would you hide behind a woman and let


    her put herself in danger?" Wesley asked in a calm voice.


    "Dad, it''s not like that..." Matthew wasn''t hiding behind her; it was just that she didn''t want him to get


    involved.


    "But it is, sweetie! I know you want to find the evidence of Michel''s crime, but have you really thought


    this through? You''re good, but not that good. By the time you uncover everything, Michel''s grandson


    will be all grown up, and rece him. More importantly, if you dy this kind of thing for one more day,


    that will put countless people at risk from his dealers. They have a well-entrenchedwork, and he


    could easily increase the number of people hooked on his product. Michel''s not your garden-variety


    drug lord. The police had found out a ton of drugs in Kirk''s ce, and he was just ackey. If those


    supporting Michel rallied their forces, then he might be difficult at best to deal with. He''d be like a nt


    with many roots. You might uproot some of them, but the rest just can''t be seen. It''s really scary, Rika."


    Wesley looked serious. He didn''t try to frighten Erica, nor did he lie to her. He believed that she


    understood.


    Erica knew her father was right, but she was still angry Matthew went back on his word.


    Wesley looked at his silent daughter and knew she was fuming. "Well, don''t be angry. You and Matthew


    have the same goal, that is, you want to bring Michel and his men to justice. You want to do it to


    avenge your friend. But what about Matthew? He did it all for you! Just for you! Why would he risk his


    life otherwise? He''s the CEO of ZL Group. Why did he mess with a powerful drug lord? If you''re still


    mad at him, Rika, I''ll disown you. I''m not going to have someone like you as my daughter. Think it


    over!"


    After saying that, Wesley stood up and left the garden.


    Erica was bbergasted. Apparently he hadn''t thought it over, either. Would he give up seeing his


    grandkids that easily? She had not even been that angry. She thought she stated her case firmly,


    without getting upset. Why was Wesley so mad? Why did he leave as soon as he stood up? "Aren''t you


    watching the kids?" she asked.


    Without turning his head, Wesley answered, "No. I was pissed off so I let ir handle them."


    Erica was not convinced. She whispered, "You''re mad at me, not them. Don''t punish them to get back


    at me, okay?"


    ir looked at the father and daughter from a distance and guessed what was going on. She figured


    that Erica had put Wesley out of sorts again.


    She watched her grandsons y in the garden and didn''t seem to mind at all. Erica and her father


    were always fighting. It was how they showed they loved each other. Ironically, Wesley was closer to


    Erica than ir was.


    At Orchid Private Club


    Matthew lit a cigarette and yed with the lighter. He closed his eyes and tried to rx.


    Cigarette in his mouth, Sheffield looked around but couldn''t find his own lighter. Finally, he stood up,


    grabbed the lighter from Matthew''s hand, lit his cigarette, and handed it to Gifford.


    At the sight of the lighter, Gifford suddenly remembered something and popped off with, "Dad has a


    lighter that''s so old it''s broken. He still keeps it around. It''s one of his little treasures."


    Joshua reclined on the sofa and replied, "Maybe your mom gave it to him. He wouldn''t throw something


    like that out."


    Sheffield took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. He agreed with Joshua. "A


    woman gave it to him. Yeah, it''s just like him to keep it around."


    Gifford chuckled. "You''re both right."


    "Of course I am. After all these years, your dad is still a henpecked husband," Sheffield said with a


    proud smile.


    The three of them chatted for a while. Gifford kicked Matthew''s toes and asked, "Hey, what are you


    thinking about?"


    Matthew opened his eyes and looked into Gifford''s eyes. "I''m thinking about your sister."


    Before Gifford could tease him, Matthew added, "She''s going to be so pissed when she found out what


    we did!"


    Gifford chuckled after hearing that.


    Sheffield burst intoughter. "Dude, you are so screwed. Don''t let her cook or pour you a drink." Erica


    was not that easy-going.


    In fact, from the very beginning, they had been investigating Michel and his business behind Erica''s


    back, and had done their best to expose and report him.


    Matthew nced at Sheffield indifferently. "Man, you''re the charmer of the group. Tell me what to say to


    her."


    Sheffield exhaled a mouthful of smoke and said, "I think she can be swayed by reason but not be


    cowed by force. Do something to demonstrate you''re sorry. Kneel on a keyboard or durian shells. The


    rest depends on her."

 Chapter 1446 Ill Rub It For You

    Chapter 1446 I''ll Rub It For You


    "Don''t worry about it too much. After all, you have my dad as your backer. If Rika gets too troublesome


    for you, you can always ask Dad to punish her for you!" Giffordforted his brother-inw.


    ''Punish Erica? No, that''s not what I want.


    I want Rika to forgive me on her own or else what would be the point?'' Matthew thought to himself.


    Joshua poured himself a ss of whisky and took a few sips before saying, "Sheffield is right. The time


    and ce are important factors that you must consider in these cases. My advice is to put your dignity


    aside and throw a durian and a keyboard on the floor in the living room in front of everyone and let Rika


    make the decision when Uncle Wesley and his familye to Y City to celebrate the New Year."


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Sheffield knew what was on Joshua''s mind so he decided to y along. He continued, "That''s when


    we''ll all persuade Rika together. She''s definitely not going to turn down a room full of people, right?"


    "Rika is not that unreasonable. She will definitely save your face. So this matter can be over!" said


    Joshua.


    Raising an eyebrow at Joshua, Matthew asked, "Do you have any idea who Rika is?"


    "What?" Joshua was confused.


    Matthew flicked the cigarette between his two fingers and said, "When my wife gets angry, she won''t


    even think twice about making me kneel on a keyboard at the entrance of thepany!"


    Joshua was rendered speechless, eyes widened with shock. Matthew was right. After all, Erica was not


    an ordinary girl.


    Sheffield thought for a while and said, "Matthew, then you should be praying for yourself, my friend. I


    think it''s time to ept that there''s not going to be an easy way out of this!"


    Gifford looked at the men in the room in disbelief. "Hold on! Aren''t you guys blowing this out of


    proportion? Erica is not like that at all. Let me tell you something, Matthew. Don''t listen to Sheffield.


    Just because he always ends up kneeling on the keyboard, he wants you suffer the same experience.


    He is not helping you at all."


    "Hey, hey, Gifford, you better watch what you''re saying?" Sheffield stared at the man discontentedly.


    Ignoring him, Gifford continued, "In my opinion, if Erica gets too stubborn, just tell my dad. I promise my


    father will subdue her with one move, and if he can''t, he''ll definitely do it in two moves. Anyway, Dad


    will find a way to make her forgive you."


    Matthew took another drag from his cigarette, as he let their suggestions pass from one ear and out


    through the other. "Thanks guys, but I don''t think any of those suggestions are going to be helpful."


    "Do you have a better way?"


    "Yes."


    "What? Tell us."


    Matthew suddenly revealed a mysterious smirk, which was out of character from his usual nature.


    "Sometimes people just don''t get what couples go through," he said.


    "Excuse me? You make it sound like we''re all single over here!" retorted Sheffield.


    Without responding to him, Matthew asked Gifford, "When are you going to give your wife an actual


    wedding ceremony?"


    Gifford had a stunned expression on his face and he wondered what this had to do with him. "A


    wedding? What are you trying to say?"


    "Have you ever thought of giving her an actual wedding ceremony?" Matthew enunciated every word


    slowly in a tone of condescension.


    A man who was not romantic at all, like Matthew, knew he should give his wife a grand wedding.


    Gifford was not a fool. Why didn''t he think of giving his wife a wedding?


    Gifford didn''t have a response.


    His silence was his way of admitting his fault.


    And from that day onwards, the word "wedding" got carved into Gifford''s mind.


    As time went by, passing away with each blink of an eye, the arrival of the Spring Festival came closer.


    Two days before the festival, Matthew and Gifford showed up at the Li family''s house together.


    However, since they didn''t inform their family of their arrival in advance, Erica went out shopping with


    Rhea.


    The kids, however, were ying around in the back yard and Wendy was watching Damian drawing.


    It wasn''t until evening when Matthew''s wife finally came back home.


    When Erica saw Matthew, she was stunned. "When did youe here?"


    Matthew came over to hold her hand and observed her expression carefully. "I came with Gifford at


    noon." There was no sign of anger on her face.


    Erica nodded. She looked around and saw no one in the living room. The maid must have been


    cooking in the kitchen. Her facial expression changed as sheined, "I went skiing with Rhea this


    afternoon. I fell on the ground a few times. My butt hurts!"


    This time, it was Matthew who was stunned. ''Doesn''t she know that Michel is temporarily imprisoned?


    But how could she not know the news?'' he thought. He quietly whispered in her ear, "Let''s go back to


    your room. I''ll rub it for you."


    The woman''s face turned red in an instant. "Go away! Don''t think that I don''t know what you are


    thinking!"


    In truth, Erica admired Matthew very much because as a man with his insatiable sexual appetite, he


    hadn''t had sex with her for more than two months during the time she was injured.


    Perhaps now that she was healthy again, the man couldn''t hold his urges anymore.


    Matthew stopped the woman who was trying to escape from his arms and admitted his thoughts.


    "Since you already know, let''s go back to your room!"


    "No way! Let go of me! The maid wille out of the kitchen soon!"


    While they were enjoying a moment of intimacy between them, they failed to notice Colman. He was on


    the staircase in silence, putting his hand over his mouth to stop himself fromughing, but in the end,


    his effort was in vain asughter exploded from his mouth.


    The two people in the living room looked upstairs at the same time in confusion. Erica quickly pped


    off Matthew''s hand and said, "It''s all your fault. The kid saw us."


    Matthew took her hand and went upstairs. "So what? We are a couple."


    ''What''s wrong with me being intimate with my wife?''


    When they reached the second floor, Colman ran to them and asked, "Dad, where are you going?"


    "Your mother fell down when she was skiing. I''m going to have a look. Why don''t you go and y with


    your brothers?" Matthew replied with a straight face.


    "What? Mom, are you hurt?" Colman asked. His eyes were full of concern.


    "I''ll let you know after I have a look. Go ahead and y outside!" Matthew answered on behalf of his


    wife.


    "Oh, okay! Dad, don''t forget to let me know!" Colman was certain that his mother was in safe hands.


    Matthew nodded and took Erica back to their room.


    The house was riddled with children and they were mostly yful, naughty boys. Matthew was afraid


    that one of them would suddenly walk in on them being intimate, so he shut the door and made sure it


    was locked.


    He pressed Erica against the door, and without giving her a chance to say a word, he lowered his head


    and kissed her red lips.


    He whispered in her ear, "Honey, I''ve missed you."


    Erica smiled, stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I''ve missed you too."


    Without giving her any chance to speak anymore, Matthew pressed her against the door and kissed


    her deeply.


    About ten minutester, someone knocked on the door. Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Completely disregarding the person on the other side of the door, Matthew carried on with his work.


    Adkins'' voice came from outside the bedroom. "Dad, it''s me, Adkins!"


    However, there was no sound from the inside.


    After mumbling something at the door for a while, Adkins twisted the doorknob again, but found it


    locked.


    Matthew had his palm over the woman''s mouth to stop her from making any sound.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Someone knocked on the door again. This time, it was Damian. "Dad, we are here


    to see Mom. Is Mom okay?" he asked.


    "What are you doing, Adkins?" Gifford asked.


    Themotion outside was starting to worry Erica so she tried to push Matthew away, but the man


    didn''t budge an inch.


    "Dad said that Mom got hurt and they''re inside, but why aren''t they talking to us?" Adkins looked


    completely puzzled.

 Chapter 1447 Kneel On The Keyboard

    Chapter 1447 Kneel On The Keyboard


    Gifford looked confused for a few seconds. When he came to realize what was going on, heughed


    and dragged the kids away. "Okay, kids,e with me. Your dad is probably taking care of your


    mother. Let''s not disturb them!"


    ''I''ll bet he is taking good care of her, '' he thought to himself.


    "But we want to be there for Mom too," said Boswell. He was more worried about Erica''s injury.


    Without any hesitation, Gifford pulled away the children and assured them, "Don''t worry, your mother is


    a strong woman. A measly fall on the ground isn''t going to hurt her. We''ll see her after dinner. Come


    along now!"


    "Uncle, why are you acting so strangely?" one of the boys asked.


    The children''s voices were getting farther and farther away and Erica breathed a sigh of relief. She bit


    the man''s chest to vent her anger and said in a low voice, "It''s all your fault. Now, Gifford definitely


    knows what we are doing!" Gifford would be a fool not to realize what they were doing in the bedroom.


    "What''s the big deal? We are all adults!" Matthew said.


    ''The man has a wife too! I''m sure he will understand us.''


    When it was time for dinner, Matthew and Erica were still missing at the table. Gifford forbade anyone


    from calling them, which gave ir more reason to be confused.


    After listening to the kids give their exnation one by one, she finally understood what they were


    doing.


    ''Come on! These two people!'' She rolled her eyes secretly.


    In the end, Boswell was so hungry that he ran upstairs after lying about going to the bathroom and


    knocked on the door of his parents'' bedroom. "Dad, Mom! Dad!"


    This time, the door was opened rather quickly. Inside, Matthew was already dressed in a suit, but Erica


    was nowhere to be seen.


    As soon as the door was opened, Boswell poked his little head into the room and looked around.


    Before he could say anything, Matthew picked him up, walked out of the room and closed the door.


    Then they went downstairs together.


    "Daddy, is Mommy okay?" the boy asked.


    "Yes, she''s just in the bathroom because she has a stomachache," Matthew answered.


    "Oh, I see! I got tired of waiting for you at the dinner table, but Uncle Gifford wouldn''t let me call you."


    Boswell put his arms around his dad''s neck and acted like a spoiled child.


    With a smile at the corners of his mouth, Matthew said, "I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have taken so long." If he


    had known that the children would be hungry, he would have let go of Erica a lot sooner.


    "I forgive you!" Boswell said with a smile. After all, his father had apologized to him in such a nice way.


    When Erica cleaned herself and went downstairs, the kids had already begun to eat. Wesley was


    talking to Matthew about something. The moment ir saw her, sheined, "You''rete!"


    Erica felt misunderstood, but she didn''t want to exin. Matthew, however, stood out to defend her.


    "Dad, Mom, I''m sorry. It''s all my fault!"


    ir waved at him with a smile and said, "It doesn''t matter. Let''s start eating."


    Erica pouted her lips. ''That''s not fair! Mom always treats Matthew so nicely!'' She was starting to miss


    her mother-inw already. If she were in the Huo family manor right now, she wouldn''t be getting


    scolded, but Matthew would.


    On the afternoon of the Lunar New Year, Matthew and Erica returned to Y City with their four children.


    Unfortunately, just as soon as they left, Chantel came back home to her family. As such, she failed to


    see Erica.


    However, the two families still managed to have a nice and quiet time during the Lunar New Year.


    On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Erica and Matthew were supposed to go back to her


    parents'' home ording to the customs, but since they had already stayed there for a period of time


    before the Lunar New Year, they didn''t go back to A Country.


    On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Wesley came to the Huo family''s house with his family.


    Last year, the Huo family went to the Li family''s house to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This year, it


    was the Li family''s turn toe to Y City.


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    Last year, no one was actually happy during the Lunar New Year. After all, the whereabouts of Erica


    and her children were unknown, and the atmosphere could barely be raised.


    This year was different. Everyone was here and they had four more boys. The Huo family''s manor was


    bustling with noise and theughter of children.


    The two CEOs, Matthew and Sheffield, gave themselves a few more days off to be with their family at


    the Huo family manor.


    After lunch, the elders took the children to bask under the sun in their garden while the young people


    were drinking and chatting in the living room.


    Taking a close look at his wife who was chatting with the other women happily, Matthew winked at two


    maids and soon they walked into the living room with one durian and a keyboard.


    When Erica saw the durian in the maid''s hands, she looked at Matthew in confusion. "I thought you


    didn''t like durian?"


    "Wow! Matthew, are you serious?" Joshua couldn''t helpughing.


    The maids put the durian and the keyboard in the middle of the living room. Matthew walked over


    silently, tidied his clothes and looked at Erica. "Honey, I can kneel on durian shells or the keyboard. You


    choose!"


    Erica already knew what happened to Michel, but she didn''t tell him that she knew, nor did she have an


    argument with him about it. He was always worrying about it in the back of his mind, afraid that one day


    she wouldsh out at him.


    So he decided to take the initiative and admit his fault, hoping that perhaps she would appreciate his


    sincerity and forgive him.


    Erica, however, was a bit confused. "Did you do something wrong?"


    The man looked at the confused little woman and sighed. "Well, do you need me to remind you?


    Michel!"


    "Oh!" Erica finally knew what this was all about. ''So he is talking about Michel.''


    Matthew nodded. "Choose one. I''ll kneel on it."


    To add insult to injury, Sheffield said, "Rika, choose the durian shells. Let him remember how powerful


    you are so he won''t dare to go against you next time."


    Yvette held Erica''s hand and said softly, "Rika, I''ve heard about what happened with Michel. Matthew


    did it for your own good!"


    When Chantel gave Gifford a nudge, he looked at his wife wondering what she was expecting of him


    now.


    Chantel rolled her eyes at Gifford, having lost her patience and said, "Rika, Matthew is so good to you.


    Don''t be so hard on him!"


    Erica was rendered speechless.


    She looked at Matthew and asked, "Who gave you this piece of advice?" This was definitely not the


    way Matthew did things.


    Sheffield couldn''t wait to take credit. "Of course Joshua and I told him to do that. Rika, don''t worry. We


    are all on your side!"


    However, Erica snorted contemptuously and red at the two brothers-inw present. "Sheffield,


    Joshua, how could you do this to my husband?"


    Erica knew that she wouldn''t have been able to get rid of Michel on her own. All things considered, how


    could she me Matthew for fulfilling her wish?


    Sheffield and Joshua looked at each other in stunned disbelief.


    Erica defended Matthew and said, "My husband has done so much for me, and yet you still want me to


    punish him! You are so hateful! Evelyn, Terilynn, I think they have gone too far this time. What do you


    think?"


    With eyes wide open, Sheffield looked at his wife and exined, "Honey, Matthew was the one who


    came to us for advise on how to ask for Rika''s forgiveness. We have nothing to do with this! Matthew,


    please exin!"


    Erica was truly unpredictable. All of a sudden, she started defending her husband in front of everyone,


    and Sheffield realized that he was made to look like an outsider.


    The same thing happened to Joshua as he was shocked by the suddenint. "Matthew, please


    tell your sister the truth!"


    Matthew smiled. ''I have the loveliest wife in the world! Look at how protective of me she is. That''s


    great!''


    "You don''t need to exin, Matthew. I know your brother-inw well. He hasn''t knelt on the keyboard


    for half a year, and I think he wants to do it again!" said Evelyn casually.

 Chapter 1448 Well Fight To The Death

    Chapter 1448 We''ll Fight To The Death


    Resting her chin on one hand, Terilynn blinked her round eyes at Erica and said, "Don''t worry! I think


    your brother-inw wants to do all the housework from now on. Well, I''ve made up my mind. I''ll fire the


    maid when I go back, and Joshua can do all the housework for the next three months!"


    Not only did Sheffield and Joshua fail to set up a trap for Matthew, but they also seeded in getting


    themselves in trouble. They felt like weeping, but had no tears.


    Unwilling to yield, Sheffield said, "Rika, aren''t you mad that Matthew went behind your back?"


    "Of course I''m angry?" Erica answered honestly.


    Joshua nodded, "So, let''s punish Matthew together! What are you waiting for?"


    Erica shook her head. "No, I pped myself when I was angry."


    ''What do you mean?'' Everyone looked at Erica with puzzlement.


    Even Matthew was stunned. What drove his wife to p herself when she was angry?


    Erica calmly took a bite out of the apple in her hand while everyone watched her with anticipation. "I


    was very angry at the time, but when I thought about what an excellent husband this man has been to


    me, I decided to p myself!


    He is, after all, my prince charming!"


    Then, Erica came over and patted on Matthew''s shoulder. "Now you understand, don''t you? I expect


    you to learn from this experience so that in the future you can just p yourself when you make me


    angry, and ask yourself why you have to make your loveliest wife angry. Just like I will reflect on why I


    am angry with my prince charming."


    Matthew, who had just been lectured by his wife, felt embarrassed and he didn''t know what to do.


    "Hahaha!" The people in the living room burst intoughter because of Erica''s words.


    Just then, Wesley and Carlos, who were about to go upstairs, saw what was happening in the living


    room.


    Matthew stood in front of some durian shells and a keyboard, while Erica was eating an apple and


    giving him a hard time. Even a child could tell that the woman was bullying the man.


    "Rika Li!" Wesley roared and strode towards them. ''This girl has gone too far this time! How dare she


    do this to my son-inw in front of everyone!''


    Startled by his roar, Erica asked, "Dad, what are you doing here?"


    Wesley''s face darkened. "If I hadn''te in, I wouldn''t be able to see you bullying my son-inw. And


    you are doing this in front of everyone! Rika, you''ve crossed the line!"


    Then he raised his hand to teach Erica a lesson.


    Luckily, Carlos, who was standing right next to Wesley, grabbed his friend''s arm and said, "Wesley,


    Matthew needed to be taught a lesson.


    Don''t me Rika. I know what kind of person my son is!" It seemed as though Matthew had a poor


    reputation in the Huo family. Anyone who didn''t know him personally would mistake him for Carlos'' son-


    inw instead of his son.


    Erica put the unfinished apple into Matthew''s hand and rolled up her sleeves angrily. "Come on then.


    Let''s have a fight. The winner will have thest say!"


    Erica was frustrated at how every time she had an argument with Matthew, Wesley woulde to his


    rescue and scold her without any concern for the truth whatsoever. She would even p herself when


    she was so angry, let alone beat her father.


    In fact, what Erica meant was that she knew she couldn''t beat Wesley, and of course he would still


    have thest say.


    Wesley, however, saw things very differently. All he thought about was how rebellious and out of control


    his daughter was.


    The crowd burst into yet anotherughter. Irritated by her words, Wesley decided to ept Erica''s


    challenge.


    Matthew quickly pulled the woman behind him and said, "Dad, you must have misunderstood her. Rika


    is not angry with me."


    "Matthew, don''t defend her. She is my daughter and I know her very well. I know how narrow-minded


    she can be!"


    When Remus and Joshua realized that things were starting to get heated between the father and


    daughter, they stood up and grabbed Wesley''s arms.


    On the other hand, Gifford, Sheffield and Yvette sat still without moving.


    Chantel pushed Gifford and anxiously said, "Go to Dad and calm him down!"


    "Why are you even worried? Have you ever seen Dad hit Rika?" he asked.


    Chantel paused for a moment to think and then nodded in agreement. Wesley''s confrontations with


    Erica had always been like this. He would always threaten to beat her, but he would nevery a finger


    on her, not even once.


    Carlos dragged Wesley upstairs. Knowing that her father couldn''t hit her, Erica took advantage of this


    and said, "Hey, maybe if we have a disagreement next time, we can fight to the death!"


    As soon as Wesley''s ears caught what Erica had said, he turned around and sprang from the stairs like


    a tiger. Luckily, Joshua and Remus were there to intercept him. Remus struggled to keep himself from


    laughing the whole time. "Dad, please calm down. Rika was just kidding," he coaxed his father-inw.


    Wesley was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. "Matthew, if she doesn''t listen


    to reason in the future, just let me know. I''ll beat her ck and blue until her own mother will be unable


    to recognize her."


    Erica pouted her lips.


    Matthew cleared his throat and said, "I know, Dad!" Everyone knew that Wesley was just joking.


    The farce finally ended after Wesley and Carlos went to the second floor.


    Matthew didn''t have to kneel on the durian shells or the keyboard. However, Sheffield wasn''t so lucky


    as Evelyn made him kneel on the keyboard for fifteen minutes in their bedroom.


    Joshua had to buy fresh groceries and cook delicious dishes for his wife. He tried everything and said


    all the sweetest words to avoid housework for three months.


    In the evening, because everyone was so happy, several people, including ir, decided not to limit


    themselves while drinking.


    Wesley felt a headacheing on as he nced at the crowd coldly and thennded his eyes on


    Erica. "Your mother is going to ask for Wahaha probiotic milk as soon as she gets drunk. It has been


    like this for decades. Who let her drink so much wine?" he asked.


    Erica shrank her head and decided to stay silent because she was the one guilty of getting her mother


    drunk.


    But the next moment, Wesley raised his voice and shouted, "Erica Li!"


    "Yes, sir!"


    "Was it you?"


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    "Yes!" Erica responded so fast that it was toote for Matthew to cover her mouth.


    "Run five kilometers!"


    "Yes... No!"


    Erica''s refusal fell on deaf ears as Wesley was hell-bent on punishing her.


    Just then, Matthew said, "Dad, let me do it." The man was willing to take responsibility for his wife''s


    actions.


    The four kids looked at each other and ran to Wesley. "Grandpa, we will do it!" Adkins said.


    "Yes, Grandpa. We know Mom hates running!" With his head tilted to one side, Boswell looked at


    Wesley, who was holding ir in his arms.


    Colman jumped up and down a few times before saying, "Grandpa, look, I''m a lightweight. I can run


    five kilometers."


    "Grandpa, we''ll do it on behalf of Mom. I know you won''t turn us down. How about this? The four of us


    will join Dad and run one kilometer each," said Damian. Then it would be five kilometers.


    Carlos refused to entertain this any longer. "How can you punish my daughter-inw? You''re not


    looking to disrespect me, are you?"


    Wesley held his wife tightly and calmly answered, "No, I''m just punishing my daughter!"


    Yvette reminded him, "Dad, you should just go and buy some Wahaha probiotic milk. Otherwise, you


    will be the one to suffer when Mom wakes up and doesn''t find her drink!" Wesley felt distressed, but he


    knew Yvette was speaking the truth.


    While others burst intoughter, he had no choice but to go out to buy some Wahaha probiotic milk for


    his wife.

 Chapter 1449 The Bandit Chief

    Chapter 1449 The Bandit Chief


    Before leaving, Wesley red at the troublemaker and thought, ''Well, you thought you could set me up,


    Erica? Just wait and see.'' "Remember to run five kilometers!" he reminded her.


    "Okay, Dad!" Erica readily agreed to her punishment.


    But she rolled her eyes as she did so. Obviously, she was up to something.


    Wesley''s tone was harsh and helpless all at the same time. "Don''t make any trouble for me!"


    "No, I won''t. Don''t worry," Erica promised quickly.


    ''Don''t worry? How could I not worry?'' Wesley was sure that Erica wouldn''t run the five kilometers as


    she was told.


    Sure enough, after Wesley came back, he had Wahaha milk in hand. He spent some time making sure


    ir was okay. Erica walked in calmly and told him, "Dad, I finished the 5k run like you asked!"


    Wesley didn''t believe her at all. He stared at her coldly and spat, "I''ve been gone less than twenty


    minutes. You sure you finished your run?"


    "Yes, I did. Right, Dad?" she asked a figure behind her. It was Carlos, and he stepped forward with his


    wife.


    Carlos nodded and lied. "Oh yeah, it''s true. I saw it with my own eyes. Take good care of your wife."


    Wesley''s mind was blown. He held his wife, who was sucking down her milk, and remained silent.


    Well, he realized that he couldn''t punish Erica around the Huo family in the future. There were too


    many people defending her.


    After the first lunar month had passed, Erica sent all the evidence of Michel''s crimes collected by


    Matthew and others to the Prosecutor General''s Office.


    Half a monthter, the police officially set up a task force to investigate the allegations against Michel


    and hispanions.


    From winter to spring, the police had found more than 30 tons of drugs in Parasol Mountain and more


    than a dozen drug caches had been uncovered. Smuggling routes had been discovered and closed up.


    Arrests were made. This was front page news.


    Later, Michel and Neville were sentenced to death for their heinous crimes.


    In March, Matthew and Erica traveled to M Country. They wanted to visit Orange''s tomb and pay their


    respects.


    Orange was buried near his home town, in the country he''d been born in.


    Orange had made many friends when he was alive, so his tomb was buried in the myriad flowers and


    gifts from his friends and allies.


    It had been almost a year since Erica had been here.


    Last time, after Kirk was arrested, Erica visited Orange''s tomb before heading back to Y City.


    cing the bouquet of flowers in front of Orange''s tombstone, Erica looked at the photo on the stone


    and breathed a sigh of relief. "Orange, I''m sorry I didn''te to see you till now. I can''t wait to tell you


    the good news. Michel and his men have been arrested. You''ve been avenged. If there is anything I


    haven''t done, just tell me..."


    After a while, she looked back at the man beside her and told Orange, "This is my husband, you know


    him. Thanks to him and the other men in my family, Michel and his men were arrested. If it weren''t for


    them, I might still be collecting evidence of Michel''s crimes."


    Before leaving, Matthew solemnly bowed to Orange''s tombstone and silently thanked him. ''Thank you


    for saving my wife and kids!''


    Since she came back from M Country, Erica had devoted all her attention to her photography business.


    More people knew that the dark horse in the industry, known by her professional name, EM, was


    actually Erica, Matthew''s wife.


    In early summer, Erica asked Matthew to take her horseback riding. He had been in a bad mood,


    because she was very busy recently and didn''t have much free time to spend with him. Now that she


    finally had time, of course he jumped at the chance.


    Two people were at the stables, waiting to mount their horses. One wore ck, the other was in pink.


    Wearing a ck riding suit, Matthew climbed into the saddle of a Ferghana horse first, and a pink-d


    Erica did the same. Her horse was white, just as she specified.


    She looked valiant and heroic astride her steed. So did Matthew. Before he could say anything, she


    shouted, "Let''s go! I''m the bandit chief. I''m going to find a handsome man to be my husband!" After


    saying that, she squeezed the horse''s body with her calves and heels while tapping its hindquarters


    with a riding crop. The horse, responding to instructions, cantered away.


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    ''Bandit chief? Her husband?'' Matthew''s eyes darkened. He cantered after her, impatient to get the


    animal to full gallop.


    Erica wasughing and pulling away from her husband. She turned to Matthew, asking, "Why are you


    following me all the time?"


    "Didn''t you say that you were looking for a handsome man to be your husband? Well, here I am!"


    In fact, she was joking.


    Matthew added, "You''re not that good at riding, so your handsome husband ising for you, bandit


    chief!"


    "Hahaha!" Erica was amused by him and burst intoughter as she urged her horse to a gallop.


    For a moment, the vast fields of grass echoed with the woman''s wildughter.


    But theughter didn''tst long, because something happened to Erica.


    She suddenly slumped into the saddle, and she tried to move her legs into the horse''s barrel. The


    horse, sensing something was wrong, slowed down. Matthew watched as she brought her hands to her


    belly. "Hurry up. Call the imperial doctor. Ugh! It hurts! I think it''s poison. Call the imperial physician!"


    She forced the words out through gritted teeth. Her voice was thick with pain. She didn''t seem to be


    faking it. Frowning, Matthew said, "Enough of the bullshit. What''s wrong?"


    "Honey, I have a stomachache."


    She seemed to be in great pain. Matthew''s breath tightened and he quickly got off the horse, not caring


    whether he tied it up. "Let''s get you down from there!" He walked over to her white horse.


    With his help, she gingerly dismounted.


    At this moment, her face was pale and beads of sweat adorned her features. Erica had endured this


    kind of pain before, and the pain in her lower abdomen was terrible. It was definitely not the kind of


    cramps she got when her aunt Flo visited.


    Under the man''s anxious eyes, she slowly spat out a few words. "I think I might be pregnant. The


    baby...save the baby," she said weakly.


    Her words scared the man into a cold sweat.


    She had just hit the back of the horse. If she was really pregnant...


    Matthew took out his phone and called the ambnce. Then he called the person in charge of the


    stables and gave him their location. "Send a car here! Now!"


    Half an hourter, Erica was on the way to the emergency room again. She was indeed pregnant. She


    almost had a miscarriage because of strenuous exercise.


    It hadn''t been long¡ª7 weeks. Erica was busy from dusk until dawn every day, so she really didn''t


    notice anything was wrong.


    But she didn''t know that her period was irregr because she was pregnant.


    When Carlos and Debbie got the news and rushed to the hospital, they found that Erica lying in bed


    with an IV.


    Carlos patted his son on the shoulder and spat, "So Rika''s pregnant. Why didn''t you pay attention to


    her? Why did you take her out horseback riding?"


    This time, Matthew didn''t retort. He silently endured Carlos'' nagging.


    Erica, who was lying in the bed, exined weakly, "Dad, I insisted on doing it. This isn''t on Matthew at


    all. Don''t me him."


    "Rika, you don''t have to defend him. He is a man in his thirties. He didn''t even notice you''re pregnant. It


    is his fault!" Carlos believed Matthew was to me, and no one could change his mind.


    Debbie sighed. "Simmer down, everyone. Thank God Rika and the baby are all right. It''s good news.


    Don''t be angry."


    Carlos'' face softened when he heard that.


    Taking a lesson from the past, Matthew had kept an eye on Erica during her pregnancy. He didn''t even


    allow her to leave Y City, let alone travel abroad. He was afraid she would run away from home again.

 Chapter 1450 Twins

    Chapter 1450 Twins


    When Erica was eight weeks along, the ultrasound showed she was carrying more than one baby¡ªshe


    was having twins! Matthew was a mighty baby-maker! At least, that was what Erica thought. He should


    be feeling proud of himself now.


    She looked at the man who had done this to her. He was as calm as ever. Erica felt like weeping, but


    had no tears. She wanted to strangle Matthew again. Why did he always produce so many at once?


    Wasn''t one child good enough?


    But since she was pregnant, she could give Matthew hell. After all, what was the point of being bloated


    and miserable if she couldn''t take it out on him? At the thought of this, Erica lost her temper. "Get out!"


    she ordered.


    "What''s wrong?" he asked innocently.


    "The moon''s not full tonight.


    We''re not sleeping in the same bed. No way," she said. "What does the moon have to do with


    anything?" What he could do? He couldn''t change the phase of the moon.


    "It is because I say it is. It''s your fault it''s not full!" she spat.


    Matthew was confused, but he knew she was mercurial. There was no arguing with her when she was


    like this. He could only go downstairs to whip up a bowl of noodles for her. That was probably the best


    thing for his pregnant wife.


    It did make her feel better, though. And he was able to sleep in the same bed with her.


    But in the dark of the night, Erica rested an arm and a leg on Matthew.


    It was ufortable, but it was meant to be. It was just to make sure he was awake for one more of


    her demands. "Don''t wear a blindfold to bed!"


    Well, he could only do as she asked.


    "Don''t close your eyes!" she ordered again.


    Well, he opened his eyes and looked at her.


    "Don''t breathe!"


    On the verge of copse, Matthew still kept his cool. "Don''t breathe? Don''t be silly! So...how can I


    make you happy?"


    The woman thought for a while


    and answered, "Well, um... you could dance for me."


    Matthew was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He walked into the study. He knew the one person


    who could answer his questions: Sheffield. He picked up the phone and dialed his number.


    After riding him for howte it was, Sheffield listened patiently as Matthew described what was going


    on. After Matthew concluded his tale of woe, Sheffield burst intoughter. "I guess you''ll have to figure


    out what you can do to make her happy. So it''s your fault that the moon''s not full. It''ll probably be your


    fault when it''s cloudy, too.


    All you can do is love her, and try to be patient. Now here''s what I want you to do..." After hanging up,


    Matthew thought Sheffield was right. And he started dialing¡ªhe had more calls to make.


    Erica woke up early. She was ravenous, and not real happy. But when she emerged from the elevator,


    the sight that greeted her eyes was a treat.


    Matthew walked towards her and said affectionately, "Honey, I know you don''t feel good because


    you''re pregnant, so I got these flowers for you, because I love you." He gestured behind him, and there


    was a huge dome of flowers on the table.


    In the center of that arrangement, held in bamboo shoots, were some red roses and globe amaranths.


    "Wow! That''s a lot of flowers. How many flowers did you get?" There were so many flowers there was


    no way she''d be able to hold them all.


    "There should be 1, 314 flowers on that table. I had them shipped by air. I also got you 48 roses and 32


    globe amaranths." The word for 1314 sounds simr to "my whole life." Roses symbolize passionate


    love, amaranths immortality. 4, 832 is approximately how many weeks of life one has from birth to


    death. But she knew this. "It means I''ll love you passionately forever."


    The look on her face was a mixture of surprise and happiness. Matthew really wanted to thank


    Sheffield because it was his idea. ''Maybe I should get him flowers, too, '' he thought, smirking.


    "Honey! I love you too!" Erica sweetly kissed the man on the cheek.


    From that point forward, he made a point of getting her a bouquet of flowers each day. He had to buy


    more vases and pots for them to go in, but she was worth it. Not only did he get her flowers, but also all


    kinds of gems. He tried to please his wife by giving her things that all women wanted. Everything he did


    was simply to make his pregnant wife smile sweetly.


    Fortunately, she was just pregnant with twins, not quadruplets. She had a detailed exam and an


    ultrasound when she was seven months pregnant. And there were just two of them inside her womb,


    not four.


    When she was eight months along, the doctor rmended bed-rest. Matthew left nothing to chance


    and made sure she obeyed the doctor''s instructions.


    After she wailed for the umpteenth time that she would never get pregnant again, Matthew tried to


    mollify her, also for the umpteenth time. "Okay, I feel you. We won''t have any more kids."


    Leaning against his chest, Erica asked, "Are you busy today?" What she loved the most was that each


    day, he woulde home from work. They could cuddle and talk. Even if they fought, she was still


    happy.


    "No."


    She buried him in questions. "So how''s business? You used to be super-busy, but not since I got


    pregnant. In thest 8 months you only went on a business trip. Company''s not in trouble, is it? My


    studio running okay? How did the photos turn out?" She took a deep breath after that, allowing


    Matthew to get a word in edgewise.


    The man patiently answered the woman''s series of questions one by one. "Business is booming as


    usual, and profits are up. I get my employees to go on business trips for me. And yes, your studio is


    running great. I''ve got the best photographers filling in for you. All the photos are credited to the


    photographer ''for EM Studios.'' Your job is to rest, and not worry about this."


    "Oh! All right! Let me see your phone!"


    Matthew took out his phone from his pocket and handed it to the woman. "Here you go, honey."


    As long as Erica didn''t run away from him, he would give her whatever she wanted.


    She unlocked his phone and looked at the screen. The wallpaper was a photo of the six of them. "You


    never let me look at your phone before. Why now? What''s changed? What was on there that you didn''t


    want me to see?" she asked.


    "Hmmph." Matthew didn''t deny it.


    When she heard this, Erica opened her mouth wide and looked up at the man. "What did you do?" He


    admitted it!


    "There were a lot of your photos on my phone, and I used your photo as the wallpaper. I was also


    afraid that you would open the Weibo app and find my username." So far, he had nothing to hide from


    her.


    "Really?" Erica asked suspiciously, and then opened his phone album.


    The first photo she saw on Matthew''s phone was indeed her. It was a photo of her from two days ago.


    She was fast asleep. Her belly was big, and her hair was a mess. She didn''t look good at all. "I''m so


    ugly in this photo. Delete it," she protested.


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    Matthew grabbed her hand and said, "Honey, this photo is mine. You can''t delete it." She had taken


    away the ss jar of folded stars and the photo he''d snapped of her so long ago, and refused to give


    them back to him. Of course he refused tly.


    Erica thought about it a while and decided to let it go. They slept together every day, and he knew how


    she looked. "Okay, then let go of me. I won''t delete it, I swear."


    Matthew didn''t let go of her hand until he got her promise.


    There were about three hundred photos in the album, many of which were of her and the children, and


    their wedding photos. Of course, most of the photos were of Erica.


    The two of them curled up together, scrolling through his gallery. Erica started doing the long blink, and


    before long, fell asleep in Matthew''s arms.


    Looking at the sleeping woman, Matthew felt sorry for her.


    It was really hard to be a mother. She had to endure the pain of morning sickness at the start of her


    pregnancy, and then had to carry that weight around every day. Her body was changing and it was out


    of their control. She had abdominal cramps, leg cramps, and had to go the bathroom all the time.


    His hand swept across the woman''s big belly, and there was a sudden movement where he touched.


    Babies often push against the walls of their cage, and these kids were no exception.


    Matthew put his hand back on her belly again. There it was again¡ªthat strange smaller bulge. He


    waited a moment and then the bulge returned, in another location. He smiled. His precious daughters


    were active.


    Matthew was addicted to the game. He saw the bulge again, and moved to touch it. It was like some


    bizarre game of whack-a-mole.


    The pregnant woman didn''t feel anything and stayed asleep.


    After what seemed like forever, the bulges stopped. Maybe the kids were tired and went to sleep


    themselves.


    Matthew gotfortable in the bed and fell asleep himself, his wife in his arms.


    However, before long, he was awakened by the sounds of crying.


    He opened his eyes and saw his wife''s face, streaked with tears.


    Matthew moved to hold the woman in his arms. He asked worriedly, "Honey, what''s wrong?"


    Erica kept crying without saying anything.


    Turning on the bedsidemp, Matthew looked at the crying woman and asked, "Are you in pain? Tell


    me!"


    Erica nodded sadly.


    "What''s wrong? I''ll call the doctor over!"


    "My tummy hurts."


    Matthew picked up the phone and was about to call the doctor, but before he could unlock it, she put


    her hand on his. When he looked into the woman''s eyes, he heard her say, "I''m just... I didn''t have


    enough foodst night, so I woke up hungry. Just get me some food..."


    ''So... she''s crying because she''s hungry.''


    Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. He put the phone back on


    the nightstand and asked, "What do you want to eat? I''ll cook it."


    "I want some lobster." In her dream, a giant lobster bit her belly and threatened her to eat her children.


    Erica was so angry she swore to eat the lobster.


    Then she woke up.


    She wanted lobster, which was easy for Matthew.


    Erica liked seafood noodles a lot. That was why Matthew cooked them for her, and kept all kinds of


    seafood in the fridge.


    Matthew called the maid downstairs and asked her to fetch an Australian rock lobster. He would cook it


    later. Then he put on his pajamas and said to the pregnant woman, "Go back to sleep. I''ll call you when


    it''s ready."


    Shaking her head, Erica said, "I slept too much already. I''m not sleepy now. Help me downstairs?"


    Unable to refuse her request, Matthew lifted her up from the bed and the two entered the elevator


    together.


    At three o''clock in the morning, the vi was brightly lit and buzzing with activity. Two maids helped


    prep the lobster, and Matthew steamed it.


    At four o''clock in the morning, the pregnant woman ate the lobster from her dream like she was hoping.


    Afterward her husband carried her upstairs, and she fell fast asleep.

 Chapter 1451 Boy-girl Twins

    Chapter 1451 Boy-girl Twins


    Matthew arranged for a private ward for Erica when she was nine and a half months pregnant. He took


    two days off from work so he could file in all the necessary documents required for her admission so


    that she could spend the days before her delivery in the hospital.


    No one enjoyed staying in a ce like that and such was the case with Erica. She felt that it would be a


    better use of her time to stay at home and be with her sons.


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    Besides, they had an entire team of bodyguards and servants at home, ready to tend to her needs. In


    fact, it wouldn''t be such a big deal for them to take her to the hospital even just hours before she


    needed to give birth.


    One day as Sheffield happened to pass by Matthew''s vi, he checked Erica''s pulse and made sure


    that everything was in order.


    Fortunately, the boys were also home at the time which gave Sheffield a chance to y and spend


    some time with them.


    Sheffield was very much in touch with his inner child. His youthful exuberance allowed him to bond with


    the four kids in a different level.


    All the while, Erica lounged casually on the chaise longue in the balcony, munching on a te of mung


    bean cakes and watched them with a smile on her face.


    "Your dad''s always bullying me, but you know what? Now I''m going to get my revenge on you boys!" As


    soon as Sheffield took one step forward, the four kids dispersed and ran away in different directions so


    he wouldn''t be able to catch them all at once.


    After ying with the four children for a while, Sheffield nced at his wristwatch and realized that it


    was time for him to pick Gwyn up from her dancing ss.


    Just as he was about to leave, Matthew came in. "Oh, hey man! I was just leaving," said Sheffield.


    Matthew took off his coat and let it hang from his arm. "Has everything been settled with Mr. Li?"


    Suddenly, Sheffield''s face contorted and his lips started to twitch. Mr. Li was an important client of


    Matthew''s. ''He wants me to settle things with Mr. Li, but the person who benefits most in the end will be


    him!'' Sheffield remained silent, but it was clear that he was angry.


    He ran to the balcony and confronted the pregnant woman. "Rika, I want to ask you a question."


    "What is it?" Erica asked, wondering if something bad had happened.


    "You know that Matthew and I are partners in the business world, right? It''s the same with our


    companies. Hypothetically speaking, if we were to fall out one day, would you help your kind brother-in-


    law or your cold husband?" he asked.


    "Are you being serious right now?" Erica asked in disbelief.


    Sheffield nodded, "Yes, I am dead serious! I want an honest answer!"


    Erica showed no hesitation to retort. "First of all, my husband is not as cold as people think he is.


    However, I think everyone is right about you. You''re always talking nonsense. You have a good


    rtionship with my husband, and yourpanies are partners, right? Then you can rest assured that


    my husband will not fall out with you. After all, no matter how much trouble you make, he will treat you


    as his own brother. In the end, however, no matter what happens... I''m on my husband''s side! What did


    you think I was going to do? What gave you the idea that I would be standing on your side? Sheffield,


    why are you running so fast? I haven''t finished talking yet!"


    Sheffield was forced to see Erica''s disy of affection for her husband. The poor man had no choice


    but to leave as he felt defeated and outnumbered.


    As he ran all the way to where his car was parked, he could still hear Erica''s voice fading in the


    distance. "I love my husband very much, so you''d better stop trying to sow discord between us!"


    Matthew''s eyes were glowing with satisfaction. He put his arms around the pregnant woman''s back and


    whispered in her ear, "Honey, I love you too."


    Erica turned around and wrapped her hands around his waist, murmuring, "Sheffield needs to be


    taught a lesson every now and then. I guess I''ll have to call Evelyn and ask her to punish her husband."


    "Yes, I can get onboard with that," said Matthew dotingly.


    In truth, he would support his wife unconditionally in whatever she did.


    After all, his wife was the most important person in the world to him.


    There were still ten days left before the expected date of childbirth, but Matthew persisted on taking


    Erica to the hospital. After settling her down, Matthew had a detailed discussion with the doctor about


    giving her a C-section in three days.


    However, to everyone''s surprise, on the second morning, Erica woke up in pain. "Honey, it hurts..." she


    cried weakly.


    It was only six o''clock in the morning when Matthew woke up and went to the bathroom to brush his


    teeth. As soon as he wiped his face with a towel, he heard Erica''s cry.


    He dropped the towel to the floor and ran back to Erica as quickly as he could. "Did your water break?"


    Erica shook her head at first and then nodded. "Maybe... It hurts, honey. It hurts so much... Please..."


    She felt a sharp pain stabbing in her belly.


    Matthew, who had never experienced such a thing before, feltpletely lost. The man who had


    always been adept at decision-making didn''t know what to do next.


    Finally, Erica reminded him, "Call the doctor!"


    ''Yes! Call the doctor!''


    Matthew was still in shock as he ran to the nursing station in his slippers and stammered, "My...my


    wife... is going to deliver the babies..."


    Luckily, the nurses reacted quickly and called the doctor.


    The doctor, who had been on standby since Erica moved in, came soon after receiving the notice.


    Unfortunately, Erica''s physical condition didn''t allow her to have a natural birth. If she insisted on


    having a natural birth, there would be a greater chance of risk to her and the babies. Matthew foresaw


    this and decisively signed his consent on the operation notice of the C-section.


    That morning, Erica gave birth to a boy and a girl by C-section.


    It was the first time the world had seen Matthew grinning from one ear to the other. He finally had a


    baby daughter.


    The girl was born three minutes earlier than the boy.


    Later, after a short discussion, Matthew and his father announced to the public that the boy was older


    than the girl.


    That way the baby girl would have five elder brothers to dote on her and take care of her.


    The boy who was made to be an elder brother was named Edmond Huo and his sister was called


    Erma Huo.


    Erica was the one who had picked the boy''s name and Matthew had no objections.


    However, when Erica wanted to name the girl Elise, Matthew disagreed and suggested Erma instead.


    Erma was thebination of their names¡ªErica and Matthew.


    Erica didn''t object. She gave birth to a daughter just to make Matthew happy. He could call his


    daughter whatever he wanted.


    Erma''s birth had fulfilled many people''s dreams. Matthew had so many sons, and now he finally had a


    daughter as well. He felt like the happiest man in the world.


    In the ward


    With her eyes closed, Erica drifted off to sleep.


    Beside the crib next to her bed, stood six boys with eyes wide open¡ªthe quadruplets along with


    Godwin and Godfrey.


    Adkins whispered to Carlos, "Grandpa, were we also this ugly when we were born?"


    Carlos bent down and answered in a low voice, "Yes. Babies can look very strange after they are just


    born. They will be fine in two days. Your younger brother and sister will be as beautiful as you soon."


    With his eyes wide open, Boswell looked at the little girl who was sleeping with her eyes closed.


    "Grandpa, can I hug my sister?"


    Colman was so anxious that he almost jumped. "Grandpa, I want to hug her too." He was so happy to


    have a sister.


    Carlos patted his two grandsons on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "Not now. She just fell asleep.


    You can hug her when she wakes up, okay?"


    Carlos was hiding the fact that he was very angry. Ever since the doctor gave Erma to them, Matthew


    had been holding the baby girl in his arms. Now that he had just put the baby down, she fell asleep.


    Carlos didn''t even get a chance to hold her yet. However, he couldn''t lose his temper in front of his


    grandsons, so he kept his cool.


    The two kids nodded their heads obediently. "Okay!"


    Damian held the twins'' hands with utmost care. "Grandpa, their hands are so tiny!"


    "Yes, you were the same when you were born."


    "Really?"


    The four boys didn''t leave the hospital soon. When the twins woke up, they hugged their brother and


    sister for a while beforeing back home with their grandparents.


    Carlos looked ten years younger as soon as he held his granddaughter in his arms. However, he didn''t


    completely ignore his grandson. He also held him in his arms for a while. After all, they were both his


    grandchildren and he loved them very much.


    After putting away the presents he bought for the twins, he left the hospital with Debbie and the four


    boys.

 Chapter 1452 Go And Find Another Woman

    Chapter 1452 Go And Find Another Woman


    The twins looked a lot like Matthew. Even at first nce, others could tell they were his children.


    As time passed, during Erica''s confinement after childbirth, the loving couple had a quarrel.


    It seemed that Erica said something Matthew didn''t like much.


    Despite being for her own good, the confinement was a dull period after childbirth. Matthew, for


    example, didn''t want her to use her cellphone for a long time every day so that she would have a quick


    recovery.


    One day, however, Erica was secretly fiddling with her phone when she saw a handsome man on


    Weibo. Then, she wrote him ament saying, "Hey, handsome, do you want a wife? I''ve just given


    birth for the second time, but I can make it the third in nine months for you."


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    Unluckily for her, Matthew happened to bust her while she used the device. ncing at the guilty


    woman, he forcefully grabbed her phone and took a look at it.


    The next moment, he asked coldly, "Can''t I satisfy you?"


    Embarrassed, Erica shook her head as she exined to him, "Of course you can. I was just kidding!"


    What she said was true. When she saw the handsome man, she couldn''t help but tease him.


    Yet Matthew deleted thement and the app, and then he threw her mobile phone on the bed as he


    demanded, "From now on, you won''t touch your phone without my permission!"


    Next, he took out his phone and sent a message to Owen with the info of the ount he wanted to


    delete on Weibo.


    Erica, who had no idea of what was going on, wailed, "No, I''m bored in confinement! Matthew, please!"


    "I said you won''t use your phone without my permission, and you will listen to me."


    When angry, the man could be a little tougher.


    After a while, the spoiled Erica became enraged as well. "If you don''t want me to use my phone, then


    you can''t use yours either!"


    "Whenever I''m with you, I only answer important calls. When did you see me using my phone for other


    purposes?" Matthew asked, looking at her indifferently.


    He wasn''t lying, and Erica had nothing to confront him with either, but still, she whispered, "You don''t


    like using your phone and now forbid me from using mine. I guess you want to bore me to death,


    right?" In fact, the confinement after childbirth was really boring. After the boys had already gone to


    school, during the day, either Debbie or the housemaid would stay with Erica.


    And because there was no need for her to take care of the twins, she would spend the whole day bored


    in bed.


    At that moment, Matthew wasn''t in the mood to argue anymore, so he turned around to see his


    daughter.


    ncing at the pigeon pair on the crib, Erica was angry again. "You hold your daughter the most every


    day. Isn''t Edmond your son too? Why don''t you hold him?"


    Although Matthew hugged Edmond every day, he did it much less often than with Erma.


    Erica couldn''t help feeling sorry for her son. Matthew was about to touch his daughter''s hand, but upon


    hearing his wife''s usation, his hand fell on Edmund''s face.


    "Why don''t you say anything?" Erica asked Matthew as he didn''t answer her.


    The man nced at her and said, "I don''t want to argue with you."


    "Huh! Argue? Matthew Huo, tell me the truth. You think I''m fatter and uglier than before, so you don''t


    want to talk to me, right?" Honestly, Erica thought she was so fat because of all the delicious meals that


    she wouldn''t even dare to look at herself in the mirrortely.


    Ever since the twins were born, she had gained fifteen kilograms over her original weight. This was


    beginning to affect her self-esteem.


    Matthew walked to her bedside and looked down at the woman lying on the bed. Then he warned her


    coldly, "Don''t force me to sleep with you while you''re still in your confinement."


    "Huh! You''re a real beast if you''re interested in a woman who just gave birth."


    "Yeah, you are right, I am a beast. Do you want to have a try?"


    Erica''s heart immediately skipped a beat. Pulling the quilt to cover herself, she stammered, "You...you''d


    better leave now. I''m still in the confinement. Go and find another woman! No need to stay at home


    quarreling with me!"


    Of course, she didn''t mean that. How could she be willing to let her husband find another woman?


    Despite her annoyance, she knew she was wrong and making trouble out of nothing.


    With a sigh, the man sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her hair gently. "I''d rather stay at home


    and quarrel with you than find another woman."


    Erica was deeply touched by the words he said. ''Wow! Look how good my husband is to me! I don''t


    have the heart to fight him anymore.''


    Throwing herself into his arms, she batted her eyshes at him and admitted her mistake. "I''m sorry. I


    won''t use my phone anymore."


    Matthew held her in his arms and said with a smile, "Good girl."


    By the time the twins were five months old, Erica got back to work. Since she had over a dozen


    servants who could look after the children, she didn''t need to spend much time in the house taking care


    of them herself.


    One day, two of the quadruplets and Erma went to the Huo family manor, leaving Colman, Damian, and


    Edmond at home.


    On that same evening, Matthew had just left the shower before he could go to bed. However, when he


    was about to put on a shirt, he heard Edmond crying. Erica had already run to prepare a form for her


    son after Matthew came to pick up the crying baby. Unfortunately, her breast milk wasn''t enough to


    feed the two children.


    Meanwhile, in order tofort the little boy, Matthew patted him on the shoulder. He just never saw a


    biteing in return.


    Looking down at his chest, the man was speechless. How dare the little boy try to eat something that


    only belonged to his mother! He deserved a lesson!


    Yet Edmond stopped crying all of a sudden as he excitedly blurted, "Daddy... yummy..."


    Matthew was shocked. ''Why didn''t your mother ever say I was yummy?'' he thought.


    When the twins were eight months old, Erica held Erma in her arms one day and asked Matthew,


    "Honey, do you think the strapless dress I bought for our daughter looks cute on her?"


    Erica had spent over four thousand dors on a light pink strapless dress for Erma. The baby girl was


    also wearing a pair of white shoes and a cute headband that looked like rabbit ears.


    "Yes, it''s beautiful!" Matthew looked at the baby tenderly as he pinched her little face. Of course, his


    daughter was not only the most beautiful princess, but also looked the best in everything.


    "Good to know the money I spent on it wasn''t in vain. Well, we''re going shopping. See you when we


    get backter!" Erica announced with a smile.


    "Wait!" The man frowned slightly.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked.


    "You will go out like this?" Matthew pointed at the little girl in Erica''s arms.


    Erica looked at her daughter and replied, "Yes! What''s wrong?"


    "Go get her changed!" Didn''t he buy many dresses for Erma? Not to mention that each of them had


    way more fabric than this one she was wearing now.


    Puzzled, Erica asked, "What''s wrong? Didn''t you say it was beautiful?" She thought her daughter


    looked so cute in this dress.


    "Yes, it''s beautiful, but girls should have more clothes on when they go out!"


    Erica couldn''t believe her ears. The little girl was only eight months old! Besides, it wasn''t as if she was


    naked, and it was summer! Why did she need to wear more clothes than what she had already on?


    However, before she could argue with him, Matthew left the room after saying, "Wait for me!"


    The next moment, he came back with a colorful princess dress and reached out to get his daughter


    from Erica''s arms. "Erma, let''s go. I''ll change the dress for you!" His voice sounded so gentle!


    Erica''s mouth fell open after she heard that. She was indeed jealous.


    Finally, holding the little girl in a colorful princess dress, Matthew decided he would personally go


    shopping with Erica and Erma.

 Chapter 1453 The Ending Of Matthew And Ericas Story

    Chapter 1453 The Ending Of Matthew And Erica''s Story


    Just like Erica, who was naughty and mischievous as a child, Erma had tricked all the servants in the


    family by the time she was just over a year old.


    Her five brothers, or guardian angels as they were better known, not only turned a blind eye to her


    shenanigans, but also helped her bully others.


    Several servants even threatened to resign, but Matthew found it impossible to teach his daughter a


    lesson, so instead he paid them three times their usual sry to keep them happy. With that kind of


    money, the servants were willing to put up with little Erma''s devilry.


    Although Erma was as naughty as Erica, they were very different in character.


    Erica was branded as a troublemaker from the start and she wore it like a badge of honor in front of


    everyone, even her family. Erma was quite different. She would usually put on a lovely and adorable


    front when faced with people she wasn''t well acquainted with. However, the moment she''d start to feel


    more open with people, she would fail to hide her mischievous nature.


    Once Erica smacked naughty Erma on the bum, leaving a palm print on the baby''s smooth skin. This


    angered Erma''s father enough that he decided not to talk to Erica for a few days.


    As if things weren''t bad enough, Erica decided to give Matthew the silent treatment as well because he


    wouldn''t reprimand his naughty daughter. After all, the little devil was the one who''d cause such a


    ruckus.


    Matthew found himself caught between a rock and a hard ce, as he loved his daughter too much to


    scold her, but he also loved his wife too much not to speak with her. In the end, he had to make his wife


    happy, so he asked his daughter nicely not to cause so much trouble again.


    Unfortunately, such incidents urred too many times and only Erica among all the other members of


    the Huo family could teach the little princess a lesson. As such, ever since Erma was a child, the


    person she feared most was her mother, and the person she feared the least was her father.


    Matthew was so attached to his daughter he would take her everywhere with him. People would always


    see him holding her and singing lubies to her. In fact, some people mistakenly thought that she was a


    child without a mother because they hardly ever saw her with Erica.


    However, it wasn''t really Erica''s fault that she hardly spent any time with her daughter. On many


    asions, she''d wake up in the morning and her husband would have already taken their daughter


    out. Sometimes Erica would protest that Matthew was deliberately stopping her from seeing her


    daughter.


    The five brothers loved their sister so much they would babysit and take care of their precious little


    flower without hesitation.


    Paige admired Erica''s strength of will. Many years ago, Erica had told her that she would give Matthew


    five sons and now she really had five sons with Matthew.


    Not only did she give him five sons, she even gave him a daughter.


    While she was taking care of the kids, Paige took a short video of them and uploaded it on the Inte.


    She had no idea that the video would get a millions "likes" in just a day.


    That one post made her ount so popr that she would receive countless private messages from


    netizens who wanted more videos about the little princes and the little princess of the Huo family.


    Fearing that Erica would me her, Paige admitted her mistake to Erica first and then showed her the


    short video she had taken for the children.


    Erica mistakenly assumed the worst, but it turned out to be nothing serious. "I''m so proud to see so


    many people like them. Why would I be angry? But I also don''t want to expose them to the public at


    such a young age. Maybe just one video every once in a while. Not every day!" she insisted.


    Paige understood what she had meant, so she only took videos of the children on special asions.


    In this way, she attracted the attention of tens of millions of fans, who waited for her updates on the


    gems of the Huo family.


    After the twins started their kindergarten, Erica was able to find more free time for herself. She started


    narrowing her client''s list and spend more time traveling to takendscape photos to her heart''s


    content.


    In the end, she only epted an order every half a year and the money she earned wouldn''t even


    cover the expenses of her camera lens. Fortunately, money was no longer an issue for her because


    her husband was so good at that department. Gradually, she began to run her studio solely for the


    purpose of creating art rather than making money.


    Most importantly, she would only work when she was happy.


    Summer came bringing with it blue skies and the sun was a celebration of yellow, free and bright. The


    trees rose to the asion, donning their best verdant hues, and everywhere the flowers scattered


    colors like the rainbow that they were.


    Somehow, Matthew managed to find a bicycle with a big beam on it.


    After he called Erica toe meet him downstairs, he stood beside his bicycle, chest puffed up with


    pride as though he was standing next to a sports car.


    A few minutester, Erica ran out of the vi clutching a handbag between her fingers. Needless to say,


    she was surprised to see the scene in the yard.


    With a faint smile, Matthew handed the champagne roses in his arms to the woman. "Honey, can I


    invite you out for a date when the children are not around?"


    Erica happily took the champagne roses and kissed the man on the lips. "Of course, my dear


    husband!"


    "Let''s go! We are going to the seaside!"


    "Okay! But how are you going to get there? On that?"


    The man smiled mysteriously and folded the bicycle before he put it in the trunk of the sports car. Then


    he held Erica''s hand and slowly walked her to the passenger seat. Like a true gentleman, he held the


    door for her while she sat down and made herselffortable before he closed the door and ran to the


    other side.


    As he pushed the keys to the ignition, Matthew said, "Our home is a little far from the seaside. So I''ll


    drive you there first."


    ''Oh, I see!''


    Half an hourter, the sports car stopped in front of the open yard of a vi. Matthew took out his


    bicycle from the trunk and unfolded it.


    Staring at the three-story vi in front of her, Erica asked Matthew in confusion, "Is this one of our


    properties too?" After they had six children, Matthew had his people buy a few more houses for his


    family. Erica felt that they owned too many properties.


    It got to the point where Erica felt as though they had properties almost wherever she went.


    "Yes, we will be staying here tonight!" Matthew answered with a smile. The children were all in the Huo


    family''s manor. Their babysitters for the night, Evelyn and Terilynn, were taking in charge of their


    welfare. Since the children were in the hands of responsible people, their parents didn''t have to worry


    at all.


    "Okay!"


    On the highway along the coast, Erica let the drone fly first and then ran to Matthew with the remote


    control. "Let''s go," she said gleefully.


    "Okay." The man crossed his long legs and sat on the bicycle first.


    Then he loosened one of his arms and waved at Erica. "Honey,e on!"


    "What? Do I need to sit in the front?" Erica had never sat like this before.


    "Yes!" he answered.


    The woman wanted to sit on the bike, but she wasn''t brave enough. "It will be embarrassing if I were to


    break it..." Although she had lost more than ten pounds, she was still over a hundred pounds.


    Matthew chuckled and gave her confidence. "Don''t worry. This is a pretty sturdy bike!" Then he pulled


    her over.


    ''Okay!'' With his help, Erica sat on the front beam of the bike. When she sat down, Matthew put his


    hands on the handles and stepped on the pedals.


    Erica couldn''t help feeling nervous and she kept screaming, "Matthew, I''m scared!"


    "You don''t trust my riding skills?" The man''s low pitched voice resounded over her head.


    She nodded honestly. "I wouldn''t be afraid if you were driving, but we both know that you have never


    ridden a bike before!" Matthew was the CEO of a well-establishedpany. He was more familiar with


    being driven to ces than riding a bike all on his own.


    "Where is your drone?" He changed the topic to distract her thoughts.


    Suddenly, Erica remembered her drone and she titled her head up in the sky to look for it, but it was


    nowhere to be found. She looked at her remote control and found that the drone had flown up to more


    than 200 meters high. No wonder she couldn''t see it.


    As the sea breeze grew stronger, Erica brought the drone back to around 20 meters high and put it on


    auto-pilot. She shook her legs with excitement and said, "Honey, I''m going to start recording!"


    "Okay!" Erica seemed to have rubbed off on him because Matthew was now very enthusiastic about


    recording their daily life.


    Erica clicked on the start button and let the drone record their magical date.


    On the road along the coast was a drone, a bike, and a couple. Their happiness was so simple.


    Erica wanted to put a perfect end to this video.


    At the seaside, with his feet on the ground, Matthew gently whispered in her ear, "Honey."


    And, just as the woman turned around with the remote control in her hand, he kissed her.


    The drone flew higher and higher capturing their happy moment on the coastal road¡ªa couple in love,


    kissing, the beach and the sea...


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    After she put away the drone, Matthew grabbed her hand and dragged her down the coastal road to


    walk on the soft sand beach.


    All of a sudden, Erica let go of his hand, kicked off her shoes and ran into the sea. Marveling at the


    blue sea, she shouted, "Matthew, I love you!"


    ''Matthew, I love you. I started with liking you, and as time went by, I couldn''t stop from loving you...''


    Matthew, who was usually serious, was willful for once. He took off his casual shoes and socks, stood


    beside her and shouted, "Erica, I love you too!"


    ''Erica, I loved you at first sight and we will never be apart.''


    Sometimes great love could be found in simple ces and in between simple


    people.

 Chapter 1454 Extra Story About Gifford (Part One)

    Chapter 1454 Extra Story About Gifford (Part One)


    After Erica was injured in the fire, Chantel went to the Huo family''s vi to make sure she was okay.


    She stayed there a couple days and then went back to the Li family''s house to look after the child.


    A week had passed, but she still hadn''t seen Gifford. She didn''t have the courage to send a message


    or call him to ask him where he was or whether he woulde back. She wasn''t sure she''d like the


    answer.


    Later, she grilled Wesley about what he knew. He told her he was on a mission. It had to do with Michel


    and his men. Gifford volunteered to be the main person in charge.


    It had been a while, and Chantel thought Gifford might be gone for several months. However, they met


    up in a quite embarrassing ce and time.


    In a five-star hotel in K Country


    Several young firefighters appeared in the hall with arge, red canvas gear bag with five zippered


    pockets. Preceded by a waiter, the group entered the elevator one after another.


    At the same time, another man walked into the elevator. He was wearing a green military outfit, and the


    patch on his shoulder made all the young men snap to attention and salute him.


    After saluting them as well, the serviceman stood in the corner of the elevator, listening to the young


    men chatting with the waiter.


    The waiter said, "An actress is stuck in the bathroom. The door''s jammed. We can''t break down the


    door ourselves, which is why we called you." "Any idea who''s in there?"


    "Yeah, it''s Chantel Ye!" the waiter replied.


    Chantel was a huge star. Almost everyone knew who she was. Even if they weren''t that familiar with


    her work, she had been in multiplemercials, did the talk show circuit, and even made the tabloids.


    This group of young men certainly knew who she was. The dark-skinned captain looked at his


    subordinates with a smile and said, "Chantel Ye, huh? Okay, here''s the deal: I''m married, so I''m off the


    table. But you guys need a shot. Anyone who''s single? Line up here!"


    If they weren''t in the elevator, some of them would have jumped up and down excitedly. "Wow! We''re


    lucky, huh? We get to meet Chantel in the flesh. Not only that, but she''s in the bathroom. I can''t wait!"


    one of them said.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Another man pulled him behind him and said, "You already have a girlfriend. I''m still single. Let me do


    the job."


    The third man pretended to be serious and said, "Stop arguing. Let me do this!"


    The elevator stopped on the 14th floor. Before the people in the elevator could leave, the man in the


    corner had already made his way out. He waited for them outside the elevator.


    The young men looked at the elevator button confusedly and reminded him kindly, "Chief, this is the


    14th floor. Weren''t you headed for the 19th floor?"


    The man gave him a smile.


    "Not now! This is my stop!" The young men were confused, but still nodded their heads. "Okay.


    Um...you can leave now!"


    The man didn''t move. Instead, he reached out his hand to them and said, "Hand me the gear bag. I got


    this!"


    All of them were a little confused. "What?"


    Gifford nced at his hand and said, "I''m gonna need tools to open the bathroom door, right?"


    The captain said, "Chief, it''s not a big deal. Let us do it..."


    With the same smile on his face, the man said, "Chantel''s my wife!"


    One of the men was close by, so he heard Gifford talking and answered excitedly, "Chantel is my


    goddess!"


    The captain came to his senses first. "Ahem! Okay! Her husband should do this. It''s only appropriate."


    "Alright, fine!" The young man, who was holding the toolbox, quickly handed the big red bag to Gifford.


    Then, the waiter led Gifford to Room 1409. Then they waited outside the hotel room and watched


    Gifford walk in alone.


    The young men were not happy. They all were hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the forbidden fruit.


    They whispered back and forth and wondered when Chantel got married. And she even married a


    hotshot officer like Gifford!


    Gifford walked into the sink alcove and knocked on the ss door to the bathroom. The door was


    made of frosted ss, and thanks to the hot water and the mist from it, nothing could be seen through


    the ss.


    Then a familiar voice came from inside the bathroom. "I''m in here. Could you get me a towel?" She was


    naked. It was so embarrassing!


    Gifford didn''t say anything. He looked at the door. Then he turned the handle as far as it would go. He


    lightly ced his fingers on the sash, trying to feel the mechanism as he tried to open it. He found


    where the cams left the guide slot. There! A metal te was bent out of ce near the bottom. He


    used a pry bar and some pliers to bend the offending piece of metal back into shape.


    After that, it was easy to get the door open, with the obstruction out of the way. Gifford managed to nail


    it in under three minutes.


    When he was about to push the door open ande in, Chantel, cowering in the corner, shouted,


    "Don''te in!"


    After a short pause, the man opened the door without hesitation.


    Before she could scream, a familiar figure appeared in front of her eyes. She immediately shut her


    mouth and breathed a sigh of relief. The actress blurted out, "Gifford!"


    Gifford stared at her and then looked away.


    Chantel felt awkward. She was so wrapped up in her own problems, she didn''t have time to ask why he


    was here. She wanted to cry but had no tears. "Well, do you have a bath towel or not?"


    She''d think twice before entering a bathroom with a dodgy door.


    It was a little hard to open the door. But when she managed to get it open, she walked in and the auto


    close mechanism engaged. It didn''t close right, and she was a bit dubious. But she took a shower


    anyway, since she was there.


    After taking a shower, she found the door couldn''t be opened from the inside.


    Fortunately, whoever designed the hotel was smart. There was an emergency call on the wall of the


    shower room. Useful in case of a fire, or for when a door was jammed. She pressed the button, and a


    few maintenance workers came to open the door for her, but they failed. Atst, they had to call the


    firefighters.


    Instead of fetching a bath towel for her, Gifford leaned against the door frame and leered at her,


    smiling.


    Chantel''s face flushed when he saw her. She leaned against the wall and turned around, but she didn''t


    know whether she should face him or not. Finally, her temper boiled over and she roared, "Gifford Li!"


    Gifford gave her a smile and said, "Mmm...9 out of 10. I''d give you a 10, but you''re yelling at me." Then


    he went and grabbed a bath towel for her.


    While she toweled herself off in the bathroom, Gifford returned the gear bag to the young men outside


    the door. "Thanks, guys!" he said.


    The young men immediately stood up and said in unison, "You''re wee."


    After sending them away, Gifford turned and went back to the room. When he closed the door, he saw


    Chantel walk out of the bathroom. Her wet long hair was wrapped in a towel and she wore a hotel robe.


    Gifford straightened his sleeves and sat down on the sofa next to him. "Got any ns for tonight? I


    don''t know if I can top getting stuck in a bathroom, but I can try," he quipped.


    "Actually, I''m busy tonight," she answered. She had to go to the Violet Eagles'' base.


    Gifford thought for a while and said, "You sure? I haven''t seen you in a while. Why don''t you cancel


    your ns ande with me?" He was right. They hadn''t seen each other for quite a time. He was


    beginning to feel like a bachelor, the amount of time he spent alone.


    "Okay, so what''s up?" Chantel looked at him in confusion.


    Gifford was no longer the serious man when he was in front of outsiders. He sat cross-legged in his


    seat and answered her casually, "I haven''t seen you in forever. How about we spend a romantic night


    together?"


    No one knew how hard he fought to keep the desire in his heart in check when he opened the


    bathroom door.


    They were a couple, after all. There was no denying the attraction between them, especially after being


    separated for so long. Chantel''s chest tightened. She walked to the dressing table and pretended


    everything was normal. "What about you? Not busy today?"


    "No, I''m not." Gifford stood up from the sofa. "Go ahead and dry your hair. I''ll be back in ten minutes."


    There was someone waiting for him upstairs. He would head there first. Once that was taken care of,


    he''d be free to return and spend the night with her.


    "Oh! Okay!"


    After Gifford left, Chantel was the only one left in the room. She heaved a long sigh of relief.

 Chapter 1455 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Two)

    Chapter 1455 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Two)


    Gifford was a punctual man. He said he would be back in ten minutes, and within eight minutes, he was


    ringing Chantel''s room doorbell.


    Chantel had just had her hair dried as she walked to the door on her phone with Edward, a man from


    Violet Eagles. After making sure that it was Gifford standing outside, she opened the door to let him in.


    "I can''t go tomorrow afternoon either. I''m afraid I won''t be able to make it there this time. Let''s talk


    again soon if anything happens... Okay," she said into her phone.


    Closing the door behind him, Gifford took off his uniform jacket and hung it on the clothes rack nearby.


    Once she ended the call, she kept holding her phone nervously while looking at the man now loosening


    his tie. "Well... did you have dinner?"


    "No." It was getting dark and he had juste from M Country.


    So she suggested, "How about we order room service?" She didn''t eat anything either and was


    nning to eat rice noodles alone after taking a shower.


    Putting his tie aside, Gifford looked at her with an unreadable expression.


    "Do you think I''m here for dinner?" he asked. ''No, I think you''re here to eat me, '' she thought.


    "So,e here!" Gifford crooked his finger at her.


    With a flip of her long hair, Chantel put her phone on the table and walked towards him.


    She thought he would say something else, but he didn''t. He just held her in his arms and kissed her on


    the lips.


    After a while, he said, "Take a shower with me." He had been out the whole day and was afraid she


    wouldn''t like to be with him if he stank.


    After all, she smelled so good. Despite having just had a shower, sheplied and followed him into


    the bathroom.


    After a long bath, Gifford carried Chantel back to the bedroom in his arms. Her long hair, which she had


    previously dried while he was out, waspletely soaked again.


    Putting her on the bed, Gifford told her, "Lie down. I''ll dry your hair."


    He had dried her hair twice while she was in the Li family house, both after ate-night shower. At the


    time, she had been so sleepy that she could barely open her eyes, so he had to do it since her hair was


    still wet.


    Now the situation didn''t look much different either. With a nod, Chantel hung her long hair on the


    bedside and closed her eyes as she enjoyed him drying her hair.


    After he was done, she had already fallen asleep but ended up woken up by him.


    When she opened her eyes, she looked at him in a daze. Noticing how sleepy she really was, Gifford


    didn''t have the heart to ask her to go out with him. Instead, he sat down beside her and offered, "Why


    don''t you go back to sleep, and I''ll buy you some food?"


    She shook her head and answered in a hoarse voice, "No, thanks. I''ll get up."


    However, as Gifford waited for her, she fell asleep all over again.


    Half an hourter, she suddenly sat on the bed and looked around the dim room. She found Gifford on


    the sofa, staring at her.


    Looking into his eyes, Chantel apologized immediately, "I''m sorry. I''ll get up now!"


    "Take your time." It didn''t get past Gifford how exhausted she seemed. In fact, he was curious to know


    what she had done outside every day that got her so tired.


    After she wrapped herself tightly in her overcoat, Chantel put on a hat, sunsses and a mask. When


    she was ready, she gritted her teeth and suppressed the nervousness in her heart before taking


    Gifford''s arm.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Gifford looked at the small hand on him and smiled. ''Good! I like her


    holding my arm.''


    Once they left the hotel, she asked, "I want to eat rice noodles. Will you join me?"


    "Okay!" Actually, it didn''t matter what he was going to eat.


    In order to please her, Gifford drove to a ce where she could have rice noodles, and he was fine with


    that.


    When they came out of the restaurant, Chantel had forgotten to put on her mask and thus was


    recognized by some reporters who seemingly came out of nowhere. They secretly took pictures of


    them. In a few moments, their photos were spread all over the Inte.


    However, maybe because Gifford was wearing his uniform, the reporters decided to spare him with a


    blur. Chantel''s face and body, on the other hand, had beenpletely exposed to the public.


    Later, more photos of them returning to the hotel were posted online as well.


    The morning after, Chantel was still asleep when Gifford got up. Since he had a business to take care


    of early that day, he left the room first.


    Therefore, the moment she left the hotel room on her own, the hidden reporters outside couldn''t get


    any more valuable information they were hoping to get.


    Once Gifford became aware of the photos of him and Chantel, they had already been spread like


    wildfire on the Inte. Even though Chantel had spent a lot of money on covering the news up, it


    didn''t subside.


    Over the years, he had downloaded many entertainment applications on his phone to keep up with the


    news released about his wife.


    So he quickly clicked on one of the most active social media apps he had and found that Chantel''s


    ount had been filled with hatements.


    One of them said, "Chantel, don''t you have a powerful background that allows you not to shoot any


    kissing scenes? How could a holy maiden like you get in a hotel room with a man?"


    Another hater replied to thement, "Shh! Mrs. Huo has allowed her to be Mr. Huo''s mistress. Don''t


    offend her."


    Then someone elsemented, "The man must be important since his figure has been blurred.


    Chantel is really good at seducing men."


    Unexpectedly, a fan defended her. "Shut up, you haters! Since she started her career, Chantel has


    never been involved in any scandal. She''s best friends with Mrs. Huo. How dare you discredit her like


    this! Also, how much have you got paid from a certain person? Tell me. Let''s make money together!"


    Another hatermented, "Hey, bitch! Come out and exin it!"


    Gifford didn''t continue further. He stopped after reading the fewments he came across at the top,


    and already wanted to find out who those haters were so he could beat them ck and blue. Frankly,


    he had no idea how many cyber-attacks Chantel had suffered over the years.


    He also didn''t contact her about it. Instead, he called Matthew. "There are rumors about you online.


    Don''t you want to take care of them?"


    Matthew was stunned for a moment, but then he said indifferently, "I don''t care, to be honest. Whatever


    they''re saying, it has nothing to do with me."


    "No way. You and my wife are involved in this. You have to deal with it!" Gifford demanded. Matthew


    not only had an awesome PR team, but he also had excellentwyers. So he was the best person to


    deal with this kind of problem.


    ''Chantel and me?'' Matthew frowned and hung up the phone in silence.


    The next day, the ZL Groupwyers released a formal announcement online, informing that they would


    be suing the haters who ndered Chantel.


    As soon as Matthew took action, the haters were forced to take criminal responsibilities for their


    statements. At the same time, the main person behind them was exposed.


    It was all an open strife held inside the entertainment industry. The whole thing was nned by a


    random female star who was jealous of Chantel.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The actress was immediately banned from all walks of life for daring to lead the gossip to Matthew Huo.


    As for Chantel, since she had chosen to be an actress, she had mentally got herself ready for the


    many ways she could be exposed to the media. Therefore, three monthster, the news that she had


    gone to the hospital for an examination was also released to the press.


    "Wow! Chantel was spotted in the gynecology department of a hospital. Is she pregnant?"


    "Her belly seems slightly swollen. I''m sure she''s pregnant."


    Meanwhile, at the Li family''s house, Gifford had Chantel locked in their room and didn''t let her go


    anywhere.


    Then he took out their marriage licenses from his coat''s pocket and threw them on the table in front of


    her. "Take a photo! And post it online!"


    Gifford couldn''t help but feel depressed. He wondered why she refused to make their rtionship


    public.


    Last time they were photographed getting in the hotel together, she refused to make any statement


    about their marriage. Now that she was pregnant again, she still had no ns of making it public either.


    If she didn''t finally make things clear, he wouldn''t let her out that door today!


    ir knocked on their door and said anxiously, "Gifford, don''t do anything stupid. Talk things out with


    Chantel."

 Chapter 1456 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Three)

    Chapter 1456 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Three)


    ''Chantel''s pregnant, but why is Gifford so angry? As soon as he got back, he stomped upstairs angrily


    to find Chantel. What on earth happened?'' ir thought to herself.


    In order to assuage ir''s fears, Gifford opened the door and told his mom, "I''m mad, Mom, not nuts.


    Chantel''s my wife. I''m not going to hurt my wife or my kid."


    ir breathed a sigh of relief and told her son, "Just take some deep breaths! And count to ten before


    you say or do anything."


    Gifford was helpless. He wasn''t going to hurt Chantel. He just wanted to talk. "Okay, I get it. Why don''t


    you go y with your granddaughter?" he suggested. Wendy was here today, ying with Hugo


    downstairs.


    ir peeked into the room again. But Gifford was so tall she couldn''t see anything past him, so she had


    to give in and go downstairs.


    Bang! He mmed the door, and Chantel''s heart thumped violently. He was mad, and she was afraid.


    She stared at the man who approached her again and said quickly, "If you hit me, I''ll scream!"


    When he heard what she said, Gifford suddenlyughed. "Wow, do you really think I''m like that? After


    all this time?"


    Where could she have cooked up such a ridiculous idea? She was pregnant with his child. What kind of


    man would he be if he beat her? He treated her with kid gloves. He was fairly strong, and didn''t really


    even yfully punch her.


    Chantel shook her head. He was so handsome. He sure didn''t look violent. But she knew his temper.


    She''d gotten his goat enough times to know that he could lose his cool quickly.


    Crossing his arms over his chest, Gifford stopped in front of her. "So...you have something to tell me?"


    Chantel thought for a while and then shook her head.


    "Do you love someone else? Is that why most people don''t know you''re married?" he asked.


    "What are you talking about?" Chantel asked, confused.


    Gifford pulled her wrist and brought her to the table again. He pointed at the marriage certificates and


    said, "Okay, if you love me, then why haven''t you posted them on the Inte?"


    Chantel slowly took out her phone and took a photo of the marriage certificates.


    Under the man''s satisfied eyes, she put away her phone.


    Gifford was a little confused. "Okay? You posted it already? That was fast." ''Why did she put her phone


    away?''


    "These things take time. I need to consult with my agent and my PR team first. Once I get with them, I''ll


    know more." After all, she was not just ountable to herself and her husband. She had an image, and


    it needed to be maintained. There were rock stars who had gotten married, and their recordpanies


    got angry. Who was going to lust after a married person?


    Gifford lost his temper. "Your agent? Your PR team? Chantel, I''m your husband. I''m the only person


    you should be worried about. What the hell? Why are you all business-like about this?"


    "It''s not that I don''t want to go public about our marriage. But you don''t love me, remember. I am


    worried about you. That''s why I haven''t told anyone!" Chantel blurted out her innermost thoughts in a


    hurry.


    After a short silence, Gifford asked, "Worried about me? Why? How does our marriage change


    anything?"


    "Aren''t you seeing someone?" Chantel asked in a small voice.


    "What? What are you talking about?" Gifford asked in disbelief.


    Chantel bit her lower lip and said, "Don''t hide it from me. I''ve seen you enter a vi with that woman.


    And you were holding her too. I saw it!" Yes, she had seen it with her own eyes.


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    She saw them in Y City a year ago. She remembered that summer quite well.


    ''A woman? Vi? Holding her?''


    Gifford racked his brain, and finally realized what she was talking about. He hadn''t been with many


    women¡ªhe never thought he had time. He smacked his forehead and said, "Oh, that! I can exin."


    Chantel, however, said acidly, "I never told Mom or Dad. I never told anyone. So, as long as you''re not


    divorcing me, I won''t say another word about it." She didn''t want his parents-inw to worry about


    them. She thought she''d quietly endure it. But it hurt her more than she was willing to admit. She wasn''t


    sure how much more she could take.


    Gifford put his hands on his hips and asked impatiently, "Okay. So if I was seeing someone else, you


    wouldn''t mind?"


    He suddenly realized something. She was the one who was in charge of their rtionship. She chose


    to sleep with him and get pregnant. It was always her choice. He always thought she loved him, but


    now he wasn''t so sure. Why was he doing all the heavy lifting in this rtionship?


    ''I wouldn''t mind? Of course I mind.'' Chantel smiled bitterly. He was her husband. How could she not


    mind him going out with other women?


    The bitterness at the corner of her mouth stung his eyes. "What the¡ª" Resisting the urge to swear,


    Gifford exined patiently, "I was on a mission back then. I was undercover. I had to pretend to love


    her. For the mission. Get it?" She didn''t know what she was seeing was a fiction. He dropped the


    pretense in less than two days and put her behind bars.


    "What?" Chantel''s mind was blown for a bit, and then it started making sense.


    ir once told her a story of Wesley''s exploits. He''d taken on an alias and even "married" a woman


    when he went undercover for a mission.


    She didn''t expect that Gifford might have to do the same.


    Looking at the woman who was suddenly enlightened, Gifford went to hold her hand and let her sit


    down on the bed. He sat next to her and said, "Come on, so what else do you want to know? What are


    you confused about? I don''t want there to be any secrets between us."


    He was going to settle the problems with his marriage once and for all, and he wouldn''t leave this room


    until he did.


    Staring at Gifford for a long time, Chantel finally said, "I have only one question.


    Do you love me?"


    Gifford had sworn to himself that no one would leave this room until everything was cleared. But he


    didn''t think that he''d be left here alone, that Chantel would leave the room.


    Gifford lit a cigarette, and then another, and yet another, trying to get the courage up to confess his


    love. When he thought he was ready, he headed downstairs. "Chantel''s gone. The CEO of her agency


    came by to pick her up himself." ir told him.


    ''Huh? Her CEO came by to pick her up in person?''


    As far as he knew, the CEO of her agency was a man. ''Why would a rich, single mane here to pick


    up my wife? Why not send a driver? He must be crazy! Or after my wife!''


    Suppressing his anger, Gifford turned and went upstairs. In less than two minutes, he ran downstairs


    again. He looked at ir thoughtfully, but said nothing.


    ir''s hair stood on end under his gaze. "What are you doing? Are you insane?"


    Out of nowhere, Wesley popped out and pped on the back of Gifford''s head. "God, you''re about as


    dense as I am! Go find your wife! You really want another man to win her heart? Go after her, unless


    you like crying alone!"


    Gifford really wanted to go to his wife, but he said stubbornly, "He wouldn''t try anything! He''d rot in jail if


    he destroyed our marriage!"


    "Okay, forget it. Just let him go to jail, then!" Wesley spat as he went upstairs.


    Anyway, what ir said was meant to light a fire under his backside. Wesley knew the truth, so he was


    not anxious at all.


    It was true that Chantel had left, but her agent had picked her up, not the CEO. It wouldn''t make any


    sense if he did.


    Gifford went and locked himself in his room, and got Sheffield on the phone. He needed his advice, and


    they talked for more than two hours.


    Sheffield was almost driven mad by this phone call. "Dude, I''m seriously busy. I have to let you go. I


    have a meetingter!" He had been talking with a man for two hours, and people might think he was


    gay.


    "No way. I need to know what to do. After all, you''re thedies'' man."


    Sheffield patted his forehead helplessly. "Didn''t I already tell you? I asked you to sweet talk your wife.


    Buy her something. Look at Matthew. He''s as cold as a fish, but he knows how to talk to your sister


    asionally. Women are emotional, and you have to talk to them nicely. That''s the only way out of


    this!"


    Then Gifford hung up the phone.


    Sheffield sat there and stared at the phone. He was a little taken aback that Gifford hung up so


    abruptly.

 Chapter 1457 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Four)

    Chapter 1457 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Four)


    Sheffield shook his head helplessly. It was not easy being thedies'' man. Whenever Matthew and


    Gifford were having marital problems, they would ask for his help.


    He sighed inwardly and thought to himself, ''If anyone asks me for advice next time, I should charge


    them for my time. Maybe ten thousand a minute? Especially Matthew. Maybe a hundred thousand a


    minute. He''d think twice before¡ªwell, maybe not. He''s rich beyond his wildest dreams. He might just


    pay it. Well, that''s it, then.''


    Chantel was pregnant now, and had to think of her child, so she asked her agent to scale back work.


    She even moved out of the Li family''s house to live on her own.


    And it was ir''s idea.


    ir had made a deal with Chantel. She''d often take Hugo to Chantel''s house. She''d also take care of


    her and help cook, clean, and so forth. A stress-free pregnancy was the best kind.


    It was all to galvanize Gifford into doing something.


    So when Gifford walked in one day, there was no one at home.


    When he went back to his room to change his clothes, he made another startling discovery: everything


    Chantel owned was gone.


    He got flustered and decided to call Chantel. Hopefully she could fill him in on what was going on.


    When Chantel''s phone rang, ir was peeling walnuts for her. Hearing it, ir asked casually, "Is that


    your work again?" She felt her daughter-inw devoted too much of her time to work. The girl was tired


    all the time.


    "No, it''s Gifford." Chantel picked up the phone and was about to answer it.


    "Gifford?" ir grabbed her phone and shook her head. "Don''t answer it."


    "Okay." Although Chantel didn''t know why ir made that request, she still agreed.


    ir had told her in advance that she needed to shake things up with Gifford or else their rtionship


    would always remain the same.


    Chantel ignored her phone, even though Gifford called her three times. After getting no answer, he


    dialed ir''s number.


    ir picked up the phone. "Hi, Gifford, you free now?" she said, in a tone that indicated nothing odd


    was happening.


    "Yeah," he replied. He came back especially for Chantel. "Did you guys go out?"


    "Yes, your father and I took Hugo out for a walk. Chantel came back home, but she took off again with


    a handsome young man in tow. She said it was work-rted. That young man was really hot, you know


    that? And that shirt he wore couldn''t hide those incredible abs. Ah, if only I were 18 again..."


    Deep down, she knew that even if she were 18 years old, she would still be in love with Wesley. ''What?


    What did she say?'' Gifford was confused. "Mom, are you sure she went out with some guy?"


    "Yes! I''m sure."


    ''Something''s up. My mom''s acting funny. Her daughter-inw went out on a date with another man,


    and all she''s doing is talking about how hot he is!'' "Where did they go?" he asked through gritted teeth.


    "I don''t know! You know what I think? Don''t get involved. You''re not into Chantel anyway. You can date


    those other girls. I don''t see a problem here."


    "Who told you I''m not into her? Besides, I''m not dating anyone else. Quit talking about it," Gifford


    retorted. If his wife knew it, he wouldn''t be able to exin it clearly. After all, it was ir who said so.


    ir exchanged a nce with the smiling Chantel and continued, "Okay. We won''t be back for a while.


    So, just do whatever you want. Oh, by the way, they headed for the East Ring Road. Isn''t there a very


    luxurious hotel out that way?


    Think they might get a hotel room?"


    Then she hung up the phone, leaving Gifford alone, fuming in the living room.


    ''A hot young guy, huh? Is she trying to trade me in for a younger one?


    Work-rted? What kind of work does she have to talk about while she''s pregnant?


    The hotel on the East Ring Road? They have good taste, at least.'' He remembered that it was a five-


    star hotel, a histordmark, actually.


    Jealousy engulfed his reason, and he didn''t even try to poke holes in ir''s story. ir was his mother,


    right? She wouldn''t lie to him, would she?


    But what he didn''t know was that his mother was ying a cruel game with him, trying to help Chantel


    win his heart.


    He called Chantel again, but it kicked it straight over to voice mail. She must have turned her phone off.


    Gifford couldn''t sit still any longer. He rushed out of the living room and put the pedal to the metal,


    speeding to the hotel on the East Ring Road.


    On the way, the man calmed down a little and suddenly turned into a parking lot. The parking lot


    belonged to the most luxurious shopping mall in the city.


    Following the n, Chantel waited near the hotel ir mentioned. She was there more than an hour,


    but there was no sign of Gifford.


    She called ir. "Mom, I think I need to head home. He''s noting," she said. The hotel wasn''t more


    than a half hour away from where he lived. He should have been there by now. It had been more than


    an hour. She was sure things had fallen through.


    "Don''t worry. Give it another half hour. It should work. But if he''s still not there, then you cane back


    home." If Gifford didn''t show up, it meant he really didn''t love her. But ir was sure he did. She knew


    she was right. Gifford loved Chantel. The way he acted toward her told her everything she needed to


    know.


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    "Okay!" After hanging up the phone, Chantel pushed the sunsses up on the bridge of her nose. She


    started to get a little hungry, so she thought about finding a cafe.


    She looked around, but didn''t see a cafe. She did see a green Humvee with military markings, though.


    Her heart raced and she started tearing up. Chantel quickly looked away, turned her back to the off-


    road vehicle, and gasped with her hands on her chest.


    ''He''s here. He''s really here!


    What should I do? What should I do? Oh, yeah, I need to pretend like I just came out of the hotel.''


    "Chantel!" A familiar voice stopped her.


    She recognized it, but it wasn''t Gifford''s.


    Confused, she turned around and saw a man with sunsses jogging towards her from the direction of


    the hotel.


    It was an actor that she''d co-starred with in a movie she made some time ago.


    The man stood in front of her, panting and gasping for air. He took off his sunsses and said in


    surprise, "It''s really you! I thought I was seeing things!"


    Chantel was also a little surprised too. "This isn''t your usual haunts. Why are you here?"


    The actor smiled broadly and showed his white teeth. "I just got here. How about you? I haven''t seen


    you for a long time. Are you really¡ª"


    "Honey!"


    "Are you really pregnant?" the man wanted to ask, but was interrupted by another man''s voice.


    It was not until then that Chantel remembered she was supposed to meet Gifford here. She suddenly


    turned and was blown away by the sight that met her eyes.


    The man in the military uniform walked straight up to her, a big bunch of pink roses in his arms and a


    smile on his face.


    The actor watched her slowly take off her sunsses and asked in a low voice, "Are you really


    married?"


    Chantel nodded foolishly. Who else was Gifford going to give the flowers to?


    "Wow! Chantel, you''re awesome. Your husband is a pretty cool guy, too!" The actor didn''t realize that


    he was the third wheel and stuck around. He was still very excited and kept on talking in her ear.


    Without looking at the man beside her, Gifford gave the bouquet to Chantel and said, "Honey, I''m here!"


    Chantel took the flowers, still blown away. The bouquet was so big that Chantel could barely hold it.


    And they started to attract some attention. Many passers-by were envious of Chantel because of


    Gifford''s uniform, and the bouquet of striking roses.


    The actor eximed, "Wow, that''s a lot of pink roses. You know what that means, right? It means ''you


    are my one and only.'' You must be so happy!" He truly felt happy for Chantel.


    Gifford cast a cold nce at the man who snatched his lines. "Excuse me, please!" ''This guy''s a real


    dick. He took a pregnant woman to a hotel to talk about work. I''ll deal with himter, '' Gifford thought to


    himself.


    "What?" At that point, the actor realized how embarrassing it was for two men and a woman to stand


    together. He quickly stepped back and removed himself from the equation. It was their time to shine.


    Gifford took out a brocade box from his pocket. While Chantel''s gaze was still locked on the pink roses,


    the man took two steps back and suddenly knelt on one knee. A crowd had gathered, and someone


    squealed in delight.

 Chapter 1458 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Five)

    Chapter 1458 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Five)


    Many passers-by stopped as they saw Gifford, a handsome military officer standing in front of a woman


    holding arge bunch of flowers. Once they realized that woman was Chantel, a lot of people


    immediately took out their phones to register the moment.


    Then, all of a sudden, Gifford knelt on one knee, surprising not only Chantel but everyone else.


    To her astonishment, he opened the brocade box, revealing a huge diamond ring inside. The precious


    gem shone brightly in the sun, and Chantel was misty-eyed as soon as the light hit her eyes.


    Gifford shouted for everyone to hear, "I love you, Chantel. Please, marry me!"


    Who could have ever thought that a low-key man like Gifford would act as a young boy dering his


    love for Chantel in front of so many people?


    "Say yes! Say yes!" The crowd was very enthusiastic. Before the heroine could react, they were


    already urging her to say yes.


    "Chantel, say yes! Say yes!"


    Chantel would be lying if she said she had never wondered how Gifford would propose to her. As the


    dreamy girl that she was, she had fantasized about her love-life and future countless times before.


    In her imagination, a low-key man like Gifford would propose to her at their home or whenever there


    were just the two of them.


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    Or he would end up not even proposing to her at all.


    After all, she didn''t think he loved her anyway.


    But reality proved her wrong and brought happy tears to her eyes. Not only did Gifford propose to her,


    but he also did it in public. Holding the diamond ring, he shouted once more, "Chantel, I love you."


    Chantel was so moved that her voice was choked with sobs, and she couldn''t say anything. She had


    waited too long for this moment.


    Maybe she had fantasized about it from the day she followed Gifford into the Li family house. She was


    just a girl at the time, and it was nearly impossible for a girl not to dream.


    Gifford was outstanding both in his career and looks. Not surprisingly, he had countless girls who


    wanted to marry him too. What was more, Chantel felt safe around him.


    She had to admit that when she told Erica she wanted to have Gifford''s child, she didn''t do it just to


    make his parents happy. She also had her own selfish reasons.


    She wanted to marry him. In fact, she was willing to take off her beautiful coat and abandon the dream


    of being a star so she could stay at home to look after her husband and children. She wouldn''t even


    mind if she had to wear an apron and cook for him for the rest of her life.


    Under the expectation of the crowd, Chantel temporarily put the flowers aside. Then she walked step


    by step towards the man who took her out of the vige and fulfilled her dream.


    She hugged and kissed him on the lips before she replied happily, "Gifford, I love you too, and I want to


    marry you." After saying that, she burst into tears.


    Surrounded by apuses and screams, Gifford took out the diamond ring he had just bought and put it


    on her finger.


    It fit just right.


    Since Gifford had long wanted to buy her a diamond ring, he had measured the size of her finger while


    she was asleep in the course of many nights.


    At that moment, the two helped each other back on their feet. Afterward, Gifford held her in his arms


    and said, "I want to give you a proper wedding, Chantel. It may not be too high-profile or have too


    many people in it, but I''ll try my best to make it memorable."


    Sobbing, Chantel nodded, "Okay."


    She was willing to be by his side with or without a wedding, but now that he promised her they would


    have a memorable ceremony, she felt overjoyed.


    Not so far away in the crowd, an energetic old man snorted coldly, "He finally came to his senses." ''But


    I have to say that he''s smarter than I used to be, '' he thought to himself.


    The woman in a cheongsam by his side rolled her eyes at him and said, "He really has inherited your


    low EQ. If I hadn''t told Chantel to make him jealous, he wouldn''t have proposed to her so soon."


    Wesley nodded and said, "Okay. My wife is the smartest!"


    "Of course!" ir was never humble in front of Wesley.


    Soon, the video of Chantel getting proposed by a military officer was spread all over the Inte, and


    after that, almost the whole country got to know about the actress''s engagement. At the same time,


    news such as it was a shotgun wedding, or she had given birth to an illegitimate child or even that she


    would marry into a wealthy family went viral for a while.


    Nevertheless, Chantel didn''te out to exin the situation, nor did she hold a press conference.


    The people online were confused and had no idea what on earth was going on. All they knew was that


    she got proposed by a military officer and said yes. But wouldn''t she ever give a public statement about


    it?


    In fact, Chantel didn''t mean to hide anything. She was just waiting for a more suitable opportunity to


    come forth with a statement.


    In early autumn, it was almost time for Chantel to give birth.


    Therefore, she had canceled all her work and was solemnly focused on nourishing herself and her


    fetus in the Li family house.


    Gifford, on the other hand, became the busiest one in the house. As long as he had a chance, he


    would go back home from wherever he was in the country.


    He was acting like a young man in love. Whenever he was back, he would always spend time with his


    wife. This went on for a long time, and even Hugo started to protest.


    Evidently, he didn''t like that Gifford was monopolizing his mother, but thetter didn''t care about the


    child''s protests and kept on pestering Chantel.


    Even Wesley was beginning to squint his eyes at Gifford. On a certain asion, he called his son out.


    "You''re a man in your thirties, but refuses to leave your wife alone as if you were a teenage boy. Aren''t


    you ashamed of yourself?"


    Gifford raised his eyebrows and answered, "No, I''m not. Even if I were in my eighties, I would stay


    close to my wife!"


    Wesley was rendered speechless. But frankly, he didn''t want to admit that he had such a shameless


    son. His shamelessness reminded him of Niles.


    One day, Gifford ran back home in a hurry. He went upstairs and then downstairs but didn''t find


    Chantel. When he asked a servant about his wife, he was informed that she was sunbathing in the


    back garden.


    There, Gifford found the pregnant woman on the swing. Unwilling to beat around the bush, he asked


    straightly, "What''s going on with the Violet Eagles?"


    Upon hearing his voice, Chantel opened her eyes and greeted him, "Hey, you''re back!"


    Gifford nodded as he stood beside the swing. Then he held her chubby face in his hands and said,


    "Chantel, I never thought you would have the guts to set up the Violet Eagles with that troublemaker!"


    He had tried his best to protect his family from Erica but failed. As it seemed, his wife was misled by


    her anyway.


    With a smile, Chantel squeezed his wrist. "Don''t worry, honey. The Violet Eagles'' members never do


    anything wrong. Just rx!"


    She knew that he hated any type of offender. How could she go against his moral code?


    "How can I not worry? Your belly is so big. Why can''t you behave yourself? It seems you''re itching to


    be taught a lesson!" Gifford said and deliberately pulled a long face. "I can''t believe you are a gang


    leader. Are you going to stand against me?"


    "Of course not..." Chantel began to say, but all of a sudden, her face contorted in pain. Covering her


    belly with one hand, she cried, "Honey! My belly... It hurts..."


    Gifford''s face changed dramatically. "Honey, What''s up? Is it the baby? Is our babying out now?"


    He looked at her big belly in panic. Was he too hard on her that he ended up scaring her and the baby?


    He couldn''t help but regret confronting her.


    "Yes..."


    Fortunately, Gifford could keep himself rtively calm as he took out his phone from his pocket and


    dialed ir''s number. "Mom, my wife is inbor! What should I do?"


    Gifford had to admit that mothers were truly magic beings. They not only had a hard time to bring their


    children up, but they also kept guiding them forward in their time of need.


    ir had just left home to buy some fruit for her daughter-inw when she got Gifford''s call. After


    listening to what he said, she told him calmly, "What do you think? Take her to the hospital! I''m heading


    there with your dad now! Don''t wait for us. Let the maid go with you first."


    "Okay!"


    After putting his phone away, he picked up the woman inbor and called the maid before they rushed


    to the hospital.


    Since this was Chantel''s second baby, the delivery wasn''t as hard as the first time. Therefore, the


    doctor came out in less than twenty minutes to greet Chantel''s family with a crying newborn in his


    arms.


    "Chantel''s family, are you here? Chantel''s family..."


    "Doctor, I''m Chantel''s husband!" Sweat trickled down Gifford''s forehead as he ran over to the doctor.


    From the moment Chantel was sent to the delivery room, he worried about her the whole time he was


    left in the waiting room.


    "Your wife has given birth to a healthy newborn. Mother and daughter are safe," the doctor informed.


    Gifford nced at the baby in his arms and then looked at the delivery room where the doctor had


    come from. "Where''s my wife? Why hasn''t shee out yet?"


    Gifford''s reaction amused the doctor. "You take the baby first. The mother has to wait for a moment


    before she cane out."


    "Why does she have to wait? What''s up?" Gifford''s heart skipped a beat.


    "She is fine..."


    "Since she is fine, why does she have to wait?"


    The doctor didn''t know whether tough or cry. Yet he exined to the anxious man, "We have to deal


    with her first..."


    "Deal with her? How?"


    "Such as the umbilical cord and centa! Sir, don''t you want to have a look at your daughter?"


    Luckily, Wesley and ir got into the hospital in time to watch the scene from afar. Immediately, ir


    hurried to rescue the doctor from Gifford as she held her granddaughter in her arms. "Gifford, what are


    you doing?"


    Gifford, who had always been a tough man, turned to his mother with tears in his eyes. "Mom, Chantel


    hasn''te out yet. She was crying hysterically when she got in there!" He had never seen his wife


    crying so miserably before.


    ir patiently exined, "It''s okay. Women are always like this when they give birth. But look at your


    baby. She''s already here. Chantel will be here soon as well. Don''t worry."


    Despite his mother''s words, he was still anxious. How could he not be? He only had one wife. If


    anything happened to Chantel, where would he find another woman who was as obedient and lovely as


    her?


    Once he noticed the doctor was about to leave, he grabbed him and shouted angrily, "Doctor, don''t go.


    Why hasn''t my wifee out yet? Tell me!"


    The people around him were all speechless.

 Chapter 1459 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Six)

    Chapter 1459 Extra Story About Gifford (Part Six)


    Wesley covered his face with one hand and took his granddaughter from ir''s arms with the other.


    "Don''t tell anybody he''s my kid anymore. Gifford''s too stupid to be one of mine," he said in a quiet


    voice.


    When his wife gave birth to their children back then, he didn''t act like Gifford at all.


    Gifford was a militarymander with thousands of soldiers under him. Wesley couldn''t help but


    wonder if he got his rank because of favoritism. They liked Wesley, so they gave special favors to his


    kid.


    ir pulled Gifford over and spat, "What do you think you''re doing? Didn''t the doctor say that Chantel''s


    in the delivery room for observation? You can''t get out of bed and walk as soon as you have a child.


    They''ll let her go when she''s ready."


    Fortunately, Chantel was wheeled out of the delivery room at this moment. Seeing her wife, Gifford ran


    over excitedly, picked her up from the bed and kissed her again and again, ignoring everyone else


    around them.


    ''Awesome, she''s here now. Thank God!''


    The crowd couldn''t help but cover their eyes. How could Gifford show off his love for his wife at the


    door to the delivery room? It was so inappropriate!


    Chantel had not regained her strength yet. She blushed and whispered, "Let go of me. They''re staring


    at us!"


    After confirming she was fine, Gifford gently let Chantel lie down again.


    Later, Wesley told Erica about it. As his sister, Erica knew the day his wife gave birth to their baby,


    Gifford cried like a fool and even threatened the doctor.


    Gifford''s second child was a girl. He held her in his arms excitedly, dancing around the room. Now the


    whole world knew Chantel had given birth to a daughter.


    Their child was scarcely 100 days old when Gifford and Chantel finally held a wedding ceremony.


    The wedding and reception were grand affairs, with music, food, dancing and alcohol. Not to mention


    tons of flowers. Just like he promised her. They didn''t invite too many people. Except for Gifford''s and


    Wesley''s military friends, they only invited a few friends and family.


    Before the start of the Lunar New Year, Sheffield officially tookmand of the Violet Eagles.


    Since then, the three women¡ªChantel, Erica and Tessie¡ªwere no longer members of that


    organization. But they were still respected in the gang, and they told their formerrades in arms that


    they always had their backs.


    After the Lunar New Year


    It had been more than a year since Chantel had been the subject of tabloid gossip. The paparazzi


    caught her getting a hotel room with another guy. Since that time, she''d been proposed to, given birth


    to a daughter, and gotten married in an ostentatious celebration. What a year!


    Chantel finally posted a status update on Weibo, which said, "Hi guys. This is actually Chantel Ye.


    Today, I want to give a shout out to my fans who have been there for me since I first started. And I need


    to let you in on something.


    I want to thank my parents-inw and two sisters-inw. Without them, I wouldn''t have found my own


    happiness so soon.


    Yes, I''m married.


    We got our marriage certificates a few years ago, but we didn''t actually get married then. He held a


    wonderful wedding for me a while ago.


    My husband is a great guy. He''s sometimes childish and sometimes mature. He is twelve years older


    than me. As a result, when we are together, he is always the one taking care of me and putting up with


    me.


    He always tells me he wishes he met me years ago. He says if we met earlier, we''d have more time


    together.


    He maintains that I fell in love with him first and he finally fell in love with meter. He wants me to be


    his one and only.


    But I can''t tell you who he is. He can''t be in the limelight because of his job, and I respect that.


    The reporters once reported that I got a hotel room with a man, and that was him. I was on a business


    trip, and he just happened to be there.


    The reporters said I gave birth to a kid not long ago. That much is true. We have a son, born back


    when we got our marriage licenses. And we have a daughter, born a few months ago. I''m sorry that I


    haven''t been on here as much as I want. I left it to the press to report on things, and I should have told


    you guys first.


    He proposed to me, too. Got down on one knee.


    That day, he gave me arge bouquet of pink roses and told me that he wanted to n a wedding for


    me. He said it might not be too fancy, but he would try to make it first-rate and really something else.


    So we had a wedding.


    And he was right¡ªit was awesome. We both chose a wedding dress together, and he chose the venue


    to hold the wedding and reception in. The ce was full of my favorites, pink roses and perfume lilies,


    and the floor was covered with blue roses, meaning a lifetime of love.


    He is not a very romantic person, he''s pretty dumb when ites to love. He won''t say sweet words to


    me at all.


    But he proposed to me on one knee in front of so many people heedless of who he was, and gave me


    a wedding I''ll never forget. I''m happy.


    Now I''m part of a fantastic family. I have a set of inws who are very good to me, a husband who


    loves me a lot, two great sisters-inw, and a pair of cute kids.


    I''m so happy!


    I want to make this work. You may not see me around a whole lot. But I''ll take parts in a TV series here


    or there when I get the chance. After all, I like acting. I don''t want to give up my careerpletely.


    Thank you for your support through all of this. Thank you for yourpany and love along the way.


    I''m sorry. I got emotional writing this.


    Hope you don''t mind."


    She also posted nine of her wedding photos. She was d in a wedding dress and Gifford wore a white


    suit. In the photos, she was facing the camera. He lowered his head, intending to kiss her, or looked up


    at her. In a word, his face couldn''t be seen clearly in any of the photos.


    And there were pics of her children, of course, their faces were not exposed.


    The influence of this Weibo post was beyond everyone''s expectation. Chantel''s name had been


    trending at number one for three days before giving way to other, timelier topics.


    In the eyes of her adoring fans, it looked like she was happy now. And her husband was good to her.


    She wanted to have time to enjoy it, and to work on her marriage. She might even quit acting, and stay


    home to look after her husband and her kids.


    Her fans felt sorry for her, but at the same time, they were happy for her. After all, she really found her


    own bliss, didn''t she?


    Erica quickly ran to herment area andmented, "Dear sister-inw, I''m here.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Wishing you and my brother a happy life together!" Well, Erica let the cat out of the bag with that


    comment. Everyone knew who Chantel''s husband was now.


    The fans were gobsmacked. Chantel and Erica were not only good friends, but also sisters-inw.


    And they found out that Chantel had married the youngest, most valiant, battlewise colonel. No wonder


    she kept a low profile all the time.


    What was more, for the people who said that Chantel was Matthew''s mistress, this piece of news was


    like a bucket of cold water in the face. She was not Matthew''s mistress at all. But she was his sister-in-


    law.


    At the height of her career, Chantel gave up her bright future decisively and chose her family, which


    was a great idea.


    Checking out the Weibo post, Gifford sighed silently. So, to her, he must seem like an old man who


    didn''t know the first thing about romance.


    This was outrageous! Airing details about her private life on the Inte? Making him look bad? She


    even imed he never said sweet words to her.


    Gifford was not convinced. For the rest of his life, whenever he had the chance, he would hold his wife


    and whisper in her ear, "I love you, my lovely wife. You are the woman I love most in my life. You are


    my star, and you are my light..."


    Chantel would always look at him with disgust and say something he didn''t like, such as, "Shocking an


    old man like you would even learn how to say those sweet words." But at the same time, he could see


    she was happy. There was a glint in her eyes that told him so.


    As time went by, every time before she could open her mouth to pour cold water on him, Gifford would


    kiss her lips until she couldn''t say those hurtful words anymore.


    Several yearster, when Gifford retired, he spent all his time with his wife.


    He stayed by her side while she did everything she wanted to do. asionally, she''d get a movie role,


    and he found something that he could do there too¡ªas pyrotechnician and armorer. He''d handle the


    explosions, simted bullets, mes and smoke. He made sure all weapons were licensed, and taught


    the crew and cast how to use them safely. Wherever Chantel went, he''d be there.


    The cast and crew were always joking with him, asking him if he was afraid his wife would run away,


    because he always kept an eye on her.


    Gifford refused to admit it. "She asked me toe here because I''m good at what I do. I shoot things, I


    make them go boom. Might as well do that here and get paid for it. Besides, she doesn''t trust me


    around these beautiful actresses. Honey, it''s your break. Come here. I just picked up some fruit for you.


    Take a load off."


    His courteous look was not ascent as when he said that his wife was afraid he would run away


    with other women.


    Chantel pulled his ear and said, "You''re talking smack about me again, aren''t you?"


    "No. honey, you are so beautiful. How could I ever do that? Come on, let me feed you fruit like an


    empress."


    They had been showing off their love for each other like this the whole day. Everyone else got goose


    bumps, turned and left decisively. No one wanted to stick around for the public disys of affection.


    Looking at the man who was now ingratiating himself with his wife, probably no one would associate


    him with the valiant and battlewise prince charming of the past.


    Chantel wiped her hands with a wet tissue, "Well, I can do it myself!"


    "No way. I hate feeling useless." ''She couldn''t steal my job, '' he thought.


    Chantel had no choice but to read the script over again, and ept his loving hands feeding her the


    fruit.


    Back when she was on bedrest after the childbirth, he said that he would feed her fruits for the rest of


    her life and stay with her forever. He would follow her wherever she went.


    Now, he was really doing it.


    After a long time, when Gifford''s and Chantel''s hair turned grey and they lost all their teeth, as long as


    Chantel was there, Gifford would be around nearby.


    He would always apany her wherever she went.


    This was his way of showing his love for her¡ªhe kept herpany for the rest of his life.

 Chapter 1460 Extra Story About Adkins (Part One)

    Chapter 1460 Extra Story About Adkins (Part One)


    Several yearster


    Adkins was now twenty-two years old. He cut his beloved girl loose for his career, now a thorn in his


    heart.


    He knew Mollie Ren in junior high. They''d only been ssmates for that year. Adkins skipped a grade


    because of his brains, and they had never again been in ss together.


    At age seventeen, the quadruplets all graduated from university the same year.


    And the girl who Adkins fell for in his youth was still in college, working on her graduate degree. He


    went to arger, four-year institution for further study.


    The night before he left, Adkins took her to the suburbs to look at the starry sky.


    Mollie Ren was from an ordinary family. Her parents were divorced. She lived with her father, who was


    addicted to gambling and drinking and was always behind on his bills thanks to his vices. She knew her


    and Adkins came from very different families. She didn''t want to drag him down with her, so she forced


    him to make a choice that night.


    Either he could stay in Y City so the two of them could hang out together from time to time, or he could


    go off to study abroad, and never call or text her again.


    That night, Mollie Ren wore a ck slip dress, which was uncharacteristically sexy. She was usually


    pragmatic, and not really interested in seducing anyone. "You need to know something about me. I''m


    not the kind of girl to stay lonely. If you''re not here with me, I don''t know what I''ll do. I''ve got guys lining


    up to date me," she said casually.


    Adkins was no fool. He knew she said this for a reason.


    Or you could say Adkins was actually a fool because he thought Mollie Ren said that because she


    didn''t like him. He thought she was trying to let him down easily, because she wanted someone else.


    Anyone could predict what happened next.


    Adkins hugged the girl and kissed her deeply. And then he walked off, giving her freedom, and


    effectively ending their rtionship.


    It was her first kiss, and his as well.


    And that was how Adkins'' first rtionship ended. But he wasn''t entirely sure how he felt about it. It


    wasn''t hard to leave her.


    Adkins'' future was so bright he had to wear shades. He wasn''t just a rising star, he was a rocket. In


    less than five years, he''d gotten all his degrees and was now sitting pretty in his dream job.


    By the time he was thirty-two, what Matthew said proved prophetic. Adkins was the youngest ruler of H


    Country. What more could he dream of?


    But Adkins wasn''t the only one who had it all together. In the same month of the same year, Mollie Ren


    stepped into her new job¡ªa businesswyer. She was quite good at it, too. She had a silver tongue,


    and was more capable than many of her male colleagues. And she''d gotten engaged, too.


    Adkins was still friends with her on WeChat, even after all this time. So he saw when she posted a few


    photos of her and her fiance in her WeChat Moments.


    Her fiance was two years younger than her. ording to her introduction in her WeChat Moments,


    they met each other litigating awsuit. After a few drinks and a few business dinners, they fell in love.


    Her fiance was also famous in M Country. She wanted to move for him, and get a job in the same city.


    That way she wouldn''t have to miss him so much when he flew there.


    Another monthter, Mollie Ren happened to catch a news report. She glued her eyes to the screen


    when she figured out who it was about. Adkins! And he was set to marry ady from H Country. The


    lady was from a rich and powerful family, and she herself was rich, beautiful, gentle and kind.


    A good man and a beautiful woman; a match made in heaven.


    It waste winter and he''d just finished up work around four in the morning. Driving home and ignoring


    the frost, he passed by the housing division where Mollie Ren lived.


    Perhaps it was fate that Mollie Ren was also burning the midnight oil. She was putting together a case


    against anotherpany, and decided to give it up for the night. She found a nearby convenience


    store and grabbed a bucket of instant noodles. When she hit the gate to her subdivision, it was already


    half past four in the morning.


    A very non-descript ck car rolled up slowly to that same gate. She dragged her tired body out of the


    taxi. Thewyer hardly spared the car a passing nce, intending to fall into aa once she was


    safely inside her home. But then, she looked again.


    ''That''s no ordinary car. It must cost millions, '' she thought to herself.


    ''So let me guess. It belongs to some CEO who thinks he''s better than he actually is?''


    She tidied up her long, messy hair and walked through the gate in her seven centimeter high heels.


    Then she heard the buzz of a car window being rolled down.


    She had no intention of talking with the driver. She was too worn out. She had seen a lot of luxury cars


    before. After all, there was no one else on the street at half past four in the morning. So when the car


    window suddenly rolled down, she couldn''t help but cast a nce at the man sitting in the back seat.


    And the sight that met her eyes made her forget herself for a moment, and the purse she was holding


    landed smack on the pavement.


    There was not only someone in the back seat, but that same guy was also the person engraved in her


    heart.


    Their eyes met and she stopped in her tracks.


    If she had known that she would see Adkins today, she would never have gotten out of the taxi wearing


    nothing but a ck suit with messy hair and no makeup.


    If she had known she''d ever see Adkins again, she would never have gotten engaged to another guy.


    If she had only known...


    Adkins appeared out of nowhere. They hadn''t seen each other in ten years. He looked exactly like he


    did in the news report. Handsome as ever.


    His short hair was meticulouslybed to the back of his head, and a pair of gold rimmed sses sat


    on his high nose. His thin lips were tightly pursed, and his expression was serious and determined.


    ''This can''t be real! I must be seeing things.''


    She rubbed her eyes. ''I worked toote, that''s it. I can''t see or think straight. The man I miss so much


    is not sitting in that car. No way.''


    She must be dreaming. That was it. Because she''d dreamed a lot about him for the past ten years.


    Mollie Ren ran off in a hurry and entered themunity, forgetting to pick up the purse she dropped.


    Adkins opened the back door and swung his legs out, his brand-new ck leather shoes glinting in the


    light of the streemp. Then the man got out of the car. He bent down to pick up the delicate purse on


    the ground and swiped the dirt away with a flick of his wrist.


    "Sir, it''s gettingte. Your flight leaves in an hour." The driver noted his unusual behavior. He was also


    the man''s secretary, so he thought it prudent to remind him of his duties.


    Adkins gave onest look through the gate and got back into the car.


    He had never rummaged through anyone''s purse before. This was a first for him.


    Adkins was so curious about her life, so he opened her purse. To his surprise, there was a picture in


    the pink wallet. It was his picture.


    The photo was a two-inch photo of him when he was still a student. It was well preserved with ayer


    of stic.


    Before getting out of the car, he ordered his secretary, "Look into her background. I want to know


    everything."


    The secretary nodded, "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    She was indeed engaged, but the two of them had their own separate lives. She had no interest in


    dating anyone, and got engaged to the guy so other men would leave her alone. Her fiance''s family


    wanted him to get married soon, so he made a deal with her.


    Three monthster


    A woman walked into thew firm where Mollie Ren worked, and asked to see her. She was obviously


    rich¡ªdesigner threads, elegant demeanor, great teeth, fit but not overly muscr, and a face that said


    she was used to being able to afford anything she wanted.


    "Miss Ren, ady by thest name of Li is looking for you," Mollie Ren''s assistant told her on the


    phone.


    Mollie was so busy that she told her assistant directly, "I''m too busy. Ask her to make an appointment.


    Thank you!"


    However, less than two minutes after they ended their conversation, someone opened the door to her


    office and let herself in.


    She was of regal bearing, maybe 40 years old, with a smile on her lips and a familiar purse hanging on


    her arm.


    Mollie Ren had been in the financial industry for a long time and knew the woman in front of her. There


    was another reason she recognized the woman¡ªshe was the mom of the one who got away.


    She stood up in a hurry and tipped over her water ss, staring dumbly as the water spread across the


    desk, ruining several important-looking documents.


    Mollie Ren didn''t have the time to deal with that just now. She righted her water ss and walked


    around the desk. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Hello, Mrs. Huo," she said,


    trying to sound as graceful as her guest appeared to be.


    Erica looked Mollie Ren up and down. Her long ck hair was tied up on the top of her head, and she


    wore just enough make-up to entuate her features, but not look too made up. Wearing a ck suit,


    she looked elegant and capable.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Mollie Ren?" Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Erica tried to maintain the image she had


    created today. She couldn''t frighten her future daughter-inw.


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Realizing her gaffe, Mollie Ren quickly adjusted her mood and said, "Mrs. Huo, please have a seat.


    Would you like something to drink?"


    Erica sat down on the sofa and observed her future daughter-inw carefully as Mollie Ren summoned


    an assistant in and gave her orders.


    So this was the girl her eldest son had carried a torch for. A ten-year crush. Mollie Ren had managed to


    open aw firm on her own. Erica was impressed.


    A cup of hot tea was ced in front of Erica, and Mollie Ren sat down stiffly. "Excuse me. Is there a


    reason you came to see me?"


    Erica decided to crack a joke with her to ease her nervousness. "What are your rates, Miss Ren? Do


    you charge by the hour, or...?"


    Mollie took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Don''t worry, Mrs. Huo. I had the honor to team up with


    ZL Group once, and Mr. Huo helped me a lot. Today, you came here in person. It''s my honor, really. No


    charge."


    Besides, she was Adkins'' mother! How could she charge her?


    With one hand supporting her chin, Erica looked at her with a smile. "I dide here today to consult a


    lawyer, but it''s not amercial dispute." She knew that business disputes were Mollie''s forte.


    "Okay. If you have any questions, ask away. I''ll tell you everything I know. If you''re not happy with my


    services, I have a lot of friends I could rmend," Mollie Ren said.

 Chapter 1461 Extra Story About Adkins (Part Two)

    Chapter 1461 Extra Story About Adkins (Part Two)


    "Excuse me, Miss Ren. Would you please tell me what the sentence for going through someone else''s


    belongings without their knowledge and consent is?" Erica asked.


    For a moment, Mollie looked stunned, but she responded duly, "That would be considered an invasion


    of personal privacy. Under normal circumstances, a defendant would be required to pay damages to


    the victim, but under severe circumstances, the defendant could face up to a maximum of three years''


    imprisonment or detention."


    Erica picked up the purse next to her and ced it on top of the table before her.


    "Do you recognize this purse?" she asked. Of course, Mollie recognized the purse. After all, it belonged


    to her!


    "I found this purse in my son''s room. I know my son well; he must have looked through it and,


    consequently been in vition of your privacy. What would you charge him with, Miss Ren?" It was


    bing increasingly clear that Erica was doing everything in her power to make her son''s


    rtionship with Mollie work.


    Mollie''s cheeks blushed red instantly. After an awkward pause, she mumbled, "Mrs. Huo, he won''t be


    facing any charges as I was the one who identally left it..."


    "No!


    He must be punished!" Erica said firmly. Mollie had feelings for Adkins, and moreover, he was now the


    ruler of H Country. How could a merewyer like her file awsuit against him? She began to wonder if


    Erica had juste here to make things difficult for her.


    The nervousness that was disyed on Mollie''s face amused Erica quite a lot. "In my opinion, you


    should sentence him to a lifetime of imprisonment, if you know what I mean," she said with a cheeky


    wink.


    Mollie waspletely dumbfounded as she couldn''t believe what she had just heard. All her


    cleverness and eloquence in court had evaporated into thin air.


    "Let''s just cut to the chase, dear. Among the quadruplets, only Adkins is single now. I would be lying if I


    told you that I haven''t been doing my own research. I know that the two of you were in the same ss


    more than ten years ago. I also know that the girl he took to see the starry night sky was you," said


    Erica.


    It was quite clear that Erica had conducted an extensive and detailed investigation about the two of


    them.


    Matthew used to take her to that ce as well. This one time when they both went there again, the


    person taking care of the ce told them that Adkins had brought a girl there.


    Before Mollie could say anything, Erica continued, "I''ve already checked his schedule. Adkins is


    expected to arrive in the city tomorrow and he will be staying at the six-star hotel in the city center."


    Mollie didn''t know how to respond as she was both moved and unsettled. After a while, she said,


    "Auntie, then you must have heard that... I am already engaged..."


    "Yes, I have. You don''t have to worry about that because I happen to know your fiance''s mother. I''ve


    already arranged for some beautiful girls for your so-called fiance to go on blind dates with. You can


    consider the engagement cancelled. You will receive a call from your ex-fiance tonight to finalize the


    details," said Erica. Erica was like an unstoppable train. Now that she had made up her mind to pair


    Mollie with her son, she was hell-bent on making sure that nothing could evere between them.


    Mollie fidgeted in her seat. "Auntie, this is all happening too fast." Mollie''s instincts were telling her that


    Erica was setting her up with Adkins. But why?


    "I am sure this is all a bit overwhelming, but you are not married yet and neither is Adkins. Why


    complicate things if all you two want is to really be together?" Just like every caring mother in the world,


    Erica was worried about her eldest son because his life revolved around his work and she barely got to


    see him.


    The least she could do for his happiness was to make sure that he ended up with the woman he loved.


    An hour after Erica had left, Mollie was still stuck in her seat, dazed and confused.


    Came nightfall. She received a call from her fiance just as Erica had said. "Mollie, I am very sorry. I


    don''t know how my mother found out about what happened between us. She wants me to call off the


    engagement. We shouldn''t see each other anymore.


    Good-bye!" There she was, single again.


    The next day, Mollie called in sick and decided to spend the rest of the day waiting at home.


    The waiting time was always long. All day long, she kept thinking about Erica''s words that Adkins


    would stay in the hotel in the city center tonight. The hours she spent waiting were dreadful and


    agonizing. All day long, she kept repeating Erica''s words in her head¡ª"Adkins will be staying at the


    six-star hotel in the city center."


    The time to face the truth was drawing near. After she got out of the shower, Mollie took out a strapless


    ck dress and a pair of crystal high-heeled shoes from the wardrobe. In the end, she decided to go


    with only some light make-up and walked out of the house with her long hair hanging loose on her


    back.


    Although she was a jittery nervous wreck, Mollie still managed to drive herself to the six-star hotel Erica


    had told her about.


    When she reached the hotel, the entire ce was swarming with countless in-clothed security


    guards. As she stood just outside, Mollie started to have second thoughts and she decided to leave.


    She was just awyer. How could she dream of being with Adkins?


    If she didn''t deserve him ten years ago, she most definitely didn''t now all the more.


    Just as she turned around to leave, a man in a suit walked towards and said, "Miss Ren?"


    Mollie turned around and saw a bodyguard.


    "Mrs. Erica Huo sent me to pick you up. Mr. Adkins Huo is in his room now. Please follow me,"


    he said with a polite smile.


    On the 66th floor of the hotel


    A dozen of bodyguards were going back and forth in the corridor like well-oiled machines. When they


    saw the two people getting out of the elevator, they stopped and nodded to greet them.


    The bodyguard who apanied Mollie upstairs whispered to one of the men and the two continued


    to walk forward.


    There was pin-drop silence in the corridor and the atmosphere was quite tense. It would be normal for


    anyone to think that there was a big shot currently residing on the floor.


    The bodyguard stopped at the door in the end of the corridor and gestured at Mollie with his hand.


    "Miss Ren, Mr. Huo is expecting you in this room. I will be leaving shortly."


    Mollie nodded at him politely. "Thank you!"


    "You''re wee, Miss Ren."


    The bodyguard left, leaving only Mollie and two bodyguards standing in front of the door.


    Mollie hesitated for some time before she decided to ring the doorbell.


    The door was pushed open from the inside by Adkins'' secretary. His eyes widened when he saw who


    was standing outside. He greeted Mollie with a smile and said, "Please wait a moment."


    The secretary scampered back to report. "Mr. Huo, Miss Ren is outside."


    ''Miss Ren?'' Adkins strode to the door, confused. The woman standing outside was none other than


    Mollie.


    The secretary slid out sensibly, leaving the two of them alone.


    When the door was closed from the outside, Mollie''s heart skipped a beat.


    She licked her lips and said, "I''m sorry to bother you..."


    Adkins, however, kept staring at the woman like a fool, almost as if he didn''t know whatnguage she


    was speaking.


    Ten years had done wonders on this woman because she looked more matured and feminine.


    On their second meeting in a decade, the first thing that came out of Mollie''s mouth was¡ª"I''m sorry to


    bother you."


    Mollie felt so embarrassed at herself that she fell into an awkward silence. Such a reaction wasn''t


    completely unexpected; after all, they hadn''t seen each other for a long time. It was almost as if they


    were just strangers meeting for the very first time. Perhaps they no longer had anything inmon


    anymore.


    Mollie tried to smile. "Well, if you are busy, I''ll leave you to it..."


    She nodded her head awkwardly and turned around.


    Adkins stepped forward immediately, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.


    The fresh scent of mint on the man was so alluring that her heart was about to jump out of her chest. In


    order to steady herself, she clutched at his sleeves tightly.


    Holding her waist with one arm, Adkins looked down at the nervous woman and asked, "Have you


    made up your mind?"


    ''Have I made up my mind?'' In truth, she hadn''t. Although she had been at home all day, her mind was


    in a mess and she couldn''t think about anything properly.


    When he sensed her difort through her silence, Adkins disyed a rare look in his eyes. "Well,


    now that you''re already here, it''s toote to think about it." Before she knew, the man lowered his head


    and kissed her red lips.


    He wasn''t going to let her go now that she hade to him on her own.


    Adkins'' secretary, however, stood outside the door anxiously because his boss was supposed to be at


    a very important dinner party that night. Even he didn''t have the courage to knock on his door.


    The only upants of the master suite were a man and a woman. It wasn''t very hard to imagine what


    was going on inside.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    About an hourter, Adkins opened the door and walked out, neatly dressed and looking fresh. The


    way he carefully shut the door behind his back indicated that he was afraid of disturbing the sleeping


    woman inside.


    Taken by curiosity, his secretary secretly looked him up and down. His usual serious expression was


    now full of joy and he wasn''t wearing the same clothes he was wearing before Mollie arrived. In fact, it


    was quite clear that he had just taken a shower.


    Three monthster, Adkins got married. The wedding was deliberately kept low-profile and the only


    people on the guest-list were either family or close friends of the family. The name, identity and


    profession of his wife were kept out of the general public''s knowledge for the sake of privacy.


    However, Adkins was always seen with a woman after that and when someone would ask about the


    woman''s identity, his secretary would simply answer¡ª"Mrs. Huo."


    As time went by, people eventually came to see that Adkins and his wife loved each other very much.


    In fact, they were inseparable.


    Besides, there was a femalewyer in the ZL Group''s legal team. Even Boswell Huo, the CEO of the


    company, had a lot of respect for her. Only a few of his assistants knew that the femalewyer was


    actually their CEO''s sister-inw.


    After all, she was the only employee of thepany that coulde and go with Adkins as she


    pleased. Why else would the boss give her that privilege if she weren''t important to his family?


    Eventually, more and more people came to know about Adkins'' wife, the remarkablewyer, named


    Mollie Ren.

 Chapter 1462 Extra Story About Damian (Part One)

    Chapter 1462 Extra Story About Damian (Part One)


    As Matthew had said, five yearster, Angelina was brought back to the Huo family from the welfare


    house. Although she didn''t hold the same status as Erma, she was still regarded as almost like a


    biological daughter to Matthew and Erica in the eyes of everyone else in the family.


    Since there was no spare room on the third floor when she came, she had to stay on the second.


    However, afraid that she would be scared and all alone in there, Boswell and Damian told Matthew that


    they would move their rooms from the third to the second floor to make herpany.


    As time went by, Damian became a well-known pianist described as the prince of the piano by his fans.


    While he was still studying, he participated in several piano performances and graduated from the


    school of music when he was only twenty-two years old.


    Most of the time, his family would only hear from the young pianist through the TV.


    After he had gone abroad at the age of twenty-two, he had been living there for five years now. For


    some reason, he hadn''t returned home in these past five years.


    When he was twenty-seven years old, Erica gave him an ultimatum. She said she would break off all


    rtions with him if he didn''t show up at home for Angelina''s birthday that year. Damian then took the


    first ne to Y City, and once hended, he hurried back to the Huo family''s house.


    It was Angelina''s birthday, and the first time in years that Damian wasing back from abroad, so the


    Huo family decided to organize a dinner at home.


    Therefore, the servants had spent the entire day decorating the first floor for the party. In the end, there


    were even balloons with the words "Happy Birthday Angelina" hanging from the living room ceiling.


    By dinner time, almost everyone was on the vi''s ground floor, except the two girls upstairs and


    Damian, who hadn''te home yet.


    Atst, the prince of the piano walked into the living room. He hugged every family member present


    and then asked in confusion, "Where are Erma and Angelina?"


    "Damian! I am here!" A crisp sound came down the stairs.


    Soon, two girls hand in hand showed up at the corner of the staircase.


    Erma wanted to run downstairs and give her brother a hug, but considering the girl around her, she


    gave up the idea temporarily. She said out loud, "Ha-ha, look at Angelina''s makeup. Haven''t I outdone


    myself again?"


    Immediately, everyone''s eyes fell on the girl next to Erma. Besides the exquisite makeup Erma had


    done on her, Angelina wore a blue starry dress with her long hair tied up into a delicate princess bun.


    "Erma, I can''t believe you asked Angelina to be your model again," Erica asserted helplessly.


    Her youngest daughter loved to do other people''s makeup and hair. Since Angelina had always been


    so obedient, she had be Erma''s model from an early age.


    Colman approached the two girls and praised Angelina exaggeratedly, "Oh, Your Highness, you''re so


    beautiful. Erma, you''re a fabulous makeup artist!"


    Erma bared her teeth and raised her chin as she said, "Colman, you''re so sweet. I''ll do you a haircut


    next time. I promise to make you the brightest star in Y City."


    With a smug smile, he smoothed his short hair and answered, "I''m already the brightest star in Y City.


    But if Erma Huo dresses me up, I''m sure I''ll attract young girls from all over the world, won''t I?"


    "Of course! Colman, you have to trust yourself and me!" As they finished walking down the stairs, Erma


    gave Angelina''s hand to Boswell and then ran to hug Damian, who she hadn''t seen for a long time.


    Raising one hand to his chin, Boswell stared at Angelina and said thoughtfully, "Well, I have to admit


    that Erma really seeded this time. Angelina looks beautiful like this."


    Damian nced at his brother and swallowed thepliment he was about to give Angelina.


    In his camouge uniform, the cool and handsome Edmond put his phone away and stood up before


    saying helplessly, "Erma, stop bullying Angelina."


    Calmly, Angelina looked away from a certain man as she turned to Edmond and shook her head. "No,


    no. She didn''t bully me."


    "Edmond, it''s not every day that you manage toe home. Do you want Dad to beat you up now that


    you''re here?" Erma snorted at him. Edmond and Erma were twins and were often found quarreling as


    they grew up. Of course, Matthew always took his daughter''s side, so every time the twins had a fight,


    he would teach Edmond a lesson.


    When Edmond was sixteen, Matthew sent the naughty boy to a military school in order to ease his


    stubborn temper. However, now it seemed that it was a useless thing to do.


    At that moment, Edmond seemed to have sensed a cold gaze towards him and quickly changed the


    topic. "Hurry up. I''m starving. Beautiful princess Angelina,e and cut the cake!"


    From the sofa, Adkins put down the newspaper in his hand and stood up as he nced at his brothers


    and sister. "Let''s cut the cake. I have something else to doter," he said.


    "Adkins, you are always so busy!" Ermained, holding his arm.


    She felt that among her five brothers, the eldest was always the busiest one.


    Stroking her hair, Adkins asked her affectionately, "Do you think everyone can work by fits and starts


    like you?"


    His sister was just like his mother. A naughty soul whose passion for anything didn''tst very long.


    In response to his question, Erma stuck out her tongue awkwardly at him and said, "It''s not every day


    that we get to have Damian at home, and now you snitch me like this. Do you want him to scold me or


    something?"


    Hearing her words, Damian chuckled and pinched the tip of her nose. "You little fool."


    As they began to move towards the dining room, Angelina lifted the hem of her dress and caught up


    with Damian. "So, how many days will you be staying this time?" she asked.


    Damian slowed down so she could keep up with him and said, "About a week. How are you doing in


    your studies?"


    Angelina nodded and obediently reported, "Not bad, thanks to Boswell. He often tutors me."


    An odd emotion briefly shed through Damian''s eyes, but it was gone long before she could point out


    what it was. "Great."


    Boswell looked back at the two andmented, "Angelina has always wanted to learn to y the


    piano. If you''re at home, you could teach her yourself. In fact, I think you should stay in Y City for good


    instead of going back abroad."


    "It doesn''t matter, Boswell. Damian is probably busy. I can learn from the piano teacher," Angelina said


    hurriedly. She didn''t want to cause Damian any trouble.


    Damian smiled but didn''t say anything.


    Angelina''s birthday was a happy one. Except for Carlos and Debbie who were on a trip, the whole


    family gathered at the vi to celebrate with her.


    During the meal, Angelina received gifts from everyone.


    But only when she got back to her room, she started opening them. The first one she picked was the


    pink handbag Damian had given to her.


    In the beautifully packaged gift box, there was a lovely ss piano model with keys crafted in ck and


    white crystals. Although the style was gorgeous, it wasn''t over the top.


    Angelina carefully caressed the piano model, unwilling to let it go.


    Later at night, after she unwrapped all of the gifts she had got, she took out a handbag from the


    cupboard before leaving her room. Making sure that there was no one else in the corridor, she knocked


    on the door across hers.


    Damian had just taken a shower when he opened the door. Surprised to see Angelina standing there,


    he asked in confusion, "Angelina. What''s wrong?"


    Avoiding his gaze, Angelina put her busy hands behind her back and walked into his room. "Damian,


    first, I want to thank you for my birthday gift. I really love it."


    Before closing the door, Damian took a look at Boswell''s room. The door was closed.


    "You''re wee. I wasn''t at home in the past few years so I couldn''t celebrate your previous birthdays.


    This time, I could make it."


    Angelina took out the bag she was hiding on her back and handed it to him. "This is my gift for you.


    Please, don''t refuse it!"


    Damian, however, didn''t make any mention to take the bag. "No, you don''t have to..."


    Realizing that he was about to refuse her, Angelina quickly pushed the bag into his arms and said, "I''ve


    learned how to knit. Since it''s starting to get cold in the country you''ve been living in, I thought you


    could use a scarf. So I made it for you. I hope you like it, Damian! Now go to bed!"


    Afraid that he would refuse her gift again, Angelina rushed out of the room before he could say


    anything.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    However, as soon as she closed the door behind her, she ran into Boswell, who had just walked out of


    his room. "Angelina, are you looking for Damian?"


    Startled, Angelina shook her head. "No, no. I''m just passing by."


    Looking at the girl running back to her room, Boswell was confused. After all, he had seen clearly the


    moment she came out through Damian''s door.


    He intended to go downstairs to get some water, but instead, he knocked on Damian''s door and


    opened it next. "Damian, what''s going on with Angelina?" he asked in confusion.


    Still standing where Angelina had just left him, Damian didn''t have the time to put the bag away when


    his brother walked in. Nheless, he exined, "There was something she wanted to talk about."


    "What''s in your hand?" Boswell asked casually.


    Damian was silent for a moment. Then he walked over to Boswell and handed him the bag. "It''s a gift


    from Angelina."


    "A gift for me?" Boswell took the handbag even more confused. "Why didn''t she give it to me herself?


    Why did she have to do it through you?"


    "Maybe... she is shy," Damian answered.


    "Shy?" Boswell burst intoughter. "Why is that silly girl shy about this?"


    In his eyes, Angelina had always been silly.


    But now it seemed she has just outdone herself. If she wanted to give him a gift, she could just hand it


    to him directly. Why did she have to do it through Damian?


    Damian shook his head and didn''t say anything.


    Boswell didn''t wait for an exnation, either. He just left with the bag in his hand next.

 Chapter 1463 Extra Story About Damian (Part Two)

    Chapter 1463 Extra Story About Damian (Part Two)


    Two monthster, the weather in Y City started to cool down. Boswell took out the scarf Angelina gave


    him on her birthday and casually wrapped it around his neck before heading downstairs.


    On the ground floor, Boswell found that Angelina had already gone to school. While eating her


    breakfast, Erma spotted her brother and asked in confusion, "Boswell, when did you begin to wear a


    scarf?" Somehow she thought the essory was more like Damian''s style than his.


    "Oh, I suddenly remembered I have one. Since it''s really cold today, I took it out," Boswell exined


    casually.


    As he walked past her, though, Erma unexpectedly unwrapped the scarf around his neck while he


    looked at her puzzled.


    After checking out one of the corners of the piece of clothing, she said, "I knew it. This looks so much


    like Damian''s style because it belongs to him! How could you have it?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about? This is my scarf. Angelina gave to me as a gift!" Boswell


    emphasized.


    Erma cast him an odd nce as she revealed in a low voice, "But Damian''s name is on it. If you don''t


    believe me, take a look yourself!"


    Following her gaze, he saw a name on the scarf¡ªDamian.


    Boswell couldn''t believe his eyes. What was going on?


    After that, he spent a while trying his best to recall what happened that night two months ago. Finally,


    he came to the conclusion that the scarf wasn''t a gift for him, but for Damian.


    Realizing that there was something wrong with Damian that night, he thought it was necessary to find


    out the reason why he decided to give him the scarf.


    At the end of the year, knowing that Damian woulde back home to celebrate the Lunar New Year,


    Boswell brought a girl back to the Huo family manor.


    As soon as they arrived together, he introduced the girl to his family. "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom,


    guys, this is my girlfriend, Patti. Patti, say hello to everyone."


    The moment his words left his mouth, his eyes fell upon Damian.


    As Patti was busy greeting everyone else, Boswell took the opportunity to study his brother''s face.


    Damian didn''t notice he was being looked at. In fact, he was way too busy, staring at Angelina''s smile.


    At that moment, sympathy was written all over his face. He couldn''t help it, but his heart ached for


    Angelina.


    A few hourster, Boswell was finally free to go to his brother and get the confirmation he wanted, but


    Damian had only been waiting for Patti to leave his side to pull Boswell into the back garden and start a


    fight with him.


    As shocking as it was, Damian really threw a punch at Boswell.


    The Huo brothers had always been united and friendly among themselves. This was the first time in


    their lives they had fought like this against each other.


    It was unbelievable that Damian, who was always so considerate, had just hit Boswell.


    Since he was his brother, Boswell didn''t return the punch and asked patiently, "Is Patti your girlfriend?"


    "No."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Then why did you hit me?" Boswell really wanted to scold his brother.


    Furious, Damian looked at him and roared in a low voice, "Have you considered how Angelina would


    feel when you decided to bring a woman here?"


    Boswell had a few theories in mind already, but at that moment, many of them were proved right.


    Pretending that he didn''t understand his brother''s anger, however, he asked, "I''ve thought about it. But


    Angelina seemed happy. Didn''t you see it? I just don''t get why you''re so angry. Don''t you approve of


    your brother''s girlfriend?"


    As a matter of fact, Damian didn''t even look at her. In his mind, there was only Angelina. But just as


    Boswell said, she seemed quite happy to have Patti around.


    He then asked impatiently, "Did you break up with Angelina? Or didn''t Angelina agree to be with you?"


    After a short pause, Boswell smiled. "Do you think I have feelings for Angelina?"


    "Don''t you?"


    "Well, I do like Angelina," Boswell said slowly.


    Damian''s heart couldn''t help but break at Boswell''s admission that he liked his beloved girl.


    "But just as a brother loves his sister, understand?" Boswell added. His suspicions were only getting


    more real.


    Damian was stunned. "But you said that Angelina was yours, and no one couldpete with you for


    her..." For over ten years, he had kept Boswell''s words in his mind.


    Boswell walked over his brother and patted him on the shoulder. "I picked Angelina up from the forest.


    Isn''t she mine? ''Nobody is allowed topete with me for her.'' I said that when I was a child. Did you


    really take it seriously? Damian, was it because you thought I had feelings for Angelina, and you didn''t


    want topete with me that you''ve lived abroad for so long?"


    This was definitely what his sensible brother would do.


    Damian parted his lips, but no words came out. Boswell was right.


    Damian fell in love with Angelina, the girl who would always giggle behind them when they were kids.


    He used to think that she was as cute as a little bunny.


    But since he believed Boswell liked her too, he didn''t want to get in the middle. Therefore, he left the


    country on the first opportunity in order to avoid keep seeing her. In the end, he had stayed away from


    home for five years without ever contacting Angelina. Only when he would video chat with others,


    would he asionally say hello to her. God knew how he had survived these past five years.


    Taking his brother''sck of response as a yes, Boswell burst intoughter and said, "Oh my God,


    Damian! Couldn''t you have just asked me? You and Angelina are a perfect match. Seriously, the scarf


    you gave me had your name on it, so it wasn''t hard to conclude she had given it to you." Thinking


    about it made Boswell feel as if he had witnessed a public disy of affection between the two.


    Damian was speechless.


    Just then, the girl who was the main subject of their conversation came out looking for them. Foolishly,


    she asked, "Damian, Boswell, it''s so cold outside. Won''t youe in?"


    Boswell waved at her and said, "Come here, Angelina."


    Angelina trotted to him until she was at his side. "What''s wrong, Boswell?"


    Putting his arm around her shoulder, he grinned wickedly and asked, "Who did you make the scarf


    for?"


    Angelina''s face turned red all of a sudden. Out of the corner of her eye, she nced at Damian and


    realized he was staring at her. She immediately looked away and whispered, "It was a gift for


    Damian..." Then she raised her head to meet Boswell''s gaze and asked in surprise, "How do you know


    about it?"


    Boswell had to hold back aughter when he answered, "Damian thought you made it for me, so he


    gave it to me. Well, my work here is done. You two talk it out and make things clear!"


    After that, Boswell walked away, leaving Damian and Angelina behind. As soon as they were alone,


    she hurried to exin, "Damian, the scarf was really for you."


    Damian looked at her in conflict as he asked, "Don''t you really like Boswell?" He had avoided dealing


    with feelings and rtionships for several years, but it seemed it had all been in vain.


    "Yes, I do." Angelina''s answer was the same as Boswell''s. "But it has nothing to do with being in love."


    Damian didn''t know what to say at first. But then he clenched his fists and reunited the courage to ask,


    "And what about me?"


    Taking a leap of faith, Angelina dared to run into his arms and confess, "I like you very much." She had


    always liked Damian but never had the guts to tell him how she felt. In the past few years, while he was


    abroad, she had missed him every day but never dared to tell him so.


    She wasn''t the Huo family''s biological daughter. As an adopted child, she didn''t feel like she deserved


    to be with Damian anyway.


    His heart, however, blossomed with her words.


    Putting his arms around her shoulder, Damian kissed her hair and gently expressed his feelings to her.


    "Angelina, I like you too." He never thought he would have the chance to tell her that in his life.


    He couldn''t see it, but Angelina smiled broadly at his confession. She never felt so good!


    Besides the streetmps, the back garden waspletely in the dark, but all of a sudden, all the lights


    were turned on. Erma jumped out from one side, and when she saw the two together, she screamed,


    "Wow, look at what we have here!"


    Boswell told her she would run into a big secret in the back garden, so she came to check it out. It


    turned out he was right!


    Angelina tried to get out of Damian''s embrace immediately, but he didn''t let her go. Holding her in his


    arms, he warned his naughty sister, "Erma!"


    "Damian, I know. I won''t tell the others," she promised with a smile.


    Damian shook his head helplessly. He didn''t trust her at all.


    And of course, he was right not to do so. Within a few minutes, the whole Huo family knew that Damian


    and Angelina were now a couple.


    Surprisingly, Erica was the one who was caught off guard the most by the sudden news. She had


    always thought that Boswell would get married to Angelina and, therefore, had mentally got herself


    ready to have the girl as her second daughter-inw. But now that Angelina and Damian were together


    so unexpectedly, she needed some time to digest the news.


    Matthew, on the other hand, was very calm. This was a matter between the children, and he would not


    interfere. If they were really together, he would be happy for them.


    Despite Damian confessing his feelings for her, Angelina thought they would date for a few years


    before they got married.


    But as soon as she finished her studies, he caught her by surprise when he got down on one knee and


    proposed to her. ording to him, dating without envisioning the marriage wasn''t right.


    So at the age of twenty-six, Angelina got her marriage certificates with Damian.


    On the groom''s twenty-ninth birthday, the couple had a grand wedding in Y City.

 Chapter 1464 Extra Story About Boswell (Part One)

    Chapter 1464 Extra Story About Boswell (Part One)


    Boswell had no feelings for Angelina, but not because he looked down on her.


    He thought of marriage as useful, not necessarily for love. If he could get something out of it,


    something good for himself or ZL Group, then it was worthwhile. But marrying Angelina wouldn''t


    achieve that end.


    Boswell thought if he really loved a girl, he wouldn''t have to marry her. There were a few celebrities


    who just lived together, and refused to wed. When it came to marriage, he would marry someone who


    could help him in business. It would be even better if he could get along with his wife.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It was not that his career needed a woman''s help, but that he wanted someone around to help when he


    needed her. He could bring her along to social engagements, or hand the reins of thepany over to


    her when he couldn''t be there to handle those affairs himself.


    To put it bluntly, he needed a businesswoman for him, the businessman. And she should be well-


    educated, so she might be interesting to talk to. And she''d make fewer mistakes when she took control


    of thepany.


    So he thought about marrying a woman with a simr family background.


    As for Angelina, he had brought her home to be a member of the family. She wasn''t a bad person,


    and he wanted to see her do well. If it weren''t for Damian, who liked her so much, he would have


    arranged another good man for her.


    Damian seemed to be head over heels for her, so that made his brother happy. Angelina could marry


    into the family and would be taken good care of by Damian, so Boswell didn''t have to worry about her


    anymore.


    Now that Angelina and Damian were together, Boswell only needed to concern himself with Erma''s


    marriage.


    Colman was a yboy, with a new girl on his arm every night. Boswell decided to leave well enough


    alone.


    Edmond was the bad boy. He had a reputation, and girls tended to avoid him. Boswell didn''t even want


    to try and fix him up with anyone.


    So that left Erma, his dearest sister. Because he was her brother, he would find the best husband for


    her after he settled down.


    He had been trying to find a wife who fit his standards, and by the time he was 28, he did. Her name


    was Chloe Shen. And when he found her, he didn''t want to lose her. So, having been invited for dinner,


    after some pleasant conversation, he made an offer to her father.


    Because he was all about business, Boswell wrote it out as a contract and handed it to the man. "Sir,


    I''d like to marry your daughter, Chloe. I''m prepared to pay¡ª10 million dors. Besides, as my wife,


    she''d be Mrs. Huo. There are a lot of women moring for that title. Of course, I would like to learn


    how to fashion the Purple Charm, so we can preserve the secret. It''s dangerously close to being lost,


    and I''d like to change that, with your permission, sir."


    The Purple Charm was a special silk produced in the Shen family in Elm Town of Y City. The people


    who fashioned it used a special chemical dissolving process to treat silkworm cocoons, leaving their


    molecr structure intact. This process prevented shrinkage, leaving it bleach-resistant, and it wouldn''t


    be yellowed by perspiration. Obviously, this made the Purple Charm material rare and expensive. It


    was known as "soft gold" in the silk industry.


    The fabric was cool and pleasant, like silk usually was. It would dry quickly after getting wet and did not


    wrinkle easily. It had been produced for nearly a thousand years.


    There were no boys born to this generation of the Shen family, and few people were willing to learn. It


    was not mass-producible thus far, so it didn''t really turn a hefty profit. Gradually, fewer and fewer


    people knew how to make it. The ones who knew would age and die off. The secret could be lost to the


    mists of time. The contract would prevent that.


    Chloe Shen''s father had never had much interest in money, nor did he look at the contract. He asked


    Boswell, "Why do you want to marry her?"


    With a confident smile, Boswell answered, "Miss Shen is your favorite daughter. I''m sure you want her


    to marry a good man and have a happy life. I''m the CEO of ZL Group, so I can give your daughter that


    life. She''ll never go hungry, she''ll always have nice things to wear¡ªshe''ll want for nothing. Of course, if


    she''s good to me, I''ll be good to her. I''m offering her everything."


    Chloe Shen''s father had never teamed up with such a bigpany before, but he knew why Boswell


    came to him. Once Boswell''s men learned the technique of making the Purple Charm, it would bring


    endless benefits to ZL Group.


    Looking at the neatly dressed young man in front of him, he thought of his mother, Erica.


    Because she was spoiled by Matthew, Erica was a childish woman, despite her age. His daughter was


    the same. The two should get along splendidly. The father could definitely see his daughter and Erica


    as happy inws.


    However, Boswell resembled his father a lot in business, who was a decisive businessman. Even in his


    teens, he had a powerful stake in ZL Group, and made some decisions that grew thepany even


    more¡ªbefore he had stepped into the CEO role.


    Chloe Shen''s father was quiet for a long time, but Boswell was in no hurry. After all, it took time to


    figure this out. And Boswell was prepared to wait quite a while.


    Fortunately, Chloe Shen''s father didn''t make him wait too long and signed the contract in front of him.


    Before leaving, he left a message to Boswell. "I don''t need the bride price. Keep your ten mil. You guys


    need time to figure out if you''repatible. If you don''t like her, you can just send her back to me." No


    matter what happened, he didn''t think Boswell had the right to discipline his daughter.


    Boswell nodded. "Don''t worry, Dad. We''ll be okay."


    When he was 29 years old, Boswell married the youngest daughter of the Shen family¡ªChloe Shen,


    three years his junior. Although the two of them didn''t love each other, he still gave her everything a


    woman should have when she got married.


    A bride price of ten million, a grand wedding ceremony, three plots of real estate in the city, five percent


    shares of ZL Group and so on.


    Since then, Chloe Shen had be a member of the famous Huo family.


    Chloe Shen was the most beautiful girl in Elm Town, and she had many suitors. Now that she had


    married Boswell, most of them had no choice but to give up on courting her. After all, they knew they


    were no match for the rich and powerful Boswell Huo.


    Not all was peaceful, though. As CEO, Boswell still had responsibilities. He needed to go on a business


    trip on the day of their wedding. Something was going down in one of the branch offices, and he was


    notfortable sending someone else. So he attended to it personally. In the bedroom, he held his


    wife''s chin. She hadn''t yet removed her makeup. "Wait for me at home. I got this," he said confidently.


    "And after I get back, we have a lot of catching up to do." There was a glint in his eyes that said they


    wouldn''t being much sleeping when he returned.


    If it weren''t for the emergent business trip, he would have made love to her right now, and then caught


    the flight. ''Forget it. I''ll make it up to her when Ie back!'' he thought to himself.


    With an expressionless face, Chloe Shen nodded and watched him leave.


    On the second night, Boswell met an interesting girl on his business trip outside the country. She was


    as cute as his sister, and he was very happy when she was around.


    The girl was not happy. She had just offended the boss and was fired by thepany. She went to the


    local watering hole to drown her sorrows, and that was where she met Boswell.


    After she''d had a few, she became a chatterbox. The girl was like a talk show host, and every word out


    of her mouth made Boswellugh.


    When Boswell was about to leave the bar, she held his hand tightly and insisted on following him. "Hey,


    listen. I have no job, and no parents to help me, either. Treat me right, and I''ll do anything for you," she


    said in a pleading tone.


    ''Do anything for me?'' Boswell was amused. Many people were willing to do anything for him as long as


    they could get associated with him, and yet he was not interested. However, after thinking for a while,


    he agreed, "Okay, let''s go."


    And that was how the girl got to Y City. Then, Boswell took her directly to his and Chloe Shen''s


    wedding vi.


    The man stood in the living room, hands in his pockets, quietly watching the womaning


    downstairs. The woman wore a long dress made of beige silk, which outlined her nice figure vividly.


    She was elegant and graceful, and it showed in every step she took.


    Boswell clicked his tongue and he suddenly changed his mind. He turned and told the butler behind


    him, "This girl is Rosa. Show her to her room."


    "Yes, Mr. Huo."


    Boswell walked up to his wife, who was already on the first floor. Before she could say anything, he


    lifted her into his arms and strode upstairs.


    The moment Chloe Shen was gathered in his arms, she put her arms around Boswell''s neck and


    stared at the girl being led away by the butler.


    The girl red at Chloe Shen with obvious jealousy in her eyes.


    Chloe Shen gave her a scornful smile. She could tell what was on the girl''s mind. She hugged Boswell


    tightly and said, "You must be tired after your trip, honey."


    Chloe Shen didn''t mind romantic rival came so soon. She was not a kind person either.


    "No matter how tired I am, I still have the strength to deal with you," Boswell said. He had no idea what


    was happening between the two women. All he could hear was the soft voice of the woman in his arms.


    In the master bedroom on the second floor, when the sun hung high in the sky, Boswell and Chloe


    Shen explored each other''s bodies for the first time since they were married.


    After that, Boswell put on his pajamas and walked out of the walk-in closet. He told the sleepy woman


    in the bed, "I brought the girl back here so she could serve you. You can give her whatever orders you


    like."


    Chloe Shen was so tired after their lovemaking session that she didn''t even have the strength tough,


    but she still answered, "Okay."


    So, was her husband good to her? If he was a good husband, why would he bring a woman to their


    vi two days after the wedding?


    But he said that he brought the woman here so that she could serve her and told her she could tell the


    girl what to do.


    Well, as long as he didn''t use that as an excuse to have an affair with that woman, Chloe Shen didn''t


    mind. She would make sure that didn''t happen.


    Thinking of this, Chloe Shen gradually fell asleep.


    She didn''t wake up until midnight, and then only because she was ravenous.


    Before leaving, Boswell had told her that he had to work and had a heavy workload. If nothing went


    wrong, he''d sleep in his office after he was done.

 Chapter 1465 Extra Story About Boswell (Part Two)

    Chapter 1465 Extra Story About Boswell (Part Two)


    Chloe had a hard time getting out of bed. She mustered the little strength she had and pressed the


    button to call the maid.


    Although she had been asleep for hours, Chloe was still quite exhausted and sore. Boswell must have


    ridden her like a stallion on steroids.


    The girl Boswell brought back pushed the door open, but she wasn''t dressed in a maid''s uniform. As


    she entered the room, Rosa greeted Chloe with a half-hearted enthusiasm. "Hello, Mrs. Huo."


    The mess in the room stung her eyes. Anyone with an ounce of sense could tell that Boswell and Chloe


    were engaged in some kind of wild sexual adventure in this room.


    Leaning against the headboard of the bed, Chloe nced at Rosa with a hint of arrogance and said,


    "Prepare some food for me."


    "Yes, ma''am!" No matter how reluctant Rosa was, she had to do as Chloe said because it was her duty


    as a maid of the Huo family.


    After Chloe came out of the bathroom, almost an hourter, she looked around and realized that the


    maid still hadn''t brought her midnight snack yet.


    She shook her head, dismissing all thoughts on the matter and reced the sheet that had traces of


    blood on it with a fresh one.


    At around two o''clock in the morning, Rosa finally served Chloe the midnight snack¡ªtwo slices of


    bread and a cup of yogurt. Rosa pretended to be guilty and said, "I''m sorry, ma''am. I don''t know how to


    use the toaster as this is my first time being a maid. Would you like to have something else instead?"


    Chloe smiled and politely refused, "It doesn''t matter."


    After Rosa left the room, Chloe took her phone out and called Boswell. "Can you get something to eat


    when you''re back?" ''Hmm... what should I call this man from now on? Honey or Boswell?'' she thought


    to herself.


    Boswell hadn''t finished his work yet, but when he heard her words, he recalled how beautiful she


    looked in the afternoon, and took it as an invitation of some sort. He put down the document in his hand


    and said, "Sure! I''ll be right over!"


    Half an hourter, Rosa was in the kitchen munching away at some fruits when she heard the sound of


    engine turning off. She scrambled to put the fruits away and pretended to clean the counter.


    After changing into his slippers, Boswell walked past the living room and went upstairs without looking


    at the kitchen.


    Five minutester, Rosa was called upstairs.


    In the room, Chloe had a casual, nonchnt expression on her face as she nibbled on a piece of


    bread, as though nothing had happened.


    However, the cold expression on Boswell''s face drove shivers down the nervous girl''s spine as he


    red at her furiously and yelled, "Is this your idea of a midnight snack?"


    Rosa''s heart skipped a beat. "Please don''t misunderstand me. I just don''t know how to use the toaster


    yet..." She gave Boswell the same excuse she gave to Chloe earlier.


    Burning rage hissed through Boswell''s body like deathly poison. "So what if you knew how to use it?


    Were you going to let my wife eat toast at night? What is the point of me bringing you here if you can''t


    even take care of my wife?"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Huo. I''ll learn how to cook from tomorrow," Rosa apologized tearfully.


    Boswell didn''t have the patience to continue this argument anymore, so he waved at her dismissively


    and said, "You can leave now."


    He knew that the reason why Chloe invited him back for midnight snack was that she wanted him to


    see how Rosa treated her. Boswell quickly sat down next to the woman with an embarrassed look on


    his face as he couldn''t believe that Rosa would treat his wife like that. "I''m sorry. It''s actually my fault."


    Shaking her head, Chloe swallowed the food in her mouth andforted him with a smile, "Don''t


    me yourself over this. This bread isn''t that bad. Besides, something is better than nothing."


    Boswell took out his phone and called his assistant to rectify the situation immediately. He ordered him


    to bring over some food from the best restaurant in the city.


    Chloe didn''t stop him. Since he went through the trouble of asking someone else to bring her some


    food, she was appreciative of his efforts.


    Soon after, spread over the dining table downstairs was an expansive range of dishes, hot enough to


    guarantee satisfaction.


    Boswell proudly took Chloe''s hand and brought her downstairs so she could have a taste of whatever


    she wanted. After a seemingly satisfying "midnight snack," the couple decided that it was time to get


    some sleep and retreated to the bedroom.


    On the second day, things were much quieter at home. On the third night, however, when Boswell


    returned to the vi, he found a stranger in his home.


    A handsome young man, perhaps in his twenties, was mopping the floor quietly in the living room. As


    soon as he noticed the startled man, he quickly walked up to him and said, "Good evening, Mr. Huo."


    Boswell couldn''t ce that person''s face in his memory and his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at him


    and said, "Good evening. I''m sorry, who are you?"


    "Oh, I''m the new servant Mrs. Huo hired. Don''t worry, Mr. Huo, I can do everything. I can cook, do


    housework and repair household electrical appliances." The young man''s positive attitude and


    confidence annoyed Boswell all the more.


    His eyes looked up towards his bedroom and he understood what was going on. "Where is my wife?"


    he asked in a polite manner.


    "She''s upstairs. She fell asleep right after I gave her a massage," the young man answered innocently.


    ''You gave her a what?'' Did he hear that right?


    Boswell turned around and strode upstairs without saying another word.


    It was dark in the bedroom when he pushed the door open and walked inside.


    He walked to the bedside and looked at the woman who had her eyes shut tight. "Are you asleep?" he


    asked.


    Chloe opened her eyes and answered, "Not yet."


    Before she could get up, however, the man pressed his body against hers. Running his fingers down


    her smooth face, he whispered, "What have you been up to?"


    The woman answered honestly, "I had a really bad headache, so I asked Butler Wang to find someone


    who can give me a head rub. Turns out the man is really good at giving massages too. He knew all


    about unblocking the meridians.


    The moment he pressed my temples, I started to feel so much better." ''How dare she admit it!''


    Gritting his teeth, he gently bit her earlobe and said, "I''ll have Rosa sent away tomorrow, but you''ll have


    to say good-bye to the young man downstairs too. Do you hear me?"


    With a cheeky sh in her eyes, Chloe feigned confusion and asked, "Why? Aren''t they good at what


    they do?"


    Tightening his grip on her slender waist, Boswell said, "I brought a young woman back and you brought


    a young man back home. What would people think of us?"


    "Well, when you put it like that... it does sound very inappropriate..." Chloe pretended to be innocent


    still.


    "Well, it''s good that you''ve realized it. Don''t forget to send them away tomorrow!" he asserted.


    "And where exactly do you want me to send them?" she asked.


    "Wherever, I don''t care. It''s up to you." Boswell had no time for such trifle.


    After getting what she wanted, Chloe put her arms around the man''s neck with a satisfied grin on her


    face. "Okay!"


    Although her feelings for him hadn''t quite grown into love yet, she was his wife now. After all, she had


    to preserve her position as Mrs. Huo, didn''t she?


    The following day, things were back to normal in the vi. The team of help in the house were still the


    ones Butler Wang had arranged as they were doing their jobs well.


    As time went by, Boswell came to realize that his wife was very smart, especially when it came to


    dealing with the women around him. Chloe always found a way to deal with the clingy types without


    making a scene.


    More importantly, it seemed as though she had won his heart.


    Chloe was also starting to contribute heavily in thepany''s affairs and before long, Boswell handed


    over all the power to her to deal with the design of the Purple Charm.


    When she was with Erica, she could win the favor of her mother-inw without even doing anything.


    Boswell couldn''t tell when she began to give him orders. She wouldn''t allow him to drink too much; she


    wouldn''t allow him to stay upte; she wouldn''t allow him to work overtime... Slowly, but surely the list


    of things she wouldn''t allow him to do grew bigger.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    It was just as Colman had told him, Boswell had fallen into the trap set by Chloe.


    Just like his grandfather fell into the trap of his grandmother and his father fell into the trap of his


    mother, Boswell couldn''t help but allow history to repeat itself.


    From then onwards, Boswell formed tremendous respect for Colman''s words of wisdom.


    Even just two years before her 30th birthday when Chloe said that she didn''t want to have a child so


    soon, Boswell didn''t challenge her wishes. Instead, he assured her that she wouldn''t have to worry


    about having a child until she was ready.


    Every single night, he would hold the sleeping woman in his arms and think about how his life had


    come to this.


    He finally found out the reason. Although she was not as shrewd as him, she was a woman and she


    would act like a spoiled child and make him obsessed. And just like that, she was the one who had the


    final say in everything.


    He had no idea of what was going to happen after he gave her his heart because by that time it was


    already toote. He hadpletely given himself to Chloe!


    Fortunately, the two of them lived a happy life and Boswell didn''t have to spend the rest of his life


    worrying. Since he wasn''t the high-maintenance type, he was happy just to be able to hold his wife in


    his sleep every night.


    Chloe gave birth to a daughter at the age of 29, and her daughter was the spitting image of her mother.


    Boswell, who was a ve for his wife, was now also a ve for his daughter. His position in the family


    now was worse than it was before.


    As the old fisherman''s proverb goes, "There is always a bigger fish in the sea."


    Boswell, who had been scrupulously methodical in the business world, was controlled by a woman


    called Chloe Shen, and he had never been able to turn the tables ever since.

 Chapter 1466 Extra Story About Edmond (Part One)

    Chapter 1466 Extra Story About Edmond (Part One)


    The fifth son of the Huo family, Edmond Huo, was infamous for having the worst temper in the family.


    He had always been unruly and disobedient from childhood to adulthood. Matthew even tried


    unpopr methods of disciplining him by giving him a good old thrashing, but unfortunately, it didn''t


    work.


    When Wesley and Gifford were in their mid-twenties, they had been promoted several ranks in a row in


    the military.


    However, the story of a 24-year-old Edmond, was very different because he was still just a junior official


    ¡ªonly one level higher than the rookies. He never made any attempt to make progress but instead,


    caused trouble all day long. It was as if his mind was wandering elsewhere.


    The reason for his depression stemmed out of a big fight he had with Erma when he was twenty years


    old. It all started when Matthew told him the truth. "Erma was born three minutes earlier which makes


    you the youngest member of the family. But we wanted your sister to have five older brothers so your


    grandfather and I decided to tell everyone that you were older than Erma."


    Edmond was shocked by the news.


    In fact, he didn''t speak for three days after that.


    The poor young man could do nothing but bottle up his anger, after all, he couldn''t turn back the hands


    of time.


    All of a sudden, Erma started bossing him around. She was so proud of the fact that she was older


    than him that she kept pestering Edmond to show her more respect.


    Fortunately, Edmond''s anger didn''tst long. After all, he loved his sister from the bottom of his heart. It


    really didn''t matter whether he was the older or the younger between them. He was happy to have her


    as his sister anyway.


    One day during the training, the superior announced in public that a high ranking official would be


    paying them a visit in two days, and this person was a woman.


    This caused a heated discussion in his toon, but Edmond brushed it off disdainfully as he couldn''t


    care less about some woman just because she was a superior officer. In his head, he could beat ten


    women with one hand.


    Unfortunately, the woman he thought he could beat with one hand was the very same woman who


    ended up embarrassing him in front of his associates for the first time in his life.


    The woman was in her early twenties, but she was already several ranks higher than he was. She was


    dressed sharply in a neat uniform, with short hair, and she had an imposing aura.


    During the break, Edmond leaned against the horizontal bar with a de of grass in his mouth and


    listened to others talking about the female instructor. He sneered, "She''s just like a hard ass. She didn''t


    even smile for one moment."


    His voice was neither loud nor low, and everyone within a few meters could hear it.


    "Edmond Huo!" The voice of an infuriated woman exploded in his ears.


    Startled by the voice, Edmond''s heart throbbed violently. He rubbed his ears nervously and turned


    around slowly. "Yes!"


    The woman''s re could burn a hole through his skull. "You sound unconvinced?" She had heard


    about the notorious member of the team who was well-known for giving the other instructors a


    headache. On top of that, most of his antics would go unpunished. After seeing him in person today,


    the woman realized that the rumors were all true.


    Even if everyone else didn''t dare to punish him, she did!


    "It took you that long enough to figure that out? Why don''t you just go back and let Mr. Luo do the


    teaching. We can continue to follow him!" ''A group of men trained by a woman? How ridiculous!''


    Edmond sneered.


    "Why don''t we settle this with a little contest? If you can beat me in the five-kilometer swimming race, I


    will ask Mr. Luo toe back immediately. Are you up for it?"


    The female instructor''s words caused an uproar in the ce. ''Five kilometers? That''s awesome!''


    The furthest distance Edmond swam in record was four kilometers. However, the thought of one extra


    kilometer didn''t seem like such a big deal to him and he sprang up to his feet. "It''s a deal!" As long as


    they wouldn''t have to be trained by a woman anymore, he was willing to face the challenge.


    "All right then!"


    The swimmingpetition was set for two o''clock on that very same day.


    The swimming pool in the training ground wasn''t big enough, so they went to the river outside the


    military base.


    The river just outside the suburbs was several kilometers long and was in perfect condition for


    swimming.


    Standing by the river, the female instructor took off her coat, revealing a green military vest underneath.


    She smirked at Edmond and said, "The one to reach that bridge first, wins."


    "Okay!" Edmond looked away, took off his coat and jumped into the river to assume position.


    When the race started, it went quite smoothly for Edmond. He managed to keep a reasonable lead in


    the first two kilometers, but after that he began to fall behind, despite his efforts.


    The woman began to pick up the speed and swam forward without taking a rest.


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Edmond emerged from the water, panting helplessly. He looked at the woman swimming in front of him


    and murmured, "Humph, she must be a boring woman. If anyone marries such a woman in the


    future..." The mere thought of it gave him goose bumps. Luckily, he would not have to marry this kind of


    woman because he preferred gentle girls.


    Thinking of this, he plunged into the water and swam forward with all his strength.


    When he reached four-kilometer mark, he knew that he wouldn''t be able to catch up with her. However,


    for the sake of bringing Mr. Luo back, he rolled his eyes and decided to y tricks. "Help! Help..." he


    screamed.


    The moment she heard his voice, Olivia Gu, the female instructor, turned around and swam to his


    rescue without hesitation.


    "Edmond Huo, are you okay?"


    When she got closer to him, Edmond suddenly pulled her under water. The two people tussled and


    tangled under water in each other''s arms and finally... their lips pressed together without their will or


    knowledge.


    Neither of them expected this to happen. In fact, Edmond just wanted to buy time. When their eyes


    met, he felt the softness of her lips and Edmond felt a tingling feeling in his heart.


    Suddenly, he pulled Olivia Gu into his arms and gave her a deeper kiss.


    This was the first time someone had dared to do this to her. When she came to her senses, Olivia Gu


    was so angry she wanted to grab his neck and drown him. However, Edmond reacted quickly as he let


    go of her and swam ahead before she could catch him.


    Unfortunately for Edmond, Olivia Gu wasn''t the type to be pushed around, that too by a bad boy. She


    immediately swam after him, vowing to smash his head in for stealing her first kiss without her consent.


    When they were about to reach the finish line, Edmond suddenly disappeared.


    She looked for him in the water, but he was nowhere to be found.


    Suddenly, a vague trace appeared on the calm water surface and Olivia Gu reached out without


    hesitation to grab Edmond''s cor from the back.


    Edmond shed her a cheeky smile and said, "Miss Gu, go ahead. Don''t you have a race to win?"


    ''The race? You and your race can go to hell!'' Enduring the urge to hurl curses at him, Olivia Gu


    decided to punch him in the face instead.


    Unfortunately, Edmond slipped out of her hands yet again, and dived into the water to swim ashore.


    Since herpetitor was already running away from the race, why would she bother about continuing?


    As such, she followed him ashore.


    Before long, Olivia Gu caught up with him again. The two fought for a few rounds, and eventually she


    had him pinned down on a haystack in the riverbank.


    "You brat! How dare you do that to me! I''ll beat you to death today!" Olivia Gu didn''t care whose son


    Edmond was. She wanted to get her revenge, first and foremost!


    Edmond cleverly turned over with her in his arms and before she could react, he pressed her under his


    body and said, "Madam, please calm down. That kiss was only meant to serve as a distraction!" ''Are


    you kidding me? Why would I kiss such a hard ass?'' he thought contemptuously.


    "How dare you!" Olivia Gu hardly ever blushed the same way she did now. Embarrassed, she turned


    him over with all her might and pressed him down again.


    This way, she could still keep punching Edmond.


    The man was absolutely furious. Why was she hitting him so hard? All he did was kiss her twice.


    Despite his greatest efforts to best the woman, he failed as she was far more skilled than he was. In


    the end, he had no choice but to be taught a hard lesson.


    When he came back to the military base with his face red and swollen, the look of embarrassment on


    his face made everyone roar withughter.


    Everyone was able to figure out that someone had beaten the daylights out of Edmond. Their questions


    were answered when they saw the female instructor''s fuming face when she came back.


    When Matthew heard that his naughtiest son had been taught a lesson by a woman, to the extent that


    his face was covered in bruises, he was not angry at all, but instead, a trace of excitement appeared on


    his calm face.


    He immediately asked someone to gather more information about the woman. Only then did he know


    that Olivia Gu was also from a notable family. A lively and vivacious person, Olivia Gu was an


    exemry student loved by her teachers and fellow pupils alike.


    After that, Matthew specifically told the higher-ups in the military to let Olivia Gu continue to guide his


    son. If Edmond''s work weren''t up to her satisfaction, she could just beat him up as much as she


    wanted to.


    However, a few dayster, Matthew again received a shocking news about Edmond again. This time,


    his son, Edmond had kissed Olivia Gu in front of all the other trainees.


    Matthew''s heart skipped a beat at the mere thought. Since when did his son be so thoughtless?


    What frightened him even more were the reports of Edmond always having an argument with his


    female instructor.


    One night, Edmond tied her up when he caught her off guard, threw her into her car and took her to a


    hotel.


    Edmond might have failed to defeat Olivia Gu on the training ground, but as it turned out, he could


    easily defeat her in bed. The way she squirmed and begged for mercy in bed gave him great


    satisfaction.


    For once the man had won, but his victory didn''tst long. Right after Olivia came to her senses, she


    beat him again.

 Chapter 1467 Extra Story About Edmond (Part Two)

    Chapter 1467 Extra Story About Edmond (Part Two)


    But this time, Olivia didn''t have the strength to hit him as hard as before, so there were no visible


    bruises left on Edmond''s face.


    Aftering out of the hotel, Edmond and Olivia got in the car in silence.


    A couple of minutester, however, Olivia took a deep breath and broke the silence. "You must take


    responsibility for your actions!" If they hadn''t had sex, she wouldn''t want to get married that easily.


    Seeing that he finally had the upper hand, Edmond sneered, "Beg me!"


    ''Beg him?'' Olivia was pissed off at his audacity.


    Immediately, she got out of the car and dragged him to the back seat to beat him up.


    She didn''t let go of him until he was begging just like she did in bed. She also made sure to make him


    promise he would take responsibility for what happened.


    Then, as she let her guard down, Edmond suddenly jumped up and inverted their positions, pressing


    himself on top of her. While he sat on her legs, he got her hands under control and considered tearing


    off her clothes. Before he had a chance, though, he was beaten to the ground again.


    From that moment on, Edmond became known as the first man in the Huo family who would get


    married because he got beaten by a woman.


    The news of Edmond and Olivia''s engagement quickly spread and was soon a hot topic in the military.


    Edmond was forced to listen to his associates constantly teasing him about bed positions and who


    would be on top of whom between him and Olivia. For the first time, he thought he should start focusing


    more on his training. After all, if he allowed his wife to beat him up for the rest of his life, how could he


    ever call himself a man?


    The couple was given then ten days off from the military for the wedding, but Edmond didn''t n to


    have a ceremony with Olivia. In fact, he didn''t even take her to shoot the pre-wedding photos.


    Of course, Olivia got insanely mad. As a woman, why couldn''t she have what was rightfully hers?


    So on the morning of their second day off, Olivia pressed Edmond against the couch and beat him up


    again. In the end, he was forced to take the pre-wedding photos and hold a ceremony with her.


    Although it was a simple wedding, Olivia was relieved to have one.


    After living together for a while, Edmond learned that whenever Olivia raised her hand, it was for the


    best if he behaved himself and did what she wanted.


    However, this changed when Edmond was twenty-eight years old. Following his victory in a martial arts


    championship, he came back home and challenged Olivia to a fight.


    It was a fierce match, but Olivia couldn''t beat Edmond up as she usually did and lost for him that day.


    Edmond raised his head and burst intoughter. "The tables are finally turned. I''m the one who has the


    final say from now on!"


    But he was wrong.


    Olivia was a woman, and women never yed their cards ording tomon sense. Not to mention


    that Olivia could still count on Erica, who knew well how to make men bend.


    The moment she heard that her daughter-inw couldn''t defeat her son anymore, however, Erica


    became quite anxious. It wasn''t easy to find a woman who could take Edmond under control like Olivia.


    She couldn''t fall short of her trump card like this!


    Erica thought about it for a few days but couldn''te up with a solution that involved martial arts.


    Eventually, she decided to give her daughter-inw one timeless piece of advice and called her. "Olivia,


    listen to me. If Edmond gets the upper hand over you again, you''d better throw a tantrum at him. We''re


    women. We''re allowed to act like a spoiled child with our husbands. Then you just hold and kiss him.


    Try to be soft for a change."


    Olivia was speechless. ''Act like a spoiled child?'' The mere thought of it gave her goose bumps.


    "Mom, it''s okay. Don''t worry about me. I''m fine." After all, despite the fights, Edmond hadn''t been


    physically abusive to her so far.


    Nevertheless, her mother-inw, like a real mother to her, discussed all day long ways to make


    Edmond surrender.


    "Okay, but listen to me. You must try this method!" After reminding her again and again, Erica hung up


    the phone.


    As soon as the line went mute, Edmond, whotely had been acting really cocky around his wife,


    walked into the house. Noticing that Olivia had just put down the phone, he asked casually, "Who were


    you talking to?"


    "It''s none of your business," she replied indifferently.


    "Hey! Woman, are you rebelling against me?" Edmond wasn''t familiar with kindness and, therefore,


    stared at the woman defiantly.


    Looking into his eyes, Olivia didn''t say anything as Erica''s words came to her mind.


    Usually, Olivia would tell him to get out of her sight, but that day she didn''t say anything. Instead, she


    kept looking straight at him.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Unsure about what to do with that sudden change of behavior, Edmond disarmed and asked, "Are you


    okay?"


    She remained silent. Even though she hadn''t fully acted on Erica''s suggestion yet, Edmond had


    already approached her differently. She wondered if she should really do as her mother-inw said.


    "Say something. Why are you looking at me like that?" Sitting next to her, Edmond took a closer look at


    her to make sure she wasn''t sick.


    As Olivia had been at home the whole afternoon, she wasn''t in her military uniform anymore, but


    instead, she wore a white nightgown, which didn''t make her look so tough. At that moment, Edmond


    admired how charming she looked in her short hair-cut while he could still smell the lingering fragrance


    from the body wash on her skin. Unconsciously, he swallowed, causing his Adam''s apple to bob.


    His wife was actually quite beautiful.


    Olivia was silent for a while until she finally made a move toward Edmond. Taking the initiative to hold


    his neck and trying to be gentle, she muttered, "Edmond, I''m not feeling well." As a matter of fact, she


    felt really ufortable speaking this way.


    He naturally wrapped his arms around her waist and asked, "What''s wrong? Why are you not feeling


    well?" He couldn''t name the fabric of her nightdress, but it felt really soft to the touch.


    "I don''t know. I just feel bad, and you''re yelling at me." ''Am I doing it right? Is this how one acts like a


    spoiled child?'' she wondered. As she performed, Olivia''s heart couldn''t stop pounding fast in her chest.


    Edmond lowered his head, and when he looked at her, he caught a glimpse of her cleavage. Suddenly,


    he was short of breath. "Should I take you to the hospital then?"


    "No, thanks. Just take me to the bedroom so I can rest."


    "Okay!" Edmond gently picked her up and took her to the bedroom.


    After he put her down on the bed, Olivia still wouldn''t let go of his neck. So he leaned over and kissed


    her on the lips.


    Even if they would have sex in the past, a fight would usually lead up to it. But that night, the


    atmosphere between the two of them wasn''t the same as usual due to Olivia''s change.


    Indeed, it was a beautiful night.


    That day, Olivia realized that if she wanted to get along with Edmond, she would have to make a few


    changes in her behavior.


    After all, since she had chosen to marry Edmond, she wanted to make it work and spend the rest of her


    life with him. It seemed that for that to happen, she would have to learn topromise a bit more in the


    future.


    As a result, the two of them began to share some sweet and tender moments in their rtionship. Only


    Olivia wasn''t the only one who had changed to make this possible, Edmond had done his part too.


    That couple who would always solve their problems with aggression gradually started to fade. Soon,


    there were no more punches and rudeness between them in their alone time.


    After the new year, Olivia thanked Erica, "Mom, thank you for that idea you gave me. Edmond has


    changed a lot since that time."


    Erica was content to see the couple so happy. "No need to thank me. Now you should focus on having


    a child with Edmond as soon as possible. A man will stay more often at home after he bes a


    father."


    "Okay!" Olivia blushed as she nodded timidly.


    Half a yearter, Olivia found out she was pregnant, and Edmond became even more obedient to her


    after that.


    During the pregnancy, he would do whatever she said and more. However, Olivia thought this behavior


    was soon about to change when the baby was born.


    To her astonishment, Edmond was still very considerate and obedient to her after their son was born.


    By the time she gave birth to their second child, Edmond confessed to her, "I feel happy that I fell into


    your hands, just like my grandfather fell into my grandmother''s, and my father into my mother''s."

 Chapter 1468 Extra Story About Colman (Part One)

    Chapter 1468 Extra Story About Colman (Part One)


    Colman, Matthew and Erica''s third son, was more like Sheffield than anyone else¡ªaplete and


    total womanizer. He took to those behaviors as if born to them. And he was better than Sheffield in the


    romance department. Beautiful women had flocked to him since he was a teen.


    Erica cautioned him about his love-em-and-leave-em lifestyle. Every girl was the apple of her parents''


    eye, after all.


    Colman felt wronged. Was it his fault girls liked him a lot? And one thing usually led to another. Was he


    responsible for that too?


    When he was three, he once dered that he would marry one hundred wives. He had a rich romantic


    history. Since he got his first girlfriend at age fifteen, he had never been single for even one day.


    Even so, there were a lot of girls lining up to be his girlfriend. They didn''t care he was a yboy.


    Matthew had tried all kinds of things to curb his appetites, but nothing seemed to work. But it was not


    like Colman did anything out of the ordinary. He hung out with friends, he didn''t do anything illegal. All


    he did was date girls. So after Colman grew up, Matthew stopped trying. He was who he was.


    Colman had a good friend called Leon Feng. He was also from a rich family. The two of them had


    known each other since primary school.


    They used to chase girls, fight, drink, and race together. They were as thick as thieves. Wherever


    Colman was, Leon Feng was there too.


    After skipping two grades as Colman did, Leon Feng found he really couldn''t keep up with his friend, so


    he gave it up. He decided to leave that to Colman, and started studying hard to make up for his less-


    than-ster academic record.


    When Leon Feng had just entered college, Colman had been admitted to the most advanced university.


    But he never gave up womanizing. He drove all kinds of different luxury cars, still flirting with girls.


    One day, Colman suddenly heard Leon Feng had a girlfriend. Leon Feng was something of a yboy


    too. So having a girl on his arm was not unusual. What was unusual was she''d been with him for two


    months and they hadn''t broken up yet. Colman thought they might be serious.


    Upon hearing this, Colman was interested in what kind of girl could hold Leon Feng''s attention longer


    than two months. Normally, Leon Feng and Colman changed girlfriends like a man might change his


    outfit¡ªfrequently.


    After Colman broke up with his ny-ninth girlfriend, Leon Feng arranged a formal meeting between


    his good friend and his girlfriend. "Hey, Colman, this is my girlfriend, Amber Zhen. Amber, this is my


    best friend, Colman Huo."


    One arm crossed over his chest, Colman rested his thumb and index finger on his chin and looked


    Amber Zhen up and down. He did that a lot, to the point where it made her ufortable.


    The girl was cute and petite.


    She was over 1.6 meter tall and was slender, with a little nose and full, red lips. Her ck eyes were


    big and round, and glinted with a hint of eagerness and intelligence.


    She wore a set of orange trousers, a little pink backpack slung over her shoulder.


    She looked delicate and quirky all at once.


    Atst, Amber Zhen said, "Hi, Colman, nice to meet you."


    And Colman realized what had been missing from his endless string of girlfriends. He''d never dated a


    woman like this. If she became his girlfriend, wouldn''t he have a richer romantic history?


    When he thought of this, Colman smiled and shook hands with her. He figured he''d tter her like a


    gentleman. "I''m in the presence of a beautiful woman. The pleasure is all mine."


    Amber Zhen smiled at him and said, "Thank you. You''re not so bad yourself."


    Leon Feng had no idea what was on Colman''s mind and chuckled. "Let''s have a seat. Order whatever


    you want, Amber. Meals are on him."


    Colman nodded his head. "Oh yeah, it''s my treat. Order anything you want."


    "Thank you, Colman!" She was a foodie and wasn''t going to turn down free food. Before long, the table


    was full of rich, aromatic dishes.


    That was the first meeting between Amber Zhen and Colman. He made good impression on her. He


    was handsome, genteel and polite.


    They had ordered a te of steamed shrimp. When everything was served, Leon Feng excused


    himself and made his way to the restroom.


    Wearing a pair of disposable gloves, Colman chatted with Amber Zhen while peeling shrimp. He piled


    all of the shrimp on her te before Leon Feng came back.


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Noting the puzzled look on her face, Colman exined calmly, "It suddenly urred to me I''m allergic


    to shrimp. You can eat them, though. Besides, I should be helping you out. You''re my best friend''s


    girlfriend.


    We can both be good to you. Get used to it." The more she thought about it, the weirder she felt.


    Something wasn''t quite right, but she couldn''t put her finger on it. But before she could process it all,


    Leon Feng came back and interrupted her train of thought.


    After dinner, Colman and Leon Feng dropped Amber off at her high school.


    Coleman hadn''t even realized till then how truly young she was. Amber Zhen was still in high school.


    No wonder she was so slender.


    One day, Colman kept staring at Leon Feng, making the man nervous. "If you have something to say,


    just say it," he said.


    With an embarrassed look, Colman put his arm around his shoulder and said hesitantly, "Dude, I don''t


    know if I should tell you this or not..."


    "You can tell me. What is it?" It sounded serious. Something told Leon Feng he should hear his friend


    out.


    Then, Colman took out a photo from his inside pocket and handed it to Leon Feng. "Someone else


    snapped this pic. He showed me and I paid him so he''d give it to me. I think she''s cheating on you,


    man. I''m sorry." After saying that, he patted Leon Feng on his shoulder and said, "Don''t get upset. This


    can''t be what it looks like, can it?"


    The pic showed two people in the library. Amber was sitting next to a boy, hip-to-hip. They were sharing


    the same book.


    The two people looked quitefortable with each other, like a couple.


    Leon Feng was boiling over with rage. He pped the photo on the table and shouted, "Damn it! That


    asshole can''t flirt with my woman! I''ll kill him!"


    Later, Leon Feng gathered his friends and proceeded to the school gate to confront the boy. He had


    violence on his mind, and was going to teach this boy a lesson. They ran into Amber Zhen first. Holding


    back his temper, he took out the photo and asked, "Who is he?"


    Confused, Amber looked at the photo and answered, "Just my ssmate. Where''d you get this? Are


    you spying on me or something?"


    "That''s not the point. The point is that you''re my girlfriend. You two look awful cozy there. I don''t want


    you doing that again, get it?" he asked. Leon Feng didn''t have the heart to use Amber Zhen of


    much of anything. If it were another woman, he would have dumped her already.


    Considering he didn''t get too upset, Amber Zhen nodded and said, "I didn''t realize what was going on.


    Don''t worry. It won''t happen again. Promise."


    Later, Leon Feng came up against the boy in question, but the boy had brought friends of his own. One


    of them was a well-known thug with a reputation for violence. Leon Feng left him alone this time. He


    warned him to stay away from his girl, and left.


    They butted heads a second time two weekster. With a gloomy face, Colman stared at Leon Feng


    and asked, "Why is it I always see Amber with another guy?"


    Leon Feng''s face changed instantly. "What? What did you say? Another guy?" he asked.


    "Here you go!" Colman gave him another picture.


    This time, the contents in the photo made Leon Feng fuming mad. In the photo, a man had his arm


    around a girl''s waist, and she was cuddled up with him. The man had his back to the camera, but it was


    obvious that the girl in the photo was Amber Zhen.


    Things didn''t go well when he showed Amber Zhen the photo. She chased after Leon Feng and tried to


    mollify him. "I can exin. I tripped and stumbled, and it was lucky he was around to catch me when I


    finally did fall."


    But Leon Feng didn''t listen and interrupted her, "Cut the crap! Do I look that dumb to you?"


    Amber Zhen was also angered by his usatory tone. She didn''t want to exin anymore.


    After parting from him, she walked along the sidewalk, wondering what to do next. She saw a car pull


    up alongside her. As soon as Colman got out of the car, he saw the girl. "Hey, Amber," he greeted her.


    Depressed, Amber Zhen nodded at the man and said, "Hello, Colman."


    "What''s wrong? You don''t look happy." Colman looked her up and down.


    The girl said nothing, but lowered her head.


    All of a sudden, Colman grabbed her wrist and said, "Why are you so unhappy? Let''s go somewhere


    and you can be happy again."


    Startled by his sudden move, Amber Zhen stammered, "Colman...let go of me. Colman!"


    As if he hadn''t heard her, Colman pulled her into the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt for her.


    "Sit tight. I know just the ce."


    Amber Zhen didn''t know what to say.

 Chapter 1469 Extra Story About Colman (Part Two)

    Chapter 1469 Extra Story About Colman (Part Two)


    As the convertible''s engine sung to the broad city roads, Colman drove Amber to one of the


    amusement parks, which ZL Group had invested in, as she appreciated the wind blowing through her


    hair.


    The moment they got there, Amber''s eyes lit up, amazed at the spectacle in front of her. "Isn''t this the


    largest amusement park in Y City? I''m sure the entrance fee isn''t cheap. Are you sure you want to go?"


    she asked with some hesitation.


    Then, Colman grabbed her hand once more and said, "Let''s go! I have a VIP card. We won''t have to


    wait in line for any ride!"


    Colman proved to be very thoughtful when he borrowed the VIP card from his sister, Erma. He knew


    Amber would enjoy spending her time at an amusement park.


    Excited as she was, Amber failed to notice that Colman was still holding her hand as she apanied


    him.


    That day, Colman took over Leon''s role and showed Amber to all the exciting rides and facilities the


    amusement park had to offer.


    When they were about to leave, Amber received a phone call from Leon. "Amber, where are you? I


    want to see you now," he requested in a soft voice.


    Amber still hadn''t gotten over the fact that Leon did not trust her. Therefore, she refused him. "I don''t


    want to see you today. Maybe another time!"


    Before Leon could say anything else, she hung up on him and put the phone back in her purse.


    On the drive back, Colmanforted her, "It''s normal for couples to quarrel. But if you ever need a


    quick cheer-up, just let me know. I''ll bring you to this amusement park again!"


    Amber had ignored her instincts all day long, but at that moment, she finally decided toe forth with


    what was troubling her. Looking at Colman curiously, she said, "Hey, I''ve got a question. Why have you


    been treating me like this? I mean, I''m your best friend''s girlfriend."


    Colman maintained a cool demeanor as he said, "Did you know that I have a sister? Actually, I have


    two sisters. I guess you remind me of them when I''m with you. Maybe you could begin to see me as


    your brother so I can treat you as my sister from now on."


    ''Oh, I see!'' she thought to herself.


    Amber could tell from the day they had spent together that Colman was really warm and friendly,


    definitely someone she could look up to as a brother. As it turned out, she hadpletely misread the


    man''s feelings for her.


    From that day on, Amber let her guard down around Colman and started treating him as her brother.


    Colman, on his turn, also treated her very well, even better than her boyfriend, Leon, did.


    For instance, on hot summer days in school when Amber had a hard time focusing on her studies,


    Colman would let her study in his apartment. During that time, she would take snack breaks and get


    Colman''s help with questions she struggled to understand.


    On one rainy evening, as Colman was driving with another woman by his side, he suddenly noticed


    Amber standing under a shade of a tree on the road, waiting for the rain to stop. Without hesitation, he


    made up an excuse and kicked the woman out of his car. Next, he took out an umbre from his trunk


    so he could rescue Amber and drive her home safely.


    At the same time, Leon would always hear negative news about Amber from Colman.


    He would fill Leon''s ears with rumors such as that she was having an affair with a straight-A student or


    that someone had seen her shopping with another man or how his girlfriend had been seen singing


    with a group of boys.


    This only served to increase Leon''s fury as he would constantly call Amber and have long arguments


    with her over the phone.


    Whenever Amber was upset, Colman would asionally meet her and be the shoulder she could rely


    on. With his arms around her, he would gentlyfort her every time.


    Eventually, Amber started to think how any woman would be lucky to have such a warm man like


    Colman in their life.


    On the day of her college entrance exam, after taking a crowded bus, she realized that her admission


    ticket had identally slipped out of her purse during the trip. But the only person Amber could think of


    to help her with it was Colman and not her boyfriend. As soon as Colman answered her phone call, he


    contacted the buspany and sent someone to help find the admission ticket. Fortunately, he could


    help her solve the problem just in the nick of time.


    That year, she ranked first ce in the college entrance exam and was admitted to the same university


    where Colman had studied.


    Not long after the exam, sometime in mid-August, it was Amber''s eighteenth birthday. Little did she


    know that her birthday that year would be her most memorable yet.


    On the evening of Amber''s birthday, in a dimly lit room, three heads gathered in front of a chocte


    cake with pink icing.


    "Happy birthday, Amber!" Colman said in a soft voice.


    "Thank you, Colman," replied Amber sweetly.


    "Happy birthday, Amber!" Leon said.


    As the arguments between Leon and Amber had be more and more frequent, their rtionship


    suffered, and as a result, they were no longer in the best of terms. However, she was still polite enough


    to respond to him with a smile. "Thank you, Leon."


    While Colman lit the candles, Leon turned off the lights. Amber sat before the cake with her arms


    folded and closed her eyes to make a wish.


    The girl''s adorable face was a sight to behold. It was as if time had slowed down around her as she


    gently parted her red lips and smiled.


    ncing at his best friend, Colman expressed the admiration he held for her from the bottom of his


    heart. "Amber is so beautiful!"


    Leon was happy to hear him praising his girlfriend. "I know that. Why else would I have wooed her?"


    With a strange, unsettling look in his face, Colman stared at Amber for a while before he suddenly


    asked Leon, "Can I kiss your girlfriend?"


    Leon chuckled and looked at Colman as if he was joking. Since he thought his friend was just fooling


    around, he decided to y along and answered, "Sure!"


    Next, Colman approached Amber. And before she knew it, he grabbed the backside of her head and


    pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the lips right in front of Leon''s shocked gaze.


    Amber''s lips were sweeter and softer than Colman had expected. Thus, he found it hard to tear himself


    away from her touch.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Caught off guard, Amber blinked her widened eyes as she stared at the handsome face in front of her.


    It was hard to believe that she was really kissing... Colman.


    The room fell silent for a full minute as Leon was still trying to process what he had just witnessed.


    Shutting his eyes, he shook his head to dismiss that image from his head. Was he just cuckolded by


    his best friend?


    Kicking the chair away, Leon pulled the two apart. Without hesitation, he punched Colman in the face


    and roared furiously, "Damn it! Colman Huo, how could you do this to me?"


    Colman remained silent as he spat out blood from his mouth.


    However, as soon as he saw a second punchinging towards him, he dodged it swiftly and then


    returned a blow to Leon''s stomach, which sent him straight to the floor.


    As a result of the kiss, Amber stood frozen andpletely forgot about stopping the fight. Her mind


    went nk as she stared at the two men engaged in the fistfight.


    God knew how long the two fought, but once Colman finally emerged victoriously, he held Amber''s


    hand and walked with her towards the door.


    At that moment, Leon''s hoarse voice reverberated from behind. "Damn you! You and I are done, you


    hear me? Colman Huo, you are no longer my friend!"


    Colman stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his friend. "Leon, don''t me me. If you loved her,


    you would have trusted her. And let''s be honest, you never have. All it took was a lousy rumor for you


    to start a fight with her. From now on, you''re no longer in a rtionship with Amber.


    She will be with me now!" Leon couldn''t believe his ears. ''Damn it!


    Can someone pinch me and wake me up from this nightmare? This has to be a dream, right?''


    Afterward, Colman drove Amber home, but the two didn''t say anything to each other the whole way.


    Only when they got at the entrance of hermunity, Colman broke the silence. "Amber, I wasn''t


    kidding. Go back and think about what I said carefully. Whether you want it or not, you will be my


    girlfriend from now on!"


    ''Huh?'' Amber had nevere across such a domineering man before.


    Later, Colman walked into the Huo family vi. The left side of his face was slightly swollen.


    Confused, Matthew looked at his son and asked with a frown, "I thought you were out celebrating your


    friend''s birthday today?"


    With a coat hanging over his arm, Colman answered casually, "Yes, I was."


    "What happened to your eye then?" After all, seeing Colman like this was a rare urrence for


    Matthew.


    Moreover, Colman was hit straight in the eye. He had practiced martial arts for over a decade, and for


    what?


    "I fought with Leon," he answered honestly.

 Chapter 1470 Extra Story About Colman (Part Three)

    Chapter 1470 Extra Story About Colman (Part Three)


    Matthew knew Leon was Colman''s best friend, so he thought it strange when he heard they had a fight.


    "Okay. What for?" he asked.


    Colman stopped, tilted his head and thought for a bit before he answered, "I stole his girlfriend."


    Matthew''s face darkened.


    "You haven''t seen her, Dad. Her name''s Amber, and she seems like a really nice girl. I''m sure her and


    Mom will get along great," Colman said, hinting he was going to marry this girl.


    Matthew was at a loss whether to cry or tough. "Last I checked, you had no shortage of women. Am I


    wrong?" he asked his son. He didn''t understand why his son would poach his best friend''s girlfriend.


    "No," Colman answered, scratching the back of his head. He turned around and gave Matthew a smile.


    "But Amber''s different.


    We are destined to be together." ''Couldn''t Leon at least break a bone or two of Colman? Give him


    something to think about?'' Matthew thought to himself.


    Over summer vacation, Colman called Amber a couple times, but she never returned his calls. Not


    even a text. He decided to leave well enough alone and not go to her house.


    After summer vacation, Amber graduated from high school. Her grades were good enough to get into


    the university. She figured this was a good investment in her future.


    There were many students from rich families attending the university, and there were also straight-A


    students like Amber, who hailed from humbler origins.


    What she didn''t know was a rich sophomore quickly developed a crush on her. He drove a Koenigsegg


    CCXR Trevita, a car worth five mil easy. The next day the love-struck student filled his trunk with red


    roses, making a high-profile confession to her in front of everyone.


    Amber hated being made a spectacle of, so she left him there, to the disappointment of the crowd.


    But the rich man''s friends blocked her way and stopped her from going anywhere.


    Amber had to turn around and tell the man, "Sorry, I don''t like you. I''m here to study, not date the first


    rich guy whoes along."


    It was embarrassing for the young man, who was quite taken with her. His face turned livid. When he


    was about to lose his temper, a silver gray luxury car roared towards them.


    The silver gray luxury car zoomed over to her at high speed. The throng dispersed when he showed he


    had no intention of stopping. Finally, someone eximed, "Damn it! Isn''t that Colman''s car? Get out of


    the way!"


    When they heard it was Colman, they made way for him.


    Colman''s La Voiture Noire pulled up behind the man''s five-million-dor luxury car. Colman was a


    skilled driver, stopping just short of the other man''s vehicle¡ªa distance of ten centimeters. If he drove


    forward just a little, the two cars would collide. Colman had more to lose, considering his car was the


    most expensive in the world, priced at a little over 19 million.


    In the driver''s seat, Colman took off his sunsses. The crowd gasped at his handsome visage.


    Colman looked at the man. His eyes were cold, while the love-struck man''s eyes were confused.


    While everyone was wondering what was going on, the silver gray sports car backed up a few meters.


    Suddenly, Colman stepped on the gas and rushed zoomed the other man''s multi-million-dor car.


    Bang!


    "Ah! Oh, My God! He smashed into him!"


    The other man''s vehicle was knocked over by Colman''s Voiture, scattering the roses all over the


    pavement.


    His friends deserted him, not wanting to suffer the same fate.


    Startled, Amber''s face turned pale. She could do nothing but watch Colman tear into the other man''s


    car, upending it.


    Colman himself was safe and sound, but the hood of the Voiture sports car was badly damaged. Even


    if the car wasn''t damaged, Colman would never drive it again.


    He opened the door and got out of the car. The other man gaped at the wreckage of his vehicle.


    Colman grabbed Amber''s hand and asked the other man, "Who do you think you are? This is my


    woman. I lost a good friend trying to win her heart. You don''t even rate!"


    When they heard that, everyone was gobsmacked.


    Colman took Amber away under everyone''s curious gaze. She didn''t want to go with him, but he used


    his strength and leverage to push her into the car.


    He forcibly fastened the seat belt for her, and the sports car roared out of the campus, fans rattling, and


    parts of car falling off.


    Amber didn''t know where Colman was taking her, but she wasn''t about to take this lying down. She


    wasn''t going anywhere. "Stop here. I want to get out," she ordered.


    Ignoring her, he drove the badly damaged sports car all the way back to the Huo family''s house, losing


    a few more parts along the way. It was shaking badly by now, and he had to turn the steering wheel a


    lot to keep it on the road.


    Yes, the Huo family''s house.Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    He led Amber upstairs, a firm grasp on her wrist. Ignoring her protests, he brought her before his


    mother. Erica was applying a facial mask, and stared at both her son and Amber in confusion. Colman


    said, "Mom, this is my future wife, Amber Zhen. Amber, say hi to your future mother-inw." He had a


    reason to call her his "future wife." No one would try to get between them if they believed the two were


    to be married.


    Erica''s jaw dropped, and she said nothing.


    Amber''s reaction was simr.


    Erica peeled the paper from the facial mask she had just applied and pinched Colman''s shoulder


    expressionlessly. With a low cry, Colman almost jumped up. "What the hell, Mom? It hurts!"


    "Does it hurt?" asked Erica.


    "Of course, it hurts. Why did you pinch me?" Colmanined and rubbed his reddening arm.


    "So I''m not dreaming!" Erica eximed. After throwing the facial mask paper into the trash, Erica came


    over to hold Amber''s hand with a smile. It was like she''d be apletely different person.


    "Amber, right?"


    With a trace of fear in her big eyes, Amber nodded timidly, looking like a frightened hare.


    "Oh my God! Call your father now. I''m going to have a daughter-inw! Isn''t that awesome?" Erica took


    Amber''s hand and led her downstairs to the living room. She excitedly ordered the maid, "Bring all the


    snacks here, quick!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    When she realized what had happened, Amber immediately stood up from the sofa and said, "Ma''am,


    Colman doesn''t know what he''s talking about. It''s not like that..."


    Sitting opposite her, Colman knew what she was trying to do. He told Erica leisurely, "Don''t listen to a


    word she says, Mom."


    "Why?" asked Erica in confusion.


    "She''s mad at me, so she''s going to try and get my goat."


    When he said that, Amber didn''t know what to say in reply.


    Erica understood what was going on. She let go of Amber and patted her son''s shoulder. "Now that you


    have a girlfriend, you should be nicer to her. If you cheat on her, I''ll skin you alive. Understand?"


    "Don''t worry. I won''t do anything stupid," Colman said, looking at Amber.


    Amber was still in a daze.


    And that was how Amber was bullied into bing the future daughter-inw of the Huo family,


    though she didn''t know it at the time.


    Colman was really a strange man. When everyone in the city heard that Amber was the future


    daughter-inw of the Huo family, he didn''t pay much attention to her. He never came to visit.


    Of course, there was no other woman who could sit in the passenger seat of Colman''s car anymore.


    Even Amber wondered if it were a dream that Colman had taken her to the Huo family home. It was not


    until Erica came to visit that she realized she had really met Colman''s mom.


    Since Amber had something to do with the Huo family, all the drama that came with that position was


    hers now.


    During her three years in college, Colman always treated her however he wanted and wouldn''t let her


    turn him down.


    He founded a gamepany and developed games. Thepany turned a profit in no time.


    It was Colman who arranged for Amber to study abroad. She had to go. If she didn''t go, he swore he


    would marry her right there and then.


    Then he went to convince the members of Amber''s family to let her do this. In the end, she was forced


    to agree to study abroad.


    The night before she left, Colman took Amber to the high school she had attended before.


    "Didn''t you always want to talk about our rtionship? Well, I''m free today," Colman said. Actually, it


    was not that he didn''t have time until today. He was afraid that once they had a serious talk, they would


    break up.


    After all, he walked into her life and basically directed it the way he wanted to go. He didn''t care about


    her opinion at all.


    But today, they had to talk. If Amber liked him, he would be good to her as always. If she didn''t like him,


    then he would send his beloved girl to the best university abroad so she would have a bright future. He


    would be relieved to let her go.

 Chapter 1471 Extra Story About Colman (Part Four)

    Chapter 1471 Extra Story About Colman (Part Four)


    Amber knew if she didn''t say something now, she might get no chance in the future. She said bluntly, "I


    actually liked you, but you took over my life. For years. Without asking me. I''m pissed at you for that."


    She was a woman with a soft heart. Colman was kind to her when he wasn''t being a control freak.


    What woman wouldn''t be moved by that? She could tell he was sincere from the way he treated her. It


    wasn''t just because he had money. He used money as a tool, and that didn''t factor into her decision.


    He was earnest and really cared about her. If she needed help, he would show up in person. That was


    sweet.


    On her birthday, he kissed her in front of her boyfriend. That was when she figured out she had feelings


    for him.


    He knew Amber was angry at him. He leaned against a tree and smiled bitterly.


    "I hadn''t broken up with Leon yet, but you just pulled me away from him like that. You forced me to


    betray him. I broke up with him because of you, but you didn''t even let me say goodbye. What''s up with


    that? You ever think about Leon''s feelings? His best friend betrayed him. His girlfriend did the same.


    How do you think he feels about that? You''re a selfish guy, Colman Huo."


    ''I''m selfish?'' Colman took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, put one in his mouth, took out the


    lighter and was ready to hit the striker.


    Amber walked over and stood in front of him. She raised her head and looked at him angrily. "Can I


    bum one off you?


    Let''s smoke together." He wasn''t really attracted to women who smoked, so he tucked the one in his


    mouth in his pocket, and quietly put the pack away.


    "You never ask me what I want. You only give me what you think is good for me. That''s not right." She


    knew it was his way of being good to her, but she didn''t feel he respected her at all.


    She finally found the chance to pour out her feelings, pick out any inconsistencies, andy bare her


    thoughts for the past few years. She didn''t worry about what he thought. He needed to hear it.


    Colman just listened quietly. He didn''t say anything, even if there were misunderstandings.


    An hourter, she said her piece and was tired, and finally stopped talking. It was emotionally draining


    to do this.


    "Thirsty?" Colman asked with a smile.


    In fact, she was thirsty. After all, she had been speaking for an hour now. Her mouth felt like the ground


    in the desert. But she was still angry and said impatiently, "I''m not thirsty!"


    "I think you are!" he said.


    "I said I''m not thirsty! Mmmph!" In a single quick movement, she was encircled in his arms, and he


    kissed her passionately.


    Then, Amber left to catch her flight. She went abroad for further study.


    At first, Colman thought he would just give up on Amber. Even she thought things would fall apart right


    here.


    However, three monthster


    At a university in Columbia


    After ss, Amber bid goodbye to her friends and started home.


    It was a small two-bedroom apartment that Coleman bought for her. He figured she''d need it when she


    was away at school. It had a generous living area for the size.


    It was a quiet neighborhood, and it was a nice, crime-free area. It was safe for her to live here.


    When she opened the door to the apartment, she fell into a strong embrace before she could even take


    off her shoes.


    She wanted to scream out loud, but her lips were tightly covered.


    "It''s me." A familiar voice sounded in her ear, and she stopped struggling.


    He pressed her against the door and the two bodies clung to each other. He let go of her lips and


    whispered in her ear, "I tried falling back into my old patterns. I tried to forget you. But I don''t want


    anyone else. The thought of other women makes me sick. I only want you. In the dead of the night, all I


    think about is you. I can''t forget you at all, and I''m tired of the pain. Since I can''t forget you, I don''t want


    to try. I just can''t quit you!"


    "We never said it was over. I didn''t want it to be. Why did you have to forget me?" said Amber in a quiet


    voice, her eyes reddening with tears. He paid for her tuition and expenses here. She had to work hard


    in the future and pay back the money. How could she not be with him after she graduated?


    "You want to pay me back, don''t you?" He knew what was on her mind.


    Amber didn''t say anything.


    "Your parents already paid me back for this. You don''t have to worry about it anymore," he said. What


    he said was true. Amber''s parents found him in person and gave him a chunk of change for her tuition


    and expenses abroad.


    The eight hundred thousand dors that her parents gave him was nothingpared to the money he


    spent on Amber, but he knew it was the Zhen family''s life savings.


    Amber couldn''t believe her ears. She didn''t know her parents had done this for her. They never told


    her.


    With a sigh, Colman said bluntly, "But that''s not why I''m here. The money''s a minor thing. If I never got


    it back, I wouldn''t care.


    I want to talk about us." How could he be so direct?


    "So I miss you. And I''m finally here." He squeezed her tighter, and led her to the couch to sit down.


    He was drained, andy his head in herp while she stroked his hair.


    Theyy like that for a while. Just being in the moment, savoring the time they had with each other.


    One thing led to another. He touched her in her secret ces, and she responded with coos and sighs.


    The first time he touched her, she jumped. The first touch was like a sudden shock. Not unpleasant, but


    a rush of feeling like she hadn''t felt since they first got together.


    When they moved to the bedroom, that was when all their primal feelings were released.


    Since that time, Colman had started hopping flights to Columbia whenever he could. He divided his


    time between there and Y City.


    For this reason, he even took flying lessons. He got his pilot''s license quickly, so he could fly a ne


    back and forth whenever he wanted.


    Thest two years of her studies, Colman quit his job and stayed in Columbia, keeping herpany


    while she studied.


    Amber didn''t know what Colman did on theputer all day. Whenever she asked him about it, he


    would answer that he was coding. But what kind of software was he developing? She had no clue.


    Every month, he would deposit several million dors in her ount, and he still had money to buy a


    few more sports cars.


    Afterpleting her studies in Columbia, Amber came back and worked as a pediatrician in a hospital.


    The night before she went to work, Colman proposed to her in the hanging garden.


    In the next year, the two married. On their wedding day, he spirited her away. Yes, the bridegroom ran


    off with the bride.


    Leaving their family and friends in the hotel, Colman took her on a ne to travel and get married.


    They didn''t even know where they''d stay. They''d figure it out when they got there.


    Matthew had to deal with the mess the two of them left behind. After scolding his son over the phone in


    the lounge, he had to calm himself down and take his wife out to greet rtives and friends.


    On their wedding night, in a hotel in K Country, Colman told her a secret. He wanted to ease Amber''s


    guilt for betraying Leon. "It''s not like Leon was faithful, honey! He slept with a few girls after he met you.


    But me, I''m not like that. I know I was a yboy, but that was mostly for show. From the day I met you


    ¡ªno, even before¡ªI was still a virgin. You''re my first, and my only woman."


    Although he had made up with Leon, he still had to make it clear to his wife. Otherwise, it would be a


    thorn in her heart.


    Amber said nothing. She had mixed feelings.


    After he said that, any guilt she had over Leon vanished like a ghost.


    The second day, the couple went to Tow Vige. Colman took Amber to see the ce where his mom


    and his three brothers had lived when they were kids.


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    But Tow Vige had changed a lot. Things had grown up around there. Businesses had moved in. It


    was a lot different than it was twenty years ago.


    However, the house they had lived in had been torn down, reced with a three-story building.


    Although he felt a little sad about it, Amber was good at talking him through it. He got over it quickly.


    During the honeymoon trip, Amber was pregnant. Three monthster, they found out she was carrying


    twins.


    At the end of the new year, a pair of beautiful girls were born. The Huo family members had been


    immersed in happiness for a long time. After all, the men in the family all loved little girls andvished


    their attention on them.


    And that was when Amber figured out anotheryer of Colman''s deception. He was the one who had


    taken those photos he had shown to Leon. He spread the rumors she was having an affair.


    He hired those boys to get close to her. When Leon tried to get to that boy close to her with a group of


    his friends, Colman hired some men to protect the boy. He made sure that whoever he''d set up was


    protected.


    Colman was not allergic to shrimp, either. It was all just part of his n to make sure she would fall for


    him.


    Every time she was in a bad mood after fighting with Leon, Colman made sure he''d be there tofort


    her. He hadn''t left anything to chance. Her husband just made it look that way.


    It was the perfect n, and perfectly executed. He had everything nned out. He would poach Amber


    from his best friend and make her his woman. He was a match for even the most devious members of


    the Huo family.

 Chapter 1472 Extra Story About Erma (Part One)

    Chapter 1472 Extra Story About Erma (Part One)


    In the Huo family manor, a young girl in a pink and white dress was sitting on the sofa, chatting with her


    friends over the phone.


    On the table beside her, there was an open box of Band-Aids. In the trash can nearby, there were a few


    used Band-Aids.


    Debbie was with a cold these past two days, and Erica had just taken upstairs a bowl of ginger tea a


    servant had prepared for her.


    When she came back downstairs holding the empty tray, she noticed that Erma was still sitting on the


    same spot shest saw her. Helplessly, she rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to put down the


    tray.


    Next, she walked up to her daughter and said mockingly, "Remove the Band-Aid slowly, or you''ll have


    to be sent to the hospitalter!"


    She had never seen a girl as touchy as Erma. She only had a small cut on her finger, and yet she had


    changed more than ten Band-Aids in just half an hour.


    Upon hearing her mother''s deliberate sarcasm, Erma pouted in dissatisfaction. "Oh, Mom, I need my


    hand intact for drawing, doing makeup, and getting people''s hair done. If it doesn''t get well soon, how


    can I even hold a pen to draw?"


    Erica patted her on the shoulder rather forcefully and spat, "I don''t see any blood on your finger. Why


    can''t you hold a pen? Just get out of this couch and go upstairs to do the drawings! You''ve promised


    your father you would create a car''s design for him. It has been two years, but I haven''t seen anything


    done yet. Your dad must be a fool to still believe in you."


    It was all the Huo family men''s fault. They were the ones who spoiled Erma like this. Now the girl was


    even more touchy than Erica was in her youth.


    "Mom, you hurt me!" sheined, rolling her eyes at Erica. Nevertheless, Erma did as her mom


    said and stood up from the couch, slowly making her way towards the stairs.


    She wasn''t in the mood to exin to ayperson like Erica that inspiration didn''te that easy. It was


    quitemon for a professional to think about a certain design for eight or ten years before they got it


    on paper.


    At this time, the front door was opened, and Boswell came in.


    As soon as Erma saw her brother, she ran upstairs as fast as she could.


    "Erma, I''m back!" Boswell called out to stop her.


    But Erma quickly disappeared at the turn of the stairs.


    Aware that his young sister had run to avoid talking about the blind date, Boswell had no choice but to


    tell Erica, "Mom, I''ve already spoke to Adkins. Erma and Stan can meet tomorrow."


    Erica nodded happily. "That''s great! I''ll arrange a ce for them to meet tomorrow."


    Boswell pulled Erica and confided, "Mom, don''t worry. Stan has already arranged everything."


    "What? Does he even have the time for that? Please, tell your brother not to disturb Stan''s work. We


    can handle this sort of trifle."


    Boswell said helplessly, "Mom, this should be arranged by the He family. Your enthusiasm will only


    infuriate Erma again. You''re acting as if no men would want to marry her."


    "Just let her be angry then! Look at the people she has dated so far. A model, a fitness coach, a


    college student... Boswell, I''m telling you I''ve secretly seen this Stan up close. He''s not only as driven


    in his career as Adkins, but he''s also steady and stylish. I''m very satisfied with him!" The more Erica


    thought about Stan He, the more she approved of him.


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    Stan He was 31 years old. At now, he held a position in H Country that was only slightly below that of


    Adkins. Therefore, Erica did not doubt that he had a bright future ahead. Also, he was the only man


    who could live up to Carlos'' and Matthew''s standards for dating Erma.


    "It''s not enough that you are satisfied with him. The most important thing is that your daughter is,"


    Boswell reminded her. He didn''t think it was going to be easy to convince his sister to ept Stan He.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll deal with Erma!" Erica promised, giving herself a pat on the chest. She was confident


    that she would convince her daughter.


    Boswell smiled. "Okay! Thank you, Mom!"


    At seven o''clock the next evening, no matter how reluctant Erma was, Erica pulled her anyway towards


    the restaurant the He family had booked in advance.


    The He family was arge and politically influential family, who held great power over another town


    neighbor to Y City.


    In order to show their sincerity, the entire He family, even their patriarch who was already an old man,


    came to the restaurant to greet the Huo family.


    When Erica finally pulled Erma into the private room, Matthew, Adkins, and Boswell were already


    chatting with the He family members, including Stan, who was sitting next to Adkins in a dark suit.


    At first sight, anyone could tell that Stan He was the tall, handsome young man who behaved very


    nobly in the room.


    However, before their parents could introduce the two young people to each other, Erma looked at Stan


    in astonishment. "It''s you!" she blurted a second toote before realizing that she had given herself


    away.


    Immediately, Erma covered her mouth with her hands, but to no use. Everyone had already heard her.


    Confused, Matthew looked at his daughter and asked, "Erma, do you know each other?" It didn''t make


    any sense if they did. Like Adkins, Stan was always busy. Even if he hade to Y City before, he


    wouldn''t have stayed for long.


    With her hands still over her mouth, Erma shook her head at her father, unwilling to say another word.


    Yet Stan chuckled and contradicted her, "So, your name is Erma."


    Their reactions made it obvious they had known each other before. At that moment, Stan''s father


    gently asked his son, "Stan, what''s going on?"


    Erma winked at Stan, signaling that he shouldn''t tell them anything. But Stan still replied anyway, "Last


    time I saw her, she let the air out of my car''s tires." But since he had something urgent to attend, he


    simply took another car and didn''t mind asking anyone to investigate who that girl who ttened his


    tires was.


    He just never expected that they would meet each other again in such an asion.


    Erma, on the other hand, was ring at him. She was the type of girl who liked to put on a good facade


    in front of the elders. "He took my parking spot first," she exined.


    Stan He smiled, but didn''t say anything else.


    Back then, he had driven out on his own without a driver.


    And when he found an empty spot in an underground parking lot, he simply parked there.


    At the same time, a woman got out of her car and yelled, using him of robbing her parking space.


    Stan looked between his vehicle and hers but didn''t see her car before he parked. Who knew whether


    she was telling the truth or not?


    Stan tried to reason with her, but the woman was quite unreasonable and insisted on him driving his


    car away.


    As he didn''t have much time to argue with her, he headed to the parking lot administration in order to


    find someone who could find another parking spot for the woman. However, when he came back to his


    car after a while, he saw the woman squatted down beside the vehicle while she let the air out of its


    tires.


    She held a needle as she drilled the holes.


    The moment the woman saw him, she left the needle behind and ran away.


    In fact, the needle was still in one of his tires as she left.


    During the dinner, the two acquaintances were arranged in a way they were sitting by each other''s


    side. As the elders kept chatting among themselves, Erma and Stan were left to talk to one another. It


    was more urate to say that Erma was the one doing the talking while Stan He listened to her.


    "I''m young and yful. I love going shopping in Paris, Italy, and London. Not to mention that I also


    appreciate extreme sports like bungee jumping and skydiving. I''m sure you don''t have the time to keep


    up with me. In my opinion, a serious man like you shouldn''t waste your time on someone as


    sentimental and childish like me. Instead, you should get married to a dignified and elegant woman. So,


    when they ask uster how we feel, we will tell them that we''re not suitable for each other, and then we


    can part ways. What do you think?"


    Stan nodded.


    Erma was so happy to see that they hade to an agreement. Yet she had no idea that Adkins, who


    was sitting on the other side of Stan, was secretly telling him a few words of his own. "Don''t listen to my


    sister''s nonsense. Although it''s true that she likes to go shopping, she wouldn''t dare to practice any


    extreme sports. She''s also a little sentimental and childish, but overall, my sister is very cute."


    Erma shed him a wide grin as she continued, "That''s great! Mr. He, I''m a great makeup artist. If you


    get married one day, I can do your bride''s make-up for free."


    Stan nodded again.


    ''It feels so good to deal with people like him. He always nods at anything I say, '' she thought to


    herself.

 Chapter 1473 Extra Story About Erma (Part Two)

    Chapter 1473 Extra Story About Erma (Part Two)


    However, this feeling of Erma''s didn''tst long. When dinner was about to end, Erica asked Stan,


    "Stan, so what do you think of Erma?"


    Stan nodded and replied politely, "Auntie, Erma is not only beautiful, but also a very dignified young


    lady."


    Erma stifled her satisfied smile in an act of modesty, but it was true that she was always respectful of


    her elders.


    Adkins went straight to the point and asked, "But is Erma your type?"


    Erma''s eyes jumped to Stan almost immediately and while she failed to hide her expectations in her


    stare, her instincts told her that he was going to shake his head.


    But she was wrong. Stan nodded his head again, but this time he stood up from his seat, hoping to


    reach everyone clearly. "Uncle, Aunt, I think Erma is an interesting girl to say the least. It is my honor


    and blessing to have such a wonderful opportunity marrying someone like her. You know how the


    people in my family are, everyone''s always so serious and grumpy. I''ll bet when Erma bes a part


    of my family, she will bring nothing but joy and happiness to everyone. Later on, perhaps if we''re lucky,


    she can bless me with a son and a daughter."


    The smile on Erma''s face froze. ''Wait. What? What did he just say? Didn''t we have an agreement to


    part ways after this dinner?


    Is this his idea of revenge for what I did to his car?'' she wondered.


    Stan''s grandpa looked like he was on the same page as his grandson. He looked at Erma lovingly and


    said, "Matthew, you''ve done a great job raising Erma. She is sophisticated, well-educated and


    intelligent. If you don''t mind, can we just agree to have her marry into the He family? I give you my


    word that we will treat her well."


    Stan looked at his grandfather with gratitude and said, "Thank you, Grandpa. Uncle, Aunt, if you have


    no objections, I''d like to take Erma''s hand in marriage."


    Adkins looked at Stan with eyebrows raised in disbelief. When he first brought up the idea of


    introducing him to his sister, Stan blew him off with a single sentence¡ª"I only have time for my work


    right now."


    When Adkins spoke for his sister again, Stan replied, "How long do you think people like us can stay


    interested in one person?"


    In fact, Adkins had almost given up on the idea of ying matchmaker, but he wanted to give it onest


    try before he called it quits. His desperation, however, wasn''t because it would be hard to find a


    matching suitor for Erma, Adkins just thought that Stan was the perfect man for his sister in all aspects.


    Adkins had little to no idea whether Stan was too embarrassed to turn him down again or not, but


    fortunately he managed to get his approval in the end.


    After both Erma and Stan had met each other, it was very obvious that Stan was smitten by Erma.


    Even Adkins could tell. Besides, how could anyone dislike Erma? The answer was no. No one could


    dislike the ever adorable Erma.


    Tugging at his sleeve, Erma forced Stan to sit back in his seat and whispered, "Tell me the truth. Are


    you trying to screw me over because of some revenge?"


    "Calm down. I''m not that petty,"


    Stan said with a doting smile.


    And just like that, the two of them got engaged.


    One their first date, Erma tried to convince Stan by speaking ill of herself in hopes that the man would


    run away from her. "Listen to me! I am the little princess of my family and the apple of everyone''s eye.


    Since you want to marry me, I think you should know that it takes more than five servants to take care


    of me.


    I''m a clingy woman, so you''ll have to get used to having me around all the time.


    We both know our roles. Since I''m a woman and you''re a man, I''ll take care of all the money you make.


    After the wedding, I will be the only woman allowed in your car. In fact, you might as well stick abel


    on the back that says ''Property of Erma Huo.''


    I don''t like carrots, mutton, pork, coriander and all Western food, so the chef at home must know how to


    cook Chinese food.


    I won''t..." She deliberately made it sound like a never-ending list so that Stan would lose his patience.


    However, Stan nodded without once showing annoyance. "Okay, I can deal with all of that." ''What?


    Why is he being so nice?'' Erma was stunned. She had no choice but to continue, "Also, I am not a big


    fan of being lonely. If you are busy every day and can''t keep mepany, I will cheat on you."


    The man was still calm after hearing her words. "I know who you are. You don''t have toe up with


    reasons for me to hate you. If you end up cheating on me one day, that too will be my shoring. It


    would mean that I haven''t done enough. Anyway, right now, you just need to think about what kind of


    wedding you want, so that I can prepare everything down to the smallest detail." Erma sighed


    helplessly. All her efforts were in vain.


    They were set to get married at the end of the year.


    Erma once said that she would make Stan''s bride up, and she did.


    Yes, she made herself up.


    Due to Stan''s identity, the wedding ceremony wasn''t too grand or superficial, but all the things used for


    the wedding were of the best quality avable in the country.


    With time and his actions, Stan proved that he was a kind and loving man.


    During the time from the engagement to the wedding, apart from taking care of her needs, Stan also


    showed how much he respected Erma. They had only hugged and kissed each other, perhaps a


    handful of times, but that was it. When the opportunity of sleeping with her came, he respectfully said


    that he would wait until their wedding night.


    Stan was a faithful man through and through. Ever since their engagement, Erma had never seen a


    rival in love or another woman in his life.


    On the other hand, Erma''s ex-boyfriends always kept texting her, regardless of whether she would


    reply or not.


    One day, her ex-boyfriend, who happened to be a fitness coach, sent her a message saying, "I know


    you''re married, but I''ll still wait for you in the gym, to serve you."


    When Stan saw the message, he looked up the chat records, only to find that most of the messages


    were sent by him and Erma only replied once, saying, "I''m getting married. Don''t bother me with any


    messages from now on."


    Clearly, the man was deliberately being persistent and continued to text her.


    Without digging into her phone any further or even deleting the man''s WeChat ount, Stan put her


    phone back to the bedside and dialed a number. And ever since that night, Erma hadn''t received any


    messages from the fitness coach again.


    Sometimes, Erma could sense that Stan was a powerful man because of his ability to remain calm no


    matter what was thrown at him.


    She had never seen Stan lose his temper, and he hardly ever showed a change in his facial


    expression. He always wore a smile on his face, no matter what happened or who he met.


    Even if Erma made trouble for him on purpose, he would stroke her head and hold her in his arms. He


    wouldfort her gently and coax her, "Honey, don''t make trouble. I''ll take you to sleep."


    ''Maybe he''s just faking it! Maybe he doesn''t really love me, '' she thought.


    Her father was just as calm and steady as Stan, but his emotions would sway to the whim of her


    mother.


    As time went by, Erma became more and more suspicious.


    On one of Stan''s business travels, she secretly packed her suitcase and followed him to the city where


    he was, hoping to spy on him from a distance.


    But in less than ten minutes, his assistant appeared in front of her. "Mrs. He, Mr. He asked me to fetch


    you."


    The thought that Stan not loving her for real onlysted until Erma got pregnant and gave birth to their


    baby.


    A few days before her childbirth, Stan took a leave from his work so he could stay at home and take


    care of her. Whenever she''d get hungry, even if it was in the wee hours of the night, he would go


    downstairs and make her something to eat. One night, Erma needed to go to the bathroom


    desperately, but she didn''t want to disturb Stan''s sleep. She was too careless to notice the water on the


    floor of the bathroom and slipped.


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    When she was rushed to the hospital, half of her body, from the stomach down, was covered in blood.


    When Erma opened her eyes in pain, the only thing she wanted to tell him was to look after her parents


    if she were to die because of this.


    However, before she could say anything, the look of horror in Stan''s face silenced her. His eyes were


    bloodshot, and he was holding her in his arms, sweating, and running towards the operating room.


    After putting her on the bed, he grabbed the doctor by his cor and roared at him, "Do what you must


    to save her. Do you understand me?"


    "Sir, to be honest with you, this doesn''t look very good. If ites to it, should we save her or the baby


    first?" the doctor asked.


    Stan nced at the doctor coldly and said, "Do you really need to ask me such a stupid question right


    now? Of course you''re going to save my wife first!" Later on, he made the hospital authorities set a rule


    that no doctor would ever be allowed to ask the family members of a pregnant woman such a silly


    question. When faced with such a situation, no matter what the cost, they should have to rescue the


    adult first.

 Chapter 1474 Extra Story About Erma (Part Three)

    Chapter 1474 Extra Story About Erma (Part Three)


    Tears welled up in Erma''s eyes. It was not because of the pain, but because she could clearly feel the


    man''s feelings for her at this moment. She finally understood how much he really loved her.


    The newborn baby emerged into the world as a beautiful girl.


    Although it had been quite some time after the baby was taken out of the operating room, there was


    still no news of Erma.


    Suddenly, the doctor rushed out of the operating room looking for Stan. "Mr. He, I''m afraid your wife


    has lost a lot of blood. We need to get her a blood transfusion as soon as possible. There isn''t enough


    of her blood type in the blood bank. Can you find someone with blood type B..."


    Without hesitation, Stan answered, "Doctor, I have the same blood type. Take as much blood as you


    need!"


    "We must get to it at once!"


    The doctor advised him to donate 300 milliliters first. If required, they would look for someone else with


    the same blood type.


    Stan, however, refused.


    That day, disregarding the doctor''s dissuasion, he donated a total of 500 milliliters of blood and gave it


    to Erma.


    A dayter, Erma woke up.


    When she opened her eyes to Stan''s pale white face, she got worried. Instead of telling her the truth,


    he came up with an excuse of not being able to rest well enough the night before.


    On the day Erma was to be discharged from the hospital, she overheard one of the nurses say, "It''s


    clear how Mr. He feels about his wife. He gave her 500 milliliters of his own blood, without hesitation,


    after she suffered a massive hemorrhage from childbirth."


    "500 milliliters? Oh my God, is Mr. He okay?"


    "He''s okay. Everything is fine except that he doesn''t look very well. We tried to convince him to allow


    our colleagues to donate blood for his wife, but he didn''t agree."


    "What else could it mean? He obviously loves her too much! I am so envious of his wife."


    Erma''s lips trembled as she stood at the corner, secretly listening to the nurses. As it turned out, the


    reason why Stan''s face was so pale was because he had donated blood for her.


    The normal amount of a person''s blood transfusion each time was 200 milliliters, no more than 400


    milliliters. Stan, however, gave her five hundred milliliters.


    When Stan found her in the room, he saw Erma staring out the window with a nk expression on her


    face.


    The man came over and gently put his arm around her shoulder. "Hey you, what are you doing here?


    It''s time for us to go home," he said in a soft voice.


    She looked up at him, eyes glistening, and nodded her head. "Okay."


    Since Stan''s car couldn''t amodate too many people, his parents and the newborn baby girl sat in


    another car.


    When they came out of the in-patient department, Stan''s car was parked at the entrance of the


    hospital. At the back of the car was a printedbel that read¡ª"Property of Erma Huo".


    She chuckled, while failing to contain her tears at the same time.


    Stan assumed the worst when he noticed tears in her eyes and he quickly rushed to her. "Hey, what''s


    wrong? Do you feel ufortable?"


    Shaking her head, Erma sniffled back some tears and said, "I''m okay. Let''s just go home."


    Although Stan had sensed that something was off, the entrance of the in-patient department was hardly


    the right ce to talk about private matters. He took her hand and helped her into the passenger seat


    before he sat himself behind the steering wheel. He decided to leave the questioning until they had


    reached home.


    The young couple''s home was a three-story vi. When they arrived, it was as if they had breathed


    new life into the ce. Stan''s parents and his grandpa were already there waiting for them. There were


    about five or six servants standing behind them, also eagerly waiting to see them.


    Stan''s mother held Erma''s hand and led her inside, concerned as she spoke. "Erma,e in. I don''t


    want you to catch a cold."


    "Yes, Mom. Thanks." Erma followed her to the living room.


    Stan''s grandpa had a radiant glow on his face, mostly because he was able to hold and see his great-


    grandchild in his lifetime. "Erma, the gem of our family, sit and get some rest."


    Stan''s father held his granddaughter in his arms; he didn''t want to let her go. His serious face was


    finally showing hints of joy. "How about going upstairs and lying down, Erma?"


    Erma yed with her daughter''s hand and answered with a smile, "Thank you, Grandpa, Dad and


    Mom. Don''t worry about me. I don''t feel so tired right now. Besides, I had been lying in the hospital for


    more than one week. I just want to stretch my legs and walk around for a bit."


    Stan, however, felt differently. He grabbed her hand and dragged her upstairs. "You need to rest for at


    least a month. After that, you can go anywhere you want. Until then, I don''t want to see you out of your


    bed."


    Erma hadn''t made full recovery yet after she had lost a lot of blood during the delivery.


    Luckily Erma didn''t put up a fight and she followed him upstairs right after she politely greeted the


    elders.


    Stan affectionately helped her getfortable in bed. After making sure that she had everything she


    needed, he finally sat down on the edge of the bed and took out his phone from his pocket to show her


    some photos. "Here, have a look! I''ve already picked out a few spots for our daughter''s one month


    celebration party. Which one do you prefer?"


    She took the phone and swiped through some photos before she casually said, "Are we supposed to


    celebrate when the baby is a month old? Back home, we usually celebrate when the baby is a hundred


    days old."


    "Well, if that''s what you want, then we can throw a party when our daughter turns a hundred days old.


    I''m fine with that," Stan said.


    "You know what, I''m not bothered by it either. Since it''s a tradition here, let''s just throw a party when our


    daughter is one month old," Erma answered casually.


    After pausing to think for a while, Stan offered, "How about this? We can have a banquet after our baby


    is a month old and thenter, we can throw a bigger party for all our rtives and friends when our


    baby is a hundred days old. What do you think?"


    Erma smiled, but refused. "That''s sounds too troublesome. Let''s just throw a party for her in this hotel


    after she is a month old. Besides, I like the food from that hotel."


    "Okay, I''ll book the hotel in advance."


    In thete hours of night, while Erma was already sound asleep with their daughter in her arms, Stan


    was still grinding away in his study.


    Erma quietly slid out of bed, carefully making sure not to wake her daughter. She put on her slippers


    and walked out of the bedroom in search for Stan.


    It was dark, but the light from the study escaped from the half-closed door and guided her inside where


    she saw Stan talking to someone over the phone. "I''ll see if I can find some time, but I don''t think I can


    go there the day after tomorrow. ording to the weather forecast, there''s going to be a rainstorm at


    night. You know how your sister hates the sound of thunder and lightning. I need to stay at home and


    keep herpany when that happens. Don''t worry, I''lle over when it''s not raining. Now that I''m


    home, I need to be here with her."


    Leaning against the door frame, Erma kept quiet while he spoke.


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    "You have to be here on my daughter''s one month celebration party. Erma will be over the moon to see


    you. Don''t let her down."


    The whole conversation between Stan and Adkins took about ten minutes.


    As soon as he put down his phone, he saw the silent woman leaning against door. He quickly stood up


    from his seat and walked up to her. "What happened? Why aren''t you in bed?"


    With a sweet smile, she answered, "I couldn''t find you in bed, so I came here to see you."


    "I just have a little bit of work to finish. I''ll be done soon. Go ahead, I''ll catch up with you," he said and


    kissed her on the lips.


    Erma, however, nimbly walked past him and sat down on the sofa. "Sleeping is all I have been doing


    for the past two days. I''ve had enough of sleep. I''ll just wait here. I''ll be quiet, I promise! Carry on!"


    Unable to dissuade her, Stan had no choice but to go back to his desk to finish the rest of the work.


    The study had sumbed to silence, only to be interrupted from time to time by the sound of a man


    flipping through paper.


    Sitting on the sofa, with her chin rested on her palms, Erma said softly, "I like you so much, Stan!"


    The expression on Stan''s face indicated that he was taken by surprise. He raised an eyebrow and said,


    "Only like?" He put down the pen in his hand and looked at the woman seriously. "I, on the other hand,


    love you from the bottom of my heart."


    Happiness exploded in her chest as Erma stood up from the sofa, trotted to the man, hugged him and


    expressed her affection by saying, "Stan, I love you too!"


    Stan brushed her hair with his fingers and looked at her with insurmountable love in his eyes. "You


    don''t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. Just give me three minutes, I''ll take you back


    to bed!"


    "Okay!"


    Erma had a rtively easy-going job, and there were people to help her take care of the baby. As such,


    she often apanied Stan on his business trips around various parts of the world.


    Stan would try his best to leave without telling her so she wouldn''t insist on following him because he


    didn''t want her to be stressed unnecessarily.


    Unfortunately, Erma was always able to find him regardless. Whenever he had free time, she would


    surprise him with a visit.


    In time, Stan came to realize and ept that it was futile to try and change this woman''s mind. Much


    like Adkins, who was inseparable from his wife, Stan had to bring Erma with him wherever he


    went.

 Chapter 1475 The End Of Take My Breath Away (Part One)

    Chapter 1475 The End Of Take My Breath Away (Part One)


    I love Erica.


    ¡ªby Matthew Huo.


    Before Matthew and Erica got engaged, Wesley had a change of heart. Now that he had some time to


    think about it, he was starting to regret what he''d done.


    So he went to see Matthew alone and said, "I don''t think I should force you two to get married.


    Marriage is a lifetimemitment, not something that I can impose on you. I just want you to be


    happy."


    "You''re not forcing me to do anything, Uncle Wesley. Erica''s still young. And even though she thinks


    she knows everything, she doesn''t. I can take care of her. I''ll give her whatever she wants, as long as I


    can make her happy!" Matthew replied.


    Wesley was stunned. "But... don''t you have someone you like?"


    "Yeah I do¡ªit''s Erica."


    Wesley didn''t know how to react.


    "I don''t mind Erica having another man''s kid, as long as she and I can live happily ever after."


    All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "But you were defiant that day. You told your old man no."


    "Of course. As I said, she''s still young. It may be a blow for her to get married so early, let alone marry


    someone she doesn''t love. Moreover, I don''t like people trying to control my life. That''s what he was


    doing, so I wouldn''t let him." It was his marriage, his life. Carlos might be heavy-handed and


    domineering, but he couldn''t control everything.


    "Whatever, Matthew. I still think it''s unfair."


    "I don''t. She''s the one I love, and I''m happy we''re getting married. I just needed someone to light a fire


    under my butt to make me do something about it. I hope you and Aunt ir can offer me more help


    after we get married. With your help, I can make Erica fall in love with me ASAP."


    Wesley fell into silence. ''My daughter met a man who loves her a lot and is willing to overlook her


    mistakes. Why do I think this is such a bad idea?''


    This conversation was what made Wesley support Matthew wholeheartedly every time he and Erica


    had a fight.


    Back when Matthew went to visit the Li family, he had been interested in the little girl who bought him a


    shirt from a street stall.


    When Matthew was studying in America, Erica was vacationing there as well, and lived in his vi.


    Although they didn''t talk much, he still thought the little girl was adorable and interesting.


    Her dark eyes were always full of mischief and cunning. Every time she saw himing downstairs,


    she would nod and bow to him, like a startled rabbit spotting a lion.


    Matthew had been used to people nodding and bowing to him, but he knew Erica was different from


    anyone else he met. Although she nodded and bowed, there was no fear or panic in her eyes when


    she looked at him.


    She was special as always.


    One year, in the Huo family manor, he heard Erica talking about what she wanted in husband. He


    eavesdropped on her conversation, and filed the information away so he could use it in the future if he


    needed to.


    He met at least a couple of her specifications. He was tall, and rich. No matter what she wanted, he


    could give it to her.


    The reason why Carlos thought he had anything to do with Phoebe was that Matthew helped her out


    when she was injured. He carried her to the car. But she was his best friend''s girlfriend. If not for that,


    he wouldn''t care at all.


    In Matthew''s opinion, Carlos forcing him to marry Erica was the best thing the old man had ever done


    for him.


    It turned out that Carlos also loved his son and was willing to give him what he wanted the most in this


    world.


    Erica didn''t like him then.


    She was taking care of another man''s child.


    The girl didn''t want to marry him at all.


    But Matthew still married her.


    The cute, silly, childish woman became his bride on July 7th of the lunar calendar.


    The day of the wedding, she wore a traditional Chinese wedding dress and looked more mature than


    she ever had. She was so beautiful Matthew couldn''t take his eyes off her, no matter how much he


    wanted to.


    Matthew was a one-man wedding nner. He rented a six-star hotel ballroom and figured out exactly


    what he wanted for decorations. As a wedding hall, it was exquisite. The ballroom he reserved had


    more square footage than many people''s homes put together. It came with a hefty price tag, but he was


    more than able to afford it.


    The traditional wedding dress came to life thanks to several top designers from around the world. It


    was measured and cut to exacting standards, and assembled in a historic preservation site of H


    Country. It included lucky designs like the Phoenix, and clouds.


    The guests traveled from near and far to attend their wedding. Matthew showed his gratitude with


    lavish gifts. These included high end perfume and cologne like Joy Barat Pure Parfum, Limited


    Edition and Aventus for Men by Creed. Also, guests received a box of choctes imported from


    Belgium, a can of tea leaves from one of the tea factories in D Town, and a bottle of limited-edition


    wine. Matthew spared no expense to make this a wedding to remember.


    Then, he picked out the wedding candies and cakes ording to the vor Erica liked. Matthew had


    asked ir about it in advance to make sure he had enough time to obtain them. He ordered milk


    candies, fruit sugar, and wedding cakes with red bean paste, or egg yolk fillings.


    The horses they rode were Ferghana horses sent from Turkmenistan. The traditional sedan chair Erica


    rode in was custom made ording to Matthew''s specifications. If someone looked carefully, they


    would find several instances of the initials "EM" on the chair. That was no ident.


    But the girl was so oblivious that she paid no mind to things like that, clues as to how much he loved


    her.


    Onstage, when the emcee asked Erica whether she was willing to marry Matthew or not, the girl


    hesitated before answering.


    In fact, Matthew was extremely nervous at that time. He was afraid that the fearless girl in front of him


    would freak out and leave him high and dry right there.


    Fortunately, Erica said yes in the end.


    Then, they kissed on the stage. That was their first kiss.


    It was her first kiss, period¡ªbut he didn''t know that untilter.


    The moment he kissed Erica for the first time, his pants got tighter and he was ovee with desire.


    He was afraid of frightening her, so he did his best to hide it.


    During dinner that night, Gifford talked about Erica at length. Matthew was fascinated by it. After Gifford


    finished his speech, Matthew still couldn''t get enough. He wanted to know more about the girl, but he


    had no time then. He needed to get back home to see his bride.


    ''Forget it. I''ll find out myself. How hard could it be?'' he thought then.


    On their wedding night, before Matthew opened the door, he heard Erica talking on the phone, standing


    in front of the window.


    The conversation sounded pretty damning. Someone who was just eavesdropping without the proper


    context would think she was cheating on Matthew.


    In fact, Matthew was jealous of the baby''s daddy. But when he thought about it he knew better. She


    married him, not this other guy, and they''d be together forever. He felt much better after those thoughts


    entered his head.


    While she was washing her face in the bathroom, he deliberately went in and flirted with her, pretending


    to take a shower. As expected, the girl ran away when he invited her to take a shower with him.


    He got an unexpected call from Phoebe. She said something had happened to Nathan, so he had to go


    help his friend. No matter that he had a new wife at home to take care of.


    What he didn''t expect was that the girl became very happy after he took off. When he turned back to


    grab his phone, he could hear the girl singing excitedly inside the room before he pushed the door


    open.


    He started frowning and pretended to be serious. When he opened the door, the girl immediately


    cowered and stopped singing.


    She found ame excuse to exin her excitement, saying that she was in the habit of doing exercises


    before going to sleep.


    But he wasn''t fooled.


    If there weren''t something important to do, Matthew would have told her that he also liked to exercise


    before bed, and they could do it together. For example, making love could burn quite a few calories.


    So Matthew held his tongue.


    When he wanted to kiss her because she was so cute, she refused, reminding him of his supposed


    love for Phoebe. Matthew knew she didn''t want him to kiss her. He didn''t make things difficult for her,


    nor did he exin his rtionship with Phoebe. He just grabbed his phone and left.


    He didn''t know leaving her like that would have so many ramifications.


    Rumors spread all over the Inte, and there were so many people mocking her online.


    Matthew immediately had someone deal with the rumors about them. He didn''t know how to make her


    feel better, however. After thinking for a long time, he finally decided to defend her online in the


    comment area of her Weibo ount, using his private ount on that tform named "Can''t Do


    Anything."


    In the first few days after their wedding, Matthew had been very busy because of Nathan''s death and


    hadn''t returned to the vi. So busy that, in the parking lot of a mall, when the driver told him that the


    woman who blocked their way was Mrs. Huo, he was clueless. He hadn''t internalized that Erica was


    Mrs. Huo.


    When he heard it was Erica, Matthew immediately got out of the car.


    The silly girl thought he had forgotten her and introduced herself to him.


    How could he forget her? It was just that he had been too busy for the past couple days and he had no


    time to spend with her.


    He silently decided to wait, just deal with his affairs. He''d be done with Nathan and Phoebe, and he


    could spend more time with her.


    It turned out that she blocked his way because she wanted to ask him about visiting their parents,


    something of a wedding tradition. Of course, he would visit her parents with her. No matter how busy


    he was, he couldn''t ignore such a big event.


    But he wanted to wait until the next day to visit the Li household. She seemed a little disappointed.


    Thinking of the disappointment in her eyes, after he returned to his study, Matthew decided to put


    everything aside and go with her to visit her parents.


    However, when he asked someone to book a flight for them, he discovered she already bought tickets


    of high-speed train, because she thought he couldn''t go with her.


    The first time he heard her call him "honey" was at the gates to her school. He heard that Erica was


    there and came to pick her up.


    Erica was in a fight with another girl. It was then that he realized he had caused so much drama in her


    life. But she had never mentioned it orined to him. Who said she was thoughtless?


    She was so considerate that he felt sorry for her. She shouldn''t have to deal with that alone.


    Before getting married, Matthew had told himself that since he had decided to marry Erica, he would


    treat her and the kid well, even though Ethan was not his.


    When he picked up baby Ethan for the first time, Matthew floated the idea of having a kid together. He


    mentioned it to Erica.


    But when he couldn''t hold back anymore and tried to make love to her, all he seeded in doing was


    frightening her. He had to give up the idea for the time being.


    The married life didn''t disappoint Matthew. Erica was really an interesting girl. She was stupid enough


    to believe that he loved Phoebe, not her.


    But the truth was, from start to finish, Erica was the only woman in his heart.


    Otherwise, why would he marry her? He even washed her hair, washed her feet, made chocte and


    macaroons for her, and always bought her gifts.


    He lied to her, told her the chocte was for Gwyn, and the silly girl believed him. In fact, what she


    didn''t know was that Matthew had learned how to make chocte in his free time, and then made it for


    her to eat. It was all for her.

 Chapter 1476 The End Of Take My Breath Away (Part Two)

    Chapter 1476 The End Of Take My Breath Away (Part Two)


    When Matthew found out that Ethan wasn''t Erica''s child, he was so thrilled that on the next day, he


    showered his employees with rewards in the pretense of appreciating them for thepany''s excellent


    performance.


    Later, when Phoebe had a miscarriage and framed Erica for it, she thought that Matthew had chosen to


    believe Phoebe over her.


    Could he ever do such a thing? Who was Phoebe to Matthew? And how could she everpare to


    Erica? How could Matthew ever believe an insignificant woman over the woman he married?


    When the foolish girl said that she wouldpensate for the baby he had lost with another, he agreed


    because of his own selfish desire and did not bother exining to her that the baby Phoebe had lost


    was not his.


    And soon after that, he took Erica''s virginity.


    But Matthew felt guilty for lying to his beloved woman. So, he did everything in his power to make her


    happy.


    After all this, it came as a shock to Matthew when Erica ran away with their babies.


    The silly woman was too shocked after realizing how much he loved her, and left him while she was still


    pregnant.


    Matthew felt so wronged. He silently begged in his heart for her toe home. He wondered why she


    didn''t take him with her when she decided to run away.


    She would never know how Matthew lived through those lonely years without her.


    He didn''t dare to go back to their bedroom. He was afraid that he would miss her more because of her


    lingering smell in the room.


    He patiently waited for Erica for more than three years, and finally heard of her whereabouts from his


    four sons!


    Erica was very smart.


    In order to stay out of their radar, she had been living in a poor vige for three years.


    At the airport, his silly son, Boswell, secretly told Adkins that he didn''t want his mother and Aunt Tessie


    to stay in Tow Vige forever. The boy thought that Matthew didn''t hear.


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    But, no!


    Matthew heard it clearly.


    Erica was in Tow Vige!


    He went to the vige and saw her for the first time in more than three years; she had changed so


    much that his heart ached for the silly woman.


    She could not only do housework now, but had also learnt to take care of others.


    In order to punish her for leaving him, he pretended to not care about her and didn''t mention anything


    about taking her back to Y City even after sleeping with her.


    Erica became anxious and finally returned to Y City on her own ord.


    After her return, she identally discovered all his secrets, one by one¡ª the bottle of stars which he


    had asked her to fold as punishment, her teenage photo which he had taken secretly, the lock of her


    long hair she had left for him, the letter she had written to him, and the two words "My Rika"


    embroidered on his every shirt.


    Matthew was anxious. He wanted to express his love for her; he wanted to tell how much he loved her


    to her face. But he had hidden his feelings for Erica for too long, so now, he didn''t know how to express


    it.


    He struggled for a while, and finally chose to let fate take its course. As time went by, he hoped that


    she would find out how much he loved her, and her alone.


    Another event that Matthew had not expected was when Erica blocked the burning beam of the room to


    save him.


    The moment he saw her spit a mouthful of blood, he copsed and his heart broke into a million pieces.


    She was willing to sacrifice herself for him.


    Listening to her words in that painful state, he swore in his heart that he would protect her with his life.


    He swore that he would find all those who had hurt Erica and make their lives a living hell!


    Fortunately, Erica woke up soon after. She had several broken ribs, and couldn''t move from the bed.


    The woman was so anxious about her future because she had always been an active and energetic


    person.


    So, Matthew kept herpany all the while and tried his best to keep her in bed so that she would get


    good rest and recover as soon as possible.


    Erica had once vowed that she would give him five sons. Never in his wildest imagination did he expect


    it to be realized.


    In the end, she really did give birth to five sons!


    Matthew didn''t know how he felt about having five boys in the house! Fortunately, she also gave him a


    lovely daughter who at least provided him a littlefort.


    Their lives returned to being peaceful and happy once Michel and his people were arrested.


    Years passed by, and their five sons and daughter were married and had families of their own. Matthew


    and Erica soon became grandparents.


    Sheffield and Evelyn''s daughter, Gwh, married a senior officer of the navy.


    Gwyn was passionate about diving in her teenage years. Whenever she was free, she would go to sea


    and venture into the mysterious underwater world.


    She also met her Prince Charming at sea.


    At that time, both of them were diving¡ªGwyn was doing it for fun, while he was on duty at sea.


    Gwyn was like a nimble mermaid in the deep sea. He took her to the ship because the navy was trying


    to find a suspect in the area.


    At first, they thought they were nothing more than passers-by in each other''s lives. But as fate would


    have it, they met for the second time and then again.


    Soon, the two fell in love.


    That year, Gwyn dived into the sea to see him. But her legs cramped and she started drowning.


    Her prince came to her rescue; the man jumped into the sea to save her without any auxiliary tools.


    They got married not long after Gwyn woke up from hera.


    A few years after she got married, Godwin, who was then a traditional Chinese doctor, also got


    married. As he had wished, he married a girl whose name was relevant to Chinese herbs¡ªViolet.


    Godfrey became a teacher¡ªa famous professor in a renowned university.


    Jeffrey took Terilynn''s advice and chose to work at ZL Group.


    Time went by quickly. Many yearster, a grey-haired couple was holding each other''s arms as they


    walked along a mountain path in Y City.


    The old man was still very good looking. He asked, "Did you call them?"


    The old woman beside him replied, "Of course, I did! ir said they would be here soon."


    Around ten minutester, a voice came from behind the old couple through the fiery red maple forest.


    "Carlos, Debbie! We''re here!"


    Carlos turned around and smiled. "Wesley, you''rete! We''ve been waiting for half an hour."


    ir exined, "It''s all because of Rika! She and Matthew are going to M Country. We just saw them


    off."


    "Oh, I see," Debbie replied, greeting her with a hug.


    Since their sons were all married, Erica had five daughters-inw and a bunch of grandchildren! As a


    woman who couldn''t even cook properly, she was so anxious to be in a house full of hungry little kids!


    Matthew didn''t want his wife to suffer either, so he gave each of his daughters-inw fifty million a year


    to hire nannies to take care of their children.


    Having done that, they traveled around the world with not a care in the world. If there was something


    going on in the city that needed their presence, they would stay in Y City for a while before nning


    their next trip.


    Wesley and ir were staying in Y City for the time being. Today, along with Carlos and Debbie, they


    were going up the mountain to watch the sunrise. "Let''s go! We will stay at the top of the mountain


    tonight. I had asked Colman to check the time of sunrise tomorrow. It''s at six o''clock!" Debbie said in


    excitement.


    After climbing a few steps, ir started panting slightly. "Ah! I''m not as healthy as I used to be. I''m


    already out of breath."


    Wesley snorted. "You''ve always been of poor health. If I hadn''t made you exercise often for all these


    years, you would be lying in bed at home now like some weak old woman."


    ir red at him. "Okay, fine! It''s all thanks to you."


    Grabbing ir''s hand, Debbie said with augh, "Don''t argue with him. Save your strength and try to


    climb to the top in one breath!"


    "Okay! Let''s do it!"


    The two women started climbing together. Wesley looked at Carlos doubtfully and they both shook their


    heads whileughing. Together, the four of them went up the mountain, stopping now and again to


    catch their breath. An hourter, they arrived at the top.


    Boswell had booked rooms for them at a hotel at the top of the mountain for a few days.


    Early the next morning, the old couples showed up at the hotel gate at the appointed time and set out


    to watch the sunrise together.


    The hotel was at a good location. They didn''t have to go too far to find the best spot to watch the


    sunrise.


    At six o''clock, the eastern sky began to break, and was dyed in golden and pinkish-purple colors. Soon,


    the sun rose and lit up the sky in the distance.


    ir sat on a boulder and rested her head on Wesley''s shoulder. "We''re very lucky to be able to see


    this colorful nketed sky again today."


    Carlos interrupted, "I''ll make a video call to Erma. She has been abroad with her husband for too long.


    She must be missing this beautiful scenery of her mothend." Carlos loved his granddaughter to bits


    and couldn''t get her out of his mind even while on a trip like this.


    Debbie shook her head helplessly. "They are probably sleeping. Don''t disturb the kids. Just record a


    video and send it to herter."


    ir shook her phone. "I''ve recorded one already. I''ll post it in the group chat."


    Debbie nodded and said to Carlos, "ir will post the video in the group chat, so you don''t need to


    send it to Erma separately. Just tell her about it in the group chat."


    The Huo and Li families had set up a family group on WeChat, and all the family members were added


    in it.


    Carlos snorted and didn''t say anything. After a while, he still sent the video to Erma separately.


    Debbie sighed seeing his childish behavior. There was nothing she could do about this stubborn old


    man.


    The sky was bright now. They recorded the beautiful scenery, while also sending voice messages to


    the family group chat.


    Their children and grandchildren were woken up by the messages. No matter how sleepy they were,


    they still chatted with the four elders one by one.


    Only Erma, who was favored by Carlos, had nothing to fear. She put the phone on silent and continued


    to sleep without checking the messages.


    Her husband, Stan, had woken up a long time ago. He had no choice but to greet Carlos for her, and


    told the old man that she was still fast asleep.


    When the sun was high up in the sky, the four stood up from their spot and headed back to the hotel for


    breakfast.


    ir and Wesley walked in front of Carlos and Debbie. "Debbie, we should go to the other end of the


    mountain to watch the sunset tomorrow evening," ir suggested.


    "Yes! I''ve been thinking about it ever since I saw the sunsetst year," Debbie replied promptly.


    It was colder than usual at the top of the mountain that morning. They were wearing nothing but thin


    sports coats, which attracted the attention of many youngsters who had just climbed to the top.


    They smiled at the old people in admiration. They hoped that if they were also in such good health in


    their old age, and if they were lucky enough to have a loving partner, then they would love to see this


    beautiful sunrise at that age as well. It would be the perfect life!


    The End.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!